This is my second book by this author. I was really excited to read this one as I loved the first book I read, Snowy Nights at the Lonely Hearts Hotel and if it was anywhere half as good as that one then I was in for a real treat.

This book is all about Holly. Holly lives with Scott and while once upon a time nothing would have made her happier for Scott to pop the question, now she’s just sick of him taking advantage, always off out with his mates and not paying her any attention. Boosted by her granddad’s inheritance of £30,000 on the understanding that she uses it to be happy in life, she gives Scott the elbow and goes to Spain to visit some friends. When there, she meets her Spanish neighbour Matias. Whilst Matias is very pleasing on the eye, he also appears to be very unfriendly and despite trying her best to avoid him, their paths keeps crossing. But Holly is determined not to let anything spoil her ‘life plan’ – a list of goals she wants to achieve over the next year!

This book was wonderful!! I absolutely loved it! As with the previous book, by the time I’d got past the first chapter, I was hooked! This took me less than a day to read I was that enthralled by it. The pages just couldn’t turn fast enough!

Holly was a fabulous character, so likeable and an absolute pleasure to read about. I loved the way she dealt with boyfriend Scott because, let’s face it, he really wasn’t worth the time of day! The list of goals for the forthcoming year has been seen before in other books, but the contents of the list were fun and original. They were also really simple things to achieve, but for Holly some of them were big major achievements like conquering her fear of heights. This actually made me love Holly all the more as this list was so personal to her. Matias was the local Spanish hunk and I conjured up some great images of what I imagined he looked like! The relationship between Holly and Matias was predictable, but honestly we all know what happens in this genre of book. It was though really enjoyable to accompany them through their journey of how they met! They both had complicated pasts, more so for Matias, and it was heart-warming to see them bare their souls to each other and move from becoming grumpy neighbours to close friends.

It was the perfect book to escape from everything, even if it was just for a few hours. I could just picture the beautiful Spanish village, the beaches and the sea. I’m also convinced that whilst reading it I could feel the hot Spanish sun on my shoulders and feel the spray of the sea! This book was beautifully written and there were so many fun, heart-warming and tender moments that I can’t mention them all! If you want to forget about all the cold and gloomy weather, then read this book!! It will instantly transport you to Spain to join in Holly’s adventures! A fabulous heart-warming read full of friendship, love, romance and humour.

If I could give it more than 5 stars…..I would!! Highly recommended.

Things are about to get a lot different for Holly. After her boyfriend, Scott, stands her up yet again, she’s finally had enough. No longer will she mold herself to make others happy. Instead, she makes a list of all the goals she wants to accomplish— a full year’s worth. In no time, with her yellow Mini packed, she sets off for a farmhouse in Spain. As she settles into her new life, though, she’s soon distracted by her neighbor, Matias. But one of her goals for the year certainly isn’t to find love … right?

The book opens with Holly at such a low point in her life. Her grandfather has recently passed and the earliest scenes in the book are her attempting to deal with Scott, a wholly unlikable boyfriend who takes advantage of her. Even so, she justifies their relationship, and these moments are honestly painful to read. Holly seems like a character completely content to be miserable. Yet, if this sounds depressing, it shouldn’t. Author Karen King has masterfully crafted such a sorry beginning for Holly that when she snaps and creates her goals for the year to come it’s such a rejoiceful moment— she finally reflects on her own happiness.

And these aren’t your standard resolutions.

In a whirlwind of moments, she cruises off to Spain. It’s a country she’s only been to once. She doesn’t speak the language. She just has two friends offering a place to stay, a lot of cash, and the drive to find out what she wants in life.

But, of course, romance has to complicate things. Matias is a perfect foil. When they first meet, there might be attraction, but there is no love at first sight. Instead, King goes for a beautiful slow burn, allowing the two to get to know each other by diving into complicated pasts. It’s effective, and the budding relationship between them feels completely organic. Toss in some missed signals and tension and … well, how on earth is a girl supposed to focus on her sangria with a guy like Matias walking around?

