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It Had to be You
Following a nationwide hunt for a modern day hero, the winner of Mills & Boon’s Man of the Year campaign will be revealed on the cover of this special edition Valentine’s book, It Had To Be You.
The hunt for a cover star began in September, and involved a public entry and voting process, but our celebrity judging panel will be making the ultimate decision on who will be the Mills & Boon Man of the Year 2016!
With two Mills & Boon stories that treat you to two favourite heroes, in two contrasting romantic settings, this book is the ultimate package for a hit of romance this Valentine’s Day.
Molly Cooper’s Dream Date
Molly Cooper has travelled all the way to London to find her dream man! The trouble is, the sexy emails with hot millionaire Patrick Knight – the man she swapped houses with – are strangely addictive. But what do you do when you realise the one you really want is a world away…sleeping in your bed?
Shipwrecked with Mr Wrong
Conservationist Honor Brier loves working in her island paradise. It’s the perfect place to lick her wounds in peace…until arrogant playboy Rob Dalton is shipwrecked on its shores. Yet Rob’s passion for life is impossible to resist – and he’s infuriatingly attractive! Could Mr Wrong actually be oh-so-right?
The hunt for a cover star began in September, and involved a public entry and voting process, but our celebrity judging panel will be making the ultimate decision on who will be the Mills & Boon Man of the Year 2016!
With two Mills & Boon stories that treat you to two favourite heroes, in two contrasting romantic settings, this book is the ultimate package for a hit of romance this Valentine’s Day.
Molly Cooper’s Dream Date
Molly Cooper has travelled all the way to London to find her dream man! The trouble is, the sexy emails with hot millionaire Patrick Knight – the man she swapped houses with – are strangely addictive. But what do you do when you realise the one you really want is a world away…sleeping in your bed?
Shipwrecked with Mr Wrong
Conservationist Honor Brier loves working in her island paradise. It’s the perfect place to lick her wounds in peace…until arrogant playboy Rob Dalton is shipwrecked on its shores. Yet Rob’s passion for life is impossible to resist – and he’s infuriatingly attractive! Could Mr Wrong actually be oh-so-right?
- GenresRomanceContemporary
384 pages, Paperback
Published December 17, 2015
1 person is currently reading
22 people want to read
About the author
Barbara Hannay
411 books295 followersMulti award winning author, Barbara Hannay, is a city bred girl with a yen for country life. Most of her 50 plus books are set in rural and outback Australia and they've been enjoyed by readers around the world.
Barbara has been nominated five times for Romance Writers of America's RITA Award which she won in 2007 and she has twice won Australia's Romantic Book of the Year award.
In her own version of life imitating art, Barbara and her husband currently live on a misty hillside in beautiful Far North Queensland where they keep heritage pigs, hens, ducks, turkeys and an untidy but productive garden.
Visit Barbara's website at www.barbarahannay.com
Follow her on Facebook and Twitter
Barbara has been nominated five times for Romance Writers of America's RITA Award which she won in 2007 and she has twice won Australia's Romantic Book of the Year award.
In her own version of life imitating art, Barbara and her husband currently live on a misty hillside in beautiful Far North Queensland where they keep heritage pigs, hens, ducks, turkeys and an untidy but productive garden.
Visit Barbara's website at www.barbarahannay.com
Follow her on Facebook and Twitter
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
March 21, 2016
This is the Valentine's Day special for 2016 from Mills & Boon and it's a wonderful book for anyone interested in Mills & Boon for a number of reasons. First, it shows what a progressive company they are (if you had an image in your mind that these books were only ever read by elderly ladies and can only be sourced through charity shops, change your mental imagery right now!). This book features Courtney Hayles on the cover (Man of the Year 2016) - he won a competition to feature there on this special edition - and it shows just one of the marketing strategies the company uses to reach out and engage with readers (and non-readers - I'm guessing Courtney Hayles hasn't read many Mills & Boon romances, but I could be wrong) to expand the interest in their company. The paratextual material (the photographs in the front featuring the Man of the Year himself) is also brilliant. Secondly, the themes of the two romances featured within this book are - as always with Mills and Boon romances - very much concerned with contemporaneous society, tackling issues which concern ordinary readers in our society.
