The Perfectly Imperfect Woman is the new fantastic book by Milly Johnson.
Marnie Salt’s life doesn’t always run according to plan, she had a tumultuous childhood, her love life is a disaster, but she loves her job as a manager at a beverage company until one day an incident at work has her running for the hills.
Lillian owns the village of Wychwell, she has previously met Marnie on an online cheesecake forum and one drunken night Marnie pours her heart out to her, Lillian offers Marnie a refuge, she should come and live in Raspberries Cottage in Wychwell. Marnie soon discovers that there is more to this quiet little village.
An excellent story with interesting and colourful characters, there are also a couple of very good twists. An enjoyable book which combines love, friendship, romance and intrigue. Another wonderful Milly Johnson book which I recommend.

I have just finished this beautiful book and feel absolutely bereft!

Milly Johnson writes with such feeling and emotion that you can't help but be swept along with her characters and storyline like.

My heart broke for Marnie but I couldn't stop reading, desperate for her to find happiness and love.

I really enjoyed reading about the history of Wychwell which runs alongside the main story and will genuinely miss all the characters. The good and the bad!

I really look forward to the next book.

Brilliant! Love it. Fantastic read. Finished in no time. Great girlie feel good book!

I was more than a little bit excited going into this book, the last book I had read from Milly Johnson I had continued reading until the early hours of the morning just to find out what happened so when I saw this on NetGalley I couldn’t help but request it!

So did I spend the rest of the night reading after I downloaded it? No I didn’t, but I still had a great time reading it over a few days! The story follow Marnie as she tries to navigate through her life while admittedly making more than one mistake. One of the things that first struck me about this book was the fact that although I didn’t have what I would call an instant connection to Marnie, the mistakes while obvious and avoidable didn’t annoy me as much as they usually do. I do tend to rage a lot at characters thought processes and decisions so it was nice to just lose myself in the story.

The story itself was nothing how I imagined it to be, the first few chapters sort of trundled a long how you would imagine and then suddenly it twists the entire story into a whole other direction, which was great, I love surprises. While the story is fast paced there is definitely enough going on to keep you sucked in. What was the most surprising about the story however was the amount of mystery and the little bit of supernatural that was involved. To be honest going into the book I had just sort of assumed it was going to all be mostly romance but I think the slight branching out into different genres gave it that little bit of an edge.

In regards to the characters Marnie definitely grew on me and I absolutely adored Lilian and a few other members of the village. I also like that there were a variety of different characters within the village just to make it all the more interesting. The character development was really well written and it was great to see Marnie except the good with the bad. I probably would of liked it better if a few ‘events’ or ‘issues’ had been completely resolved e.g. with her sister but let’s be fair there was probably no saving that ever. The ending was both a surprise and satisfying which is always hard to do and something that really topped of the book for me. If you are looking for a feel good summer read, full of intrigue, romance and a little bit of mystery then this is the book for you!

I have always loved Millie Johnson books and she certainly hasn't let me down at all you are hooked from the first page and full of laughter and romantic and life just a brilliant book. It flows so well as a book and wants you to read more to find out what does happen next.
It's all based around Marnie Salt and her mother never really wanted her after she had her own child as she adopted Marnie and she feels as if life can never go right. As a youngster she meets a lovely neighbour who shows her how to make cheesecakes and in years to come she will not realise this will change her life forever. She's in a job where she is having a secret relationship with the boss and she thinks he's left his wife but when she turns up at the office ranting at Marnie she decides she needs to move and have time away as she can't face anyone. She turns up is a beautiful village and the while village has been psssed through generations and Marnie thinks it's only to be temporary but little does she know it will change her life. She comes across problems to start with and is unsure but then she realises she can learn to love and be happy again.
A beautiful read full of family secrets will they all come out and be sorted or not a simply Devine read.

Review shall be up on my blog 16/03 thecosiestcorner.blogspot.com

Another Milly Johnson book, another book added to my favourites! I have always loved Milly's novels and this one is no different. I would admit that it seemed slightly different to Milly's other novels but it was refreshing and I really enjoyed it.

Throughout the novel I found myself really feeling sorry for main character Marnie (how can that many bad events take place in one persons life?!) and I found that her story was really pulling at my heartstrings - especially when it came to Lilian (but I'll say no more about her)! The story, as aforementioned, follows Marnie and her move to a place called Wychwell. Wychwell is a tiny town owned by Lilian, a friend whom Marnie meets via an online cheesecake forum (I know, it's so random but it just works!).

The two women get on perfectly and it's so nice, after reading so much about what had happened to Marnie, seeing her get on and start to enjoy her life. Although, at times throughout the book, this appears to be short lived. There are utterly emotional moments and these parts really bring the tears to your eyes. But there are also really enjoyable moments where you find yourself smiling.

The story itself, I found beautifully magical and I couldn't put the book down. It was another absolutely brilliant novel by an author that has always been one of my favourites! This book isn't all about romance, I felt as though there were some mystery in parts and I found that really intriguing. The characters all seem so lovely and friendly and the descriptions about the town makes you feel as though you are right there with Marnie.

