Portobello Book Blog

Mistakes We Make is the first of Jenny Harper’s books I have read and I will make sure it is not the last. It is the fifth in her Heartlands series set in and around Edinburgh and East Lothian. Although it is part of a series it reads easily as a standalone. I could tell that some of the references and characters had been in previous books but it didn’t affect my enjoyment of this book at all. In fact, it made me want to read about these characters and their lives before I met them in this book.

Jenny Harper is excellent at creating a sense of place. Although I have said the books are set in my neck of the woods and I’m therefore very familiar with the places mentioned, it starts off at Loch Melfort near Oban where Molly and her friend Lexie go for a short break. I stayed at a holiday cottage overlooking the Loch a few years back and it is truly beautiful as you can see from my sunset photo below. Unfortunately for Molly, her husband Adam, from whom she is separated, is also booked into the hotel with his new woman Sunita. Adam and Molly clearly still have feelings for each other as becomes even more apparent throughout the book. Mistakes have caused them to separate (albeit quite a serious error of judgement) and the question is, is it a mistake for them to stay apart or would it be a mistake to get back together? 

Adam and Molly’s complex relationship is not the only story explored in this book. Caitlyn worked in Adam’s family’s law firm but resigned when she became aware of irregularities. Now struggling to help her mother provide for four half-siblings, she takes up a position in the firm again. To her horror she discovers the same irregularities and more, on a much bigger scale. Revealing what has been going on will have serious consequences for her and many of the other characters.

I felt very engaged with all the characters in the story. I really wanted them all to overcome their challenges and have positive outcomes. Jenny Harper has written about situations which seem completely natural and you can understand the motivation behind her characters’ actions. They face serious issues and have to make important and sometimes difficult decisions. I felt the author handled all these issues sensitively and in a completely believable way.

A beautifully told story of love and second chances, Mistakes We Make shows Jenny Harper’s skill for writing about the difficulties and opportunities that can affect relationships and families.

My thanks to the author and JB Johnston at Brook Cottage Books for the opportunity to read and review this book. Mistakes We Make was published by Accent Press on 28th July and you can order a copy here: Mistakes We Make

From the back of the book

Sometimes you have to dig deep to discover what you really need.

Marketing events manager Molly Keir doesn’t realise how much she still cares for her ex until she meets him with another woman. Her answer is to seize the chance of a glittering job in London – even though this will mean leaving behind her aging father and pregnant best friend Lexie Gordon.

Adam Blair is in the wrong job. Pressured by his father to join the family law firm, the stress of work helped break his marriage. Now Molly is moving to London, and he knows he needs to move on – but events soon overtake his best intentions.

A year ago, Caitlyn Murray quit her well-paid job to avoid becoming a whistleblower. Now she is stuck at home with her overworked mother and four needy step-siblings. Tempted by the offer of a good wage, she returns to her old firm – where her nightmare comes back to haunt her.

Molly and Adam seem to have gone too far to recover the love they once had, and when Caitlyn finds the courage to speak out, she brings all their worlds tumbling down.

ABOUT JENNY HARPER

I’ve been a writer for most of my life. I’ve written and co-authored a number of books on Scotland, a history of childbirth, a children’s novel and a romantic novel, all published some years ago. I’ve now turned my attention to writing the kind of novels I like to read – well written and with some depth, but not literary or too demanding. I like to tackle issues, but also to incorporate the complicated emotional challenges of day-to-day living.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorjennyharper

Twitter: https://twitter.com/harper_jenny

Goodreads Author Page:  https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/15692421-jenny-harper

Google+  https://plus.google.com/+JennyHarperauthor/posts

Blog:  http://jennyharperauthor.co.uk/category/myblog/

Website:  http://jennyharperauthor.co.uk/