The first book takes the banking crisis as the background for the romance, and the need we all sometimes feel to escape. The financial crisis and times of austerity affect both the male hero (the banker) in this novel and the more ordinary female characters living in rural isolation on an island, as the reality is that no matter how idyllic the island is that they live upon, they just can't afford to live there and the state of the economy means that there are no jobs to be had in that environment. It's a reality which affects many young people living in rural communities, whatever the size of the island you live upon. The second novel is concerned with ecological matters (always very relevant and of much concern to anyone who cares about animals/the world we live in - so I guess that's pretty much everyone).
The two romances in the books are very different, but they work very well together. Barbara Hannay's novel ("Molly Cooper's Dream Date") was quite different from your average M&B - it's something of an epistolary novel, written through the very modern medium of emails, plus the more traditional diary entries. It worked very well. The themes of the difficulties of finding the ideal and balancing fantasy with reality was extremely effective in the novel. The opening scene of the two friends watching the romantic film is clever as it exposes the workings of the romance within the romantic novel. It's a great theme for a M&B romance with their proven track record of providing escapism for a multitude of readers.
The second novel was more traditional and very romantic - the shipwrecked hero washing up on the island and saving the heroine from herself, whilst the heroine simultaneously makes the hero into a better man, is a common theme in Mills & Boon romances, but it's a formula that clearly works.
There are much more to these novels than "just romances" - they are smart, witty and have LOADS of material within them for cultural/literary critics to study, as well as being great escapism (I spent an entire Sunday reading these two novels, and escaping from the fact that I should have been working on my PhD thesis!) Highly recommended.
The first book takes the banking crisis as the background for the romance, and the need we all sometimes feel to escape. The financial crisis and times of austerity affect both the male hero (the banker) in this novel and the more ordinary female characters living in rural isolation on an island, as the reality is that no matter how idyllic the island is that they live upon, they just can't afford to live there and the state of the economy means that there are no jobs to be had in that environment. It's a reality which affects many young people living in rural communities, whatever the size of the island you live upon. The second novel is concerned with ecological matters (always very relevant and of much concern to anyone who cares about animals/the world we live in - so I guess that's pretty much everyone).
The two romances in the books are very different, but they work very well together. Barbara Hannay's novel ("Molly Cooper's Dream Date") was quite different from your average M&B - it's something of an epistolary novel, written through the very modern medium of emails, plus the more traditional diary entries. It worked very well. The themes of the difficulties of finding the ideal and balancing fantasy with reality was extremely effective in the novel. The opening scene of the two friends watching the romantic film is clever as it exposes the workings of the romance within the romantic novel. It's a great theme for a M&B romance with their proven track record of providing escapism for a multitude of readers.
The second novel was more traditional and very romantic - the shipwrecked hero washing up on the island and saving the heroine from herself, whilst the heroine simultaneously makes the hero into a better man, is a common theme in Mills & Boon romances, but it's a formula that clearly works.
There are much more to these novels than "just romances" - they are smart, witty and have LOADS of material within them for cultural/literary critics to study, as well as being great escapism (I spent an entire Sunday reading these two novels, and escaping from the fact that I should have been working on my PhD thesis!) Highly recommended.
February 1, 2016
I received this book as an ARC for an honest review. I give it 5 stars.
I have never read either of these authors before so it was great to receive this ARC to be introduced to them and I loved their writing style.
Molly Cooper’s Dream Date by Barbara Hannay
Is about a woman who dreams off an English gentleman to sweep her off her feet. Molly lives on Magnetic Island Queensland Australia and she gets a chance to house swap with a man from England and after some thought she jumps at the chance. However Molly keeps in touch with her house guest through emails and starts to wish that she could meet him.
Shipwrecked with Mr Wrong by Nikki Logan
Honor Brier has had a sad past and goes to live on a Pulu Keeling to monitor the birds and turtles to get away from civilization as she is the only person on the island - until Rob Dalton gets shipwrecked on her island until help can come to help him fix the crack in his hull. Honor is not used to having someone with her and struggles as she can see that Rob is a player and wants him to leave straight away as she does not want to feel anything.
Both these stories kept me entertained with the ups and downs. The characters were well thought out and I loved how they both found their HEA's.
I have never read either of these authors before so it was great to receive this ARC to be introduced to them and I loved their writing style.
Molly Cooper’s Dream Date by Barbara Hannay
Is about a woman who dreams off an English gentleman to sweep her off her feet. Molly lives on Magnetic Island Queensland Australia and she gets a chance to house swap with a man from England and after some thought she jumps at the chance. However Molly keeps in touch with her house guest through emails and starts to wish that she could meet him.
