Diamonds and Daisies

by Bernadette Strachan

Novelist Sunny Parkinson might write scorching romances, but her own life is decidedly lacking in passion. A knicker-snatcher is at large in her block of flats. Her best friend's marriage is crumbling over a luncheon meat scandal. She lives with a spherical couch potato and a workaholic virgin. And an Irish nun has just moved in to their spare room. But one night at the launderette she meets Count Fabio Carelli -- a man so traffic-stoppingly sexy he could have stepped straight from the pages of her latest novel ... Candlelit dinners, luxury spa dates and weekends in Paris are a far cry from the weekly pint and pork scratchings with her ex-turned-TV-gardener. Sunny is understandably dazzled. But is this the happy ending she's always craved or is it too good to be true?

Genres: Chick Lit, Romance, Fiction

328 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Bernadette Strachan isn't sure whether she writes romantic books with funny bits or funny books with romantic bits. She was born in Fulham, London into an Irish Catholic family. Before becoming an author she ran a wool shop, produced radio commercials, and was a voice-over agent representing quite a lot of famous people.

She is starting her seventh book and working on a new stage musical with her husband, Matthew. They have one daughter, Niamh and a spaniel called Mavis.

Reviews

[Reem · Rating 3 out of 5]

“It’s not right. It’s not normal. She never shows any interest in blokes.”

First, let me get this off my chest. I absolutely hate this mentality. As an arosce it is very annoying and depressing to me. I don’t care what year this book was written, a lot of people still think the same and I’m just done. Once, a colleague kept trying to persuade me to let her set me up with a date, and when I explained for the millionth time that I’m perfectly satisfied and not missing anything pertaining to my survival, She. Started. Crying!!!!!!!!

And now on to the book, I absolutely enjoyed reading it, it was so funny and absorbing and has a mix of odd but charming characters. I’ve had it since 2007 and forgot about it 😂😂, a very light fun read that kind of dragged at times. Wasn’t much into the romantic side of the MC’s life, but that’s just me; I did not like her one bit, she’s a romance author and all she talks about is love and men, but when her cousin calls her out on it, she immediately attacks her weight 👏👏 wow. She also annoys her ex into accepting a tv show, and then be all bitchy about it!

At times the ‘similes’ get a bit annoying, like describing the snores of her sleeping friend as a horse being masturbated . Wow🙂 what does that even sound like?🙂 how would you even know?🙂

But then on the same page, she’s debriefing her loony older neighbor who gave her a mission to stakeout the ‘knicker-snatcher’ lmao!! And I can’t help but overlook the previous comment, because they have this discussion 🤣🤣🤣:

”Not much to report I’m afraid. Ben came home with a takeaway.”
“Or did he?”
“Er, yes, he did.”
“Could it have been a red herring?”
“It looked like a kebab.”

Yep, she’s a bit dimwitted for an author and mostly she’s funny. Patrick was my favorite from his first scene, he was calm, collected, patient, open minded, smart and just hilarious; I want one! The cousins & their nun aunty were just the best, I loved them.

[Azra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sani Parkinson je uspjesni samouvjereni i nadahnuti pisac jeftinih ljubica. Uz dvije rodice a kojima stanuje u Cadli kortu(uvijek gladnu Dzodzo i uvijek zatborenu Elen) Sani ima jos i tetku opaticu koja je iznenada banula u goste ,bivseg momka koji joj je sada najbolji drug , i gene svoje babe za koju se podozrevalo da je vjestica. U najnapetijem trenutku, dok kucni savjet pokusava da razotrije manijaka koji krade zenski ves sa prozora i zica i dok se travnjak tog likepog (mada malo rusevnog) zdanja pretvara u popriste neobicnih televizijskih i ljubavnih dogadaja, Sani upoznaje momka koji je utjelovljenje aavrsenstva iz njenih romana. I kao da tu ljubav diktiraju njeni vjesticji geni: sta god da napise,isto se to ostvaruje i u njenom zivotu i Sani pocinje da premire od straha nad svakom rjecju koju ce napisati. Jer da li je zivot roman ili ke roman zivot? Odgovor na to daje do sada najbolji, najistinitij i najljubavniji roman Bernadet Strahan.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE this book. It's so funny. A great quick read. Nothing too intense, just a feel-good funny book. My fave character is JoJo, I think wherever she is mentioned I laughed!

[Reene's Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

My type of isolation tonight while it's beautiful and rainy 🌧️💧☔ reading a book while hearing the rain is amazing.

Just what you need to switch off and relax.

" Diamonds and Daisies" by Bernadette Strachan

💍💍🌼🌼


I found this book to be a little dull in the beginning, I was going to stop reading it but I'm glad I didn't. The storyline was changing from dull to being hilarious at some points.

Must say JoJo was my favourite in this book and as soon as I see her poo up I couldn't stop laughing.

It's a good quick read.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

@reenes_library

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[Adeline Kam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have made some attempts to read this book in the past but never got through to page 3. Now I managed to finish the book. And I loved it! Loved the storyline and characters. A very funny book. Keeps me smiling, laughing and smirking from time to time. Maybe the start of the book is a bit dull but trust me you have got to read on. Guarantee no regrets. I really love the characters of Sunny, Ellen and especially Jojo and Aunty Jane the Nun. Great book to unwind after a long and hectic day.

