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Westenbury #1
A Village Affair
Cassie Beresford has recently landed her dream job as deputy head at her local, idyllic village primary school, Little Acorns. So, the last thing she needs is her husband of 20 years being "outed" at a village charity auction—he has been having an affair with one of her closest friends.As if that weren't enough to cope with, Cassie suddenly finds herself catapulted into the head teacher position, and at the forefront of a fight to ward off developers determined to concrete over the beautiful landscape.
But through it all, the irresistible joy of her pupils, the reality of keeping her teenage children on the straight and narrow, her irrepressible family and friends, and the possibility of new love, mean what could have been the worst year ever, actually might be the best yet.
Julie Houston's novels are funny, wonderfully warm and completely addictive. Perfect for all fans of Gervaise Phinn, Katie Fforde, and Jill Mansell.
But through it all, the irresistible joy of her pupils, the reality of keeping her teenage children on the straight and narrow, her irrepressible family and friends, and the possibility of new love, mean what could have been the worst year ever, actually might be the best yet.
Julie Houston's novels are funny, wonderfully warm and completely addictive. Perfect for all fans of Gervaise Phinn, Katie Fforde, and Jill Mansell.
432 pages, Paperback
Published April 1, 2020
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620 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 244 reviews
November 28, 2018
5☆ A Wonderfully Warm and Endearing Read
A Village Affair is a warm, endearing story of betrayal, new beginnings, starting over and friendship.
Cassie is happily married to Mark... well at least she thought she was.
That is until her whole world comes crashing down, when she finds out her husband has been having an AFFAIR with her Best Friend for the past 2years!!
Cassie is absolutely devastated. But with two teenage kids to look after and a brand new promotion to Head Teacher, she has no choice but to dust herself off and carry on.
Cassie has been thrown in at the deep end with the Head Teacher position at Little Acorns Primary School. But I think it's come just at the right time.
I can so relate to all the school drama, I'm a qualified nursery nurse and all the teacher drama happens... it's why I avoided the staff room lol
I also loved learning about Cassie's upbringing and childhood.
Her Mum Paula is such a quirky, eccentric and indeed an endearing character, her story certainly makes an impact.
There are so many touching moments, but also many laugh out loud moments, it had me smiling throughout.
I adored all of the characters, well apart from love rat Mark and Tina the ex friend of course!
The characters are beautifully written, they're strong and unique you can't help routing for them to suceed.
A village Affair is a totally absorbing read that's beautifully written, full of warmth, charm, humour, a Compelling and heart warming plot that I didn't want to put down.
This is my first book by Julie Houston and can't wait for her next book! She's definitely going on my to watch out for list.
So the big Question....Would I recommend reading this Gorgeous Book...100%.....YES!!
Thank you to Victoria from Aria for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
My Review is also on my Blog Website :-
https://dashfan81.blogspot.com/2018/1...
A Village Affair is a warm, endearing story of betrayal, new beginnings, starting over and friendship.
Cassie is happily married to Mark... well at least she thought she was.
That is until her whole world comes crashing down, when she finds out her husband has been having an AFFAIR with her Best Friend for the past 2years!!
Cassie is absolutely devastated. But with two teenage kids to look after and a brand new promotion to Head Teacher, she has no choice but to dust herself off and carry on.
Cassie has been thrown in at the deep end with the Head Teacher position at Little Acorns Primary School. But I think it's come just at the right time.
I can so relate to all the school drama, I'm a qualified nursery nurse and all the teacher drama happens... it's why I avoided the staff room lol
I also loved learning about Cassie's upbringing and childhood.
Her Mum Paula is such a quirky, eccentric and indeed an endearing character, her story certainly makes an impact.
There are so many touching moments, but also many laugh out loud moments, it had me smiling throughout.
I adored all of the characters, well apart from love rat Mark and Tina the ex friend of course!
The characters are beautifully written, they're strong and unique you can't help routing for them to suceed.
A village Affair is a totally absorbing read that's beautifully written, full of warmth, charm, humour, a Compelling and heart warming plot that I didn't want to put down.
This is my first book by Julie Houston and can't wait for her next book! She's definitely going on my to watch out for list.
So the big Question....Would I recommend reading this Gorgeous Book...100%.....YES!!
Thank you to Victoria from Aria for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
My Review is also on my Blog Website :-
https://dashfan81.blogspot.com/2018/1...
November 21, 2018
EXCERPT: The banishing of my husband bit hadn't been quite as calm and stiff-upper-lip as I might pretend. There was no scenario such as you might find in a 1920s silent movie, where the heroine (me) holds one hand to a pale forehead and points to the door with the other while the baddie (Mark) falls to his knees, wringing his hands and pleading forgiveness, while the other baddie (bloody Tina) slinks off into the night like the she-snake she had suddenly become. Au contraire. In reality, it was like something off The Jeremy Kyle Show.
ABOUT THIS BOOK: Cassie Beresford has recently landed her dream job as deputy head at her local, idyllic village primary school, Little Acorns. So, the last thing she needs is her husband of twenty years being 'outed' at a village charity auction - he has been having an affair with one of her closest friends.
As if that weren't enough to cope with, Cassie suddenly finds herself catapulted into the head teacher position, and at the forefront of a fight to ward off developers determined to concrete over the beautiful landscape.
But through it all, the irresistible joy of her pupils, the reality of keeping her teenage children on the straight and narrow, her irrepressible family and friends, and the possibility of new love, mean what could have been the worst year ever, actually might be the best yet...
MY THOUGHTS: I read the majority of A Village Affair with 'a ridiculous grin' on my face, much like the one Cassie has on her face when. . . but no, I can't tell you that. It is addictive reading. It is 'splutter into your coffee/wine' funny - I did both - it is light, and amusing, not at all predictable, and I want more from this author.
Every time I thought I knew where the story was going, it very cleverly changed direction, and 75% through there is a delicious OMG! moment that caused my stomach to churn, my heart to plummet. I was screaming 'No, no, no!' in my mind, my mouth hanging open, my eyes popping. I was in the hairdressers at the time, otherwise the 'No, no, no!' would have been out loud.
This is the second book I have read and loved by this author. Julie Houston is firmly on my 'must read' list!
A Village Affair is due for publication by Aria November 6th 2018.
THE AUTHOR: Julie Houston’s first three novels GOODNESS, GRACE AND ME, THE ONE SAVING GRACE and LOOKING FOR LUCY are all Amazon Humour #1 best sellers both here in the UK and Australia. LOOKING FOR LUCY hit the #1 best seller overall in Australia. Her new novel, A VILLAGE AFFAIR will be published in November 2018 and HOLLY CLOSE FARM in February 2019.
Julie lives in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire where her novels are set, and her only claims to fame are that she teaches part-time at ‘Bridget Jones’ author Helen Fielding’s old junior school and her neighbour is ‘Chocolat’ author, Joanne Harris. After University, where she studied Education and English Literature, she taught for many years as a junior school teacher. As a newly qualified teacher, broke and paying off her first mortgage, she would spend every long summer holiday working on different Kibbutzim in Israel. After teaching for a few years she decided to go to New Zealand to work and taught in Auckland for a year before coming back to this country. She now teaches just two days a week, and still loves the buzz of teaching junior-aged children. She has been a magistrate for the past nineteen years, and, when not distracted by Ebay, Twitter and Ancestry, spends much of her time writing. Julie is married, has a twenty-four-year-old son and twenty-one-year-old daughter and a ridiculous Cockerpoo called Lincoln. She runs and swims because she’s been told it’s good for her, but would really prefer a glass of wine, a sun lounger and a jolly good book - preferably with Matthew Mcconaughay in attendance.
She hates skiing, gets sick on boats and wouldn’t go pot-holing or paddy diving if her life depended on it.
She is published by HeadOfZeus/Aria and represented by Anne Williams at KHLA Literary agency.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to author Julie Houston for providing a digital ARC of A Village Affair for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
Please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com for an explanation of my rating system. This review and others are also published on my blog sandysbookaday.wordpress.com https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
ABOUT THIS BOOK: Cassie Beresford has recently landed her dream job as deputy head at her local, idyllic village primary school, Little Acorns. So, the last thing she needs is her husband of twenty years being 'outed' at a village charity auction - he has been having an affair with one of her closest friends.
As if that weren't enough to cope with, Cassie suddenly finds herself catapulted into the head teacher position, and at the forefront of a fight to ward off developers determined to concrete over the beautiful landscape.
But through it all, the irresistible joy of her pupils, the reality of keeping her teenage children on the straight and narrow, her irrepressible family and friends, and the possibility of new love, mean what could have been the worst year ever, actually might be the best yet...
