With Love From London

 

With Love From London

By: Sarah Jio

Genre: Fiction/ Women's Fiction

Summary:

On the heels of finding out her husband wants a divorce, Valentina learns her Mother has died and left her daughter her estate. The same mother who left when Valentina was 12. Armed with a broken heart and more questions than answers, Valentina arrives in London only to discover what she never knew and find what she never knew she needed.

I feel like a broken record, but Sarah Jio has done it again! She has crafted a story that devours you as you take in every word. She has designed a world you want to be a part of- and feel you are as you're reading her words. I didn't want to the book to end. In fact, I prolonged finishing this book because I didn't want to leave Primrose Hill or all the characters. 

Valentina has memories of her mother that center around books and love. However, she also remembers coming home when she was 12 to find her mother gone. No goodbye, no contact to be had again, and no clue as to why. Still, she goes on to make a life for herself in marrying Nick. But, the happy ending she thought she had was not to be. Her dearly beloved informs her that he's leaving her for the younger woman he'd been cheating on her with. And if that isn't enough, a phone call informs her that the mother she hasn't seen since she was 12 has died and left her everything she had: a building in Primrose Hill, London with a bookstore on the bottom floor and apartments on the two upper floors. Sounds like the perfect time to move to London. However, upon arriving, it doesn't take long to learn Valentina must pay a hefty inheritance tax- with money she doesn't have. It also doesn't take long for her to learn that the business isn't doing well and it'll take a miracle to save it. 

Amongst all this news, Valentina begins meeting the people who became her mother's world. Starting with a tenant in the 2nd floor apartment, Liza. This spunky woman is about Valentina's age and helps introduce her to the area. Valentina meets Millie, her mother's best friend and business partner. The bookstore, itself, is another entity that captures Valentina's heart. She quickly decides she wants to fight for the store.

As you are meeting the new world Valentina finds herself in, you follow Eloise's (Valentina's mother) story. You meet the men who shape her life and the paths she takes with them. You see her meet Valentina's father and the life they build. You also see how it falls apart and, ultimately, how Eloise and Valentina end up on opposite sides of the world. Your heart breaks as the story unfolds. You cheer Eloise on as she rebuilds her life and how prevalent Valentina always was. 

It took me no time at all to be glued to all the dynamics within this book! The mother/daughter relationship that forcibly changed. The daughter rebuilding her life after it fell apart. Both women learning to move forward when you don't think you can. Sarah Jio has written another favorite in With Love From London. It was well worth waiting for. This book will find a cherished spot on my bookshelves the day it comes out.