NEW RELEASE
The Secret of Happy Ever After - Lucy Dillon (2011)
Anna is newly married to Phil who has three children, who have not made the transition easy for Anna. She is finding it hard to gain the girls' trust and get them to like her. She also wants to have a baby with Phil so she can have something that is truly hers that is not tainted by Phil's ex-wife and his children. But unfortunately for her, Phil is already past the point of wanting to deal with nappies and screaming babies. So in an effort to get away from the house of chaos, she takes on a job for her best friend, Michelle. The Longhampton bookshop Anna will be running is her dream come true as she loves to get lost in stories. Michelle, newly separated from her husband, has thrown all her energy into her two new shops, and is also struggling to keep things from her past a secret. This is a great read about blending families and friendships that will last a lifetime. (CG)
The Secret of Happy Ever After, by Lucy Dillon, takes readers into the magical world of a bookstore. The summary says: "When story-lover Anna takes over Longhampton's bookshop, it's her dream come true. And not just because it gets her away from her three rowdy stepchildren and their hyperactive Dalmatian. Unpacking boxes filled with childhood classics, Anna can't shake the feeling that maybe her own fairytale ending isn't all that she'd hoped for. But, as the stories of love, adventure, secret gardens, lost dogs, wicked witches and giant peaches breathe new life into the neglected shop, Anna and her customers get swept up in the magic too. Even Anna's best friend Michelle - who categorically doesn't believe in true love and handsome princes - isn't immune. But when secrets from Michelle's own childhood come back to haunt her, and disaster threatens Anna's home, will the wisdom and charm of the stories in the bookshop help the two friends - and those they love - find their own happy-ever-afters?" The Secret of Happy Ever After is out in November.