Junk (The Bristol Collection #1) Josephine Myles

Letting go is the first step to healing…or bringing it all crashing down.

When an avalanche of books cuts off access to his living room, university librarian Jasper Richardson can no longer ignore the truth. His ever-growing piles of books, magazines and newspapers can no longer be classified as a “collection”. It’s a hoard, and he needs professional help.

Professional clutter clearer and counselor Lewis Miller thinks he’s seen it all, but even he has to admit he’s shocked. Not so much by the state of Jasper’s house, but by the level of attraction he still feels for the sexy bookworm he remembers from school.

What a shame that Lewis’s ethical code forbids relationships with clients. As Jasper makes slow but steady progress, though, the magnetic pull between them is so strong even Lewis is having trouble convincing himself it’s a temporary emotional attachment arising from the therapeutic process.

Jasper longs to prove to Lewis that this is the real deal. But first he’ll have to lay bare the root of his hoarding problem…and reveal the dark secret hidden behind his walls of books.

Product Warnings

Contains a level-headed counselor with a secret addiction, a bespectacled geek with a sweet tooth, a killer “to-be-read” pile, embarrassing parents, a van called Alice, and deliciously British slang.

Review 5/5

You only have to look inside my house to know that given the right push either me or hubby could become hoarders. We would have a clean house but it would be full to bursting with *stuff*. Thankfully I still have that edge that means I get satisfaction from hiring a skip when we move to throw stuff away - but I recall at one time, before children, I bought twelve silhouette books a month and had an entire wardrobe full of five years worth of romance novels.

That may not sound much... but it wasn't as if I read them again... I just liked them sitting there - like me having them made a statement about who I was *I read romance*.

With the birth of baby 1, they all went, I had something that identified me more - being a mother - and also we had a very small house! Still, the urge to collect is strong in me!

I've also watched hoarder programmes in the UK. We had a very famous case called Mr Treebus (well that is how I remember it sounded - not sure if that was how it was spelt!). His house was a death trap and a health hazard. And only a couple of years back someone in our town died and lay undiscovered for a few weeks. I always watched these programmes and got the sense that the cases were hopeless.

Not so with Jasper who has a reason for what he does and that reason unfolds gently throughout the book. He doesn't have pets, his kitchen is described as clean, it's just the books are overwhelming him... I loved Jasper, I adored that he loved his books, and I felt no weirdness about Lewis and him getting together (unlike a 1 star I saw for this book on Goodreads). I just think I missed out on one thing. I'm British and I hardly know anyone quirky or with the kind of Britishness that exists in the Miller house... I'm clearly too sheltered... ROFL

This is a five star read and I recommend it heartily. It's a long satisfying read but I would have loved to see an epilogue. Oh and if the author is listening I demand Mas's book now...

Amazon (US) | Samhain | Amazon (UK)

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Add: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edmund_Trebus

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