The Queen Of Wishful Thinking By Milly Johnson

‘The Queen Of Wishful Thinking’ is the latest book by Milly Johnson.

When Lewis Harley has a health scare in his early forties, he takes it as a wake-up call. So he and his wife Charlotte leave behind life in the fast lane and Lewis opens the antique shop he has dreamed of. Bonnie Brookland was brought up in the antiques trade and now works for the man who bought out her father’s business, but she isn’t happy there. So when she walks into Lew’s shop, she knows this is the place for her. As Bonnie and Lew start to work together, they soon realise that there is more to their relationship than either thought. But Bonnie is trapped in an unhappy marriage, and Lew and Charlotte have more problems than they care to admit. Each has secrets in their past which are about to be uncovered. Can they find the happiness they both deserve?

St Patrick’s Day saw me drop everything and curl up with Milly’s latest literary offering. In this book we meet the charming and delightful Bonnie, a woman who is unhappy in both her work and home life. Married to a controlling and patronising man, she longs for a change and when the opportunity arises for that change, she seizes it with both hands. Daring to speak out against her previous employer, Bonnie finds herself without a job but when handsome Lewis, a newcomer to the village discovers that his staff at his antique shop is stealing from him, he offers Bonnie a job.

With a few extra pound in her pocket and a spring in her step, Bonnie feels a bit happier in life, she enjoys her time with Lewis and the interaction between the two is sweet and enjoyable. Bonnie introduces Lewis to people who can make his small antiques shop thrive and the two of them embark on making ‘Pot of Gold’ the best it can possibly be.

The story flows between both Bonnie and Lewis and this is entertaining and warmhearted reading. Lewis is married to Charlotte, a vain and high maintenance woman who always wants to have the latest designer brand on her arm, demanding, she is the polar opposite to Bonnie, a kind woman with a big heart and Lewis begins to see this as the story progresses. Lewis moved away to the quiet village after his health scare and it seems that Charlotte is unable to deal with the slower pace of life, whereas Lewis has settled in marvellously.

I adored Bonnie and felt an overwhelming empathy for her as she struggled to live a better life, much older and wiser for her years, she longs to escape the controlling clutches of her dominant husband, but she feels powerless over the secret that he holds over her, until one day she finally breaks free and becomes an independent woman, creating her own little home from scratch with the help from the kind people of the village, who have all come to love Bonnie.

The relationship between Bonnie and Lewis is a sweet one, as they embark on a tentative friendship, but begin to see each other in a different light as they both deal with their emotional baggage.

Like Milly’s previous books. ’The Queen of Wishful Thinking’ is a deliciously fun and witty story, filled with humorous characters, one liners, as well as regular apologies from the local newspaper ‘Daily Trumpet’ for misprinting information, there was rarely a dull moment in this delightful story. Packed with relatable and lovable characters, that you will love and hate in rapid succession, this book was impossible to put down and the sweet inclusion of a dog called Bear who has based on Teddy, Milly’s beloved dog who passed away last year, it made for tender reading.

A book that I couldn’t put down but also didn’t want to end and is most certainly Milly at her very best. Funny, sweet and an emotional rollercoaster from start to finish, ‘The Queen Of Wishful Thinking’ is a book that I could happily read, over and over again.

You can buy [amazon_link id=”1471161730″ target=”_blank” ]The Queen of Wishful Thinking from Amazon. [/amazon_link] and is available to buy from good bookshops.