This is a novel about community, love, laughter and healing. Think Cold Feet meets David Nicholls, with a dash of the joy of Jill Mansell added for good measure.
It doesn’t look like much from the outside, but Cherry Blossom Mews is a miraculous place. It’s somewhere that finds you, rather than the other way around.
Over dessert, when I’d already taken my shoes off and spilled wine down my new dress, I stood up and went round the table telling Jack’s relatives what I thought of them.
Sadie McQueen has leased a double fronted space in this small cul de sac in a culturally diverse corner of central London. The cobbles muffle the noise of double-deckers roaring past the arched gates. Turn right and you are in a futuristic maze of corporate glass monoliths. Turn left and you see a wide street with many different houses. Towering above the mews are the degenerating tower blocks of an infamous estate. The old folks home and the nearby school are both in need of TLC; the private members’ club that set up shop in a listed Georgian building has been discreetly refurbished at huge expense.
Into this confusion comes Sadie. She fell in love with the street the moment she first twisted her ankle on its cobbles. Her double-fronted unit is now a spa. She has sunk all her money into the lease and refurbishment. She’s sunk all her hope into the carefully designed treatment rooms, the calm white reception space, the bijou flat carved out of the floor above.
Sadie has a mission to connect. To heal herself from tragedy. Sadie has wrapped the mews around her like a warm blanket, after unimaginable loss and unimaginable guilt. Her hard-won peace is threatened, not only by the prospect of the mews going under but by a man aptly named Hero who wakes up her comatose heart. Sadie has a lot to give, and a lot to learn, not least that some ghosts aren’t ghosts at all.
Juliet Ashton was born in Fulham and still lives in London. She writes under a variety of names, including her real name, Bernadette Strachan, and as Claire Sandy. She is married and has one daughter. Find out more at www.berniestrachan.com
Juliet Ashton is one of my favourite authors so I couldn’t wait for her latest book and this certainly doesn’t disappoint!
The book is set around Cherry Blossom Mews and told through the eyes of Sadie, who is recovering from a tragedy. Sadie is surrounded by the other residents of the mews who have formed a family of sorts, all of whom are on a journey of their own. A surprising twist changes Sadie’s life forever. Warm and uplifting, it’s a great case study of relationships.
This story is full of laughter and joy but some tearful moments as well. Easy to read, the writing just flows naturally, it’s a true escape from real life that is definitely worth a read!
| Title | The Fall and Rise of Sadie McQueen |
| Author | Juliet Ashton |
| Series | N/A |
| Format | Kindle |
| Page Count | 480 Pages |
| Genre | Mysteries & Thrillers |
| Publisher | Simon & Schuster UK |
| Release Date | 26th December 2019 |
Click The Cover To Read Amazon’s Sample Today!