ABOUT THE BOOK
From the queen of feelgood fiction, an uplifting new novel of friendship, families and finding love. . .
Amber, Lachlan and Raffaele met as teenagers in the Cornish seaside home of kind-hearted foster parents. Years on, the bond between them is unbreakable.
But Amber has a secret. She’s in love with Lachlan. She can’t tell him, because that would never work – he’s definitely not the settling-down type. Surely it’s better to keep him as a friend than to risk losing him for good?
Raffaele has his own dilemma. He had the dream girlfriend in Vee, until it all went horribly wrong . . . and he still can’t understand why. Is Vee hiding something from him?
Now their widowed foster dad Teddy has found new love. Younger, charming and beautiful, Olga seems perfect. But is she? Or will she break Teddy’s fragile heart?
Against a backdrop of sparkling seas and sunny skies, the unexpected is always just around the corner. Welcome to Lanrock!
Gloriously romantic and completely life-affirming, Jill Mansell’s wonderful new novel set in sunny Cornwall will make you believe in love again.
Publisher: Headline
Format: Ebook, Audio, Hardback (20 January 2022) | Paperback (9 June 2022)
Pages: 400
Source: Copy received for review
MY THOUGHTS
With only one book a year, a new release from Jill Mansell is always something to look forward to. If I’ve counted correctly, Should I Tell You, which is out today, is her 33rd book, and I started reading her books from the very first one, Two’s Company. My thanks to the publisher for the review copy.
The settings are always in idyllic locations, last time was the Cotswolds, this time we’re on the Cornish coast, in the fictional setting of Lanrock. Jill’s characters are always so engaging – the type of people you would love to be friends with in real life. Here, the story focuses on three main characters. Friends Lachlan a restauranteur and chef, Raffaele, a celebrity hairdresser with his own salons and Amber, owner of a glass studio making the most stunning creations. They are all successful in their chosen careers however there is a longstanding bond between them and the link they all have in common is their foster parent Teddy (and late foster mother May) whose love and support has made them into the people they are, despite their difficult and traumatic backgrounds.
When Teddy meets glamorous Russian, Olga whilst on a cruise and is smitten, Lachlan is concerned. It is clear that Olga likes the nice things in life and Teddy is wealthy. Is it genuine love between them or is she out to break Teddy’s heart?
Lachlan is a bit of a heartbreaker himself – he has never settled down and all this time Amber has been scared to tell him how she feels in case she loses not only his friendship but also breaks up their gang of three.
Romance and its problems features heavily for our main characters – is friends with benefits better than nothing at all or should you be honest and let someone know how you feel and deal with the consequences? With the help of a fabulous cast of supporting characters, the three friends try to sort out their love lives whilst dealing with curveballs that life throws at them. The much loved Teddy is also on their minds.
Should I Tell You is another warm-hearted story of friendship and romance with a few unexpected surprises, not always welcome, thrown into the mix along the way. As ever with this author, there is much humour and many light hearted moments however even with a difficult subject, it is dealt with in a sensitive and sympathetic way. Other characters have their own story to tell, like Benjie – I have to admit, I was ahead of him on this one.
I thoroughly enjoyed this. It was the perfect book for me when I needed an uplifting comfort read. I can’t wait for the next one.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jill Mansell’s books are full of love, life and friendship and have been bringing joy to readers for twenty-five years. She started writing fiction while working in the NHS, after joining a local creative writing class. She has since written over twenty Sunday Times bestsellers, including MAYBE THIS TIME, THIS COULD CHANGE EVERYTHING and YOU AND ME, ALWAYS, and her books have sold over 11 million copies around the world.
Jill’s hobbies include buying stationery, particularly magical new colours of ink for the fountain pen she uses to write all her books – Jill is one of the few authors who still write their books by hand. Jill also loves people-watching and finding new characters to put in her novels. So when you’re out, make sure to always be on your best behaviour. And beware of beady-eyed authors carrying notebooks . .
Author Links:
Other reviews:
And Now You’re Back (2021)
Maybe This Time (2019)
This Could Change Everything (2018)
You and Me Always (2016)
Three Amazing Things About You (2015)
The Unpredictable Consequences of Love (2014)
Don’t Want to Miss a Thing (2013)