The Wrong Direction

by Liz Treacher

A charming romantic comedy, set in 1920, 'The Wrong Direction' is the sequel to' The Wrong Envelope'.

When Bernard Cavalier, a flamboyant London artist, marries Evie Brunton, a beautiful Devon post lady, everyone expects a happy ending. But Evie misses cycling down country lanes, delivering the mail, and is finding it hard to adapt to her new life among Mayfair’s high society. Meanwhile Bernard, now a well-known artist, is struggling to give up his bachelor ways.

'The Wrong Direction' is as light and witty as 'The Wrong Envelope', with racy characters and a fast-paced plot. Wild parties, flirtatious models, jealous friends – Bernard and Evie must negotiate many twists and turns if they are to hold on to each other…

318 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 4, 2018

About the author

Liz is a writer of romcoms and women's fiction. She lives in the Scottish Highlands with a view of the sea.

She has written four novels. The Wrong Envelope and The Wrong Direction are romantic comedies set in 1920 that chart the romance of an artist and a post lady.

The Unravelling is a darker contemporary novel with a touch of magic realism.

Vegan Recipes for New Age Men is a contemporary rom-com set in the beautiful Scottish Highlands.

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Reviews

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a lovely sequel to the fantastic The Wrong Envelope. It's an entertaining mixture of romantic comedy, drama and feminist history in the early 1920s. There's also a mystery element with a search for the elusive "Sophia."

Evie Brunton and Bernard Cavalier marry in the early pages here and should live Happily Ever After, right? That's what readers are led to assume when the romantic pairing we're rooting for finally comes together in the last pages of most stories. We've been conditioned to believe that, starting with every fairy tale we were told as children. True love solves everything, doesn't it? No way can we imagine Sleeping Beauty feeling discontented with Prince Charming when he's off running the country while she's trying to figure out how to make the castle run smoothly.

Unfortunately, real life doesn't guarantee "Happily Ever After" once the wedding is over, and this book does a wonderful job of exploring that with both humor and pathos.

It's 1920, and Bernard is part of the jet set in London even though his income doesn't match that of most of his friends. Evie is ill at ease with this social life. Bernard still flits through, behaving like the life of the party, often leaving his new wife standing off on her own...if he brings her out on the town with him at all. He goes to his studio and paints nude models all day, leaving her alone in their flat with nothing to do except try (and fail) to cook an edible dinner. Basically, the guy still acts like a bachelor because he doesn't know how to be a married man despite loving Evie passionately.

It doesn't help that Cassie, Evie's previous friend from her home town, throws up social roadblocks, jealously trying to prevent her friends from accepting Evie. Fortunately, Evie does find some true friendships with Phoebe (who had hopes for Bernard in the previous book but is now happily married to Robert Hazlitt) and Daisy (who dates Bernard's best friend Toby Whittington-Smyth), but she remains bored and restless. She misses her small town of Colyton, and she misses being a post lady. There aren't even enough jobs for all the soldiers who are returning from fighting World War I, so there's certainly no work available to a married woman.

Evie takes an opportunity she is offered to attend Cambridge, where she finds that women are barely tolerated. They can attend classes for a "certificate" rather than a degree. Unfortunately, her time there is curtailed, although she does become friends with Hilda, an independently-minded free spirit. The experience stimulates Edie's intellect while making her even more aware of the limitations her society places on women.

Bernard is impossible to dislike, even when he's behaving like an ass. He just can't seem to help himself, creating scandals that are gleefully reported in the gossip columns. Actions by both Bernard's father Benedict and Evie's father only exacerbate matters. The new marriage is in a shambles, leading to heartache on both sides and even estrangement.

