Book Review: Night Music by Jojo Moyes

You just can't go wrong with a Jojo Moyes! I requested this on NetGalley, not realising that it was originally released in 2008. It's being re-released as an updated version, and I'm so glad I got a copy! I love a Jojo Moyes novel for those times when I'm looking for a cosy, easy read but one that still has substance, and Night Music certainly ticked those boxes for me!

The blurb reads:

The Spanish House is known to locals as an architectural folly, and it is now nearly derelict to boot. When its reclusive owner dies intestate the Spanish House is left to his city-dwelling niece. For the recently-widowed Isabel, the house is a potential lifeline. For her neighbour Matt McCarthy, the house is revenge.

This was a really great book. It was an interesting look at a small community and the lives of those living there; I've always enjoyed books that focus on a small town or community as they really bring each character's personality to the fore and each character is explored in depth. 

Laura McCarthy and her husband, Matt, dreamed of inheriting the Spanish House when old Mr Pottisworth died, having tended to him for years during his ill health. So when Pottisworth bequeaths his sprawling manor house to his absent niece, Isabel, the McCarthy's feel bitter and vengeful. Isabel, however, clings to the possibility of a new life in the country with her two children, having recently suffered the loss of her husband and with him, all their money. But life in Long Barton proves to be far from the tranquil idyll she was imagining, as the house is quite literally falling down around them. Matt steps in to help - but are his intentions really in Isabel's best interests?

This book really surprised me at every turn; it explored a lot about relationships, loyalty, and the difference between the version of someone we have in our minds and who they actually are. It's a brilliant story of love, family secrets, dealing with gossip, and moving on - shedding the past to fully embrace the future. The characters are all flawed in their own ways and dealing with their own troubles, but Moyes' writing makes you empathise with each of them even if you find them infuriating at the same time!

An early Moyes novel that I wasn't familiar with beforehand, but one I'm thoroughly pleased I got the opportunity to read. Would recommend to any Jojo Moyes fan who hasn't read this already!