Since You've Been Gone

Since You've Been Gone - Anouska Knight

DESCRIPTION

In one tragic moment, Holly Jefferson s life as she knows it changes for ever. Now to the external world, at least she s finally getting back on her feet, running her business, Cake. Then she meets Ciaran Argyll.

His rich and charmed life feels a million miles from her own. However, there s more to Ciaran than the superficial world that surrounds him, and he too is wrestling with his own ghosts. Will Holly find the missing ingredient that allows her to live again and embrace an unknown and unexpected tomorrow?

REVIEW

This novel completely floored me.

I faced this reading on tiptoe. I thought of being in front of a romantic comedy, one of those with a lot of cupcakes and recipes, but I was wrong. There are cupcakes and all sort of sweeties, of course, but not in the way I thought.

Holly is twenty-seven, she owns a bakery shop where spend all her time, she has a family always worried about her, a charming and cheerful friend who tries to help her get by and a big slobbery dog named Dave, her only company.

Holly carries a great pain: she lost her husband Charlie because of an accident, the man of her life, friend from school and her soul mate.

In the first part of the book we are dragged in her suffering and in her loneliness. Holly lives of memories, in an unfixed house where Charlie is always present. She’s not ready to return to live, she’s not ready for love and she’s firmly convinced that will never return to laugh and to be happy.

After few chapters, I abandoned the idea of the romantic comedy, thinking to be in front of one of those weepy romance in which the heroine cries and despairs for her loss, refusing the help of family and friends. I was ready to pull out my box of tissues, but then I got stuck: the book began to take a different way. Again.

Holly meets Ciaran, a businessman belonging to a prominent family, with a number of ex girlfriends behind and many - too many - details that make him look not recommendable, like the classic spoiled  scion used to having everything in life.

Their meeting puts them in front of an unexpected reality: the attraction is felt immediately, but both of them are not confident that go along is the right decision. Both are injured, even if for different raisons. They’re afraid to not be able to find happiness.

Holly is not ready for love, she’s not ready to let go Charlie’s memory and then Ciaran not seems to be a great man. His past is not clear and Holly doesn’t want to leave herself to this feeling. 

But Ciaran is not what it seems: his life was not easy and all he got was the result of dedication and hard work.

Two different worlds: on the one hand we have the simple Holly’s life, who drives a rickety van, she doesn’t dine in luxury restaurants, she prefers picnics or walks through the mountains, who does not believe in the power of money and does not trust those who owns too many. On the other we Ciaran, a guy who has done himself alone, in spite of his family, which is loaded with a large weight, burned by love that marked him for many years. But Ciaran has a bright personality, is cute and funny, as well as obviously being charming (really charming), and sexy, and Holly will not resist his smile. And me too.

He looked at me, unsure, and then again be pulled my horse closer before his hand found its place again at the back of my neck. He sat there, holding me they way, giving me a fighting chance to say no, but I was ready for him this time, I knew what to do... I saw him lean in this time, watching him draw all the way in before I let him kiss me again. Slowly, sweetly, as though he were opening his favorite present.

An amazing novel, delicate and sweet - like sweets we are talking about - where feelings are often mixed and blurred, but real, honest and above all, human.

Nostalgia, pain, the desire to throw everything to the wind and just give up, feelings that go to crash with friendship, love, both desire and fear to start again and be happy.

I not only liked it, but I really loved, I finished it in one of my sleepless nights.

Holly and Ciaran are two interesting characters: their differences become their strong point. The combination of these will lead to the birth of their relationship and the union of two different families in particular, that give at the novel a point more.

I couldn't say it. Not yet. But I could feel it, lingering there on my lips, waiting to be spoken. I pushed myself up on tiptoes, and let him feel the words were they lay, ready to be released into the world when the time came. This kiss was my promise to him that I would never use him, or care where he bought his clothes, or leave him for a bigger number. And his promise to me? 

He didn't need one. 

Amazing secondary characters like Martha, overprotective Holly’s sister and Mr. Argyll, Ciaran’s dad: thanks to them and their interesting personalities, the novel increases, giving funny moments where I laughing to dye (see scene of Martha childbirth.)

An almost perfect book, where I fell with all myself. I was touched and I cried like a baby. But I smile too, and laugh a lot and then, I cried again.

One of the best readings of the last year. I think I hardly can forget this story.

I’m going to read more of Anouska Knight because I thing her writing is very enjoyable, real and touching.