I love this author. She creates SUCH evocative word pictures. Here's an example:

Gone didn't just mean left, it meant missing. Gone conjured up the image of a mother bird looking into an empty nest, or a drunk tipping up a wine bottle to see if there was just one more drop inside. Gone was when a train left a minute before you got there, 'I'm afraid it's already gone, Miss,' leaving an empty platform with a yawning gap onto an empty track that made you feel so dizzy you had to rush into the waiting room. But gone without the 'g' was even worse. It meant one, as in the opposite of two, as in one person. If you put an 'l' in front, you got lone and then you just needed that extra 'a' to complete the jigsaw.

Makes me feel sad and empty just reading that.

Ms. Treacher manages a nice balance, making both Bernard and Edie sympathetic while tackling their marital misconceptions and difficulties with gentle humor. The complicated father-son relationship between Bernard and Benedict is also explored, with Bernard finally expressing the resentment he feels in never having the opportunity to know his mother Sophia, who Benedict let slip away. It also shows how far women have come since the Roaring 20s era while reminding us that the struggle to overcome the gender gap continues.

This is a beautiful story in every respect. Beautifully written, beautifully realistic, beautifully creative. There is some mature adult content.

[Abigail Bok · Rating 5 out of 5]

The myth of the romantic novel is that two people are incomplete until they unite and form a whole. It's an alluring myth--so long as it is not exposed to the strong light of the real world. When it is, too often it melts away like candy on a griddle.

The Wrong Direction is the follow-on novel to Liz Treacher's charming The Wrong Envelope. The Wrong Envelope told the story (set in 1920) of Devon post lady Evie Brunton and volatile artist Bernard Cavalier, who swept into her life and swept her off her feet. The characters were engaging, and the story was told with more texture and richness than many romances, which tend to be all animal attraction and misunderstandings.

There's a reason why most romances end with the proposal: it's the whole candy-on-a-griddle thing. Courtship and marriage are, of course, wildly different beasts; and no matter how well you think you know your intended before the knot is tied, there are still worlds to discover afterward, not all of it pleasant. So when I learned that The Wrong Direction follows Evie and Bernard into this alien land, I was warily curious. Did I really want to know what came after the myth?

It makes me happy to relate that Treacher handles the shift from myth to reality in style, and the promise of greater depth that was held in the first novel is amply fulfilled in the second. Evie was still naive and Bernard still careless at the end of The Wrong Envelope, and now the real world catches them up with a vengeance.

The tale that ensues could easily have become sordid and depressing, and I am still not entirely sure by what magic it does not. The answer may lie in the writing style, which remains light and kindly toward the protagonists even as it deepens its eloquence. It also touches on matters of the bedroom with more grace and elegance than I have perhaps ever seen, giving The Wrong Direction the feel of a "clean" story without prudery or plot contortions aimed at avoiding sex.

I suspect that what happened is that, while writing the first novel, Treacher came not just to like her heroine but also to respect her, and that drove her to probe more deeply in the hope of giving Evie more of the life she deserved. And I for one am very glad she did! For she has written a novel sure to touch any who read it, and she takes the reader on a journey through the mind and heart that absorbed me and earned my admiration.

I don't mean to imply that this tale is Evie's alone: Bernard gets equal time, and equal consideration if not respect. And if at the end I felt his journey in particular was not yet over, that only left me panting for more from this remarkably talented author.

[Louise (Bookmarks and Stages blog) Cannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s the 1920’s – what’s not to love? It’s a great period to read about and at an excellent pace, this fictional book will keep readers entertained and enthralled. There are the artists, such as the Pre-Raphaelites who get a mention, there’s the parties, the lifestyles and attempts to push the existing boundaries of that time. I find the 1920’s a fascinating period of time. This book captures a sense of society after the First World War, at a time when people wanted something different and women wanted more from life. This story really encapsulates the era very well. I had a feeling I would enjoy this book, which I did very much and even more than what I was anticipating.

The beauty of this book is that even though it is a sequel to The Wrong Envelope, which does get mentioned in this book, The Wrong Direction also stands very well on its own. So you can either jump straight into this with consummate ease, or you can start with The Wrong Envelope. I will add that I have not as yet read the first one, although I may well do in the future, I found the sequel easy to follow. So therefore, readers definitely have a couple of options open to them as to how to read these books.

