The Happiest Ever After by Milly Johnson

 

What if you could write your own perfect storyline...?

The heart-warming, feelgood novel from the much-loved Sunday Times bestselling author, Milly Johnson

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?

Title: The Happiest Ever After

Author: Milly Johnson

Published By: Simon & Schuster UK

Publication Date: 15th Feb 2024

Links: UK:   Amazon       US:   Amazon

Waterstones

WHSmith

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Our Review 

Do you ever get that feeling where you think, I wish I'd thought of that? Well that was my first thought on hearing what Milly Johnson's brand new book, The Happiest Ever After was about. The concept is absolutely brilliant and especially as I now write books myself, I could really relate to it. Even when I read the first couple of lines I was struck by the unique quality of the writing. I honestly think that Milly's writing will be studied by her local university one day and I think she deserves to have a statue of herself in Barnsley where they must be so proud of her.

Polly Potter has a miserable life, her partner shows her no respect, he's cheated on her before and keeps dumping that workbag in the middle of the floor which was peeing me off alot and I could really feel for her there. Also although she is fantastic at her job, her boss is an idiot who takes credit for all her hard work. Talking of hard work, Her husband's sister is a real pushy pain as well who has chosen a horrible dress for her to wear as her bridesmaid. The only things keeping Polly's head above the water are her best mate at work, her partner's son Will whom she loves and her secret hobby. Polly sneaks off to evening classes to do her creative writing course and she's writing a novel. Her protagonist Sabrina is in control of her life and has everything that Polly has ever wanted.

When Polly can take it no more she leaves Chris, heads to the seaside, leaving no forwarding address but after an unfortunate incident she wakes up in hospital with no belongings and memory loss. The only thing she can remember is that her name is Sabrina. See what I mean about a brilliant concept?

Sabrina's world then opens up to a whole new community and she is taken in by a lovely lady called Marielle but due to something that happened in the past, some of Marielle's friends and family don't take to Sabrina. 

I loved Sabrina's journey especially the blank page that was her future that she was able to write for herself. It was heart-breaking as bits and pieces of her life came back to her including traumatic and devastating events and some of the confusion between Sabrina's past and Polly's meant that Sabrina had even more heartbreak to contend with when reality hit home and she had to grieve again.

One good thing about Sabrina's new life was meeting the gorgeous Italian Chef, Teddy who owned his own restaurant which served delectable meals. But when she begins to fall for him I was so hoping for a happy ending at that point but unfortunately everything is upended again when her ex comes looking for her.

This book has shot to the top of my fave Milly Johnson books, they're always jam packed with fantastic story within a story scenarios so there's never a chance to get bored when reading one. I loved Polly/ Sabrina and not sure when I last rooted for a heroine more. I so wanted her to have a happy ending and hers wasn't just happy but powerful too. Another exciting, heart-breaking, evocative masterpiece from Milly Johnson.

As if all this wasn't enough, I was absolutely blown away to see my name in the acknowledgements, of my favourite author. Can you believe that? Thanks so much Milly and please never give up writing.

Sincerely

Book Angel x

About the Author

Milly Johnson was born, raised and still lives in Barnsley, South Yorkshire. She is the author of 20 novels, 4 short story ebooks, a book of poetry and a Quick Reads Novella ('The Little Dreams of Lara Cliffe') and was an erstwhile leading copywriter for the greetings card industry. She is also a poem and joke-writer, a newspaper columnist and a seasoned after dinner speaker.

She won the RoNA for Best Romantic Comedy Novel of 2014 and 2016, the Yorkshire Society award for Arts and Culture 2015, the Romantic Novelist Association Outstanding Achievement award in 2020, the Goldsboro Books Contemporary Romantic Novel Award in 2021 and the Richard Whiteley Award for Inspiration to the County of Yorkshire in 2022.

She writes about love, life, friendships and the importance of community spirit. Her books champion women, their strength and resilience and celebrate her beloved Yorkshire.

Her 20th novel 'Together, Again' was published in paperback on 2nd March 2023 and is about three estranged sisters convening after the death of their mother in order to arrange her funeral. Freed from the shadow of the overbearing Eleanor Vamplew, the three women come to realise that they have more in common than they could ever have realised.

