This quirky romantic comedy story is wonderfully charming to read from start to finish.
A slight departure from her previous novels, Belinda Jones adds a time travelling twist in this charming and immensely enjoyable new read that spans across several generations.
Set in and around Hotel Del Coronado (best known for being the hotel used in the film Some Like it Hot) in California, Chloe Sinclair has to travel through time to discover her Mr Right as in the present day he doesn’t exist yet. But in order to get closer to finding her own match, Chloe has to put her matchmaking skills to good use, setting up couples across several generations.
What is so lovely about this novel is that while initially the time travelling element is slightly odd, making you wonder how the rest of the novel is going to turn out, it is also a lovely way to see how romance and love flourished in one particular family through the generations.
As always, Belinda Jones has a particular way of evoking the area that she writes about – paying close attention to the details that make the reader feel as though they are there right beside Chloe and living her story out with her. In particular it is a thrill to see references to Some Like it Hot thrown in and adds a bit of a special extra quality that the reader doesn’t expect. It is all written with such vividness and sincerity that is thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish.
The Hotel Where We Met is also wonderfully unique in the way in which it is not simply one love story that emerges but several in completely different ways that perfectly reflect the changing attitude towards relationships over the decades. All of the characters are immensely likeable and their relationships are endearing, making this a story that is warm and endearing throughout.
It is a sharp and pacy read that is filled with plenty of heart and ties up all the threads of the story to great effect. I finished the book wanting to travel to California and have my own adventure while staying at the Hotel Del Coronado – a feeling that I always seem to have when finish a Belinda Jones novel.
Overall, this is a refreshing romantic comedy from Belinda Jones and a wonderful addition to her previous novels. Immensely enjoyable from start to finish.
By Emma Clarendon
The Hotel Where We Met is available to buy now.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