Blog Tour: The Wedding Date by Jennifer Joyce

"Will you…date me?

Delilah James, singleton and smoothie-addict, has six months to find a date for her oldest friend’s wedding. Oh, and to prove to her ex, best man Ben, that she has totally moved on since he dumped her out-of-the-blue nine months, eight days and seventeen hours ago…

So, with her two BFFs playing Cupid, Delilah launches herself into the high-tech, fast-paced and frankly terrifying world of dating. Luckily there’s the hot new guy at work, Adam Sinclair, to practice her flirting on – even if, as a colleague, he’s strictly off-limits!

Yet time’s running out and date after disastrous date forces Delilah to tell a little white lie – and invent a fake boyfriend! But will her secret crush on Adam ruin everything? Does she even care about Ben anymore? And is it too late to untangle her web of lies and take a real date to the wedding…?"

When I was asked to be a part of the Jennifer Joyce blog tour, I was thrilled. She is a witty, brilliant author and I was super excited to get my hands on a copy of her latest novel, The Wedding Date.

The Wedding Date lived up to expectation. It's an immersive, fun novel that I thoroughly enjoyed. The main character, Delilah, is leading a pretty stale life. Working in a boring admin job, living at home with her parents and still not over her break-up from the supposed love of her life, Ben, she's kind of coasting through life. When an old school friend invites Delilah to her wedding and announces Ben is going to be the best man and will be bringing his fiance with him, Deliah is on a mission to find someone to stand by her side during the wedding do.

The plot for The Wedding Date provides the funny and awkward situations you'd expect from it. We see a string of disastrous dates that had me cringing for Delilah and also get to see her come out of her shell a bit. Delilah is a relatable character, you fully understand how she's in the situation she's in and how she's really struggling with the idea of the man she loves not loving her back. Sometimes I did struggle with this aspect though - she's so determined to use her wedding date to make Ben jealous and ultimately win him back, which seems stupid when it's so clear he's just not into her anymore. I wanted her to be excited about the prospect of  a new romance, not using it to reconcile with her stupid ex. However, like I said.. that's a really relatable part of the story as so many people have thoughts and ideas like that when they go through a break-up. 

One of my favourite characters was Adam, the office hottie. He's funny and relaxed and brings normality to Delilah's otherwise crazy workplace. I loved seeing him and Delilah getting along - there's clear chemistry and I was willing for one of them to actually act on it.

The Wedding Date is an entertaining story that just makes you smile. It's addictive - you really want to see how things will turn out for Delilah and will her to do something that makes her happy. I enjoyed seeing her character develop and grow, Jennifer Joyce has a real talent at making loveable yet complex characters who you root for from the very beginning. This is a great easy-going read perfect to curl up with and relax. 

Author bio:

Jennifer Joyce is a writer of romantic comedies who lives in Manchester with her husband and their two daughters. Her latest novel, The Wedding Date is out now.

You can find out more about Jennifer and her books on:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/jenniferjoycewrites

Twitter: www.twitter.com/writer_jenn

Blog: www.jenniferjoycewrites.co.uk

Book review: You and Me, Always by Jill Mansell

"On the morning of Lily's twenty-fifth birthday, it's time to open the very last letter written to her by her beloved mother, who died when she was eight.

Learning more about the first and only real love of her mum's life is a revelation. On the same day, Lily also meets Eddie Tessler, a man fleeing fame who just might have the ability to change her world in unimaginable ways. But her childhood friend Dan has his own reasons for not wanting Lily to get too carried away by Eddie's attentions.

Before long, secrets begin to emerge and Lily's friends and family become involved. In the beautiful Cotswold village of Stanton Langley, nothing will ever be the same again..."

Reading a Jill Mansell story is like a comforting hug. It's warm and reassuring, makes you happy and cheers you up if you need it. That's exactly how You and Me, Always made me feel when I read it earlier this month.

Picture the scene- Christmas is over. The decorations are down, mince pies are eaten, the back-to-work blues are setting in and everything's a bit... 'meh'. I wanted to read something I could get lost in and would life my spirits, and it didn't take very long to choose this book that was practically yelling to me from my kindle. 

The story follows Lily, who, on her 25th birthday opens the last letter from her mum, who passed away when she was younger. Before she died, Lily's mum wrote her a series of letters to open on her birthday, but this is the last one. In it, she talks about her first love (before Lily's absent father) which inspires Lily to try and find the man who meant so much to her mother. 

We also meet Lily's life-long friends Patsy and her brother Dan. I LOVED these two, I thought they were both brilliant in different ways. Patsy is brash and outgoing and I really enjoyed hearing about her string of disastrous dates. As well as that she's kind and caring and overall I think is a really great support to Lily. Her brother Dan is wonderful, he's a womaniser but is also funny and handsome, so you can see why! The three characters friendship is lovely to see... they'd do anything for each other and I thought this was the highlight of the story for me. 

Then there's Eddie Tessler, an actor who's seeking a bit of quiet time away from the spotlight. When he and Lily meet there's a spark, an instant fizz of attraction that has you intrigued from the offset. He's so different to Lily's small-town-girl life, which makes it so interesting to see how the two work out. I'm not going to spoil anything (what would be the fun in that!?) but I will say that although I'd guessed how this, and Lily's love-life, would turn out - I wasn't disappointed. 

Now, with Jill Mansell stories I come to expect a pretty, quaint location and You and Me, Always delivers on this front. The small village where Lily lives sounds beautiful and charming and captured my imagination from the offset. In such a small place though, everyone knows everyone and no secret is rarely left unturned. As the story progresses, you can see the tangled webs that have formed and discover some shocking secrets along the way. They're what make this story a bit grittier and absorbing - it adds a dynamic edge to a lovely romantic fiction story. 

Overall, You and Me, Always is a wonderful read. Packed with great characters, a pretty location, friendship, romance and secrets it's what you expect from a Jill Mansell novel and it certainly delivers. I think she just gets better and better each time and this is up there as one of my favourites. It's engaging, funny and emotional and picked me right up out of my January slump! Thanks, Jill! 

*A big thank you to the publishers of the book, Headline,  for an advance copy on Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review. 

