the secret of happy ever after by lucy dillon

She is tested to the limit by these children that do not belong to her and by a husband who just expects her to take care of everything. Anna’s life is not what she thought it would be as stepmum to three children and she begins to wonder whether her love for Phil is enough to get her through coping with this life that she signed up for. The village bookshop becomes a magical place where people can meet friends, drink coffee, and browse new and second hand books. Rory, the solicitor, becomes a person who she finds at first quite irritating but seems to be popping up in her life whether she likes it or not. She immediately believes that between her and Anna, they can turn this into a thriving business. When the bookshop next door to Home Sweet Home becomes available, Michelle wants to expand her business so she speaks to the solicitor involved who tells her that it has to be run as a bookshop for the next year. Their plans to have a baby are on hold until they have been married for four years although their plans have been scuppered slightly as their lives have been invaded by Phil’s three daughters who have come to live with them while their Mom spends two years in the States. Just when Michelle thinks she has no friends in the village, Anna’s dog bursts into the cafe and snaffles Michelle’s cake and Michelle and Anna become firm friends. Anna is married to Phil. She has bought a shop and called it Home Sweet Home which stocks lots of fabulous goodies to make your home beautiful. Michelle had run away from her past, her bully of a husband Harvey and her family who think he’s the best thing since sliced bread and has moved to a village called Longhampton, where she knows no-one but more importantly no-one knows her.

An absolute cracker! I adored this book and want to move to this village!

The secret of happy ever after by lucy dillon