‘An intriguing story about family life, tenderly told and packing an emotional punch.’ Heidi Swain, author of Poppy’s Recipe for Life Sometimes we find happiness where we least expect it… After twenty years of contented marriage, no one is more surprised than Mary Black when her husband announces he’s leaving her… for another man. For the sake of the children, Mary has no choice but to pick … Mary has no choice but to pick herself up and start again. She hosts family meals that include Leo and his new partner. She copes with the kids wanting to spend less time with her and more time with their ‘fun’ dads. But one thing she can’t quite ignore is Leo’s gorgeous brother, who has just come back to town…
After living a life of sliding doors and missed opportunities, can Mary finally put herself first and take a chance that could change everything?
A wonderfully uplifting novel full of wisdom, spirit and charm. This is a love story with a difference, perfect for fans of Jill Mansell and Heidi Swain.
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The story definitely had an interesting plot device, and was well written. Mary’s long time husband leaves her and she has to rebuild her life and find new love in very difficult circumstances. Her teenage son and daughter make it even harder.How this all works out has a number of twists and turns but of course works out in the end in a satisfying way. An engrossing read.
This is one of the best books I have read this year. The characters are people you would like to know, and I hated to leave them. I laughed as much as I cried as courage wins over sorrow in this failed marriage. And then comes the happy ever after.
I couldn’t stop reading even when I would think, “Wow, these people are really manipulative!” It was a premise I hadn’t read before and kept me glued to the pages because I desperately wanted Mary to find her HEA.
Love is patient. Love is kind. It does not boast; it is not proud. Love does not dishonor others. It protects, trusts, hopes, perseveres, never fails.
Kate Field brings this kind of love to the page as she shares the story of a family guilty of deep love. Even when that love is, at times, difficult. A wife. A husband. A mother.
Don’t miss this one.
Mary Black and her husband Leo have been living a quiet, happily married life for twenty years. They have two children, their mothers live right next to them and they work together on Leo’s lifelong project: researching, publicizing and promoting the late Victorian author Alice Hornby. When Leo announces that he is gay and will be divorcing Mary and marrying his new love, she does her very best to keep everything going, including being Best Woman at the wedding! Mary begins to realize that her life has been rather dull and that she has always been the one to make the sacrifices when they are called for, particularly in her marriage. Once Leo is remarried and moved out, she begins to notice other men, especially Leo’s brother Ethan. Ethan has also noticed Mary and the story takes some interesting turns.
This is a well written and very enjoyable book that I strongly recommend. Thank you to Netgalley, the author Kate Field and the publisher Avon Books UK for an ARC in return for my honest review.
The Man I Fell in Love With by Kate Field a four-star read you can fall for. This was so well written and there is such a talent to the writing that I couldn’t put it down, I would have given it five-stars, but I also knew what was coming so didn’t feel that I could, it was so weird as I needed to know if was right or not. The ending is a little boom all over, but it finishes the story s overall its good. I would definitely look out for this author again, she has a good talent for writing, and I can’t wait to see more.
Mary’s life has been complacent…until now. Leo, her husband of twenty years has come out of the closet in an unfortunately public way with his partner Clark, causing a flurry of small town gossip. Her daughter, Ava, appears to despise everything Mary says or does, then again, Ava’s a typical, broody teenager. Her son, Jonas, is growing up and looking forward to moving out. Her mother is carrying on with a secret gentleman. So many changes are happening in a short span of time. The only normal in Mary’s life seems to be her dog Dotty, and maybe her ex brother-in-law, Ethan, and mother-in-law Audrey. Needless to say, Mary’s world has turned upside down. Does she get mad, get even, or go with the flow?
Mary’s journey of self-discovery was a plethora of feels. Mary was smart and sweet, but beige definitely described her to a T. She went along with everything anybody said, whether she agreed or not, and while the constant repression of herself eventually erupted with flair, I really, really wished it had happened sooner! Mary’s decision to take the safest route to love, settling for friendship and comfort, rather than taking a risk with the unknown, changed the direction or her life. She bottled up so much of her own identity and personality into her role as wife and mother, she floundered in the wake of Leo’s news. Personally, I couldn’t have swallowed my tongue and smiled through family holidays and being in an ex’s wedding as best woman! I wanted to shake some sense into Mary’s thick noggin so many times, especially when it came to Leo selfishness and Ethan’s obvious attempts to draw her out and show her what had been under her nose the entire time! Someone who loved and appreciated her for herself, without any colored glasses from society’s expectations.
Mary kept her head in the sand like an ostrich for longer than I thought she would, but I’ll give her credit. She was extremely gracious in her attempts to keep her family together and went above and beyond the call of duty! However, I do wish there was an extended epilogue into Mary’s new life that would have tidied things up somewhat considering selfish Leo had almost all his wishes and desires granted!
The Man I Fell In Love With was hard to put down! I loved the dynamics of each relationship and how each one had a different sort of love attached to it. I found myself invested in Mary’s personal turmoil and her new ‘normal’ blended-family relationships and was cheering for her to take that first step and live the life she was meant to have! Overall, this was a fantastic read and I’m happy to have discovered a new author!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book courtesy of Avon U.K. and Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
While it was well written, I found it slow paced. It didn’t pick up until 40% into the book. Just about when Mary started to realize her ex was selfish.
Plot was fairly predictable, but I liked the characters. I’d read it again.