Review: 'Fix You' by Carrie Elks (2014)

You've found the one, but what if life has other plans?
London, 31st December 1999 At a party to toast the new millennium, Hanna meets Richard. He is a gorgeous, wealthy New Yorker. She is a self-assured, beautiful Londoner with no interest in clean-cut American men. They are from different worlds and have nothing in common... except for their instant - and mutual - attraction to one another. As the clocks chime midnight it is a new year and the beginning of a wonderful romance.
New York, 12th May 2012 Hanna, the girl who broke Richard's heart, walks into his Wall Street office - and back into his life - to reveal an explosive secret.
He was sure they were meant to be together forever, but she broke his heart so completely the last time, can he find a way to let her mend the pieces?
It's almost the end of 2014, and even in the last few days of the year we are still being treated to an amazingly exciting book release! The cover of Carrie Elks' novel 'Fix You', which was released on the 25th of December, has to be one of my absolute favourites with its lovely bright colours, the cute couple giving each other a kiss, the little hearts, the snowflakes, the London bus... It's gorgeous! So, it's no surprise that when I was contacted to review 'Fix You', I immediately said 'yes.' I looked forward to checking out the work of a new author, and had high hopes for this novel and really hoped it would manage to live up to them!
'Fix You' starts with a quick glimpse at the here and now in 2012; 29-year-old Hanna Vincent is trying to find all the courage she has to go into the office of her ex Richard Larsen to tell him something important she should have told him a long time ago. We're then taken back in time to 1999, the start of it all, when Hanna is 17 years old and helping her mother at a New Year's Eve party organised by the wealthy Larsen family. This is where Hanna meets Richard and the chemistry between them is undeniable from the start. But what's written in the stars for London-born Hanna and true American Richard? The reader is taken on an emotional journey through time, encompassing 12 years, to experience Hanna and Richard's story up-close and personal.
At first sight, this book might seem to be just another retelling of the classic love story of boy meets girl and how will they end up together (a classic story which I love and can’t ever get enough of, may that be clear). Yet, Carrie Elks’ ‘Fix You’ is a contemporary love story that managed to make a real impression on me and I think this is one of those amazing stories that will stay with me for quite some time to come. I loved how the reader is given a glimpse into the current situation main characters Hanna and Richard find themselves in, and then we’re brought back in time to experience their story from the very start. The novel has two perspectives, Richard’s and Hanna’s, and is filled with strong dialogue and is just on the whole really well-written.
It wasn’t difficult to warm to both Richard and Hanna, who are really different characters. While Hanna is more of a free spirit who wants to always do the good thing, Richard is the busy workaholic who finds it difficult to open up to the people he loves. There’s also a great cast of supporting characters who play a significant role, such as Richard’s half-sister Ruby and Hanna’s close friend Tom. What I really liked about this novel is that it shows that love isn’t always as straight-forward and easy as it might seem in books and films; it can be really difficult and challenging, and Carrie Elks used this aspect to make this particular realistic and gripping. ‘Fix You’ is a simply wonderful read; a unique and realistic love story that will grip you and stay with you.

Rating:9,5/10

  For more information about this book: Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads   Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.