The Happiest Ever After by Milly Johnson

The Happiest Ever After by Milly Johnson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 400

Publisher - Simon & Schuster

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Goodreads


Polly Potter is surviving, not thriving. She used to love her job – until her mentor died and her new boss decided to make her life hell. She used to love her partner Chris – until he cheated on her, and now she can’t forget. The only place where her life is working is on the pages of the novel she is writing – there she can create a feistier, bolder, more successful version of herself – as the ­fictional Sabrina Anderson.

But what if it was possible to start over again? To leave everything behind, forget all that went before, and live the life you’d always dreamed of?

After a set of unforeseen circumstances, Polly ends up believing she really IS Sabrina, living at the heart of a noisy Italian family restaurant by the sea. Run by Teddy, the son of her new landlady Marielle, it’s a much-loved place, facing threat of closure as a rival restaurant moves in next door. Sabrina can’t remember her life as Polly, but she knows she is living a different life from the one she used to have.

But what if this new life could belong to her after all?



My Review

Aw Polly! Working in an environment where the men dominate, take all her ideas and pat themselves on the back for a good job. Home life isn't much better, her husband remains self involved, lack of attention to the little things despite saying he would try more after betraying her last year. When one finally act of selfishness on his part and his sister Polly gets the push to be like the character in her book and take off, Polly is ready for putting herself first for a chance. Life likes to mess with you and poor Polly ends up in a new town trying to piece everything together whilst her husband is feeling hard done by and continues to be a selfish pie!

The thing with Johnson books is she makes characters you love and characters you hate. Rooting for some and bursting for others to get their comeuppance. We all know a selfish partner, a busybody, a nasty selfish horror. The book draws you in and keeps you hooked despite it being very normal people in very normal settings.

Secrets, amnesia, love, lies, good hearted people, things going wrong, people rooting for each other and maybe just maybe a wee bit of karma for a few of those we desperately want it to. Warm hearted, emotive in parts, characters you genuinely care about and want to know what happens, even the bams, 4.5/5 for me.

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Together Again by Milly Johnson

Together, Again by Milly Johnson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages -

Publisher - Simon & Schuster

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

Sisters, Jolene, Marsha and Annis have convened at their childhood home the huge and beautiful Fox House following the death of their mother, the cold and impenetrable Eleanor Vamplew, to arrange the funeral and sell up. Born seven years apart, the women have never bonded and are more strangers than sisters.

Jolene, the eldest, is a successful romantic novelist who writes templates of beautiful relationships even though her marriage to the handsome and charming Warren is a barren wasteland.

Marsha, the neglected middle child has put every bit of her energy into her work hoping money would plug up the massive gap in her life left by the man who broke her young heart, only to find it never has. And now he has been forced back into her life.

Annis is the renegade, who left home aged sixteen and never returned, not even for the death of their beloved father Julian, until now. It is therefore a surprise to all of them to discover that Eleanor recently changed her will to leave everything to the daughter she considered a wretched accident.

Together, Again is the story of truths uncovered and lies exposed, of secrets told - and kept. It is a novel about sister helping sister to heal from childhood scars, and of finding, in each other, the love they have all been deprived of. Together, Again is about vulnerability and strength, acceptance and family.




My Review


A family of sisters brought together by the death of their mum. One sister has been awol for a while and isn't how they remember her. Jolene is a well known author with her own problems, Marsha is your classic middle child syndrome and Annis the runaway aloof youngest who has changed so much and surrounded in mystery. Their mother was cold, aloof, keeping up appearances and everything was about her love for her husband. As the girls try to work their way through sorting mothers affairs as well as their own unexpecting feelings/issues.

Families, they can be rough as, there is no doubting the siblings all have their own form of issues from how they were treated and raised. The mother is a cold fish and whilst her passing is what kick starts the novel we do hear from her a little and get some insight as the book goes on.

Johnson creates characters you love, characters you hate, characters you pity and or want to hear more about. The book delves into secrets, lies, relationships, personal growth, love and trying to overcome the long reaches the past has on you. Whilst she looks at relationships of different varieties she touches on some darker and shocking themes, coercive control, gaslighting, manipulation, abuse but also brighter and happier aspects too. Using many of the true issues and hardships and or battles some of us face in real life so evokes emotional responses from the reader or just grasps them whilst she creates her characters worlds and draws you in.

