This post was originally published at Novelicious.com and is now at WritingTipsOasis.com. WritingTipsOasis.com acquired Novelicious.com in June 2022.
Reviewed by Cressida McLaughlin
When Michelle arrives in the cosy
town of Longhampton after
the breakup of her marriage, she isn’t thinking about much more than getting
herself back on her feet, trying to banish the past and starting up her new
business, interiors shop Home Sweet Home. She hadn’t banked on meeting Pongo –
the disobedient but loveable Dalmatian, and his owner Anna, in the dog-friendly
café. Michelle isn’t necessarily keen on letting anyone into her life, but is
unable to resist the friendliness – or forlornness – of Anna, and the two bond
over an apology and a piece of carrot cake.
Three years later the two are firm friends, Michelle’s business is going from strength to strength, and Anna is dealing with three stepdaughters who see her as a live-in helper, and losing her job at the local library. When the owner of the cavernous, dishevelled bookshop next door to Home Sweet Home has to give up his business due to illness, Michelle sees the perfect expansion opportunity. However, when she goes to discuss taking over the lease with Mr Quentin’s solicitor Rory, she discovers that things aren’t as straightforward as she hopes. Forced to rethink her plans, she comes up with a solution that will help her business plans, and it involves Anna. What she isn’t banking on is how the changes will affect her personal life as well as her professional one.
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I haven’t read any of the other Longhampton books, so I came to the characters with a fresh eye. I certainly didn’t feel that I was missing anything, or that there were gaps I couldn’t fill. I found it much easier to warm to Anna than Michelle, who is withdrawn and spiky, preferring to present an immaculate, unbreakable front with her outward appearance, her home and her shop. There are reasons for this, and as the book progresses she is forced to face her past, and to unbury some emotions and hopes that had seemed unreachable. Anna, on the other hand, is open and trusting, seeking solace in Michelle’s uncluttered house, and using her clear mind as a sounding board for the struggles with her stepdaughters Becca, Lily and Chloe, and the hopes she has for her own family.
The Secret of Happy Ever After has a rich cast of supporting characters, from Anna’s unforgiving mother in law, to warm, friendly, but infuriatingly blunt Rory, to Michelle’s handsome, laconic younger brother Owen.
The pace felt a bit slow at times, but I think this is because The Secret of Happy Ever After focuses on the characters and how they develop, rather than a page-turning, fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants plot. It also meant that everything that happened felt believable. I became completely absorbed, wondering if Michelle would open up to anyone, and if Anna would find peace in her home life. There is romance, heartbreak and some shocking revelations along the way.
The Secret of Happy Ever After is a heart-warming, uplifting novel, with a fabulous cast of characters to fall in love with, admire and despair at. It is delicious and nostalgic for book lovers, and will make you want to fill your home with wonderful textures, tastes and smells – not to mention a handsome man and an adorable dog.
8/10