The Happiest Ever After - Milly Johnson | Book Review | #TheHappiestEverAfter | @millyjohnson @simonschusterUK #RespectRomFic

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

My thanks to SJV & Team BATC of Simon & Schuster for the tour invitation and for both the pdf copy to review and a lovely hardback copy. The Happiest Ever After is published in ebook, audio and hardback on 15 February with the paperback following in July 2024. I don’t need any persuading at all to read a book by Milly, she has long been a favourite author.

MY THOUGHTS

Polly Porter’s life is not a happy one. At work she is now sidelined and used by her new bosses despite having been a much respected member of staff and excellent at her job for many years. At home her partner Chris treats her like a skivvy and shows her no respect at all and don’t get me started on his family – the only exception to their awfulness being his son Will. Her one escape is her creative writing class; her own secret together with the novel she is writing. The heroine, Sabrina Anderson, has a life that is so different from Polly’s. And very soon Polly will make changes to have the life she wants – and deserves.

Unfortunately, without going into details, the universe has other plans for Polly and instead she finds herself living in a different part of the country with an accidental new identity – that of her own character Sabrina Anderson.

I just loved this latest novel from Milly Johnson. As ever she writes with warmth and wit – the Daily Trumpet newspaper makes a welcome return and its apologies for its many mistakes are as humorous as ever. There are some wonderfully sympathetic characters here including Polly and the Bonetti family who provide the practical and emotional support that she needs. Polly is someone that I could get behind and cheer for with the hope that those who wrong her will get their comeuppance.

I loved this heartwarming and uplifting story and its theme of second chances. Bad things happen to good people but the kindness of strangers and an inner strength can make a difference. There was so much to like about this very entertaining read – a plot with depth and interest, descriptive locations together with superbly drawn characters that made me smile – there were also those that I wanted to punch in the face! I’ve never read a book from Milly that I haven’t thoroughly enjoyed and The Happiest Ever After is no exception.

Milly Johnson was born, raised and still lives in Barnsley, South Yorkshire. A Sunday Times bestseller, she is one of the Top 10 Female Fiction authors in the UK, and has sold millions of copies of her books sold across the world. The Happiest Ever After is her twenty-first novel. Milly’s writing highlights the importance of community spirit and the magic of kindness. Her books inspire and uplift but she packs a punch and never shies away from the hard realities of life and the complexities of relationships in her stories. Her books champion women, their strength and resilience, and celebrate love, friendship and the possibility and joy of second chances and renaissances.