Book Review: The Impossible Search For The Perfect Man by Debbie Howells

Please join me in welcoming Debbie Howells to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her novel, The Impossible Search For The Perfect Man.

Imagine for a moment, your husband leaves you. Then through a bizarre twist of events, you find yourself working with the girl he’s left you for – and even worse, she’s pregnant…

Louisa’s not really up to any more complicated relationships. Right now, she doesn’t need them. She has good friends. Okay, so one has a screwed-up husband and the other a very strange horoscope habit. Not to mention her ex-husband’s new girlfriend, who Louisa has somehow found herself giving relationship counselling to. She doesn’t need anyone else with problems in her life right now.

It would be nice, wouldn’t it? To find a straightforward man, who isn’t remotely messed up. Now there’s a thought… But does such a man even exist?

She thinks not. But, she resolves, a life of helping other people find their happy-ever-afters is still something. But then handsome vet Marcus walks into her life. And everything changes…

Set in the Hampshire countryside against a background of horses and vets, this is a story about friendship and love, and life’s way of throwing in the unexpected…

*****

Louisa’s life is about to be turned upside down. Not only has her husband left her for his pregnant mistress, but she also ends up having to work with her ex’s new girlfriend. Can Louisa navigate her new single life when her old one continues to slap her in the face?

This is the first novel I’ve read by Debbie Howells. I was delighted to be invited onto the blog tour for The Impossible Search For The Perfect Man.

Poor Louisa. She is put through the ringer a little at the beginning of this novel. I really wanted to give Arian a piece of my mind. Even as this happens however, I feel there is a strength to Louisa that she doesn’t realise she has. I loved seeing how her character developed over the novel.

Marcus is the strong, silent, Mr Darcy type and seems lovely. The supporting cast is also wonderful. I adore the existing friendships and the ones that unexpectedly grow through the course of the book.

I loved the setting. I’m familiar with the area, so it wasn’t hard for me to picture it, but the description makes it easy to imagine. It sounds idyllic.

The plot has many twists and turns. There’s some wonderfully joyful moments and some heart stopping ones and I couldn’t stop reading as I needed to know what would become of these characters that I have fallen in love with. I didn’t see the end coming at all. I want to see these characters again. I can’t say goodbye to them yet.

This book is about love, friendships, unexpected events, and new beginnings – having faith that just because something has ended, doesn’t mean it’s the end and that it may simply be the path to the place where you were meant to be. It’s about giving people the chance they need, that first impressions are not always correct and having the courage to grab the happiness that appears in front of you.

I really enjoyed this book. It’s the perfect companion for that winter getaway.

Thank you to Netgalley, Rachel’s Random Resources and Boldwood Books for the advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review. 

*****

About Debbie Howells –

Debbie Howells’s first novel, a psychological thriller, The Bones of You was a Sunday Times bestseller for Macmillan.

Four more bestsellers followed, including most recently The Vow, published by Avon.

Fulfilling her dream of writing women’s fiction, she has found a home with Boldwood and her first title with them, The Life You Left Behind, was published in February 2022.

Say hello to Debbie via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Bookbub. Click here to sign up to Debbie’s newsletter. 

The Impossible Search For The Perfect Man was released by Boldwood Books on 29th October 2023. 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.