Project and content management for Contemporary Authors volumes
WORK TITLE: Christmas at Lilac Cottage
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: https://hollymartinwriter.wordpress.com/
CITY: Bedfordshire, England
STATE:
COUNTRY: United Kingdom
NATIONALITY:
RESEARCHER NOTES:
LC control no.: nb2017015238
LCCN Permalink: https://lccn.loc.gov/nb2017015238
HEADING: Martin, Holly (Novelist)
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100 1_ |a Martin, Holly |c (Novelist)
370 __ |c Great Britain |e Bedfordshire (England) |2 naf
372 __ |a Fiction |2 lcsh
374 __ |a Novelists |2 lcsh
375 __ |a Females |2 lcsh
377 __ |a eng
670 __ |a One hundred proposals, 2015: |b title page (Holly Martin) page 1 (lives in Bedfordshire; her first chicklit book “The Guestbook”, won the Carina UK Valentine’s competition at the Festival of Romance)
PERSONAL
Female.
EDUCATION:Attended college, teaching degree.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer and romance novelist. Worked as a hotel receptionist, in a bank, as a schoolteacher, and as a history workshop teacher.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Holly Martin has worked various jobs, eventually becoming a teacher and a history workshop teacher who dons period costumes. Eventually, Martin turned to writing. “Most of my stories are chicklit or women’s fiction, funny, light hearted, rose tinted stories with the compulsory happy ever after,” Martin told Laura Kenyon in an interview for the Laura Kenyon website. Martin went on to tell Kenyon in the same interview: “I want people to fall in love with my characters, to root for them, to laugh and cry with them. Hopefully some of the scenarios my characters find themselves in are original and creative and readers will enjoy that.”
The Guestbook
Martin’s book titled The Guestbook won the Carina Valentine’s competition at the Festival of Romance 2013. The novel revolves around a young widow named Annie Buterworth and a celebrity crime writer named Oliver Black. Annie is the landlady of Willow Cottage. Whenever Oliver comes back to town, Annie is pleased to see her old friend “Olly,” who often appears in gossip magazines with supermodels by his side.
It turns out that Oliver is the first man Annie every shared a kiss with, and he returns often to Willow Cottage for visits. The story of Annie and Oliver as well as the guests who come to Willow Cottage are told through the various comments people leave in the Willow Cottage guestbook. Many of the guests have come to the seaside resort to ponder difficulties in their life, including sicknesses, births, and deaths. “I laughed, I smiled, I gasped and at points I even felt sad but the overall feeling of this book was one of joy,” wrote a Chick Lit Club website contributor.
One Hundred Proposals
In One Hundred Proposals, Suzie and her best friend, Harry, run the Perfect Proposals company that arranges romantic proposals. Harry decides that a good way to publicize the company is to start a project in which Harry proposes 100 times to Suzie. The novel follows the couple as they travel the world performing proposals in spectacular locations. However, for Harry the proposals are more than a publicity stunt but rather a way to let Suzie know he loves her.
“What unfurls is a wonderfully original story, full of so many unique and beautiful moments,” wrote Paris Baker for the Paris Baker’s Book Nook website. A Chick Lit Club website contributor noted Martin’s “impressively effortless writing style” and the novel’s “absorbing plot.”
Fairytale Beginnings
Fairytale Beginnings finds Milly Rose still looking for her “prince charming.” She works for Castle Heritage and is given the assignment of traveling to a remote village to study the origins of Clover Castle. The job is at the request of the castle’s owner, Cameron Hearthstone, who hopes that whatever Milly finds out about the castle will help him publicize it as a place to visit and, as a result, help him maintain the castle he has inherited. As they work together, Milly and Cameron tentatively being to fall in love, both still cautious because of past heartbreaks.
“The eccentric villagers were a wonderful addition to the story,” wrote a Chick Lit Club website contributor. A Royal Reviews website contributor commented: “Fairytale Beginnings is chick lit at its best: little bit ridiculous – corny, silly, repetitive – a lot romantic and fun.”
