Messy, Wonderful Us: the most uplifting feelgood escapist novel you'll read this year

Having read - and absolutely loved the author's previous novel - You Me Everything (5*), I was rather excited to have this one making it's way up my reading list! Allie has been well-loved all her life, but when a hidden letter shows up it opens a can of worms for her and makes her doubt who she is. Now she's had a peek into her family's past, she can't rest without knowing the full story and hires a private investigator which stretches her finances. With a bit of a lead to go on, she grabs a cheap flight to Italy to try and find out what happened all those years ago - and how it affects her. This is my very favourite kind of novel; rich in detail with a fine cast of characters and a multi-faceted story, I feel as if I've been in a completely different world whilst reading. It gobbled me up, heart and soul! Catherine Isaac's skill as a writer shines through in her ability to weave such a luscious tale; with everything wrapped up in a tight ball it unravels slowly and deliciously with something new popping up every now and then. This is an author I shall be watching closely in future; with two such classy novels under her belt I don't want to miss her third. As with her first, this is a definite five star read and one I strongly recommend.

Very enjoyable story, with a few surprises that I didn't see coming! Allie is a research scientist and is living a happy, normal life, until one day she finds an old letter in her grandma's drawer that reveals a secret that her grandma doesn't want to talk about, so without telling any family she sets off to Italy to find out the truth. Along for the ride is her best friend, Ed, who has marriage issues of his own to try and sort out and needs a break so accompanies Allie. There has never been any romance between Allie and Ed, but they have been the best of friends forever. The book started out fairly light, with a mystery to be solved, but there were a couple of curveballs I didn't see coming, every time I thought I'd figured things out something else happened (right to the very end of the book). It really kept me on my toes and had me glued to the story. I don't want to ruin the story, but this was an unexpected gem of a book that I thoroughly enjoyed and would highly recommend.