Oh my god. YES YES YES. This is exactly what my heart wanted, I very very rarely give 5 Stars for romance because I like what I like and this ticked every box!

A Heartwarming Escape into a New Life – 5 Stars

Milly Johnson has once again worked her magic with *The Happiest Ever After*, a delightful, feel-good novel that will have you laughing, crying, and rooting for the characters every step of the way. This book is a warm hug for the soul, with a beautifully crafted story that explores themes of second chances, self-discovery, and the power of reinvention.

Polly Potter is stuck in a rut. Her job as a business consultant used to ignite her passion, but after the death of her mentor and the betrayal of her partner Chris, she’s barely surviving. It’s in her novel-writing that she finds solace, creating a new version of herself – the fearless Sabrina Anderson. The way Polly escapes into her fictional world and reinvents herself is both relatable and empowering, and I could instantly feel a connection to her desire to escape her reality.

The twist of Polly adopting the persona of Sabrina in a small Italian seaside town is nothing short of magical. As Sabrina, she finds herself in the midst of a bustling family restaurant, run by the charming Teddy, and I absolutely loved how the vibrant setting brought the story to life. The Italian town, filled with warm characters and mouthwatering food, is the perfect backdrop for Polly to rebuild her life. It’s the kind of place you’d want to visit, full of love, laughter, and a touch of chaos.

The beauty of this story lies in Polly’s journey of self-reinvention. As Sabrina, she is bold, daring, and more in control of her life than she ever felt as Polly. However, it’s the subtle layers of her character’s growth that truly shine. The tension between her past and present is palpable, and watching her navigate this new life – especially as she faces challenges from a rival restaurant and develops a close bond with her new community – was absolutely captivating.

Johnson’s writing is rich and engaging, with just the right balance of humour and heartfelt moments. The characters, particularly Sabrina, are so well-drawn and relatable that I couldn’t help but get swept up in their story. The romance, while not the central focus, adds a lovely touch of sweetness to the narrative, and I found myself rooting for Sabrina to find her "happiest ever after."

The book is an uplifting celebration of second chances and the possibility of creating your own future, no matter what your past may look like. *The Happiest Ever After* is a perfect choice for anyone who enjoys an emotional journey with a satisfying, feel-good conclusion. Milly Johnson has once again delivered a heartwarming and joyful read that I couldn’t put down. A definite five-star book, and one I’ll be recommending to everyone!

Another fabulous offering from the Queen of the comfort reads, Milly Johnson.
I am always left with such a satisfying feeling once I've finished a Milly book. I adored this one. I resonated a lot with Polly's character and what she had experienced so was clinging onto the hope of her finding her happy ever after.
Milly keeps you guessing as to the outcome of Polly's happiness which was fine by me as I didn't want the book to come to an end.
Milly has created another set of lovely, warm characters with odd bad apple to keep it interesting.
I'd recommend this 100%.

Awesome, hilarious read!

Polly loved her job turning failing businesses into thriving ones, until new management took over and she hates it, along with her boyfriend who betrays her and she can’t forgive him, the only thing to make Polly happy is writing her novel, hoping to escape.

Meet Sabrina, aka Polly, starting again against the odds and living life again.

Following her journey to happiness whilst finding herself and encountering some sticky situations, hilarious experiences all while searching for her happy ever after!

Absolutely loved this book such an amazing read. Amazing characters and flowed so well. I was hooked from that start. Highly recommended this book.

Thank to netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Polly used to love her partner Chris until he cheated on here. Her work mentor then dies and her new boss is making her live difficult. Her only escape is in the pages of her novel that contains the fictional character Sabrina Anderson who is a more successful version of Polly.

She decides to try and find herself by becoming Sabrina and leaving her old live behind. She moves to Italy and finds herself living in a noisy restaurant with her new landlady Marielle and her son Teddy.

She starts to forget all about her live as Polly and starts to get her happy ever after.

A definite feel-good and heartwarming read.

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

Thank you for my earc of this book. Unfortunately I didn’t get on with this book and the writing style, so DNF

A brilliant read and one I really enjoyed. The characters are loveable. The plot is one that is engaging and I found myself completely drawn into the story and enjoyed the writing style.