Christmas Under a Cranberry Sky and Christmas at Lilac Cottage
Martin’s other books include Christmas Under a Cranberry Sky and Christmas at Lilac Cottage. In Christmas Under a Cranberry Sky, Pip is a travel writer whose work has prevented her from ever having a real home. Pip goes on an assignment to Juniper Island, which celebrates Christmas year round. Once there, she runs into her childhood sweetheart, Gabe, who once broke her heart. “Martin has created a … magical atmosphere with her winter wonderland,” wrote a Chick Lit Club website contributor.
Christmas at Lilac Cottage finds Henry Travis, a single father, moving into an annex of a cottage owned by Penny Meadows in rural Devon, England. Things do not start out well between Penny and Henry, resulting in Henry locking the connecting door between their respective abodes. The two pretend to be friendly in front of Daisy, Henry’s 16-year-old-daughter, as the relationship between the two adults improves and then disintegrates over and over again. A Publishers Weekly contributor called Christmas at Lilac Cottage “a gentle greeting card of a contemporary Christmas love story.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Publishers Weekly, June 5, 2017, review of Christmas at Lilac Cottage, p. 37.
ONLINE
Chick Lit Club, https://www.chicklitclub.com (April 18, 2018), reviews of The Guestbook, One Hundred Proposals, Fairytale Beginnings, and Christmas Under a Cranberry Sky.
Holly Martin Website, https://hollymartinwriter.wordpress.com (April 18, 2018).
Laura Kenyon Website, https://laurakenyon.com/ (April 2, 2014), Laura Kenyon, “Author Intervivew: Holly Martin, Author of The Guestbook.”
Paris Baker’s Book Nook, https://parisbakerwriting.wordpress.com/ (November 5, 2014), Paris Baker, review of One Hundred Proposals.
Royal Reviews, http://theroyalreviews.blogspot.com/ (July 14, 2015), review of Fairytale Beginnings.
Holly Martin
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About me
IMG_20140525_203444I live in sunny Bedfordshire in a house with round windows. I studied media at university which led to a very glitzy career as a hotel receptionist followed by an even more glamorous two years working in a bank. The moment that one of my colleagues received the much coveted carriage clock for fifteen years’ service was the moment when I knew I had to escape. I quit my job and returned to university to train to be a teacher. Three years later, I emerged wide eyed and terrified that I now had responsibility for the development of thirty young minds. I taught for four years and then escaped the classroom to teach history workshops, dressing up as a Viking one day and an Egyptian High Priestess the next. But the long journeys around the UK and many hours sat on the M25 gave me a lot of time to plan out my stories and I now write full time, doing what I love.
I have been writing for 6 years. I was shortlisted for the New Talent Award at the Festival of Romance 2012. My short story won the Sunlounger competition and was published in the Sunlounger anthology in 2013. I won the Carina Valentine’s competition at the Festival of Romance 2013 with my novel The Guestbook. I was shortlisted for Best Romantic Read, Best eBook and Innovation in Romantic Fiction at the Festival of Romance 2014.
You can contact me at hollymartin.writer@gmail.com or follow me on Twitter @hollymartin00
About the Author
Holly Martin worked in a hotel and then as a teacher, before becoming a full-time writer. She won the Carina Valentine's competition and was shortlisted for the New Talent Award, Best Romantic Read, Best Ebook and Innovation in Romantic Fiction awards at the Festival of Romance. She lives in a little white cottage by the sea.
PLEASE NOTE. Holly is not the author of Princess (The Johnson Family). That book is by a different author with the same name.
Holly lives in a little white cottage by the sea. She studied media at university which led to a very glitzy career as a hotel receptionist followed by a even more glamorous two years working in a bank. The moment that one of her colleagues received the much coveted carriage clock for fifteen years' service was the moment when she knew she had to escape. She quit her job and returned to university to train to be a teacher. Three years later, she emerged wide eyed and terrified that she now had responsibility for the development of thirty young minds. She taught for four years and then escaped the classroom to teach history workshops, dressing up as a Viking one day and an Egyptian High Priestess the next. But the long journeys around the UK and many hours sat on the M25 gave her a lot of time to plan out her stories and she now writes full time, doing what she loves.