It is no surprise I loved this, I am a big fan of Johnson's books, having a slump - read a Johnson, want to lose yourself in dramas that isn't your own, Johnson! 5/5 for me, I have read most of her books but do need to check Goodreads and Fantasticfiction to see what all I have missed.

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The Woman in the Middle by Milly Johnson

The Woman in the Middle by Milly Johnson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 400

Source - Bought

Publisher - Simon and Schuster

Blurb from Goodreads

Shay Bastable is the woman in the middle. She is part of the sandwich generation – caring for her parents and her children, supporting her husband Bruce, holding them all together and caring for them as best she can.

Then the arrival of a large orange skip on her mother’s estate sets in motion a cataclysmic series of events which leads to the collapse of Shay’s world. She is forced to put herself first for a change.

But in order to move forward with her present, Shay needs to make sense of her past. And so she returns to the little village she grew up in, to uncover the truth about what happened to her when she was younger. And in doing so, she discovers that sometimes you have to hit rock bottom to find the only way is up.


My Review

Shay is just one of those good wholesome people. Married for double figures, grown kids, her mum has dementia so she is in and out caring for her whilst visiting her dad who has never recovered after an acute medical emergency. Her sister could be doing more but she is one of those people who do the bare minimum and has a superior attitude about it and toward pretty much everyone. A big anniversary is coming up for Shay and she intends to make the most of it with her husband. Fate always likes to fling a curve ball and Shay is about to get a few.

Oooft I found myself getting a wee bit emotional and raging at some points in this. Some people are just horror bags and Shay is so so nice, I honestly wanted to reach in and punch one of the characters. So very true to life and I know and had to endure having a bamstick like this character (not Shay) in my life. Some people are just so selfish and self absorbed, nasty and have no concern for anyone else other than what they can get out of them, can you tell it struck a nerve?! I love when a character evokes an emotive response & it made me feel even more for Shay.

Johnson always weaves multi issues or themes in her books, people you like, love, hate or in this case want to punch! I have read most of her books and always eagerly await the next. I need to check my Goodreads and see what ones I have still to read. If you want to ditch your own reality and lose yourselves in someone else's lives/dramas you will love this, 4.5/ for me!

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I Wish It Could be Christmas Every Day by Milly Johnson

I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day by Milly Johnson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1.5 days

Pages - 416

Publisher - Simon & Schuster UK

Source - Bought ( FYI £7 on sale Asda for Hardback yesterday)

Blurb from Goodreads


It’s nearly Christmas and it’s snowing, hard.
Six people have an unexpected stay in the tiny hamlet of Figgy Hollow.
Stuck inside a beautiful old Inn, how long will it take before the joy of Christmas seeps into their souls and offers them all a new beginning?



My Review


Six people all heading to different locations end up stranded together in a wee locked up inn, in the town of "Figgy Hollow". Three duos, Bridge and Luke - meeting up to finalise their divorce, Robin & Charlie married and very much in love despite many years passing and Jack and Mary, Mary has been in love with her boss forever whilst he sees her as a very accomplished employee.

The inn is a special wee place and in it we meet and learn more about the six, their personalities, their pasts and being locked away from the world their ability to appreciate things they may well have taken for granted.

I love Johnson stories, you end up feeling for the characters and getting drawn in, rooting for X, struggling to put the book down because you HAVE to know where it is going and what is coming next. Lovely festive read with some emotional pulls & can I just forewarn you, if you like scones make sure you have some at the ready, you WILL want to eat some :D 5/5 for me this time, I have read most of Johnson's books and I will of course be buying the rest and waiting eagerly for the next.

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My One True North by Milly Johnson

My One True North by Milly Johnson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 492

Publisher - Simon and Schuster

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

Laurie and Pete should never have met. But life has a different idea.

Six months ago, on the same night, Laurie and Pete both lost their partners. Overwhelmed by their grief, they join the same counselling group…and change their lives forever.

From their profound sadness, Pete and Laurie begin to find happiness and healing. Except, the more they get to know one another, the more Laurie begins to spot the strange parallels in their stories. Then Pete discovers a truth that changes everything—one which threatens to reverse everything they’ve worked towards.

But, as surely as a compass points north, some people cannot be kept apart.

