The Start Of Something - Miranda Dickinson || Netgalley Review

 

Two lonely people.
One note in the window.
And what happens when they reach out…

Lachlan Wallace is stuck at home after a car accident stalled his army career. With months of physiotherapy still to endure and only his rescue dog and cat for company, he’s taken to gazing out of the window, watching the world spin on without him. And then he notices a vase of flowers on the windowsill of the apartment opposite his. Drawn to their hope and colour, he decides to reach out and sticks a message in his window…

Bethan Gwynne is a stranger in a new town. Bringing up her son Noah by herself, she is slowly rebuilding her life, but loneliness is one obstacle she has yet to overcome. She’s intrigued by a glimpse of her neighbour in the apartment across from hers – and then, one evening, she sees a message in his window just for her:

WHAT ARE THOSE FLOWERS CALLED?

And so begins a love story of two people reaching out, daring to trust a stranger…

I have always been a fan of Miranda's writing but more so since lockdown & her chatty things on Facebook, in those lonely dark days she was a comfort to many and I think its given me an incredible soft spot for anything she writes. I was approved for this on Netgalley sometime back but life got busy and reviews died off (as you can see) but I knew this was one i desperately needed to delve into.

Within pages, i knew this is the sort of book I needed. We meet Bethan who is just settling into her new life, She is aiming for better for herself and her little boy Noah as from what it seems they had it pretty tough and all she wants is happiness for him and a safe place to call home. 

Lachlan is stuck at home recovering from an accident which could have a life-changing impact. He's lonely and almost seems to be wallowing when he glances out the window and sees some flowers that bring a little brightness into his day he posts a simple message asking what they are. 

What follows is a lovely story of hope and brightness in those dark days as the pair exchange messages through the windows but what happens when they deicde to take the next step. A story of hope and light but also of those dark and desperate times. Beautifully written even down to the making of a cup of tea and eating toast. Every word bought the page to life for me and i was watching it all play out in my head. 

The characters were flawed, strong willed and protective of their emotions so watching the pair discover a new side to themselves and discover each other was lovely. A lovely 5* read that brightened up my week.

Miranda Dickinson has always had a head full of stories. Born in Wolverhampton, in The Black Country, West Midlands, she grew up in Kingswinford and dreamed of one day writing a book that would reach the heady heights of Kingswinford Library... Her first novel, Fairytale of New York (2009) was discovered on Authonomy.com - HarperCollins' site for unpublished authors. Within three weeks of its release, Fairytale of New York had entered the Sunday Times Top Ten Bestsellers List, where it remained for five weeks - making it the world's first crowd-sourced bestseller. The novel was also shortlisted for the RNA's Romantic Novel of the Year Award 2010 at the Pure Passion Awards.

Miranda is a six-times Sunday Times Bestseller, with Fairytale of New York, Welcome to My World, It Started With a Kiss, When I Fall in Love, Take a Look at Me Now, I'll Take New York, A Parcel for Anna Browne and Searching for a Silver Lining, a Christmas novella, Christmas in St Ives, is a festive treat and prequel to her ninth novel, Somewhere Beyond the Sea. The Day We Meet Again has won critical acclaim and is much loved by readers, most recently publishing in the US and Canada, taking her words Stateside for the first time.

Miranda is an international bestseller in four countries and her books have been translated into sixteen languages. To date, she has sold one million books worldwide. Her latest book is Our Story, out now.
Miranda is the founder of WriteFoxy - resources, vlogs and inspiration writing days for writers of all ages and abilities. Her popular vlogs feature her own publishing journey for each new novel, together with advice for authors and lots and lots of hats!

Miranda lives in Dudley with her husband, Bob and daughter, Flo. She is also a singer-songwriter and recently released her first solo album, About Time.

Follow Miranda's vlog at www.youtube.com/mirandawurdy and visit her website: miranda-dickinson.com
You can also follow Miranda on Twitter @wurdsmyth, on Instagram @wurdsmyth and on Facebook: MirandaDickinsonAuthor