Welcome to the sixth of my ‘Calendar Chaos’ posts, in which I take the books I received in my 2024 book advent – each cover representing a different period of time – and review them for you!
Finally for March is SPRING and the book is A Spring Affair by Milly Johnson.
Read on to find out more…
Blurb: ‘Clear your house and clear your mind. Don’t let life’s clutter dictate to you. Throw it away and take back the control!’
When Lou Winter picks up a dog-eared magazine in the dentist’s waiting room and spots an article about clearing clutter, she little realises how it will change her life. What begins as an earnest spring clean soon spirals out of control.
Lou‘s loved ones grow disgruntled. Why is clearing out cupboards suddenly more important than making his breakfast, her husband Phil wonders? The truth is, the more rubbish Lou lets go of, the more light and air can get to those painful, closed-up places at the centre of her heart.
Even lovely Tom Broom, the man who delivers Lou‘s skips, starts to grow concerned about his sweetest customer. But Lou is a woman on a mission, and not even she knows where it will end . . .
Review: I’m not usually the biggest fan of romance but I confess that Milly Johnson totally drew me in here and I found myself unable to leave Lou’s story until I knew how things turned out!
Poor Lou has a horrible husband that she treats like royalty, a horrible mother and sister that she tiptoes around the feelings of, a horrible sister- and brother-in-law that take advantage of her good nature with their horrible children, a horrible friend who uses her relentlessly but is unwilling to give anything in return, and a horrible job with a bullying boss and cowed co-workers. And the one common factor in it all is that Lou lets everyone treat her like dirt because she doesn’t believe she is worth more.
Luckily, this is the story of how she turns her whole life around, learns to love and appreciate herself and insist on her own value, and de-clutters the circle of people around her as well as her home, to only keep what truly matters – leading to better general health, a nicer home, a dream job, and some true love, friendship and romance.
In turns fun, heart-breaking, sweetly romantic and utterly absorbing, I couldn’t stop rooting for Lou and her triumph over all the challenges facing her, and it was SO satisfying to see everyone get EXACTLY what they deserved by the end of the book, for good and for bad!
If you are looking for the perfect sweet HEA romance, with a lovely main character who develops and grows into her best self while you cheer her on, then this is the book for you. I’m definitely reading more Milly Johnson next time I need a bit of a pick-me-up.
About the author:
Milly Johnson was born, raised and still lives in Barnsley, South Yorkshire. She is the author of 22 novels, 4 short story ebooks, a book of poetry and a Quick Reads Novella (‘The Little Dreams of Lara Cliffe’) and was an erstwhile leading copywriter for the greetings card industry. She is also a poet, a professional joke-writer, a newspaper columnist and a seasoned after dinner speaker.
She won the RoNA for Best Romantic Comedy Novel of 2014 and 2016, the Yorkshire Society award for Arts and Culture 2015, the Romantic Novelist Association Outstanding Achievement award in 2020, the Goldsboro Books Contemporary Romantic Novel Award in 2021 and the Richard Whiteley Award for Inspiration to the County of Yorkshire in 2022.
She writes about love, life, friendships and the importance of community spirit. Her books champion women, their strength and resilience and celebrate her beloved Yorkshire.
Her 22nd novel ‘Same Time Next Week’ out 27th Feb 2025 is about five women all negotiating big changes in their lives. Will coming together in a friendship group at the new Ray’s Diner help them overcome what fate throws at them? Full of blueberry pie and cookies (don’t blame me if you start craving them)
Do check out Milly’s website – it’s easy to find if you search for her name. She has a monthly newsletter with insider info, competitions and even birthday celebrations.
Website: https://millyjohnson.co.uk/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themillyjohnson
X/Twitter: https://x.com/millyjohnson
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MillyJohnsonAuthor
