Cover Image: This Changes Everything

This Changes Everything

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Member Reviews

This Changes Everything is a wonderful story of love, family, and friendship. The lead characters are strong women, a mother and her two daughters who go on a journey, finding out more about each other and themselves. It is heartbreaking yet heart warming and beautifully told.

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This is a multigenerational story with strong female characters and a relatable dynamic between the sisters and their mother. Julia's three marriages are a source of despair for her daughters, and they don't want her to make another mistake. Julia has a secret she's never shared with her children and can't resist meeting her first love again.

The sisters are different in personality, and despite loving each other, they don't understand the pressures of their individual lives. There are many poignant moments, particularly in Julia's story, who was a victim of the judgemental morals in the early 1960s.

The real journey is the emotional one all the characters experience both in the past and present.

This proves to be an engaging family drama.

I received a copy of this book from Boldwood Books via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

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McGinn does an excellent job of creating very likable characters. The descriptions of the sights and food in Rome made me want to jump on a plane immediately. The story was overall very happy and perhaps too simple for me. I would have liked to have seen more conflict or unexpected twists. It was a pleasant diversion but not a great read for me.

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There were two things that particularly drew me to this book. The first was the promise of spending time in Rome – I haven’t visited in a very long time, and the chance to do so from the comfort of my armchair at a time when lounge-to-kitchen is the current limit was irresistible. The second was the focus on an older character in Julia, mother to Annie and Jess – something I always enjoy, although I did worry a little that her daughters felt she (in her 70s) needed to be kept an eye on.

The time in Rome was everything I wanted it to be. The writing allows you to fully experience it along with the characters – the views, the food and drink, the sunshine, all the lesser known sights that I’ve made a note of so I can experience them for real on my next visit. I must admit though, it did take me a while to warm to my travelling companions. I did rather like Annie, although it frustrated me that she’d allowed her artistic ambitions to become buried under the weight of caring for her family: Jess was less easy to like, self-centred, spiky, with sharp edges that made her rather a challenge to sympathise or engage with.

At first, I did find it a bit difficult to get a fix on Julia’s character, but I really enjoyed the exploration of her back story that rather explained the totally understandable reasons why her daughters felt it necessary to make sure she didn’t make any rash decisions (she did have a bit of a track record…) when meeting up with a man she hadn’t been in touch with for 50 years. The family dynamics are well explored – and that’s a theme developed further in the second half of the book, where the focus changes to the journey through the past triggered by the uncovering of some long-hidden secrets during their time in Rome.

I’ve found this quite a difficult book to review – it’s very much a book of two halves, and from the midpoint travels in a direction I really hadn’t expected. It would be wrong of me to say more, but the content is emotional and a little different, an intriguing journey through the past with considerable impact on the present.

I’ll admit it perhaps wasn’t 100% the book for me – but none of us can unreservedly love every book we read (sometimes it’s just wrong time/wrong book). I really do think it would be enjoyed more by a younger reader who could identify more closely with Annie and Jess and their lives. I’d hoped that I’d be able to engage more closely with Julia but, in the present day, she didn’t quite manage to capture my heart – although I was certainly emotionally caught up by her story, and particularly enjoyed her rekindled relationship with Patrick.

The issues raised in that second half of the book were particularly well handled, there were quite a few unexpected twists and turns that kept the pages turning, and I really liked the exploration of those links between past and present. And again, the author shows a really deft touch in capturing location when a large part of the action moves to Cornwall, with the introduction of a few new characters that I really enjoyed. Helen McGinn can certainly tell a good story, and I’d be very happy to try her writing again.

(review copied to Amazon, but link not yet available)

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Permanently exhaused mother Annie and her career-driven sister Jess know their own mother Julia too well to not worry when she declares that she's going to meet up with her first love in Rome. Determined to stop a fourth marriage - or at least be there to witness it - they follow her to Rome where secrets are revealed and each must examine her own life and what she wants out of it.

Each of Annie, Jess, and Julia were distinct but relatable in different ways, especially in their creeping fear that they've made the wrong choices in life, brought to a head at a delightful seafood restaurant in Rome.

Rome as Helen McGinn writes it is delightful and enchanting. I loved the description of the architecture, the sights, and the out of the way spots. All brought the city to life beautifully. Having never been there, I now find myself wanting to, hampered only by current circumstances and the constraints of my wallet. I will note that the locals of Rome are not called 'Romani' (that's a completely different people group) but that is easy enough to fix.