MY THOUGHTS: I read the majority of A Village Affair with 'a ridiculous grin' on my face, much like the one Cassie has on her face when. . . but no, I can't tell you that. It is addictive reading. It is 'splutter into your coffee/wine' funny - I did both - it is light, and amusing, not at all predictable, and I want more from this author.
Every time I thought I knew where the story was going, it very cleverly changed direction, and 75% through there is a delicious OMG! moment that caused my stomach to churn, my heart to plummet. I was screaming 'No, no, no!' in my mind, my mouth hanging open, my eyes popping. I was in the hairdressers at the time, otherwise the 'No, no, no!' would have been out loud.
This is the second book I have read and loved by this author. Julie Houston is firmly on my 'must read' list!
A Village Affair is due for publication by Aria November 6th 2018.
THE AUTHOR: Julie Houston’s first three novels GOODNESS, GRACE AND ME, THE ONE SAVING GRACE and LOOKING FOR LUCY are all Amazon Humour #1 best sellers both here in the UK and Australia. LOOKING FOR LUCY hit the #1 best seller overall in Australia. Her new novel, A VILLAGE AFFAIR will be published in November 2018 and HOLLY CLOSE FARM in February 2019.
Julie lives in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire where her novels are set, and her only claims to fame are that she teaches part-time at ‘Bridget Jones’ author Helen Fielding’s old junior school and her neighbour is ‘Chocolat’ author, Joanne Harris. After University, where she studied Education and English Literature, she taught for many years as a junior school teacher. As a newly qualified teacher, broke and paying off her first mortgage, she would spend every long summer holiday working on different Kibbutzim in Israel. After teaching for a few years she decided to go to New Zealand to work and taught in Auckland for a year before coming back to this country. She now teaches just two days a week, and still loves the buzz of teaching junior-aged children. She has been a magistrate for the past nineteen years, and, when not distracted by Ebay, Twitter and Ancestry, spends much of her time writing. Julie is married, has a twenty-four-year-old son and twenty-one-year-old daughter and a ridiculous Cockerpoo called Lincoln. She runs and swims because she’s been told it’s good for her, but would really prefer a glass of wine, a sun lounger and a jolly good book - preferably with Matthew Mcconaughay in attendance.
She hates skiing, gets sick on boats and wouldn’t go pot-holing or paddy diving if her life depended on it.
She is published by HeadOfZeus/Aria and represented by Anne Williams at KHLA Literary agency.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to author Julie Houston for providing a digital ARC of A Village Affair for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
Please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com for an explanation of my rating system. This review and others are also published on my blog sandysbookaday.wordpress.com https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
December 21, 2019
Cassie Beresford seems to have everything. That is until the charity auction where it’s publicly revealed her husband has been cheating on her with her best friend for the past two years. Then she’s suddenly promoted to head teacher with no notice. Oh, and the fields in her tiny village are targeted by developers intent on mass housing. Though feeling overwhelmed and defeated, Cassie rises and tackles the challenges, all while balancing great friends, two teenagers, and maybe even new love.
Some books utilize a slow burn, opening softly, letting readers get used to the new world. Author Julie Houston does not use this technique. Instead, the opening pages practically explode out of the book, with a very public revelation of Cassie’s husband, Mark’s, affair. It’s tragic and biting, but it’s also tinged with the humor the humor that’s abundant throughout the rest of the book.
And it’s deeply funny. My copy is littered with highlights because there are just so many sections that made me laugh. Cassie is a likable, relatable character, and much of this stems from her scenes as an educator. Here, Houston writes with beautiful honesty, and anyone who has ever felt insecure in a job will immediately find a companion in Cassie.
A bit of a posh woman moving on from her husband and learning to love herself is enough book for anyone, but Houston presses on with a fields plotline. Edward Bamforth wants to build new housing the fields, against much of the village’s wishes, and things are further complicated when romantic interests are piqued between two characters. A different author could have completely muddled the wonderfully intricate threads, but Houston seamlessly weaves the action around Cassie’s ultimate development.
I do want to give special mention to Julie Houston’s positive discussion of sexuality in this book. Early on it becomes apparent that Cassie’s teenage son, Tom, is questioning his sexuality. It’s handled in a deeply sensitive way that I think, overall, could be a guide for parents. I was personally very pleased to see this type of inclusion and I think it’s one of the best portrayals of Questioning youth where it wasn’t the focus of the book.
This book is a bit of a roller coaster. Infidelity is a difficult topic, and the aftermath is rarely neat and tidy. However, Houston knows how to manipulate a story so that the reader is always on their toes as characters struggle and jest toward their own answers. The result is a wickedly funny read with heart.
Note: I received a free ARC of this book through NetGalley.
Review also posted at https://pluckedfromthestacks.wordpres...
Some books utilize a slow burn, opening softly, letting readers get used to the new world. Author Julie Houston does not use this technique. Instead, the opening pages practically explode out of the book, with a very public revelation of Cassie’s husband, Mark’s, affair. It’s tragic and biting, but it’s also tinged with the humor the humor that’s abundant throughout the rest of the book.
And it’s deeply funny. My copy is littered with highlights because there are just so many sections that made me laugh. Cassie is a likable, relatable character, and much of this stems from her scenes as an educator. Here, Houston writes with beautiful honesty, and anyone who has ever felt insecure in a job will immediately find a companion in Cassie.
A bit of a posh woman moving on from her husband and learning to love herself is enough book for anyone, but Houston presses on with a fields plotline. Edward Bamforth wants to build new housing the fields, against much of the village’s wishes, and things are further complicated when romantic interests are piqued between two characters. A different author could have completely muddled the wonderfully intricate threads, but Houston seamlessly weaves the action around Cassie’s ultimate development.
I do want to give special mention to Julie Houston’s positive discussion of sexuality in this book. Early on it becomes apparent that Cassie’s teenage son, Tom, is questioning his sexuality. It’s handled in a deeply sensitive way that I think, overall, could be a guide for parents. I was personally very pleased to see this type of inclusion and I think it’s one of the best portrayals of Questioning youth where it wasn’t the focus of the book.
This book is a bit of a roller coaster. Infidelity is a difficult topic, and the aftermath is rarely neat and tidy. However, Houston knows how to manipulate a story so that the reader is always on their toes as characters struggle and jest toward their own answers. The result is a wickedly funny read with heart.
Note: I received a free ARC of this book through NetGalley.
Review also posted at https://pluckedfromthestacks.wordpres...
September 10, 2018
Simply Wow!!! This is one of the amazing books that I have had the pleasure of reading this year. Being teacher, I don't usually wait on 'to be or not to be' talk with myself when it comes to novels centred on schools and universities and of course on teachers. And quite rightly, Cassie turned out to be a perfect ally.
Cassie Beresford had the perfect life with her new job, handsome and well to do husband, and two brilliant kids, until the night of the charity auction. She learns that her husband of ten years is having an affair for two years with her best friend, Tina. What a way to begin a new job! Needless to say, she was an emotional wreck and added to that is the threat of her school and her grandfather's meadow being taken over by Edward Bamforth intending to concretise the farming land with houses.
Well, the first half gives us a picture of Cassie standing up for herself, slowly and steadily recovering from the great shock she suffered. Both her adolescent kids were quite supportive of her and I was immediately attached to both of them. I would really welcome a sequel featuring those two because truth to be told, I would like to see more of Cassie and her new life. Sorry, I can't elaborate on the last part without revealing the surprise you will have to face at the end.
Let me put it this way then, I envy all the readers who are yet to read this beautiful story. Remember that feeling you had, when you just finished your chocolate and your sister is yet to unwrap the cover? She is going to enjoy the sweet treat while you sit there sulking only because you finish it too soon. . . You get the drift. If there was a machine to wipe out specific memories, then I would have jumped at the chance so I can reread this book again and again and again without knowing what is to unfold.
So keep open your eyes to the publication day, this is going to be a roller coaster ride (especially the latter half). A surprising but cute turn of events and a contenting HEA and what is more to look out for?
Cassie Beresford had the perfect life with her new job, handsome and well to do husband, and two brilliant kids, until the night of the charity auction. She learns that her husband of ten years is having an affair for two years with her best friend, Tina. What a way to begin a new job! Needless to say, she was an emotional wreck and added to that is the threat of her school and her grandfather's meadow being taken over by Edward Bamforth intending to concretise the farming land with houses.
Well, the first half gives us a picture of Cassie standing up for herself, slowly and steadily recovering from the great shock she suffered. Both her adolescent kids were quite supportive of her and I was immediately attached to both of them. I would really welcome a sequel featuring those two because truth to be told, I would like to see more of Cassie and her new life. Sorry, I can't elaborate on the last part without revealing the surprise you will have to face at the end.