King also has crafted such a wonderful village in Spain. The locale feels deliciously real, marking such a beautiful area for Holly to complete her goals (often with the help of Matias). There’s really no better place to try fifty different flavors of ice cream or to go snorkeling. It helps that King has populated the area with a small but charming cast of secondary characters. There aren't a lot of external forces complicating the plot for Holly, but King more than manages to make reading about pool parties or simple dinners compelling because the people and place feel so real.

For a fun story that tackles personal growth, there aren’t many as solid as The Year of Starting Over.

Cute story. Giving it all up to stay someplace you’ve only visited once before and don’t speak the language is a dream of a lot of people. Maybe not the language part so much, but Holly does it and takes Spanish lessons so she can speak with the locals. She has a bucket list that she works through and friends in the area to help her with the list. Her boyfriend at the time was a jerk so I’m glad she left him. She became Holly again.

Holly has spent a lot of her life pleasing others, moulding herself into what others want orneed her to be. And her latest boyfriend Scott is no exception, she does everything and he just does his own thing with no appreciation of Holly. So when things come to a head Holly moves out and moves on!
Her year of starting over sees her head to Spain to help out her friends; she learns a new language, meets new people and challenges herself to do things she’s never done before. And she surprises and delights herself in the process!
Holly’s story is one of strength bravery and determination and she truly does have a whole year of starting over!

Holly is sick and tired of trying to please her boyfriends. They all seem to like her to doll herself up and strut her stuff. She’s a token in their pocket, but it isn’t the way she really wants to be. She thinks she is in love with her boyfriend Scott, but really he has no appreciation for who she actually is and no appreciation of what she does and wants from life. He goes out with his friends and acts like a single guy. When he doesn’t come home after a night out with his mates and has the cheek to phone up from Amsterdam asking for her help, she finally realises that there will be no happy-ever-after with Scott, so she moves out and moves on. Things are going to have to change a lot and she’s going to give up on men and do things that will make her proud of herself. Once the decision has been made, there’s no going back. She might as well go the whole hog!
She moves to Spain to help her friends with their dream of opening an artist’s retreat in their brand new home in the mountains. She makes a memory book and writes down the things she’d like to do to challenge herself. She will give it a year and then see where she is. She must live outside herself, be brave and learn to love herself. This is her story of new beginnings to boost her self confidence and make choices that will surely influence the rest of her life, all the time fondly remembering her grandparents whose legacy would enable her to be independent.
Holly’s story is one of determination, courage and bravery. She is in another country so she learns the language. She mixes with the locals and learns about their country, their customs and culture. Soon she feels more Spanish than English. She amazes herself. She is strong, she is talented and I loved her character. I read on wondering what would happen at the end of the year, hoping that Holly would keep true to herself. I enjoyed this uncomplicated story. I received a complimentary copy of this novel from publisher Bookouture through my membership of NetGalley. Thank you for my copy, sent in return for an honest and unbiased review. I liked the friendships, the support for each other and the importance of family. It’s a 3.5* review from me

Lighthearted romp taking you to the delights of Spain. Story of friendship, truth, and new beginnings. Perfect for a light read with a cup of tea and a nice fire.

What a really nice book. I loved reading about Holly and her desire to ‘find herself’. I know so many people who change themselves to fit into what someone else wants them to be, and Holly did just that by being with Scott....after dumping him, moving to Spain, embracing adventure and working through her wish list. It doesn’t hurt to have a sexy Spaniard on your side either

This book really spoke to me especially entering a new year and the ability to make changes in order to lead the life one wants and deserves. The protagonist did that as she tucked off the items on her list. In the intrerim, she got herself back. Great read.

Having read Snowy Nights at the Lonely Hearts Hotel by King and loving the nuanced characters, opportunities for self-discovery and growth, I wondered if she could create a similar magic with new characters and an entirely new setting. I needn’t have worried though, the character of Holly was everything that one could hope for: and her opportunities and ability to share her own growth and happiness with those around her was enchanting.