With Milly Johnson’s signature “warm, optimistic, and romantic” (Katie Forde, bestselling author) style, My One True North is an unforgettable exploration of the power of love, friendship, and hope.



My Review

Ooft guys the opening chapter, it is well known I enjoy Johnson's books since I first heard of her on Come Dine with Me (yes the foodie program). Laurie and Pete have both lost their loved ones, well meaning friends point them to a wee friendly grief support group where they meet each other and try and work through their loss/feelings. As they get to know each other and process their grief they uncover things that impact on their recovery, friendship and their loved ones.

Relationships, love, grief, loss, friendship. I am sure I recognised a few wee names later in the book from one or two of the previous books! Whilst there is a huge surrounding theme of grief, there is so much love, happiness, humour and depth in the book.

Laurie has a few toxic muppets around her and I found myself getting rage reading some of the exchanges and shows of behaviour, distrusting folk and questioning stuff. Pete is a fireman and the people around him are lovely, well excluding his sister in law who fancies him and is being sooooooo inappropriate considering her sister passed away and Pete is her hubster. Lots of emotions reading this which is one of the reasons I enjoy them so much. Characters you love, characters you love to hate, shady behaviour, total human flaws but also the good guys and nicer side too, 4/5 for me this time, hope the next book is out soon. Sure I have said it before but I need to check her back catalogue and see if there are any I have missed!

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The Magnificent Mrs Mayhew by Milly Johnson

The Magnificent Mrs Mayhew by Milly Johnson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 400

Publisher - Simon & Schuster UK

Source - Amazon

Blurb from Goodreads

Behind every successful man is a woman.
Behind the fall of a successful man is usually another woman.

Sophie Mayhew looks like she has the perfect life. Wife of rising political star John F Mayhew, a man who is one step away from the top job in the government, her glamour matches his looks, power, breeding and money. But John has made some stupid mistakes along the way, some of which are threatening to emerge. Still, all this can still be swept under the carpet as long as Sophie 'the trophy' plays her part in front of the cameras.

But the words that come out of Sophie’s mouth one morning on the doorstep of their country house are not the words the spin doctors put in there. Bursting out of the restrictive mould she has been in since birth, Sophie flees to a place that was special to her as a child, a small village on the coast where she intends to be alone.

But once there, she finds she becomes part of a community that warms her soul and makes her feel as if she is breathing properly for the first time. Sophie knows she won't be left in peace for long. Now she must decide: where does her real future lie?




My Review

Sophie Mayhew is the wife of up anfd coming politician, golden boy and earmarked to be the biggest thing in politics. Sophie is pretty much a trophy wife, smile on command, look perfect and keeps John up to date with what he needs to know, she is the good woman behind the "powerful" man. When scandal breaks and John pushes Sophie one step too far she needs time away, from the limelight, public scrutiny and above all, her husband. Sophie runs off and takes time in a quiet wee village to put herself together and discover what matters to Sophie and where is she going to go from here!

Oh we all know how dodgy folk in politics can be, scandals and speculation from the public, John is everything we suspect and hate. Self obsessed, he will stop at nothing to stay in the top, exploitation, he is always above everyone and everything. God I haven't disliked a character more in so long, the guy is scum.

Sophie is pretty naive and I felt so sorry for her, Pom on the other hand, LOVED Pom and almost all the folk we meet in the village. It is a story that looks at the corruption of humanity, the bad sides and the good.

I do love sinking into a Johnson book, whether you love or hate the characters (and you usually get a mix of both) you can't help but be drawn in, root for those you like and wish the plague on those you hate. 4.5/5 for me this time, I have read most of her books and need to check the ones I haven't yet.

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Here Comes The Girls by Milly Johnson

Here Come the Girls by Milly Johnson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 493

Publisher - Simon & Schuster

Source - Amazon buy

Blurb from Goodreads

Shirley Valentine, eat your heart out!

Ven, Roz, Olive and Frankie have been friends since school. They daydreamed of glorious futures, full of riches, romance and fabulous jobs. The world would be their oyster.

Twenty-five years later, Olive cleans other people's houses to support her lazy, out-of-work husband and his ailing mother. Roz cannot show her kind, caring partner Manus any love because her philandering ex has left her trust in shreds. And she and Frankie have fallen out big time.