Holly has been writing for 8 years. She was shortlisted for the New Talent Award at the Festival of Romance. Her short story won the Sunlounger competition and was published in the Sunlounger anthology. She won the Carina Valentine’s competition at the Festival of Romance 2013 with her novel The Guestbook. She was shortlisted for Best Romantic Read, Best eBook and Innovation in Romantic Fiction at the Festival of Romance 2014. Holly is the bestselling author of 18 books.
Follow her on Twitter @HollyMAuthor
APRIL 2, 2014 · 1:00 AM ↓ Jump to Comments
Author Interview: Holly Martin, author of The Guestbook
The GuestbookAfter working first for a bank and then as a teacher, Bedfordshire author Holly Martin found her calling when a group of role-playing educators visited her school to bring Tudor England to life. Now, in her words, she spends her non-writing time driving around the country “in my little white van, dressing up as a Viking one day and an Egyptian High Priestess the next.”
It must be excellent practice for the imagination, which she needs for her other career as an author. So far, she’s published the first installment of a paranormal young adult series, as well as a women’s fiction treat that weaves a story of laughter, loss, and love in a very unique way — through the pages of seaside inn’s guestbook.
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Holly Martin1. I absolutely love the premise of The Guestbook, which centers around a young widow who runs a guest house (filled with loads of interesting characters), and comes face to face with an old flame while still dealing with the loss of her husband. What can you tell us about that story?
The story of The Guestbook is told solely through the messages left in a holiday cottage guestbook. Annie, the landlady of Willow Cottage, is the main character and it is her story that is told through the messages she leaves for her guests and their interactions with her. I wanted to have a story unravel through just the messages, to have one main story running through it, but also the guests that come to stay have their own story to tell and I love that we get a glimpse into their lives too.
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2. What do think people will love most about the book? What do you love about it?
That it’s something different and unique. It’s still a love story, with humour and great characters but it’s told in a completely different way and hopefully people will embrace that.
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3. Your first novel (The Sentinel, October 2013) is part of a young adult series, but The Guestbook fits more into women’s fiction. Do you prefer one genre over another or do you just write and worry about categorization later?
Most of my stories are chicklit or women’s fiction, funny, light hearted, rose tinted stories with the compulsory happy ever after, but The Sentinel was just something I had to write. It’s a story about an ordinary girl who finds out she has superpowers and is charged with saving the world. When I started writing it, I realized it was going to be bigger than just one book so there will be four books in the series but after that I will probably just stick to women’s fiction in the future, though fantasy books are a lot of fun to write.
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4. Why do you write? What do you want readers to take away from your work?
I just have ideas and I have to write them down, sometimes they are just conversations, a short scene or even just a vague idea. Sometimes I will then continue writing that scene, or write what happened before. Sometimes these ideas turn into full length books, sometimes they don’t. I want people to fall in love with my characters, to root for them, to laugh and cry with them. Hopefully some of the scenarios my characters find themselves in are original and creative and readers will enjoy that.
…
5. What are you working on next?
There are three possible romance books which might be published next, although its likely to be a novel called One Hundred Proposals, which is about a couple who organize wedding proposals for people falling in love themselves. I’ve also written a story called The Chainsaw Masquerade about Joy, a secret chainsaw carver and her love story with the moody actor next door. I’m also working on book 2 of the Sentinel Series, The Prophecies, which I hope will be out soon.
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6. Spreading the word is one of the most daunting aspects of publishing with a smaller press. How do you get your titles out there?
Luckily for me, Carina are part of Harlequin and Mills and Boon so they have experience in publicizing their books. But it also comes down to social media and having a presence on there, especially Twitter. Not just ‘buy my book’ tweets, but taking the time to chat to people on there too. I was quite late to Twitter, only joining last August, but I have made the best friends on there, who I chat to now every day — authors, book bloggers, readers. Through my blog tour I met more book bloggers, who are just the kindest most wonderful people who will champion your book tirelessly, I cannot thank the book blogging community enough for the support they gave The Guestbook.
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7. There are many rough patches on the road to publication. How did you get through the bad days?
I have been writing for five years now and for four years it was rejection after rejection after rejection. The hard thing was I didn’t know if I was getting a rejection because my cover letter wasn’t good enough or they had read the synopsis and thought it wasn’t for them without even reading the story, or they didn’t have time to read it or because the story and writing was rubbish. I didn’t know whether I was close with my submissions or a million miles away and so I had no clue whether to give up or keep trying. I kept trying though. I couldn’t give up. I just kept telling myself that it was one person’s opinion and someone, somewhere would feel differently.