Let me put it this way then, I envy all the readers who are yet to read this beautiful story. Remember that feeling you had, when you just finished your chocolate and your sister is yet to unwrap the cover? She is going to enjoy the sweet treat while you sit there sulking only because you finish it too soon. . . You get the drift. If there was a machine to wipe out specific memories, then I would have jumped at the chance so I can reread this book again and again and again without knowing what is to unfold.
So keep open your eyes to the publication day, this is going to be a roller coaster ride (especially the latter half). A surprising but cute turn of events and a contenting HEA and what is more to look out for?
February 15, 2021
I Did Not Finish at 25 percent.
I had zero urge to finish this book. I know I should have sympathy for the main character Cassie, but she and other characters in this one are just pretty horrible in different ways. I also thought the story was so repetitive that I just could not get through it. I wonder at how this ends up being a romantic chick lit book, but I just could not continue especially after not enjoying the last book I finished The Friend Zone.
"A Village Affair" follows Cassie Beresford. Cassie has just gotten a great job at a primary school called "Little Acorns." She has two great kids and a wonderful husband. However, at a charity auction night, Cassie's life come crashing down when she finds out her best friend (and godmother to her kids) has been having an affair with her husband for about two years.
You would think the above would have you wanting to cheer on Cassie, but not really. She's angry (justifiably) but per how things work in real life, she's focused on her best friend and not her husband. Her other two so called best friends are nonplussed and somehow not sympathetic at the same time. Her son wants to only concentrate on his tests (seriously). The only one that seems to be reacting like a real live character is the daughter.
The flow of the book though was too hard to get past. I hit 25 percent actually and quit this book. I think having not only readers follow Cassie, but her mother Paula it just made way too much going on to be able to delve into it.
I had zero urge to finish this book. I know I should have sympathy for the main character Cassie, but she and other characters in this one are just pretty horrible in different ways. I also thought the story was so repetitive that I just could not get through it. I wonder at how this ends up being a romantic chick lit book, but I just could not continue especially after not enjoying the last book I finished The Friend Zone.
"A Village Affair" follows Cassie Beresford. Cassie has just gotten a great job at a primary school called "Little Acorns." She has two great kids and a wonderful husband. However, at a charity auction night, Cassie's life come crashing down when she finds out her best friend (and godmother to her kids) has been having an affair with her husband for about two years.
You would think the above would have you wanting to cheer on Cassie, but not really. She's angry (justifiably) but per how things work in real life, she's focused on her best friend and not her husband. Her other two so called best friends are nonplussed and somehow not sympathetic at the same time. Her son wants to only concentrate on his tests (seriously). The only one that seems to be reacting like a real live character is the daughter.
The flow of the book though was too hard to get past. I hit 25 percent actually and quit this book. I think having not only readers follow Cassie, but her mother Paula it just made way too much going on to be able to delve into it.
November 14, 2018
I have a slight confession to make. Prior to being invited to take part in the blog tour for ‘A Village Affair’, I hadn’t actually come across Julie Houston before- sorry Julie. However after reading ‘A Village Affair’, I am left asking myself ‘why the hell haven’t I come across her books before?’ I absolutely LOVED reading ‘A Village Affair’ but more about that in a bit.
OMG I really felt for the character of Cassie Beresford. She has just been promoted at work, she has gorgeous children and she is seemingly happily married to Mr. Perfect……..but she soon finds out that the happily married part is one sided on her part. Unbeknownst to her, Mr. Perfect is involved in a long term affair with somebody very close to Cassie. She founds out at a public event that her marriage is less than perfect and she feels incredibly betrayed. It was at this point that I wanted to jump inside the pages of this book to give her a hug and to bitch about men over a bottle of plonk or something and at the same time I wanted to slap the husband and his flingee across the face a few dozen times with a wet flip flop for how they behaved. Fortunately she has a great support network in place in the shape of some very good friends and her family. It appears that she has rock bottom but you can’t keep a good woman down for long. She is unexpectedly double promoted at work and finds herself taking on more responsibility, whilst at the same time she is trying to establish a new life for herself. Cassie can do so much better than her lying, cheating, scumbag, scuzzbucket of a husband. Cassie is funny, a good friend, a determined and brave young lady. By the end of the book I really did feel as though Cassie was one of my friends. Will Cassie make go of things and build a new life for herself? Well for the answer to those questions and more you are just going to have to read the book for yourselves to find out as I am not going to tell you.
Oh my word, ‘The Village Affair’ is one seriously well written and fun book. When I picked the book up, I was hoping that it would distract me from something I was fretting over and it so distracted me. From the moment I picked the book up and began to read, I was certainly distracted and I mean that in the best possible way. I enjoyed every single thing about this book and there was nothing that I disliked. Whilst I was reading this book, I found that I was chuckling away every so often at something I had read. I even found that I began to interact with the book. By that I mean that I was saying random words out loud and I began arguing with certain characters. Before anybody has a go at me and reminds me that it is fiction, I find that I tend to ‘live’ the story if I am convinced by the story and by the characters. I became seriously addicted to reading ‘A Village Affair’ and I felt as though I was a junkie constantly in need of my next fix. I couldn’t bear to be parted from the book and if I did have to put the book down (and only for a very good reason), then I would count down the time until I could pick it back up again.
‘A Village Affair’ is a funny, witty, light hearted, feel good book which at the same time does have its serious moments and it does offer hope to those going through tough times. I absolutely ADORED it and I wholeheartedly recommend that you read it. I can’t wait to read what Julie comes up with next but whilst I wait, I will definitely be finding her other books and make reading them one of my top reading priorities. I am absolutely certain that I will love them just as much as I loved ‘A Village Affair’. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.
OMG I really felt for the character of Cassie Beresford. She has just been promoted at work, she has gorgeous children and she is seemingly happily married to Mr. Perfect……..but she soon finds out that the happily married part is one sided on her part. Unbeknownst to her, Mr. Perfect is involved in a long term affair with somebody very close to Cassie. She founds out at a public event that her marriage is less than perfect and she feels incredibly betrayed. It was at this point that I wanted to jump inside the pages of this book to give her a hug and to bitch about men over a bottle of plonk or something and at the same time I wanted to slap the husband and his flingee across the face a few dozen times with a wet flip flop for how they behaved. Fortunately she has a great support network in place in the shape of some very good friends and her family. It appears that she has rock bottom but you can’t keep a good woman down for long. She is unexpectedly double promoted at work and finds herself taking on more responsibility, whilst at the same time she is trying to establish a new life for herself. Cassie can do so much better than her lying, cheating, scumbag, scuzzbucket of a husband. Cassie is funny, a good friend, a determined and brave young lady. By the end of the book I really did feel as though Cassie was one of my friends. Will Cassie make go of things and build a new life for herself? Well for the answer to those questions and more you are just going to have to read the book for yourselves to find out as I am not going to tell you.
Oh my word, ‘The Village Affair’ is one seriously well written and fun book. When I picked the book up, I was hoping that it would distract me from something I was fretting over and it so distracted me. From the moment I picked the book up and began to read, I was certainly distracted and I mean that in the best possible way. I enjoyed every single thing about this book and there was nothing that I disliked. Whilst I was reading this book, I found that I was chuckling away every so often at something I had read. I even found that I began to interact with the book. By that I mean that I was saying random words out loud and I began arguing with certain characters. Before anybody has a go at me and reminds me that it is fiction, I find that I tend to ‘live’ the story if I am convinced by the story and by the characters. I became seriously addicted to reading ‘A Village Affair’ and I felt as though I was a junkie constantly in need of my next fix. I couldn’t bear to be parted from the book and if I did have to put the book down (and only for a very good reason), then I would count down the time until I could pick it back up again.
‘A Village Affair’ is a funny, witty, light hearted, feel good book which at the same time does have its serious moments and it does offer hope to those going through tough times. I absolutely ADORED it and I wholeheartedly recommend that you read it. I can’t wait to read what Julie comes up with next but whilst I wait, I will definitely be finding her other books and make reading them one of my top reading priorities. I am absolutely certain that I will love them just as much as I loved ‘A Village Affair’. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.
February 15, 2020
I love a good, witty story and this has wittiness in SPADES! It’s hilarious in places, I snorted aloud quite a few times, and it’s full of banter, wit and drama.
The characters were all a colourful bunch, from Paula and her hippy ways, to Cassandra Moonbeam and her uppity ways, Mark and his idiotic ways, Cara and Fiona, the two best friends who are so completely different to each other but also complement one another with there hilarious ways, Freya the Emo, Tom the maths genius and Xavier the heart throb, they’re all full of personality and they gelled together perfectly.