But Ven is determined to reunite her friends and realize the dream they had of taking a cruise by the time they hit forty. Before they know it, the four of them are far from home,on the high seas. But can blue skies, hot sun and sixteen days of luxury and indulgence distract from the tension and loneliness that await their return?



My Review

A bunch of friends in high school, close as can be and dreams of when they grow up. Twenty five years later and one big fall out the dynamic four and more a three. Married, divorced, unappreciated - meet Roz, Ven, Olive and Frankie. When Ven wins a competition for a cruise of a lifetime she takes her besties and plans to get the girls back together. Not all is it seems for the girls and this cruise will have a bigger impact than any of them could have thought.

So we get a wee glimpse into all the ladies lives, Roz cannot get over a betrayal and even after four years it is still having huge repercussions. Olive is a skivvy, any time I read the passages with her home life I was livid, her mother-in-law, husband and their relative. She is so unappreciated, they take total advantage and it just ripped my knittin! Total compelling reading because you just wanted to know what was coming next, will they get their comeuppance?

Family dramas, friendship, heartache, betrayal, love, infidelity and getting to travel the globe through the characters on a cruise ship. I have never been into the idea of a cruise ship but after reading this I so want to go on one! I have read Johnson before and will read her again, I actually have another few of hers on my tbrm, 4/5 for me this time!

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The Mother of all Christmases by Milly Johnson

The Mother of All Christmases by Milly Johnson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - in and out over 2 days

Pages - 400

Publisher - Simon & Schuster

Source - Bought signed edition from the author

Blurb from Goodreads

THE MOST PERFECT CHRISTMAS FEEL-GOOD READ!
'Every time you discover a new Milly book, it’s like finding a pot of gold' Heat

Eve Glace - co-owner of the theme park Winterworld - is having a baby and her due date is a perfectly timed 25th December. And she’s decided that she and her husband Jacques should renew their wedding vows with all the pomp that was missing the first time. But growing problems at Winterworld keep distracting them …

Annie Pandoro and her husband Joe own a small Christmas cracker factory, are well set up and happy together despite life never blessing them with a much-wanted child. But when Annie finds that the changes happening to her body aren’t typical of the menopause but pregnancy, her joy is uncontainable.

Palma Collins has agreed to act as a surrogate, hoping the money will get her out of the gutter in which she finds herself. But when the couple she is helping split up, is she going to be left carrying a baby she never intended to keep?

Annie, Palma and Eve all meet at the ‘Christmas Pudding Club’, a new directive started by a forward-thinking young doctor to help mums-to-be mingle and share their pregnancy journeys. Will this group help each other to find love, contentment and peace as Christmas approaches?




My Review

Eve, Annie and Palma all end up in the "Christmas Pudding Club" a new group supporting mums to be. Finding their feet as their bodies change they happen upon friendship which helps as they each battle with things in their personal lives. Palma was a womb for hire for a well to do couple who desperately want a baby. Annie had all but given up hope for having a baby, facing menopause she throws everything into her cracker factory with her hubby Joe. Eve and Jacques have all their focus on a winter theme park and have no time for extending their family, every focus is getting the park up and running yet things seem to be going wrong at every turn!

We meet each of the characters and glimpses into their lives and how they come to be in the club. Each has their own issues in life and we see how they deal with it and how their relationships blossom, struggle and interact.

It is a moving story you can't help but get invested in the characters and end up on a very emotive rollercoaster. Good guys and bad guys, kindness, dregs of humanity, greed, corruption, love, the circle of life it is a busy wee book and it was interesting to read about the cracker process, well I thought so. Each of the women are different and those they meet in the club, it is an interesting bunch of characters and I would have liked to have read more on each of them, the ones who don't play a huge part. The characters however well involved or little flashes all bring something to the tale and are carved out to make the reader want more, well I did. Humour, happiness, fun, sad, quirky and even some hard hitting serious issues dealt with respectfully. I do enjoy Johnson, I have yet to read one of hers I didn't like and I think this is one of her top books, 4.5/5 for me this time!

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The Perfectly Imperfect Woman by Milly Johnson

The Perfectly Imperfect Woman by Milly Johnson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1.5 days

Pages - 464

Publisher - Simon and Schuster

Source - Waterstones store

Blurb from Goodreads

Marnie Salt has made so many mistakes in her life that she fears she will never get on the right track. But when she ‘meets’ an old lady on a baking chatroom and begins confiding in her, little does she know how her life will change.

