Category: Milly Johnson

The Mother of All Christmases by Milly Johnson

The Mother of All Christmase Synopsis: 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, and 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 Rating: 3/5

My Review: It’s been quite some time since I have read a Milly Johnson book and needed a break from the crime so picked this one up and was looking forward to it. I have to be completely honest and say I wasn’t blown away by this particular book which is a shame as I have absolutely loved some of her other books.

This book is based on three women brought together by their membership of the Christmas Pudding Club (a club for women expecting a baby around Christmas). Eve Glace, Annie Pandoro and Palma Collins are the three characters who we get meet and delve into their lives. The first few chpaters for some reason felt a little hard going with the introduction of the people in these womens lives. Once I got to grips with everybody the story certainly flowed but I couldn’t really get into the storyline and I actually don’t know why.

The story overall was okay but for some reason I couldn’t quite gel with it and didn’t much care what happened to the characters. I think I may well have dulled certain senses in my brain by reading too much crime fiction. I will no doubt return to this author at a later date….

The Perfectly Imperfect Woman by Milly Johnson

 Synopsis: 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.

Kat’s Rating: 5/5 Continue reading “The Perfectly Imperfect Woman by Milly Johnson”

Ladies Who Launch by Milly Johnson (Short Story)

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Kat’s Rating: 3/5

Kat’s Review: So the follow up from the Short Story Here Come The Boys is this one and it’s a perfect continuation and wrap up of both Angie and Selina’s story. Angie and Selina are now firm friends following their years of not speaking after their school days. Their last trip resulted in Seina making the brave decision to leave her husband and it made Angie see what she had waiting for her at home!

This book seemed a little shorter than the last and I literaly read it in about 10 minutes. I think this would have been better being added on to the last short story. Unfortunately about 40% of this was the short story and the rest is extracts from another MJ book. Couldn’t helpp being a little bit dissapointed but am hoping we return with a full length book at some point to see how Angie and Selina are getting on.

Here Come The Boys by Milly Johnson (Short Story)

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Synopsis: Angie Silverton and her husband are taking a much-needed holiday on the cruise ship Mermaidia, so the last person she hopes to bump into is her one-time best friend Selina who stole the love of her life and married him twenty years ago. 

And what she needs even less is to be marooned in Malaga with Selina when both of them manage to miss boarding the ship in port. 

It will take three days for them to travel across Europe to catch up with the ship again in Croatia. And in the company of each other twenty-four/seven, a lot of old baggage is going to be unloaded. 

Kat’s Rating: 4/5

Kat’s Review: Considering I don’t read short stories this is the second of Milly Johnson’s I’ve read in the same amount of weeks:-) Angie and her very loveable husband Gil are taking their very first trip aboard a cruise ship. From the moment they start their journey on the coach they realise this will be very different to what they are used to. No sooner have they arrived do they start to meet some onboard friends all of whom had their own part to play in this story.

Both Angie and Gil are such likeable charaters however when Gill is suffering from sea sickness when they dock in Malaga, Angie decides to do some shopping on her own. What she didn’t bank of was not making the ship in time and being stranded. Not only that she ends up being stranded with her ex-best friend who went off and married the man she was supposed to end up with.

This story was a delight to read and as soon as I had finished I checked out whether there was a continuation of sorts andd sure enough the short story named ‘Ladies Who Launch’ appeared and hey Presto, my next Milly Johnson arrived on my Kindle. It’s been far too long since I read this lady’s books it certainly put me back in that zone! A great short read… 

The Barn on Half Moon Hill by Milly Johnson (Short Story)

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Synopsis: Cariad Williams has been writing to Franco Mezzaluna since they were kids. But he has never written back. And now he has become a famous film star. What’s more, he is due to visit Winterworld, the Christmas theme park where Cariad works. The only problem is that she has boasted to her friends that he is her boyfriend and now everyone will find out about her lie…
An exclusive short story from Milly Johnson to raise funds for the Care for Claire charity.

Kat’s Rating: 4/5

Kat’s Review: I’m not that much of a fan of short stories as no sooner have I got into the story it’s finishing. However with this book being part of a charity to raise funds for the Car for Claire Charity I figured it was a good enough reason to read it.

As usual Milly Johnson manages to createe characters I like instantly and Cariad is no different. A lady that spent years writing to Franco Mezzaluna her childhood friend. The only problem is he has never written back and has now become a famous film star.

With the imminent arrival of Franco to the town where Cariad lives her tension mounts and she has no idea what to expect. A lovely short story with a lovely ending albeit a story I could have continued reading about as I would have loved to have known what happened next for all the characters involved. Although short stories aren’t really my thing this was for a great cause and Milly’s writing does just the thing and this 80 page treat was perfect to cheer me up one lunch break!

The Birds and The Bees by Milly Johnson

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Synopsis: Romance writer and single mum Stevie Honeywell has only weeks to go to her wedding when her fiancé 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?

