Claire Huston hit me right in the feels with her first book last summer, and now she’s done it again with Elle’s A to Z of Love. Claire has some sort of magic hidden in her pen because her novels make me laugh, sigh, and cry. Her contemporary romances are fantastic.
- Title: Elle’s A to Z of Love
- Author: Claire Huston
- Publisher: Goldcrest Books International Ltd on July 6, 2020
- Genre: Contemporary Romance
- Pages: 381
- Formats Available: Paperback, & Digital
- Rating: 5/5
Trigger Warnings: Cancer
Many thanks to Claire Huston for providing me with a copy of Elle’s A to Z of Love with a request for an honest review.
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About Elle’s A to Z of Love
Haileybrook, a beautiful village in the peaceful Cotswolds countryside, is most people’s idea of heaven on earth.
Born and raised in this small slice of paradise, Elle Bea can’t wait to leave.
It should be easy, but every time she packs her bags for exotic adventures, old loves and loyalties pull her back.
Will Elle be forced to forget her dreams of far-flung places and epic romance, or can she grab one last chance to have it all?An uplifting, romantic story about friends, family and the relationships that make a place a home.
Provided by Claire Huston for Review Purposes
My Review
Elle has wanted to leave her tiny village all her life. From the first time Elle picked up a suitcase and walked down the road, she was ready to get out of the place. Elle has many opportunities to leave. But, something drastic always happens when Elle is about to realize her dream. But, as time goes on, Elle finds comfort in her little village. When a college crush finds his way back into her life, it all changes. Will Elle find happiness, or will her hopes elude her again?
Okay, I want to warn you that I am going to be wishy-washy about Elle’s character. I love her dearly. She is bright, capable, and kind. But, she also makes the worst decisions in the world. She crushes on a guy for years and melts at the least amount of attention from this guy. He is a jackass. Plain and simple, he is a complete jackass and isn’t the least bit ashamed of himself. So, my utter disgust at the guy made me even angrier at Elle. Anyone with a brain saw this guy for who he was, but she just kept on keeping on.
Now, back to why I love Elle. She has the biggest heart and cares about everyone around her more than she cares about herself. Now, I know it’s not altogether healthy, and I won’t condone it, but she cares about her friends and family. And, unfortunately, she cares about people she shouldn’t, and I just shake my head in a hopeless state of loathing. I’m glad that she got over herself and let Zach become a good friend.
The setting of the village in the Cotswolds is dreamy and romantic. I don’t care that the place is on its last leg, and everything has shut down. The charm is all I need to make a life there in those pages. I love how everything comes together in one way or the other to save the town. That village fayre is definitely something I want to see in my lifetime. Though, Mrs. Harmon can stay at home. Wink wink.
It warms my heart to award Elle’s A to Z of love a full 5 out of 5 stars. I am completely genuine in saying that Claire’s books will knock your socks off. Of course, they may make you shake your head in loathing as well. But, the good outweighs the bad, and even good characters need to have flaws. But, in all seriousness, I recommend this novel to all my clean romance readers out there. The story will make you fall in love with the world again, even if only for a few hours.
See my review for Claire’s first novel Art and Soul
About the Author – Claire Huston
My name’s Claire Huston (pronounced as in “Houston, we have a problem”).
I write uplifting modern love stories about characters who are meant for each other but sometimes need a little help to realise it.
I live in the Midlands, UK, with my husband and two children. I work as a Spanish-English translator and when I’m not struggling to write, I try to read, bake, and generally keep chaos at bay.
I’m a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association New Writers’ Scheme.
Terrific review Kimberly. Claire Huston sounds like an author I would enjoy. I’m going to look out for Elle’s A to Z of Love.
I really love her writing style. Plus, the characters are fun and entertaining. ?
Thank you for this terrific review! And you are 100% correct: Adam is a complete jackass. I think, like Toby, we would all have liked to punch him on the nose! x
I kept waiting for Toby to pop him one. ?