Shipwrecked with Mr Wrong by Nikki Logan
Honor Brier has had a sad past and goes to live on a Pulu Keeling to monitor the birds and turtles to get away from civilization as she is the only person on the island - until Rob Dalton gets shipwrecked on her island until help can come to help him fix the crack in his hull. Honor is not used to having someone with her and struggles as she can see that Rob is a player and wants him to leave straight away as she does not want to feel anything.
Both these stories kept me entertained with the ups and downs. The characters were well thought out and I loved how they both found their HEA's.
February 9, 2016
I thought the first story in the anthology was better than the second. This was mainly due to the novel way in which the story was told. The quirkiness of it being relayed as two people emailing and writing to each allowed you to get a better insight into the two leads and thus I became much more invested in the happy ever after I wanted for the two of them.
The second story just came across as OK. I'm not sure whether this was due to the fact that I found the circumstances around the female character living on the island, or just a lack of chemistry between the two leads. It wasn't terrible, but after the brilliant first story, it was hard to get into the second
The second story just came across as OK. I'm not sure whether this was due to the fact that I found the circumstances around the female character living on the island, or just a lack of chemistry between the two leads. It wasn't terrible, but after the brilliant first story, it was hard to get into the second
October 13, 2019
Great to see such a fabulous cover but I'm afraid I found the 2 stories a little disappointing. They weren't bad and I quite enjoyed them - but I wasn't blown away by them.
February 15, 2016
After a nationwide search to find their Man of the Year, Mills and Boon chose teacher and actor Courtney Hayles to grace the front cover of their Valentine’s Day’s release, It Had to Be You. Featuring two irresistible stories by award-winning authors Barbara Hannay and Nikki Logan, It Had to Be You is the perfect treat for romantics the world over!
Barbara Hannay is one of the finest writers of contemporary romantic fiction. She can write deeply emotional and hugely affecting romances and fun, flirty and feel-good page-turners with equal skill and aplomb. Her contribution to this collection, Molly Cooper’s Dream Date, falls in the latter category and it is an exceptional romantic comedy that will charm and enthrall readers everywhere.
Molly Cooper wouldn’t change her life for the world. She loves living on a remote Australian island, enjoys small town life and is a much-loved member of the community. Although she has never set foot outside Australia, Molly has a passion for London fueled by her addiction to British romantic comedies. Like the heroines in her favourite films, Molly dreams of falling in love with a perfect English gentleman, but English gentlemen are thin on the ground in her part of the world. Molly has always thought of her romantic dreams as mere fantasies -until she comes across a request from a stressed out banker wanting to swap his bachelor pad in Chelsea for her tiny cottage. Molly is only too happy to accept. She has always wanted to visit London and she cannot wait to visit all the sights and find a British gent to sweep her off her feet!
Patrick Knight has had a rough few months. His job has left him tired, worn out and simply exhausted. Patrick wants to take some time out to forget all about the stress and pressures of his job. He wants to go somewhere cut off from civilization and to find some time to write the thriller which he’s wanted to write for years. Molly Cooper’s tiny cottage on an Australian island sounds absolutely ideal, so he leaves his life in London behind and sets off for a much needed break.
Both Molly and Patrick take to their new lives like ducks to water. Patrick loves the laidback approach to life, is stunned by the breathtaking beauty of Australia and charmed by the locals. Meanwhile, Molly is over the moon to be in London. The city is even more beautiful than she had imagined and her days are spent visiting some of the capital’s landmarks and hoping to fall head over heels in love with a tall, dark and handsome Englishman with a gorgeous accent.
Molly and Patrick keep each other updated with what is going in each other’s houses by sending emails. The initial formal and reserved emails quickly begin to get longer, chattier and less formal. Patrick finds himself completely charmed by Molly, and the more he gets to know her, the more he finds himself falling for her.
But can you fall in love with someone you’ve never met? And can you possibly have a future with someone whose life is half a world away?
I absolutely adored Molly Cooper’s Dream Date! Told almost entirely in emails and diary entries, Molly Cooper’s Dream Date is a delightfully funny, lively and highly engaging romantic read from a multi-award winning author. I was totally charmed by Molly whose joie de vivre, spirit and kind heart make her such an endearing heroine; and Patrick was a believable, gorgeous and realistic hero readers will just love. I also loved how Barbara Hannay managed to make the supporting characters, such as Patrick’s mother, Felicity, and Molly’s best friend, Karli, fully rounded and realistic -not an easy feat given the format of the novel.
