My Favourite Review - EVER

 

It's been almost three months since the publication of The Grown Up To-Do List so I thought I'd share some of the lovely reviews it's received, including my favourite review - EVER.

I'm not sure whether you're supposed to have a favourite review. Is it a bit like picking a favourite child? I obviously couldn't do that but the first review I'm going to share put the BIGGEST smile on my face:

So why did this review warm my heart so much it has become my favourite review of all my books?

I'm a forty-plus-year-old woman myself, and back in the early 2000s I was reading rom coms like What's New Pussycat by Alexandra Potter, Thirtynothing and One-Hit Wonder by Lisa Jewell and Bookends and Babyville by Jane Green. I'd always loved writing and I knew I wanted to be published one day and these books inspired me.

I read these funny, heartwarming and romantic books and knew these were the kinds of books I wanted to write. So seeing a review that said my book reminded the reader of those kinds of books means the absolute world to me and I'd love to go back to the Jennifer of the early 2000s and tell her that she will write those kinds of books and they will bring her - and even actual readers just like her - so much joy.

Because The Grown Up To-Do List has brought joy. People have picked up the book and they've enjoyed Cleo's story and I'd like to share a few more snippets of the reviews that have been left.

If you've read and enjoyed The Grown Up To-Do List (or any of my books) then I'd love it if you could leave a review over on Amazon. A line or two would mean the world to me and it helps other people find books they might like!

Her friends are bossing life - is she being left behind?

25-year-old Cleo is happy enough. She likes her job in the fish and chip shop in the North West seaside town where she grew up. But her world has become very small - all her friends couldn’t wait to leave home and are off, apparently crushing life. They have shiny careers and creative side-hustles, while she is still living with her mum and dad.

But when she learns that her dream childhood boyfriend is coming back to town for a party in three months, she decides she needs to start adulting to win him.

But what does being a grown-up really mean? And can she become one in three months?

Amazon UK | Amazon US

The Grown Up To-Do List: What Inspired The Book?

I recently shared five fun facts about The Grown Up To-Do List, and one of those facts was that the initial idea for the book came to me during my first driving lesson so I thought I'd explain that a bit more in its own blog post.

Back in 2019, I decided it was time for me to learn to drive. I was 36 and had never attempted to learn because I thought it was beyond me (spoiler: it absolutely was) but my big girl pants were deployed and I applied for my provisional license and booked my first lesson once it arrived.

By this point, I was still under the impression that me attempting to drive a car was ridiculous and I wouldn't pass in a million years so I didn't tell anybody apart from my ex (who wasn't my ex at the time, obviously) and my daughters so when I failed it wouldn't be quite so humiliating if people didn't know. So imagine my horror when my driving instructor pulled up six doors away from my sister's house to start my first lesson.

What if my sister or her family walked past on their way out of the house or coming home and saw me sat in the driver's seat of a car with a bloody great big 'L' stuck to its roof? I was already panicking about the driving lesson, about sitting in the driver's seat and very soon having to actually drive the car, and now I was having to face the possibility of being found out.

I can see the funny side now but at the time I was seriously STRESSED OUT about getting caught in the act. Anyway, I drove off, very slowly and very badly without being spotted and a seed was planted. What if someone was in a similar situation to me and was hiding the fact they were taking driving lessons? Perhaps they'd told a little fib and insinuated that they could already drive and now had to take a crash course on the sly?

But why would someone pretend they could drive when they couldn't?

Perhaps they were feeling small and unaccomplished in comparison to the other person? Perhaps the other person had their life sorted with a good, fulfilling job, their own home and the ability to get from A-Z without waiting for the bus in the pouring rain? Perhaps a little fib got out of hand and they ended up reimagining their life to big themselves up and now they had to somehow make it all come true before their lies were exposed?

Cleo and her story started to emerge from that potentially disastrous driving lesson, so at least I got something out of it, because it wasn't a driver's license. I gave it my best go but driving just isn't for me. I was terrible at it and when Covid hit and the lessons had to be put on hold, I wasn't sad about it. I didn't miss the debilitating dread I felt in the days leading up to my next lesson and I made peace with the fact that I wasn't made to be in control of a vehicle and at least nobody other than my household knew of my failure. Until a few weeks ago when I spilled the beans via my fun facts. Like I said, I see the funny side of it now and failure or not, I'm just relieved I never have to sit in the driver's seat of a car ever again.

Her friends are bossing life - is she being left behind?

25-year-old Cleo is happy enough. She likes her job in the fish and chip shop in the North West seaside town where she grew up. But her world has become very small - all her friends couldn’t wait to leave home and are off, apparently crushing life. They have shiny careers and creative side-hustles, while she is still living with her mum and dad.