I loved Cassie (Cassandra moonbeam) and loved reading her life, her ways, her mistakes and also her inflatable thingy moment. Too funny that thinking about it now makes me chuckle.
The storyline was incredible and easy to follow, full of humour and wit, two of the best things to have in this genre of book. It had me shocked in places and it felt unbelievable in another. Very well thought out and put together.
The writing style was fabulous. Very descriptive and I found I could easily picture in my head each of the different scenes/scenarios. I felt I could relate to all over the characters as well.
I know I’ll be definitely looking up more from this author. If her other books are written anything like this, then I know I’m in for a treat!
The characters were all a colourful bunch, from Paula and her hippy ways, to Cassandra Moonbeam and her uppity ways, Mark and his idiotic ways, Cara and Fiona, the two best friends who are so completely different to each other but also complement one another with there hilarious ways, Freya the Emo, Tom the maths genius and Xavier the heart throb, they’re all full of personality and they gelled together perfectly.
I loved Cassie (Cassandra moonbeam) and loved reading her life, her ways, her mistakes and also her inflatable thingy moment. Too funny that thinking about it now makes me chuckle.
The storyline was incredible and easy to follow, full of humour and wit, two of the best things to have in this genre of book. It had me shocked in places and it felt unbelievable in another. Very well thought out and put together.
The writing style was fabulous. Very descriptive and I found I could easily picture in my head each of the different scenes/scenarios. I felt I could relate to all over the characters as well.
I know I’ll be definitely looking up more from this author. If her other books are written anything like this, then I know I’m in for a treat!
February 3, 2020
Ah, I often wished if life were a fiction. But not in the case of Cassie and her life.
Her love life was the most twisted thing I had read in recent times. First, her husband had an affair with her best friend, then came her mother who threw a shocker of a bomb about the next guy she fell in love with. This was Cassie’s journey post her marriage break-up.
My first book by author Julie Houston, the writing was delightful, the characters varied and exciting. Every chapter brought its own caper to light. That book was hopping. I had to admit, post breakup Cassie lived a fuller life, like being on a roller coaster.
The writing was soothing and kept the story alive. Cassie life was well depicted, giving me glimpses of her mother’s POV too. Humor and warm moments interspersed with the angry ones that I felt for the wanker of a husband and the so called best friend. The book pulled at my emotions even when I wanted to be side-lined.
The words had a sweet power to them, and Cassandra was a well developed protagonist with her own band of friends. Too bad, the best friend did not realize friends before men!! The story turned directions in the last section, and I had to read it with bated breath to get to the truth. Would Cassie get her love?
Her love life was the most twisted thing I had read in recent times. First, her husband had an affair with her best friend, then came her mother who threw a shocker of a bomb about the next guy she fell in love with. This was Cassie’s journey post her marriage break-up.
My first book by author Julie Houston, the writing was delightful, the characters varied and exciting. Every chapter brought its own caper to light. That book was hopping. I had to admit, post breakup Cassie lived a fuller life, like being on a roller coaster.
The writing was soothing and kept the story alive. Cassie life was well depicted, giving me glimpses of her mother’s POV too. Humor and warm moments interspersed with the angry ones that I felt for the wanker of a husband and the so called best friend. The book pulled at my emotions even when I wanted to be side-lined.
The words had a sweet power to them, and Cassandra was a well developed protagonist with her own band of friends. Too bad, the best friend did not realize friends before men!! The story turned directions in the last section, and I had to read it with bated breath to get to the truth. Would Cassie get her love?
January 3, 2019
Well, what a brilliant story this turned out to be- so full of surprises and shocking revelations from the start to the end. Told in the first person by Cassandra Moonbeam, it is a heartwarming story involving a wide range of well developed characters and a village community.
Just days before Cassandra is about to start her new job as Deputy Head at the village primary school, she discovers her husband has been having an affair with the person she thought was her best friend. That’s just the first of many shocking revelations in this engaging story.
With an eccentric Mum, a teenage son with his own dilemmas, a rebellious teenage daughter and builders wanting to build on green belt land as well as all the shenanigans of settling into a new role in a new school, life is definitely changing and challenging for Cassandra! I loved escaping into this story, the author brings the scenarios to life in your imagination as you read.
There are some tear jerking moments, others to have you laughing out loud (especially one involving a squirrel), times when you wonder just how much more can go wrong for her and a superb ending to round it all off, leaving you with a smile on your face. I have no hesitation in highly recommending this brilliant read and I’ll definitely be looking out for more by this talented author in future.
I requested and was gifted a copy of this book via NetGalley. This review is my honest opinion after choosing to read it – and thoroughly enjoying doing so!
Just days before Cassandra is about to start her new job as Deputy Head at the village primary school, she discovers her husband has been having an affair with the person she thought was her best friend. That’s just the first of many shocking revelations in this engaging story.
With an eccentric Mum, a teenage son with his own dilemmas, a rebellious teenage daughter and builders wanting to build on green belt land as well as all the shenanigans of settling into a new role in a new school, life is definitely changing and challenging for Cassandra! I loved escaping into this story, the author brings the scenarios to life in your imagination as you read.
There are some tear jerking moments, others to have you laughing out loud (especially one involving a squirrel), times when you wonder just how much more can go wrong for her and a superb ending to round it all off, leaving you with a smile on your face. I have no hesitation in highly recommending this brilliant read and I’ll definitely be looking out for more by this talented author in future.
I requested and was gifted a copy of this book via NetGalley. This review is my honest opinion after choosing to read it – and thoroughly enjoying doing so!
August 19, 2018
I have never heard of this author before but the cover and description sounded really good and I'm so pleased I chose to read it as it's simply brilliant. I didn't want the book to end at all the characters were brilliant along with the countryside and the plot for the story was brilliant. Just couldn't put the book down and would so love to see a follow on as amazingly well written and can see more from them all. The book is so heartwarming and full of heartbreak, starting again, fighting for what is right and romance and can you be with who you want to be with or not. Highly recommend this book to anyone and worth far more than five stars for sure simply brilliant and about families to.
Cassie is just about to start a new job as a deputy head at the village school and just before she is due to start she is out at an auction and one of her best friends husbands announces that Cassie's husband Mark and his wife Tina are having an affair and have done for two years. This turns poor cassie's life upside down she kicks her husband out and has to think about telling her two children Freya's and tom. She gets a phone call from the school and she thinks they don't want her as they have heard about her husbands affair but in fact they want her to act as head as sadly the head has passed away. She throws herself into work and soon learns that mr Edward Bramforth who owns a lot of farming land in the village wants to sell up and build houses and a new school and a ski slope but she doesn't agree. Paula cassie's mother suggests she goes away in the October half term so she can find herself again and while away she meets handsome Xavier and she falls for him but then she learns his father is Edward so what can she do. Once home she again throws herself in to work and when she hears from Xavier she can't resist seeing him but when her mum comes home and sees them together she can't help but drop a bombshell on them. How do they cope and what is the outcome of this secret will more follow and can they be happy together or not and will the land be built on or not. Will everyone be happy in the end or with there be more heartbreak.
A simply brilliant book and must be read.
Cassie is just about to start a new job as a deputy head at the village school and just before she is due to start she is out at an auction and one of her best friends husbands announces that Cassie's husband Mark and his wife Tina are having an affair and have done for two years. This turns poor cassie's life upside down she kicks her husband out and has to think about telling her two children Freya's and tom. She gets a phone call from the school and she thinks they don't want her as they have heard about her husbands affair but in fact they want her to act as head as sadly the head has passed away. She throws herself into work and soon learns that mr Edward Bramforth who owns a lot of farming land in the village wants to sell up and build houses and a new school and a ski slope but she doesn't agree. Paula cassie's mother suggests she goes away in the October half term so she can find herself again and while away she meets handsome Xavier and she falls for him but then she learns his father is Edward so what can she do. Once home she again throws herself in to work and when she hears from Xavier she can't resist seeing him but when her mum comes home and sees them together she can't help but drop a bombshell on them. How do they cope and what is the outcome of this secret will more follow and can they be happy together or not and will the land be built on or not. Will everyone be happy in the end or with there be more heartbreak.
A simply brilliant book and must be read.
July 18, 2019
It has been a long while for me, but it was good to be back in Midhope in this all new story, focusing on Cassie Beresford.
It can easily be read as a standalone, but there are familiar faces to those who have been reading other books from the author.
And what a story this was, I can't believe how many story lines and threads where packed into this book. There is a lot going on and never a dull moment.
We have cheating husbands, questions of parenthood, sexuality, a campaign again a development, a hilarious hen party, best friends. and new love. All of it executed in such a way that you can't help but be drawn into Cassie's life and enjoy seeing just bump in the road she may encounter next!
