No One Wants to Be Miss Havisham- Brigid Coady

You may remember that Books with Bunny was the first place in the world that you could see the gorgeous cover for Brigid Coady's first full length release No One Wants to Be Miss Havisham. 

 

Well today I'm delighted to go one better by sharing the first review of this gem of a book!

 

 

 

The Blurb

 



What the Dickens is going on?

Edie Dickens is a shark of a divorce lawyer. She doesn’t believe in love and she scoffs at happily ever afters, however she’s agreed to be maid of honour for her oldest friend, Mel in two weeks and she still has the hen night to endure. But she has even more to endure when she’s visited by Jessica Marley’s ghost and finds out she must change her ways or end up being damned to an eternity watching other people’s happiness. Edie is visited by the Ghosts of Weddings Past, Present and Future, every Friday night until the day of the wedding. Can she learn from her mistakes in time? And did the ghosts send the hunky new lawyer, Jack Twist, to distract her?

The Review

When I first read the blurb for No One Wants to Be Miss Havisham I wasn't sure what to think.  I'd loved Brigid's 'Kiss' short stories and this sounded like something way out of leftfield in comparison.  Romance stories with ghosts are a bit hit and miss for me, and anything paranormal is out of my comfort zone.  This, however, is a work of genius.  The ghostly elements are humorous (leaving trails of pink glitter in their wake) as well as giving the reader an opportunity to find out about Edie's background by visiting weddings of the past, present and future.

I really liked Edie's dry and cynical outlook, especially when compared to the romantic viewpoint of everyone else in the book and it was highly believable that she'd feel that way when her own experience of relationships is less than perfect.  She's somehow both bright and ditzy, and although she has a reputation for being hard nosed, her personality changes as the book progresses.  She's unlike most romantic heroines, that's for sure.

Now onto Jack.  Jack Twist was a great character.  Rugby player and local hero, he works with Edie at a law firm.  He's strong in every sense and a no-nonsense kind of guy.  However, he's warm-hearted and always seems to be the one helping Edie out of all the messes she gets herself into.  There's one scene where Edie longs for her feet to be on solid ground and Jack's there beside her, offering support.  My heart was all aflutter right then and I could have done with the smelling salts. I was full on swooning, I'm telling you now.

If laughs are your thing, then Coady's observations will have you chuckling- there are some hilarious portrayals of characters (Edie's boss in particular!), cringeworthy weddings and alcohol induced embarrassments. I think I'm going to be looking closely at suit linings for the foreseeable future as a result of this book...

Overall, it's a well written and touching debut which strikes the balance between humour and heart.  If you're looking for an original romance with a quirky twist, look no further- Brigid Coady has stepped up to the helm. 

No One Wants to Be Miss Havisham may appeal to fans of Marian Keyes, Sophie Kinsella and Carmen Reid.

 

Enormous thanks to Brigid Coady for allowing me to be one of the first people to read No One Wants to Be Miss Havisham.

It is available to preorder now, prior to ebook release on May 28th 2015 and paperback release on August 13th 2015. 

No One Wants to Be Miss Havisham - Brigid Coady COVER REVEAL

So here it is- the exclusive cover reveal for Brigid Coady's novel No One Wants to Be Miss Havisham! 

 

Isn't it super pretty?!

 

After loving Brigid's Kiss stories (you can read my reviews here ) I'm delighted that there's finally a full length novel on the way, due for release on June 11th- just in time for some summer reading.

I''ll pass you over to Brigid, who is obviously thrilled to be able to share news of her 'baby' with all the lovely readers out there. 

"I'm so excited to be revealing the cover of my first full length novel, 'No One Wants to Be Miss Havisham' here with Bunny Lovell. Thank you!

This book has had a long gestation, the first chapter was written back in 2008 as an entry for the Elizabeth Goudge trophy at the RNA Conference. In time it became a novella called 'Bah Humbug!" and then a short novel called 'Wedding Spirits' which HarperImpulse bought last summer. Since then it has had a bit of an overhaul. It's doubled in size and has a new name!