Funny, feel-good and heartwarming – a novel by Milly Johnson is like a warm hug from a friend.

Polly Potter is having a run of bad luck. Like, really bad. Her boss is a misogynistic arse and her cheating partner (and his family) are just as charming. Her creative writing course, and loosing herself in fictional character Sabrina Anderson is her only happy place.

There’s a mugging, some amnesia and Polly/Sabrina finds herself living the life she always wanted. But can you really forget the past?

Gorgeous tale, I devoured it.

I always enjoy a Milly Johnson story but OMG, this was the best! My emotions were all over the place with this one!

This author has such a skill with writing relatable characters and I identified with each and every one in The Happiest Ever After. I’m sure a lot of readers will relate to Polly’s experiences from the men in her life – whether that’s at work or at home. Such a contrast between her life with Chris as Polly and her life in Slattercove as Sabrina (although it’s not all plain sailing with Marielle and her friends!). Maybe it’s just me but a surprise like that? Pants. Sums up her relationship with Chris really.

This story was all about the feelings for me, the highs and the lows. Milly gets some crackers in there amidst the sad stuff and The Daily Trumpet – if you’ve ever read any of Milly’s stories, you’ll know how funny they are. This time I also enjoyed how they created tension at a key moment in time. I shook my head in despair! … but didn’t really expect anything else.

Nothing stays the same, change happens and the people who slot into place aren’t always the right ones for us. The Happiest Ever After shines the light on the message that no matter how hopeless a situation might be, we do have the power to take control and find our own way.

As well as being a fictional story that draws you in, I’m sure this will also give inspiration and hope to others who might be going through similar things in their own lives or who aren’t feeling heard.

The Happiest Ever After is a positive and uplifting story that will take you through ALL the emotions.

Don’t miss it!

Another stunning read from Milly. A fantastic balance of characters with some, not all, allowed to redeem themselves a little! You will find yourself invested in the lives of the characters and willing them (some of them) to get that happy ending. Milly's incredible skill as a writer keeps me coming back for more with every new book. The way she connects the characters is unique and there are a few twists and turns along the way. She champions women but also the decent blokes out there. Lots of laugh out loud humour and every character allowed to shine. Any book that mentions ELVIS, ISLE OF WIGHT and DONKEYS is also a winner for me! The only bad part of a Milly book is when you've finished it and have to wait for the next one! Grab yourselves a copy, run don't walk, and lose yourself in a wonderful world away from the mindless scrolling for a few hours.

Polly Potter’s life is not going to plan. She is taken for granted by her partner, Chris, who is not willing to put any effort into their relationship, and sidelined and exploited by her misogynistic boss, Jeremy. The only thing that makes her life bearable is her creative writing class, and the novel she is writing where her heroine Sabrina is everything Polly is not. Unable to bear it any longer, Polly plans her escape, but is thwarted by what happens at the wedding vows renewal ceremony where she is forced to be a bridesmaid (in a hideous frock) to her horrible snobbish sister-in-law, Camay (great name and yes I’m old enough to remember the soap). Forced to make a run for it, she heads for the coast where she remembers being happy as a child with her uncle and aunt, only to be mugged and suffer a head injury. She wakes up in hospital believing she is Sabrina, with no memory of her life as Polly, but a strong sense that she needs to stay hidden.
This is Milly Johnson’s twenty-first novel and I’ve read and loved every one of them. She writes wonderfully believable characters (nice and nasty) and doesn’t shy away from serious issues, always treating them with sensitivity and humour. The Yorkshire settings are like characters in their own right. I really enjoyed the corporate espionage thread in this one and the sense of karma in the ending. The excerpts from The Daily Trumpet, correcting misprints but somehow managing to make them even worse, are hilarious. The Happiest Ever After is by turns heartbreaking and uplifting, and will leave you with the idea that sometimes friends are better than family as you can choose them yourself. I always read every new novel by Milly Johnson, they just keep on getting better and better, so I look forward to reading her next one very soon. Thanks to Simon & Schuster UK and NetGalley for a digital copy to review.

Books are a great form of escapism, and sometimes you do not need to go far to experience the tastes of abroad. Polly after some unfortunate work events and an accident finds herself not that far from home but also in the warmth of an Italian family.