2015 book awards: best romance

I love a good romance storyline - whether it be centred around an already happy couple, or a long build-up into a budding romance. Either way, I enjoy stories that feature great couples and sweet, romantic storylines. The selection below have just that! 

Conditional Love by Cathy Bramley 

Cathy is brilliant at creating fantastic characters and even more fantastic couples. In Conditional Love, Sophie meets Nick when she asks him to do some architecture work on the house she has inherited. He's not your typical hunky male lead, but she likes his quirkiness (as did I!). As the story develops, so too does their relationship and there are many hints towards romance for the two of them. I was eager for them to get on with it and get together as they'd make a great couple - I loved watching their stories unfold separately and together. Read my full review here

The Love Shack by Jane Costello 

I absolutely loved this story, it had me smiling from ear to ear. Dan and Gemma are already a great, solid couple when we meet them and, as readers, we follow them as they start the process of trying to buy their first house together. As a couple they are brilliant, they play to each others strengths and I thought they were really cute. Their relationship is so realistic and true to life it made the story shine and I enjoyed seeing them go through the usual trials and tribulations of love, while supporting each other. (P.S. I really developed a soft spot for Dan - he was an absolutely wonderful main character.) Read my full review here 

Dear Darling by Ellen Faith 

I loved Dear Darling, the format of it being written as a diary was a unique twist that pulled me in. At the start of the story Sophie ends her relationship with her current idiot boyfriend, deciding to move onto better things. Cue us meeting Adam - sexy, caring and all-round drool-worthy, Adam is also Sophie's boss, so a crush is highly inappropriate but she just can't help it... and who could blame her, really?! I loved seeing them get to know each other and their relationship unfold. They are both great characters who you really root for. Read my full review here 

Little Northern Christmas: Book Review - The Twelve Dates of Christmas by Lisa Dickenson

"At thirty, Claudia's life is stale and the romance with long-term boyfriend, Seth, has disappeared. Determined to inject some festive spark back into their love life, Claudia and Seth go on their first date in a very long time. But when the night ends in disaster, Claudia suddenly finds herself facing life - and Christmas - alone.

Life alone is exciting, scary and full of soon-forgotten exercise regimes and ill-advised attempts at crafting sexy underwear. It's also filling up with dates, surprisingly. With best friends Penny and Nick at her side, a surplus of festive markets, mulled wine and Christmas tunes, Claudia attempts to face all this change with gusto. One thing's for certain: this year, Christmas is going to be very different . . .

This is the story of Claudia and her twelve dates of Christmas. Hilarious, uplifting and romantic, it's a story about losing love, finding love, and discovering what's been there all along. Expect Christmas sparkle, butterflies-in-your-stomach romance and a lot of very funny moments in The Twelve Dates of Christmas."

From following Lisa Dickenson on Twitter, I've come to see just how outgoing, witty and downright fabulous she is. I haven't read any of her books before, but I was hoping that her charm and hilariousness would filter through into her writing. I'm SO pleased to tell you that it absolutely, 100%, totally does. The Twelve Dates of Christmas is a funny, witty read with an unusual take on the build-up to Christmas. It was originally released last year, but has been re-designed with a pretty, sparkly cover and brought out in paperback, and I think it's safe to say it proving pretty popular.  

The story centers Claudia, who finds her long-term relationship with her (excuse my language) dickhead boyfriend Seth come to an abrupt end, after a pretty hilarious situation causes them to have an argument (I won't give the game away too much but I was laugjing out loud when they were in the toilet with his, ahem, parts, on display!) The Twelve Dates of Christmas then pretty much does what it says - we follow Claudia as she goes on twelve different dates in the run-up to Christmas. 

The story is downright hilarious. It's not often I actually laugh out loud from a book, but this one had me in stitches (and put me on the receiving end of some veryyy confused looks from the OH!) I loved the format of The Twelve Dates of Christmas - each chapter forms a different date and I loved seeing the different antics Claudia get's up to, not to mention meeting a whole host of men - some perfect, some handsome, some delirious and arrogant. It really showcased Lisa's talents for creating such a wide range of different characters and personalities, but every single one being realistic. 

It's clear from the offset that there is major chemistry between Claudia and her 'best friend' Nick. (I'm putting best friend in marks because it's just slap-you-in-the-face obvious that they are so much more than that, even if they won't admit it). Because of the clear attraction between the two of them I loved watching them interact and become even closer. I was willing for them to turn into more than friends and enjoyed seeing their story play out. 

She also has a great friendship with the other member of the trio, Penny. At times I felt for Claudia as Penny is living out Claudia's dream of being a ballerina, but thankfully there's no hard feelings and they have a hilarious close friendship that I loved. At times, there are issues and I really hoped they'd work through them and remain close - after all, isn't that a sign of true friendship? 

I also can't write this review without quickly mentioning Claudia's adorable Dad... he just made my heart warm! He is so cute and caring and just wants the best for his daughter. He's a truly wonderful character, possibly the nicest ever, and I loved seeing him and Claudia spend Christmas together. 

Now, The Twelve Dates of Christmas is obviously a festive read and I LOVED this element of the story. It is done so so well... it makes you excited for Christmas but it isn't too in your face -there's just plenty of lovely, subtle hints at the holiday season. Think gingerbread lattes, ice skating, snow and Christmas songs. All these fab elements incorporated together to make me feel really happy and festive. 

One of my favorite scenes in the whole story has to be the Christmas Day, which comes towards the end of the book. There's been a lot of build up to this day, not just because of Christmas but also because of the events leading up to the day (with a lot of drama occurring on Christmas Eve - FYI) so I was eager to see what would happen. I don't want to spoil it so let's just say the drama is resolved and Claudia's Christmas sounds like the perfect way to celebrate. She is surrounded by those she loves, indulges in some drool-worthy sounding food and relaxes in front of a film with her family. It reminded me so much of my Christmas Day's that it got me really excited for it! 

The Twelve Dates of Christmas is a fab festive read that I utterly adored. Brimming with funny, down-to-earth characters, some hilarious situations and plenty of delicious sounding food, it's the perfect read to get you into the Christmassy spirit. Lisa Dickenson is one to watch and I can't wait to make my way through her other stories - she is just brilliant. I feel I've become a bit of a fan girl for her as I sing her praises (not quite literally, but I'll say them very excitedly!) to anyone that will listen. I'd strongly suggest grabbing a gingerbread latte, mince pie and this book and you're in for a real treat. I love, love lovedddd it! 