Arranging to see each other for lunch, Marnie finds discovers that Lilian is every bit as mad and delightful as she’d hoped – and that she owns a whole village in the Yorkshire Dales, which has been passed down through generations. And when Marnie needs a refuge after a crisis, she ups sticks and heads for Wychwell – a temporary measure, so she thinks.

But soon Marnie finds that Wychwell has claimed her as its own and she is duty bound not to leave. Even if what she has to do makes her as unpopular as a force 12 gale in a confetti factory! But everyone has imperfections, as Marnie comes to realise, and that is not such a bad thing – after all, your flaws are perfect for the heart that is meant to love you.

The Perfectly Imperfect Woman is the heart-warming and hilarious new novel from the queen of feel-good fiction – a novel of family, secrets, love and redemption … and broken hearts mended and made all the stronger for it.



My Review

Marnie has had a hard time with her family, it impacts on most aspects of her life. When things come crashing down around her, a chance internet encounter gives her the opportunity to not only flee but make big life changes. Wychwell is a small village that has much it can offer Marnie but not everyone is as welcoming and soon Marnie is questioning if she has made the right decision.

Oh I do love Johnson's stories and it has been a wee while since I last picked one up. There are many layers to this one, Marnie's story then we have the village history which we read snippets of as Marnie makes her way through the book. Her past and family relationship, her current life before she needs to flee to the village and everything that transpires from her arrival, her friendships and interactions with the village people. There are many secrets, relationships are a key theme throughout the book. I found myself absolutely raging at some of the treatment Marnie has at the hands of her family and how this impacts on her as a person. The behaviour of some of the villagers is beautiful, heartwarming and from others rage inducing and even giving one a twitchy eyeball. I loved the family history and would have read a book on that by itself, I hope it is something Johnson toys with! Other themes that crop up are infidelity, food - oh my I so wanted to eat cheesecake and I don't even eat cheesecake really, cheating, friendships, family, love, office politics, back stabbing, bitchiness, loss, grief, lies and loyalty. It is a busy wee book but very well done and flows nicely, if I hadn't had work I would have read it in one sitting!

Another thing to highlight, the book has a lovely coloured map of the village with the houses and everything labelled so you can follow everything as Marnie experiences the village for the first time. I just think wee extras like that in a book are lovely and get a thumbs up for me, I am a gimmick geek and I love things like that. 4.5 stars for me, I need to look at what books I have missed from the back catalogue and snap them up!

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Augusts giveaway is one pre loved copy of The Teashop on the Corner by Milly Johnson

You can read my review for this fabulous wee read here - http://www.alwaysreading.net/2014/08/review-teashop-on-corner-by-milly.html The book is practically perfect in condition and as it was when I bought it, no creases to the spine and the tiniest turn up on the corner cover from being in my bag.



As always, the competition runs until the end of the month. You can enter by using the rafflecopter at the bottom of this post, the more entries you do the more chance you have of winning. Please note, if you say you have done an entry, ie followed the author on twitter and not actually done it, your entry will be disqualified and another picked. Sadly the last two competitions have had this happen which is why I am drawing attention to it.



Due to the rise in postage costs and this is a fairly thick book, this competition is open to the UK only, good luck everyone and thanks for stopping by and taking part.



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review - The Teashop on the Corner by Milly Johnson

The Teashop on the Corner by Milly Johnson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2.5 days

Publisher - Simon & Schuster

Pages - 492

Blurb from Goodreads

At her beloved husband's funeral, Carla Pride discovers that Martin never divorced his first wife and has been living a double life with her. And his other wife, Julie Pride, is determined to take everything from Carla - her home, her money, and her memories.

When Will Linton's business goes bust he at least thinks that with the support of his trophy wife Nicole he will rise to the top again. But Nicole isn't going to stick around with 'a loser' and Will finds himself at rock bottom.

Molly Jones is being bullied into going into a retirement home by her 'concerned' daughter-in-law Sherry and son Gram. Then the love of Molly's life walks in through her door - a man who broke Molly's heart into little pieces many years ago. But he says he is dying and wants to spend the time he has left with her.