That Italian family runs a restaurant, but it is threatened by changes from a much larger well known company and it seems that Polly has the skills to sort this out. Enter Sabrina. Sabrina escaped her previous life, drudgery at home, belittled at work and can help this restaurant thrive. She has the skills.

However, it is all very complicated as Polly and Sabrina are one in the same person and that needs to resolve itself before the happy ever after we are promised by the title. On the way though, we can taste the fresh pasta, enjoy the cold ice cream and imagine the family enveloping us with love and food. Milly Johnson’s books are like a new recipe ever year in joy, escapism and happiness.

Milly Johnson has become my go to author when I need a really good laugh. Her books never fail to make me smile. I could quite happily read a whole volume made up of Daily Trumpet apologies. This book has a great cast of characters. I loved label obsessed Camay and her odious husband. As soon as I saw that she was named after a bar of soap I knew I was in for a treat. I think it was a pity she never came up against Cilla, it would have been like an episode of Real Housewives. Poor Polly had such a hard life so I was over the moon when Marielle takes her in hand. They were so good for each other. Marielle should have had a dozen children and Polly had never had a mother to speak of. I was praying for their friendship to last. It was great to see the venomous Jeremy get his comeuppance and the last snippet from the Daily Trumpet just rounded off the book nicely. I had a smile on my face all the next day after reading this

What if you could write your own perfect storyline?

Polly is existing in a life she’s really not happy in, her only escape is her creative writing course where she writes about Sabrina. After a terrible encounter Polly loses her memory and truly believes she’s Sabrina. She soon makes caring friends who enable her feel safe but as she starts to remember bits of her past will she really want to return to that life?

I loved this book, just what I needed after quite a few thrillers. The characters made this book for me and although quickly realising how it would all end I was really invested in them all. Thanks to @netgalley for the opportunity to read this great book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#TheHappiestEverAfter
#MillyJohnson

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I liked Polly, Marielle, Flick, and Teddy. The story ended nicely, but I wasn't keen on the focus on the criminals, and I think the story could have been about 50 pages shorter.

An absorbing story, full of live and colourful characters who quickly become friends, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this fabulous story by the wonderful and hilarious Milly Johnson.
This made me want to go and have an Italian meal and complain about then help the editor of the Daily Trumpet, because although the mistakes were hilarious, they were still mistakes!!!
Many thanks to Simon and Schuster for the opportunity to read this arc copy via Netgalley.
#Netgalley, #SimonAndSchuster, #MillyJohnson.

My Review: I read this wonderful book in one sitting, only pausing for coffee and my egg banjo lunch. I loved every moment.

Such a good story, The Daily Trumpet Bulletins had me in stitches. It’s made me want to look into having a name put in one of them.

Polly Potter is a woman who loves her job, hates her new boss and tolerates her Partner Chris, she doesn’t even know why she came back to him after he cheated on her.

The only good thing about him is his son Will who has always been kind and welcoming, unlike his sister who is the complete opposite.

Polly adores her creative writing course, it’s the best thing. She is a bit of a loner, with maybe one good friend called Sheridan and needs this escape that the course offers her.

Then the ‘OH MY GOODNESS PART TWO!!!!’

Something happens and she loses herself to her character Sabrina, a whole new list of people enter her life. Her soul feeding from the strength of the character and truly stepping into her power she finds a sense of happiness long missing from her life.

I loved the quick reference to HRT and the ‘Menopausal friends who had gravitated together, like planets!’ I felt I had found my own pals.

Marielle, Diana, Jackie, Sylvie, Bev and young Flick prove to be such wonderful people.

Of course there are twists and some very ugly moments. The journey of Polly/ Sabrina from who she was to who she is has been written wonderfully and Polly has some incredible people on her side. Especially, restaurant owner Teddy, who really looks out for her.

Part three brings everything together and there’s no going back.

I also felt like making myself a Black forest hot choc in my Velvetiser, but I was too engrossed to step away from the book. 100% recommended read.

Milly you have done it again
I just love this ladies books and this one didn’t disappoint
This book is full of lovable characters and a great storyline
You will not want to put it down
Thanks NetGalley