The Wrong Direction is packed full of humour, but it is meaningfully done, with real substance. The humour does not feel forced or over-done. It is also actually relatable to people living in the world today! There are conversations that men and women have today, that you can imagine them having in the 1920’s. I don’t know what that says about people – perhaps some things never change? Anyway, this helps make the book be accessible to everyone. The tone of the book and the way the language is used fits in very well with the era.

The Wrong Direction has many chapters, but please do not let that put you off. At 309 pages, it’s an average sized book. Each, cleverly constructed chapter is just a few pages each. It makes for perfect reading when travelling or before going to sleep because then you’d be rarely interrupting yourself mid-chapter. I love that each chapter is named. Each title fits well with the content. The book is divided into sections, to signify the passing years and events and ends in 1922.

Evie and Bernard are newly weds. They’re very much in love, but trying to find their way in this new stage in life. It is set in the 1920s and is very funny, light and warm, but not frothy or sickly sweet. It’s attractive and a whole lot of fun!
There’s wonderful fun and banter between Bernard and Evie. I’d defy anyone not to smile at the warmth between them and have a giggle at their fun! When Evie is trying to cook and trying to find her feet, is so humorously written. I liked the characterisations of Bernard and Evie very quickly.

The book begins in Autumn 1920. Right from the first chapter, I found myself immersed into the story. The setting has enough description to visualise exactly what is going on at each moment and the scenery around them, but is not overly done. It’s all wonderful for the imagination. At the same time, there is a truth about the scenery as Evie and Bernard go through parks and other parts of London, which is seamless.

Everything has clearly been so well thought out and researched, right down to the fashions, the magazines, right down to a housekeeping book by Mrs Beeton. There are society balls and also initiation ceremonies for clubs, such as “The Custard Club”. The atmosphere is created exquisitely well and it all has an authentic feel about it, which is down to an understanding of the era and the writing style. The style of writing flows with ease.
Even though the book is set in the 1920s, the characters are still very much relatable to, for example, there’s certain habits that men had then, that they still have today. Women still flick through magazines looking at the latest articles and fashions.

It’s not all walks in the park and parties. Bernard is a flamboyant artist after all. Liz Treacher has done well in showing an understanding of the art movement of this period of time. I like that attention to detail and the references made to the Pre-Raphaelites such as Matisse. It shows where Bernard sits in the art world and is written like almost giving a nod to these great artists and their styles. It gives him some roots and context of his being part of this profession/vocation.
Evie herself isn’t a woman who is idle. She wants to create more of a life for herself. She wants to try to find where her place in life now sits, now that she isn’t in the more sedate Devon. She worked before her move to London and she wants to again.

Evie is a bright woman who wants more in life, she wants to learn new things and experience something different, so off she goes to Cambridge University. Both the university and the scenery by the River Cam is a great addition to this story. The scenery by the River Cam is idyllically described, but, cleverly, not stagnating the story. There are also the issues of the day highlighted about women in further education (but not heavily, they don’t distract from the easy, light flow of the book).
As a reader, we can almost, nervously question the relationship between Evie and Bernard and wonder what is going to happen next. It makes you wonder if it can last, with tensions growing between them with the distance between them in both mileage and in educational terms. There are very real worries that they will perhaps drift apart. Readers, you will have to read on to find out what happens in 1921.

Readers are introduced to all sorts of characters throughout the book, especially at university, such as Hilda, who has a quirky game she plays when she meets new people, but there’s also more to her than that as readers will discover as 1921 progresses. There’s a nice amount of characters to populate the book, that’s not too overwhelming for any reader. Some are a bit more in the background than others. It’s written in a way that people can be kept track of very easily.

The book goes as far as 1922, where we find out more about Evie and Bernard and just what has happened within their relationship and within their lives and emotions. I won’t say any more than that on this year because I don’t want to give away any spoilers.

