Blog Tour & Review: One Moment at Sunrise by Karen Aldous

One Moment at Sunrise is the fourth novel from author, Karen Aldous. It centres around Evie Grant, a young mother living a quiet existence in a small village in the south of France. She and her 2 year old daughter Charlotte live an isolated and claustrophic life. Having been moved their by her rockstar partner, Seb Wilde, and with a complete lack of access to family, friends and technology, Evie is completely hidden away from the outside world. She is totally reliant on Seb for everything and has been led to believe that she simply would not be able to cope alone. Evie’s life starts to gradually change when a terrifying chance encounter results in her meeting handsome film producer, Ben, who offers her the chance to pursue her dream career and unwittingly leads Evie into taking a long, hard look at what her life has become. She may have a beautiful daughter and live in an idyllic place, however she has had to sacrifice an awful lot to be where she is. Was that sacrifice really worth it…? What will happen to them if Seb decides that Evie and Charlotte are becoming a burden to his very public lifestyle…?

As a character, Evie is frustrating in both her naivity and her anxiety, however you can understand how she has been manipulated into developing such characteristics by the clever psychological abuse that she has suffered at the hands of the selfish and villainous Seb.  I thought she was a great protagonist and I found myself urging her along with each step she tentatively took towards self-reliance. The main supporting characters are all credible and very likeable – Ben: strong, kind and very handsome; Suzanne: the sympathetic neighbour and Evie’s only friend; and Cally: Evie’s estranged sister who wants to mend their relationship. It was lovely to read how Evie’s relationships with these three very different people grew and developed over the course of the book. The story really is quite touching in that regard, giving particular focus to the equal importance of different relationships in Evie’s life.

One of things I love most about Aldous’ books are the wonderful locations that she picks in France as the settings for her stories. One Moment at Sunrise was particularly special to me as my parents have recently purchased a house in the Pyrénées-Orientales, quite close to Capstang/Beziers where the story is set. I don’t know much about the area, however I am keen to learn and Aldous provides a great history lesson regarding Pierre-Paul Riquet and his involvement in the development of the Canal du Midi running through the region. Quite how accurate that aspect of the story is, I don’t know, however it certainly makes me keen to learn more.

I can honestly say, without a doubt, that One Moment at Sunrise has proven to be my favourite of Aldous’ books to date. It has a depth to the story that captivated me. I liked that it addressed some very serious issues whilst also being both a romance and a history lesson – so much content, all wrapped up into one story! One Moment at Sunrise is a plausible, touching and uplifting account of self-discovery and independence. A thought-proviking and pleasurable read.

Amazon UK | Amazon US

Blog Tour Dates