Having spent a few years in a relationship that was wholly one-sided, and ignoring her own desires, comfort and even the basic respect one should be able to expect from her partner, she’s had enough. She’s always felt that Scott was with her because she’s compromised everything, and ignored his immaturity and selfishness. But when he expects her to collect him at the airport after a ‘last minute’ jaunt to Amsterdam, she’d had enough. It wasn’t bad enough that she was still grieving from the loss of her grandfather, but feeling as if she was drifting without any real purpose. Her best friend suggested a list of ‘what you want to do’, and giving herself a timeframe to accomplish them – and with a bequest due from her grandfather’s estate, nowhere to live after leaving her partner, and no real ‘ties’ to anything in England, she takes an offer from a friend who relocated to the Andalusian region in Spain to help them renovate their house and outbuildings before starting their artist’s retreat in a few months.

From the moment she arrived, Holly has been spreading her wings: learning Spanish, painting and varnishing, expanding her own designs to create her own fabrics, meeting the neighbors little dog and meeting the neighbor, Matias. Well, they both got the wrong end of the stick – Matias thinking Holly is simply like all of the other women he knows – grasping and wealth obsessed. He’s renovating his aunt’s cottage for resale as she’s moved into an apartment in town, and he’s splitting his time between that and his gym – a gym he’s opened in lieu of (and to the consternation of) his parents – his father wanting him to join the family firm of attorneys. Matias doesn’t want to solely practice law however, after a serious accident left him depressed and it was the physical trainers who got him back to health and happiness – challenging him when nothing else did. The rift between he and his father bothers them both, and he’s not quite sure how to remedy it. But, Holly has a lightness and way about her that makes him want to help her – spending time with her is something he looks forward to, and enjoys despite his repeatedly stating he wants no relationship.

Slowly but surely King takes us through Holly’s steps to completing her list – a huge step requiring a ton of bravery that didn’t really occur to her – and we get to revel in the delights as she comes to fully grasp and grab at her own life and confidence with both hands. Not only the designs, but the little town, the vistas and even the weather come alive, and everyone seems to bloom and blossom in the story. From the success of Holly’s designs to her growing connection with Matias and the retreat having many satisfied customers – there is growth for everyone here and it will leave readers with a touch of jealousy in wanting to have the opportunity to do what Holly did, but smiles and everything feels very possible and plausible. A lovely read that is just the ticket for days when the winter days too long.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Review first appeared at <a href=” https://wp.me/p3OmRo-agT/” > <a> I am, Indeed </a>

Glorious escapism with the most perfect ending, which left me with a smile on my face and a warm, fuzzy feeling that all's right with the world.

The Spanish setting was sublime, as was Matias. Ahem. I enjoyed getting to know him! And Holly was an absolute delight as the main character. The story follows her as she digs herself out of a miserable situation and spends some time finding out who she is and what she wants out of life. All with the help of her arty friends who run a retreat in the Andalucian mountains.

The story flowed along at a lovely place and I could visualise everything so clearly I was there, having fun with Holly while she ticked things of her list. Fabulous stuff!

This is my first book by this author, but I'll definitely be reading more.

Holly is stuck - she loves her job, but isn’t passionate about it, her relationship is going nowhere fast, and something has to change. When her boyfriend pushes the envelope one last time, Holly calls it off and decides to change her life. She writes herself a list of what she’d like to accomplish in a year: riding on the back of a motorbike, living in a foreign country, and by no means falling in love. Holly moves to Spain to live and help run an artist retreat center with her friends from art school. While working on her own art, she meets Matias, a grumpy, very attractive neighbor. What will happen?

The cover describes this book as “a feel good novel about second chances and finding yourself,” and I’d say this is a fairly good description. This romance is light and airy, almost like a breath of fresh air. King’s character development is spot on, and the characters begin to feel like friends. The plot is fairly predictable, but that seems to be fairly standard in light-hearted romance novels. My only preference would be for the romance to develop a little bit faster so the reader can enjoy it more before the novel ends. I’d recommend this novel for those looking for a light, romantic read.