I’m delighted today to be helping launch the blog tour for A Season for Love, the debut novel from Ally Sinclair, and to share my publication day review. Published today (12th January) by Hera Books, it’s now available as an e-book on all major platforms and in paperback. My thanks, as always, to Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for the invitation and support, and to the publishers for my advance reading copy (provided via netgalley).
Now, this might technically be Ally’s first novel, but I really loved the early books she wrote with Choc Lit as Alison May (there, I bet you’ve heard her name before too, haven’t you?) – in fact, if you put her name into my search bar you’ll find reviews of every one. Something else you’ll find is a review of The Heights, the book she wrote in 2018 together with Janet Gover, a retelling of Wuthering Heights set in 1980s Yorkshire, published under the name of Juliet Bell. And there was another book that year, published as Alison May, All That Was Lost – a real departure in style, dealing with grief, loss, love, hope and healing (you’ll find my review here – and it’s a book I’d recommend really highly). But I was particularly thrilled to hear that her new book was to be a return to romance, and one with a really intriguing premise – I was rather looking forward to this one…
Can old-fashioned courtship survive in today’s dating world?
When Emma Love’s mother retires, it is time for her to take the reins of the family dating agency and build on its success. And she has a fresh new idea: to host a Jane Austen-style Regency Season of glamourous events where potential lovers can actually take the time to get to know each other in person, with no apps in between.
Emma has no intention of becoming romantically involved herself, of course; she is a matchmaker on the hunt for the perfect partner for ladies like Annie (who thought she had missed her chance at love a long time ago), Jane (recently divorced and nervously stepping into her new life) and wild child Lydia (more interested in hooking up than finding Mr Darcy).
As the Season unfolds, there is only one fly in Emma’s ointment – the irritating Mr Knight, with his casual attitude and gentle cynicism. Why is she allowing him to ruffle her calm, ordered life and why can’t she stop thinking about him? She is far too sensible to take a chance on love – isn’t she?
Jane Austen meets Sophie Kinsella in this laugh-out-loud, captivating romantic comedy.
I’ve never really been a great fan of Regency romance, and my familiarity with the works of Jane Austen lies in the distant past. But I’ve rather enjoyed watching both series of Bridgerton, and there was plenty I recognised from its world of courtship between the pages of this book – a really original idea, so beautifully handled, and I thought it was an absolute delight.
It isn’t, of course, set in a “season” from the past – this is very much a contemporary story, as Emma picks up the reins at her mother’s well-established dating agency and comes up with an ambitious plan to build on its previous success, and prove herself as a matchmaker in the process. So, with the support of her brother, the idea of replicating a Regency season is born – and, as well as being the story of Emma’s own journey, the book follows the lives and romantic adventures of the individuals who sign up for her new venture.
The main characters (and, as well as Emma herself, I loved every one of them) are Annie, Jane and Lydia – all teachers, supportive friends who perhaps each have parts of their lives they prefer to keep hidden, even from each other. And they’re all looking for different things. Annie walked away from what might have been the perfect relationship many years ago, and this time might just be willing to settle for something slightly less than perfection; newly divorced Jane has yet to decide quite what she’s searching for, or if something different is what she wants to embrace, but her involvement enables her to make her choices; Lydia’s the fun one, immediately searching out the nearest bar, convinced that long-term relationships aren’t for her at all. And the book follows their separate lives – all the baggage and complications, the many ups and downs, the challenges and discoveries, the people who cross their paths – as they each feel their way to the possibility of their own happy ending.
And the book is structured around the events that make up the dating season – intricately planned by detail-obsessed Emma, inspired in their originality, and a total joy to watch each one unfolding. There are some lovely extra touches too – I particularly enjoyed the commentary in the scandal sheet, capturing developments and speculating on what was to come. Every character is really wonderfully drawn – and not just the women themselves (I had a particularly soft spot for Col, Colin, Colin Williams…!) – and although there are a lot of storylines going on simultaneously I never struggled for an instant to engage with every single one.
There are plenty of big issues, sensitively handled – and copious amounts of humour, often laugh-out-loud. And the author’s emotional touch is simply perfect, with quite a few moments that can’t help but bring a tear to the eye. And the romance? Well, I certainly loved it – sometimes fraught with difficulties, sometimes with problems that look impossible to resolve, but every embryonic relationship one I completely believed in. In her letter at the book’s end, the author asked “which couples really won your heart?” – and my answer would have to be every one of them.
And do you know the best thing of all? This is going to be a series, with another book to follow for the Christmas Season – and I’m already looking forward to it. I really loved this book – highly recommended to all!
About the author
Ally grew up on the North Yorkshire coast and now lives with her husband in Worcestershire, at least until she can persuade him to give into her yearning to live somewhere nearer the sea. No kids, no pets. She sometimes manages to keep a pot plant alive. Briefly. She has been writing professionally since 2013, and is also published as Alison May and, in collaboration, as Juliet Bell. Ally is a former Chair of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, and currently works as an associate lecturer for the Open University.
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