Book Review: Should I Tell You?

By Jill Mansell

Publication Date:  July 5, 2022

391 Pages

I’ll jump straight into the blurb:  Amber, Lachlan, and Raffaele have only one thing in common – they found acceptance and love in the home of Teddy and May as long-term foster children.  Despite taking different paths in life, the three still have an unshakable bond with each other and their found family.  A few years after May’s death, Teddy finds love again with Olga – a flashy, gauche Russian he met on a cruise.  Does she really love Teddy or is she only after his money?

The three friends are determined to find out, but are they really qualified to help Teddy with his romantic life when theirs is a mess?  Raffaele is still reeling from an unexpected and ugly breakup with his girlfriend, Lachlan seems destined to hop from woman to woman his entire life, and Amber can’t get over the one guy she can’t have.  But a lot can change over a summer, and they’ll all discover a lot about each other before the tourist season ends. 

This book was really cute.  And I don’t say that in a “cute is a death knell” sort of way. I mean cute as in really enjoyable.  I cared about the characters, even if some of the plot lines were a little transparent. I’m drawn to younger adults who have their lives together professionally – especially ones who are making a living doing something they’re passionate about.  That always impresses me.  Perhaps because I’m at about the midpoint in my life and I’m still trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up.  Regardless of the reason, that was a big draw for me.  

There were quite a few romantic story lines running through this novel so if one didn’t quite do it for you, there was always another one to choose from.  Raffaele and Vee, Teddy and Olga, Amber and Dom, Lachlan and Penny, Benji and Jo.  Not to mention appearances by Peggy Smart and Dom.  All great characters and despite the number of storylines running through the book, it wasn’t overwhelming.  Possibly because they all intersected with each other and none of them happened in a vacuum. Personally, Benji’s romantic conundrums were my favorite.  

My main criticism would be that everything came together a little too easily.  Not to say there weren’t stakes, there were (especially for one of the side characters) but there was a definite lack of angst.  It was all quite light and fluffy.  However, considering that real life can sometimes be hard to take, a light and fluffy getaway is always a good thing.

I rated this book 3.5 stars.  ⭐⭐⭐+

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for providing the ARC copy of this book.  I’ve left my review voluntarily and honestly.

Until next time, thank you for visiting.

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