*A big thank you to the publishers of The Twelve Dates of Christmas for an advance copy of the story via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review. 

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Book review: Conditional Love, Cathy Bramley

 

What surprises might life have in store for you?

A takeaway, TV and tea with two sugars is about as exciting as it gets for thirty-something Sophie Stone. Sophie’s life is safe and predictable, which is just the way she likes it, thank you very much.

But when a mysterious benefactor leaves her an inheritance, Sophie has to accept that change is afoot. There is one big catch: in order to inherit, Sophie must agree to meet the father she has never seen.

Saying ‘yes’ means the chance to build her own dream home, but she’ll also have to face the past and hear some uncomfortable truths…

With interference from an evil boss, warring parents, an unreliable boyfriend and an architect who puts his foot in it every time he opens his mouth, will Sophie be able to build a future on her own terms - and maybe even find love along the way?

Conditional Love was Cathy Bramley's debut novel which she self-published in 2013. Since then she has secured a book deal and released her fantastic novels Ivy Lane and Appleby Farm. Now Transworld have re-published Conditional Love and given it a beautiful makeover (just look at that cover! I've finished the book now but don't want to move it off my bedside table it's so pretty!). As soon as it was published, I rushed out to buy a copy. Those of you who are regulars to the blog will know I was a huge fan of Ivy Lane and Appleby Farm (if you missed them you can read my reviews here & here) so I had no doubts I would love this too. I certainly wasn't disappointed, Conditional Love is a special, charming novel that I just can't stop thinking about. It's brilliant.

The story follows Sophie, who's normal, steady life is turned upside down by the sudden inheritance left to her by a great aunt who she never met. She will be the benefactor to a bungalow and a substantial amount of money but only if she meets a condition - she has to meet her estranged father who she has never met. The decision throws Sophie into an awkward position and I enjoyed seeing her journey unfold. 

Sophie is a brilliant main character, you can easily relate to her and, I think it'd be safe to say, she's a little lost. I think this actually adds to her charm though - she's dealing with family issues and a break-up all whilst trying to work out what she really wants to do with her life, which is not only realistic, but shows her personality and how she deals with difficult situations.

I did get frustrated by how blind-sided she could be at times though. It was obvious that her ex-boyfriend Marc only comes crawling back to her when he realises she has some inheritance and a property to her name. It's such a shady move and the fact she doesn't click on straight away infuriated me. To be fair, as their reunion progresses he does hide his intentions better and you can kind of see why she'd be quick to ignore the potential issues, but I really wished she'd have taken a stand much sooner and told him where to go. 

The setting of Conditional Love is wonderful. It's set in Nottingham, which is where I went to University so it felt comforting and familiar to read about the Christmas market in the town centre and other references to key landmarks of the city. The small village that Sophie's inherited bungalow is in, sounds delightful. A chocolate-box, white picket fence type of area that I would love to see in real life. Cathy Bramley's vivid and well detailed descriptions make the place come to life, and I had a clear idea in my head of what I imagined the village, and her bungalow, to be like. 

Relationships play a massive part in Conditional Love. Friendships, relationships & family dynamics are all dominating themes of the story and create some emotional and engaging situations that keep the story fast paced and you dying to find out what happens. I loved the friendship between Sophie and her flatmates, sisters Jess and Emma. They have a lovely way of getting on together and support each other continuously. Even when Emma is being a bit hard on Sophie, it's clearly because she's worried her relationship with Marc will end badly (again) and she'll be hurt (again).

The original cover-also pretty! 

Then there's the stand-out, slap-you-in-the-face-it's-so-obvious, brilliant chemistry between Sophie and her architect, Nick. After reading an article about Nick, she is taken by his passion for architecture and loves his ideas, so she asks if he will help with the bungalow. When they meet she is surprised that he's young and attractive - not the old, boring architect she had in mind. I really enjoyed watching them get to know each other and from the offset you know they'd be perfect for each other, they just need to see it for themselves! Nick is a great person who I was really rooting for. He's slightly awkward (not the outgoing yet egotistical type like Marc) but he's also kind, caring and passionate about his work. I was eager for Sophie to see what was obvious to the reader - get over Marc and get with Nick! Duh!

Family also plays a big, and mysterious, part in the story. To be eligible for her inheritance Sophie has to meet her father, then man she grew up without after he walked out on her and her mum. She never knew why he had as her mum refused to talk about him and whenever Sophie brings it up, she flies off the handle about it and gets very defensive. Again, I wished Sophie would have stood up for herself sooner - she has a right to know about her Dad and it's selfish of her mum to act the way she does, especially when she ignores Sophie when she finds out they've met up as part of the terms of the will. I enjoyed seeing the family dynamic unfold and how Sophie, and her dad, reacted at meeting each other. It was well-written and the emotions pulled you in, I was SO eager to find out what would happen and I was incredibly pleased with the outcome. 

As usual this is an absolutely delightful novel by Cathy Bramley, who is well and truly one of my favourite authors now. She has an amazing ability to create characters who jump off the page and feel like one of your friends, not a fictional character. Her books are full of charm, love and hope and they leave you with a big smile on your face... Cathy Bramley's books are the definition of feel good fiction and I love them! 

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Book review: Dream A Little Dream by Giovanna Fletcher

"Sarah is doing just fine. Sure she's been single for the last five years, and has to spend an uncomfortable amount of time around her ex-boyfriend, his perfect new girlfriend and all their mutual friends. And yes, her job as a PA to one of the most disgusting men in London is mind-numbingly tedious and her career is a constant disappointment to her mother. But it's really okay. She's happy (ish).

So it's not surprising that when Sarah starts dreaming about a handsome stranger, she begins to look forward to falling asleep every night. Reality isn't nearly as exciting. That is until her dream-stranger makes an unexpected real-life appearance, leaving Sarah questioning everything she thought she wanted.

Because no one ever really finds the person of their dreams... do they?"

