Drew – Echoes In An Empty Room

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Dancing in the Rain Happiness comes when you least expect it When Rachel Simpson’s boyfriend, Drew, suggested they should take a break, she thought he meant together, so she rented a holiday cottage in the picturesque village of Hideaway Down for the perfect, autumn getaway surprise.

Except she was the one who got the surprise and now she is spending a week alone in a cottage by the sea. Not quite the fun, romantic break she was hoping for. Lucas Webb needs to get his act together – or so his friends keep telling him.

He’s been like a bear with a sore head since his girlfriend dumped him… and that was several months ago. Perhaps a change of scene is what he needs. At least he still has Monty, his beloved dog… and a break by the sea will probably do them both some good.

Is it simply bad luck that this is one of the wettest, windiest autumn weeks since records began? Or does the universe work in mysterious ways?

My Thoughts:

I have always enjoyed Emily’s books and this was a fantastic read too. This is book four of the Hideaway Down series, you can read it as a standalone but I would highly recommend reading the previous books as you can meet all the characters and you get a little bit of a background with them. Returning to Hideaway Down was like meeting friends that you haven’t seen for a while and I couldn’t wait to get stuck in. It is a really well written book and put together book. I even took this book on holiday with me and when two ladies asked me what I was reading, I was happy to recommend this book and all of Emily’s previous novels as they are just brilliant.

If you would like to purchase your copy of this book, please click on the link below:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dancing-Rain-Hideaway-Down-Novel/

Please check out Emily’s website, where you will find all of her other books:

http://www.emilyharvale.com/

Drew Nelson did not plan to talk with anyone that morning. He did not plan to make a new friend. He certainly did not plan to fall in love.
He resisted all of Amy’s attempts to draw him out− at the hotel, at the airport, on the airplane − giving hurried responses and burying his face in a pile of papers. It was only when the flight attendant offered coffee, and a muscle in Amy’s back twitched as she reached for it, and the cup tipped, and the hot liquid puddled in Drew’s lap that they began to talk.

Earlier in the year, each had lost a spouse of over thirty years. Drew’s wife had died of a brain tumor, Amy’s husband when his small airplane nose-dived to earth, the engine at full throttle − an accident, it was ruled.

They live in the same city. Both have grandchildren. They are about the same age. Consciously, or not, they both are looking to love again.

But relationships do not exist in vacuums. Drew is wealthy, and Amy is middle class. Amy is “new” in town – she and her husband moved to Charleston twenty-five years ago – while Drew’s family has lived there for three centuries. Drew lives below Broad, a code word for high society, old families, power, and money. Amy’s home is across the river. Class warfare may be less violent than it was in the past, but when Drew invites Amy to the St Cecelia Ball, battle lines are drawn. In a city in which ancestry is important, the ball’s membership is passed from father to son, and only those from the oldest families attend.

Family, friends, co-workers all weigh in on their relationship and choose sides. Allies are found in unexpected places. Opposition comes from among those who were thought to be friends. Though they are gone, even their spouses − through things they have done and things they have said − wield influence in the conflict that follows. Amy begins to suspect that Drew is one of them, the rich snobs who despise her, while Drew concludes that Amy neither trusts him nor cares for him. As each questions the other’s motives, their feelings for each other are tested, and Drew and Amy are challenged to consider if they truly want to fall in love again.

My Thoughts:

I was drawn into this love story as soon as Amy and Drew had met. The story delves into Amy and Drew’s past which was a quite sad. It is the kind of love story which could easily happen even though they have their ups and downs they still have to consider if they want to fall in love again. There is opposition and conflict in this book, but who doesn’t have that in their lives. A good read, will certainly look out for David Burnett in the future.