All That Mullarkey

Middledip #2

by Sue Moorcroft

ESCAPE TO THE ENCHANTING VILLAGE OF MIDDLEDIP IN THIS UTTERLY UPLIFTING AND LAUGH-OUT-LOUD ROMANCE FROM SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER SUE MOORCROFT.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Sooooooooooooo good!!!!!!’ littleh

‘An absolutely lovely book.’ Katie Fforde, bestselling author

________________________________________________

A night of fun. A lifetime of repercussions . . .

Cleo Callaway’s marriage is in bits. She’s returned home to find a message on the bedroom wall.

THIS MARRIAGE IS OVER. Love Gav.

Wounded and furious, there’s only one thing for it. A night out with the girls.

It begins with drowning her sorrows.

And ends with meeting the gorgeous Justin.

But Cleo has to deal with the lasting repercussions of that night after Gav announces he wants her back.

Now Cleo has to choose between laid-back Justin and control freak Gav, her long-time love. Or maybe it’s time she chooses herself for once . . .

This utterly uplifting and relatable love story is perfect for fans of Jill Mansell, Phoebe MacLeod, Sue McDonagh, Emma Bennet, Beth O’Leary or Heidi Swain.

READERS ADORE SUE

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Brilliant brilliant brilliant!’ Julie

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘This is the first book I've read by Sue Moorcroft and I've already downloaded another one.’ Heather Alsford-Smith

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘I am well and truly addicted.’ Julie vector

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Wow.’ Lucie Wheeler

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘This has to be one of my favourite Sue Moorcroft novels.’ Liz Willoughby

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘I found myself reading well past midnight just because I didn’t want to stop reading it — I needed to know what was going to happen next!’ Kate’s Book Spot

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘5 stars!!!’ Aneta

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Sue Moorcroft just gets better and better.’ Richard Stewart-Smith

ALSO BY SUE MOORCROFT
MIDDLEDIP
Book 1: STARTING OVER
Book 2: ALL THAT MULLARKEY

More by Sue Moorcroft coming soon!

Genres: Romance, Chick Lit, Contemporary, Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Adult, Drama

337 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 1, 2010

About the author

Sue Moorcroft is a Sunday Times bestselling author and has held the coveted #1 spot in the Amazon Kindle chart. She's won the Goldsboro Books Contemporary Romantic Novel Award, the Readers Best Romantic Read Award, two HOLT medallions and the Katie Fforde Bursary. She writes contemporary fiction of life and love.

She also writes short stories, serials, articles, columns, courses and writing 'how to'.

An army child, Sue was born in Germany then lived in Cyprus, Malta and the UK. She's worked in a bank, as a bookkeeper (probably a mistake), as a copytaker for Motor Cycle News and for a typesetter, but is pleased to have wriggled out of all 'proper jobs'.

Newsletter sign-up: https://signup.harpercollins.co.uk/jo...

Website: www.suemoorcroft.com
Twitter: @suemoorcroft
Facebook: SueMoorcroftAuthor
Instagram: suemoorcroftauthor

Reviews

[Jane Stewart · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked it. Cool ending.

The plot is about a woman who leaves her husband who deserves to be left. She eventually ends up with a good guy that she’s hot for. Along the way she has a baby, which is a significant part of the story.

It felt like it was moving kind of slow, but it was good that way. The reason it moves slow is because it’s a lot of time in the lives of ordinary people like us. This is not action and suspense. It’s about feelings, choices, finding love.

Cleo has been married to Gav for some years. He did despicable things, and I was glad to see Cleo leave him and refuse to take him back. He didn’t deserve her.

I really wanted Justin and Cleo to get together. But I understood the reluctance and choices about that. It took a long time for them to get together.

I enjoyed the passion and desire in the two sex scenes. They were short, not graphic, and not much detail. But they were fun to read.

This almost has a women’s fiction feel, but it’s definitely romance. It’s about a relationship with a lot of natural conflict. There is a cool ending. It’s romantic. This does not feel like one of those churned out romances. This does not have the big misunderstanding, stupidity, or inaccurate assumptions to create conflict. It’s a better quality of writing.

DATA:
Narrative mode: 3rd person. Story length: 321 pages. Swearing language: strong including religious swear words, but rarely used. Sexual language: none. Number of sex scenes 2 plus another referred to. Setting: current day England. Copyright: 2010. Genre: contemporary romance, divorce, baby.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars.

