I think Moyes’ fans will lap it up and it will hopefully bring a lot more new readers to her fan base. It was a little difficult to get into in the beginning but once I was on track with the author, it flew by. This is an early JoJo Moyes novel that features the Delancy family living in London, but the accidental death of Isabel's husband leaves her devastated, grieving and in dire financial straits.

I’m not gonna spill more beans but I can only say the conclusion about some of the characters’ stories are not fair! Isabel is going to have to face enormous obstacles where Matt, a builder, and his wife, Laura, had helped to look after their elderly neighbour, not out of the kindness of their hearts, but with an eye on and expectation of inheriting the house themselves, a house that Laura had long coveted. Luckily, at this point, the family are thrown a lifeline in The Spanish House and they immediately up sticks and move to the country and try and settle into the difference that living in a small village community offers. Isabel didn’t really know how to do much of anything other than take care of her own self, so she was a bit dysfunctional when left to her own devices, or being available for her teenage children.I love it when the author shapes the story around characters, rather than making it seem as though the characters are merely bi-product of a plot outline, so this was perfect for me. I wasn't sure what to expect, typical, predictable chick-lit, or something with more depth, and I got the latter.

So, if you're looking for a book settled in English countryside talking about people fighting over an old mansion, you can give this one a shot. It was beautiful to watch Isabel come into her own as a mother and start making sacrifices for her children.It's an old and derelict house, in need of a lot of repairs, but it is in a wonderful location by the lake.