A terrific romantic tale that is sure to make readers smile and lift their spirits, Molly Cooper’s Dream Date is another winner from this outstanding writer of romantic fiction!
The second story in this collection, Shipwrecked with Mr. Wrong, is an emotional tour de force that will pluck at your heartstrings and keep you on the edge of your seat!
Honor Brier had once had the world at her feet: she had a wonderful husband, a beautiful son and a job which she adored. However, tragedy had taken her husband and her son away from her in one fell swoop and Honor had been left all alone in the world with only her job as a conservationist to give her comfort. Honor had thrown herself into her job and had decided to withdraw from the world by taking up a post at the remote Australian island of Pulu Keeling. Away from civilization and with only the flora and fauna to keep her company, Honor was perfectly happy to live alone in this idyllic paradise – until sexy archaeologist Rob Dalton crashed into Pulu Keeling and started to wreak havoc with her solitary life!
Naturally, Honor was not best pleased when she realized that she had company on the island. Having grown used to being by herself and to keeping the world at bay, prickly Honor was not about to roll out the red carpet and welcome Rob with open arms – even though his presence on Pulu Keeling had awoken feelings deep within her which she had thought buried with her beloved husband!
With his laidback smile, sexy charm, film star good looks and athletic physique, Rob Dalton had playboy written all over him. But beneath the archaeologist’s ready smile and handsome exterior lay a man with secrets of his own. Rob has never had any difficulties attracting women, but in the last couple of years he had grown tired of casual relationships and shallow gold-diggers who only cared about his money and his position as the heir to a multi-million dollar company. Rob had finally grown up and become impatient with vacuous bimbos and one-night stands. He wanted commitment and a long-term relationship and he had decided that Honor was the perfect woman for him. However, Honor had vowed never to let another man close to her ever again…
But marooned together on a deserted island, Honor quickly started to realize that there was more to Rob than met the eye, and as defenses started to crumble and secrets began to be unburdened, she quickly realized that she had fallen head over heels in love with the man whom she had initially held in such contempt.
Now, Honor finds herself forced to choose between her past and her present. But is she strong enough to make the right choice? Or will she continue living in the past?
A wonderful contemporary romance that is affecting, beguiling and simply impossible to put down, Shipwrecked with Mr. Wrong is another outstanding example of Nikki Logan’s fabulous storytelling skills. An astute, engrossing and highly moving tale of healing, forgiveness and redemption, Nikki Logan has excelled herself with Shipwrecked with Mr. Wrong and created a wonderfully believable heroine and a gorgeous kind-hearted hero who are sure to steal your heart.
Heartrending, powerful and uplifting, Shipwrecked with Mr. Wrong is an enthralling romantic read you will not easily forget!
It Had to Be You features two outstanding romantic stories readers will want to read again! Beautifully written, highly engrossing and hard to put down, It Had to Be You should not be missed!
Barbara Hannay is one of the finest writers of contemporary romantic fiction. She can write deeply emotional and hugely affecting romances and fun, flirty and feel-good page-turners with equal skill and aplomb. Her contribution to this collection, Molly Cooper’s Dream Date, falls in the latter category and it is an exceptional romantic comedy that will charm and enthrall readers everywhere.
Molly Cooper wouldn’t change her life for the world. She loves living on a remote Australian island, enjoys small town life and is a much-loved member of the community. Although she has never set foot outside Australia, Molly has a passion for London fueled by her addiction to British romantic comedies. Like the heroines in her favourite films, Molly dreams of falling in love with a perfect English gentleman, but English gentlemen are thin on the ground in her part of the world. Molly has always thought of her romantic dreams as mere fantasies -until she comes across a request from a stressed out banker wanting to swap his bachelor pad in Chelsea for her tiny cottage. Molly is only too happy to accept. She has always wanted to visit London and she cannot wait to visit all the sights and find a British gent to sweep her off her feet!
Patrick Knight has had a rough few months. His job has left him tired, worn out and simply exhausted. Patrick wants to take some time out to forget all about the stress and pressures of his job. He wants to go somewhere cut off from civilization and to find some time to write the thriller which he’s wanted to write for years. Molly Cooper’s tiny cottage on an Australian island sounds absolutely ideal, so he leaves his life in London behind and sets off for a much needed break.
