Book Review: Sometimes It Happens by Pauline Barclay

Winning the lottery was just the beginning for Doreen Wilkinson, nothing prepared Doreen for her holiday at Villas Bonitas and nothing prepared Villas Bonitas for Doreen Wilkinson. 

Sometimes It Happens is about secrets, deception, lies, love and laughter. Tears will flow because this is one holiday that will never ever be forgotten by many! 

Sometimes It Happens is a really fun book written by the lovely Pauline Barclay. I read it in just two days and seriously felt as though I had been on a little mini-break in the sun.
Doreen Wilkinson checks into Villas Bonitas with her daughter Trisha. She has just won a lot of money on the lottery, eleven million, three hundred and fifty four thousand, two hundred and ten pounds and nineteen pence to be exact. This luxurious holiday in Spain is just the beginning of Doreen's new life.
Villas Bonitas has a fair few guests staying at the same time and they make this book very entertaining. There are gay barristers Simon and Chicky who are just trying to get away from it all; Jack and Sheila Hoskins who like to think they rule the place and are not impressed by Doreen and her 'new' money. Finally we have Frau Hecks, she lives permanently in Villas Bonitas and is still mourning her late husband. Most of the staff and guests are terrified of this officious German lady but we soon realise that she is a teddy bear underneath the hard exterior.
Doreen is trying to adjust to her new found wealth and mix with these people. She feels inferior until she realises that they are no better than her, especially Sheila and Jack who have a huge skeleton in their closet. Add in to this mix, Pat Greenwood, Doreen's first love who has shown up in Spain, is he just after her money or could this be the real thing?
Sometimes It Happens is a really feel-good read. Pauline Barclay writes with a lot of wit and warmth and this book had me smiling long after I had finished it.

If you would like to find out more about Pauline and her other books then check out her blog here. 

Book Review: Here Come the Girls by Milly Johnson + GIVE AWAY!!

Ven, Roz, Olive and Frankie have been friends since school. They daydreamed of glorious futures, full of riches, romances and fabulous jobs. The world was to be their oyster. 

Twenty-five years later, Olive cleans other people's houses to support  her lazy, out-of-work husband and his ailing mother. Roz cannot show her kind, caring partner Manus any love because her philandering ex has left her trust in shreds. And she and Frankie have fallen out big time. 

But Ven is determined to reunite her friends and realize the dream they had of taking a cruise by the time they hit forty. Before they know it, the four of them are far from home, on the high seas But can blue skies, hot sun  and sixteen days of luxury and indulgence distract from the tension and loneliness that await their return?

I always enjoy Milly Johnson's books but I think this one is my clear favourite. I have just got back off my sixth cruise and I think that they are the perfect holiday so I was excited when I realised that Milly's new book was set in the luxurious world of cruising.
Once again we have a fantastic story and lovely characters to get to know. Ven, Roz, Frankie and Olive have been friends since school, where they made the pact to go on a cruise for Ven's fortieth birthday. A lot has happened since that summer day at school though. None of them have the life that they had imagined for themselves when they were fifteen. Ven is recently divorced from her cheating husband who dealt a double blow by talking half of her inheritance in the divorce settlement. Roz can't seem to escape her past; Manus is a lovely man but she cannot forget how she was treated by her ex all of those years ago. Olive is having to clean other people's toilets for a living as well as being a general dogsbody for her lazy husband and mother-in-law. Frankie is the black sheep of the group, Roz won't talk to her so she is not too pleased when she realises that they are stuck on a ship together for sixteen days.
The book is set out just like a cruise itinerary, we know if the ladies are at sea or in a port and what the dress code will be for dinner that night. Here Come the Girls has a lovely pace and I found it a really relaxing read as it was as though I was on holiday with them.
Ultimately this book is about friendship, these women would do anything for each other. They are not afraid to tell it like it is and this makes for very entertaining reading.
Milly Johnson has talked of her love of cruising and it is so clear to see in the book. She has all the little details spot on, from the luxurious surroundings, to the brightly coloured cocktails and the excitement that a formal night brings. If you have been on a cruise then it is lovely to be able to identify with the experiences that the ladies have on-board. If you haven't been on a cruise then you may be in trouble as this book will make you want to book one as soon as possible.
Ven, Roz, Frankie and Olive know that the holiday has to come to an end, they all know that they have got to make changes to their lives on their return as why shouldn't they be as happy as their fifteen year old selves had imagined?
Here Come the Girls is a fantastic read with a delicious twist towards the end, it felt like pure escapism. It would be a great book to take away with you, or as I found, one to banish the holiday blues.

Many thanks to Milly Johnson and Simon and Schuster for sending me a review copy, the book is out now.

I also have one copy of the book to give away to a lucky UK resident, the very lovely Milly Johnson has also offered to sent the winner a book bag and bookmark. Simply leave a comment below, you must include your email address to be entered into the competition so that I can contact the winner. This will remain open until midnight on Wednesday May 25th, good luck!!!


If you are feeling lucky then head over to Milly's blog as she has a fabulous competition to win a bottle of the Icewine which features in Here Comes the Girls. You can't go wrong with a bottle of bubbly so just click here to find out more!