All people in need of a little love and compassion which they find by chance in the stationery and teashop on the corner run by the ever-cheerful Leni, a woman that site developer Shaun McCarthy finds annoying beyond annoying for her ability to remain unrealistically upbeat about everything.

But is the world of Leni Merryman as full of rainbows and sparkles as everyone thinks? Or is her smile papering over many cracks in her heart that will soon be shattered unwittingly by her new friends?



My Review

Aw I loved this wee book, I wanted to go visit the teashop on the corner and browse all the awesome things for sale. However enough about that, the story centers around three main characters well theres quite a few but these are the three highlighted at the beginning. Carla Pride is in a state of grief and shock, at her husbands funeral and things are about to get worse, much worse. Everything she thought she knew about her husband is about to be shattered and her home life turned upside down.

Will Linton is having a pretty bad time too, his business is fin-e-to, his wife is walking out on him and he is having a person issue that will affect his ability to earn and his professional life.

Molly Jones is in her late sixities, heartbroken from decades before and humiliated her past is about to catch up with her. Her daughter in law is a horrible nightmare, pretending to have Molly's interests at heart but really has her own agenda.

All of these people have nothing that would bring them into each others paths, until a new shop opens, the Teashop on the Corner with the beautiful Leni. Kind hearted, always smiling, fabulous baker and always willing to listen and be there for her customers. Something draws them all in and one by one they find a friendship and trust that all of them have been without, as well as a few book related gifts.

Milly Johnson is always good to read when you want a wee lift or smile, there is always a bit of scandal, a nasty character or wee bit of skulduggery to keep you hooked, on one level or another. I was drawn immediately from the scene with Carla and the funeral, I had to know how it played out. Then reading into the other characters I found myself unwilling to put the book down as I couldn't wait to see what was coming next. Had life not got in the way I could easily have devoured this in one sitting. Johnson's style is like settling down to your favorite soap programme, you don't have to think too hard as your drawn in and absorbed into the story immediately, well I was.

The Teashop on the Corner will have you laughing, tearing up (or outright crying), cheering the characters on and hunting down the Internet for one of those fabulous book bags! I have read this author before and I will absolutely read her again, 5/5 for me this time.

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Review - It's Raining Men by Milly Johnson

It's Raining Men by Milly Johnson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Publisher - Simon & Schuster UK

Pages - 480

Blurb from Goodreads

A summer getaway to remember. But is a holiday romance on the cards…?

Best friends from work May, Lara and Clare are desperate for some time away. They have each had a rough time of it lately and need some serious R & R. So they set off to a luxurious spa for ten glorious days, but when they arrive at their destination, it seems it is not the place they thought it was. In fact, they appear to have come to entirely the wrong village…

Here in Ren Dullem nothing is quite what it seems; the lovely cobbled streets and picturesque cottages hide a secret that the villagers have been keeping hidden for years. Why is everyone so unfriendly and suspicious? Why does the landlord of their holiday rental seem so rude? And why are there so few women in the village?

Despite the strange atmosphere, the three friends are determined to make the best of it and have a holiday to remember. But will this be the break they all need? Or will the odd little village with all its secrets bring them all to breaking point…?


My Review

Three friends, May, Lara & Clare who, despite working in the same company don't get to see each other very often so they decided to have a holiday away. A beautiful ten days in an expensive spa, rest, relaxation and chat, what could go wrong. They end up in Ren Dullem, the wrong village, no spa in sight and the locals are very hostile. The girls are all going through some personal issues and the last thing they need is aggression and rudeness. However, the more time they spend in the village the more they notice. There aren't many females, the locals seem to be on edge and there is more to this wee village than the girls could have imagined.

I do enjoy reading Milly Johnson, she is definitely the kind of author you can just race through the story. The women are good friends although initially they are reluctant to divulge the recent changes in their relationships and put a face on to have a good holiday. The villagers are mostly hostile and rude to the girls which, I think, most of us can relate to from at least one of our past holiday experiences. Clare bonds with one of the elderly residents within the town and slowly discovers some of the town secrets.

There are other characters who play different important parts to the story but, as I don't do spoiler reviews it is hard to go into any kind of depths with them. It is a good paced story with lots of wee shocks, secrets and revelations along the way. If your looking to try a new author I would recommend Johnson, light, easy to read but has substance even though it would be filed as a chick lit and this is as good a book to start with as any. 4/5 for me this time and I will be reading more of this author.

