Not that long ago I read When He Fell by Kate Hewitt and having enjoyed it so much couldn’t wait to get started on Now and Then Friends, which is the second book of Kate’s that I’ve read. It turned out to be an incredible piece of contemporary women’s fiction that, once started, made for a very compelling read. I couldn’t tap the screen of my Kindle fast enough to turn the pages of it and it was impossible to predict how it was going to end. I highly recommend this book and am delighted to be on the blog tour for it today and also bringing you an international giveaway for your chance to win a copy of The Rainy Day Sisters by Kate Hewitt, which is the first book in the series.
In Now and Then Friends the reader is transported to a small English seaside village where everyone knows everyone and everything there is to know about other people’s business. Here we meet Rachel, a young woman who not only runs her own cleaning company but who also spends a large amount of her time looking after her younger sisters and nephew following their mother’s terrible accident. One day she arrives at the house of the West’s which she cleans to find someone very unexpected there - Claire West. Claire and Rachel used to be best friends during primary school but it didn’t take long for that to change and for many years they’ve had very little to do with one another. However, now both in need of a friend, are they able to bury the past and move on?
It was a real pleasure to be reunited with Kate’s wonderful writing style which flowed so beautifully from beginning to end and was so easy to become wrapped up in. Kate has written an extremely readable story in Now and Then Friends, that wastes absolutely no time in throwing the reader straight into the midst of the action. That said, even though there’s very little pre-amble the book doesn’t lack any description and is wonderfully detailed throughout.
What particularly struck me about this novel was how powerful and emotive the entire storyline was, and as a result I was really able to connect with both Claire and Rachel to the extent where I fully understood why they each felt the way they did. Not only do I think the book is extremely memorable but I feel that it is one that a lot of people would be able to relate to as I think most people have been in the position of these characters in terms of experiencing the breakdown of a friendship at some point in their lives. However, as this book quite rightly demonstrates, what’s important is how that breakdown is dealt with and how important it is to eventually find a way to move on from your upset in order to have a brighter future.
Whilst I'm sure that the first book in the series is great, I should say that it is definitely possible to read Now and Then Friends without reading the first instalment. I missed out on the first book, but when reading Now and Then Friends didn't feel that I was missing out on anything vital and it certainly didn't prevent me from enjoying the novel.
Although it can undoubtedly be read at any time of the year, with the beautiful beach setting, incredible cast of characters and divine storytelling throughout, Now and Then Friends is the perfect summer read. I can safely say that Kate Hewitt is an author whose future books I’ll definitely be looking out for!