The way the book is written and the tale it tells is light and yet has a lot of substance and authenticity about it, which strongly holds the interest.

To conclude: I love the sense of humour that runs through this book and the writing is excellent. This is a story with character, humour and some poignant and serious moments throughout it. I wanted to know more after each chapter was read. The pace is quick due to the layout and writing style of the book, which is immersive. Immediately I found myself caring for the main characters and I am sure other readers of this book will too.
The Wrong Direction, although isn’t Christmas themed, would make for an excellent Christmas present, which can then be read all year round.

*With thanks for Liz Treacher for writing to me with extra information about herself, for sending me the photo, for allowing me to review her book and for sending me a copy of her book.

[Joanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Wrong Direction is the sequel to The Wrong Envelope by Liz Treacher. In the latter book, the reader finds out how the protagonists Bernard and Evie meet. This book follows them as they begin married life together in 1920 and shows that it’s not all happily ever for them! I do have a copy of The Wrong Envelope but unfortunately didn’t have time to read it before this one. So I can truthfully say that this is easily as a standalone. There are a few events alluded to from the first book but there was enough information for me to read between the lines and fill in the gaps. I should also say though, that the reviews I have read of the first book have been glowing so if you do have time to read both, it seems like a good plan!

Married life was definitely not what Evie was expecting. It seems she had had quite a sheltered upbringing and had no idea of how to run a household. Bernard had a romantic ideal of his wife sitting at home waiting for him to return and to be fair, Evie would probably have been reasonably content with this if only Bernard had actually spent more time at home. He was quite an infuriating character for much of the book, seeming to think he could live more or less the same lifestyle as when he was single and not appreciating what he had in Evie. Evie’s early attempts at cooking were hilarious as she had never cooked before and Bernard just assumed she’d be able to. One particular episode where she was planning to cook trout had me laughing out loud!

"She’d wanted an anonymous fish. This one had a personality and a heritage. This trout was clearly very proud of its past, but very glum about its future."

The book is also an interesting glimpse into life as a woman after the First World War. Evie was very frustrated. She had worked as a post-lady during the war but now that the men were returning she was very much at the back of the line as a married woman. When later she has the opportunity to study at university, again she found this frustrating. Although women were allowed to study, even if they passed their exams, they were not awarded degrees. Through Evie in particular and some of the other female characters, we see that stirrings of feminism which were really starting to come to the fore at this period of time.

And talking of the women characters, I must just say how much I liked Daisy. Daisy could see how Evie didn’t really fit in with the rest of Bernard’s set both through lack of money and also because she didn’t know or understand the nuances of their society ways. Rather than being grand about things, she was kind to Evie in ways which Evie may not have picked up on and in ways which didn’t make Evie feel small or pitied. She was a very kind soul.

With its short chapters making for a pacy read, The Wrong Direction is both witty and entertaining and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Karen Mace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Back with Evie and Bernard and the story continues seamlessly from book one, The Wrong Envelope, as we follow their lives from the quiet streets of Cornwall into the frenetic pace of London as a newlywed couple and life definitely doesn't get any easier for them as reality hits!!

I loved The Wrong Envelope for the way it took you back to a much gentler pace of life, and this sequel transports you so effortlessly to the change of life that Evie faces - not only is she getting used to married life and all that entails, she's not a post lady anymore and has to deal with the boredom and trying to find out what her new role will be in life. Not easy for a woman in the 1920's but the wonderful thing about Evie as a character is that she has a brain and she's not afraid to use it! I loved how much she evolves during this book - while marriage is extremely daunting for her at first and she's lost the comfort zone of being with her family, she gains so much confidence in herself and starts aiming for her dreams and fulfilling her potential.

Bernard is back to living life in a whirlwind while being back in London - out with friends a lot of the time, working hard and doesn't seem to realise how much Evie relies on him to help her adjust. She soon makes some new friends though who expose her to the social side of London and she doesn't always like what she sees.