For nothing seems to run smoothly in this story for anyone, which keeps the reader on their toes at all times. Even the characters you want to dislike on the whole are shown to have another side to them.
I really enjoyed Julie Houston's writing, and everything about this story. I just regret that I'd had the book on my kindle for about a year before starting to read it, which given how much I liked the book, I now feel very guilty about.
Thank you to Aria and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
It can easily be read as a standalone, but there are familiar faces to those who have been reading other books from the author.
And what a story this was, I can't believe how many story lines and threads where packed into this book. There is a lot going on and never a dull moment.
We have cheating husbands, questions of parenthood, sexuality, a campaign again a development, a hilarious hen party, best friends. and new love. All of it executed in such a way that you can't help but be drawn into Cassie's life and enjoy seeing just bump in the road she may encounter next!
For nothing seems to run smoothly in this story for anyone, which keeps the reader on their toes at all times. Even the characters you want to dislike on the whole are shown to have another side to them.
I really enjoyed Julie Houston's writing, and everything about this story. I just regret that I'd had the book on my kindle for about a year before starting to read it, which given how much I liked the book, I now feel very guilty about.
Thank you to Aria and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
March 12, 2020
My first book by this author and I was lucky to be offered a place on the blog tour for its release. It's a fabulous lighthearted romp through village life. Some larger than life characters and a squirrel in a bowl of custard! Really enjoyed this book - it would make a perfect holiday. Looking forward to the next blog tour for this author which I am also taking part in.
November 18, 2018
Cassie is happily married with two teenage children and about to start her job as deputy at the village school, everything is looking rosy until the bombshell is dropped...... her husband Mark is having an affair with her so called best friend!
A lovely book full of great characters and laugh out loud episodes, the villagers provide a great cast and a real community feeling and the book is one of those that leaves you with a smile on you face. I loved the way Cassie coped with everything and thought that she was a perfect leading lady
A lovely book full of great characters and laugh out loud episodes, the villagers provide a great cast and a real community feeling and the book is one of those that leaves you with a smile on you face. I loved the way Cassie coped with everything and thought that she was a perfect leading lady
November 6, 2018
Cassie Beresford is feeling pretty smug. She's happily married to practically her first boyfriend, living her dream life in a modern house with two children and about to step into her dream job as deputy head of the local secondary school. Then a drunken friend announces to the entire audience at a charity dinner auction that Cassie's husband has been having an affair with his wife (Cassie's best friend for almost as long as she has known her husband) for the past two years. Suddenly the life that was so different from her hippy mother's is disintegrating around her ears.
Suddenly alone, she finds out that she has been promoted to acting head after the head teacher died of a heart attack. Then, when things can't seem to get any worse, she finds out that local landowners are planning to build 3,000 homes on a beautiful piece of land backing onto her grandfather's house that he has planted with wildflowers and has become known as his field as a result.
Cassie is dealing with her grandfather, her hippy mother, her goth daughter, recalcitrant parents and children at the school, the school governors, her ex-BFF and her ex-husband and the realisation that she may have over-compensated for her what she perceives as the short-comings of her childhood.
I really enjoyed this novel, it had enough characters to be interesting, enough red herrings to make the love interest a surprise, enough plot to move the story along and enough twists and turns to keep you guessing.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Bumped for release.
Suddenly alone, she finds out that she has been promoted to acting head after the head teacher died of a heart attack. Then, when things can't seem to get any worse, she finds out that local landowners are planning to build 3,000 homes on a beautiful piece of land backing onto her grandfather's house that he has planted with wildflowers and has become known as his field as a result.
Cassie is dealing with her grandfather, her hippy mother, her goth daughter, recalcitrant parents and children at the school, the school governors, her ex-BFF and her ex-husband and the realisation that she may have over-compensated for her what she perceives as the short-comings of her childhood.
I really enjoyed this novel, it had enough characters to be interesting, enough red herrings to make the love interest a surprise, enough plot to move the story along and enough twists and turns to keep you guessing.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Bumped for release.
November 11, 2018
I don't know where to start to describe this glorious piece of work. I absolutely loved every single word of this book and urge everyone to grab their nearest copy and start reading. I laughed, I sympathised and I think I even gasped out loud in shock at one point at the joys this book had to offer.
The folk of Westenbury, in all their village appeal, were an instantly likeable bunch who played their parts with extreme gusto and lent the storyline a charming backdrop to set the scene. Our heroine comes in a tiny bundle of fierce strength and with a name like Cassandra Moonbeam how could you fail to like her, but please call her Cassie. Her plight faces unlimited trials and setbacks and it was a joy to watch her rise to the challenge and show strength in adversity to become the independent woman, complete with self-love we see in the concluding pages. Julie Houston is a master with character creation and this book did not disappoint and I for one could not find fault with a single one. But I do have to give the biggest shout of all to Deimante, my all time favourite character, who's hysterical one-liners had me bent double with laughter. Can I suggest a spin-off book for this character, please?
This book is an absolute triumph, it's witty with a side order of heartache and triumph and a superb mixture of family and love in all its splendid glory. I couldn't recommend it highly enough and I can't wait to read more from this author in the near future.
The folk of Westenbury, in all their village appeal, were an instantly likeable bunch who played their parts with extreme gusto and lent the storyline a charming backdrop to set the scene. Our heroine comes in a tiny bundle of fierce strength and with a name like Cassandra Moonbeam how could you fail to like her, but please call her Cassie. Her plight faces unlimited trials and setbacks and it was a joy to watch her rise to the challenge and show strength in adversity to become the independent woman, complete with self-love we see in the concluding pages. Julie Houston is a master with character creation and this book did not disappoint and I for one could not find fault with a single one. But I do have to give the biggest shout of all to Deimante, my all time favourite character, who's hysterical one-liners had me bent double with laughter. Can I suggest a spin-off book for this character, please?
This book is an absolute triumph, it's witty with a side order of heartache and triumph and a superb mixture of family and love in all its splendid glory. I couldn't recommend it highly enough and I can't wait to read more from this author in the near future.
October 13, 2018
This story had me captivated from beginning to end, so well written and all the characters so believable. I don’t want to say anything about the characters individually for fear of spoiling the fun for other readers, but what I will say is, reading this book is a must, you will smile, you will feel anger on the characters behalf and you will absolutely agree with me that it’s just a brilliant empowering story of love, friendship, family and learning to be yourself again, not someone you morph into to please others. You won’t be disappointed
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
October 8, 2018
An absolute pearler of a book. Jam packed from start to finish. It touches on many topics that the reader can identify with. Some books deserve to be read again, and this for me is one of them.
November 18, 2018
This book is my introduction to Julie Houston's work and it was quite an amazing book. It was real, relatable, emotional, fun book that was pleasure to read because I felt invested in the main character's life.
In this book we get to met Cassie and she has the kind of life one would view as perfect, but as we all know, life is hard and it's not a bed of roses. So, as we read in the blurb, she discovers that her husband was having an affair. When I read that I knew this book would be about life and I was happy to read it and go in this journey with Cassie.
Like I say, it was a book about life and life isn't always pretty or perfect. This book showed us how life can be unexpected, how we have to be resilient and keep fighting and rediscover ourselves. As a reader I loved that, I loved that by reading about Cassie's life, and connecting with her, I got to think about my own life and my family. In a way, it was thought provoking.
But now only Cassie was a great character. In this book all the characters were intriguing and had their own voices. They were well written characters that were left in a state of openness to development. That's always something amazing to read because it gives strength to the characters, making them seem real.
You get a feel of community, for better and for worse, and as a young woman that lives in a small town surrounded by other small towns, I get it and I could relate to it. So that was fun to read about and see how everyone connected and interacted with one another.
Now... the plot... The author did an amazing job in captivating my attention and taking me on this journey. There were twists and turns that made the book feel real, and those surprises combined with the well written characters are what really makes the book special.
Overall, loved the story and I'm curious to read other books by this author, since I loved her writing style and the plot.
[I want to thank Julie Houston, Vicky Joss (from Aria) and the publisher for the eCopy of this book and for allowing me to join in the fun of the blog tour and give my honest review of the book.]
In this book we get to met Cassie and she has the kind of life one would view as perfect, but as we all know, life is hard and it's not a bed of roses. So, as we read in the blurb, she discovers that her husband was having an affair. When I read that I knew this book would be about life and I was happy to read it and go in this journey with Cassie.
Like I say, it was a book about life and life isn't always pretty or perfect. This book showed us how life can be unexpected, how we have to be resilient and keep fighting and rediscover ourselves. As a reader I loved that, I loved that by reading about Cassie's life, and connecting with her, I got to think about my own life and my family. In a way, it was thought provoking.
