This story is about Bethan and Lachie and they live across from each other. They are both lonely people and they begin to connect by leaving messages for each other in their windows. Bethan is a single mum to Noah who works at the garden centre is and is struggling on her own with both company and money. Lachie is from the Army, who has been involved in a car crash and living with the life changing injuries he is has and is confined to his apartment, he also has the added worry of whether he can continue his career in the army.
This is my first Miranda Dickinson book, I found that it started a little bit slow and I can get a little frustrated in books that don't grab my attention straight away. Its a nice story and I am glad I continued reading, the ending was how I expected it to be but that doesn't matter, its an overall enjoyable read
Thank you to Netgalley, Miranda Dickinson and HQ for the chance to read this book as a arc in exchange for an honest review

This book stole my heart, it grabbed it and ran so far away that I’m struggling to get it back. I adored this story. Lachlan and Bethan are both lovable characters and I found myself internally cheering them both on. I adored the notes in the window in this story and it gave me Taylor Swift vibes from her music video.

This book is more than a typical romance as we have other side stories going on that really add depth to the story. What originally drew me in to this story was knowing the Lachlan was in the military, with a partner in the military I felt I could relate somehow to this character and when he was talking of Catterick, I was able to envision this as reading as I’ve been there. I also liked the mention of local towns such as Darlington which are near me. I’m as sucked for knowing places that are mentioned in books!

I devoured this book, it gave me butterflies and it made me smile. I would love to read more about these characters but I also really enjoyed the way the book ended.

This was my first look into the writing style of Miranda Dickinson and I want more. I would not hesitate to buy any of her other books and in-fact I’m off to look into them now!

I found this a little slow to start with, but the characters really grew on me as the book progressed.

Bethan is a single mum to 3-year old Noah, working hard to make a good life for herself and her son after she was left in the lurch by Noah's father. She works at a garden centre which is in trouble and is tasked by the owner with trying to find ways to help it rejuvenate itself before it's possibly forced to close.

Lachlan is in the army, but recovering at home after a bad car crash that he was lucky to survive, but he's struggling with the physio and finding it hard doing nothing and coming to terms with the way his life has changed.

But then Bethan moves in opposite and, on a whim, Lachlan puts a messge in his window for her to read, and a cute 'message in the window' scenario happens for a little while, before they eventually meet and slowly get to know one another.

There are a few misunderstandings and issues to sort out in both their lives, both with Bethan trying to save the garden centre, and Lachlan dealing with an investigation by the army into the car crash, but they help each other get through things, just by being there.

Very cute story with a nice happy ending.

This was a lovely story, slow to start but it soon built up to be a very good book. A romance between to damaged people with their own problems but can they get over them, read this to find out their story. 4 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for this e ARC

A cute romcom with an adorable dragon loving 3 year old, a cantankerous cat and delirious dog as stars of the show.
I have read countless stories with similar storylines but I never get fed up with them. They are just like a warm hug.
The author has a lovely flow to her writing that kept me reading on happily.
A feel good, happy ending.

As someone who has been shielding throughout the pandemic, this novel hit a nerve; the loneliness of being in four walls is gripping despite having had years of being used to living in a reduced environment and this book captured the feelings well. Simple things like a letter in a window, and the plethora of rainbows in windows during lockdown really do make a difference in people’s lives. They add excitement and a sense of belonging.
I loved all the characters, but Noah and his stone collecting dragons shone. Life and books are always better with dragons.
Bethan and her flowers brought light and sunshine to the novel despite her challenges but it was Lachlan I connected with. His emotions took me back to the early days of my illness and disability and the changes it brought. I had to stop reading midway as my heart hurt as I could see what could happen and I didn’t want either of them to be hurt.
I loved this book for its message, the characters who will be forever in my heart and on my bookshelf, and the uplifting feeling it left me with.

A gorgeous romance for grown ups.
Fabulous writing and an intriguing plot that had me hooked .
Both characters were engaging and flawed and I loved the Oh No moments.
Bethan makes a great modern day herio and I fell a little tad in love with Lachlan.
A really great read..

I received a gifted copy of the ‘Start of Something’ by Miranda Dickinson in return for my honest review.

This book follows two main characters Lachlan and Bethan, both at times in their lives where they feel as if people look at them and see only one thing.

Lachlan is at home on leave from the army due to an accident which has caused an injury, which he will need months of physiotherapy to try and recover.

Bethan is a single Mum of a little boy, and she works at a local garden centre, Bright Hill Nurseries. She moves into the apartment opposite Lachlan and is starting to build a new life for her and her son.

One day Lachlan spots some colourful flowers on her windowsill and decides to put up a note to his new neighbour in the window.

What follows is a new, unusual start to a friendship, where both Lachlan and Bethan can be who they want to be without feeling judged.

Will their friendship develop? Will there be anything standing in their way?

This book is wonderful and really uplifting, it is a lovely idea of being able to start a friendship by putting notes up in the window. I felt myself wishing it was me being part of these messages. It fits with our current times, as I could imagine this being an ideal way to keep in touch with the outside world when it was lockdown. Not that this book is about lockdown in any way.

There are ups and downs as there always is in this type of book, and I found myself shouting at the characters in my head, saying ‘No, please don’t think that way’. Not that this will make sense unless you read it for yourself.

The characters are relatable and lovable, and I didn’t want the book to end, I wanted to know even more when it had finished. I understood completely why they wanted people to see them for who they are, and not be defined as a single mother or a guy with an injury.

This is a new author to me, and I will be looking for more titles to read, as I loved this book the whole way through.

Overall, an uplifting romance which shows even unusual ways can bring people together.