I picked this one up on the strength that I really enjoyed the last book by Sue Moorcroft I read (Starting Over), and out of the three books I have read from Choc Lit publishing I haven't met one I didn't like!

The story starts with a bang - with the heroine being left by her unpredictable husband after a silly argument, she then goes out a meets a really nice guy and ends up having a one night stand with him.

A really unexpected, and brave, opening and it is played out wonderfully. The author neither condones nor makes light of her character's actions, and excuses aren't made either. Instead the journey the characters go on include coming to terms with the consequences, and there are many, of their actions.

The book is full of highs and lows, ups and downs, reconciliation and break-ups, and everything all over again! It really keeps you on your toes whilst reading.

This is almost, to me, like an 'anti-romance' and it feels raw and real. The characters just couldn't get it together, in the relationship sense and other, and, you know, that's life!

When the HEA does finally happen you really feel like it's deserved, that the hero and heroine have worked for it, and it isn't twee or contrived in any way.

Lovely. Highly entertaining.

Originally posted at http://everyday-is-the-same.blogspot....

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this novel through Amazon's Kindle store after reading a review from a friend of another of this author's novels. I really enjoyed this story and will certainly look for more from Sue Moorcroft.

All That Mullarkey was quite different to any other romance I have read. It felt like an honest tale about a real marriage that has cracks under the surface. A tale about people making mistakes, trying their best, trying to make the right choices and falling in love. There were no lightening bolts and love at first sight here, they take their time to fall in love and its not the easy road to discover their love, and when they do its the real deal.

At times I was nervous that this book wouldn't have a HEA, and I found myself quite distressed when they had relationships with other people. This story felt very real.

A bonus for me is that this story is set in an area of England that I am familiar with as I have stayed with family in the Peterborough area, so I could envisage the houses, the roads and the surrounding countryside.

Can't wait to read another from this author.

[Christina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cleo's husband Gav storms out of their family home as Cleo was getting ready to attend a high school reunion that Gav was adamant he didn't want her going to. Upon Cleo's return, she sees the words "This marriage is over" spray painted on her bedroom wall. Furious, Cleo heads out on a night out and ends up having a one-night stand with Justin. We follow Cleo as she juggles an ex-husband, new love interest/fling and even a possible pregnancy. Well-written and precise, Moorcroft tells a predictable story that helps you pass the time and take your mind off the drains of everyday life. For a reason I cannot explain, there just wasn't a spark there for me. There was no 'x factor' there and I didn't feel any joy in reading this book. I wasn't eager to pick up my iPhone and read another chapter like I often feel with other books, instead I was dutifully reading it before bed, purely to get to the end of the story. I found it pretty boring and wouldn't particularly recommend it. In my opinion, there are much better books to be spending your time reading.

[Blodeuedd Finland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Moorcroft did again and delivered another honest and lovely book. And she also gives us another ass who breaks it off in such an evil way. This time our heroine comes home and in the bedroom her ass of a husband has written on the bedroom wall, the marriage is over.

That is how the book starts, and Cleo goes out. There she meets hottie Justin who takes her home, and she is loving it. But as the dust settles the next day she goes home to find a husband who regrets his outburst. She tries to save her marriage, but in the end, is it worth saving?

Let me start with saying that Gav was an ass, not just cos of his little message, but because of so many other things. He controls her, and as I read on I come to realise just as she does that this marriage is not as perfect as everyone thought.

Cleo is great, she tries to work things out with Gav. And she finds her own strength. She is honest. And then there is hottie Justin, such a hottie and he has it bad for her. He was a great guy, and I am sure most women will think so too.

An honest book about a real marriage that has cracks under the surface. A book about people making mistakes, people trying their best, and falling in love. And no 2 week romances here, no, they take their time to fall in love, and when they do you just lean back and smile, and think, this is the real deal.

There is a lovely romantic story evolving in this book, and they are so meant for each other, even if the road there is long. An honest, romantic story about a woman torn between two men. I liked it, and I especially like the second half cos there is gets kind of exciting, and it kept me wondering how that would end.

It's always nice to read about real people because it does make me think, what would I do?

[Gail · Rating 5 out of 5]

loving this book so far brilliant read .well recomend this one so far .

[KurdishBookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Doesn't really have an interesting storyline or anything special but somehow make you wanna read and keep on going.

[Zeynepx · Rating 1 out of 5]

Karakterleri hiç sevmedim. Sırf başladığım için bitirdim.

[Rea Cobb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sue Moorcroft is an author I have heard such great things about. Having been keeping an eye on some of her book reviews recently I decided to take the plunge and purchased All That Mullarkey for my new Kindle Fire I couldn't wait to try a book by this author to see if she was going to become one of my must have authors!


Revenge and love: it’s a thin line … The writing’s on the wall for Cleo and Gav. The bedroom wall, to be precise. And it says ‘This marriage is over.’

Wounded and furious, Cleo embarks on a night out with the girls, which turns into a glorious one night stand with… Justin, centrefold material and irrepressibly irresponsible. He loves a little wildness in a woman – and he’s in the right place at the right time to enjoy Cleo’s. But it’s Cleo who has to pick up the pieces – of a marriage based on a lie and the lasting repercussions of that night. Torn between laid-back Justin and control freak Gav, she’s a free spirit that life is trying to tie down. But the rewards are worth it!

Wow what a tense and unexpected start to a book! I took an instant dislike over the controlling Gav from the moment his marker pen touched that wall! I was urging Cleo to go and enjoy herself thinking she would sit there and wallow over this nasty message she had been left, but surprising she did go out and ummm, enjoyed herself a little more than I was thinking!

I loved Cleo's character although I couldn't relate to her (thankfully!) she does do things that I wouldn't do and things I couldn't understand like not running for the morning after pill HELLO!! That aside I still had to keep turning the pages to see what hole this woman was going to dig herself into next.

I loved Justin he was our hunk of the story I thought on first meeting he was going to be a Jack the Lad but he was my favourite character in the end. I did find the horrible story surrounding him a little predictable although there was a mysterious who did it scenario I did feel it was quite obvious but that could just be my Cluedo skills coming out!

I loved the authors writing style and the way she set the book in to two parts the first part had that tense Oh My God what is going to happen next feel to it where as the second part felt a little cosier as we see Cleo's life changing direction and her love for her child blossom.

I will be browsing through Sue Moorcrofts other books after reading this book it had me hooked.

[K.B. Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another quirky, intriguing, fast and furious read from Sue Moorcroft. It was lovely to revisit Middledip and spot some well loved characters from Starting Over.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cleo is a free spirit, a wonderfully realised character in a gripping, thoroughly entertaining novel of modern life. Told in two parts, the first sees her splitting from controlling husband Gav and then falling pregnant during a one-night stand with Justin. The second part sees Cleo coping with being a single mum to Shona, the return of Justin (he went abroad), who then suffers a dreadful hate campaign and also the return of Gav, who doesn’t quite get the message that things are over. As with all of Sue Moorcroft’s books, this is told in a light, airy style that belies the technique (and tackles some difficult subjects with deceptive ease), the narrative racing along and never keeping the reader less than gripped. All of the characters are well rounded and clearly defined (Cleo was my definite favourite, whilst little Shona shines through), the locations are nicely realised (and shared with “Starting Over”, some of whose characters cameo in this, especially Ratty - he & Tess got married!) and there’s plenty of Moorcroft’s wry, throwaway humour to help things along. An absolute stormer of a book, very highly recommended.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's no secret I'm a huge fan of Sue's writing style. Having read and loved Dream A Little Dream, I wanted to take a look at the lives of its peripheral characters who have their own story in All That Mullarkey.
What struck me was how easily all the events in the book could happen. The characters are very real, the dialogue spot on, and the descriptions vivid enough to visualise, without impinging on the reader's own imagination.
I was angry on the hero's behalf, willed the heroine to take action, and fell in love with Shona.
Another great read and one I highly recommend.
I would also recommend reading All That Mullarkey before Dream A Little Dream. I read them the other way round. It didn't spoil my enjoyment at all, but some may prefer to not to know what I knew from having read DALD first.

[Rebecca Emin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to admit I have got a little bit bored of reading the types of books where you know who's going to end up with who by the end of the first page. I am pleased to say, this is not one of those books. The characters are very strong, and without giving anything away, it's not completely obvious how things are going to pan out right from the start.