KAT’S RATING: 5/5

KAT’S REVIEW: Oh my. Milly Johnson recently got me out of a little reading funk with her release The Teashop On The Corner. When I realised that I still had a couple of books of hers I hadn’t read I was so pleased that I immediately bumped it up my to be read list, and thank goodness I did. Stevie Honeywell is an adorable character that you cannot help from the outset. She is a writer who is just weeks away from her wedding to fiance Matthew. However, she certainly wasn’t expecting Matthew to run off with the much skinnier and more glamorous Jo Maclean.

Her friend Catherine along with her husband Eddie and their brood of children make for excellent secondary characters and we see them chivvy Stevie along so that she can move on from Matthew. However, that was before Stevie met Adam Mac Lean, Jo’s ex-partner. Adam is a really funny character to read about, with his gruff Scottish drawl and brittle exterior,, he really is a lovable bloke. With Stevie experiencing so many setbacks, her and Adam are hellbent on showing they don’t need their exes, with the sole purpose of attracting them back.

As with any Milly Johnson book it takes little to settle in and the characters you instantly like and want to know more about. Every time I read a Milly Johnson book it cheers me up and I just want to keep reading. I find myself in that horrible position of only having one of her books left to read so shall save that for my next book funk moment. This is a warm-hearted and wonderful read that will cheer you up no end.

The Teashop On The Corner by Milly Johnson

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Synopsis:  Life is full of second chances…if only you keep your heart open for them. 

Spring Hill Square is a pretty sanctuary away from the bustle of everyday life. And at its centre is Leni Merryman’s Teashop on the Corner, specialising in cake, bookish stationery and compassion. And for three people, all in need of a little TLC, it is somewhere to find a friend to lean on. 

Carla Pride has just discovered that her late husband Martin was not who she thought he was. And now she must learn to put her marriage behind her and move forward. 

Molly Jones’s ex-husband Harvey has reappeared in her life after many years, wanting to put right the wrongs of the past before it is too late. 

And Will Linton’s business has gone bust and his wife has left him to pick up the pieces. Now he needs to gather the strength to start again. 

Can all three find the comfort they are looking for in The Teashop on the Corner? And as their hearts are slowly mended by Leni, can they return the favour when she needs it most…? 

KAT’S RATING: 5/5

KAT’S REVIEW:  Prior to starting this latest Milly Johnson I was in something of a ‘book funk’. Reading on average 3-4 books a week, I suddenly found everything I picked up didn’t hold my interest. I just couldn’t get in to anything and was wondering whether I should take a few days break. However, luckily for me I persevered. Well actually what that meant was closing my eyes and tapping a page on my Kindle for a ‘Lucky Dip’. That ‘Lucky Dip’ happened to be this one by Milly Johnson and what a treat it ended up being!

Carla Pride is in a position many women may empathise with. She has been married for ten years and her husband dutifully goes off to work, while she sits at home keeping the place spic and span whilst trying to find a new job. When her husband dies suddenly she becomes much more than just a grieving widow. Finding herself in a position where she needs to start afresh she is not only nervous but apprehensive about what is in store for her.

The Teashop on The Corner is owned by Leni Merryman and soon becomes the centre stage for this story. This book doesn’t just follow one lead character but a few and its done magnificently! Will Linton has lost everything and is starting again, Molly Jones has to deal with the re-appearance of an ex-husband and all together the Teashop becomes their sanctuary. In addition characters pop up such as Sean , Ryan and Mr Singh. It doesn’t feel like you are reading about any one of them, but all of them as a whole.

I fell in love with the teashop as well as the characters in the book. Milly Johnson has always been a fantastic author who I have loved reading but I must say this book had that extra something and I couldn’t even tell you what that ‘something’ was…it was just there! Read in one day, this book not only got me out of my book funk, but transported me to a town I actually wanted to be a part of. BY the end of this book I wanted to know what happened to them after that, a girl can hope right? A truly magical read which had me smiling, crying and laughing. A highly recommended read!

It’s Raining Men by Milly Johnson

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My Rating: 3/5

Synopsis: Best friends May, Lara and Clare are desperate for a holiday. They have been dreaming of a little cottage in the middle of nowhere, long walks in the country and just a bit of time away from it all. But when they arrive in Ren Dullem, a small Yorkshire seaside town, it seems it is not the place they thought it was…

May can’t wait to get away from men after being cruelly deceived. Then in Dullem she falls hook line and sinker at first glance for one of the inhabitants – but he’s already taken…

Lara is living with James and his awful step-children who taunt her with tales of his younger, prettier ex whom they adored – the woman who Lara walks in to find James in bed with despite all his protestations that he wouldn’t touch her again with a barge pole. Reeling from the hurt, she needs the sea air of Dullem to heal her. What she doesn’t need is to be constantly in battle with the owner of the holiday cottage – a man who is every bit as bitter and resentful and untrusting of the other sex as she is.