Milly's website is www.millyjohnson.co.uk. She is on Twitter as @millyjohnson, Instagram as @themillyjohnson, TikTok as @millyjohnsonauthor and has a Facebook page @MillyJohnsonAuthor. She also has a monthly newsletter www.millyjohnson.co.uk/newsletter with exclusive, news, offers and competitions.

The Magnificent Mrs Mayhew by Milly Johnson

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?

Title:   The Magnificent Mrs Mayhew

Author:  Milly Johnson

Published By: Simon & Schuster

Publication Date: 7th March 2019

Links:   UK:  Amazon        US:  Amazon

Waterstones     WHSmith 

Or you can order signed copies from Milly's website  

Our Review

We are absolutely delighted and privileged to be taking part in the magnificent blog tour for The Magnificent Mrs Mayhew.

I’ve been a huge fan of Milly Johnson for a number of years now and I really thought she was top of her game. So imagine my delight when I devoured this book and found that she had actually raised the bar yet again.

If I didn’t know any better I’d say that Milly writes her books with a magic wand and not a pen. The writing style is slick and sophisticated without losing that down to earth Yorkshire charm and wicked sense of humour that Milly is renowned for.

I was immediately hooked to the story of Sophie Mayhew who is married to a handsome and powerful MP who quite simply cannot keep it in his pants. After suffering one humiliation too many in a callous world full of backbiting and sleaze, Sophie disappears to a place where she had happy memories from many years before.

The town of Little Loste was a complete contrast to the hostile environment she was used to. It was so welcoming with friendly people who were willing to give kindness without question, unlike Sophie's hateful family. Throw in a drop dead gorgeous vicar and his four year old son and a new best friend and I felt as at home there as Sophie did. 

I loved this book, it was comforting and enveloped me into loving arms, Sophie was so endearing and I was really rooting for her throughout.

The story was painful in parts, I guarantee you will be wanting to shout at the page when Sophie is berated by her family, joyful; I found myself smiling a lot, heartwarming, a gesture that Sophie's brother in law made brought me close to tears and totally uplifting, when Sophie starts to believe in herself.

Milly’s writing is such a joy and this book has now become my favourite of hers. It’s fascinating to see that well established and brilliant authors such as Milly can still keep evolving and keep us chomping at the bit for the next amazing book.

Sincerely

Book Angel x

About the Author

Milly Johnson was born, raised and still lives in Barnsley, South Yorkshire. As well as being an author of 16 published novels, 2 short story books and 2 novellas, she is also a copywriter for the greetings card industry, a poem and joke-writer, a columnist and a seasoned after dinner speaker.

She won the RoNA for Best Romantic Comedy Novel of 2014 and 2016 and the Yorkshire Society award for Arts and Culture 2015.


She writes about love, life, friendships and the importance of community spirit. Her books champion women, their strength and resilience and celebrate her beloved Yorkshire.

Her latest book - 'The Magnificent Mrs Mayhew' deals with a woman who has been conditioned since a child to be little more than a support for an important man. But there is much more to Mrs Mayhew than anyone who knows her - even her own family - could ever believe.

Milly's website is www.millyjohnson.co.uk. She is on Twitter as @millyjohnson, Instagram as @themillyjohnson and has a Facebook page @MillyJohnsonAuthor. She also has a monthly newsletter www.millyjohnson.co.uk/newsletter with exclusive, news, offers and competitions. 

Follow the rest of the blog tour here...

The Mother of all Christmases by Milly Johnson

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?

The brand new novel from the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Perfectly Imperfect Woman; a gorgeous read full of love, life, laughter - and crackers! 

Title: The Mother of all Christmases

Author: Milly Johnson

Published By: Simon & Schuster

Publication Date: 15th November

Links:- UK:  Amazon     US: Amazon

WHSmith:   Paperback    ebook    

Waterstones

Our Review



Heartbreaking with a beautiful silver lining.
Firstly I would just like to point out that this is not a shmaltzy fairy tale kind of Christmas book and is quite a lot darker than Milly’s other books but it is a cracker of a read that I guarantee will break your heart.

Although it does have its own Winter Wonderland with fake snow and reindeer, this is a hard hitting novel describing the grittiness of life for one of the characters called Palma who has hit her rock bottom and is trying to climb back up into a decent life.

When she becomes pregnant she joins the Christmas Pudding club which has been set up by her doctor to allow mums-to-be to meet up and who can then support each other through their pregnancies.