Overall, I was so sad when this book came to an end! I got lost in this story and felt like I didn't want to let it go! Luckily, I still have some books by Milly to read so shall definitely be going on to them next! Watch this space! Thank you to Netgalley and to the publisher for a chance to read this novel, which I have reviewed honestly.

Another fantastic read from Milly Johnson. When I started reading Marnies story I just kept repeating “don’t do it!” Because her relationships were so wrong. But as soon as she met Lillian and discovered Wychwell the story develops into a marvellous unpredictable adventure with lots of laughs and tears along the way.

If you want love, romance, humour, a crazy old lady and a Norwegian hunk then The Perfectly Imperfect Woman by Milly Johnson is for you.

I always look forward to Milly’s new books being published as you know as soon as you start reading you’re drawn into a wonderful community with vivid characters that feel like old friends.

This book follows the story of Marnie Salt. She’s made some mistakes in the past and feels she’ll never be on the right track. However a chance meeting with a little old lady on an internet baking chat room may be about to change all of that.

I read this book in a couple of days and loved every page. There are funny parts, sad parts, secrets and love but overall this book is a wonderful heartwarming read that I can highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley, Simon and Schuster and the author for the chance to review.

Another absolutely wonderful read from Milly Johnson. They carry on getting better and better. The characters are so vivid that they feel like friends and you experience everything alongside them. Wychwell sounds a gorgeous place to find and spend time
After pouring her heart out to a woman on a cheesecake site, Marnie finds herself renting a cottage in Lillian's viillage, Wychell. She is a delighfully eccentric old lady and she craves Marnie's company. You get the feel of village life and romance is in the air. You just lose yourself totally within the pages and enjoy every moment- it's just sad that it has to come to an end!

Another amazing milly johnson. Just when you think you have the plot theres a delightful twist or 2.

My thanks to Net galley and publisher Simon and Schubert for an ARC of Milly Johnsons latest book for an honest review.
After being adopted as a baby and then being unwanted once a sister was born naturally , she has had a life completely lacking in love and affection. But as a hard worker she now has a high powered role in the company she works for.
One night when drunk she comes across a cheesecake website and pours her heart out to Lillian the 'perfectly imperfect woman'. After a disastrous affair with a married man and a hideous scene at work she decides to change her life and takes up Lillian's offer of a cottage in the village that Lillian owns.
Here starts Marnies journey, with a cast of characters that jump out off the pages, it's almost like a play where when some characters come on stage you want to hiss and boo and others you clap and cheer.
Not without many obstacles and heartache Marnies life completely turns around. Take the journey with her it's totally worth it! A great entertaining read.

The Perfectly Imperfect Woman

Omg what can I say, this was magical, moving, hilarious and explosive. I've always loved all of Milly's books and thought they were amazing but this is like she has smashed away the edges of the box and become a whole new, even more fantastic Milly. This book is her in paper form, I could imagine her sitting in the kitchen with a cuppa (or a Prosecco) and telling me this story. This is a master class in creative writing if ever I saw one and I'm gutted that I've finished it as I loved my time in Wychwell.

Marnie Salt has never felt loved by anybody, apart from an old lady called Mrs Mcmaid who spent time with her as a child. Marnie didn't even receive any affection from her own mother and she throws herself into her career and into the arms of a very undeserving man. But one incident changes all that and she finds she loses both.
Thanks to a lovely old lady called Lillian Dearman she finds a new home and decides to make cheesecakes for a living, Mrs Mcmaid had given her a secret recipe many years before.
Lillian has an unusual request for Marnie which is to help her find an old well which would unearth some secrets from hundreds of years ago and I've got a funny feeling that some of those secrets we are yet to discover as I'm hoping we will be going back to Wychwell some time soon.

There was so much to this story along with the intrigue about the Manor House and the mystery of the pink lady ghost, Milly cleverly drip fed us the history of the village through the eyes of Lillian in the form of an old history book, and this was intertwined with flashbacks of Marnie's heartbreak. A scenario near the end which was beautiful and I really didn't see coming, a hunky love interest by the name of Herv and someone to hiss and boo at by the name of Titus provided all round entertainment.

This has quickly become my favourite Milly book of all time and I sincerely hope we can revisit Wychwell in the not too distant future.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuser for a copy of this book. I loved it. A thoroughly gripping tale of friendship and romance with sympathetically described characters both young and old. Milly Johnson never lets the reader down with her books as they’re always very well written with a good storyline and interesting characters. This book is definitely one to read.

Thank you netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Marnie is in a high power job which makes up for the loveless family relationship with her mother and sister. Her best friend has changed and she feels quite alone. Marnie starts a relationship with Justin from work and she is unaware he is married. Her whole world crumbles and after some drunken online exchanges with Lillian via a cheesecake website Marnie makes changes go her life.

Lillian welcomes her to her little village full of tales and wonderful people and maybe a chance for Marnie to find love

Each new book that Milly publishes becomes my new favourite. This book is full of drama, mystery, love, lust and cheesecake and is pure perfection! The characters are wonderfully balanced, some likeable some very much not. The setting of Wychwell is fabulous and so enchanting.