Both Molly and Patrick take to their new lives like ducks to water. Patrick loves the laidback approach to life, is stunned by the breathtaking beauty of Australia and charmed by the locals. Meanwhile, Molly is over the moon to be in London. The city is even more beautiful than she had imagined and her days are spent visiting some of the capital’s landmarks and hoping to fall head over heels in love with a tall, dark and handsome Englishman with a gorgeous accent.
Molly and Patrick keep each other updated with what is going in each other’s houses by sending emails. The initial formal and reserved emails quickly begin to get longer, chattier and less formal. Patrick finds himself completely charmed by Molly, and the more he gets to know her, the more he finds himself falling for her.
But can you fall in love with someone you’ve never met? And can you possibly have a future with someone whose life is half a world away?
I absolutely adored Molly Cooper’s Dream Date! Told almost entirely in emails and diary entries, Molly Cooper’s Dream Date is a delightfully funny, lively and highly engaging romantic read from a multi-award winning author. I was totally charmed by Molly whose joie de vivre, spirit and kind heart make her such an endearing heroine; and Patrick was a believable, gorgeous and realistic hero readers will just love. I also loved how Barbara Hannay managed to make the supporting characters, such as Patrick’s mother, Felicity, and Molly’s best friend, Karli, fully rounded and realistic -not an easy feat given the format of the novel.
A terrific romantic tale that is sure to make readers smile and lift their spirits, Molly Cooper’s Dream Date is another winner from this outstanding writer of romantic fiction!
The second story in this collection, Shipwrecked with Mr. Wrong, is an emotional tour de force that will pluck at your heartstrings and keep you on the edge of your seat!
Honor Brier had once had the world at her feet: she had a wonderful husband, a beautiful son and a job which she adored. However, tragedy had taken her husband and her son away from her in one fell swoop and Honor had been left all alone in the world with only her job as a conservationist to give her comfort. Honor had thrown herself into her job and had decided to withdraw from the world by taking up a post at the remote Australian island of Pulu Keeling. Away from civilization and with only the flora and fauna to keep her company, Honor was perfectly happy to live alone in this idyllic paradise – until sexy archaeologist Rob Dalton crashed into Pulu Keeling and started to wreak havoc with her solitary life!
Naturally, Honor was not best pleased when she realized that she had company on the island. Having grown used to being by herself and to keeping the world at bay, prickly Honor was not about to roll out the red carpet and welcome Rob with open arms – even though his presence on Pulu Keeling had awoken feelings deep within her which she had thought buried with her beloved husband!
With his laidback smile, sexy charm, film star good looks and athletic physique, Rob Dalton had playboy written all over him. But beneath the archaeologist’s ready smile and handsome exterior lay a man with secrets of his own. Rob has never had any difficulties attracting women, but in the last couple of years he had grown tired of casual relationships and shallow gold-diggers who only cared about his money and his position as the heir to a multi-million dollar company. Rob had finally grown up and become impatient with vacuous bimbos and one-night stands. He wanted commitment and a long-term relationship and he had decided that Honor was the perfect woman for him. However, Honor had vowed never to let another man close to her ever again…
But marooned together on a deserted island, Honor quickly started to realize that there was more to Rob than met the eye, and as defenses started to crumble and secrets began to be unburdened, she quickly realized that she had fallen head over heels in love with the man whom she had initially held in such contempt.
Now, Honor finds herself forced to choose between her past and her present. But is she strong enough to make the right choice? Or will she continue living in the past?
A wonderful contemporary romance that is affecting, beguiling and simply impossible to put down, Shipwrecked with Mr. Wrong is another outstanding example of Nikki Logan’s fabulous storytelling skills. An astute, engrossing and highly moving tale of healing, forgiveness and redemption, Nikki Logan has excelled herself with Shipwrecked with Mr. Wrong and created a wonderfully believable heroine and a gorgeous kind-hearted hero who are sure to steal your heart.
Heartrending, powerful and uplifting, Shipwrecked with Mr. Wrong is an enthralling romantic read you will not easily forget!
It Had to Be You features two outstanding romantic stories readers will want to read again! Beautifully written, highly engrossing and hard to put down, It Had to Be You should not be missed!
