Thursday, 16 June 2011

Review: Love & Freedom - Sue Moorcroft

Genre: Contemporary romantic fiction
Pages: 319
Published: June 1st 2011 Choc-Lit

New start, new love. That's what Honor Sontag needs after her life falls apart, leaving her reputation in tatters and her head all over the place. So she flees her native America and heads for Brighton, England. Honor's hoping for a much-deserved break and the chance to find the mother who abandoned her as a baby. What she gets is an entanglement with a mysterious male whose family seems to have a finger in every pot in town. Martyn Mayfair has sworn off women with strings attached, but is irresistibly drawn to Honor, the American who keeps popping up in his life. All he wants is an uncomplicated relationship built on honesty, but Honor's past threatens to undermine everything. Then secrets about her mother start to spill out ... Honor has to make an agonising choice. Will she live up to her dutiful name and please others? Or will she choose freedom?

My thoughts:
Should I say it again? Ok I will. I like  Moorcroft's books because they feel so real and at the same time they are sweet and romantic. And they are so British, you have to love that feeling you get how you just want to go in live in the novel.

To the story then. Honor leaves Connecticut because of troubles. I am not going to tell you what since we do not know it at once, but I do understand why she wanted to leave everything behind and start new. She is also looking for her mother who she has never known. Those two things are the troubles in her life. She has had her share of hard times but she still has a positive outlook on life and I really liked her for that. She has a good degree but she is willing to work as anything (except as what she know). Sure she could have told certain people certain things but life is not easy and she acted like anyone would act. To the man then, Martyn, and now I do not want to say more so not to spoil things. Let's just say he is really hunky, he does have a wandering eye (in the past that is) cos he has been hurt so he keeps things casual. But when these two meet they become friends since they are thrown into each other's lives at times. The attraction is there and building but neither wants to act. That is what I like about her books, people take things slow, they talk, they laugh and they fall in love.

And it's England, they eat fish and chips, drink tea and say English things (which of course Honor does not understand what they mean but I have no trouble with. Used to that.) There is just something about a good British novel.

So yes it is a novel about finding your freedom and falling in love. About meeting new friends and doing what you want to do instead of what other people want you to do. And last yes there is drama too, this drama comes in form of a big jerk whose ass I wanted to kick. But you can't let jerks hold you down and no one can hold Honor down any more. 

Conclusion:
This was a lovely story that I read through fast. I was very interested in finding out who her mum was and what happened back home, and of course when she and Martyn would get together. It was sweet, uplifting and real. Moorcroft has not disappointed me so far and I hope she will write many more wonderful novels.

I do recommend her novels. They are not contemporary romance and not quite fiction but a lovely middle thing in my eye.

Rating:
Good

Cover:
Nice

Come back tomorrow cos I am having Sue over for an interview and giving away a copy of this book. And yes worldwide contest this time :D

33 comments:

  1. I have this one in my TBR. So glad you enjoyed it Blodeuedd!

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  2. Ooo you hooked me with your review! A slow falling in love is what I prefer, and then an English setting to boot! Yep, definately going to check this author out. Do all her books play in England?

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  3. Lesson learned: Never let jerks hold you down! :)

    Great review. I love England and England things, like British accents. Also, how great is it to read a book that makes you want to live in that place?! Love that feeling.

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  4. Can't wait for the interview -- I love the sound of her books (although I'm not wild about the cover on this one!).

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  5. I've not read any of her novels. I'll have to look for some.

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  6. This is exactly the kind of book I love! Yes, of course I would dream of escaping to England someday! I have to get a copy of this book :)

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  7. England! I love that country! :)

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  8. Oh sounds nice. Sure I will come tomorow to read the interview!

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  9. Lol, what was up with me and using parentheses in this review.


    @VFG
    I hope you like it :D So very sweet and nice

    @Aurian
    I do like when they take it slow because in real life everyone does not marry after a week and live happily ever after.
    All the books I have read yes :D All England

    @Missie
    It was not like it was the best city ever..ok she did visit this castle that has made me drool but that was not the point. The point was that it was a good honest city (with many tourists) and it was just a nice place

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  10. @Mystica
    I am sure you would do :)

    @Audra
    I mean it is not great, ut it is still nice and I do not think it needs anything more. I am very strange sometimes

    @Dana
    I hope you find some

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  11. @Amused
    I totally forgot to mention that if you like Mansell novels then you might like this one. But since you do I will just tell you that :D

    @Nina
    I soooooooooo want to go

    @Ana
    Yay, will see you there

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  12. sweet read! and i like the setting. did they mention bacon butty?

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  13. Not having read too much contemporary, I'm still curious about this one. It sounds like a fun summer read. I'll be here tomorrow!!

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  14. I'd love to know what the English things are they said that Honor wasn't familiar with. Hee, hee. Sounds like a great story.

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  15. What an intriguing and awesome name that the protagonist has. Sounds so movie-/rockstar-ish. :o)

    I used to wish that situation would be my own....escaping the craziness of my hometown and running off to England to find my destiny. ^_ Sounds like Honor's will be a nice one to relate to. So on the TBR list it goes!!

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  16. It is a pretty cover. :)

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  17. Moorcroft must create such lovely stories if you want to go live in her settings :) Those are my favorite kind of writers.

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  18. Oh, this sounds like a fun little peaceful fun read. :) Thanks for the great review.

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  19. This one sounds really good.

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  20. Will never get tired of reading anything set in England. Its one of my favourite countries.

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  21. I've never heard of this one but I want to read this one. Thanks for the introduction.

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  22. I love anything to do with England and British people, so I will definitely be reading this. It seems like a nice summer-y read.

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  23. ahh... that means I'm back here later today then :)

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  24. I am sure I have one of Sue Moorcroft's books on my TBR list. I will have too and see.

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  25. I love novels based in England and how can you go wrong with sweet and romantic. Glad you liked it!

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  26. You've made this one sound really good!

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  27. I love books that are "so British." That is the way I visit GB!!

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  28. @VV
    Lol, what? Ok that I have no idea about

    @Melissa
    Contemporary is nice when you need a break for demons and highlanders ;)

    @Diana
    For one thing she wondered what the nuddy was, but there was more things too. I do like that

    @ALisha
    Ohh, it does! I love his first name, so much better than regular Martin.
    I always wanted to run away to Ireland and find my destiny. So I do get that :)

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  29. @Chris
    :) it is

    @Steph
    They are just so normal, but so nice and the people are so friendly

    @Melissa
    It was just that and I do need books like these

    @Yvonne
    I am sure you would like it

    @Jenny
    I love it too :D I sure hope I get to visit one day

    @Alexis
    You are welcome. I hope you get to read it one day

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  30. @Misha
    I like it too. I blame the lovely BBC, lol. They made me want to go love in a peacful English hamlet

    @Cherry
    I will see you then

    @Vivienne
    Oh you do, I hope you like it then

    @Darlene
    Lol, yes you can't go wrong with sweet and romantic

    @Anna
    I am glad :D

    @Staci
    Hihi, they are he best.

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