Through this club she meets Annie who’s the owner of a Christmas cracker factory and Annie and the other employees provide the light hearted and fun element of the story through their hilarious banter, especially Iris and Gill. I loved the parts were Gill was FaceTiming from Spain because it’s such a real thing we do in this age of technology we can still very much stay in contact with our friends and loved ones.

Palma is a very flawed character but mostly born out of survival skills that she had to develop to see her through the rough patch that was her life. Whilst it’s easy to judge Palma for some of the actions she took, at the time she just thought it was the right thing to do and I found I understood her reasoning and quickly warmed to her.

Although she often felt very much the outsider in the group the others all clucked around her like mummy ducks protecting their young and I think this was special for Palma because she had never had any self worth.

There is a heartbreaking tragedy which puts everything into perspective for many of the characters but the lovely thing that shines through from this story, apart from the strong bonds of friendship between women which Milly's books are renowned for, is the love that grows between a mother and her unborn child and the same with the man that she chooses to be a father to that child.

There were some very touching scenes involving a lovely man called Tommy which truly brought a tear to my eye. His story was so uplifting and just shows that when someone really believes in you then you can achieve anything you put your mind to and the fact that he wanted to provide that chance for other children was inspiring.

The book although quite dark at times has a beautiful silver lining and ends with a really lovely positive glow.

Many of the wide range of characters from Milly’s previous books feature in this one, including Cariad and Effin from The Barn on Half Moon Hill which Milly wrote to raise money for her friend who lost her sons in the most horrendous way. All proceeds from that novella go to the Care for Claire charity which is such a worthy cause.

To buy please click here. Their stories were all very cleverly intertwined and it was lovely to see how they were doing and especially lovely to visit the Sunflower Cafe once again.

I cried again when reading the acknowledgments because Milly talks about her own rollercoaster of a ride with motherhood which I can totally relate to as our children are approaching University age and it becomes obvious right there how much love and passion has gone into writing this book.

I've loved all of Milly's books and devour them whole, I really can't wait for the next one.

Sincerely

Book Angel x

About the Author

Milly Johnson was born, raised and still lives in Barnsley, South Yorkshire. As well as being an author of 15 published novels, 2 short story books and 2 novellas, she is also a copywriter for the greetings card industry, a joke-writer, a columnist, after dinner speaker, poet, BBC newspaper reviewer, and a sometimes BBC radio presenter.

She won the RoNA for Best Romantic Comedy Novel of 2014 and 2016 and the Yorkshire Society award for Arts and Culture 2015.


She writes about love, life, friendships and that little bit of the magic that sometimes crops up in real life. She likes owls, cats, meringues, handbags and literary gifts - but hates marzipan. She is very short.


Milly's website is www.millyjohnson.co.uk. She is on Twitter @millyjohnson and has a Facebook page (just google Book Page of Milly Johnson). She also has a monthly newsletter www.millyjohnson.co.uk/newsletter with exclusive, news, offers and competitions.

Afternoon Tea at the Sunflower Cafe - Milly Johnson

Love, laughter, friendship and chocolate. The heartwarming new novel from Sunday Times top 10 bestseller, Milly Johnson
Her marriage is all washed up. It's time for a clean start…

Connie Diamond has always been her husband Jimmy's 'best girl' - or so she thought. But then she discovers that he's been playing away for the past twenty-four years, and that the chocolates she believed he bought her as a sign of his love were just a cover-up, and she is determined to get revenge.
Along with Della Frostick, Jimmy's right-hand woman at his cleaning firm, Diamond Shine, Connie decides to destroy Jimmy's life from the inside. Together they will set up a rival business called Lady Muck, and along with the cleaning ladies who meet at the Sunflower Café, they'll make him wish he had never so much as looked at another woman.
Then Connie meets the charming Brandon Locke, a master chocolatier, whose kind chocolate-brown eyes start to melt her soul. Can the ladies of the Sunflower Café help Connie scrub away the hurt? And can Brandon cure her affliction and make her smile again…?

Author: Milly Johnson

Title: Afternoon Tea at the Sunflower Cafe

Publishers: Simon & Schuster

Publication Date: 18th June 2015

Link: Amazon

My Review

I actually think that Milly Johnson is a genius! I have loved every single one of her books and they just keep going from strength to strength. Milly is able to write about ordinary things and everyday situations but she gives them an extraordinary twist which draws you in from the beginning and doesn't let you go, until you have; laughed out loud (on numerous occasions); felt extreme anger; had a good cry; drooled over delectable chocolate flavours and fallen head over heels in love! There is such a great depth to the characters and a rich quality of writing in this book. Milly manages to pack so much into the story that I feel it's great value full of entertaining content. 

