My enormous thanks to Sophie Calder for sending me a surprise copy of Always and Only You by Fiona Lucas. It’s my pleasure to share my review of Always and Only You today.
Published by HQ on 7th November 2024, Always and Only You is available for purchase through the publisher links here.
Always and Only You
Could the wrong man be the right one after all?
The heart-wrenching and beautiful new romance from Fiona Lucas, author of Never Forget You.
Erin is about to marry the love of her life. She and Simon have been together for eight years so it feels right that they’re finally tying the knot. It’s been stressful balancing the demands of friends and family – not to mention Simon’s difficult best man, Gil – but Erin couldn’t be happier.
Couldn’t be happier, that is, until she walks down the aisle and finds the wrong man waiting for her. But is the universe playing a cruel trick on Erin, or could it be that her perfect life isn’t quite what she imagined…?
A beautiful, deeply emotional story of love, secrets and second chances. Perfect for fans of Colleen Hoover and Lucy Score.
My Review of Always and Only You
Erin and Simon are getting married.
Always and Only You was not what I was expecting. It has far greater depth and power than I anticipated and it actually took me quite a while to read because it felt intense and I needed to absorb and process the emotions underpinning the narrative.
I didn’t initially like Erin because she is incredibly controlling, in spite of her personality that always wants to please others. However, Fiona Lucas’s skilful writing ensured I quickly began to understand Erin’s complex nature so that I was drawn into her story and ended up desperate for her life to resolve itself positively. She develops throughout the story so that, whilst she learns to understand others like Simon, Gil and her mother, the person she most learns about is herself. As a result, I felt as if I’d been on her journey with her which made for a very satisfying aspect to the story.
As there is a relatively small cast of characters, with Erin at the centre, Always and Only You feels intimate and absorbing. I loathed Simon with a passion from the beginning for his showy personality, but you’ll need to read the book to see if my attitude was justified! Gil reminded me of Austen’s Mr Darcy, being taciturn and unapproachable, but, again, you’ll have to read Always and Only You to discover if he has similar redeeming features. Neither man is a simple person so that there’s a real sensation of authentic human beings in their presentation.
The plot is cleverly structured with some real surprises that add layers of interest. There are moments that take the reader aback, but the real strength in the story is the engaging exploration of various truths that runs beneath all the action. As a result, Always and Only You gets under the reader’s skin and has an emotional impact that is surprisingly affecting.
Other themes are equally mature and interesting. There’s a wonderful romantic aspect to melt even the hardest heart, but alongside it are deeper considerations. Grief and guilt, self-delusion and illness, family and friendship – all these elements find their place in a convincing, entertaining and mature narrative.
Always and Only You is certainly a love story, but it is so much more besides and actually very difficult to review without spoiling the read for others. I thought it was a fabulous story.
About Fiona Lucas
Fiona Lucas is an award-winning author of contemporary women’s fiction. The Last Goodbye was her first novel written under this name, but she’s been writing heart-warming love stories and feel-good women’s fiction as Fiona Harper for more than a decade. During her career, she’s won numerous awards, including a Romantic Novel Award in 2018, and chalked up a no.1 Kindle bestseller.
For further information, visit Fiona’s website, or find her on Twitter/X @fionalucasbooks and Instagram.
English (US) · 