Now, first of all I have a confession to make... I'm fairly new to the Giovanna Fletcher fan club as I only read You're The One That I Want a few months ago (you can read my review here). However, reading that made me a firm fan of hers, I fell in love with her descriptive and imaginative writing style and ability to create unique and lovable characters. As soon as Dream A Little Dream hit the shelves I dashed out to grab a copy, eager to throw myself into another of Giovanna's fantastic creations.

Dream A Little Dream follows Sarah, who is in a pretty weird situation. She is in a tight-knit friendship group with her old uni mates, which sounds nice doesn't it? except that one of those 'friends' is actually her ex-boyfriend, and another is his new, perfect girlfriend who he ended their seven year relationship for. Not so nice.

Now, at first I thought 'why would she stay in that group and put up with seeing the two of them flash their wonderful relationship in front of her?' but the more I thought about it and read more, learning about Sarah, I understood why. The group of friends are really close and the other members of the group are great - supportive, sympathetic to the situation and really funny. Their weekly stints at the highly competitive pub quiz had me in hysterics and I really want to head down to the pub with them! 

Sarah's job as a PA within a TV production company isn't quite what she had in mind. She wants to go further within the role and actually do something more creative, so when she gets the opportunity to 'step up' and become part of the planning team she is ecstatic. This is a part of the story I really enjoyed as it was full of imagination and really showed off Giovanna's writing strength - the ability to form entertaining situations. I loved the different and creative ideas that were batted around, and Sarah's idea, 'Grannies go Wild' had me smiling from ear to ear.

Of course the story centers around romance and dreams. Sarah begins dreaming about Brett, a man she once met for a short time at a party but didn't see again. She isn't sure why she starts dreaming about him, but she begins to look forward to falling asleep just so she can see where her next dream takes her. When he starts working alongside Sarah she is thrown by having to separate dream Brett to normal, real-life Brett and there are some funny moments when she mentions something to the real Brett that actually involves dream Brett, creating a confusing atmosphere that really made me laugh. I loved watching their working and personal relationship develop and see how she coped with this strange set of events. Brett is a great character - handsome, slightly cocky (but not too much so) and funny. I really willed for them to get together as the tension between the two of them from the start is electric. 

Giovanna's imagination never fails to amaze me. Each chapter begins with a detailed dream and some of them are so quirky or ridiculous they had me laughing out loud. I also loved the connections she brings from her real life to the book - 'Tom from McFly' makes an appearance in one dream, and you meet a granny who's ambitions are to be like Nanny Pat from The Only Way is Essex, a TV programme her brother actually appears in. The dreams 

Although I felt the start was quite slow, the book picks up a few chapters in and draws you to it, making you desperate to read more. As usual, Giovanna excels with her ability to create romance, humour and interesting scenarios. This book is an absolute dream to read (sorry I couldn't resist!) - if you haven't already, be sure to grab yourself a copy! 

Fairytale Beginnings excerpt - chapter one

Milly drove up the steep, curvy, cliff top lanes with the warm sun on her back and the wind in her hair. From up here, she could see the sparkling blue of the sea below her stretching out for miles into the horizon. It was a beautiful day, made even lovelier by the endless yellow fields of rapeseed on the other side of her. It smelt wonderful but she wished it was clover instead as that might be some indication that she was going in the right direction.
She was hopefully heading towards Clover’s Rest. The satnav had, of course, stopped working half an hour ago and all she was left with was a flashing question mark on the screen, indicating that the satnav had no idea where she was. Nothing seemed to be known about the village of Clover’s Rest or Clover Castle which presided over the tiny dwelling. It didn’t appear on any maps, and bizarrely there was no record of it on any kind of historical documentation. That in itself was a mystery and one Milly was keen to solve.
Dick, her beaten up old Triumph, was having trouble with the steep gradient of the inclines and she had spent most of the last fifteen minutes barely coming out of first gear. Her brother, Jamie, had begged her several times to buy a new car but her beloved white Triumph TR2 was her pride and joy.

Up ahead, on the very summit of the hill, she suddenly saw a flash of a blue-topped turret from behind the trees and her heart soared. But no sooner had it appeared, it had gone.
Dick whined as she pushed him round a very steep corner and she leaned forward and gave him a little pat of encouragement. He spluttered and coughed, but thankfully didn’t cut out. The handbrake wasn’t the best and she wasn’t hopeful that Dick could cling to the road surface without sliding back to the foot of the hill again.
Steam started to appear from under Dick’s bonnet as she floored the accelerator and crossed her fingers and toes. She glanced down at her multi-coloured star bracelet and absently made a wish that she would make it to the top of the hill.
‘Just a little further, Dick, come on.’
Dick was barely moving at all now, Milly could get out and walk quicker. As she begged and pleaded with Dick to just last a little bit longer, a kid on his bike rang his bell and scooted round her, disappearing into the trees up ahead.
How insulting to be overtaken by a kid on a BMX. And Dick obviously thought so too as he suddenly found a last bit of energy and groaned and coughed up the last few metres, where the hill finally levelled out.

They shuffled into a tunnel of trees, which swallowed her up, shutting out all the bright daylight behind her and overhead so she was driving through a canopy of total green. It was very dark, with just a tiny pinprick of light ahead of her that she pushed Dick towards. Movement swirled in her rear view mirror; as she glanced up it almost seemed like the trees were closing the gap behind her, covering the road with their tangle of branches so there was no escape.

Dick finally burst through the trees to the other side. Daylight temporarily blinded her, she briefly saw some houses and a village green and then a thick plume of white smoke burst from the engine and the village vanished from view. Dick let out what sounded like a really big fart and then died, smoke still pouring from underneath the bonnet.
Milly sighed. She had asked too much of him, she knew that. It had seemed like too good an opportunity to pass up; going out in her convertible along the seafront when the weather was so hot, and Clover’s Rest was only supposed to be an hour and a half away from
where she lived. But Dick was over twice her age and was only really capable of short flat journeys, nothing like the mountainous terrain she had just traversed.

‘It’s ok Dick, you can have a few days to have a little rest and maybe we can find someone to tinker under your bonnet before we go home. And it’s all downhill from here so worst case scenario, we can just roll you home. Plus we’re on holiday next week, I promise you can stay at home every day. I intend to sit in the garden and do nothing but read for the entire week.’
Dick let out a sigh of relief and the smoke slowed and then stopped, revealing the most gorgeous, picturesque village she had ever seen.