I was gripped once I started reading this, I can tell I am enjoying a book when I don't want to put it down. I also ended up with a bit of a crush on one of the main characters.

I won my copy of this book via a Choc Lit competition. I'm now looking forward to reading more by Sue Moorcroft.

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

When her husband writes "this marriage is over" on the bedroom wall and walks out, a young corporate trainer heads out to the bar and ends up in a one-night stand with a very attractive someone else. Then her husband returns, trying for reconciliation. What could be more fraught, except her ending up pregnant? Which, of course, she does. Who is the father? Which relationship will work out? Who is stalking this very attractive someone else? All done delightfully with well-drawn characters and (as far as I can tell) a realistic slice of modern English life.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really loved this one - Sue Moorcroft could, I'm sure, write any genre she turned her hand to, she writes so well. Her characters are so strong and so well developed, and she turns the one night stand/baby/broken marriage story into something much, much better. Loved the motivational training sessions Cleo ran too, many resonances from real life there! Highly recommended to anyone who likes their chick lit well-written and with a little edge.

[Carly · Rating 1 out of 5]

couldn't get into it properly due to lack of proper paragraphs. would be reading one sentence about what Cleo was up to with Justin, then on next sentence would be what gav was doing.
Bad writing style ...... sack the editor !!

[Bookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading Starting Over I couldn't wait for this book to be released. I wasn't disappointed - another fabulous book from this author. Can't wait until November for her next novel. Read it!

[Aileen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second Sue Moorcroft book I have read, I loved this book from the first page, I couldn't put it down.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great book ! Kept me smiling throughout and although some areas were predictable this made a nice easy read.

[Bea · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has an horrendous start! About half way through the writing improves. It isn't my type of predictable, far too predictable and superficial.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this on my iPad. Badly edited but story was great! I literally couldn't put it down!

[Carol Pennington · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cleo has had what she considers a happy marriage to Gavin until he tries to keep her from going to a reunion. She isn’t a woman who likes to be told what to do, and she resents the fact that he doesn’t trust her. When she returns from her reunion she finds Gavin gone and a message to her written on the wall in permanent marker saying their marriage is over. Distressed and angry, she goes to a night club and has a one night stand with Justin. Gavin’s father ends up in the hospital soon after and she and Gavin are reunited. However, things are not as they were. Can the work through their differences and save their marriage?

This story is set in England and I really enjoyed the British flair to the writing. I also found the retaliation taken on Justin quite humorous. However, that’s about all I enjoyed from the book. The writing was good, it is just not the kind of book I enjoy reading. There was a lot of cursing in the book and some of it quite vulgar. There was also a lot of sexual content and a lot of alcohol use. There was also some mild violence. Though this book was not for me, I am sure there are others who will love it.

[Nessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has been a truly wonderful entertaining story, full on drama from start to finish, I was expecting it to be just a romance sort of story but it was so much more than that.

I loved getting to know all of the characters and wondering who was being honest & who wasn't.

I also loved how part of the story was set in my hometown of Peterborough which I hadn't realised prior to starting this.

I've read/listened to a few of Sue books nows and I can truly say that they have all been wonderful.

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

The 2nd book in this series is set in Middledip.

Cleo and Gav's marriage is teetering on the edge, and when Cleo has a one night stand, things go south very quickly. With the consequences of her actions apparent, they decide to part. However, Gav isn't being completely truthful with Cleo. When she rekindles her relationship with her one night stand, Gav starts to try to win her back.

It was an interesting read, not as good as the first book I thought, but still a good read.

The first and second books can be read in isolation from each other. There is little in this book to spoil the first book.

[Isabella May · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thoroughly juicy and compelling read. The pretty cover belies some of the grittiness and feisty behaviour inside... and that was quite a fun surprise! One of those stories where you keep telling yourself 'just one more chapter'!

[Mrs D J Rugg · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved it

now ready for book 3 great series proper love stories with lots of confusion and omg moments where you feel like banging there heads together!

[Sibel Gandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

2,5 / 5

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

easy to read chick-lit.

[Gemma Harris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute but not overwhelming

A nice easy read with the typical will they won’t they romance/affair thrown in. Not a love but enjoyed nonetheless

[Jodie Paustian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story. Didn't seem to fit in with the other Middledip books but on to the next one!