The Guestbook got a lot of attention from agents and publishers but ultimately it was always a no. But I knew I had something special so I kept trying. Carina picked it up last November which was an incredible feeling and Lucy, my editor, obviously fell in love with it as much as I did. Since it was published it reached number five in the UK chart and number 27 in the US chart. I’m so glad I didn’t give up or listen to the people that said it wouldn’t work. If you believe in yourself then others will too.
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8. What is the best piece of advice you’ve received that you can share with aspiring writers?
I think the main thing that let me down was my blanket approach of writing to so many agents in one go. My time is so limited, writing around a full time job with very long hours and so when I did send my submissions out to agents, I would sit down and dedicate a whole day to submitting to as many agents as I possibly could. Every advice book/column/article says you should never do that but I did anyway. I didn’t have time to research agents or get to know their clients, and sure enough I got rejected time and time again. Everyone says that you need to approach agents carefully, research their clients, their history, their likes and dislikes, find out the names of the people you are writing to rather than just submitting to a company, and I think I have to agree. I think the main advice I can give is not to give up, if you get any advice from agents or publishers try to act on it and remember just because one person doesn’t like it, it doesn’t mean that no one else will.
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In addition to blogging at hollymartinwriter.wordpress.com, Holly loves connecting with readers on Twitter (@hollymartin00).
Her e-book is available today for the smashingly low price of just 99 cents! Click here for more details 🙂
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And while you’re there, Desperately Ever After is available in both print and e-book formats at Amazon. Click here for information about borrowing a FREE copy (Prime members) or purchasing one at a discounted rate!
…
Big Girl Panties
NEXT WEEK!
For next week’s interview, I am thrilled to be hosting Stephanie Evanovich, author of the bestselling novel Big Girl Panties. As a bonus, she’ll be giving away TWO PRINT copies! You won’t want to miss it!
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Print Marked Items
Christmas at Lilac Cottage
Publishers Weekly.
264.23 (June 5, 2017): p37.
COPYRIGHT 2017 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
Christmas at Lilac Cottage
Holly Martin. Bonnier Zaffre, $12.95 trade
paper (320p) ISBN 978-1-78576-270-3
Martin's debut is a gentle greeting card of a contemporary Christmas love story, bringing together two
people who don't realize how lonely they are until they meet. Single dad Henry Travis shows up to move
into the annex of Penny Meadows's cottage in White Cliff Bay in rural Devon, England, and Penny is a bit
flummoxed; this giant of a man seems to fill every space in the tiny home. He's had a bad day, and she
doesn't make it any better by clumsily trying to help him unload his car. Irritated, he locks and blocks the
connecting door between their living quarters. It gets worse, gets much better, and then gets worse again as
they try to maintain a platonic facade for the sake of Daisy, Henry's 16-year-old daughter. Warmth and
charm rule the holiday, and every chapter begs to be accompanied by hot chocolate at the fireside. (Aug.)
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"Christmas at Lilac Cottage." Publishers Weekly, 5 June 2017, p. 37. General OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A495538341/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=8dab3981.
Accessed 25 Mar. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A495538341
The Guestbook (2014)
Willow Cottage is situated in a gorgeous seaside village and is owned by the widowed Annie Butterworth. A multitude of eclectic guests walk through the front door and whether they stay for one night or seven, they all make an entry in the guestbook. Without any kind of formal narrative, we are able to learn about each of the characters through their comments in the guestbook. Annie's brother-in-law, Oliver, is a regular visitor and we see his and Annie's friendship blossom over the course of the novel. We are also privy to the thoughts of the cleaning lady, Sophia. The majority of guests who stay in Willow Cottage are using it as an escape from their problems and we get to find out all about the lives that they lead, whether they are ill, pregnant, on the verge of divorce and everything in-between!