The cover is amazing and the only thing that could make it better would be pink glitter (something that comes up a lot in the book). I can't wait until June when it will be out in the wild."

And if all that wasn't enough of a tease, I'm also able to share the blurb with you all- eek!

What the Dickens is going on?

Edie Dickens is a shark of a divorce lawyer.  She doesn't believe in love and she scoffs at happily ever afters, however she's agreed to be maid of honour for her oldest friend, Mel in two weeks and she still has the hen do to endure.  But she has even more to endure when she's visited by Jessica Marley's ghost and finds out she must change her ways or end up being damned to an eternity watching other people's happiness.  Edie is visited by the Ghosts of Weddings Past, Present and Future every Friday night until the day of the wedding.  Can she learn from her mistakes in time?  And did the ghosts send hunky new lawyer, Jack Twist, to distract her?

Appetite well and truly whetted? You can interact with Brigid (do it! She's hilarious!) on twitter @beecee and via her facebook page.  You can also find out more about her work on the Harper Impulse website.
http://www.harperimpulseromance.com/authors/brigid-coady

Roll on June!

Lipstick on His Collar- Brigid Coady

The third instalment of the Kiss Collection has arrived, and it's got a more adult feel.  The First Kiss was tender and sweet, The Last Kiss an acutely painful read about goodbyes.

Lipstick on His Collar is a different beast entirely.  Still a short, one sitting read of approximately 1,000 words, it explores the emotion and sexual tension within an illicit relationship. It did make me feel a bit voyeuristic and uncomfortable at times, watching the event unfold, yet I couldn't bring myself to stop reading.

These short stories are wonderful, some of my favourite reads so far this year.  Passionate and powerful, Lipstick on His Collar is a dangerous romantic short that I feel almost guilty for enjoying.  But enjoy it I did.  You can find out more by clicking on the link below.

Lipstick on His Collar is out now, published by Harper Impulse, a digital imprint of Harper Collins.

8/10

With thanks to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in return for my honest opinion.

The First Kiss- Brigid Coady

 

Having read and enjoyed Brigid Coady's The Last Kiss recently (you can see my review here ) I was really excited to read the next instalment in the Kiss trilogy.  Designed to be read on a phone or tablet (or on a coffee break, bus, sat on the loo!), these short romantic stories are full of heart and soul despite their short length.

The First Kiss encapsulates the magic and anticipation at the start of a romance.  Brigid Coady wraps up the innocence and naivety of this experience perfectly and will transport you back to those heady moments of your own first kiss.  Despite being such a short read there is still a build up which had me gripped. This would be suitable for a young adult reader as well as mature readers and everyone else in between!

If romantic short stories are your thing (and they are most definitely mine) I would highly recommend you try the Kiss stories.  Tender, romantic and classic, these stories are a reminder that good old fashioned romance has not been totally ousted by the rise in erotica.

The First Kiss is out now, published by Harper Impulse, a digital imprint of Harper Collins.

8.5/10

Find out more by clicking the image below.

The Last Kiss- Brigid Coady

 

 

 

The Last Kiss is the first ebook in the Kiss collection.  It is a short story of approximately 1000 words, designed to be read on a tablet or phone, perfect for romantics who need a quick fix.  Timed to coincide with Short Story week, why not give it a try?

Katie has enjoyed a holiday romance with rep Ryan.  Everyone remembers the first kiss, but what about the last?  Focussing on an airport goodbye this story is short and sweet-a bitesize love affair for fans of short stories, those who don't have the time to commit to reading novels or for filling your commute or coffee break.  Brigid Coady manages to make every word count and pack emotion into a small wordcount.

I can't wait for more of these short stories from Harper Impulse!

You can find out more about The Last Kiss and how to purchase it from the link below.