December 27, 2016
Molly Cooper's Dream Date by Barbara Hannay
Molly and Patrick have swapped houses. Molly's dream is to spend some time in London and Patrick wants to write a book, so Molly's home on a beautiful Australian island is exactly what he needs. They're both happy with the swap and are keeping in touch. They send each other long emails about everything they're going through. Even though they've never met they really like each other...
Molly Cooper's Dream Date is a story that mostly consists of messages between Patrick and Molly. I liked that idea very much. It was fun to read their messages which have an easy flow. The story is fast-paced. Both Molly and Patrick are happy with the swap. They have the chance to learn more about themselves. Plus Molly wants to meet her dream man, an English gentleman, which is perfect romantic story material. I really liked this story and read it in one sitting. I couldn't put it away. It's fun, it's flirty and it's sweet.
Shipwrecked with Mr Wrong by Nikki Logan
Honor works on a secluded island on her own. She loves being by herself and observes nature for a living. Everything is perfect until Rob arrives. He's having trouble with his boat and it will take some time to get it fixed, so Honor will have to share her space. She doesn't want a man in her life and isn't looking for company, but Rob is quite persistent. Maybe she can actually like someone again?
Shipwrecked with Mr Wrong has an amazing setting. There's an island without any other people than the two main characters. Honor has been through a lot and after surviving a nightmare she doesn't want to get close to someone again. She tolerates Rob, but that's it. Every time he tries to get closer she pushes him away. There's nothing else to do, so Rob has the time to make her see that he's a nice guy and that there might be something good between them. I loved the idea and the setting is amazing. The story is really romantic and has a lovely ending.
Conclusion
For me reading these two different stories at once was quite an experience. Molly Cooper's Dream Date is a whirlwind and then Shipwrecked with Mr Wrong is much more slow and completely different. The first story is like a delicious main course with plenty of flavors and the second one is the tasty desert you slowly want to savor. I liked the stories very much and am happy that I had the chance to read both of them.
Molly and Patrick have swapped houses. Molly's dream is to spend some time in London and Patrick wants to write a book, so Molly's home on a beautiful Australian island is exactly what he needs. They're both happy with the swap and are keeping in touch. They send each other long emails about everything they're going through. Even though they've never met they really like each other...
Molly Cooper's Dream Date is a story that mostly consists of messages between Patrick and Molly. I liked that idea very much. It was fun to read their messages which have an easy flow. The story is fast-paced. Both Molly and Patrick are happy with the swap. They have the chance to learn more about themselves. Plus Molly wants to meet her dream man, an English gentleman, which is perfect romantic story material. I really liked this story and read it in one sitting. I couldn't put it away. It's fun, it's flirty and it's sweet.
Shipwrecked with Mr Wrong by Nikki Logan
Honor works on a secluded island on her own. She loves being by herself and observes nature for a living. Everything is perfect until Rob arrives. He's having trouble with his boat and it will take some time to get it fixed, so Honor will have to share her space. She doesn't want a man in her life and isn't looking for company, but Rob is quite persistent. Maybe she can actually like someone again?
Shipwrecked with Mr Wrong has an amazing setting. There's an island without any other people than the two main characters. Honor has been through a lot and after surviving a nightmare she doesn't want to get close to someone again. She tolerates Rob, but that's it. Every time he tries to get closer she pushes him away. There's nothing else to do, so Rob has the time to make her see that he's a nice guy and that there might be something good between them. I loved the idea and the setting is amazing. The story is really romantic and has a lovely ending.
Conclusion
For me reading these two different stories at once was quite an experience. Molly Cooper's Dream Date is a whirlwind and then Shipwrecked with Mr Wrong is much more slow and completely different. The first story is like a delicious main course with plenty of flavors and the second one is the tasty desert you slowly want to savor. I liked the stories very much and am happy that I had the chance to read both of them.
April 3, 2016
Review first posted on my blog 'A Spoonful of Happy Endings': http://spoonfulofhappyendings.blogspo...
‘It Had to Be You’ consists of two separate romantic short stories, written by authors Barbara Hannay and Nikki Logan. ‘Molly Cooper’s Dream Date’ tells the story of Molly, who dreams of one day finding her own English gentleman like Hugh Grant. In order to get at least that bit closer to her dream, she decides to do a house swap, trading her home on Magnetic Island for a London-based house for a few months. Will Molly be able to find the love she’s been looking for by travelling to the other side of the world? ‘Shipwrecked with Mr. Wrong’ focuses on Honor Brier who has been through a lot in her life. She loves the solitariness her research on the island of Pulu Keeling brings her, so when this is suddenly disturbed by shipwrecked Rob Dalton, Honor isn’t pleased. Rob needs Honor’s help to be able to get back, but Honor just wants to be left alone...
