Reviewed by Emma Crowley
Fen can't believe her luck. A luxury holiday with her beloved grandmother Disa - what could be more delightful? It doesn't cross her mind that she might fall in love. Or that love can bring complications . . .
Jamie can't help it that women always fall for him, rather than for his kind-hearted friend Leon. Nor that only one of them got the looks (that would be Jamie). But how will he feel if the girl he's drawn to only has eyes for Leon?
Disa has a secret. A few weeks ago, an old letter in a file revealed a shocking truth about her late husband. She's come to Venice to find out more.
There's news on the way that will reverberate through all their lives, as Jill Mansell's joyful, heartbreaking new novel takes readers on a roller coaster ride of emotion - and makes us believe in love again.
Many thanks to Headline UK via NetGalley for my copy of Just One Look at You to review and to Sharon for having my review on the blog.
Every January brings a new book from Jill Mansell which is always something to look forward to and to keep us going through the dark days of what always seems to be the longest month of the year. Years ago when I first discovered Jill’s books by pure chance through the library I devoured her books one after the other as by that point she had already had a very impressive back catalogue. Just One Look at You is incredibly her 37th book and not many authors that can say they have that longevity and still continue to be successful with legions of fans always eager for each new publication.
This latest book takes us to Venice where a varied bunch of characters are about to embark on a cruise ship taking in the sights and sounds of the world-famous city and its surrounding islands. A whole host of characters are introduced but it never became too confusing to keep track of the characters which can often occur in some books. I’m going to get this out of the way early and say as much as I enjoyed the book and the quick pace and the story that unfolded, I did feel some characters were surplus to requirements so to speak. Hattie, Kayla and Guy being the aforementioned characters. I didn’t see the need for their inclusion in the book as the other characters storylines were strong enough. I kept waiting for something earth shattering to happen regarding these three and yes they did have their little mini subplots but nothing remarkable happened for them. I felt the book would have worked perfectly fine without their inclusion. That’s the only negative I have about this book and it’s down to pure personal opinion. Others may feel they were perfectly placed in the book but for me this wasn’t the case. So now on to the main story.
In Bristol, Disa has made a life changing discovery as she searches through stuff. It’s 12 years since she lost her husband in a skiing accident and ever since then life as she knew has come screeching to a halt. She finds a stack of letters which suggests something regarding her husband which has big consequences. The details of this I won’t go into as it would be a major spoiler for the entire book. What Disa discovers sets her off on a little mini quest which comes in the form of a break on the cruise ship in Venice. She takes her granddaughter Fen with her and little does Disa realise that in attempting to bring some closure to what she has discovered she will open up a whole avenue of opportunity and love for Fen.
Disa was like the matriarch of the book, the grand dame who had plenty of money and could afford to go away but she treated people with kindness and respect. She was wise and offered good counsel and was very supportive of Fen as she navigates the many significant difficulties that emerge over the course of the book. Disa’s personal storyline that connects back to the letters was handled very well with grace, dignity and diplomacy. Others may have gone mad and become filled with rage but Disa made the best out of a bad situation and turned something which could have been very negative into something that brought people together in many unexpected yet heartwarming ways.
Fen encounters Leon at the airport and they bond over a scotch egg incident. Leon is accompanying his best friend Liam on the cruise. Liam is a former rugby player who still enjoys his celebrity status and is in great demand for appearances. Hattie has won a competition to go on the cruise and is accompanied by her friend Kayla. Although I can’t say she bargained on bumping into her ex-husband on said cruise. For some reason, I presumed the book was going to be set completely in Venice but that wasn’t the case. The first quarter or so was which equated to about a week on the boat and then events occurred back in Bristol. In this time the characters got to know each other and the setting of Venice was richly described and the reader could picture everything so clearly in their mind.
Everything was going along nicely although I didn’t think it was action packed. Leon and Fen from that meeting in the airport couldn’t take their eyes nor hands off each other and the Just One Look at You of the title really made sense. It definitely was a case of love at first sight. They fell hard and fast which I did find a bit implausible but then I just went with the flow and wanted to see what would happen. Disa embarks upon her mission in Venice and as for Jamie he seemed to be there for everyone and would do anything for his best friend. Yet, I sensed he was holding something back.
The characters seemed to get very close, friendly and for some of them intimate very quickly considering they had literally just met. Everything was moving along nicely when all of a sudden the cruise was over and boom there was a sucker punch that almost felt like a physical slap to the reader as something awful happens which changes the trajectory of the book in a big way. Despite the seriousness of this event and the ramifications for all that it has the book needed this to give the story some oomph. I was completely blown sideways as they say and could never have seen it coming in a million years. I’m being very vague here as again to let anything slip would ruin the book. Suffice to say it was heartbreaking but it allowed characters to show their true feelings and Leon, Fen, Jamie and co go on an emotional journey that tests their passion and endurance through the good times and bad.
Yes, there were elements towards the end that were predictable and I could see how things would eventually pan out but the point to get there although agonising and heart wrenching brought the reader on a touching and poignant journey. Overall, Just One Look at You was a very good read full of love, life, laughter, sadness, joy, heartbreak, family, friendship and the many twists and turns that life can throw in your direction.
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