But when she learns that her dream childhood boyfriend is coming back to town for a party in three months, she decides she needs to start adulting to win him.

But what does being a grown-up really mean? And can she become one in three months?

Amazon UK | Amazon US

The Grown Up To-Do List: Five Fun Facts

It's been a month since the publication of my latest release, The Grown Up To-Do List so I thought I would share Five Fun Facts about the book:

Her friends are bossing life - is she being left behind?

25-year-old Cleo is happy enough. She likes her job in the fish and chip shop in the North West seaside town where she grew up. But her world has become very small - all her friends couldn’t wait to leave home and are off, apparently crushing life. They have shiny careers and creative side-hustles, while she is still living with her mum and dad.

But when she learns that her dream childhood boyfriend is coming back to town for a party in three months, she decides she needs to start adulting to win him.

But what does being a grown-up really mean? And can she become one in three months?

Amazon UK | Amazon US

Publication Day: The Grown Up To-Do List

 

Today is Publication Day for my new book, The Grown Up To-Do List

Her friends are bossing life - is she being left behind?

25-year-old Cleo is happy enough. She likes her job in the fish and chip shop in the North West seaside town where she grew up. But her world has become very small - all her friends couldn’t wait to leave home and are off, apparently crushing life. They have shiny careers and creative side-hustles, while she is still living with her mum and dad.

But when she learns that her dream childhood boyfriend is coming back to town for a party in three months, she decides she needs to start adulting to win him.

But what does being a grown-up really mean? And can she become one in three months?

Amazon UK | Amazon US

I'm so pleased Cleo's story is finally out and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I wrote the first draft back in 2020, during lockdown, and it was a joy to slip into a non-Covid world for a little while each day.

If you're a newsletter subscriber, check your inbox because you should have an email with a new free short story and a giveaway. Crocheted stripy sausage dogs feature in The Grown Up To-Do List and you can win one of your own!

If you're not a newsletter subscriber and don't want to miss out next time, you can sign up here.

If you do read and enjoy The Grown Up To-Do List, I'd love it if you could leave a little review over on Amazon. A sentence or two is enough and it'd make my day and help other readers find books they'd enjoy too.

September Book News

 

September is a very exciting month for me - and not just because we're getting hints of autumn!

I have two pieces of book news to share this month:

My new book, The Grown Up To-Do List is out on Thursday. I've waited a long time to share Cleo's story with you so I'm super-excited that she gets to shine in just a few days.

I'm giving away a super-cute crocheted stripy sausage dog to celebrate Publication Day (I haven't lost the plot - they feature in the book!) so make sure you're subscribed to my newsletter if you'd like the chance to win the little dude.

There will also be a free short story for you to read in the newsletter, which centres around one of the side characters from The Grown Up To-Do List.

From my new book to my very first: A Beginner's Guide To Salad is part of September's Kindle Monthly Deal, so you can grab a copy for just 99p for the whole of this month. And if you're a Kindle Unlimited Subscriber, you can read it for free.

Buy Now

Cover Reveal: The Grown Up To-Do List

Back in March, I shared my news that I had signed a two-book deal with Hera, and today I can show off the cover for the first book, The Grown Up To-Do List.

Her friends are bossing life - is she in danger of being left behind?

25-year-old Cleo is happy enough. She likes her job in the fish and chip shop in the small town where she grew up. But her world has become very small - all her friends couldn’t wait to leave their small, seaside town and are off, apparently crushing life. They have shiny careers and creative side-hustles, while she is still living with her mum and dad.

But when she learns that her childhood boyfriend is coming back to town for a party in three months, she decides she needs to start adulting.

But what does being a grown-up really mean? And can she become one in three months?

A funny, life-affirming romcom perfect for fans of Emily Henry, Beth O’Leary and Mhairi McFarlane

I am so excited that Cleo's story will be out in the world soon and I hope you love it as much as I do!

The book is out in September but you can pre-order your copy now:

Amazon UK | Amazon US | Kobo

Book News: A New Two-Book Deal With Hera

 

I am so excited to be able to share my news that I've signed a two-book deal with Hera for my next two rom coms. The first, The Grown-Up To Do List will be published in September and I can't wait for you to meet Cleo and her friends (plus a bunch of flawed crocheted sausage dogs). We're back in Clifton-on-Sea for Cleo's story and it's been great dipping back into the seaside town again.

I'll be back to share more about the book as soon as I can, and I'll be posting my usual Book Extras.