Here's Looking at You by Mhairi Mcfarlane

Anna Alessi – history expert, possessor of a lot of hair and an occasionally filthy mouth – seeks nice man for intelligent conversation and Mills & Boon moments.

Despite the oddballs that keep turning up on her dates, Anna couldn’t be happier. As a 30-something with a job she loves, life has turned out better than she dared dream. However, things weren’t always this way, and her years spent as the ‘Italian Galleon’ of an East London comprehensive are ones she’d rather forget. So when James Fraser – the architect of Anna’s final humiliation at school – walks back into her life, her world is turned upside down.

But James seems a changed man. Polite. Mature. Funny, even. People can change, right?
 So why does Anna feel like she’s a fool to trust him?

You Had Me At Hello was an amazingly good debut for author Mhairi Mcfarlane I have been long awaiting her next release to see if she can match such a great book.

Here’s Looking at You is about the lovable Anna, she was a big target for bullying at school, as the tormenting grew worse there was one little shining light which was the school heart throb, James Fraser, has asked her to perform on stage with him but Anna soon finds out in a cruel way that James is like all the others and has just put the final nail in the coffin.

Years later Anna has a job she is passionate about, some wonderful friends, there is a bit of a problem on the dating front and she has changed a lot from school but when James Fraser happens to walk back into her life she has to relive the pain all over again.

This is an amazing second book by Mhairi Mcfarlane it is easily as good as You Had Me At Hello, even maybe slightly better. The author really has a knack of creating really engaging characters, you really feel as if you know them. Anna is a lovable, fun, slightly vulnerable character who in my eyes is an inspiration, after all she went through hitting rock bottom she still pulled herself up and made something of her life. I really wanted to hate James but as much as I tried I really liked his character too even if I was appalled by his actions.

The storyline had me hooked, it covers a very emotional topic of bullying and it was written about very carefully, not only do we get to see what happened and how she felt in her school years but we also get to see the effect it has on Anna in later years, which is something people don’t think about enough it shows that with bullying it always leaves awful scars. Although the main topic of the storyline is a serious and emotional one it is lightened with a great sense of humour in other parts such as Anna’s disastrous dating! The humour was a great touch as it gave a book that could be all doom and gloom a great lift.

This is an excellent read that I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend to others it has romance, challenging issues, emotion, fabulous characters and humour what more could you ask for in a great book. I am sure this will be another big seller for Mhairi Mcfarlane.

Grab it quick on kindle at only 99p!! ( Time of review )

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