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Review - An Autumn Crush by Milly Johnson

An Autumn Crush by Milly Johnson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 6 days

Publisher - Simon & Schuster

Blurb from Goodreads

In the heart of the windy season, four friends are about to get swept off their feet...

Newly single after a bruising divorce, Juliet Miller moves into a place of her own and advertises for a flatmate, little believing that, in her mid-thirties, she'll find anyone suitable. Then, just as she's about to give up hope, along comes self-employed copywriter Floz, and the two women hit it off straight away.

When Juliet's gentle giant of a twin brother, Guy, meets Floz, he falls head over heels. But, as hard as he tries to charm her, his foot seems to be permanently in his mouth. Meanwhile, Guy's best friend Steve has always had a secret crush on Juliet - one which could not be more unrequited if it tried...

As Floz and Juliet's friendship deepens, and Floz becomes a part of the Miller family, can Guy turn her affection for them into something more - into love for him? And what will happen to Steve's heart when Juliet eventually catches the eye of Piers - the man of her dreams?



My review

Juliet needs a room mate and who better to help her interview than her over the top flamboyant best friend Coco. After a few undesirables, Floz comes along, sweet, self employed and the girls hit it off. Juliet's brother, Guy, bursts in on Floz and their meeting causes undesirable emotions and actions. Juliet is very much trying to attract the attention of her out of her league heart throb at work whilst being totally oblivious to Steve, Guy's best friend who is in love with her. Will anyone get the person they want?

The characters are all like able and like most chick-lit, it is nice to dip into when your in a reading slump. Coco is hilarious, always flapping about his love life and lack of a good man to stick around. Juliet has been burned by her ex husband, hates the Lothario playboy Steve and lusts after her boss. Floz has been hurt badly, has a secret or two she would like to keep and refuses to admit her feelings for Guy.

The story is about friendship, love, betrayal, loyalty and personal growth to name but a few. It is a nice wee tale and it helped get me out of my reading slump. My only real issue with it, and it is a fairly small issue, was between Floz and Guy. Pretty much every encounter went wrong, if he could say something wrong he did, if he could do something wrong he did, not just some of the time but all of it and that irked me a little. Other than that it was nicely written and had some heart warming moments, 3/5 for me.

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Review - The Birds And The Bees by Milly Johnson

The Birds And The Bees by Milly Johnson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Time Taken To Read - 1 day

Blurb From Goodreads

Romance writer and single mum Stevie Honeywell has only weeks to go until her wedding when her fiance Matthew runs off with her glamorous new friend Jo MacLean.

It feels like history repeating itself for Stevie, but this time she is determined to win back her man. She isn't going to act as he might expect. She isn't going to wail and dig her heels in, she is simply going to pretend to let him go whilst she pursues a mad course of dieting, exercising and self-improvement.

And it feels like history is repeating itself for Adam MacLean too, who is also determined to win his lady, Jo, back with the same basic psychological tactics. Then he is going to initiate his master plan: Getting together with Stevie to drive Jo wild with jealousy.

So, like the Scottish country jig 'The Birds and the Bees', the couples all change partners and learn some revealing truths about each other along the way. But what happens when Adam's master plan actually starts to work? And just who will Stevie be dancing with when the music stops?


My Review

Stevie Honeywell is getting married in a few weeks, everything is going great until Jo's psycho husband shows up claiming Stevie's fiance has run off on holiday with his stunning wife. Sure enough it comes to light and Stevie and Adam, Jo's husband, team up to split them up and get them back for themselves.

Chick lit is not normally my first choice of book but sometimes you need something light and this was the perfect book for it. Stevie is a nice lady who seems to have no luck in love and comes off as a door mat. As the story progresses and the unlikely team put their plans into action we see a different side to Stevie emerge and Adam being more than a Scottish drunken thug.

The characters are well done although I must admit to disliking or hating at least 2 of the main ones, Jo and Matthew, and Stevie annoyed me with her placidity. However as her story unfolds you start to warm to her and by the end I was rooting for her.

I picked this up to read a chapter before bed and was still awake at 1am. It is very well written and easy to read. The chapters are short which is great as you can dip in and out or in my case just one more and your still reading 10 chapters later. This is my second Millie Johnson book and it won't be my last, 5/5 for me.

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