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I’m thrilled to bring you something a little different for my stop on this blog tour today. Scroll down for a sneak peek exclusive extract from this laugh out loud chick lit novel! 👇

About the book:

We’ve got the balance all wrong. Instead of living with our partners, struggling to do everything by ourselves and only seeing each other now and then, we should do it the other way round. We should live together and see them now and then.

Erica knows her suggestion sounds extreme, but when her nanny leaves without notice, she’s extremely desperate. Polly and Louise aren’t convinced, but when circumstances force them to move into Polly’s enormous but run-down house, they have to admit life’s much easier when the childcare and work is shared.

At first, communal living seems like the answer to their prayers – childcare on tap, rotas for cleaning and someone always available to cook dinner (no more last-minute pizza delivery!). But over time, resentment starts to grow as they judge each other’s parenting styles and bicker over cleaning, cooking and whose turn it is to buy toilet rolls.

And as one woman has her head turned by a handsome colleague, one resorts to spying on her husband and another fights to keep a dark secret, they need each other more than ever. But can Polly, Louise and Erica keep their friendship and relationships strong? Or will their perfect mumtopia fall apart?

Essential reading for anyone fed up with never-ending housework/homeschooling/preparing healthy meals that their kids reject … Fans of Why Mummy Drinks, Has Anyone Seen My Sex Life? and Beth O’Leary won’t want to miss this one!

Purchase Links:
AMZ: https://amzn.to/2AHNthj
Kobo: https://bit.ly/2ATmbEq
Apple: https://apple.co/2zJTskY

Extract:

She gripped the stem of her glass, as an idea formed in her mind. It started off small, but grew quickly, opening up like a row of cut-out dolls holding hands. If they lived together, she wouldn’t have to worry about childcare. The children would love it and Polly wouldn’t be stuck in that empty house. An empty, enormous house, with at least three living rooms and so many bedrooms that the doors had to be numbered so she could keep track. Admittedly, Louise didn’t have much of an incentive to move in, but Erica never let a simple thing like logic dissuade her – she wouldn’t have got so far in the fashion industry if she had. Dan wouldn’t like it, but tough. If he wasn’t prepared to help her, he couldn’t complain. All she had to do was persuade Polly and Louise.

She opened her mouth, then closed it. Could she live with them though? Louise was a laugh, but Christ, did she moan. About everything and anything. Even the pattern in her cappuccino if it was off-centre. As for Polly, she was very sweet and well-meaning, but she was… Erica sipped her wine while searching for a word less unkind than ‘boring’. She reached the bottom of the glass. There wasn’t another word. Polly was dull. Especially in comparison to Erica’s real friends from St Martins and London. But she was brilliant with the children, which was what Jasmine needed. And what could have happened if she hadn’t been there when Jasmine ran out into the road that time didn’t bear thinking about. No, she thought decisively, this was what had to be done. It didn’t matter that they were boring and moaned and that their kids were, let’s face it, fucking annoying. It would only be until she found a cut-price nanny.

She cleared her throat. ‘Polly, you know what you said about us living together? There’s a way we could.’

Polly looked round from the window. ‘School’s five hours away. We’re late every day, as it is.’

‘I only won this place for a week, remember?’ Louise added.

‘Not here – at home. It’s the answer to all our problems.’ Erica grabbed a fistful of air – it worked on Sing to Win when the judges were proving a point.

‘What problems?’ Louise asked.
Erica pulled her chair closer to the table. ‘We’ve got the balance all wrong. Instead of living with our partners, or on our own, struggling to do everything by ourselves and only seeing each other now and then, we should do it the other way round.’ She paused for effect. ‘We should live together and see them now and then.’

Louise crossed her arms and the buttons on her polo shirt gaped, revealing an inch of nude bra. ‘Why on earth would we do that?’

‘To help each other.’
Louise and Polly exchanged glances.

Erica tried again. ‘What do we always complain about? Apart from the fact that Jon Hamm doesn’t take his shirt off enough in Mad Men?’

‘Who?’ Polly asked.
‘Never heard of him,’ Louise said. ‘Poldark’s who you need. Though if you ask me, no one comes close to Mr Darcy.’

Erica shook her head. They clearly weren’t appreciating – or even listening to – the benefits of the house-share idea. In fairness, it was hard to compete with Louise’s detailed list of Colin Firth’s benefits.
‘Support,’ Erica said loudly. ‘Whenever we get together, we complain about not having enough support at home.’

This was my first read by Laura Barnard and I was utterly delighted by it.

Phoebe is such a likeable character and I really felt for her and everything she went through.

I loved how the author managed to pack so much drama into a short book, whilst maintaining a seamless narrative and a simple writing style.

The “supernatural” or “ghostly” aspect isn’t something I usually enjoy in a book but I really feel like it added something to this book. Conversely, at times, it provided some light relief and I could understand how it motivated Pheobe to carry on going when she felt a bit lost in the book.

The ending was perfect and I loved the glimpse into Phoebe’s future.

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It was easy to get hooked on this book as the starting point is unique and interesting – an upheaval to America!

Also, Ella is a likeable character and Adam is, and remains, frustratingly mysterious and a little bit of a Jekyll and Hyde character.

The narrative is well written so that you are able to empathise with Ella and feel like you are with her every step of the way. I flew through this one and enjoyed it.

It’s a good mixture of light and dark, romance and suspense. Though I have to say I was a little shocked at how dark it actually became, but I like dark scenes and I like being shocked so it worked well for me as a reader.

