If You Love Me, I'm Yours

by Lizzie Chantree

[zooloo1983]

What a cute story! I stayed up until 1am reading this book, 1 because I could not sleep and 2 because Maud and Dot would not let me sleep!! I loved that the story was about two women finding their place in a world that had been carved out for them by their parents. Not going to lie, a couple of tears (I was yawning by this point due to the time of night/morning) did fall, due to the lack of communication and misinterpretation of things, but then it would not be a romance novel without it. Plus, when you discover the book title in the story and what it meant, well that is enough for even the most cold-hearted person to well up.

Maud, is a blooming artist, but she is constricted by the disappointment in her parents who want her to settle down, dress conservatively, find a nice man and have a good job, basically forget about art. Her bungalow is plain to the outside world apart from her bedroom, where she has painted a gorgeous mural and her studio at the end of the garden. To be honest, I want her bungalow. Maud’s best friend Daisy has however been her champion from the start.

Dot wants to be an artist to live up to her parents and brother’s talent. All outstanding artists, but Dot, in her mind, can’t paint. So instead, she is a persona of what she thinks her family want her to be, the crazy one, with outrageous outfits. She even wore a birds’ nest hat!!!

They find each other, well Dot finds Maud, due to someone dropping random art around the village with little tags on and it causes quite the stir. Instantly, the extrovert Dot and the introvert Maud become fast friends, both seeing the real person behind the walls they have built.

The love story between Nate and Maud was a slow one but it was two people finding their way to each other, and so the speed of it felt realistic especially due to their own present situations (the douche bag will not be named here!) and their history. I loved that the romance took the back seat in this story and it was the friendships of them all that took centre stage. The drama in the story was contained and did not overshadow the main theme of the book, it helped to enhance it, same with the romance.

When the story finishes, I felt it was a perfect ending for them all. I am assured, due to the writing, that they all had their happy endings, Nate, Maud, Elliot and Dot, I do not have to worry about them as they all have each other to keep them going on their creative, crazy journey into the sunset.