Thursday, February 5, 2015

A Place Called Home-Eleanor Jones

A Place Called Home
Eleanor Jones
Harlequin Heartwarming, February 1, 2015, $6.50
ISBN: 9780373367122

When Ellie Nelson’s car broke down in Little Dale, Lake District, she calls her fiancé Matt to pick her up.  Irate as he is in the middle of a major business deal, Matt gets her; but drives like a maniac racer on country roads seemingly trying to break the land speed record.  As Ellie holds on for dear life, he clips a fox.  Ellie leaves the BMW to check on the animal, which obviously needs medical attention.  When she refuses to abandon the injured cub, Matt abandons her.

Tarnside Veterinary Center informs Ellie she is near Cravendale wild animal sanctuary.  Cravendale volunteer veterinarian Andy Montgomery arrives.  Several years ago, Andy broke her heart when he turned to another woman; soon afterward Ellie left Little Dale to attend art school in Manchester.  As Ellie paints the wildlife, she and Andy realize they remain attracted to each other.  However Andy also concludes he needs her trust if he is to have that second chance his heart craves and yet ironically distrusts her as he expects her to leave after her show.  Complicating matters further for Andy is he must overcome the one thing he believes she will never forgive him; not being there for her when her mom was dying and worse knowing he cannot tell her why he failed her.

Eleanor Jones writes an interesting second chance rural British romance.  How the triangle reacts to the injured fox cleverly but too simply symbolizes their personalities; as the vet and the artist deeply care what happens to “Creatures Great and Small” (see The Country Vet for the first novel in this series) while the businessman chooses to leave the creature to die.

Harriet Klausner


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