I absolutely loved seeing these different sides to these characters - there's so much going on and so many changes for them to deal with that we get to discover the attitudes of the time that looked down so much on women and the role they played - they were supposed to stay and home and keep everything nice for their husbands! That's not Evie! And the more she gains in confidence, the more Bernard realises how lost he is without her - will it be enough to make him change his ways though?!

I adored this book and loved how it put you through a wide range of emotions! It captures a bygone age perfectly and I enjoyed being totally transfixed from start to finish!!

[Lynn P · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is the sequel to The Wrong Envelope which I previously reviewed.

We meet with Bernard and Evie again, this time as they begin their married life in London. The same nostalgia I loved in the first book is still there and you can delight in a 1920s London where tea at Fortnum and Mason is the order of the day for society gals with no selfies in sight.

I got so frustrated with Bernard in this book. I really wanted to give him a good shake - so be prepared to be a little exasperated with him and actually with Evie too. She can't cook and she has to ring her Mother for help! After her trip to the fishmonger she seems to fall apart and I missed the strong character she was in Devon. However, it is not long before she is off to other parts and so Bernard really does go downhill fast, all of his own making.

We also encounter Evie's "friend" Cassie again, although by now Evie has the measure of her and they are no longer friends. Thank goodness as she really does become even more vile in this chapter of Evie's life. Phoebe who was "friends" with Bernard on the other hand becomes a true friend and is a lovely character based out in the vicarage in Saffron Walden.

Evie yet again encounters sexism and yet again my blood boiled. At least this allows us to get to see more of the old Evie from the first book. Then there is a mix up of sorts - really London society and the newsheets of the day are no better than social media in 2019 - it just would happen so much quicker nowadays. I won't be doing plot spoilers though.

If you enjoyed the first book - and really you need to read that one first, then you will love this one just as much.

I'm giving this book five out of five stars. My thanks to Love Books Group Tours and to Liz Treacher for my copy of the book for review.

[Chelle W (teaandplottwists) · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was so great to be back with Evie and Bernard! After reading The Wrong Envelope (book 1), I couldn’t wait to read this and I wasn’t disappointed.

Evie and Bernard get married (yay! The bit I was waiting for) and they try to settle into married life……but it turns out to be more of a struggle than first thought! Evie misses her freedom and her job as a Post Lady and even tries to find a job so she can start working again…..she’s definitely not cut out to be a housewife that’s for sure! Bernard on the other hand, struggles to give up his single, flamboyant life….which (as can only be expected by Bernard) causes trouble!!

What follows is a story of secrets, lies, heart break, travel and a rogue baby!! I’m not giving away the story though….you need to read it for yourself.

I absolutely loved being back with Evie and Bernard. Evie has developed as a character and although a strong and independent woman in The Wrong Envelope, takes this to new levels in this book! I bloody love her and am behind her the whole time. Bernard is as frustrating as ever! You love him but you just want to give him a massive kick up the bum, and tell him to pull his bloody socks up! They went through so much in The Wrong Envelope to get together, you really don’t want them to mess it up….

There are great things happening in the book for the other supporting characters, and there are some sad times too….but it was great to be back with Daisy, Toby, Jones and Benedict!

As you’ll know if you read my review of The Wrong Envelope, I loved the first book and equally love this. I’d love to see another book – I’m sure the escapades would continue and it has me on the edge of my seat, wondering what Bernard will get up to next!

Another fab book from Liz – and one you honestly must read!

[Nicola Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recently read and enjoyed The Wrong Envelope by Liz Treacher so was very pleased to be able to catch up with Evie and Bernard again in The Wrong Direction. It follows on from where the first book left off with the couple about to be married. For Bernard, marriage is something that he finds hard to fit into his life as an artist. For Evie, she finds living in London difficult after the space in Devon and she also finds being a wife difficult. She's a terrible cook and she misses her job as a post lady.

Whilst married life gets off to a reasonable start, it soon goes downhill as the pair seem to be pulling in opposite directions and they have a lot to go through before the end of the book.

