Review: Now That I've Found You by Ciara Geraghty

Title: Now That I've Found You
Author: Ciara Geraghty
Publisher: Hodder
Publication Date: 15th January 2015
Pages: 432
Source: bookbridgr Review Copy
Rating: 3.5/5
Purchase: Amazon

Everyone deserves to find that one person who's meant for them, don't they? Honest and wise, poignant and warm, this is completely absorbing storytelling for fans of Jojo Moyes and Marian Keyes.

Vinnie is an ordinary man. Ellen is an ordinary woman.

Ellen is unable to move on after a terrible accident that left her mentally and physically scarred.

Taxi driver Vinnie is struggling to cope with bringing up two children on his own.

Everyone deserves to find that one person who's meant for them, don't they?

Fall in love with the story of Vinnie and Ellen. Because ordinary lives can be extraordinary.

This book caught my eye on bookbridgr, and luckily my request to read it was accepted. Women's Fiction despite me being a man is something I really enjoy reading, I've not read all that many books from Irish authors though and this is something I'm trying to change because the last few I have read have been some of my favourites, and they are usually full of warmth and humour. My favourite thing about this book was that for the most part, the main character was male. Usually in Women's Fiction, more so in Chick Lit, I find male characters to be written as either predictable or weak and as a male myself I often find it very tiring, and lazy. For Ciara as a woman to write a male as the lead was very brave, and it could have failed but it absolutely worked. Vinnie is one of the best characters I've read about in a long time, and this story was truly heartwarming and didn't have me misty eyed towards the end at all! Okay, maybe a little bit.

I did struggle with the book in the opening, it just didn't grab me in the beginning but I didn't want to just stop reading so stuck with it, and I'm glad I did. Vinnie's story is told in the first person, and Ciara writes as a male very well. Ellen's meanwhile is told in the form of letters to 'Neil'. Given that she was involved in a quite nasty car accident, it's not hard to guess who Neil is but I will let readers discover it all for themselves. Using letters was a different and original way to tell the story, but it took me a while to get into it because of it. There's something about letters that leaves you feeling nosy, like you're reading somebody's innermost thoughts, which I guess they are in a way. In terms of the story it allows Ellen to really open up, and reveal thoughts and feelings that otherwise might not have been revealed had her story been told in the conventional manner. It also allows us to discover a lot more about Ellen's past.

The story and the characters are all 'real'. Vinnie and Ellen are two ordinary people, they could be me and you. They could be family or friends that we know. Just normal, everyday people. There's no unrealistic stories here and no over the top scenarios that just wouldn't happen in real life. There is also a wonderful cast of characters alongside Vinnie and Ellen. Some of whom are his two children, both of whom keep him on his toes, a best friend called Kenny who was a little eccentric, and a mother who I just loved. All of these characters add something to the story, they aren't just there for the sake of it and as the book progresses they all have their part to play.

It's kind of obvious where the story will eventually lead, but before we get to its conclusion it's a very bumpy road, with lots of unexpected twists and turns, some of which were quite emotional! I'm a firm believer in fate, it's crazy how different things could be if just one small thing had been different on a certain day. Both of these characters used to be happy, then circumstances changed all of that and Vinnie becoming Ellen's taxi driver to her weekly physio appointments led to the story that you will read should you pick this book up, and I really hope that you do. Ciara, thank you for such a lovely book which for me was perfect for a time of year that I otherwise spend too long reflecting on times past, and times to come. I just lost myself in this book, and it allowed me to take my mind off those things. I have no hesitation in recommending Now That I've Found You, especially to fans of Jojo Moyes. If the book wasn't so obviously Irish I'd have had her down as the author. I really must read more from Ciara very soon.

Two of my fellow bloggers also loved Now That I've Found You, and their reviews can be found on Bookaholic Confessions (Holly) and Bleach House Library (Margaret)!

3.5/5