Hello Lovely,
How are you? Have you been enjoying your summer? I'm still (only just about though) on my summer holiday before heading back to work in September with the kiddies where it will be all mayhem and tears with the little ones on their first day back. But I'll be spending time with each of them and sorting out their first reading book of the academic year. Which brings me nicely onto what I want to share with you here today.
Annie Darling has written another beautiful story about a bookshop (Am I the only one to get ridiculously excited about a story set in a bookshop? - I hope not!) and this time, it's all about true love. In fact, can we just take a moment to gaze adoringly at the book cover please as we take a quick peek at what this books all about?
True Love at the Lonely Hearts Bookshop is written by Annie Darling, and published by the lovely HarperCollins. You can purchase it from Amazon UK in Paperback or eBook.
It's a truth universally acknowledged that a single woman in possession of a good job, four bossy sisters and a needy cat must also have want of her one true love. Or is it?
Another delightful novel from the author of The Little Bookshop of Lonely Hearts. Perfect for fans of Lucy Diamond and Jenny Colgan
Verity Love – Jane Austen fangirl and an introvert in a world of extroverts – is perfectly happy on her own (thank you very much), and her fictional boyfriend Peter is very useful for getting her out of unwanted social events. But when a case of mistaken identity forces her to introduce a perfect stranger as her boyfriend, Verity’s life suddenly becomes much more complicated.
Johnny could also use a fictional girlfriend. Against Verity’s better judgement, he persuades her to partner up for a summer season of weddings, big number birthdays and garden parties, with just one promise - not to fall in love with each other…
Now doesn't this book just sound amazing? I'm very lucky that I don't often get a book to read/share on a blog tour that doesn't sound amazing - publishers do this amazing job of matching the right books to the right people (a little like a dating agency), and today, I have for you an exclusive and rather exciting extract to share with you from this book. So sit back and enjoy - I know I will.
Verity couldn’t believe that she was
talking about her imaginary boyfriend with a complete stranger. ‘I’m absolutely
one hundred per cent happy being single but I’m having a hard time getting my
friends on board with that.’
Johnny pursed his lips thoughtfully,
which did delightful things to his mouth. ‘Maybe you just haven’t met the right
person.’
‘I don’t want to meet the right person.
I have a busy job, great friends, an extremely needy cat. I don’t need anyone
else in my life.’ Verity clutched her glass tighter. ‘So, what’s your story,
then? Surely you can’t have any trouble meeting women?’
Johnny ducked his head. Verity was sure
it was to hide his pleased but bashful smile. He must have mirrors in his house
so he could see that he was very pleasing aesthetically. ‘No, no trouble
meeting women.’
Of course! It was obvious. Now that she
was no longer crucified on the altar of her own embarrassment, Verity could
process the raw data sitting opposite her. No man could look like that and . .
. ‘Oh, right. You’re gay. OK. And you haven’t told your friends? Really? Well,
it’s none of my business, I suppose.’
‘I’m flattered that you seem to think
that,’ Johnny said, his voice all barbed wire now, instead of velvet vowels.
‘You didn’t even make it a question, just an unequivocal statement, but no,
not gay.’
Verity put her
hands to her crimson cheeks. ‘Sorry. I don’t usually run around outing people .
. . One of my best friends from uni is gay. And two cousins. I’m all about the
LGBT rights. I love the gays!’
‘Well, I’m glad to hear that but I’m
still not gay.’
Johnny’s eyes were a very definite blue
now. Like the sea in winter; frost-tipped and cold. Verity suspected that he
was a Darcy. It was very rare to meet a Darcy.
It probably came from having read Pride and
Prejudice so many times that she knew it off by heart, but on meeting new
people, Verity always found herself assigning them roles in Pride and
Prejudice. She’d met a lot of Jane Bennets and Charles Bingleys, far too
many Mr Collinses, an occasional Wickham, but a Darcy was rarer than a single
man in possession of a good fortune who was in actual want of a wife. And
actually meeting a Darcy wasn’t that much fun.
In fact, it
was unbelievably awkward for a count of ten, then Johnny’s phone beeped. As he
picked it up Verity realised that there was no good reason to stay and suffer.
She said goodbye,
quickly got up, though Johnny was riveted to his phone and gave no
acknowledgement of her hasty departure. ‘Stick both glasses on my tab,’ she
yelped at Luigi who still couldn’t hide his disbelief that Verity had broken
with her usual Friday night routine for the first time in three years. Not only
that, she’d also been seen in the company of a man.
I hope you have enjoyed reading the extract, if you loved it like I did make sure you pick up a copy via the links above and let me know what you think of the book.
Also, if you haven't already, why not head over and visit some of the other blogs that have been taking part in the tour and show them some love.
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