Milly quickly got out and gazed across the village green, staring at the whitewashed cottages like a kid in a sweet shop. The roofs were topped with yellow thatch that glinted like gold in the sunlight. They were a hodgepodge collection; the nearest ones to her were timber framed and the ones on the far side were made from stone. But all of them came with their unique lumps and bumps, jutting out bits of stone or bent bits of timber indicating that these houses were hundreds of years old. She quickly grabbed her suitcase, gave Dick an affectionate pat, and abandoned him on the edge of the green as she walked in awe along the cobbled road.

The historian in her picked out key features in the houses straight away. Of course without certain dating tests it would be hard to be specific, but the first house on the green had to be at least four hundred years old, which meant it should be a listed building. But there had been nothing in any historical documents or files that even indicated this place existed, let alone had listed buildings.
Her toes curled with pleasure at the prospect of what this mysterious Clover Castle looked like. Was it possible that she was going to round the corner of the green and see a sixteenth century undiscovered jewel?
She approached the nearest house and ran her hand appreciatively up the oak timber frame. There was something incredible and humbling about touching something that had been around for hundreds of years. What had this building seen and heard, what stories could it tell?
She leaned closer to the wood and sniffed it. The rich smells of smoke, wood and earth engulfed her and she smiled. She suddenly realised she wasn’t alone. Milly looked up from the wood into the bulbous eyes of an old man, dressed in a tatty suit. His skin seemed to have shrunk against his bones, making his eyes seem more bulging and protruding. He was chewing on what looked like a small stone, rolling it around his mouth and back again as if he was trying to work out what it tasted like. His white hair stuck out making him look like he was a crazy scientist but he was looking at her as if she was insane, which she supposed she was, standing on someone’s front lawn stroking and smelling the side of the house.
He took a drag of his cigarette and then flicked it into the nearby bushes. She winced at the desecration of such a historic place but chose to ignore it as he still had the moral high ground at the moment, being the slightly saner one of the two.
‘You can’t leave your car there,’ said the man, indicating poor Dick, who looked so deflated and exhausted that even his headlights seemed to be drooping. ‘It’s double yellow lines.’
Sure enough, double yellow lines covered the roads on both sides, as if it was a main road through a busy city rather than a tiny remote village with probably no more than thirty houses. But closer inspection showed the lines to be very wobbly and most likely hand painted. Who would do such a thing? Traffic clearly wasn’t a problem up here, there wasn’t even another car in sight and Dick wasn’t blocking up the road, which was wide enough for two cars to pass easily in both directions.
‘Well unfortunately my car broke down, so it will have to stay there until I can get someone to have a look at it.’
The man sucked air through his teeth and shook his head. ‘Igor won’t like that. It’s likely the car will be towed.’
Igor? Wasn’t that the name of Dracula’s assistant?
‘Sorry, what did you say your name was?’ Milly asked, deliberately.
‘Danny.’
‘Danny, I’m sure Igor will understand that a broken down car is not my fault. I’m a guest of Lord Heartstone, so if there’s any problem Igor can come and see me at the castle.’
Milly hoped that using Cameron’s name and title would be enough to get Danny to leave her and Dick alone, but that wasn’t the case. Danny’s face suddenly filled with disdain.
‘He isn’t exactly Mr Popular round here at the moment. He’s only been back here a few months and he’s sacked all the staff already. Grumpy sod, too, keeps himself to himself.’
‘Well it’s a big responsibility to suddenly inherit a castle, I’m sure it will take a period of adjustment. I’m here to see if I can help him.’
She spotted a flag flying above the trees and grabbed her suitcase and started walking towards it, hoping that Danny wouldn’t follow her, but he did.
‘It’s the Summer Solstice this weekend, we always have a big celebration and he won’t even be a part of it.’
‘Well maybe I can talk to him.’
She squinted at the flag, it wasn’t like any she had ever seen before. It was hard to see from this distance what was on it, but it looked like a dragon eating a heart.
‘Are you staying up there?’ Danny yelled after her, finally giving up following her.
‘Yes, for a week.’
‘You’ll never leave. Those that stay there never leave.’
She stared at him. These sinister words sent shivers down her spine.
‘And whatever you do, don’t go out after midnight. The Oogie will get you.’
‘The Oogie?’
‘A sea monster who eats unwanted visitors.’
‘That’s a local myth, surely.’
Danny shook his head. ‘The village has lost lots of victims to the Oogie. Just don’t go out after midnight and make sure you keep all the doors and windows locked at night.’
He was clearly joking or just insane. Danny wandered off and she stared after him, realising he was only wearing one shoe. Definitely insane. She looked around at this calm, tranquil little village. With the bright sunshine beating down on the little houses, the scent of the roses that twisted round all the doors, she wasn’t going to let some crazy nonsense about a sea monster bring her down.
She had a castle to look at and she couldn’t wait to see it.

Milly walked round the corner into the trees. Up ahead she could see some large, highly decorative wrought iron gates, with swirls and flowers. The gate was probably Victorian or Edwardian. It was very pretty but her heart sank a little bit. It didn’t necessarily mean that the castle was from that era, but she hoped it wasn’t. Castle Heritage, who she worked for, would have nothing to do with the castle if it was from the Edwardian era. They were only interested in ancient relics, particularly those from the medieval period.
She wanted to help Cameron, she really did. She had spoken to him a few times on the phone and he’d sounded desperate. He had this deep, rich, voice that sounded velvety and she guessed he was about fifty years old. She had a way of accurately estimating people’s ages too, not just the age of houses. 