But now only Cassie was a great character. In this book all the characters were intriguing and had their own voices. They were well written characters that were left in a state of openness to development. That's always something amazing to read because it gives strength to the characters, making them seem real.
You get a feel of community, for better and for worse, and as a young woman that lives in a small town surrounded by other small towns, I get it and I could relate to it. So that was fun to read about and see how everyone connected and interacted with one another.
Now... the plot... The author did an amazing job in captivating my attention and taking me on this journey. There were twists and turns that made the book feel real, and those surprises combined with the well written characters are what really makes the book special.
Overall, loved the story and I'm curious to read other books by this author, since I loved her writing style and the plot.
[I want to thank Julie Houston, Vicky Joss (from Aria) and the publisher for the eCopy of this book and for allowing me to join in the fun of the blog tour and give my honest review of the book.]
November 13, 2018
You might know by now that I’m not always a pushover for romantic comedies – and when I saw that this book included a glorious love object, a squirrel in the school pink custard and goolies in the cellar, I did start to doubt that it would be entirely one I’d love. But the humour was totally spot-on for me, and perfectly judged – add in farmer’s wife and friend Fiona and her unguarded comments, Lithuanian lollipop lady Deimante and her grasp of English, and the most wonderful little vignettes of school life, and this book often had me quite helpless with laughter.
But the author has a quite perfect touch and sense of balance – although you’re never that many pages away from the next laugh, the whole book is also poignant and touching, a really engaging story full of unexpected twists and turns, a strong and believable love story, a tale of corporate greed, a family drama with some real edge, and so very much more. And it’s all shot through with a strong sense of place, some wonderfully drawn characters, and a real flavour of Yorkshire that just couldn’t fail to win my heart.
Cassie is a magnificent focus for the story, with her many different faces – Mrs Beresford to the children at Little Acorns, Cassandra Moonbeam thanks to her gloriously eccentric (and rather wonderful) mother, Cass to her errant husband Mark, mum to her family, Cassie only to her lovely circle of friends. She made me laugh, she sometimes made me cheer, she made me really worry for her, she frequently made me want to give her a big hug – and I really wanted, rather against the odds at times, for her to have the happy ending she so thoroughly deserved.
This review is part of a rather massive blog tour, and you’ll read far better and more thorough reviews than mine of this lovely book. But you’re very unlikely to find a reviewer who enjoyed it more than I did. I loved this book without reservation.
But the author has a quite perfect touch and sense of balance – although you’re never that many pages away from the next laugh, the whole book is also poignant and touching, a really engaging story full of unexpected twists and turns, a strong and believable love story, a tale of corporate greed, a family drama with some real edge, and so very much more. And it’s all shot through with a strong sense of place, some wonderfully drawn characters, and a real flavour of Yorkshire that just couldn’t fail to win my heart.
Cassie is a magnificent focus for the story, with her many different faces – Mrs Beresford to the children at Little Acorns, Cassandra Moonbeam thanks to her gloriously eccentric (and rather wonderful) mother, Cass to her errant husband Mark, mum to her family, Cassie only to her lovely circle of friends. She made me laugh, she sometimes made me cheer, she made me really worry for her, she frequently made me want to give her a big hug – and I really wanted, rather against the odds at times, for her to have the happy ending she so thoroughly deserved.
This review is part of a rather massive blog tour, and you’ll read far better and more thorough reviews than mine of this lovely book. But you’re very unlikely to find a reviewer who enjoyed it more than I did. I loved this book without reservation.
November 21, 2018
I wasn't sure what I would think of this and OH WOW was this book off to an explosive start! Cassie Beresford is a teacher at a primary school near her home. She has a very comfortable life and thinks she has it all, the mortgage, two kids and a handsome caring hard-working husband. That is until an auction night goes badly wrong when she finds out her husband of ten years has been having an affair for two.
To top it off, there is someone who is hungry for a piece of the village's land to develop houses on.Cassie and her friends are strong, brave feisty and fun. Julie Houston's writing style engages and does not dither or drag. I was laughing out loud at the funny parts and the characterisation is so realistic.
After having been asked by Aria to feature a cover reveal for this book on my blog (and while the cover is cute, do not be fooled into thinking this is a sleepy-village, slow-moving novel). It's most definitely not. It is thoroughly enjoyable and I cannot wait to review more by Julie Houston.
Thanks to Julie Houston and Aria for my ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review and my spot on the blog tour for this title. 5 stars.
To top it off, there is someone who is hungry for a piece of the village's land to develop houses on.Cassie and her friends are strong, brave feisty and fun. Julie Houston's writing style engages and does not dither or drag. I was laughing out loud at the funny parts and the characterisation is so realistic.
After having been asked by Aria to feature a cover reveal for this book on my blog (and while the cover is cute, do not be fooled into thinking this is a sleepy-village, slow-moving novel). It's most definitely not. It is thoroughly enjoyable and I cannot wait to review more by Julie Houston.
Thanks to Julie Houston and Aria for my ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review and my spot on the blog tour for this title. 5 stars.
June 8, 2019
What happens when the bottom of your perfect life falls out spectacularly? Cassie Beresford, new deputy head at a lovely village primary school, finds out in the worst way when her husband’s affair with her “best friend” is revealed at a public event in the village.
This charming and very funny novel tells how irrepressible Cassie copes with it all ... supporting her two teenagers, being promoted to head teacher, even dealing with possible new love. A warm, wonderful, feel-good-hug of a book. 5/5
Pub Date 06 Nov 2018.
Thanks to the author, Aria and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are mine.
#AvillageAffair #NetGalley
This charming and very funny novel tells how irrepressible Cassie copes with it all ... supporting her two teenagers, being promoted to head teacher, even dealing with possible new love. A warm, wonderful, feel-good-hug of a book. 5/5
Pub Date 06 Nov 2018.
Thanks to the author, Aria and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are mine.
#AvillageAffair #NetGalley
September 28, 2019
It’s a hoot though not sure it’s meant to be. I think the author must have been on a writing course and been told to bring as many ‘what ifs’ as possible so we have a marriage that falls publicly apart at a charity event, the main character on the day after taking over as deputy head at the local primary school is catapulted to head because the previous head dropped down dead. If that is not enough her mother is an eco warrior as is her daughter, her son is gay, her husband having been turned out by his new girlfriend wants to come back and she falls in love with a dishy bloke who appears to be her brother!! What more could you want?
November 18, 2018
Cassie Beresford is living a high! She has just been promoted to deputy head teacher, and her children’s are doing great! But then everything changes right in the middle of a banquet! As Cassie is thrust into the spotlight when it is revealed that her husband of twenty years has been having an affair with one of her best friends! Leaving her absolutely devastated! And just when she thinks it can’t get any worse, she finds out the head teacher is dead! And she is now in charge! And as in everything in life, things have to get better before it gets worse! But how could things get any worse!! Oh, just you wait!
I have never read a book by Julie Houston! But I would 100% read her again! And why! Because her books have just the right mix of drama and humor, that so many authors fail to get right, especially for this reviewer, who is not a fan of the classic rom-com.
I found A Village Affair was very well written and the characters well developed and likable, and even though the plot strayed into Jeremy Kyle territory for a hot minute, the author wrote it far more believable than I would have expected!
A Village Affair is truly a great book, which I wholeheartedly recommend, 5 stars!
I have never read a book by Julie Houston! But I would 100% read her again! And why! Because her books have just the right mix of drama and humor, that so many authors fail to get right, especially for this reviewer, who is not a fan of the classic rom-com.
I found A Village Affair was very well written and the characters well developed and likable, and even though the plot strayed into Jeremy Kyle territory for a hot minute, the author wrote it far more believable than I would have expected!
A Village Affair is truly a great book, which I wholeheartedly recommend, 5 stars!
November 14, 2018
A Village Affair by Julie Houston is a wonderfully uplifting and feel good book.
A seemingly easy and light style of writing touches some very important issues, end of marriage, stress of a new job, mother-daughter relationship, best friends and getting on with your life after many disastrous happenings.
When Cassie finds out that her husband has been cheating on her with her best friend, she is beyond devastated. Always believing that he was her soul mate she can't accept his betrayal. All this happens the night before she is supposed to start her new job, and a unfortunate event makes is even harder to do so.
As she tries to move on from day to day, doing the best for her kids and the school that she is running she has a tremendous support from her friends.
When a possible new development pushes her into the arms of a new love interest her world comes crashing down as she finds out the horrible truth.
Lovely and entertaining, with wonderful set of lovable characters will have you rooting for Cassie. Steady paced it pull reader into her world to reveal all hidden truths.
