Thursday 17 November 2016

Book Review - A Year and a Day by Isabelle Broom

Amazon UK
Title: A Year and a Day
Author: Isabelle Broom
Format reviewed: Ebook
Source: Netgalley
Publisher: Michael Joseph
Publication Date: 17th November 2016
Rating: 5 Stars


Welcome to a city where wishes are everywhere

For Megan, a winter escape to Prague with her friend Ollie is a chance to find some inspiration for her upcoming photography exhibition. But she's determined to keep their friendship from becoming anything more. Because if Megan lets Ollie find out about her past, she risks losing everything - and she won't let that happen again . . .

For Hope, the trip is a surprise treat from Charlie, her new partner. But she's struggling to enjoy the beauty of the city when she knows how angry her daughter is back home. And that it's all her fault . . .

For Sophie, the city has always been a magical place. This time she can't stop counting down the moments until her boyfriend Robin joins her. But in historic Prague you can never escape the past . . .

Three different women.

Three intertwining love stories.

One unforgettable, timeless city.


Simply one of the most captivating stories I have read this year. Isabelle Broom is definitely a master author in the making and is fast becoming a must read instantly authors, especially after having read A Year and a Day. 

The story follows three couples as they spent a week in Prague, a few weeks before Christmas. Let's start with Prague itself, a charismatic and historic backdrop to this unputdownable story. I have been to the city a couple of times at winter, and definitely agree with the mentions of the cold. I also have been to a few of the places mentioned in the story and could recognise them. My overwhelming feeling from the story is that the descriptions and history told of the city, were fabulously accurate, and I had a real sense that I was in the city along side all the characters. 

Prague really is a beautiful city and its true that everything is withing walking distance. There is a story told about someone on the Charles Bridge, which I have a weird feeling I heard while I was in the city myself, so there was a lot that rings true about the book, plus of course the cheap food and drink! 

Megan is looking on her trip to Prague as a way to regain some inspiration as a photographer, as she has an upcoming exhibition to fill. She is in Prague with her best friend Ollie. It is clear they are close and that Ollie wants more, but whether Megan will unlock her heart to him, is another matter .

Hope has recently come out of a marriage and is being treated to the trip to Prague by boyfriend Charlie. She is struggling with how unhappy her daughter is with this situation, and the days in the city, really do open her eyes to life a bit more. 

Sophie is there alone, waiting for her soul mate of a boyfriend to join her in a few days time. She has unlike the others been to the city many times, and knows all the off the beaten track things to do. However there is a lot more to her than is first apparent.

As the narrative switches focus between the three leading ladies, we see the truth in each of their partnerships, and receive great insight as to the various dynamics as work, in addition to seeing Prague through a series of different viewpoints. 

Some of the characters were harder to gel with than others, but overall I really liked all of them. The book had me hooked from around half way, and the writing felt quite mature, and was a joy to read. 

I'm not really sure how to express coherently how much I loved reading A Year and  a Day but can assure anyone who is a bit undecided that its a fantastic story, and it does plenty to hold your attention and even give you a couple of jaw dropping moments. 

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Michael Joseph for my copy of this book. This is my honest opinion. 

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