Whilst I’ve read a number of Kate Hewitt’s previous books, Kiss Me at Willoughby Close was the first book I’ve read in the Willoughby Close series. Given that this was the fourth book in the series, I went into this book both knowing that I’d missed out on a lot from the previous three and worried that this would prevent me from enjoying it. However, I can safely say that this worry turned out to be for nothing as I absolutely adored this book and found it a real pleasure to be reunited with Kate’s wonderful writing style once again.
Kate wastes no time in throwing the reader straight into the midst of the drama as we meet Ava who after the sudden and unexpected death of her husband finds herself left homeless with just £10,000 to her name, her clothing, dog Zuzu and red mini. Left with very little choice and unable to afford much more, Ava quickly moves into a cottage at Willoughby Close where she soon becomes friends with not just her neighbours but Jace the caretaker too. As surprise after surprise is thrown in Ava’s direction, will Willoughby Close provide that all important fresh start for Ava and will her future be brighter than her past?
Not having read the previous books in the series, one thing that really struck me when I picked up Kiss Me at Willoughby Close was the strong sense of community spirit that was present throughout the entirety of it. Undoubtedly this was all thanks to the wonderful characters that Kate had expertly created, who all seemed to be exceptionally well developed. I particularly loved Ava’s character and thought that she was a fabulous lead character, someone who clearly hadn’t had the best of luck in life but who was strong and so determined to overcome this. Subsequently I found myself glued to the pages of this book, following Ava’s story with much interest.
Where most series of books require the reader to have read them all in order to understand and appreciate what’s going on, it must be said that Kiss Me at Willoughby Close is quite refreshing in this respect. Working wonderfully as a standalone novel, with the reader not needing to have any knowledge of what has taken place previously, I quickly became immersed in the story that was being told and never felt like I was missing vital information. From reading a few of her previous books I can honestly say that Kate’s writing in Kiss Me at Willoughby Close was everything I hoped it would be from beginning to end with divine descriptions, lots of humour and plenty of heartwarming moments.
Whilst I deeply regret having missed out on the previous books in the Willoughby Close series of books, it was wonderful to get to know the delightful community that I could picture so perfectly that it almost felt real. Those who haven’t yet discovered the glorious world of Willoughby Close are in for a real treat with this book and I’ll definitely be back to read the book number five when it’s released.
