The Man I Loved Before by Anna Mansell

I’m delighted to be part of the book tour today for this lovely book. Thanks to Bookoutoure for the copy of the book and invitation to be part of the tour.

PUBLICATION DAY: 10/03/2020

BUY LINKS:

AMZ: https://geni.us/B084CWJ9FTSocial

Apple: https://buff.ly/2GMG6V2

Kobo: https://buff.ly/2ui42Ng

Google: https://buff.ly/2vOdCrX

Description:

‘Dear Ben, I can only write you this letter because I know you’ll never read it…’

When Jem writes to her ex Ben, it’s to explain everything. All the secrets she kept from him – from the little lies she’d sometimes tell about how new those shoes really were, or how many glasses of wine she’d had that evening… right up to The Big Thing that happened on the night that changed everything. But she never expects he will actually see what she’s written.

She is just writing because she thinks it will help to get the words out. Later, she resolves, she’ll burn the letter, and then the past will be in the past for good.

Because Jem is doing fine now. She’s busy: working, spending time with her best friend, and looking after her mother, who’s in remission from cancer. She’s even dating again and has just met a guy who she thinks she could actually fall for. At long last, Jem is really, definitely somewhere close to happy.

But her mum finds the letter and thinks she’s doing Jem a favour when she posts it to Ben. And Jem’s new, carefully rebuilt life begins to unravel in ways she could never have imagined. Then, when her mother gets ill again, she finds herself asking who has the key to her future. The man she’s falling in love with now? Or the man she loved before?

A heartbreaking, beautifully honest novel that will stay with readers long after they finish it. Perfect for fans of Diane Chamberlain, Amanda Prowse, and Susan Lewis.

My Review:

This is the first time I’ve read anything by this author, and I can’t believe I missed out. I need to get more of her books!

It took me a while to get to like Jem. But once I did, I really cared about what happened to her, and understood more about what had made her the way she appeared to be at the start. Her mum I liked straight away, and I loved their relationship.

There’s so much going on in this book. There are little glimpses into her past life with Ben, there’s her new life and new relationship, and there’s everything that’s happening with her mum.

There’s great humour in this book, with some really funny moments. There are truly special relationships, like Jem’s friendship with her best friend, Leanne, and her wonderful relationship with her mum. There’s heartbreak, sadness, and there’s an element of tension, as we wait to see how this will all end. This book really has all the elements for a fantastic read.

I found myself looking forward to returning to this book at the end of each day, and sorry when it was finished.

Insightful and inspiring, it’s a captivating read. So enjoyable.

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Author Bio:

Anna had a brush with ‘fame’ as a magician’s assistant back in 1977. She later decided that being sawn in half by her magical performing father, at barely 6 months old, was too submissive a role. She vowed to channel the trauma into something much more pro-actively creative. Having failed at acting, singing and professional murder mystery parties (she was ALWAYs the one to die!), she fell to something much more solitary: writing. Anna lives on a dairy farm in Cornwall with her two children, her husband, and her ex-racing greyhound, Olive Dog.