Anything Could Happen: A gloriously romantic novel full of hope and kindness

Product Information

In haar kenmerkende vlotte en warme schrijfstijl neemt Lucy Diamond je vanaf de eerste pagina mee in de roerige levens van deze personages. Het verhaal heeft een rustig tempo en ze neemt de tijd voor uitgebreide karakterschetsen, afgewisseld met inkijkjes in de gedachten van deze mensen, waardoor je iedereen goed leert kennen. Het zijn realistische, levensecht neergezette karakters die allemaal hun eigenaardigheden hebben en nu de confrontatie met zichzelf aan moeten gaan, om moeten gaan met de gevolgen die belangrijke onthullingen teweegbrengen in hun levens en de consequenties van eerder genomen beslissingen, achtergehouden informatie, misverstanden en gebrek aan communicatie moeten aanvaarden. Eliza needs answers – and so does Lara. Their journey to the truth will take them on a road trip across England, and eventually to New York, where it all began. Dreams might have been broken and opportunities missed, but there are still surprises in store… So now that Eliza knows who her father is, and he knows she exists, will she finally be able to have the relationship with her father that she always wanted? Will Lara ever be able to stop wondering what would have happened if he had gone on a second date with her, would her life have turned out differently? Would they have all been a happy family together? You’ll have to read this book to find out the answers to your questions. As you can see, there are a lot of complex relationships forming and collapsing in Anything Could Happen. It's a book that undeniably takes you on a journey as Eliza and Lara both connect (and reconnect with Ben). Every character has their flaws, which to me makes them so much more real and relatable. Filled with heartbreaking, heartwarming and tender moments, the book had a good pace as it takes you on a journey. Ben and Lara only meet again after Lara’s daughter, Eliza, finds him after an internet search and goes to Cambridge meet him. Eliza is an impulsive teenager who only thinks about what she wants, whatever the outcome, she wants to meet her Dad and doesn’t consider what this news will do to him or his wife.

De afwisselende perspectieven, mooie karaktergroei, sterk neergezette dynamiek en krachtige dialogen houden het geheel levendig en terwijl alle levens op hun kop worden gezet, kiest de auteur zeker niet overal voor de meest voor de hand liggende uitkomsten, waardoor verschillende wendingen je zullen verrassen. Het leven loopt vrijwel nooit zoals je had verwacht en soms is het goed om je levenspad te heroverwegen, je relaties onder de loep te nemen, die ‘wat als’-vragen te beantwoorden en in het diepe te springen om je verwaarloosde dromen toch achterna te gaan. After thorough internet searching, Eliza makes Lara take her to Cambridge to meet Ben, her biological father, who Lara met one serendipitous night out when she was interning in NYC. While Ben and Eliza build a relationship, Ben's marriage to his wife falls apart.

Special offers and product promotions

Thank you so much to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy of this book, all thoughts are my own.

Eliza is 18 years old and has had a pretty shitty day. She's confronted her father for having left her and her mother Lara, only to find out he's not her father, and his finding out was his reason for leaving. So Eliza's understandably P#@@%d at Lara for not telling her the truth for the past 18 years. Understandable... On the negative side it does feel too long, there is extraneous detail that gets in the way and maybe a few too many characters. It’s a bit frustrating as I just want the storytelling to speed up! Anything Can Happen is a story about embracing life, whatever it throws at you and that it’s never too late to try again and find what makes you happy. With a stark contrast between Lara and Eliza's quiet life in Scarborough, and Ben's lively family life, there are poignant moments showing how differently Lara and Ben's story might have turned out. But these are balanced out by Lucy Diamond's funny and heartwarming storytelling. I recommend this romantic feel-good book to those readers that just want an easy romantic feel-good without any spicy scenes in it but also to you who usually read romantic feel-goods with spicy scenes in it because it was a cute and funny likeable read.Lucy Diamond grew up in Nottingham and went to university in Leeds where she studied English Literature. After graduating, she lived in Oxford, London and Brighton, working in publishing and at the BBC. She now lives in beautiful Bath where she writes full-time. So, a new Lucy Diamond would be a treat, right? Well, yes or no. I started reading the book hoping for a great, interesting story but the more I read, the slower and slower and slower and also reptitive it became, so much that I found myself skim - reading the last third - even though it probably contained the most important information and resolutions. But it wasn't able to keep my attention anymore - sadly. Eliza needs answers – and so does Lara. Their journey to the truth will take them on a road trip across England and eventually to New York, where it all began. Dreams might have been broken and opportunities missed, but there are still surprises in store…

Anything Could Happen is a warm, wise, funny and uplifting novel about love, second chances and the unexpected and extraordinary paths life can take us down.

Customer reviews

I love Lucy Diamond novels, never twee, always about people's feelings, about messy families who drive you up the wall but you still love them, and this is no exception. Lara reluctantly told Eliza the story of her biological father – a man who didn’t even know she existed. A young British girl, Lara Spencer was a fashion journalist in New York when she met Ben McManus and their immediate connection was obvious. The arrangement of a second date was exciting – the fact that the date didn’t happen, devastating for Lara. She returned to her home in Yorkshire, pregnant, with the father of her child completely unaware. Now that child wanted to meet her father and get to know him… Told from the point of view of Lara, Ben, Eliza and Kirsten, this book explores the impact of finding out that you have a child and how that affects your life. It also shines a spotlight on a marriage that was already only hanging on by a thread.