It was the stuff of dreams to wake up one morning and find that not only were you a Lord but one that owned a castle too, yet from speaking to Cameron it seemed it was more like a nightmare than a dream. He’d spoken to her about burst pipes, broken windows, rotting walls, crumbling masonry and a severe damp problem. It wasn’t the inheritance that he had hoped it would be. 
If the castle was old enough, Castle Heritage would probably buy it off him or, at the very least, pay to have these things repaired and maintain the upkeep of the place. They might even make it into a tourist attraction if they thought it was a viable option. If she thought it was a viable option. That’s what she was here to assess. The steep incline of the hill was definitely a negative point. Thousands of people every year visited the big castles in the UK. The road she and Dick had driven up earlier couldn’t sustain that many visitors, nor could the tiny village. But if the property was worth it, her company would pay to improve the road too.
She ran her fingers over her multi-coloured star bracelet, as she always did when she wanted something really badly. Most of the time the bracelet let her down but occasionally her wishes came true. Singing the first few lines of the song ‘When You Wish Upon A Star’ in her head, she closed her eyes and made a wish. ‘Let the castle be something truly spectacular,’ she whispered.
She opened the gate and it creaked in protest. Clouds skittered across the sun, casting long shadows across the curved drive. As she stepped through the entrance, a cool wind whipped around her, dragging her blonde hair into her face. The wispy summer dress she was wearing hardly seemed appropriate all of a sudden, she should at least have worn a jacket or a cardigan. English weather was always so unpredictable.
She shivered and walked round the corner, pushing the hair out of her eyes so she could get her first glimpse of Clover Castle. And suddenly there it was.

Her heart soared. For someone who had grown up obsessed with all things Disney, and still loved Disney now, years after it was socially acceptable for her to do so, seeing what was quite obviously a real life Cinderella’s castle in front of her was something out of her wildest dreams. Turrets jutted out from all parts of the castle, some protruding out of other turrets. There were four towers, all topped with conical blue spires. From her position at the foot of the drive, she could see twenty-three blue spires, some of which topped the turrets, some that were simply large conical topped pinnacles that didn’t seem to have any purpose other than for decoration. Each spire had a long, gold flagpole on the top with a scarlet banner, apart from the large flag in the middle that had that weird dragon design. She stared at the flag for a moment, although very different in its design, the theme of the dragon wrapped protectively around the heart was eerily similar to the tattoo she had on her right side.
The castle was beautiful but her heart had already plummeted into her shoes. This couldn’t be any more than a hundred years old. It looked Bavarian in its design and was built purely for enjoyment and certainly not to protect.
There was a splendid drawbridge in the middle of the front castle wall but as she walked up the drive she could see there was no moat for the drawbridge to go over.
It seemed as though, at some point over the last hundred years, someone had decided to build a castle, looked at what features other castles had and decided to have one of everything – whether it was needed or not. Or in the case of the spires, twenty-three of them.

Standing on the hilltop with the sea framed dramatically behind it, the castle was an incredible sight. It was magical and arrogant and wonderful all at the same time and … Castle Heritage wouldn’t come anywhere near it.
She might as well turn round and head home now. Her birthday was later this week, and she didn’t really want to be working on her birthday. If she left now she might even be able to start her holiday a few days early. But she had promised Cameron she would stay for a week to do all the tests and surveys. He had already paid Castle Heritage quite a significant sum for her time and services and although she could refund the money there must be something she could do to help him. At the very least she could stay for a couple of days in order to get a feel for the place.
She couldn’t feel too disappointed at her wasted trip, the place was spectacular and she got to sleep here, hopefully in a room fit for a princess in one of the tallest towers.
As she stared up in wonder at this thing of beauty, she heard two deep barks. She turned in time to see a heap of black, shaggy fur before she was knocked to the ground.
‘Gregory, NO!’ a deep voice yelled out.
But Gregory, if that was indeed the beast’s name, was not to be dissuaded. Standing over her, Gregory started bathing her face in pungent wet licks, his coarse tongue tickling her face and making her giggle.
Suddenly the dog was snatched from over her and she was yanked to her feet. She slammed into a hard wall of muscle and looked up into a pair of eyes that were so dark they were almost black. Dark, curly hair topped his head, but she was too close to see any other features. He smelt amazing though, all woody and earthy and wonderful.
‘Oh God, I’m so sorry, I didn’t realise I pulled you so hard.’ He took a step back and Milly stared up at him, aware that her throat was completely dry. This guy was frigging hot. Dark stubble lined his jaw bone. He was huge too, muscles screaming from every single part of him. He was wearing a suit that was very tight around his broad, muscular shoulders. She felt very under-dressed all of a sudden in her beach dress and sparkly pink Converse trainers.
‘Oh God, your dress, I’m so sorry.’ He stepped forward and brushed her breasts, trying to wipe off the two muddy paw prints that had been imprinted onto the material. His face immediately turned pale as he realised what he had done. He leapt back, looking horrified. ‘I’m so sorry. I … God, I’m so sorry.’
Milly couldn’t help but take pity on him.
‘It’s not the usual greeting I get, normally a handshake would suffice.’
He stared at her for a moment, then laughed, a deep, booming laugh. He offered out his large bear paw of a hand, and she shook it. ‘I’m Cameron Heartstone.’
This gorgeous man was Cameron Heartstone? She had expected someone so much older, probably smoking a pipe and wearing tartan slippers.
‘Milly Rose. We spoke on the phone. It’s good to finally meet you.’
‘Yes of course, come in.’ He bent down to pick up her discarded suitcase. ‘Gregory, Sit! Stay!’ He commanded the black, hairy beast by his side. Gregory was so big Milly thought she might be able to ride him. His eyes were lost under a mass of fur, his pink tongue lolling out the side of his face. He gave a wag of his tail before running off and disappearing round the side of the castle. Clearly very obedient. Cameron sighed and ushered her through a small side door, with his hand in the small of her back. ‘He’s not my dog, he sort of came with the castle. The first day I arrived he turned up and hasn’t left since. He doesn’t belong to anyone in the village, so I guess I’m stuck with him.’
He was clearly nervous, though she wasn’t sure why. He pulled at his collar, obviously not comfortable wearing a shirt and tie. Had he dressed up for her?
She stepped through into a warm kitchen, with a large wooden table standing in the middle and wooden benches either side. The walls were painted a cosy terracotta. Delicious, tangy smells reached her and her stomach gurgled appreciatively. An Aga stood at one end of the room and something was bubbling away in a huge pot on top.
‘I’ll make us some lunch. Will your boss be joining us soon?’
‘My boss? I don’t really have one. Well, the board of directors at Castle Heritage are sort of my bosses, but I mainly work for myself.’
Her heart sank a bit. He had been expecting someone older, too.
‘Oh, well, the science people, the historians, the ones who will do all the tests?’
‘That would be me.’
He stared at her, disappointment registering on his face. He looked her up and down disdainfully. ‘They’ve sent me a child, is this someone’s idea of a joke? Your idea of history is probably what happened in EastEnders last week.’
Milly felt her mouth fall open. She was used to getting some prejudice when she turned up at these historic places. With her long blonde hair, large blue eyes and Mary Poppins style rosy cheeks, no one thought she was capable of having any knowledge of history at all. She knew she didn’t help these first impressions by having pink tipped hair and sparkly clothes and shoes, but generally the comments she got were little jokes. That remark about her historical knowledge hurt. And she had never been called a child before. This man couldn’t be any more than five years older than she was, although, being so short, she knew she looked a lot younger than her actual age.
She drew herself up to her full height, which did nothing to diminish the height difference between them.
‘I am not a child. I’m twenty-eight years old. You judgemental ass. You see the blonde hair and the pretty dress and automatically assume that I’m some kind of bimbo. I have a Doctorate in Archaeology and Historic Architecture. I have a Master of Science degree in Heritage Conservation and a Bachelor of Science degree in Medieval History. I have extensive experience in dendrochronological and geophysical surveying and my PhD studies required detailed research into archaeological remains, excavation and historic building
construction. I guarantee I know more about this castle than you could possibly ever know but if that isn’t good enough for you, I will quite happily leave right now and take every chance of you ever working with Castle Heritage with me.’
She stormed to the door but he beat her to it, slamming it closed before she’d only opened it an inch.
‘You can’t leave.’
‘Just watch me.’ She tugged at the door but he leaned against it, so it didn’t budge. She tried again.
‘I’m sorry.’
She stopped tugging, but didn’t let go of the handle.
‘I really am.’
She looked up at him and his eyes were honest and concerned.
‘I’ve hurt you and it really wasn’t my intention to do that. It’s been a really bad couple of weeks, well, a bad couple of months if I’m honest. Since my dad died and I inherited this place, it’s been one problem after another. He was in so much debt and that debt doesn’t appear to have died with him. There is no money in this estate, none at all, and he was still paying all the staff here right up till he died but I can’t see how or where the money came from. I’ve had to let them all go, which means everyone in the village hates me and I’ve been going through all his paperwork and keep uncovering more and more problems. Without the staff the place will fall into ruin. I have no money for any of the repairs or to pay any of his debts and quite frankly the idea of selling the place to Palace Hotels and making it into a five star resort is looking very appealing right now. You are my last hope. I looked at you and thought …’
‘You thought wrong.’
‘I know, I’m sorry, I had no right to judge you by your appearance. I’m a terrible judge of character, I really am. I should have learned my lesson by now, not to judge a book by its cover. The people I’ve trusted have sold me out and betrayed me. I’ve had my share of model girlfriends, the types that look good on your arm but with not a lot else going for them and … I … Well, I’m really sorry. Please stay, at least have some lunch whilst I beg your forgiveness some more.’
Milly felt all the fight go out of her. She couldn’t hold a grudge for long. Besides, she was starving and the soup that was bubbling on top of the stove smelt amazing.
‘Ok. I’ll stay for lunch, but it depends how good the soup is whether I stay longer.’
His mouth lifted up into small, cautious smile and he gestured for her to sit down.
‘There’s a hell of a lot riding on this soup then. If I’d known that perhaps I would have thought about the recipe a little more carefully instead of just throwing everything into the pot with a bit of seasoning.’

