Book Review: When I Fall in Love by Miranda Dickinson

"What happens when your happy ever after is suddenly and painfully taken away from you?

Elsie Maynard has a whole new life she never expected to have.

From inadvertently founding a choir like no other with former 80s rock star Woody Jensen, to daring to date again, Elsie steps out into an unknown future – a future that could include gorgeous designer Olly Hogarth, a man who seems intent on winning her heart. Overcoming problems, challenges and the occasional frustration – namely overconfident Torin Stewart who seems to be everywhere – Elsie believes she is making the most of her life.

But then a heartfelt request brings her to Paris – and the last item on a very important List.

Can Elsie take the final step and lay her past to rest? Join Elsie as she battles to start again, with the help of a disastrous, newly-formed singing group and her father and sister armed with dating hopefuls."

Rating: 4/5

I read my first Miranda Dickinson novel last called, It Started With A Kiss, and I loved it - a good old-fashioned love story that made me smile, and I enjoyed every page. When I received a review copy of Miranda's latest book, When I Fall In Love, I was really pleased. It has a gorgeous wintery looking cover, with an apparent French setting with the Eiffel tower peeking through the background which I think looks great. Miranda's covers are always a bit sparkly too, just what you need to make your book feel extra-special and entice you to read it even more! I was hopeful that I'd enjoy the book just as much as last year, and luckily for me, Miranda didn't let me down!

Elsie Maynard is a woman trying to mend herself after her happiness is cruelly snatched away from her, and she's struggling to move on and live life to the full. When an opportunity arises to run a choir with a former 80's rocker called Woody, she jumps at the chance and think it's just what she needs to open her up to new possibilities. With a whole host of eager recruits, Elsie begins to teach them to sing, and it ends with the group going over to Paris for a one off special request performance. Will Elsie be able to find her happiness again, and lay her past sadness to rest once and for all?

I just want to say despite the festive looking cover, this isn't a Christmas book at all, and none of it takes place at Christmas. Instead, it's a wonderful and heart-warming love story, and all the better for it. I have to say I really enjoyed this book. I don't want to talk too much about what happened with Elsie in her past to make her sad because I found this to an important part of the book as it unfolds, and I don't want to spoil it for anyone who will want to read this. However, I will say that it did have me tearing up a few times as I was reading, and I felt Dickinson puts across the emotion of the story really well, and you do feel Elsie's sadness along with her for sure. 

Elsie is a very likeable character, despite the fact I thought she was a lot older because of her name lol. She seems to get on well with everyone, is very close to her sisters Guin and Daisy, who are both good characters in their own rights, and has a lovely close relationship with her father too. In fact, all of the characters in this book are well developed and are each important to the story, from the annoying yet helpful passer-by Torin to Irene, the elderly lady who is part of the choir. Each of them has their own story which unfolds as the book progresses, and The Sundaes (Elsie's choir) were just brilliant and had me smiling along as I read. Woody in particular is hilarious and you can't help but love him! You can also tell Miranda's used her own singing know-how to make the choir as realistic as possible, and it was fun reading these bits because of that reason.

The book is very emotional, especially with the inclusion of 'The List', something Elsie is dealing with in her life. I don't want to spoil the book and say too much about it, but it's an emotional addition to the book, and it works so well for Elsie and the book. It's touching and sweet, very romantic, and I loved it! I'm not exactly a hopeless romantic myself, but this did warm my heart, and gives a new dimension to the classic love story. Yes, some will say it's like another very famous chick lit book, but I far preferred this one, by a long way. Dickinson's writing draws you in and makes you plough through the book at speed until you've reached the end.. although I have to say the ending was the one thing I wasn't at all happy with in the whole book, it felt wrong to me and I wasn't best pleased - this is however just a personal preference of mine, I'm sure there are others that will love it. A wonderful love-story that has a cast of characters to love and care about, and is a joy to read. 

You can buy When I Fall In Love as a paperback or an eBook now.