I haven't seen such a unique and well-executed idea in this genre for a very long time. The range of emotions I went through whilst reading this book was vast. I laughed, I smiled, I gasped and at points I even felt sad but the overall feeling of this book was one of joy. The main character Annie developed beautifully over the novel; she went from a seemingly lonely widow to a woman who didn't want to waste another moment of her life living in the past. Olly provided some fantastic comical moments and was also really protective over Annie and her cottage. The one thing I particularly loved about this book was the plethora of fonts used throughout. It made it instantly clear who was writing in the guestbook because each character had their individual font. This meant I didn't have to keep flicking to the end of each guestbook entry to see who was talking. The author managed to give rich descriptions of the location and characters without breaking the theme of the book. There were no added descriptions between entries; everything you learn about the location and characters is gathered through the guestbook entries. So very clever! (LL)
One Hundred Proposals (2014)
Suzie runs the Perfect Proposals company with her best friend, Harry. They arrange unique and uber-romantic proposals for couples. When Harry embarks on a project to propose 100 times to Suzie as a way to boost business, the pair find themselves winging around the world, discovering spectacular and memorable locations as the proposals range from the amazing and emotional to the quirky and cheesy. But the trouble is neither realises the other wants to be more than friends. Suzie thinks that each time Harry proposes it's just a PR stunt, while Harry doesn't know how else he can show that he has fallen madly in love with her.
This is a sweet story that focuses on the will-they-or-won't-they aspect of friends becoming much more. Perfect for the true romantic, it takes readers on a rollercoaster ride where hopes are raised then dashed. With such an impressively effortless writing style and absorbing plot, it's certainly obvious why Holly Martin is becoming a firm chick lit favourite.
Fairytale Beginnings (2015)
Milly works for Castle Heritage, and is sent on an assignment to Clover Castle, a huge and unusual castle in a remote village. Owner Cameron Heartstone hopes that Castle Heritage can help him maintain the rundown castle he has inherited. As the two begin to explore and discover secrets about the castle that were hidden for years, their feelings for each other intensify, but both are afraid of being heartbroken again.
Milly is one of my favourite protagonists in any book I've read recently. Funny, spunky, gorgeous and with brains to match, there was nothing to dislike about her. The chemistry between her and Cameron was palpable throughout, and I couldn't wait to see what would happen next in their relationship. The castle itself was interesting, with plenty of hidden passages for the characters to explore, I looked forward to seeing what they would discover next. And the eccentric villagers were a wonderful addition to the story. This is another great read from Holly Martin. (LO)
Christmas Under a Cranberry Sky (2016)
Pip hasn’t got a place to call home because she’s always on the move as a travel writer, reviewing hotels around the world. Planning to take a six-month sabbatical, her last assignment is at the Stardust Lake Hotel on Juniper Island, where it is Christmas year round. But she has no idea that she’s about to run into her childhood sweetheart, Gabe – the guy who broke her heart years ago.
With a sweet romance and plenty of festive spirit, Martin has created a really magical atmosphere with her winter wonderland. I’ll definitely be returning to Juniper Island, as there’s a sequel to follow about Gabe’s sister, Neve.
5NOV2014
Book Review: One Hundred Proposals, by Holly Martin
posted in Books, Reviews by parisbaker
‘Is there really such a thing as a perfect proposal?
Over the next hundred days I intend to find out. I will find one hundred ways to propose to our Chief Proposer Suzie McKenzie and post the results here for your enjoyment. One thing’s for sure, not one of my proposals will be on top of the Eiffel Tower with a dozen red roses.’
Best friends Suzie and Harry are partners in romance. That is, they run the.PerfectProposal.com, coming to the aid of would-be grooms to create the ultimate marriage proposal.
But when Harry decides to catapult the business into the big leagues with a PR stunt all Suzie can see is a hundred days of heartbreak stretching ahead of her. But however exotic the location, or breath-takingly romantic the setting, Suzie has to keep remembering that ‘Marry Me?’ is the one question she can’t say yes to.
This business proposal should come with one hundred broken heart warnings…
***
I LOVE THIS BOOK. Love it.
Okay, just had to get that off my chest. Seriously though, I do.
This book is just gorgeous. GORGEOUS.