Especially at the start, the book does suffer from a bit of headjumping, which makes it difficult to follow, but this seems to die out after the first few chapters (or I got used to it). What's a little harder to read is the intertwining of the three stories as it feels like both Annie and Jess are shortchanged on the screentime. I really expected more about Annie coming to terms with giving up an art career she loved to have a family and would've liked to see more of Jess's story on the page rather than referred to. However I'm glad all came to a happy resolution.

For a slow, sweet novel about life, choices, and how it's never to late to make different ones, pick up this book.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book via NetGalley; all opinions are my own

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I loved the relationships in this uplifting family drama, and now have the need to go back and explore Rome again. Julia, Jess and Annie are wonderful together and the writing explores their time together before introducing old friends. Their clashes, friction between them and love for eachother felt extremely real and wonderful.

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Annie & Jess are sisters who were raised by their mother and a absent father. They love their mother, but she has the tendency to do and jump in before she truly thinks of the consequences of her actions.
Out of the blue she announces she is going to Rome to meet up with her first love she hasn’t seen in 50 years. Right away to the girls this sets up red flags and fireworks! Plus the girls own private lives needed shaking up so they decided to go keep an eye on their mother and just keep her safe! Well, that’s what they were telling themselves to justify there being overprotective of her.
Rome is a life changer for all four of the those individuals, but it is about to erupt for so many more left back in the States!

Helen McGinn has written an engaging storyline that is easy to follow, but there are some plot holes that need more cohesiveness. The characters are fun and interesting and actually would do some of the same things in real life!
For her first attempt at writing this is a fun book to read and I would recommend it to my friends.

I received a free advanced copy from NetGalley and these are my willingly given thoughts and opinions.

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Blurb

SHOULD FIRST LOVE BE LEFT IN THE PAST, OR IS FIRST LOVE, FOREVER LOVE…

Sisters Annie and Jess are used to their mother Julia being spontaneous. But when Julia announces she’s flying off to Rome to meet her first love Patrick, whom she hasn’t seen for fifty years, it’s an adventure too far. So, her daughters decide the only way to keep Julia safe, is to go too – without actually telling their mother she has chaperones!

Julia and Patrick’s love story was everything – epic, once-in-a-lifetime, with a tragic ending and life-long consequences. First love is hard to forget, but sometimes, just sometimes, life delivers a chance to rewrite your story.

As the eternal city of Rome works its magic, old secrets, old friends and old loves become new possibilities and new dreams. And when the four travellers return home, nothing will ever be the same again…

My Thoughts

It’s looking like the chances of going on holidays to far out destinations might be off the cards (for now) but This Changes Everything was the gorgeous bit of escapism I needed.

Instantly, we are met with a family who appear to have their lives figured out. Annie has James, her lovely (if a bit forgetful) husband, and her children. Her sister, Jess, has a successful career. It is their mother, Julia, who throws a spanner in the works. She’s happy, yes, but she soon announces that she is reuniting with her first love, Patrick, over a trip to Rome no less! I was amazed by how well McGinn crafted her characters, I was invested in them and their lives as early as the first page – which is pretty impressive for a debut novel, if you ask me!

Not only does McGinn write characters you find yourself rooting for from the offset, she is also wonderful at creating a sense of place. I’ve been to Rome before and McGinn definitely captures the beauty of it, from the cafes Annie and Jess eat their breakfast in to the wonderful, sprawling galleries that Patrick and Julia explore. I’ve never been to Cornwall, but McGinn writes in a way that enables you to truly visualise every detail.

I loved how the magic and possibilities of Rome in the present was contrasted with the less magical scenes from Julia and Patrick’s past. Much like Annie and Jess, I was pretty sceptical about the characters reunion but – as you delve deeper into their past and the characters themselves – you uncover a love story that is beautiful and heartbreaking in equal measure. I loved reading about the characters’ past, and I really liked Julia’s Aunt Tessa, it definitely helped me believe in their love story a lot more as the narrative rolled on.

Though I sensed there would always be a twist of some kind (the title kind of indicates that, I’d say), McGinn still managed to surprise me. I loved how she split the book into parts, with the first part showing the adventures in Rome and the second showing the aftermath. What was simply a trip away led to exciting developments for the characters and their lives, which was a delight to read.