She sat down on the bench and watched him fill two big bowls. There was nothing graceful about him. The soup splatted into the bowl and over the sides and he didn’t seem to care. There were big chunks of meat, large slices of potato, whole florets of cauliflower, all of which should have been blended or at least chopped smaller. He grabbed a large round loaf and tore it into chunks. He plonked the bowl down in front of her and left her half of the loaf on the table next to her bowl, not even on a plate. The man really had no finesse. He sat down opposite her and took a big bite of the bread. He was like a caveman and strangely she found his raw masculinity a bit of a turn on.
‘Do you normally have such gay abandon with your food?’
He paused with the spoon halfway to his mouth. ‘It seems to work.’
He gestured for her to try it and she took a small sip from her spoon. It was incredible, so thick and full of flavour. ‘It’s really good. Did you make the bread too?’
He nodded, before biting off another huge chunk from his loaf. ‘It’s potato bread.’
She took a small piece and bit into it. It tasted delicious. ‘You’re actually really good at this “throw it all into the pot and see if it works” method.’
He shrugged shyly. ‘It’s kind of how I write my books, too.’
‘What kind of books do you write?’
‘Children’s books, with magical forests and super powers and fantasy adventures. But I never plan anything or follow any set rules. A lot of my author friends will have post it notes and charts and character interviews or CVs but I never do any of that, I just sit down and write. People seem to like it. I mean, I have enough to live off and pay the bills but I’m not going to be buying an island in the Caribbean any time soon.’
‘Well if you have enough money to write full time, you must be doing something right.’
He shrugged again, obviously not keen to admit that he was any good.
‘I’d like to read them.’
He shook his head. ‘They’re just kids’ stuff, not your thing at all, I’m sure.’
‘As we’ve already established, my thing is very different to what you think my thing is.’
‘Right, of course.’ He swallowed a big lump of bread and didn’t look up at all after that.
She sighed. She didn’t want him to feel uncomfortable around her. She already regretted her little outburst earlier, she was normally much more professional than that.
‘Thank you for letting me stay, there was nowhere else anywhere near here apart from the tiny B&B I booked and when their pipes burst and flooded the house, I was at a bit of a loss for what to do.’
‘It’s fine,’ Cameron said, in a way that said it really wasn’t fine.
‘Don’t feel that you have to cook for me or anything. This is lovely,’ she gestured to the soup. ‘But I can look after myself. I presume the village has a shop. I can buy some food and make my own meals. You don’t have to worry about that.’
‘I have food here, it’s silly for both of us to be cooking separate meals, unless you’re on some weird diet,’ he glanced briefly at her slender frame. People always assumed she ate really healthily when the truth was miles apart.
‘I eat anything.’
‘Then we might as well eat together.’
‘I don’t want to be in your way.’
‘You won’t. I have work to do and you’ll have tests and measurements to do so I hope … I mean I guess we won’t be getting in each other’s hair too much.’
He didn’t want her there and her heart sank even more at this. Well, if he didn’t want her to stay and she probably couldn’t help him anyway, maybe she would only stay one night after all.
‘Tell me about the castle.’
He looked across the table at her. ‘I don’t know a lot. I used to live here when I was very young, but my mum took me away when I was about six. I never saw my dad after that and I never came back here either. They were always arguing, mainly about the lack of money, even back then. Mum wanted to sell the place and move, my dad refused, so she left. I know it’s been in the family for hundreds of years, hence the rather obnoxious title of Lord that I’ve been bequeathed.’
Milly sat up straighter. The castle she had seen from the outside was not hundreds of years old, but that didn’t mean there hadn’t been some recent modifications to the original structure. Perhaps the Cinderella façade was hiding something far more exciting and mysterious.

