Nadia Knows Best by Jill Mansell
SUMMARY:
The bigger the mistake, the more tempting it is …
When Nadia Kinsella meets Jay Tiernan, she’s tempted. Of course she is. Stranded together while a snowstorm rages outside … who would ever know?
But Nadia’s already been together with Laurie for years—they’re practically childhood sweethearts. Okay, so maybe she doesn’t get to see much of him these days , but she can’ t betray him.
Besides , when you belong to a family like the Kinsellas—glamorous grandmother Miriam, feckless mother Leonie, stop—at—nothing sister Clare—well, someone has to exercise a bit of self—control , don’t they? I mean , you wouldn’ t want to do something that you might later regret…
Praise for New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jill Mansell:
“Each and every facet of this wonderful story comes together to offer readers a tremendous look at friendship, hope, romance, and second chances. An unforgettable, entertaining novel!”—RT Book Reviews, 4 Stars
“Bestselling Brit Mansell delivers a romantic and lighthearted story about a woman’s struggle to overcome grief—and the quirky people who help her along the way.”—Publishers Weekly
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REVIEW:
I picked up this book on a whim. I had never read anything by Jill Mansell but her name kept popping up as “recommended read” wherever I went. So one night I decided to read the first page of NADIA KNOWS BEST and see what I thought. I can pretty quickly decide if I like a writer within the first ten pages. What started as a ten page test turned into 300 pages of non-stop reading. I couldn’t put it down! I was immediately drawn into the lives of this one beautifully flawed and unusual family. I loved Nadia, I loved her father, her grandmother, her sisters and her friends. I loved the way their lives worked and I loved the mistakes they made. These characters make poor choices along the way but every decision they make is ruled by their heart and you are just as surprised as they are when things don’t work out. On the flip side, when things DO work out, you rejoice in their happiness. Mansell writes the most readable kind of book ever. Stories about real women and real lives, with humor and sadness in equal measure. I now want to read every book Jill Mansell has written (and judging by her backlist, I have quite a few to choose from).
The story starts with Nadia driving through a blizzard and sliding into a snowy ditch, only to be rescued by a charming, good looking man named Jay. Don’t you love when a handsome stranger happens to be there to pull you out of a snowdrift? There is some temptation and flirtation, but Nadia is in love with a male model, Laurie, whom she trusts completely (of course!). Nadia and Jay’s lives continue to intersect when she goes to work for him as a gardener. He buys houses, fixes them up and sells them. Nadia creates the outdoor landscaping and helps Jay by building lush gardens to draw in buyers. Nadia has a sister Clare who is in love with a cad and another sister Tilly who is a teenager just beginning to enter the world of dating and love while still trying to connect with the mother who abandoned her years ago. All three women are navigating different areas of life and love and each find it complicated in unique ways. Their