I was a little frustrated I didn’t get to learn more of the truth about Adam but I guess that’s what the sequel is for, which I look forward to reading!

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I was first drawn to this book by the title, which evokes ideas of romance, happiness and Merriment Bay sounds like a wonderful place, doesn’t it?! I also love how intricate, colourful and gorgeous the cover is.

This story did not disappoint. I liked how, as a reader, I could see so clearly and closely how the relationships between Cat and Amais, and Kyra and Francis, developed.

This book was a quick, light hearted read as I became engrossed in when, how or if Amais and Francis would propose, and how the weddings would be brought to life in Emily’s lively descriptions.

The storyline was developed and executed beautifully. I loved the happy ending and really hope there will be a next installment to find out what’s next for these likeable characters…

This is my first read by Emily Harvale but definitely won’t be my last as I enjoyed escaping to Merriment Bay and Wyntersleap!

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Thank you so much to @matson_taylor_  and @simonandschuster for my #giftedcopy of this gorgeous book.

It’s about a young girl called Evie, who has lost her mum and feels like she is on the brink of losing her dad, herself, and her happiness, if she can’t get control over things in her life. Okay, that’s very simplified but I don’t want to give too much away ♥️

It has made me laugh out loud at numerous points, and also made me choke up at times too. At a time when lots of us are feeling down, isolated, lost, this book is a little pick me up about British humour, hope, the quest for happiness and also neighbourliness.

Evie is such a multifaceted, unique, special character and she shines through throughout the book.
This book really reminds you to fight for what you think is right, but always keep hope and humour in your armoury, too.

I implore you to pick up this gorgeous read this summer – you will NOT regret it.

This one will stay with me♥️
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Wow! For the first time in a long time, I’ve come across a book that I have found so difficult to put down (and not just figuratively). I’ve read almost 300 pages in one day.

I was involved in a Tandem Collective readalong, so I have to thank them for my physical copy of this book.

The premise of the book is so interesting – you’ve moved on with your life and your husband, who has been in a coma for 7 years wakes up. What do you do? An almost impossible question. I think Hanna handled it terribly, but she kind of came good in the end…

Bell was a fabulous narrator and I really wanted her to find happiness.
The ending was completely unexpected and I’m still not sure how I feel about it, except that it felt kinda right?!

This book is totally original, gripping and sensational. The writing style is simple but as always, I liked the structural use of past and present times/memories. I loved it!

I will definitely be reading more books by this author in the near future and hope they can live up to this one!

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Thank you so much to @nellgreybooks for the exclusive #giftedcopy of this book.
The story starts with an alcoholic, depressed father and husband hanging from a rope in a barn.
Clear cut suicide, right? Or is it?

I was hooked from the beginning. I loved the plot of Annie & Jac, and the subplot involving Sion and Claire. I also obviously love the fact that it’s set in Wales. ♥️

This story has it all – love, action, death, suspense, trust, lies, family…

I do have to admit that there was a point where I thought where is this going? And doubted that the author was going to satisfy my needs as a reader with 14% to go.

But boy she delivered! Crazy twists at the end & a satisfying, if shocking, ending!

Go and download this one now, and while you do that, I”m off to download the sequel: #FindMe ♥️

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My first review as a @aquintillionreads reviewer and I decided to go slightly outside of my comfort zone. I definitely recommend this book to people who are new to political fiction and science fiction as it is a great read!

As I say, this is not my typical genre of book but the  blurb appealed to me and I knew I had to give it a go. I was hooked from the  beginning and I think it was the mixture of– relatable characters, simple writing style and dramatic plot! I loved following Dante and America’s journey and all the ups and downs. The ending was not as I expected, which I always like in a book,  and it was still very exciting and definitely left room for a sequel, so I hope this is what the author is planning, and if so, I’ll be thrilled to read it!♥️

I cannot wait to share more reviews for fab indie authors & really celebrate their amazing achievement and work 😁

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Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for this ARC.

I absolutely adore Drew Davies’ writing style. His stories are original, poignant and heartwarming and this one is no different. I really enjoyed the original perspectives in this book, showing insight into the challenges and love of an inter-racial marriage. There was a huge twist in the book which I could never have guessed. I’m glad the main characters, which I grew to adore, managed to maintain most of their integrity.

The characters were unique and quirky, and the plot well structured, with some light amongst the darkness. All of this kept me hooked on this book and I can’t wait to read more by this author.🥰🥰

This book is out on 31st July but you can preorder it now!🥳

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Wow, oh wow. I don’t often jaw drop so much during a book as I did during this one. I was gripped from the very beginning. I was immediately invested, and wanted to know – Where has Hannah gone?

I decided to savour this book over a few nights, because I was really enjoying it so much, though I found it very difficult to put down.

The characters felt real – you came across the good guys and the bad guys and the way it was written evoked so much sympathy for a lot of the characters (but not creepo Kyle – yuck!)

This writing style is so sophisticated, which has been a pleasant surprise from an author which was previously unknown to me. I particularly loved the multiple perspectives but also the multiple voices (a difficult thing to do!) I also found the use of **** to show the passing of time helped the book flow and kept the quick pace, as I was sat on the edge of my seat throughout.

The ending was totally unexpected too but I loved it!

Thank you if you read all my ramblings about this amazing book by a very talented author. It is sophisticated, gripping and emotional! I loved it!
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