A proper romance, with misunderstandings, humour, clever twists and the longed-for happy ending. In this story, both parties have all too much going on in their lives, which makes their romance all the more vital and important and the happy ending all the more satisfying,

A perfect romance! I absolutely devoured this book. The characters were both extremely likeable and I found myself really rooting for them to overcome their own personal demons, or at least to share with the other as it was so clear they were perfect together. It was a feel good romance that tackled some serious topics very well. 10/10.

Star rating 4****
This book is the perfect bit of bite sized romance that everyone needs on a grey, miserable January day. I was a little apprehensive going in to this book as the synopsis seemed to me like the book could be a slow burn or predictable, but I can tell you this was not the case at all. The excitement between Lachlan and Bethan is the kind of excitement you will get about wanting to completely devour this book. For the first 50% you go on a journey of both characters, learning about their lives and backgrounds. It is definitely a slow burn in terms of strangers, to friends, to lovers but that’s to be expected and in my view makes the book what it is. Life isn’t perfect for anyone and sometimes you just need to let people in. This is 100% a cutesy romance that I would recommend to friends and family.

What a great story of two lost people. Bethan who has a young son is trying to make a new life for both of them, and then there is Lachlan who lives in the flay opposite .who is recovering from a terrible car accident which has left him badly hurt.

He notices a woman opposite has moved in and starts to leave messages in his window and what follows is both of them leaving notes in their windows for each other.

Sometimes funny and sometimes you feel sorry for Bethan and Lachlan who have their own obstacles to work out.
This was a great book of two people discovering things about each other I could not wait for the ending to find out what happens.

Would highly recommend.

A friendship between two opposite neighbours that begins as they post messages for each other in their windows quickly develops into romance. But there are obstacles in their way, not least their inability to be completely honest with each other. For until they know each other better, Bethan doesn't want to admit she has a small son and Lachlan prefers to hide his serious disability in case it puts her off. When they finally meet, will the right sort of sparks fly?
This was a solid and sweet romance, given extra depth by the other challenges Bethan and Lachlan are facing - she's fled an unhappy relationship, has money problems and faces losing her job unless she can come up with some bright ideas to save the garden centre where she works. He's facing dismissal from the army over the accident that caused his injuries, and facing pressure from his family to come home and be looked after by them.
Both characters are very empathetic, and supported by a strong cast that extends to their colleagues, family and even Lachlan's wonderful dog and cat, Bert and Ernie.
I liked the plot device of the messages in the window, and though I found parts of the story a little contrived, overall I really enjoyed this romance.

Lachie is recovering from an accident and trying to cope with the physical and mental challenges after being a fit strong army man. Bethan is trying to raise her son and escape the mess of her past. They live opposite each other and start leaving messages in their windows that starts a friendship. Can this be the beginning of something bigger? Great characters, heart felt writing that really takes you on both of their journeys

Loved the way this romance started between 2 people with so much individual history.
Slowly simmering a love of mutual respect overcoming personal difficulties.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a sweet, sunny story that follows two characters who both have had their fair share of troubles and are both on a new journey, a new start. Lachie, who was injured at work, is struggling with being housebound and trying to recover.
Bethan, a single mum, has moved opposite, after working hard to try and give the best to her son. One day, after noticing someone new has moved in, Lachie posts a note in his window asking the name of the flowers he can see in the window opposite. From there a collection of window notes start to form a friendship as the two characters go about their daily lives and tackle the obstacles they are encountering… but the messages give them hope and just maybe… a chance at something more.

This story was a slow start for me, (it may be me more than the writing though). It was obvious the story was inspired but a lot of the lockdown window notes but it was great to see the story wasn’t about a pandemic. I really enjoyed the messages between them and found myself wanting to just focus on that part. However, about half way through the slow build up starts to pay off and the complicated lives that are happening around the main characters becomes really engaging. I loved the characters of Ernie, Bert and Noah. I loved how it made me want to learn more about plants, and that is a big feat as I don’t have a single green finger! The story had me in tears more than once and I’m so happy with the way the story ended… I don’t think it would have worked any other way.

A story that looks at loneliness, friendship, personal struggles and growth, disability, judgements and building trust.

A sweet story about finding hope and a fresh start.

A gentle romantic story with very likeable leading characters. Lachie and Bethan are neighbours and both have backstories. I enjoyed getting to know them both. Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for an advance copy of this easy to read, heart-warming book.

This is the first book of Miranda’s that I have read, and it was quite enjoyable. I felt I could engage with the characters, although at times they really frustrated me as well!!

I did question why in this day and age, the two characters didn’t text or What’s App each other after a while and so the “notes” in the window became a bit laborious after a while. I know that there were reasons why they didn’t want to meet up sooner but hiding behind a hedge and chatting was a bit far-fetched for me.

With every love story, there is always an element of jeopardy where someone misinterprets a situation (usually seeing their love interest in the pub with another man/woman who turns out to be the brother/sister/cousin/friend) but this situation was so limp it was like a wet paper bag – that part of the story I felt could have been stronger.

Both characters had a back story which when you get into is brilliant, and I loved that part of the book and wish we had got into it sooner.

I will look out for more books by this author.

I really enjoyed this read, it had a lovely story and great pace.
The garden centre saviour was a bit far fetched but i guess you have to find a way of creating a rainbow.

The rest of the story was just lovely. The characters were not showy and felt more relatable than most in this book genre.

Lovely book.

New neighbours connect by leaving messages in the windows and become friends. But both are keeping the the full picture of their circumstances from the other one.
Working life intrudes on the friendship and misunderstandings and hurt feelings abound.
Can they sort out both work issues and the friendship?
Make a drink, find a comfortable chair and escape in to the story, it will delight and enchant you with the characters and their tale.