I think Lucy Diamond has written some of the best romantic comedy in recent years and this one doesn't disappoint. Three very different groups head to holixay cottages in Cornwall but it isn't long before their lives intertwine. I loved the way the three women automatically gravitated towards each other especially when several bottles of wine are present. I think we have all done this on holiday, you think you will have nothing in common apart from the shared pool but it isn't long before you are chatting away like old friends. I would advise anyone settling down with this book to have a large bar of chocolate and a box of tissues beside them because along with the laughs there are some very poignant moments along the way. All in all a great read.

Lucy Diamond’s tale took me on a journey to the wonderful rugged coastline of Cornwall to meet the families who are holidaying there. What could go wrong?

Em, is going on holiday with her two teenagers when she invites her new boyfriend, plus his six-year-old daughter. Has she done the right thing?

Maggie is looking forward to reconnecting with her teenage daughter, but her daughter wants to reconnect with the dad she has not seen since he left when she was a baby.

Olivia has run away from her family to take time to find herself.

The owners of the holiday cottages are still grieving for the son they lost when he was only a teenager himself. How will these new holiday makers impact on their lives?

I loved how Lucy drew these women together and the way they bonded, especially over wine putting the world
to rights.

I did think sometimes the misdemeanours were glossed over quite quickly and resolved, when in actual fact they could have had a far more rippling effect on the people concerned.

A great story of four women and their families spending the summer down at the coast. Lots of twists and turns here with really likeable characters. I really liked all of their emotional journey during the summer and the growth in their life which occurred with each other’s support. A brilliant holiday read

A Familial Drama....
A holiday, four women and their families. A familial drama if you like, the trials and tribulations of relationships and the ups and downs of life on a holiday which gives them all the chance to come together. Told with the author’s usual empathy and tact and with her skillful character development, laced with gentle humour. A satisfying and entertaining read.

I loved this book from beginning to end. I found the mix of characters really interesting, and the fact that some of them were woven into each other's stories. This book has lots of twists and turns to keep you gripped. Great description of the area where is was set, along with great stories of love, loss and emotion along the way. Just brilliant.

A lovely, gentle read. The perfect book to relax on a sun lounger with.
The story of three different women and their life’s, partners and children. I enjoyed the book.

The premise of the book is a family holiday in a small complex of three holiday cottages in Cornwall. In one is a single mum with her two teenagers and she inadvertently invited her new boyfriend who brings along his little girl.
In another is a single mother and teenage daughter whose relationship is fractious.
The third cottage has had a cancellation, last minute.I
Cue, dramas, secrets, lies and new friendships.
It's a great book with several major stories happening at the same time. Interesting from the start this book kept me hooked till the end.

Following the lives of four very different women all at different stages of their life. Pop on down to Lorna & Roy's holiday cottages in Cornwall where all the families come together.

Em - a mum of two with a new boyfriend, her children are not prepared for the sudden tag along of George and his young daughter (who kind of sounds like the devil) as the two families try to blend together.

Lorna - still grieves for her son who died 20 years ago and struggles with her grief whilst running the holiday cottages with her partner Roy. A secret from the past may help her move on with the next chapter of her life.

Maggie - a single mum of a teen, she feels the distance widening between her and her daughter. She also feels quite invisible and like she plods through life. Until her daughter wants to see her dad and Maggie re-evaluates her own happiness.

Then finally Olivia - a mum of two who feels the stress of looking after toddlers, fears she is like her own mum and possibly has post natal - from my view anyway. Who has a melt down and ups and leaves her family in desperation.

This is cleverly written and touches on real issues and the characters are flawed but very believable and warm. They all have their strengths but is also nice to see each individuals hopes and fears.

They all seem to have lost themselves along the way of life slightly and all delve into their pasts in different ways to confront issues and aim to find themselves in a happier place.

Lucy Diamond is my favourite women's fiction author so I know I can rely on her for a good read. I really enjoyed this, as I knew I would, but it wasn't my favourite of hers.
Escapism, female friendship, romance and a sunny holiday, exactly what the doctor ordered on a stormy winter weekend!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

I've enjoyed previous books by Lucy Diamond and this new release didn't disappoint.

From Olivia who is struggling as a stay at home mum to 3yo twins, to Maggie and Em who are both dealing with teenage strops and blended families, the main characters were likeable and well written. Even Lorna and Roy, the owners of the holiday cottages, have their own family issues that take an unexpected turn when the past catches up to the present.

The theme the pressure we put on ourselves to try and make family holidays unrealistically perfect in every way was well thought out and true to life.

As others have commented, my review copy seemed to have some issues with missing letters but for the most part I was able to decipher it without much problem.

Thanks to Netgalley for the copy to review.

I probably would have enjoyed this book but the copy I was reviewing was missing Fs so not much point continuing

Three women – Em, Maggie, and Olivia – arrive for their holiday at a cottage complex in Cornwall. Each of them has a story, and each of them brings some baggage. Em is holidaying with her two teenagers plus her boyfriend George, but a spanner is thrown into the works when his ex alters their plans and he has to bring along his awkward 7-year-old daughter. Maggie is with her teenage daughter who is at the stage of despising her mother. Olivia is mum to small twin boys, and has some past history with Lorna, the owner of the cottages.

I love Lucy Diamond’s books but, unfortunately, I was unable to finish this one as there appeared to be a problem with the advance e-book copy and was missing loads letter Fs. I just couldn’t concentrate as it wasn’t always apparent what the word was supposed to be. Very disappointing as I’m sure it’s a brilliant book.