Loved it from start to finish. Not just a rom com, there’s mystery and intrigue too. Utterly charming - Milly at her most magical.

If you know me personally and have ever asked for a book recommendation, you will know that I am obsessed with Milly Johnson!!! So when I saw her new book was available for review I didn’t hesitate to request it!!

From the back cover:

Marnie Salt has made so many mistakes in her life that she fears she will never get on the right track. But when she ‘meets’ an old lady on a baking chatroom and begins confiding in her, little does she know how her life will change.

Arranging to see each other for lunch, Marnie finds discovers that Lilian is every bit as mad and delightful as she’d hoped – and that she owns a whole village in the Yorkshire Dales, which has been passed down through generations. And when Marnie needs a refuge after a crisis, she ups sticks and heads for Wychwell – a temporary measure, so she thinks.

But soon Marnie finds that Wychwell has claimed her as its own and she is duty bound not to leave. Even if what she has to do makes her as unpopular as a force 12 gale in a confetti factory! But everyone has imperfections, as Marnie comes to realise, and that is not such a bad thing – after all, your flaws are perfect for the heart that is meant to love you.

I read this book in a few days between Christmas and New Year. Milly’s writing is so easy to fall in to, I actually started to believe I was tailing Marnie around Wychwell and not sitting on my sofa stuffing myself with Christmas leftovers!

I just adored this book! Marnie was such a likeable character and the more I learned about her back story the more I felt for her. I loved that all of the characters were memorable and that they all had great back stories that explained a lot when they were finally revealed.

This book had it all, love, heartbreak, drama, tears & laughter. I would definitely recommend it to anyone in need of a good feel good pick me up – it’s the Perfectly Perfect feel good book of 2018! (excuse the bad pun).

In Imperfectione Perfectio Est....

Marnie Salt, Head of Beverage Marketing at Cafe Caramba and acknowledged black sheep of her family, despite her professional success considers herself a prime candidate for the “Guinness Book of Records entry for most mistakes in one lifetime”.

However a chance encounter (on an online baking forum of all places) with sixty-six year old Miss Lilian Dearman is about to lead Marnie down some unexpected paths, particularly to the very unusual village of Wychwell. Accidentally sabotaging her own life in appallingly spectacular fashion, Marnie’s about to experience some major and very surprising changes.

The village and its many and varied characters are brilliantly drawn and I found this to be an original and very enjoyable setting. I was a bit worried that it might head down a more supernatural path with the whole “witch” element - not that I have anything against stories with supernatural themes but I didn’t feel it would have worked here - but thankfully this didn’t really happen.

While there is a love story here it’s far from being the only or even the main thing going on. There’s plenty of mystery and intrigue and the romance, though sweet, is kept quite low key, which I like.

I liked the central character of Marnie quite a lot and found her to be more original than the stereotypical “chick lit” (hate that term) heroine. She’s actually quite a forceful personality with a real get-things-done attitude and a lot of resilience.

While I liked Marnie’s character, some of her behaviour wasn’t always great and I felt some of the criticisms levelled at her by others (not her awful mother) were justified. For an intelligent woman she made some terrible misjudgements at times (and had catastrophically poor taste in men). She did leave her company in the lurch through no fault of theirs - you can absolutely understand why she did, but her former boss’s anger at this is also entirely understandable. I did find it a bit hard to swallow how quickly Marnie seemed to give up on the career she’d loved and worked hard for.

Then again, as the title says and she herself is well aware ... she’s not perfect. And as we learn more about Marnie’s past it’s only surprising that she’s not more Imperfect than she is.

The Perfectly Imperfect Woman (the title grew on me) is a truly delightful read with real heart. The plot is beautifully constructed and Milly Johnson leads us deftly round many winding paths which don’t always end where you might anticipate.... The secrets, of both Wychwell and Marnie, when finally revealed are both often heartbreaking and genuinely unexpected. (Hats off to anybody who successfully guesses Lilian’s story - I certainly didn’t, but it was somehow very satisfying.) And as always with Milly’s novels, there’s plenty of humour here too.

Some questions are definitely unanswered though and there’s certainly scope for a sequel - which I for one would love to read!

Another fantastic book from Milly! Great characters

This book is amazing and this author is absolutely fantastic. .I haven't read one book by her that I haven't loved.

The lead character, Marnier is well drawn. Her character is just a little vulnerable with just enough attitude to get her through life. On every turn of the page I was rooting for her. I really wanted her to succeed and more than that, I really wanted her to find love.
I found the two elderly ladies in the book just wonderful. First we had Mrs McMaid, an elderly lady that comes into Marnier's life at a young age, and then Lillian who she meets much later. Both ladies have very loving and nurturing qualities and Milly Johnson really brings each one to life on the page.
Then.... well then we meet the hero. I don't want to say too much for fear of giving spoilers, but all I can say is 'wow' he's looooovely. He too has his own conflicts, but he's very well drawn and you can't help but hope that this book has a happy ending for them both.

Would I recommend this book.... OH YES... very much so...!!