The only thing I wasn’t too keen on was how fast paced the second part was. The first part ebbed and flowed quite slowly, as you took in the surroundings and characters, and allowed you to take in every detail. I think the second part of the book felt a bit rushed and I kind of wish we delved more into the characters thoughts and feelings instead of just hurtling towards the – thankfully – happy conclusion.

Regardless, This Changes Everything is a stunning debut novel about family, the future and the past, and finding your feet.

I will be reviewing this one on my blog site jenrosewrites.blog - so keep an eye out

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A warmhearted storyline full of emotional moments.
I felt that the story was very slow in the beginning.
I rather enjoyed the journey to Rome.....the author makes you feel like you are there with the characters.
There is one big secret reveal that I never saw coming. How everyone deals with this secret made the story much more interesting to me.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest opinion. All opinions expressed are my own.

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Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

This book was such an enjoyable read.

For Julia and Patrick, they’ve kept a secret, both each other’s first love. They met in their teens every summer.

But then, Julia got pregnant and was forbidden to see Patrick again, but also, she had to give up the baby for adoption.

Now, years later, they are both married and have families of their own.

Julia receives a letter from Patrick to meet him in Rome to scatter their old friends ashes.

Julia’s daughters Annie and Jess don`t trust their mothers spontaneity, and they then decide to follow her to Rome, the place where the secret she’s kept is revealed.

So, now that the secret is out, will everyone come together or will it tear the family apart..

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Three women on a trip to Rome. Julia, in her 70s is ging to meet a man whom she hasnt seen for many years, Patrick. He was her first love.
Two daughters, Jess and Cathy are concerned about their 'wayward' mother and determine to follow her to Rome without her knowledge. There are some amusing scenes as they try to keep out of the way. Lovely descriptions of Rome, I wanted to be there.
It's a quick read, and a nice warm story.
Thank you Net Galley and the publisher for the chance to read and review this book

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Set in both Rome and England, this book is difficult to resist. The story is about finding love in unexpected places...the title is very apt. There are also mysteries and revealed pasts throughout. It is a very quick read.

Annie, a painter, adores her husband and rambunctious young boys but is exhausted; her flamboyant sister Jess is unmarried, ambitious and makes questionable choices. Their lives could not be more different. However, when given the chance to escape to Rome for a few days they both make the spontaneous decision to go for it. They both have their own reasons. Julia, their mother in her 70s, mentions she is meeting an old friend in Rome and her concerned daughters, knowing their mom's history making rash decisions, follow without her knowledge. At first. We follow the three women and Julia's old flame, Patrick, as they tour Rome and get to know each other. The rest of the story occurs in England. Twists and turns abound.

The most enjoyable aspect of the book for me is the focus on my favourite big city on the planet, Rome. My favourite neighbourhood to stay in is Trastevere so it was very easy to envision their movements. The storyline is interesting though there are a few aspects I didn't particularly love and some parts were predictable, though others certainly not. For these reasons I give this book a 3.5 star rating, bumping it up to a 4 due to the plot and subplots and Rome connections and descriptions.

Those who love Rome or are smitten with the thought of Rome will likely enjoy this book.

My sincere thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated.

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Sisters Annie and Jess are worried when their three times married, spontaneity-loving mother informs them she’s taking a short holiday in Rome to meet up with a man she hasn’t been in touch with since they were teenagers, and they decide to fly to Rome, too, to keep an eye on her. I thought we were in for an Absolutely Fabulous type selfish mother/sensible daughter story, but I’m glad to say I was wrong.

A story partly set in Rome while stuck at home during the pandemic was a lovely escape. I thoroughly enjoyed myself as I joined the characters for their various refreshment breaks.

When the thing that “changes everything” is revealed, I literally gasped and grabbed my husband’s arm! I daren’t say any more for fear of spoilers. Good story with well-drawn characters.

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The book starts with Annie (harassed Mum, wife, furniture restorer) and her husband forgetting their 10th wedding anniversary. Then there’s her sister Jess (career girl, singleton, having an affair with a married man). And their Mum Julia – who as my Dad would say ‘likes wedding cake’ – in that she’s been married 3 times! She tells the girls that she’s off to Rome to meet up with her first love, Patrick, who she has never mentioned to them ever before. They are suspicious – and Jess decides that the two sisters should go and stalk her (and escape their issues at home). Annie doesn’t take much persuading – and so off they all fly!