Clare’s kind, steady boyfriend Lud wants her to go and live abroad with him for two years, but she’s just been offered the promotion of a lifetime. It gives her the excuse she needs to end the relationship and find some single excitement which happens to turn up in the form of a very bad boy who is everything Lud isn’t – impulsive, wild and dangerous. Will this holiday be the break they all need? Or will the odd little town with all its secrets bring them all to breaking point…?

My Review: I was looking forward to reading the new Milly Johnson as there isn’t one of her books I have yet disliked! This one sounded interesting and I knew that it wouldn’t take me long to get into it, if her past books are anything to go by. I really liked the three main characters Lara, May and Clare. All of them were very different and as they prepare for their holiday you can see why things might go very wrong for all of them.

As soon as they arrive at Ren Dullem, they realise the place they are staying is not quite what they imagined. Milly Johnson did a stellar job of describing the quaint town and the mad and crazy characters that live there. The only thing that I found different in this book to other’s, is that I didn’t really feel like I had an opinion on the men of Ren Dullem either way. I was so indifferent I surprised myselfJ. By the end of the story I felt a little warmer towards them, but felt like we never really got to know them very well.

The girls on the other hand I felt we got to see for who they really were. I liked all of them, and felt like this highlighted just what Milly Johnson is fabulous at! She manages to create characters the reader really likes. This current book is no different and as more characters are added in, to weave the tale of the mysterious village, it makes the story so much more interesting. IF I am being 100% honest, there was one slightly ‘magical’ element to the story which just wasn’t to my taste. Thankfully, this didn’t deter from me liking the book. As usual Milly Johnson has created an enchanting book that I’m pretty sure the majority will like. It’s not one of my favourite MJ books, but I enjoyed it all the same.

A Winter Flame by Milly Johnson

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My Rating: 4/5

I have read a few of Milly’s books now and can honestly say I haven’t felt disappointed with any of them in any way. My favourite to date has been `Here Come The Girls’ but I’ve yet to read her earlier stuff. With the release of A Winter Flame I was actually pretty excited. Although I may favour one book over another all of her books have that wonderful feel good vibe about them.

A Winter Flame took me less than two chapters to get into and it becomes very apparent that Eve Beresford the main character is stuck in a rut. After losing her soldier fiancé on Christmas Day, she now avoids Christmas at all costs. She has managed to become successful with her events company and has a great career, but with nobody to share it with, and her inability to let go it seems she will never move on and be happy. When she is left a plot of land by her aunt, she fears that her aunt may have lost her marbles. There are plans in place for Eve to jointly run and own a Christmas theme park. It seems that her aunt has left the remaining half to a complete stranger, a man named Jacques Glace.

Never fear, the above paragraph will not ruin the story as this is all in the synopsis! I immediately loved Jacques and though he was a big bundle of joy. Eve however took me longer to warm to. With her mind being so suspicious and her issues surrounding trust, I felt like I had to work at getting to like her. However, as her aunts madcap scheme seems to start working I began to understand a little of why Eve was so shut off from everybody. The story gets right into the thick of Eve and Jacques as they try to construct the park as Eve’s aunt would have wanted. But between the stress of pulling it off, and Eve’s suspicions the plan is far from smooth.

The story was a little predictable, (although Milly Johnson had me going towards the end) but was exactly what I would have wanted anyway. One of the things I loved about this book is that we see the re-appearance of the characters that appeared in her last book White Wedding. Violet is the main character that we see, and Mac and Bel only briefly, but it was nice to get reacquainted. This book has come at the perfect time in the run up to Christmas and brings back a little of the Christmas magic. It still doesn’t top Here Comes The Girls for me, but was, as ever, a brilliant read for me. This was one that I could curl up and get lost in and truly enjoy. I can’t wait to read her others now.

White Wedding by Milly Johnson

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My Rating: 4/5

Violet, Max and Bel are three friends who are all linked by their weddings. When I first picked up this new Milly Johnson book I was really looking to reading it and I was surprised that I found myself stumbling over the first few chapters. Thankfully, I think it was just me as after the first few chapters I was seamlessly drawn alongside these individual women. As usual Milly Johnson has created characters that although not perfect, are very likeable.

The three prospective grooms are all very different and before long you can see all sorts of possibilities on the horizon for the 3 women. The lovely thing about reading Milly Johnson books is that she manages to create different characters that feel very `real’. The stories flow really well and it takes no time at all to become engrossed in one of her books and I am pleased to say that this one was no different. There was a one particular part of the storyline which had me chuckling, revolving around Max and her particular choice for wedding style!

As the story moves past the halfway mark I found myself praying that things worked out for the individual women. What I wasn’t prepared for were a couple of twists added to the story which threw me (in a good way). It was nice to have such drama and surprises show up in such an otherwise lovely weddings tale. The ending was just about as good as it gets and to be honest I was disappointed to realise I was coming to the end. Once I had finished the book I immediately made sure I had another Milly book added to my Kindle for future reading. Not my favourite of hers so far but still a brilliant read.