Nancy’s Review of Four Thousand Miles by Jesi Lea Ryan

Natalie Spencer is having the worst day of her life. She loses her job and finds her husband in bed with someone else. Not knowing what to do, Natalie impulsively gets on a plane to London. But when she gets there without a plan and nowhere to stay, she winds up almost getting mugged. The first bit of luck finally comes her way when a kind stranger named Gavin comes to her rescue and lets her stay with him at his brother’s flat. He then invites Natalie to go with him to his family’s farm in Kent to live and work there for as long as she’d like. Natalie agrees and begins living a lifestyle she never envisioned for herself but surprisingly enjoys. Since she is going through a divorce, she and Gavin remain friends only, but it becomes harder and harder for them to ignore the feelings that are developing between them. Natalie must decide if she belongs in England or if she should return to the United States to face everything she ran away from. What began as a quick getaway to another country becomes a much longer journey and much more complicated than she ever imagined.

Four Thousand Miles is entertaining and heartwarming. The story develops in such an engaging manner that readers will be hooked from the first page to the last. This book has humor, heart, romance, and plenty of drama. Natalie and Gavin are well written main characters who are easy to relate to and root for throughout the book. The progression of their friendship into possibly something more is very natural and doesn’t feel forced or contrived. The secondary characters are woven into the story appropriately to paint a very realistic overall picture. Four Thousand Miles is a charming debut that is worth reading.

Jesi Lea Ryan was born and raised in Dubuque, Iowa. She graduated from Loras College with degrees in Creative Writing and Literature, and is now working on her MBA. She currently lives with her husband in Madison, Wisconsin. In addition to Four Thousand Miles, she has published several short stories and maintains a book blog. To learn more, you can connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.