Book Review : Happy Home for Broken Hearts by Rowan Coleman

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“Ellie Woods spends her days immersed in the escapist pages of the romantic novels she lovingly edits. But her reality is somewhat less rose-tinted. Once upon a time, Ellie had her ‘happily ever after’ moment when she married her beloved Nick, but fifteen years later her husband’s tragic death leaves her alone with their soon-to-become-a-teenager son, faced with a mountain of debt, and on the verge of losing the family home.

On the brink of bankruptcy Ellie finally succumbs to her sister’s well-meant bullying and decides to rent out some rooms. And all too soon the indomitable Allegra with her love for all things Lavender, Sabine on secondment from Berlin and estranged from her two-timing husband, and unreconstructed lads’ mag aficionado Matt enter her ordered but fragile existence – each with their own messy life in tow…”

Happy Home for Broken Hearts is a deeply satisfying read.

I was quickly drawn into Ellie’s fantasy world, and felt every sympathy for her.  Of course she prefers to imagine herself as the heroine of the bodice ripping romance she is editing, to dealing with the difficulties of her everyday life as a recently widowed mother with money trouble.

I don’t want to give any details about the story away, but I found the way Rowan described Ellie’s emotional reaction was very convincing.  Her journey from denial through to reluctantly facing her problems – not just the financial ones but the deeper issues in her relationship with her son and her sister, and in her relationship to the real world too – were developed sympathetically – and the resolution of her problems wasn’t too pat and easy.

And at first I enjoyed Matt’s excitement as he has fun in the male fantasy world that opens up for him in his new job at a London lad’s mag. But the demands of the real world gradually intrude on his fantasies too, and he has to come to a new understanding of himself.

The Guardian review of the book suggested it was much darker than the impression given by the cover – and that is true, but it isn’t all dark. It is funny and moving and above all realistic. If I didn’t dislike the phrase so much I would have to say it really does transcend the genre.  Perhaps that just means I am selling the genre short – but in any case it certainly means that I thoroughly enjoyed the book.

Rowan also has a fan page on Facebook, and every Friday runs a short story competition with a twist – you have to cram a whole story into 420 characters of a Facebook Status update. Why not come along and join in?

Ann

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About Ann Godridge
Ann Godridge has just completed her first crime novel, The Mermaid's Shroud, and has started work on the sequel. Her story the Tree of Knowledge was shortlisted for the Asham Award. She writes about writing and sometimes about textile arts at her blogStraw into Gold. You can find out more about her here - About Ann G.
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