Book Review: Anything Could Happen by Lucy Diamond

I am pleased to be welcoming Lucy Diamond to Novel Kicks. She’s here with the blog tour for her novel, Anything Could Happen which has been released in paperback. 

Your big secret is out. What next?

For Lara and her daughter Eliza, it has always been just the two of them. But when Eliza turns eighteen and wants to connect with her father, Lara is forced to admit a secret that she has been keeping from her daughter her whole life.

Eliza needs answers – and so does Lara. Their journey to the truth will take them on a road trip across England and eventually to New York, where it all began. Dreams might have been broken and opportunities missed, but there are still surprises in store…

*****

I loved the title and the premise for this novel so I was excited when I got invited onto the blog tour for Anything Could Happen.

Lara and Ben share a memorable night in New York and have dreams of a potential life together. However, life intervenes, and they don’t see each other until nineteen years later when their daughter, Eliza, tracks Ben down to inform him that he is her father.

For Ben, it’s a big shock, not to mention having to tell his wife, Kirsten who doesn’t take it very well.

Told from the point of view of Lara, Ben, Eliza and Kirsten, this book explores the impact of finding out that you have a child and how that affects your life. It also shines a spotlight on a marriage that was already only hanging on by a thread.

I loved Lara. She’s feisty and, even though she needs a little reminder to not be so scared, she knows herself. Eliza is like her mother – a strong female character. She is trying to find out who she is and discover what she wants from life and right now, she wants to get to meet the dad she never met.

I did also really like Ben. He is a well-rounded male character. He is handsome but, like Lara, has his flaws and does his best to embrace them. He also steps up when it comes to Eliza.

Kirsten is an interesting character. I am not sure how I would react if a child my husband fathered turned up out of the blue and she deals with it in a realistic way I think. In my opinion, she is the character that discovers most about herself throughout the book and, post Eliza, doesn’t always have the best time.

The realistic plot moves along at a wonderful pace, and I felt like you got a well-developed story. It didn’t always go in the direction I thought it was going to so this kept me guessing and wanting to turn the page. I got annoyed when I had to stop reading (thanks for nothing house packing.)

I laughed, smiled, and cried along with these charming characters right up until the end.

It’s full of warmth, humour, and love, whether that be for family, friends or yourself.

Anything Can Happen is a story about embracing life, whatever it throws at you and that it’s never too late to try again and find what makes you happy.

I really did love this book. It’s a perfect escape, even if that is only this book, a comfy chair, and a favourite drink.

About Lucy Diamond:

Lucy Diamond grew up in Nottingham and went to university in Leeds where she studied English Literature. After graduating, she lived in Oxford, London and Brighton, working in publishing and at the BBC. She now lives in beautiful Bath where she writes full-time.

As a Sunday Times bestselling author with sixteen novels, two digital novellas and a Quick Read under her belt, Lucy writes with warmth and honesty about the joy and surprises, as well as the complications, that love, family and friendships can bring. Her seventeenth novel, Anything Could Happen, is out as an ebook this December and published in hardback January 2022.

Say hello to Lucy via her website, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. 

Anything Could Happen was released in paperback on 21st July 2022 by Quercus. Click to buy on Amazon UK and Waterstones. 

by

Laura

I’m Laura. I started Novel Kicks in 2009. I wanted a place to post my writing as well as give other writers like me the opportunity to do the same. There is also a monthly book club, a writing room which features writing prompts, book reviews, competitions, author interviews and guest posts.

I grew up by the sea (my favourite place in the world) and I currently live in Hampshire. I am married to Chris, have a cat named Buddy and I would love to be a writer. I’m trying to write the novel I’ve talked so much about writing if only I could stop pressing delete. I’ve loved writing since creative writing classes in primary school. I have always wanted to see my teacher Miss Sayers again and thank her for the encouragement. When not trying to write the novel or writing snippets of stories on anything I can get my hands on, I love reading, dancing like a loon and singing to myself very badly. My current obsession is Once Upon a Time and I would be happy to live with magic in the enchanted forest surrounded by all those wonderful stories provided that world also included Harry Potter. I love reading chick lit. contemporary fiction and novels with mystery.