Sometimes it’s great to sit down with a novella/short story, especially when you don’t have a lot of time or are just looking for a quick read. If this is the case, and you happen to be a fan of romance reads, don’t look further and be sure to pick up ‘It Had to Be You’. The book consists of two separate romantic stories with contrasting settings and captivating storylines. The first story, written by Barbara Hannay, focuses on Molly Cooper who travels to London, the other side of the world for her, for a house swap. I loved this story, which was mainly told in the form of e-mails and diary entries, and the characters at the core of it.
The second story, written by Nikki Logan, is set on an almost deserted island where researcher Honor Brier spends her days. She enjoys the solitariness the island gives her, until she is joined by the handsome Rob Dalton, who ends up shipwrecked close to the island. I really enjoyed being introduced to these authors, who were both new to me, and thought both their stories were entertaining reads. If I have to pick one, I’d have to go with ‘Molly Cooper’s Dream Date’; I just loved this story from start to finish and would actually love it if this had been a full-length novel. However, both stories are great romance reads with lovely characters at their core and together they make a short story collection that’s definitely worth picking up!
‘It Had to Be You’ consists of two separate romantic short stories, written by authors Barbara Hannay and Nikki Logan. ‘Molly Cooper’s Dream Date’ tells the story of Molly, who dreams of one day finding her own English gentleman like Hugh Grant. In order to get at least that bit closer to her dream, she decides to do a house swap, trading her home on Magnetic Island for a London-based house for a few months. Will Molly be able to find the love she’s been looking for by travelling to the other side of the world? ‘Shipwrecked with Mr. Wrong’ focuses on Honor Brier who has been through a lot in her life. She loves the solitariness her research on the island of Pulu Keeling brings her, so when this is suddenly disturbed by shipwrecked Rob Dalton, Honor isn’t pleased. Rob needs Honor’s help to be able to get back, but Honor just wants to be left alone...
Sometimes it’s great to sit down with a novella/short story, especially when you don’t have a lot of time or are just looking for a quick read. If this is the case, and you happen to be a fan of romance reads, don’t look further and be sure to pick up ‘It Had to Be You’. The book consists of two separate romantic stories with contrasting settings and captivating storylines. The first story, written by Barbara Hannay, focuses on Molly Cooper who travels to London, the other side of the world for her, for a house swap. I loved this story, which was mainly told in the form of e-mails and diary entries, and the characters at the core of it.
The second story, written by Nikki Logan, is set on an almost deserted island where researcher Honor Brier spends her days. She enjoys the solitariness the island gives her, until she is joined by the handsome Rob Dalton, who ends up shipwrecked close to the island. I really enjoyed being introduced to these authors, who were both new to me, and thought both their stories were entertaining reads. If I have to pick one, I’d have to go with ‘Molly Cooper’s Dream Date’; I just loved this story from start to finish and would actually love it if this had been a full-length novel. However, both stories are great romance reads with lovely characters at their core and together they make a short story collection that’s definitely worth picking up!
February 4, 2016
To celebrate finding their Man of the Year 2016, Courtenay Hayles, Mills & Boon have published It Had To Be You, which contains two lovely romantic stories. Molly Cooper's Dream Date by Barbara Hannay and Shipwrecked with Mr Wrong by Nikki Logan.
Two completely different stories about love. Whether you are looking for the careless sun-swept feel of Logan's story or the more practical approach to searching for Mr Perfect by Hannay. There is something for everyone in this double-whammy.
Molly Cooper's Dream Date
Molly is dead set on finding the perfect English gentleman, and apparently they tend to be easier to locate in London. So a house swap with a gentleman in London sounds like the perfect opportunity to look for him.
Patrick is excited to relax on the other side of the world and he also wasn't expecting to be so intrigued by his house swap mate. Molly is suddenly far more interesting than the reason he wanted a break in the first place.
Hannay has given her story a modern social media aspect. Dialogue via emails and diary entries by both characters. This way the reader gets straight to the inner turmoil, while watching the two of them write themselves into a relationship.