[Jane Cullen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A funny chick-lit read on a beach. I finally grabbed this from my bookshelf. It's a pity Strachan hasn't published anything in years. I like her witty wanter, quirky characters and charm of side characters, too.

[Nura Abdi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book soo much! The wit and warmth is the storytelling as has stayed with me nearly 8 years after I first read it.
P.s Jojo is the one!

[Bec · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a cute story.
The characters are very relatable.
Recommend to all

[Mhairi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really enjoyable romp

[ourania · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5
i cant tell if all this was just british black humour or straight up fatphobia, racism and homophobia 😭😭 but at LEAST i liked patrick and sunny.. and the cover as well, 'twas very pretty

[Eileen Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first book by Bernadette Strachan and I really liked it.

The main character Sunny is an author of romantic novels, which according to her publisher need to be even more romantic, so she thinks up an Italian count, who falls in love with the heroine of the book just washing her laundry. Soon after writing this chapter Sunny herself meets Fabio, an Italian count, who asks her out to dinner, while she is waiting in the launderette for her clothes. Fabio is an absolute dream, he is handsome, very rich and has lots of romantic ideas, although Sunny worries quite soon that everything is a little bit too good to be true, because he sometimes does and says things that the count in her novel says, too.

I loved reading about Sunny writing her novel and meeting her dream man Fabio. There is also someone else, her very sympathetic Exboyfriend Patrick, whom she is friends with now and can't quite forget. There are many adorable characters like Sunny's two cousins, who she shares her flat in London (Putney) with (one of them swears a lot and watches TV all day and the other one is very sensible and has a shocking secret). After a while Sunny's Aunt Jane, who is a nun on the run from her convent, joins them and moves in. During her stay in the apartment, knickers of all female residents of the house disappear and the whole house tries to find out who did it. Everyone is a suspect and the thief surprises everyone in the end.

I can definately recommend this book to anyone who likes romantic and funny chick lit!

[Felicity · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was definitely the least inspiring--and least fun--of Bernadette Strachan's books. Chick-lit books always have ahint of the implausible about them. That's why they work (escapist fantasy and all that). But this was just ridiculous. The plot was simply so implausible--your average London girl meets an Italian count who is perfect in almost every respect (and yes, he even duels too)--that the plot is beyond farcical. Although I will say that the implausibility of the Italian Count made the "reality TV show takes over your backyard" plotline that much more plauisble. By comparison, it seemed believable. Unless you are really desperate for something totally inane, I'd suggest giving this one a miss.

[Shreya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bernadette Strachan's comic timing is superb. I especially loved the scenes where Sunny's best friend Sarah goes lunatic and her confrontation with the 'other woman' Liz. the descriptions and dialogues of Jojo and Mrs. Wilde were hilarious. The scenes with her aunt Josie and her mother and the rest of the aunts was genius. but, having said all this, this book let me down in the end. I was expecting more. Her dilemma about Fabio and Patrick did not endear, and the last forty pages of the book basically didn't inspire elation. It was just an ending as you'd predict. If it wasn't for the fun elements it would be pointless to read it.

[Rebecca Haslam · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was not as impressed by this book as I thought I might be having read some reviews of her previous works in the likes of Heat magazine. As much as I liked picturing myself being swept off my feet by a gorgeous guy, enjoying the luxuries some are lucky enough to enjoy, I just couldn't get into this at all. I can't really say much about the story other than it's set around a block of flats and the lives of a number of residents. Not impressed.

If anyone would like to read this book, let me know and I shall send it to you.

[Janine · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you are looking for light reading over the holiday season, this would fit the bill - emphasis on "light". Definitely a fairy tale read, modern heroine is looking for love and can't see true love is in front of her face - though believe me, the reader will not have an issue seeing what she has missed. Silly antics ensue, fairly unbelievable events occur and in the end, all is right with the world.

[Hazel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had me giggling all the way through, yes, it is a little predictable, but I find that most of this genre is, but I don't mind that. There was also some touching little scenes in it too and a twist at the end.

I really enjoyed it and it's a good light read.

[Beng Flores · Rating 3 out of 5]

the story is good, it's very realistic. i always read after my school days and every time i reading this book i really enjoyed every pages. nothing was so special but the twist of the story, but i really love the ending.

[MsThomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good book with a realistic ending. Not Sophie K, but a decent alternative.

[Karschtl · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not as good as I had expected it from the cover. The story was way too unrealistic, as well as some dialogues. And no part was really funny. Disappointing.

[Sara · Rating 2 out of 5]

A little bit cheesy, even for chic lit.

[Stacey Daley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Was laughing through the whole book. A great quick read. :>

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this in one day back in March 2007 when I was in hospital with pneumonia! Certainly made me feel better!

[Teni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love everything B S writes. Totally engrossing every time.

[Tara Ford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this easy read. Good fun :)

[Abie Abuacan · Rating 2 out of 5]

It bored me to death.

[Catsalive · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 ★ - http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/1...

[Kristy Cunningham · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good easy read. Glad she ended up with who she did in the end.