Clare Ashton slays me with her storytelling skills! She develops characters that wrap themselves around your heart and won't let go.
This is one of the few true friends to lovers romances I've ever read. And by true - I mean these women became the best of friends at Oxford Law School and while Charlotte couldn't help being taken with Millie at the outset, that's what they were. Millie is a smart, gregarious working class straight woman who tears through men like nobody's business. She also looks like a young Marilyn Monroe with a figure to die for. Charlotte is a more reserved, upper class student whose barrister mother has the highest expectations of her. She is also coming to terms with the fact that she's gay, but the thought of exploring it terrifies her.
Though opposites in many ways, she and Charlotte are also twin souls of sorts who grow to support, then adore one another through good and bad times. Millie has no issue with Charlotte's sexuality and even drags her to a gay bar to explore that side of herself and find a girlfriend. But the longer they are friends the closer they become, and Charlotte's feelings begin to develop into something more despite knowing Millie will never see her that way. A painful falling out results in the loss of a friendship that means everything to both of them and they go their separate ways.
But fate brings them back to each other's orbit a decade later and in short order they realize that their friendship is something neither is willing to risk losing again. Millie has had a career change and has moved back to Oxford, where Charlotte is starting a new job as an associate solicitor at a prestigious firm. She's had a steadily growing career to that point, and is hoping that this will be the one that will bring her the kind of success she's been hoping for. Millie has transformed in many ways, yet she's still the delicious, exuberant creature she always was. Surely Charlotte can embrace their friendship again knowing what the score is after all these years. She and Millie... they're forever. A platonic relationship will have to be enough. Right?
While this is ultimately a beautiful romance, it's not made out to be an easy route to get there. Not a few lesbians have fallen in love with their best friends and have been hurt by that. Millie's life experiences since they've been apart have changed much about how she travels through life and what she deems as important. The love and support they offer one another throughout their relationship is swoon-worthy. The build is fabulous. It's lovely witnessing Millie's gradual transformation as she realizes a significant change is occurring within her as it relates to Charlotte.
I absolutely loved this book! And the cover is as gorgeous as what's between the pages. A paperback will definitely be living on my shelves as well.
Marian Matoska
NK