Shipwrecked with Mr Wrong
The last thing Honor expects, needs or wants is an invader in her tiny haven. Her own personal peace on earth is disrupted by an obnoxious underwater Indiana Jones, who happens to believe in mermaids.
Rob is curious about the island hermit, who would rather spend her time watching and recording the animal kingdom, than spend time with him or anyone for that matter. The two of them are drawn to each other, but Honor has a terrible secret that is keeping her from connecting with other people. Animals are a safer bet.
I received a free copy of this book courtesy of the publisher.
Two completely different stories about love. Whether you are looking for the careless sun-swept feel of Logan's story or the more practical approach to searching for Mr Perfect by Hannay. There is something for everyone in this double-whammy.
Molly Cooper's Dream Date
Molly is dead set on finding the perfect English gentleman, and apparently they tend to be easier to locate in London. So a house swap with a gentleman in London sounds like the perfect opportunity to look for him.
Patrick is excited to relax on the other side of the world and he also wasn't expecting to be so intrigued by his house swap mate. Molly is suddenly far more interesting than the reason he wanted a break in the first place.
Hannay has given her story a modern social media aspect. Dialogue via emails and diary entries by both characters. This way the reader gets straight to the inner turmoil, while watching the two of them write themselves into a relationship.
Shipwrecked with Mr Wrong
The last thing Honor expects, needs or wants is an invader in her tiny haven. Her own personal peace on earth is disrupted by an obnoxious underwater Indiana Jones, who happens to believe in mermaids.
Rob is curious about the island hermit, who would rather spend her time watching and recording the animal kingdom, than spend time with him or anyone for that matter. The two of them are drawn to each other, but Honor has a terrible secret that is keeping her from connecting with other people. Animals are a safer bet.
I received a free copy of this book courtesy of the publisher.
March 5, 2016
I received this book as an ARC for an honest review. I give it 5 stars.
I have never read either of these authors before so it was great to receive this ARC to be introduced to them and I loved their writing style.
Molly Cooper’s Dream Date by Barbara Hannay
Is about a woman who dreams off an English gentleman to sweep her off her feet. Molly lives on Magnetic Island Queensland Australia and she gets a chance to house swap with a man from England and after some thought she jumps at the chance. However Molly keeps in touch with her house guest through emails and starts to wish that she could meet him.
Shipwrecked with Mr Wrong by Nikki Logan
Honor Brier has had a sad past and goes to live on a Pulu Keeling to monitor the birds and turtles to get away from civilization as she is the only person on the island - until Rob Dalton gets shipwrecked on her island until help can come to help him fix the crack in his hull. Honor is not used to having someone with her and struggles as she can see that Rob is a player and wants him to leave straight away as she does not want to feel anything.
Both these stories kept me entertained with the ups and downs. The characters were well thought out and I loved how they both found their HEA's.
I have never read either of these authors before so it was great to receive this ARC to be introduced to them and I loved their writing style.
Molly Cooper’s Dream Date by Barbara Hannay
Is about a woman who dreams off an English gentleman to sweep her off her feet. Molly lives on Magnetic Island Queensland Australia and she gets a chance to house swap with a man from England and after some thought she jumps at the chance. However Molly keeps in touch with her house guest through emails and starts to wish that she could meet him.
Shipwrecked with Mr Wrong by Nikki Logan
Honor Brier has had a sad past and goes to live on a Pulu Keeling to monitor the birds and turtles to get away from civilization as she is the only person on the island - until Rob Dalton gets shipwrecked on her island until help can come to help him fix the crack in his hull. Honor is not used to having someone with her and struggles as she can see that Rob is a player and wants him to leave straight away as she does not want to feel anything.
Both these stories kept me entertained with the ups and downs. The characters were well thought out and I loved how they both found their HEA's.
April 1, 2016
What great value this book is with two full length stories. The first one is called "Molly Cooper's Dream Date". It is a love story which emerges from a house swap. Molly lives in Australia and swaps house with Patrick, from London. They exchange many emails and find them falling in love. The second book is "Shipwrecked with Mr Wrong". Its brilliant, just the story to cheer you up after a long day. Honor has suffered great tragedy in her life and tends to isolate herself from people. She spends eight months a year on a small island round Australia, counting wildlife. Rob damages his boat on the reef around Honor's island. He is shipwrecked until he can get the boat fixed. Rob and Honor are immediately attracted to each other and sparks fly. Can Honor learn to love again?
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