I loved both the main and most of supporting characters, beautiful setting and great story. This is not just a romance book but so much more.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and
A seemingly easy and light style of writing touches some very important issues, end of marriage, stress of a new job, mother-daughter relationship, best friends and getting on with your life after many disastrous happenings.
When Cassie finds out that her husband has been cheating on her with her best friend, she is beyond devastated. Always believing that he was her soul mate she can't accept his betrayal. All this happens the night before she is supposed to start her new job, and a unfortunate event makes is even harder to do so.
As she tries to move on from day to day, doing the best for her kids and the school that she is running she has a tremendous support from her friends.
When a possible new development pushes her into the arms of a new love interest her world comes crashing down as she finds out the horrible truth.
Lovely and entertaining, with wonderful set of lovable characters will have you rooting for Cassie. Steady paced it pull reader into her world to reveal all hidden truths.
I loved both the main and most of supporting characters, beautiful setting and great story. This is not just a romance book but so much more.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and
November 17, 2018
A great read
A book you get into from the off and can't wait to read the next chapter. Great northern humour. Enjoyed it very much.
A book you get into from the off and can't wait to read the next chapter. Great northern humour. Enjoyed it very much.
September 19, 2018
A Village Affair, Julie Houston
Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews
Genre:, Romance
I loved Julie's earlier books, and we get sneak updates into some of those characters in this new story, but if you haven't read them its not a problem, each book stands alone and can be enjoyed on its own.
Poor Cassie, what a denouement, what a way to find out your husband and best friend have been deceiving her, but it was wonderful to read. I could just imagine the frisson of shock rippling through the attendees, all dressed in their finery, getting a treat in gossip that will enthrall them for days.
Of course its happens right before Cassie starts her new job, and then that suddenly gets upgraded too. And what about her kids, just teens, how is she to tell them. As almost always happen the woman gets left with sorting the fallout :-(
Its a fabulous read, I really think Julie's writing gets better (for me ) with each new book. This one has the perfect mix of heavy, intense drama and lighter moments. Some of the things the kids say – I used to help at a local primary school and kids really do tell teachers and helpers everything, and of course the parents sometimes need handling with kid gloves, convinced Their kids do no wrong its All Them Others.....The staff too were a great mix, and I really liked the cleaner, especially when she tells Cassie she's studying English and Cassie replies in an unintentionally patronising way, and gets told said cleaner has a degree in astro-physics in her home country, and its Only the English language she needs help with....I think we can all be guilty of making mistakes like that, having been both a cleaner and cleaning manager in the past myself, I know how others can see them as “just” the cleaner, and ignore that jobs like that are still very important. Someone is needed to do them. Classes can be joined if a teacher is away, but if the cleaner is away and there's no-one to clean the loos.....that's when schools get closed. Surprisingly important job cleaning ;-)
I loved the mix of Cassie's personal life, the effect on the kids, her friends, Mark's family ( a nice battenburg – definitely the answer to infidelity...) and their joint friends. Its difficult when couples split, often the lose friends too just when they need them and we see how hard it is for some of Cassie's friends to deal with.
She's got a wonderful family, steadfast granddad Norman, of Norman's Meadow, a slightly batty but very intense mum, goth daughter and studious son Tom, who has secrets of his own. Oh I so felt for him, a real Rock and Hard Place scenario.
Somehow with the help of friends and family Cassie pulls through, and becomes stronger, more her own person. Dealing with the threat of a huge housing development which she and others feel would ruin the village she's fighting hard against it. The developer though and his son, Xavier, bring out more issues for Cassie to deal with and its a deliciously complicated tangle of events and emotions. Of course I'm a romance reader, and books with some element of romance work best for me and I wasn't disappointed here, I loved that part.
Reaching the end reminded me so much of a song my kids loved when they were pre-teens (and of course really didn't know what it was all about!) “Shame and Scandal”, it really was like reading a book version of the story, and probably something that plays out more often than we imagine.
Stars: Five, a perfect escapist read, with both drama and romance, and lighter parts to lift the whole feel of the novel.
ARC supplied by netgalley and publishers
Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews
Genre:, Romance
I loved Julie's earlier books, and we get sneak updates into some of those characters in this new story, but if you haven't read them its not a problem, each book stands alone and can be enjoyed on its own.
Poor Cassie, what a denouement, what a way to find out your husband and best friend have been deceiving her, but it was wonderful to read. I could just imagine the frisson of shock rippling through the attendees, all dressed in their finery, getting a treat in gossip that will enthrall them for days.
Of course its happens right before Cassie starts her new job, and then that suddenly gets upgraded too. And what about her kids, just teens, how is she to tell them. As almost always happen the woman gets left with sorting the fallout :-(
Its a fabulous read, I really think Julie's writing gets better (for me ) with each new book. This one has the perfect mix of heavy, intense drama and lighter moments. Some of the things the kids say – I used to help at a local primary school and kids really do tell teachers and helpers everything, and of course the parents sometimes need handling with kid gloves, convinced Their kids do no wrong its All Them Others.....The staff too were a great mix, and I really liked the cleaner, especially when she tells Cassie she's studying English and Cassie replies in an unintentionally patronising way, and gets told said cleaner has a degree in astro-physics in her home country, and its Only the English language she needs help with....I think we can all be guilty of making mistakes like that, having been both a cleaner and cleaning manager in the past myself, I know how others can see them as “just” the cleaner, and ignore that jobs like that are still very important. Someone is needed to do them. Classes can be joined if a teacher is away, but if the cleaner is away and there's no-one to clean the loos.....that's when schools get closed. Surprisingly important job cleaning ;-)
I loved the mix of Cassie's personal life, the effect on the kids, her friends, Mark's family ( a nice battenburg – definitely the answer to infidelity...) and their joint friends. Its difficult when couples split, often the lose friends too just when they need them and we see how hard it is for some of Cassie's friends to deal with.
She's got a wonderful family, steadfast granddad Norman, of Norman's Meadow, a slightly batty but very intense mum, goth daughter and studious son Tom, who has secrets of his own. Oh I so felt for him, a real Rock and Hard Place scenario.
Somehow with the help of friends and family Cassie pulls through, and becomes stronger, more her own person. Dealing with the threat of a huge housing development which she and others feel would ruin the village she's fighting hard against it. The developer though and his son, Xavier, bring out more issues for Cassie to deal with and its a deliciously complicated tangle of events and emotions. Of course I'm a romance reader, and books with some element of romance work best for me and I wasn't disappointed here, I loved that part.
Reaching the end reminded me so much of a song my kids loved when they were pre-teens (and of course really didn't know what it was all about!) “Shame and Scandal”, it really was like reading a book version of the story, and probably something that plays out more often than we imagine.
Stars: Five, a perfect escapist read, with both drama and romance, and lighter parts to lift the whole feel of the novel.
ARC supplied by netgalley and publishers
December 14, 2018
4.5*
Cassie Beresford’s life was pretty perfect—a handsome, loving husband, two great kids, a beautiful home and she was about to realise her professional dream of the deputy head position at Little Acorns primary school. She and Mark, with a group of their closest friends, were attending a charity auction when Cassie’s world as she knows it takes a shocking turn. Her husband and her best friend Tina, have been having an affair for the past two years. It was announced in spectacular style to the whole room by Tina’s inebriated husband.
Cassie gets through the next few weeks with difficulty, not made any easier by the fact she is asked to fill in as head teacher, starting immediately. There’s also a development company planning to build a housing estate on the green belt around the village, which includes her grandfather’s wildflower meadow. Making a bad situation worse, they also want to demolish Little Acorns.
Cassie is a very likeable and sympathetic character and I love how she manages to turn her life around after the huge shock of her husband’s affair and at the same time being thrust into the role of a single parent. Luckily she has excellent support in the form of friends and family. The new job and the fight against the development help to keep her mind off her personal problems.
I think I was fooled somewhat by the cover. I hadn’t read Julie Houston before otherwise I probably would have known better, because A Village Affair wasn’t at all what I was expecting (and I mean that in a good way.) Although the narrative is full of humour, which balances out the heartache and drama, serious and more sensitive subjects are handled delicately and are interspersed with wonderful and sometimes hilarious illustrations of life in a primary school.
A very well written, real and easy to relate to story with memorable, well defined characters. I particularly enjoyed Cassie’s free spirited and unconventional mother. The unpredictability of life makes Cassie re-evaluate who she is and what she wants and, more importantly, what she doesn’t want. With some great twists the pace is steady but never slow. A really lovely read. I’ll definitely be reading more of Julie Houston’s books.
I chose to read and review A Village Affair for Rosie Amber’s book review team, based on a digital copy from the author.