The book then follows both trips to Rome and what happens when their paths do cross (in a church that Claudia Winkleman talks about lots in her recent book Quite #randomfact). However, aside from that, what happens in Rome stays in Rome as far as this blog is concerned as people who write spoilers are RUBBISH! Needless to say ‘This Changes Everything’! It’s something big which has repercussions when they all get back to Blighty.

One thing that resonated with me particularly was when Annie had a rant about how her seemingly charmed family life (anniversary forgetting aside!) was ‘lucky’. It’s not ‘lucky’ it takes a lot of work. This is something I totally empathise with – and whilst there is always an element of luck in a happy home life / successful career / option to take great holidays – all of these things also require a lot of hard work too. (Looks like I could have joined Annie in that rant?!)

The second half of the book – after Rome – also has some big stuff to deal with – including a big family holiday to Cornwall – back where Julia and Patrick first got to know each other. Throughout the book there are flashbacks to the 1960s when Julia and Patrick were teenagers – but these are woven through beautifully and you don’t feel like you’re jumping around.

All of the characters were likeable (although I don’t think Julia’s parents were – but they are long dead in the present era section of the book). And I also liked the fact that the girls’ Dad was still on good terms with everyone despite being divorced from Julia many years before.

I have to say I kept waiting for the disaster – the death / illness / a new divorce – but I’m delighted that they didn’t come. The book was just a massive, big, warm hug – which I think we could all do with at the moment.

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This was an enjoyable read. One family is forever changed from one trip to Rome. You’ll want to add this one to your list. Rome was definitely the star setting of this story. I feel like a few places dragged and could have moved a bit faster, but other than that, it was a great read!

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I throughly enjoyed this book. The descriptions of Rome made me want to go and see it for myself!! I found the characters very likeable and wanted everything to go well for all of them. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

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I received an ARC from Boldwood Books through NetGalley for an honest review. Julia has always been spontaneous so when she hears from her, first love who lives in Rome she decides to head to Rome. Her two daughters want to take a step away from what is happening in their life so they decide to follow her to keep her out of trouble.
They all learn so much in Rome and when they returned home they have changed. There is something that they learn that as the title says, This Changes Everything but I want you to read the book so I won't tell you what they find out.
The author wrote this as a story, she gives us the present but takes us back to the '60s when Julia and Patrick met and fell in love. It blends together so well and it just flows right along. It is the story of the life of Julia and Patrick and as life goes it is a journey.

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This Changes Everything by Helen McGinn

Julia arranges to meet her first love Patrick in Rome, although they haven't seen each other since the 1960s. Julia's daughters, Annie and Jess, are worried about her and have their own reasons for getting away for a few days so they secretly follow her to Rome. This fantastic story takes place in both Rome and Cornwall, between the present day and the 1960s when Julia and Patrick fell in love. I raced through this book - I loved the characters, the settings and the themes the book dealt with. Very highly recommended!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

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Loved this book and how it is a great reflection on reality for a lot of people. Things aren't always as they seem and sometimes you are showing envy for things that aren't there!

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Pack your bags, you’re heading off for a quick trip to Rome in Helen McGinn’s five-star novel, ‘This Changes Everything.’ To be published February 9, 2021, this leaves you enough time to source the perfect Negroni recipe and purchase a copy of this exceptional story.

Julia Shield is spontaneous. Just ask her children. She’s already been married three times and now this gregarious woman in her 70s is hot-footing off to Rome to meet up with Patrick, a long-lost love. Did I mention she hasn’t seen him in 50 years?

Annie and Jess, Julia’s children, have had enough. They decide to follow their mother to Rome and spy on her to make sure she doesn’t come home married…again. They are both leaving simmering problems behind and hope that a visit to the eternal city will give them some perspective. All three women come home forever changed and eternally grateful for the experiences in Rome. As the title suggests, something is revealed that changes everything. You’ll never guess what secret Julia is keeping!

McGinn is an expert storyteller! Not only can she dovetail timelines expertly, but she has also created a wonderful cast of characters in search of love. McGinn takes readers on a journey spanning 50 years, weaving together tales of love, family and long-forgotten dreams. You’ll read about first love, lost love, and eternal love in this multi-generational and heartwarming tale about family and the lengths we’ll go to protect and unite them.

Thank you to Helen McGinn, Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the fantastic advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

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