Book Review: The Difference Between You & Me

About the book:

Title: The Difference Between You & Me

Author: Celia Hayes

Published: March 1st 2017 by Aria

Source: Received from the publisher, in exchange for an honest review

Format: .mobi

Blurb:

Can stepping out of your comfort zone lead you to ultimate happiness? A feisty rom-com, perfect for fans of Mhairi McFarlane and Tracey Bloom.

Trudy Watts has everything she’s ever dreamed of: a job that she loves, a successful boyfriend and an ultra-modern apartment in one of the most fashionable parts of London. With a long-awaited promotion due to come her way and her wedding just around the corner, Trudy’s life is just perfect…

That is until catastrophe strikes and her life is turned upside down. She’s transferred to Turriff, a remote Scottish town to manage a small, struggling bank branch.

Her arrival is traumatic and she wishes she was anywhere but here… Until she sees him – Ethan, the charming pub landlord, who seems to enjoy nothing more than to tease her. And it’s right there, in that pub, that her life will suddenly change…

Links to buy

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2lrtMAK

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2kbR3Sn

iBooks: http://apple.co/2kzQ7KX

Google Play: http://bit.ly/2kWuGov

My Review:

I loved it! I believe mostly because I could relate to the character but also because it made me laugh so many times! It just made me feel good. And it is just what I needed.

What would you do if one day you realize that what you thought was a perfect life, actually proves to be full of flaws? Well, for starters, you run! I mean, I would go someplace far, try to start all over, or at least put some distance for a while. That’s what our main character does as well – even though she takes this decision in a not so clear state of mind. Regardless, she ends up in Turriff, a place somewhere far from civilization – in her opinion at least.

Let’s dispel this bloody stupid myth of love at first sight, all this tear-jerking romance you see in films, all this overwhelming passion. They’re feelings I just can’t conceive of, which are capable of reducing an individual who was previously perfectly self-sufficient into a human wreck suffering from all the most worrying psychiatric disorders, from obsessive-compulsive disorder to abandonment anxiety.

The story is so full of funny incidents and funny dialogue that it captured me from the very beginning. I loved the writing, as it seemed so natural and believable. It starts and it ends in the same funny manner – and trust me, it has the most original Acknowledgements (Yes, I do read the Acknowledgement at the end of every book, as it bring me a little closer to the author).

Happiness is an elusive concept that, if we wanted to, we might compare to a haute couture fashion show – exclusive, expensive and , if you’re lucky, lasting a full season. It’s a pervasive feeling that makes you perform weird , wiggly dances of celebration, in thrall to devastating mental imbalance. So, I wonder, am I really happy? Can I actually, in all honesty, say that I want to burst into I Feel Good using the TV remote as a microphone? No, I guess not.

I was mentioning in the beginning that I could very much relate to the character. I am as well a workaholic and I know what is like to put work before everything else. I sometimes struggle with the same issues as Trudy. But coming back to her, I liked the fact she knew she was as guilty as her ex-future-husband in the distance settled between them. She never blamed solely him, but she never imagined this outcome for her relationship. She is now looking for comfort where she knows she is really good: in the office. Still, when she ends up with a hot landlord, her planned six months may turn differently.

“And what can I bring you to drink?” she carries on relentlessly.

“Cyanide,” I hiss through clenched teeth.

“Hmm… I don’t know if we have it.”

“Huh?”

The relationship between Trudy and Ethan is full of crazy. They argue, they cannot stand each other. He brings out a side in her she has never let out. It is very intense and at the same time really, really funny!

“You evil demon, what have you done to Trudy Watts? Trudy, can you hear me? Do you want me to call an exorcist?”

“Ethan, there’s no Internet!” I start to shout.

Honestly, I loved it and I would read it again. It made me feel good, it kept me from putting it down… what more could I have asked? A big thank you to Aria for providing me with a copy and my congratulations to the author for this great story!

About the Author

Celia Hayes works as a restorer and lives in Naples. Between one restoration and another, she loves to write. Her book, Don’t Marry Thomas Clark reached #1 in the Amazon Italian eBook chart.

Celia’s previous book, DON’T MARRY THOMAS CLARK is out now!

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2ktXHnT

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2h718Pm

iBooks: http://apple.co/2lvYKDW

Google Play: http://bit.ly/2kbVa0H

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