I have to say that I love Bernard as a character. He's like a big lolloping dog, always putting his foot in it and messing up. He's a bit of a calamity to be honest, but still likeable. I also think Evie is a lovely character, with a backbone of steel under her soft exterior. It's such a shame that things don't work out quite as planned for them, but they do love each other so there's always hope.

As with The Wrong Envelope, there are various supporting characters who are incredibly well-drawn. I particularly liked meeting Evie's parents again, along with Bernard's father and his friend, Toby.

The Wrong Direction is just as charming as The Wrong Envelope. It made me smile (usually at Bernard's expense) and there's such a lot of subtle wit and dry observation in both novels. I think this one has a bit more depth than the first book. These are characters who could easily have another outing, especially given happened at the end of the book and what's ahead of them in their future. Perhaps this could be a trilogy? I'd love to know what happens to them next.

[Misfits farm · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Sequel to “The Wrong Envelope”) Evie and Bernard are now married and living in London away from Evie’s familiar territory of Devon. They are not well off and Evie is struggling to get to grips with being a wife and housewife after previously working. All the jobs are now being given to men and women are at the back of the queue, especially married ones. She throws away a whole trout “as she doesn’t like the look on it’s face” !! This is 1920 and it is wonderful to read of a life which by today’s standards is so simplistic and it can’t help but make you smile (and wince) at how different things are. Even the dialogue is different in many ways to how we speak and think today. The blatant sexism Evie encounters even at Cambridge. This is the second in the series and does need to be read in conjunction with the first book. A husband who is struggling to give up his previous lifestyle whilst being totally in love with his wife. A woman who doesn’t want to be pushed around by the establishment or be “just a housewife”. A search for a child fleetingly seen by the grandfather which causes more issues than it solves. I really enjoyed this. A trip to another era and larger than life characters we don’t often meet these days. A treasure of a read.
For more reviews please see my blog http://nickibookblog.blogspot.co.uk/
or follow me on Twitter @nickijmurphy1

[lynne mahoney · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the sequel to The Wrong Envelope and finds Bernard and Evie living in London. I just love the way Liz Treacher tackles the big issues of the time that people are grappling with to this day, personal things like loneliness and low self esteem and the wider question of women's rights. She does this with a light hand so that we are right there with Evie while she struggles to fit into her husband's world while in danger of losing her own identity. Change is difficult, especially for Bernard and we are frustrated and at the same time amused at his feckless character stumbling around in his happy go lucky way but ultimately feeling the consequences. It's a witty, careful and gentle story written with a fast pace and flavour of the 1920s and there are a few twists along the way. Yet underneath the humour are some truths that apply to us all. I loved it, a real page turner and I can't wait for the next one please!

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bernard and Evie never disappoint

And neither does Liz Treacher. Well rounded characters very much ‘of the time’ with plenty of detail and description which fixes them there.

Taut plotting and a firm eye on women’s rights - or lack of - make this an engrossing and interesting read.

I liked Evie from the outset and although I have never been sure about Bernard, I’m fairly sure I wouldn’t have forgiven him! The ending is perfect, however, and I can believe they might have journeyed that way.

[Ann Shemeld · Rating 5 out of 5]

Follow up

Good story knitted together seamlessly with the first book two stressed lovers who keep getting it wrong.
First the trust then the painter gets out of his depth made worse by a mews flat bought by his wealthy best friend as a wedding present.Then follows the misunderstandings gets of newly wedded bliss

[jennifer davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

I really enjoyed this story I would recommend reading the previous book The Wrong Envelope, as the two stories complement each other. An unusual storey and great characters, I look forward to other publications continue author

[Claire Wingfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this sequel to 'The Wrong Envelope', in which the happily ever after is even more entertaining than the before!

[Susan Mangigian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as the first but enjoyable.

[mrs anna ley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing

Another amazing read, a triumph no less, loved this second book of Liz Treacher. You really get into the character's of their. Lives and loves, thank you.