Now And Then Friends by Kate Hewitt

Now And Then Friends (Hartley-by-the-Sea, #2)

by Kate Hewitt

The USA Today bestselling author of Rainy Day Sisters returns to Hartley-by-the-Sea...
 
Childhood best friends Rachel Campbell and Claire West have not only grown up, but after fifteen years, they've also grown apart...
 
After her father left, Rachel had to dedicate her life to managing her household: her two younger sisters, her disabled mother, and her three-year-old nephew. When Rachel’s not struggling to look after all of them, she makes her living cleaning the houses of wealthy families—inclulding the Wests, where a surprise now awaits her. . . .
 
A lifetime of drifting in other people's currents has finally left Claire high and dry. First it was her parents, then the popular crowd in school, and finally her fiancé. Now she’s returned to Hartley-by-the-Sea to recover. But running into Rachel brings back memories of past mistakes, and Claire wonders if she now has the courage to make them right.
 
Soon Claire’s brother, Andrew, asks Rachel to keep an eye on Claire, which is the last thing either woman wants. But as their lives threaten to fall apart, both Claire and Rachel begin to realize what they need most is a friend. The kind of friend they once were to each other, and perhaps can be again. . . .

Reviewed by Hillary on

5 of 5 stars

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I have to admit I haven't read any of her previous books but after reading this delightful novel you can bet I am going to go back and read them. This is a novel about friendship that has faded and then been resurrected again.  It explores friendships the through the prism of class and how it affects each woman. I enjoyed reading about how each woman perceived how the friendship ended and how different people can view the same event differently.

I grew up poor nd I can tell you that the author got that part spot on. I could relate to Rachel and how she felt. I found myself sympathizing with her and rooting for her. I also found myself wanting to reach through the pages and tell her that everything will be ok and that not everyone is out to hurt her.

At first, Claire got on my nerves. I don't do well with the poor little rich girl but as I got to know her I could see things from her point of view. As someone who was born profoundly Deaf and is culturally deaf, I also wanted to reach through the pages and smack her and tell her that being deaf in ONE ear is not nothing to be all wishy-washy about. I grew up with strong Deaf role models, so I guess if someone had been treated like they were going to break all of their lives I could see how they would start to act that way. Still, it irked me.

Over the course of the novel, we see both women grow and change. I loved seeing how they resolved their friendship. I also loved the author from staying away from tired tropes and painting a more realistic picture of how such a scene would be played out.

Like I said I haven't read this author before but now I am going to go back and read her earlier books in this series. I loved this book, and it comes Highly recommended.

 

About Kate Hewitt: Kate is the USA Today-bestselling author of over 40 books of women's fiction and romance. She is the author of the Hartley-by-the-Sea series, set in England's Lake District and published by Penguin. She is also, under the name Katharine Swartz, the author of the Tales from Goswell books, a series of time-slip novels set in the village of Goswell. Other series include the Emigrants Trilogy, the Amherst Island Trilogy, and the Falling For The Freemans series.
She likes to read romance, mystery, the occasional straight historical and angsty women's fiction; she particularly enjoys reading about well-drawn characters and avoids high-concept plots.

Having lived in both New York City and a tiny village on the windswept northwest coast of England, she now resides in the English Cotswolds with her husband, five children, and an overly affectionate Golden Retriever. You can read about her life at http://www.acumbrianlife.blogspot.co.uk.

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/katehewitt1

Website: http://www.kate-hewitt.com/
 This review was originally posted on Adventures in Never Never Land

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  • Started reading
  • 17 July, 2016: Finished reading
  • 17 July, 2016: Reviewed