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Title details for The Beginning of Everything by Jackie Fraser - Wait list

The Beginning of Everything

A Novel

by Jackie Fraser
Hannah Curtis
Audiobook
0 of 1 copy available
Wait time: About 2 weeks
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0 of 1 copy available
Wait time: About 2 weeks
An irresistible friends-to-lovers novel of resilience, hope, and new beginnings from the author of The Bookshop of Second Chances
“A charming book about hope for a new life full of love!”—Nancy Thayer, New York Times bestselling author of All the Days of Summer
After escaping a bad relationship, Jess Cavendish is running and leaving it all behind, carrying just a few treasured belongings in her knapsack. She needs to start over, but that means sleeping where she can and making the most of her slim savings. Luckily, she comes across a recently sold, unoccupied house. It couldn’t hurt to stay there while she saves up enough to get her own place, right?
Gethin Thomas is also looking to move on after the end of a long-term relationship. He’s returned to his hometown, anxious to renovate the fixer-upper he bought and move out of his sister’s cramped guest room. When he walks through the door one morning, he finds Jess, who’s ready to run again, and surprises them both by offering to let her stay. It feels like the right thing to do, but Jess doesn’t want a handout. They strike a bargain: Jess will help with the restoration, furnishing, and decorating in exchange for room and board.
While they peel wallpaper and shop for new furniture, an unexpected friendship develops as they bond over music and food, and slowly open up to each other about their pasts. When it’s time for Gethin to move in, he convinces Jess to be his official housemate and she agrees—so long as he lets her pay rent. The connection between them soon shifts to an attraction that seems both inevitable and overwhelming, and Jess must decide what she wants. With so much hurt in her past, can she risk loving again? She was brave enough to reach for a new life—and now a future she hadn’t even dreamed possible could be just within her grasp.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    September 26, 2023

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9780593821565
      • File size: 301310 KB
      • Duration: 10:27:43

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      July 10, 2023
      Jess Cavendish is the down-on-her-luck heroine of Fraser’s compulsively readable latest (after The Bookshop of Second Chances). After leaving her abusive boyfriend, Jess has been sleeping in a tent in Caerwyddon, Wales, until she stumbles across a recently sold house not yet occupied by its new owner and decides to squat. Said owner, Gethin Thomas, has been living with his sister following a difficult breakup from his TV star ex, so he’s eager for a fresh start—and to renovate his new home. When he discovers Jess on the property, he surprises her by offering to let her stay on as his housemate. (Jess insists on paying rent using her meager dishwasher’s salary.) As Gethin seeks her advice on paint colors and decor, the pair become fast friends, bonding amid trips to nearby castles and quiet weekends enjoying each other’s company. Love soon follows, but after spending a night together, Jess fears she isn’t ready for a new romance. Insecurities and misunderstandings on all sides threaten the emotional closeness the pair shared before they had sex. Can they find a way to smoothly transition from friends to lovers? Fraser refreshingly highlights everyday pleasures and problems as she traces the romance between two lonely people who couldn’t be more well matched. It’s as believable as it is heartwarming. Agent: Amy Fletcher, Fletcher & Co.

    • Library Journal

      February 1, 2024

      In Fraser's follow-up to The Bookshop of Second Chances, listeners meet Jess Cavendish, who has just left her abusive boyfriend. Jess finds a vacant house in the small town of Caerwyddon, Wales, and squats there as she tries to save up enough money to rent a room. Everything changes when the house's owner, Gethin Thomas, walks in and finds Jess there. Instead of kicking her out, however, Gethin offers her a place to stay in exchange for helping him renovate the house. Hannah Curtis provides delightful voices in her narration, differentiating between characters while drawing listeners into the story. As the awkward friendship develops, Curtis ably conveys the uncomfortableness of the situation. Jess slowly opens up about her past, and Gethin, too, reveals what he is running from. Some listeners may be taken aback by the unlikely scenario, but most will be charmed as the characters find common ground and thoughtfully discuss their fears of change, loneliness, and trust. VERDICT A solid friends-to-lovers romance with some thought-provoking elements. Recommended for fans of Abbi Waxman and Jenny Colgan.--Donna Bachowski

      Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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