THIS BOOK MADE ME THINK OF YOU by Libby Page.

4.5* Romantic, sweet and sad, with a touch of not-needed Bollywood'ism in parts (where the former MIL was concerned).

This book is pretty much just what the blurb reveals, and it's imbued with love, with caring, with hope from Joe - who's Tilly's husband, not the fiancé that the synopsis mentions - that Tilly can slowly rediscover her love of reading, bringing her back to life.

I'm glad that Joe's illness and passing didn't feature on-page, and that the book focused on true love never dying, and someone still being able to love another when the time is right, and when the right person comes along. I liked that Tilly honoured Joe's wishes for her, went off and had adventures, made new friends, found her niche in life and even repaired things with her former MIL, who sounded like a typical rude American used to getting her own way. A teensy bit Karen, possibly a Trumper too (the latter's on me, as I couldn't stomach her rudeness and two-faced-ness). Not sure I felt the Bollywood'ism was needed, but maybe it was both their way of honouring what the other meant to Joe (who, refreshingly, was a touch 'warts and all', and not made out to be some paragon of virtue).

Alfie was sweet but frankly a bit weird. I mean, he's a 20/30-something guy wearing his late father's clothing and shoes - who does that? I know he had trouble separating his dad's bookstore from his dad, but needy bookstore owner or not, fashion changes, and this was indicative of something not quite right with him. Not quite that he bedded therapy, but he did need a friend or few to nudge him into putting himself first for once. I wondered why his employees didn't, as they really were a bit his family. 

The side characters, Tilly's newfound French posse, and Alfie's employees, were lovely. And made Tilly and Alfie's (hopefully - it's never quite clarified) HEA possible. 

ARC courtesy of NetGalley and Penguin General UK - Fig Tree, Hamish Hamilton, Viking, Penguin Life, Penguin Business, for my reading pleasure. 

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