Rating: 5 stars
Buy Link: Amazon | iBooks | Amazon UK
Length: Novella
Hannes never received any kind of acceptance for his life choices, nor any genuine love from his family, except for his Nana. Time spent with her was the best and he loved her more than anything in the world. So when she passed away, her death left Hannes shattered and after a brutal family battle over his being named in the will as new owner of her property, Hannes is finally able to move into the house she left him. Despite it being filled with happy memories, nearly every moment he spends in the house drives him to tears, leaving him an emotional mess. Then a little rabbit suddenly appears in his kitchen and Hannes is distracted by the cuddly creature. Slowly, he puts aside his grief and decides it’s time to start to move on and live his life. However, when the rabbit turns out to be something more than just a cuddly fur ball, Hannes thinks he could be losing his mind…and his heart.
9 Willow Street by Nell Iris is a short novella chocked full of sweet romance. With two main characters who both are finding it difficult to be happy with life, the story became incredibly hopeful despite its sorrowful beginning. This is a great take on the paranormal genre and even though you catch on pretty quickly as to what is really going on, it still retains its magical overtones throughout the entire book.
I really felt for Hannes. His parents were harsh, aloof, and judgmental. Since his profession dealt more with holistic medicine, Hannes was considered to be essentially useless to his medically adept family. The only person who really ever saw him for who he is and loved him completely was his Nana. She encouraged his love of gardening and never spoke one ill word to him. When she passes away, Hannes is devastated, so when this adorable bunny shows up on his doorstep, it’s like a lifeline for the very sad and very alone Hannes. Little Mia, as Hannes names him, is a warm, furry friend–just what Hannes needs.
I really enjoyed this book. Hannes gets everything he deserves by the end of the story and there is a lovely romance buried inside the hurt/comfort trope the story is based on. There’s also a very believable reconciliation of sorts between Hannes and one of his parents. It’s not a sudden life is grand ending, which made me really respect how the author chose to keep that relationship as plausible as possible. Instead of reconciling them without any obvious problems, Hannes still struggled to fully trust his father’s intentions. I also enjoyed how the big reveal took place and little Mia made me want to get a pet rabbit of my own!
I wish I could tell you more, but to do so would ruin the surprise for you. Suffice it to say that I loved how 9 Willow Street progressed and was completely smitten by Hannes and Mia together. This is a wonderful love story that made me smile.