Cassie Beresford’s life was pretty perfect—a handsome, loving husband, two great kids, a beautiful home and she was about to realise her professional dream of the deputy head position at Little Acorns primary school. She and Mark, with a group of their closest friends, were attending a charity auction when Cassie’s world as she knows it takes a shocking turn. Her husband and her best friend Tina, have been having an affair for the past two years. It was announced in spectacular style to the whole room by Tina’s inebriated husband.
Cassie gets through the next few weeks with difficulty, not made any easier by the fact she is asked to fill in as head teacher, starting immediately. There’s also a development company planning to build a housing estate on the green belt around the village, which includes her grandfather’s wildflower meadow. Making a bad situation worse, they also want to demolish Little Acorns.
Cassie is a very likeable and sympathetic character and I love how she manages to turn her life around after the huge shock of her husband’s affair and at the same time being thrust into the role of a single parent. Luckily she has excellent support in the form of friends and family. The new job and the fight against the development help to keep her mind off her personal problems.
I think I was fooled somewhat by the cover. I hadn’t read Julie Houston before otherwise I probably would have known better, because A Village Affair wasn’t at all what I was expecting (and I mean that in a good way.) Although the narrative is full of humour, which balances out the heartache and drama, serious and more sensitive subjects are handled delicately and are interspersed with wonderful and sometimes hilarious illustrations of life in a primary school.
A very well written, real and easy to relate to story with memorable, well defined characters. I particularly enjoyed Cassie’s free spirited and unconventional mother. The unpredictability of life makes Cassie re-evaluate who she is and what she wants and, more importantly, what she doesn’t want. With some great twists the pace is steady but never slow. A really lovely read. I’ll definitely be reading more of Julie Houston’s books.
I chose to read and review A Village Affair for Rosie Amber’s book review team, based on a digital copy from the author.
November 27, 2018
A VILLAGE AFFAIR by Julie Houston is a fantastic contemporary fiction story with engaging characters and enough drama to keep you gripped from beginning to end.
Cassie Beresford has everything she ever wanted in her safe and stable marriage to Mark, her two beloved children, and her new dream job as deputy head of the local primary school. But when a secret is exposed on a night out, Cassie's life changes dramatically as she realises her husband has been cheating on her for two years with one of her best friends. Devastated, Cassie is determined to keep going for her kids and believes that Mark will come back and when she gets a promotion to head teacher, she certainly has enough on her plate.
Throw in protests against a new housing estate destroying their green meadows, a free-spirited mother holding a secret, and a sizzling attraction to someone who should be seen as the enemy, and life sure has gotten crazy for Cassie. But amongst the madness, she might just find out who she really is and what she wants from her future.
The drama, the witty banter, the setting, the crazy friendships, all combine to make A VILLAGE AFFAIR by Julie Houston one of the most enjoyable reads that I have settled down with in a long time. This is a story about family, friendship, and realising your own worth and not being afraid of taking a chance, and I devoured this book in a couple of hours because I just didn't want to put it down.
A VILLAGE AFFAIR by Julie Houston is a top-notch read and I cannot wait for more from this talented author.
*I voluntarily reviewed this book from the Publisher
Cassie Beresford has everything she ever wanted in her safe and stable marriage to Mark, her two beloved children, and her new dream job as deputy head of the local primary school. But when a secret is exposed on a night out, Cassie's life changes dramatically as she realises her husband has been cheating on her for two years with one of her best friends. Devastated, Cassie is determined to keep going for her kids and believes that Mark will come back and when she gets a promotion to head teacher, she certainly has enough on her plate.
Throw in protests against a new housing estate destroying their green meadows, a free-spirited mother holding a secret, and a sizzling attraction to someone who should be seen as the enemy, and life sure has gotten crazy for Cassie. But amongst the madness, she might just find out who she really is and what she wants from her future.
The drama, the witty banter, the setting, the crazy friendships, all combine to make A VILLAGE AFFAIR by Julie Houston one of the most enjoyable reads that I have settled down with in a long time. This is a story about family, friendship, and realising your own worth and not being afraid of taking a chance, and I devoured this book in a couple of hours because I just didn't want to put it down.
A VILLAGE AFFAIR by Julie Houston is a top-notch read and I cannot wait for more from this talented author.
*I voluntarily reviewed this book from the Publisher
December 5, 2018
https://donnasbookblog.wordpress.com/...
This is an excellent story!
It was very well written story about village life with its ups and downs.
I really got engrossed with the characters and don't usually so that goes to show how well the author has developed them with this story.
It is a must read, heart-warming story - no hesitation in giving this one 5 stars!!
This is an excellent story!
It was very well written story about village life with its ups and downs.
I really got engrossed with the characters and don't usually so that goes to show how well the author has developed them with this story.
It is a must read, heart-warming story - no hesitation in giving this one 5 stars!!
November 9, 2018
Cassie has it all, or mostly: she’s got a new job as Deputy Head at the local primary school, her son is a maths whiz, her daughter is a netball fanatic, her husband is adoring and her house is picture-perfect, unlike the disorder she grew up with. Everything is just as she dreamed, when at eight she made a checklist for her life that detailed every bit about it. And then the charity auction happened, and she, with her best friends Fi, Clare, and Tina and their partners are talking about bidding on a holiday in Portugal until Tina’s husband speaks out and shares that Tina and Cassie’s husband have been having an affair for the past 2 years (or longer) and everything falls apart.
See, at first Cassie’s smugness was a bit off-putting, but as I came to understand her upbringing with an activist mother who was more than a bit haphazard about cleanliness, social convention and fitting in, in a small village, her need to have both organization and ‘things’ made sense, as did her desire only to have him back in the home- not realizing until much later that he just ‘ticked all the boxes’ on the checklist that little eight year old girl made. With her position of Deputy Head at the school becoming Acting Head as the prior Headmistress died and there was no one lined up - school demands become her focus, and the way she avoids thinking (sort of) about Mark and the loss of her best friend Tina. But a development project is in the planning stages – one that will consolidate the little school (the last remaining CofE school in the north) into a pass through- where your entire schooling happens in one campus, plus 3000 additional homes, shopping centres and even a ski hill, the green space and farmlands are threatened – and the fight is on. Add in several chance encounters with Xavier, back to work with his father to develop the land, and the connection that she and he have that has her, for the first time in her life, feeling legless from love, and you’ve got a jam-packed plot with dramas large and small, daily struggles, friends good and bad, laugh out loud moments from the children and plenty of secrets that could have the power to blow-up lives, the story is fast-paced, surprisingly deep and emotional, and each character comes to show clearly who and why they are, and as Cassie finds her footing in new situations, she also finds her own self – strong, independent and clever.
For a first introduction to Houston’s work – this one was a winner. We don’t often see he aftermath of infidelity in ways that everyone can relate – from the grief and overwhelming anger, to the hours spent plotting punishments, the ‘wish’ to have it all back, and the mistakes and choices made on the way to rediscovering your feet. Add in the moments with the kids and the squirrel in the pudding and pink sauce (read it to find out) and I was hooked.
I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.
Review first appeared at I am, Indeed
See, at first Cassie’s smugness was a bit off-putting, but as I came to understand her upbringing with an activist mother who was more than a bit haphazard about cleanliness, social convention and fitting in, in a small village, her need to have both organization and ‘things’ made sense, as did her desire only to have him back in the home- not realizing until much later that he just ‘ticked all the boxes’ on the checklist that little eight year old girl made. With her position of Deputy Head at the school becoming Acting Head as the prior Headmistress died and there was no one lined up - school demands become her focus, and the way she avoids thinking (sort of) about Mark and the loss of her best friend Tina. But a development project is in the planning stages – one that will consolidate the little school (the last remaining CofE school in the north) into a pass through- where your entire schooling happens in one campus, plus 3000 additional homes, shopping centres and even a ski hill, the green space and farmlands are threatened – and the fight is on. Add in several chance encounters with Xavier, back to work with his father to develop the land, and the connection that she and he have that has her, for the first time in her life, feeling legless from love, and you’ve got a jam-packed plot with dramas large and small, daily struggles, friends good and bad, laugh out loud moments from the children and plenty of secrets that could have the power to blow-up lives, the story is fast-paced, surprisingly deep and emotional, and each character comes to show clearly who and why they are, and as Cassie finds her footing in new situations, she also finds her own self – strong, independent and clever.
For a first introduction to Houston’s work – this one was a winner. We don’t often see he aftermath of infidelity in ways that everyone can relate – from the grief and overwhelming anger, to the hours spent plotting punishments, the ‘wish’ to have it all back, and the mistakes and choices made on the way to rediscovering your feet. Add in the moments with the kids and the squirrel in the pudding and pink sauce (read it to find out) and I was hooked.
I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.
Review first appeared at I am, Indeed
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