New Beginnings by Mary Metcalfe

The title New Beginnings doesn’t give this book justice. It is about new beginnings, and we’ve all read numerous books with that similar theme, however, this story is far from the same ole, same ole.

To be honest, the cover of the book is my reason for wanting to read it, I love horses. They don’t show up until later in the story, but it was worth it.

The main character, Carol Brock, is a hot, forty-three year old realtor. She starts out as a control freak, but by the end of the story – not so much. Of course a hot, good looking guy has a lot to do with it, and his name is Devin Elliott, a restoration specialist – and the one with the horses.

Devin has a psycho ex-girlfriend, Allison, who is the ‘bad guy’ in the story.  He wants to buy a home owned by Allison’s mother, which doesn’t go over so well with a psychopath. Carol has the listing and shows the home, which is how she becomes involved in the mess.

The characters in New Beginnings are what make this story captivating. Carol has two kids in college, a best friend and her family, and Devin’s best friends are a gay married couple who take care of his farmhouse and horses. All the characters held my interest as they traveled around Boston, and to and from the farm. Everything becomes complicated because of Allison, the psychopath.

My favorite stories are those having unpredictable developments throughout the story, and Mary Metcalfe’s outstanding writing kept all but one incident unpredictable. It was an enjoyable way to spend a Sunday, and it does encourage self-reflection.