Patrick Thompson is all city, all the time. A young doctor, once full of passion, now disillusioned by the practice, he sets off across the country, intent on a small breather before a fresh start.
Ivy Lang loves the country way. So much so that she’s created a place where others can experience her ideas of the fundamentals for both mind and body. The life is perfect for her, carefully cultivated by her own hands.
He’s waiting for something to inspire him.
She finds inspiration all around her.
But when a chance meeting turns their worlds upside down, can they come together to create something beautiful?
My Review
Complimentary copy received by the author in exchange for an honest review
It is no secret that I adore C. M. Foss. Both of her previous novels were – and still are – 5 star reads for me, and “City Beautiful” surpassed my expectations tremendously, leaving me with the meanest book hangover I have not experienced for a long time. But it is the kind of hangover that I crave, and I am so thrilled about it, actually.
Now, as usual, there is no reason to recap the story for you, and this review may also be slightly shorter than others because there are so many twists and turns that I do not wish to unearth for you. You all know how much I loathe spoilers – but here are my thoughts.
The way Ivy has moved forward after having experienced one traumatic event after the other is admirable; she is a fighter, plain and simple, and how she has chosen to lead her life is actually quite fascinating. Has she completely overcome her past heartaches? No, of course not, and I was a bit sad with the way she held herself back from truly living her life to the fullest in the beginning…But it is understandable.
And then Patrick comes along…What. A. Guy. At a crossroads in his life, I absolutely loved seeing how he became infatuated with Ivy, and how spending only 24 hours with her made him take stock of his life; he may not have changed the course of his path right away, but I loved reading how he developed throughout his and Ivy’s journey in life. That is the beauty of this story, in my opinion: the way one meeting with another person has the ability to change you in some way or another.
Miss Foss possesses a knack of writing romance novels that are so realistic: her characters could be your neighbours – the cool ones 😉 – that you would like to spend an evening or two with, and her ability to paint a vivid scene in colours with her words is just beautiful. She has a no-nonsense, no-filter type of writing that I hope you will see as well once you read her books. Finally, I love how she manages to make me both cry and laugh within the span of one scene, because that shows so much talent.
All the characters in “City Beautiful” have an important role to play, and I am glad to see Lissa and Ethan in particular – the main characters of “Shiver” – and Ivy’s friend, Ginnie, was such a joy to get to know as well.
If you are looking for a romance novel with quirky, loveable characters…one that provides humour mingled with the heartache…If you want some swoony scenes mixed with the sexy…and if you long to lose yourself in a book that will both surprise and astonish you: this is the book for you. I highly recommend it to all romance lovers, and I know that I will read this book over and over again in the years to come.
Miss Foss: thank you, again, for causing a major book hangover. I am one happy bookaholic. ❤
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