A Walk in the Park [Paperback]

Another year has passed since I read one of Jill's books and I was so looking forward to her new one. I got mine in the post and realised that it was in usual Mansell style a reasonable sized book with over 400 pages and a gorgeous cover inviting me to start reading! Within the first four chapters I realised that my plans for the evening were finished. There would be no cooking or cleaning done, all that would happen is that traipse back and forth to the kettle whilst still reading the book.

Lara Carson starts the story off with a bang. She left her town at 16 and following events that unfolded has now decided to move back and start over. At the same time, her old friend Evie is getting ready to marry her man Joel. However, within the first quarter of the book, both women are up to their eyes in drama.

It is quite hard to review a book without giving away a lot of the story but all I will say about the storyline is that it certainly won't disappoint. It had a lot going on and kept me on tenterhooks all the way through. As for the characters, this is what Jill Mansell does best. Lara and Evie were lovely women and you warm to both of them right away. In addition to them there is an eclectic and interesting bunch of people that all feature heavily in the story.

Gigi was an adorable character and actually reminded me of somebody I know. We meet Lara's aunt Nettie, Don who owns jewellery shop in Bath and superstar rapper Enjay Seven. Like I said before the storyline I can't mention but what I can say is that the scenes between Enjay and Harry had me laughing out loud. My favourite character (and a pretty central one too) was Flynn. He sounds like a truly wonderful bloke and I kept my fingers crossed that things worked out how I wanted the whole way through the book.

Overall this book is one of the best Jill Mansell has written and I loved every bit of it. Having read it in under a day I can only say that I suggest you get yourself a copy and settle yourself in for the night with a hot cuppa and a duvet. What better way to spend an evening? This book is a true testament to why Jill Mansell has been a successful author for twenty years. As for myself, I will settle back and wait another long year for the next one.

I love Jill Mansell's books. There's something very readable about them, and I just enjoy the stories, the characters and the way Jill unravels a story. Amazingly, this is Jill's 23rd book, and she seems to get better with each book. I love the cover of this one, it really suits the title of the book perfectly, and green isn't a very used colour in chick lit colours, so it'll certainly stand out on a bookshelf. Once I had read the blurb of this book, I knew that I wanted to read it and find out exactly why Lara had to run away all of those years ago, and I knew from previous experience with Jill's books that it wouldn't be all straight forward, and so I eagerly got stuck in!

The book begins with Lara returning to her hometown of Bath after 18 years away from it, for the funeral of her father. Don't feel too sorry for her though, because Lara isn't sad her dad has died, they never had a good relationship when she was young, which was why she ran away when she was 16. In the interim, she's had a daughter called Gigi, who she has brought up alone, and she's quite worried about returning home to her old life once more. Things are quite quickly revealed as to why Lara had to run away, but it's the fallout from this which makes up the rest of story, and Lara's determination to make things right and find out why her father hated her so much. I loved the character of Lara, she was really likeable and friendly, and the perfect heroine for the book. Yes, she was a little bit flawed and wouldn't admit her feelings for old boyfriend Flynn who makes a reappearance, but other than that, she's great and I was really wanting everything to work out for her.

I absolutely loved Gigi, Lara's young daughter who plays quite an important role in the book, especially as she's an older teenager rather than young child, and has her own mind and makes some important moves in the book. Mansell wrote the relationship between the pair perfectly, and it was lovely to read a positive mother/daughter relationship in chick lit as they can quite often be dysfunctional and not always easy to read. The other character I really liked was Flynn, the old boyfriend of Lara who turns out to be quite a major character in the book too. It annoyed me that neither of them would admit to their true feelings, and strung it out over the book, but he was very likeable, although I didn't like something he did near the end of the novel! He is a pretty good hero character, and I enjoyed reading the story between Lara and Flynn come about, and them facing up to their actions of years ago and how it still impacts on their lives now. Oh, and I have to mention the hilarious yet touching storyline between Lara's friend Harry and superstar rapper Enjay, it had me laughing out loud and was something totally unexpected in the book!

Mansell isn't afraid to write about some important issues, and she covers those with ease and grace in the book. I found the dynamic between Lara, Gigi and Flynn was extremely well written, and I feel Mansell has really done her research when it comes to the issues that these characters are facing. Not only that, but Lara has to find out some other things about her long-deceased mother too which she struggles to deal with, but I liked how the character approached these things, and it opened up other relationships in the book that were really touching, and I defy anyone not to shed a bit of a tear at the emotional ending of this book due to that storyline! I love Mansell's descriptions of Bath, she really brings it to life with her writing, and it is somewhere I definitely want to visit now! I love how Mansell manages to juggle several stories within the one book, without making them feel like one is more important than the other, from Lara's tale, to her best friend's relationship breakdown to Harry and Enjay too. I really enjoyed this book, and I read it relatively quickly as I didn't want to put it down, I was really involved in the lives of Lara and co. and didn't want to leave them behind! Mansell has another hit novel on her hands here, and rightly so, it's brilliant!

Eighteen years ago Lara Carson fled from her home in Bath leaving behind her family and boyfriend Flynn. She is now returning to attend her father's funeral, and Evie her closest childhood friend is delighted to have Lara back, especially as she is about to marry the love of her life Joel.
An interesting and engaging storyline with such likeable characters, was hooked from the beginning.
A highly enjoyable read.