Published 9th November 2023 by Hodder and Stoughton.
From the cover of the book:
Is he too good to be true?Meet Theo. Handsome, sexy, funny. kind. And he can cook.
He's literally the man of Esme's dreams. But Esme's sensible enough to know that you can't just manifest your perfect boyfriend then have him turn up on your doorstep.
Or can you?
***********
A difficult relationship with her warring parents, an older sibling she has never clicked with, and a disastrous marriage that only lasted two years have all taught Esme that is is better not to rely on others for your happiness. Eight years on from the acrimonious divorce that broke her, Esme cannot bring herself to trust men, relying on escaping into her daydreams - the only place where the ideal man actually exists.
After going through a traumatic wisdom tooth extraction, Esme is feeling grim when she has to pretend to be cheerful at yet another hen night, but something about this one is different... she finds herself opening up about her 'dream man' and wishing for him in a new age crystal ceremony.
When later that night she gets into a accident and has to go to hospital to have a head wound stitched together, she meets a man who might just be what she has been looking for all along. Theo is handsome, sexy, kind, and seriously hot. He really is 'the man of her dreams', and he is attracted to her too. Has Esme somehow manifested her Mr Right?
I absolutely loved this twist on the boy-meets-girl rom-com from Sarra Manning, who is rapidly becoming one of my favourite romance writers. Esme feels she has been let down by her family and the men in her life, and finds it very difficult to allow herself to let her vulnerabilities show. She spends a lot of time day dreaming about the perfect man, and knows exactly what she wants him to be like, so she is astounded when Theo drops into her life in a most unexpected way.
As the story progresses, and Esme gives her heart and soul to Theo, Manning tells their tale with oodles of seriously emotional heft and bags of humour. It goes without saying that the course of true love does not run smooth, but Manning flips all the ususal tropes in the most original and affecting way, and then throws in the most delicious ending to bring everything full-circle to a truly wonderful conclusion.
Themes of family, heartache, and second chances run through this gorgeous book. It is definitley a slow-burn tale, but Manning keeps you fully invested in Esme's journey from start to finish, and leaves you with a heartwarming finale full of hope. I adored it.
The Man of Her Dreams is available to buy now in hardcover, ebook and audio formats.
Thank you to Hodder and Stoughton for sending me a Netgalkey copy of this book in return for an honest review.
About the author:
Her novels, which have been translated into fifteen different languages include Unsticky, You Don't Have to Say You Love Me, The House of Secrets and Rescue Me, published in 2021. Sarra has also written over fifteen YA novels, and light-hearted romantic comedies under a pseudonym.
She started her writing career on Melody Maker and Just Seventeen, has been editor of ElleGirl and What to Wear and has also contributed to the Guardian, ELLE, Grazia, Stylist, Fabulous, Stella, You Magazine, Harper's Bazaar. She is currently the Literary Editor of Red.
Sarra has also been a Costa Book Awards judge and has been nominated for various writing awards herself.
She lives in London surrounded by piles and piles of books.
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