A Walk in the Park - Jill Mansell

It seems like there has been nothing but rain, rain and more rain lately. So, I decided that yet another rainy day was the right time to pick something light and fun to read. Jill Mansell's latest book - A Walk in the Park - was the perfect antidote for all that rain.

Lara was just sixteen when her father kicked her out of the family home, but her stepmother had a hand in that decision. So she left Bath, England without a word to anyone - not her best friend Evie or her boyfriend Flynn. Lar never told Flynn the secret she had been hoping to tell him that night.....that secret is now eighteen years old and her name is Gigi.

When her father dies, Lara returns for the funeral, where the family solicitor delivers shocking news. The home she grew up in was not her father's house. Instead it belonged solely to her deceased mother and ownership now passes to Lara. Gigi has taken to Bath and decides they should move into the house. Lara has her doubts, but agrees.

You can see it coming, can't you? Yes, Lara does run into Flynn again....

And from here on in Mansell weaves another humourous, heartwarming tale full of charming, quirky characters, missed cues, missed communications and missteps.

As always, it's impossible not to love the lead character in Mansell's novels. Lara is just the kind of person you'd love to have as a best friend. I enjoyed the lead character being a little older this time round.  But Jill involves all demographics in her stories. A Walk in the Park also touches on older love, same sex relationships and friendship. But all of the characters have some traits in common - they're warm, funny, loving and well, just plain nice. The kind of people you'd love to surround yourself with. Mansell allows to escape into a world where although, not nice things sometimes happen, happy ever after endings do win out after all. (The philanderer was even hard to hate!)

Yes, you know everything will turn out the way you want it to in the end, but that never detracts from my enjoying each and every page. If you're looking to lose yourself for the day in a modern fairytale of sorts, pick up the latest from my absolute favourite chick lit author - Jill Mansell. You won't be disappointed! Read an excerpt of A Walk in the Park. You can find Jill on Facebook and on Twitter.