Jimmy Diamond is a sexy lovable rogue, women find him completely irresistible, however his wife and daughter see a completely different side to him. 

Connie was a downtrodden wife who accepted the life she had until she snaps and is driven to commit the most bittersweet act of revenge and comes out of it all a completely different woman. She had always been grateful that her husband bought her expensive boxes of chocolates from his trips away until she found out that he actually got his office manager to buy them for her whenever he was having a fling. She decides to give up chocolate there and then as all she can taste is deceit. However, can Brandon Locke tempt her back into the world of melt in the mouth indulgence as he is every woman's dream man, after all, who could resist a handsome chocolatier?

Della has worked for Jimmy for years and has secretly been in love with him the whole time but when she finds out he is having an affair with the office junior, she sees that as the final straw and decides to tell his wife. This is what sets the whole ball in motion and leads to the introduction of the elusive 'Lady Muck' who manages to change all of their lives for ever.

I thoroughly recommend this book to everyone and I would like to see it on the big screen, if not a movie then a comedy drama series which would keep us waiting impatiently each week for our fix.

I love how each book focuses on building strong friendships and always has a special touch of Milly's mystical magic.

I have had the pleasure of meeting Milly and am proud to be a member of #teammilly which I can honestly say has changed my life. Click here to read about my first meeting with Milly.
I was also lucky enough to be invited to the exclusive Champagne afternoon tea, launch party for Afternoon Tea at the Sunflower Cafe, click here to see how it went.

Sincerely

Book Angel

About the Author

Photo from Millyjohnson.co.uk

Milly Johnson was born, raised and still lives in Barnsley, South Yorkshire. As well as being an author of 11 published novels, 2 short story books and a novella, she is also a copywriter for the greetings card industry, a joke-writer, a columnist, after dinner speaker, poet, BBC newspaper reviewer and a sometimes BBC radio presenter.
She writes about love, life, friendships and that little bit of the magic that sometimes crops up in real life. She likes owls and meringues and hates marzipan. She is very short.

Review of The Teashop On The Corner by Milly Johnson

'A Milly Johnson book is like that burst of pleasure you get, just at that moment when smooth, silky chocolate melts in your mouth! A delicious, guilty indulgence not to be shared with anyone.'



"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...? A story of love, friendship and second chances that will warm your heart and rekindle your hope."

Review

I loved this book and read it whilst in Monte Carlo for a weekend away with my husband, he came out to the balcony to see if I was ready to go out and found me bawling my eyes out on his fiftieth birthday.

The story revolves around Leni's teashop which becomes a sanctuary where people can forget about their problems and indulge in a cuppa tea, a delicious cake and a friendly chat with Leni and the other customers. This is a book about Love and friendship in all it's many forms and describes tenderly how fragile we all are and how with enough love and encouragement we can find the strength to pick ourselves up and eventually learn to trust again. This book is an emotional whirlwind which, with Milly's humour, will have you laughing one minute and crying the next. I think that Milly is amazingly clever with how she writes characters as they feel like old friends and through them she communicates love, grief, sorrow, happiness and excitement in a painfully raw and honest way and there is always a touch of Milly magic too.

I have now read all of Milly's books and I thoroughly recommend all of them, my favourite had been 'Here come the Girls' until this one came along and I also had the pleasure of meeting her at the Books and the City Blogger evening in March. I now can't wait for the new release which will be out in June, "Afternoon Tea at the Sunflower Cafe", published by Simon & Schuster.

'A Milly Johnson book is like that burst of pleasure you get, just at that moment when smooth, silky chocolate melts in your mouth! A delicious, guilty indulgence not to be shared with anyone.'

Sincerely Book Angel

About the Author

Milly Johnson was born, raised and still lives in Barnsley, South Yorkshire. As well as being an author of 11 published novels, 2 short story books and a novella, she is also a copywriter for the greetings card industry, a joke-writer, a columnist, after dinner speaker, poet, BBC newspaper reviewer and a sometimes BBC radio presenter.
She writes about love, life, friendships and that little bit of the magic that sometimes crops up in real life. She likes owls and meringues and hates marzipan. She is very short.