Back at October's Festival of Romance, Trashionista got to interview the lovely Carole Matthews about her latest novel, Wrapped Up In You. Released in October, the book was one of the wonderful festive novels on our to-be-read list and I couldn't wait to curl up with a hot chocolate and get lost in this one!
Wrapped Up In You focuses on Janie Johnson, a hairdresser who's unlucky in love. Thirty-something Janie constantly assures her friends and clients in her small-town salon that she's content being single. But when her ex breaks the news that he's engaged and expecting a baby, Janie realises that she really does want happiness after all. And with winter on the way, it's becoming a rather lonely time...
After a terrible blind date set up by her friend (leaving Janie with a stalker) it becomes clear that what she needs is an adventure. So taking the advice of one of her rich clients, Janie decides to be spontaneous - and books a winter holiday to Africa.
Leaving her cold home for the beauty and warmth of Africa is something Janie never thought she'd ever do, and once there, she becomes entranced by the exotic location - and a certain Maasai tour guide. With Dom, a fully-fledged Maasai warrior, keeping Janie company and protecting her from the animals of night, it's only a matter of time before she falls in love.
And when it's time to return, Janie can't bear to be without her brave, handsome warrior Dom. When news of her new love gets around, Janie's friends think she's crazy - especially her best friend, who's having relationship issues of her own, and doting neighbour, Mike. Determined to prove her peers wrong, and let them know that their relationship isn't a sham, Janie sets out to bring Dom to the UK and show everyone just how perfect they really are together...
Can Janie prove that her whirlwind romance is genuine, and not just a winter fling?
I really want to carry on about this wonderful book, but I'll stop here due to potential spoilers. But Wrapped Up In You is definitely a romantic treat with a unique twist! There were so many things I liked about this book. When Janie makes her escape from her cozy little town into the plains of Africa, her surroundings are described so beautifully that I could picture her adventure perfectly. Carole had travelled to Africa as part of the research for Wrapped Up in You and it's not surprising that everything is portrayed so wonderfully.
I also liked the conflict between Janie and her friends and colleagues. When they hear about Janie's very own Maasai warrior, they find it hard to believe and instantly want to protect her. But Janie is out to prove them wrong, and when Dom finally arrives in the UK, their opinions seem to change instantly. The change of culture when Dom arrives makes for some lovely (and also very funny) scenes which I really enjoyed.
The only issue I had with this book is that Janie seemed very needy. She fell in love with Dom instantly and was suddenly obsessed and at some points didn't seem genuine. It seemed as though her ex-boyfriend's revelation about his new family had made her even more determined to find someone new and even though I really liked Janie, sometimes her actions didn't ring entirely true.
However, I couldn't put this book down and enjoyed learning more about Dom and his culture, and seeing how the relationship turned out. In actual fact the ending was not what I expected at all which made it more enjoyable. It looks lovely too, as Carole has recently changed publishers and this latest novel has been given a festive, new-look cover.
Wrapped Up In You was a brilliant read that I finished rather quickly - perfect for a cold winter evening! I'm definitely looking forward to the next installment from Carole Matthews.
Rating: 5/5
