Guest Post: Shannon

British Chick Lit

Growing up, my maternal grandmother was one of the most important people in my life. Raised in Canada by her British parents, she had a love for all things England and that is something she passed on to me. She raised me on a steady diet of British television that eventually took over my life, though that is an entire post to itself. We would watch endless hours of television, bond over the Royals, and she is the reason why so many British words are a part of my vocabulary (and continually confuse other people.)

So when I discovered the genre that is British Chick Lit, I felt like I was being called home to a place I’d never been. It opened up that lovely place across the pond even more and now has me constantly dreaming about picking up and moving there in an instant. Safe to say, I’m a little obsessed.

The only problem is, I don’t think I’ll ever be making it across the ocean, or at least not in the near future. So here are some of my favourite books, the ones that make me want to drop everything and run off to England. I only hope that one day when I do make it there, it lives up to the beauty that I’ve built up in my mind through these wonderful stories. 
 
Cupcakes at Carrington’s by Alexandra Brown - Georgie Hart sells luxury handbags in a seaside department store which has a café in it that serves red velvet cupcakes with buttercream icing. This is what I imagine all department stores in England are like. Sheer perfection. 

The Beach Café by Lucy Diamond - Evie Flynn escapes her boring life in the city and ends up running her own café in a small village on the English Coast. Just as awesome as a café in a department store. Reading about a woman who runs off to small town definitely makes you want to do the same. 

Summer Daydreams by Carole Matthews - Nell McNamara leaves her job at the chip shop to start her own handbag line. Set in a small town with a local market and chip shop where everyone knows each other, this sounds fantastic. This big city girl dreams of the quieter life. 

I Heart London by Lindsey Kelk - Angela Clark is loving her life in New York but now she has to return home to London. While most of the stories I love seem to be set in small towns or quaint villages, this one takes place in the big city and I loved it. All of the tourist spots are covered and it’s easy to fall in love with the city without having been there. 

Meet Me Under the Mistletoe by Abby Clements - Childhood friends Laurie and Rachel are living two very different lives. But circumstances have them switching homes, Rachel heading to London and Laurie off to the countryside. What better book for someone dreaming of starting somewhere new? And the idea of living in a little cottage in Yorkshire is very exciting. 

A Cinderella Christmas by Holly Kingston - Lucy Tilley has a role in the hottest Pantomime in town, with a hot soap hunk and reality television starlet. The only problem is, she’s playing the back end of the comedy cow. While we have Pantos here in Canada, they are definitely not as popular as they are in England. I have always wanted to see a British one, and this book got me as close as I can get (for now.) 

These are only a few of fabulous books I have read over the years that have made British chick lit one of my favourite genres to read. And until I can get there one day, the books and television shows will just have to keep me dreaming.


Shan

Curled Up with a Good Book and a Cup of Tea
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