Book Review: The Next Forever by Alix Kelso

The Next Forever (Fairhill Book 2)
by Alix Kelso

Publication date: September 18th 2019
Publisher: Lake Falls Publishing
Pages: 292

Summary:

Friendship begins beneath cherry blossoms. Can it turn into love?

Meet Chrissie Sullivan – baking whiz, cake shop owner, and a woman on the brink ever since her grown family moved back into the house. When her meddling mother enters Chrissie’s shop into a prestigious wedding cake competition, things get even more complicated. Chrissie never expected still to be alone in her fifties, but her hectic life doesn’t make it easy to find a little romance.

Meet Keith McGraw – pub landlord, whisky lover, and a man who’s perpetually unlucky in love. He thinks he’s happy living alone, until his chaotic ex-wife reappears and turns his life upside down, making him wonder if the woman of his dreams might still be somewhere out there after all.

When Chrissie and Keith meet in the park, a friendship begins beneath spring cherry blossoms as they seek shelter from their messy lives. But as romance sparks, they must run a gauntlet of calamities that threaten to keep them apart. Can they find what it takes to overcome the mayhem and give love one last chance, or risk a future filled with regret?

Treat yourself to THE NEXT FOREVER, a sweet, funny, feel-good story about family, friendship, and falling in love when you least expect it.

Source: Goodreads

Thoughts:

“The Next Forever” is the second in the series of Fairhill books written by Alix Kelso.

We first meet Keith McGraw in book one, “The Perfect Moment“. Keith is the landlord of The Crooked Thistle pub and unlucky in love as always, he falls for a woman that wasn’t right for him. This next book is Keith’s true place to shine and I’ve fallen in love with his character.

“The Next Forever” focuses on two main characters: Keith and cake shop owner Chrissie.

Keith is your friendly local landlord and we already know that he’s had his fair share of bad relationships, so he’s a character that you know you’re going to be routing for. He’s kind and generous but after three failed marriages and several unsuccessful dates, he’s vulnerable and a little insecure too.

“… always looking for the next forever.”

Chrissie is a new face in this series. She’s currently living in a tiny home with her adult daughter, son-in-law and new baby grandaughter Poppy. Everything seems to be going wrong at home recently and Chrissie is desperate for some time to herself.

When the pair meet, they instantly feel a connection and bond over the mess their lives are in at the moment. Neither of them are looking for romance right now, but there’s a spark between them that it’s hard to ignore (and who can resist the offer of a miniature bottle of wine on a park bench?!)

I really enjoyed this story of a developing romance that felt genuine. It’s upbeat, warm, friendly and heartwarming and it’s bound to put a smile on your face. If you’re a whisky or Great British Bake Off fan, there’s something in this for you too as Chrissie’s cakes are described deliciously and Keith’s love of whiskey is explored too.

There were a few parts here and there that I didn’t love, but overall this is a great read that I’d really recommend for fans of contemporary romance.

“No, it’s not simple. But the best love stories never are.”

Overall rating: “The Next Forever” is a lovely story of finding romance when you least expect it. Keith and Chrissie are both realistic, likable characters that you can’t help but route for and their story makes for a truly heartwarming read. It’s 4 stars from me!

This book works as a stand alone, but I’d recommend starting the series from the beginning! Both novels are available on Amazon UK.

See my other reviews of books by Alix Kelso here: