In the dead of night, Ayesha takes her daughter, Sabina, and slips quietly from her home, leaving behind a life of full of pain. Boarding a coach to London, all Ayesha wants is a fresh start.
Hayden, a former popstar, has kept himself hidden away for years. He's only opened up his home to two people - Crystal, a professional dancer with a heart of gold, and Joy, an ill-tempered retiree with a soft spot for waifs and strays.
When Crystal asks Hayden if Ayesha and Sabina can stay with them, he reluctantly agrees and, as different as they may be, they quickly form an unlikely bond. So when enemies threaten their peaceful home, they will do all they can to save it and each other.
My opinion: When I saw that Carole Matthews had a new book coming out, I was quite naughty and preordered it, meaning I got a nice surprise on the publishing date when it was downloaded to my Kindle! I am quite a new fan of Carole Matthews, having only discovered her late last year, and know I have a lot of catching up to do!
This book is not your straight forward romance or chick lit book. In fact, it is so much more than that, and incredibly well written - I just wanted to say that up front!
Ayesha came to the UK as part of an arranged marriage and has been living with her husband, his family and their daughter, Sabina, ever since. Unfortunately, her marriage hasn't been a happy one, and for the sake of her daughter, she has had to make a decision to leave her husband. But to ensure that they are safe, she has to do it in the dead of night and make sure that she covers her tracks so that he can never find her.
She goes to London, a city where 9 million people live and a place with lots of places to hide. She is found somewhere to live by a women's charity and meets Crystal, a dancer, and retired Joy, who both live with Hayden, a retired pop star. The prescence of Ayesha and her mute daughter softens all three of them and helps them all with their personal struggles in different ways. Ayesha and Sabina also discover the joys of living in a safe, loving home. When this safety gets threatened, they must all work together to protect their lives and their home.
I absolutely loved this book and totally devoured it. I am extremely grateful for the business trip I was on while reading this, that meant that I had 8 hours on a train over two days and an evening in a hotel room on my own to give me all the time I needed to devote to this book! It is brilliantly written and is very sensitive to the topics it raises, such as domestic abuse, but in a way that is true to life.
There were plenty of times whilst reading this book that my eyes filled with tears and I held my breath with anxiety over what would happen next. It was absolutely brilliant, and I have a feeling that with every book of Carole's I read, I will become a bigger and bigger fan!
Everyone should read this book!
My rating: A truly well deserved five stars
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