***

If you enjoyed the first chapter of Fairytale Beginnings, you can download the whole book here - it's only 99p for the next few days.

Blog Tour: Return to Bluebell Hill - Author Q&A with Rebecca Pugh

Today I'm absolutely delighted to welcome Rebecca Pugh to Little Northern Soul. Her debut novel, Return to Bluebell Hill, was released last week and is an absolutely wonderful read - you can read my review here . As part of the blog tour, Becca answered my questions about the book and writing process, so grab a cuppa, get comfy and enjoy finding out more about this fantastic debut author, who is truly one to watch! 

1) Hi Becca! Thanks for stopping by Little Northern Soul. First of all can you tell us a bit more about your debut novel, Return to Bluebell Hill. 

Of course! Return to Bluebell Hill is all about Jessica McAdams returning to her childhood village after being away for almost a decade. Why? Well, readers find out as the story progresses, and the secrets of Jessica’s past begin to unravel. It’s a novel about taking chances, facing your fears and grabbing the future with both hands! There’s also a lovely splash of romance in there, too! ;) 

2) I absolutely love the book - it's a real page turner and has a whole host of brilliant characters. Who was your favourite to write? 

Wow, I’m SO chuffed that you love it! Thank you for your gorgeous comments. Oh, I’ve been asked this a few times now, and even though Jessica was my main focus, I found Esme rather fun to create. She’s a lovely old woman with apple-round cheeks and wispy hair that she wears in a bun. Her cottage is definitely a plus, too! 

3) Where did the idea for the story come from and how do you find inspiration for writing generally? 

The idea came completely from my imagination, although I suppose my family is such a huge deal to me, I definitely had to include some aspect of that in there. I’ve always been charmed by bluebells, not only because of their gorgeous colour but because of the myths that are behind them, mostly to do with fairies. You know how much I’m a sucker for anything remotely fairy-tale like! 

4) I always thinks it's great to find out more about the person behind the book, so can you tell us a little about you? 

Sure, although I may bore you to sleep! ;) I really am just your average twenty-something from Shropshire. Big family girl at heart! I’m the eldest of seven children and call my siblings my squiggles, haha. I’ve always been a passionate reader, I love old 80’s music and films. As everyone can see from my tweets etc. I’m very excitable! I don’t know why that is, maybe because I’m surrounded by my younger siblings and they’re still so young. They don’t yet know about worries or stress or anything like that, and maybe that rubs off on me? I don’t know. I have a partner who I’ve been with since secondary school, and a Jack Russell called Bonnie. I love takeaway food, I love surprises and I LOVE that I’m on your blog right now, answering your questions for my blog tour. Life is crazy!

5) Have you always wanted to be an author? 

It’s definitely always been a dream, but seemed so impossible and out of reach that I very rarely entertained the idea of it actually ever happening! Now that it is happening, I’m finding it hard to realise that it’s real and not still in my mind! It really is a dream come true. Sounds so clichéd but… it is what it is! 

6) How was your journey to publication? 

INCREDIBLY EXCITED! Every day was another step closer to my debut novel being published. Every milestone (title reveal, cover reveal) just heightened my excitement and it really has been the most incredible journey of my LIFE. I’ve tried to keep my emotions in check, but it’s so difficult because the support from yourself and the other bloggers, even authors, has just been so overwhelming. I’ll always remember this experience, always. 

7) Is it possible to describe the feeling when you got the call to say your book was going to be published? 

Hahah, oh man, I don’t think I can. I remember holding the phone to my ear and feeling as if the earth had suddenly just shifted. It’s taken a long time for me to truly comprehend what it all means and that it’s really happening. Even now, there are days when I stop and stare as it all comes to the surface again. It’s just surreal. Completely and utterly surreal! 

8) Becca's Books is a really successful blog - I love reading it. Now you're a successful author (because we all know Return to Bluebell Hill is going to soar!) are you still going to spend as much time on the blog? 

Aurwh, thanks so much, Laura. I’m so proud of Becca’s Books. She’s definitely not the most amazing book blog out there, but she’s very special to me! (No idea why I’m referring to my blog as a ‘she’) Hahaha! The truth is, I probably will slow down just a little bit with the blog, only because I really want to give my chance with Carina my absolute ALL. I don’t want to mess up such an amazing opportunity. I think I’ll always have time for my blog, for reading and reviewing, but the writing will have to come first, especially when there are deadlines to meet! 

9) When you're not busy writing or blogging how do you like to spend your free time? 

Days out, trips to the cinema with my partner, visiting the family, watching the old films that I love so much, friends, going out for scrummy food. Down the pub for a drink every now and again. Just your everyday, average things! I wish I could say that I split my time between here and Paris, but sadly that’s not the case, haha! ;)

10) I have to ask... is there plans for book 2?! 

There are plans for book 2, although none are set in concrete just yet… Once I’m set on Book 2, you’ll definitely be hearing about it, because you know how I just love to scream and shout about all of the bookish things, including my own!

Thanks so much for coming on the blog Becca! 

Laura, thank YOU for having me, and for your fabulous questions! It has been an absolute pleasure, and I cannot thank you enough for the never-ending support that you’ve been throwing my way by the bucket-load. You’re fantastic, and it means the world to me. Becca xxx

LINKS: 

Buy the book 

Blog (Becca's Books)
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