Chez Maximka: Elle's A to Z of Love by Claire Huston #BlogTour

Sunday, 11 July 2021

Elle's A to Z of Love by Claire Huston #BlogTour

"The headlights briefly illuminated the village sign and Elle felt the intense rush of happiness she always experienced when she returned to the beautiful place which was home to the people she loved most in the world."

Elle's A to Z of Love by Claire Huston is a perfect summer read, uplifting, entertaining and romantic.

Last year I read and reviewed Claire's book Art & Soul, and have been following her on Insta since then. If you enjoy looking at the photos of delicious bakes and family treats, then check out Claire's Insta feed.

I live in the Oxfordshire Cotswolds, and enjoy the familiar settings in books. The fictional village of Haileybrook, in the peaceful Cotswolds countryside, could be described as an idyllic place. As one of the main character's friends describes it, "This place is downright idyllic. And the church must be booked solid for weddings and christenings. It should feature on Christmas cards."

But all this charm and picturesque scenery don't appeal to Elle. Born and raised in this small village, she is dreaming of escaping this place for good. From an early age she had a plan, to pack her suitcase, stride down the High Street, saying Good bye to the village, walking "past the sign which marked the eastern boundary of the village and the beginning of the open road. That was when she would break into song".

"Her plan had changed subtly over the years, but the main point remianed the same: get out of Haileybrook at all costs". Elle dreams of moving to London after finishing her degree. Her bestie Serena offers her a spare room in their family flat, and the bright lights are calling her.

Elle has big plans of travelling abroad with Serena and visiting all the places she's been reading about. We first encounter her in the library, reading A Room with a View, sitting in a hidden corner, letting "her imagination roam the pages of her favourite stories".

As she reads Forster, she cannot help being distracted by an attractive stranger being knocked down to the carpet by the heavy volumes falling from the top shelves (entirely his own fault, who steps on the wobbly first shelf to access the books above?!). It so happens, that Zach studies computer science.

There is an immediate attraction, and an invitation issued to the party. But the fates interfere in the budding romance. Elle has to get back to Haileybrook straight away.

That's the story of her life. Every time Elle is ready to explore the big wide world, her old loves and loyalties pull her back.

And it's not just the family who want her nearby. There's a smoking hot Adam who works in the pub, and Toby, "handsome in a brooding, Heathcliff sort of way". Elle's been hankering after Adam for years, but he didn't seem to notice her in a romantic way. Toby also sends conflicting signals.

And there's Zach who re-appears in her life as a long-distance penpal (or should that be an email-pal?).

Love is blind, and sweet Elle will have to find strength to discover what and who is right for her. She needs to stop being a crowd-pleaser and stand up for herself.

Will Elle be able to pursue her dreams and visit Florence? And will she find happiness at the distant shores or closer to home?

It is a really lovely story, laced with gentle humour.

One of my favourite quotes from Elle's A to Z of love is about books: "E-books were fantastic and super-practical but there was nothing like a real book. Mrs Cooper felt the same. Wrinkling her nose at the e-reader the boys had given her for Christmas a few years ago, she had told Elle about how she loved the unique feel of every book in her welcoming hands, their individual crinkle, their particular heft". Amen to that. I read enough e-books (in fact, this book was sent to me in an e-format), but nothing compares to the feel of the "proper" books.

And a little teaser (you'll just have to find out who it might refer to), "Slowly, she brushed her fingertips over her tingling lips, only to find they were the same as ever. Everything seemed the same, but something had shifted. As if she had fallen asleep in a black-and-white world and woken up to find everything in blinding Technicolor." That's the power of love, it changes life to Technicolor.

Elle's A to Z of Love is crammed with romance and emotion. Pure joy!

Purchase Link

UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B096SMVRD4

US - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B096SMVRD4

Author Bio:

Claire Huston lives in Warwickshire with her husband and two children. Her debut, Art and Soul, a heart-warming contemporary romance, was published in 2020. Elle’s A to Z of Love is her second novel.

A keen amateur baker, she enjoys making cakes, biscuits and brownies almost as much as eating them. You can find recipes for over a hundred sweet treats at clairehuston.co.uk. This is also where she talks about and reviews books.