“Finally, contemporary romance for women over forty!”
Afte
r a solid career as an economist working at the US Embassy in London, forty-two-year-old American Ivy Cross is ready to jump to the bigger paycheck of the private sector and finally make time for a relationship.
Madrid-based tech superstar Ruben Alegre both infuriates and intoxicates her, and if he only lived closer she’d consider risking her heart.
When the opportunity for an incredible new job in Berlin arrives in the form of sexy Christof Brandt, she wonders if the offer is too good to be true. Her Late Bloomer friends are split down the middle, offering support but no clear decision.
Will she find a future with Ruben? Start a new life in hip and gritty Berlin?
There are no easy answers, but Ivy can’t deny that her life is about to change in a very big way.
“If forty is the new twenty, then these women are just getting started.” -On the Late Bloomers Series.
Expected publication: August 15th 2015 by ES Scott Publishing
What’s It About?
“The formerly adventurous Ivy Cross, breaker of rules and hearts, had crossed the threshold of middle age and lost her spark. She was on a mission to get it back.”
Ivy, a Senior U.S. Embassy employee, has fantasies about leaving her job, and starting all over again. Full of love for her closest friends who have made big changes themselves, she wants success for herself, too.
Her love life is also in a rut, but this is partly her own fault. Sharing her body and experiences with a man is one thing, but she refuses to share her heart and dreams. She tied up her goals and adventures in life with a man before, and that ended in disaster. She vowed to herself, never again.
Ruben delights Ivy as much as he aggravates her. She agrees to a date with him, but it doesn’t go as expected… Later she is offered a job by his competitor, but it seems to good to be true. She also learns about a promotion at her U.S. Embassy job that she is eligible for. Ivy has a lot of options, but is unsure of what direction to take.
With the help of her late bloomer girlfriends, Ivy makes a decision that changes her life. But was the offer presented to her in good faith?
English Ivy is a story about major life changes, vulnerability, love, self-discovery, and having an amazing support system of girlfriends around you to help you along the way. –Whether to share a glass of wine, or tell you like it is. 🙂
My Thoughts
I enjoyed the twist with this contemporary romance, with having the heroine a middle aged woman, settled into her career, as opposed to the new-adult heroine, just starting out, who is usually featured in a romance story. It completely changed the feel of this story, in a very powerful way. It’s hard to compare this story to others in this
genre, making The Late Bloomers Series, very unique. I can’t tell you how refreshing that is.
I absolutely loved Ivy. In this story we watch the amazing transformation in life, love, and career of this fiery red-head, never sacrificing one for the other. She makes bold moves that other women could only WISH to make, making her a character who a reader can enjoy living vicariously through.
Overall, I enjoyed English Ivy very much, and would love to read more of The Late Bloomers Series. 5 stars!
***I received a complimentary e-copy of this novel in exchange for a honest, fair, and thoughtful book review. This is no way swayed my rating.
Recommendation
I would recommend English Ivy to fans of contemporary romance, with a mature heroine. There is also a women’s fiction vibe to The Late Bloomers Series, so if you enjoy women’s fiction, check this series out!
Purchase
Amazon, USA (PRE-ORDER: This book will be automatically delivered to your Kindle on August 15, 2015.)
About The Author
Betsy Talbot is a forty-something traveler and author. When she’s not traveling or penning books about love, adventure, and self-discovery, she is hiking, learning flamenco dancing, and drinking wine in a tiny whitewashed village in Spain.
Her latest project is The Late Bloomers Series, a five-book romance series about women in their forties. Because women with experience make the best characters…in life and on the page.
Read a free short story starring all five Late Bloomer characters when you join the Late Bloomers group at http://www.BetsyTalbot.com. New York City, New Year’s Eve, and five life-long friends on the verge of change. Which one will make the first leap into the unknown?
A Well Read Woman 
I read it, too, and look forward to the rest of the series! Betsy nicely captures the heart/mind of the 40-something women.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh, I’m happy to hear that you have read it too! I’m really going to miss Ivy. I haven’t hit 40 yet, but I love the idea of 40 being the new 20. 🙂
LikeLike
This does sound good, and Madrid setting too! I might just check it out! Thank you for a good review!
LikeLiked by 1 person
No problem! Thanks for checking out my review! 🙂
LikeLike
This sounds good – even to a sixty-something who thinks forty-something is terribly young!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I know, right?!! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person