Thank you to NetGalley and PanMacmillan for an advance reader copy in return for an honest review.

Have always loved Lucy diamond and this book did not disappoint.
Three women, em Maggie and Olivia. All characters that are very relatable to. They are all mothers but struggling with their own problems and lack of self worth.
The three women randomly meet whilst on holiday in Cornwall. Each had gone for personal reasons.....Olivia struggling with life as a mother to twin boys, whilst also carrying a secret from her past. Em, embarking on a new relationship whilst mother to teenagers. Add in the 7 year old daughter of her boyfriend and his ex wife does not provide the recipe for a happy holiday. Maggie is struggling when her daughter aborts their holiday to visit her estranged father.
All 3 women come together over a large amount of wine and begin to redefine their lives.
Really good read with likeable characters.

Another great Lucy Diamond read! What I like about Lucy’s books is she writes light hearted stories that are a refreshing break from all the crime novels I read, but she writes characters that you care about. I actually think there could be a great sequel learning more about what happened to these characters after the holiday. If you’re a fan of Lucy or this genre, you will enjoy this book. Highly recommended!

Holidays, like Christmas, can often not quite live up to expectations. Most of us have memories, amusing anecdotes of disastrous holidays from our childhood or later on in life. So what a fantastic basis for Lucy Diamond’s latest offering ‘An Almost Perfect Holiday’, since many of us will be able to relate to the type of experiences that the characters in this novel encounter.
Set in the idyllic surroundings of Cornwall, the writing style is easy, full of warmth and wit and humour. Following the lives of three women over the duration of two weeks in the summer, it is the holiday cottages belonging to Lorna and Roy that brings these women and their children into contact with each other often with disastrous results!
There’s single mum Em and her two teenagers Izzie and Jack occupying one cottage, joined by Em’s relatively new boyfriend George and his seven year old daughter. She thinks a summer break is the perfect way to foster relations and bring them all closer together. What could possibly go wrong??
Then there’s Maggie and her teenage daughter, another single mother who is hoping this holiday will strengthen their relationship,enjoying shared interests before independence and friends and romance lures her little girl away.
Olivia, a young mother to twin boys is literally running away from her responsibilities, feeling worn down by all the stresses and strains that accompany motherhood. She has long standing ties with this part of the country so it’s not quite coincidence that one of Lorna’s holiday cottages becomes her bolt hole. There are past connections between Olivia and Lorna that are there for the reader to discover, providing the ‘heartbreak’ element of the storyline.
What I loved about this novel was the way it embraces all the various stages of our lives, dealing with early motherhood, stroppy teenagers, the loosening of the apron strings and also perhaps rediscovering the person you once were before adult life consumed you. We can all identify with those feelings of helplessness, totally overwhelmed and struggling with simple everyday tasks when we navigate the early years of motherhood. We constantly berate ourselves for not being good enough, any less than perfect means we are failing so I felt much empathy towards Olivia’s character. On the whole, women are their own harshest critics which the author recognises, so it’s no wonder that by trying to please everyone and accommodate their wishes, relevant to Em’s storyline, we are setting ourselves up to fail. I suppose I could most identity with Maggie who cuts a rather sad figure until she has her ‘epiphany’ during her encounter with the beach artist.
Lorna is the one suffering the most heartache, having lost her only son before he had a chance to become an adult, but as you turn the pages you’ll realise there’s hope in the conclusion of her storyline. All these women, whilst being ordinary individuals are remarkable in their own ways so that this novel is a celebration of what it is to be a woman, navigating all life’s ups and downs. The storylines reflect the wonderful nature of female friendship, bonding over shared experiences often involving a glass of wine or two!! Any of these women could be a friend in reality which makes this such an enjoyable read.
It is lighthearted and entertaining,often funny,with all the storylines wrapped up happily which is what you need ‘escapism’ fiction to deliver.
‘An almost Perfect Holiday’ will appeal to fans of Fern Britton, Veronica Henry and the like.
My thanks as always to the author and publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read in exchange for an honest review.

Perhaps this book might have been better read on a balmy summer evening or by the swimming pool on my holiday but it was a cold windy day in February and I didn’t enjoy it much at all. The plot and characters just too light for me but I can imagine it will have a market.

A hugely enjoyable book depicting the lives of a group of women and their relationships.

When three women find themselves holidaying in the same complex of holiday cottages their lives quickly become entwined. The book examines the lives of each of these women through their relationships with their children, lovers, former partners and each other. As perfectly written as all Lucy Diamond books I would highly recommend this one.

I found this book a lovely warming tale highlighting the highs and lows of relationships and parenting. I found some of the characters hard to connect with but this was purely down to my own feelings surrounding their story. This story has definitely made me excited for summer evenings and the prospect of holidays and would make a lovely future beach read.

This book is set in Cornwall, and features four Women who are on holiday in a complex of holiday cottages. As the holiday progresses they strike up a friendship with each other and share secrets about their lives.
The problems that they have are very realistic. Lucy Diamond writes books which are very engaging and relatable. This book is no exception, it is very well written and enjoyable to read. It was a little slow in places, but still a good read.

Another fabulous book from Lucy Diamond. We all take holidays for different reasons, and although there is always excitement, there are always issues and concerns that seem to crop up when on holiday. This certainly made me think about how we all try to project the perfect life and holiday. We need to learn to love life warts and all!! Great read, most enjoyable. Thank you for letting me review this book