Bets friends Harry and Suzie run a proposal planning company, and have the sweetest friendship you can imagine. Harry makes it his mission to discover The Perfect Proposal, with a run of 100 proposals in 100 days. This would all be fine and dandy and rather sweet, if Suzie wasn’t head over heels in love with Harry, who was torturing her with the fake proposals she can never say yes to. Cue heartbreak.
Suzie is so lovable and sweet, prancing around in her cow onesie; I wanted her to be my best friend. And, oh! how my heart ached for her. She really is going through torture. Harry, on the other hand? He is hot! And sweet, and lovely and caring and, eurgh, just so dreamy…okay, yeah, I’m feeling a little obsessive about him. Read it: you’ll understand.
What unfurls is a wonderfully original story, full of so many unique and beautiful moments. I pretty much had a smile plastered on my face through most of this book, it’s just so lovely. There’s a fabulous twist that puts the reader one step ahead of the game (I love it when that happens!!) and it was simply impossible not to get wrapped up in this story.
One Hundred Proposals has firmly claimed a place as one of my favourite books; for me, it is every thing that chick lit should be! Please, if you love chick lit like me: read this book. You will not be disappointed.
5 huge, big, gushy stars for Holly Martin and her wonderful book – I can’t wait to get my hand on the sequel!
Fairytale Beginnings by Holly Martin
Title: Fairytale Beginnings
Author: Holly Martin
Publisher: July 10th 2015 by Bookouture
Pages: 230 pages
How I Read It: ARC ebook
Genre: womens fiction, contemporary romance, chick lit
My Rating: 3 crowns
Synopsis:
Fairytale Beginnings: A heartwarming romantic comedy
Love is an open door…except when it keeps slamming in your face.
Hopeless romantic Milly Rose has had her fair share of heartbreak. Obsessed with all things Disney, she refuses to give up on finding her Prince Charming – he’s out there somewhere, isn’t he?
When Milly is given a job to investigate the origins of an historical building in the village of Clovers Rest, she’s not sure what to expect. What she discovers takes her breath away - a beautiful real life Cinderella castle, complete with turrets, a magnificent drawbridge AND a very handsome owner…Cameron Heartstone.
As Milly and Cameron begin to unearth the secrets of Clover Castle, they can’t ignore the intense chemistry building between them. But they’ve both been hurt badly before. Can they take a big leap of faith and find their own happily-ever-after?
My thoughts:
"Rather bizarrely, she could already imagine herself living here, swanning around in beautiful medieval style gowns".
Okay, time to leave reality at the door and step inside for some fun and romantic escapism. I put my hand up, I would love to swan around a castle in a gown, so Holly Martin had me 'Hello'. I am the first to admit I need to take a break at times from the heavier reads and what better way to escape than into a fairy tale for grown ups - castle included! What girl doesn't love a fairy tale? And yes! Given the 'Fairytale Beginnings' one can make the obvious jump to fairy tale endings. Done deal.
"This was ridiculous, a fairy tale, nothing more. She didn't believe in fairy tales."
Fairytale Beginnings is chick lit at its best: little bit ridiculous - corny, silly, repetitive - a lot romantic and fun. As someone claimed, it's Disney for adults (and I particularly enjoyed the 'Tangled' tribute). There is the awesome castle, the good looking Lord, the wannabe Princess in sparkly Converse's, throw in an evil PA, a few odd villagers and, oh! Don't forget a ghost! What's not to love?
For those who look for maybe more than one aspect to a story, fear not, learning about relationships is just one part of the book The history behind the castle and going with Milly and Cameron as they explore Clover Castle unlocking its mysteries and secrets is fun. I liked that aspect of 'Castle Heritage/National Trust' and the options available for the upkeep of these historic buildings.
"She thought it might date back to the fourteenth century. She swallowed down the shock of this sudden unexpected discovery".
So the 'happily ever after' is a given needless to say, but on the way to it there is a whole lot of comedy, flirting, chemistry and mysteries to solve. This book is a must-read for pure fun escapism. Who doesn't need a little happy ending in a castle every once and awhile? Suspend scepticism and embrace, to appreciate these fairytale beginnings.
"Life is short and precious and we never know what is around the corner. So you live for now, seize every moment that comes your way and if you're going to look back on your life with regret, it's easier to regret the things that you did do, rather that the thing you didn't.