Blog Tour: White Lies and Wishes by Cathy Bramley

Today's is my stop for White Lies and Wishes, Cathy Bramley's latest book. A feel-good romantic comedy that's guaranteed to make you smile - perfect for fans of Carole Matthews, Trisha Ashley and Katie Fforde.

Title: White Lies and Wishes

Author: Cathy Bramley

Published: January 26th 2017 by Corgi

Amazon | Amazon UK

Blurb: What happens when what you wish for is only half the story...?

Flirtatious, straight-talking Jo Gold says she’s got no time for love; she’s determined to save her family’s failing footwear business.

New mother Sarah Hudson has cut short her maternity leave to return to work. She says she’ll do whatever it takes to make partner at the accountancy firm.

Bored, over-eating housewife Carrie Radley says she just wants to shift the pounds – she’d love to finally wear a bikini in public.

The unlikely trio meet by chance one winter’s day, and in a moment of ‘Carpe Diem’ madness, embark on a mission to make their wishes come true by September.

Easy. At least it would be, if they hadn’t been just the teensiest bit stingy with the truth…

With hidden issues, hidden talents, and hidden demons to overcome, new friends Jo, Carrie and Sarah must admit to what they really, really want, if they are ever to get their happy endings.

Review: Cathy Bramley is one of my favourite authors and her stories are always something special, so I was really excited for White Lies and Wishes. The first thing I noticed with this novel is that, for the first time, the story had three main female characters instead of only one. So I was really curious to see how the author told their separate stories but also how she intertwined them. After reading it, I can tell you that this new concept worked really well. We got to know these three different women at the right pace and after a few chapters I became really involved with their lives and I also felt very inspired by their support of each other and their joie de vivre.

Basically we've got Jo, the business woman who doesn't have time for romance; Sarah, the workaholic new mum with a stay at home husband; and Carrie, the stay at home wife who feels inferior and unworthy for her husband. They all meet a bit by chance at a funeral and when they get talking, they realise they are not happy with their lives. So they decide to make a wish and then help each other to achieve it. The wishes are a bit silly but we soon realise that there's a real wish to completely change their lives behind them. I found it a really inspiring and up-lifting idea and it really made me thing about my own life and what wish I would make and how far I would go to make it come true.

At the beginning, it was a bit difficult to like these women as characters. Basically because they didn't really like them themselves. But as I got to know them and found out what made their hearts tick, it was difficult not to warm to them and root for them. I specially liked Jo, with her fighting and superwoman suit but with a huge heart in search for a bit of love. The one that took me the longest to like was Carrie. I could not really understand the dynamics with her husband, especially as we discovered more about him too.

One thing for sure though, Cathy Bramley managed to keep me glued to the pages of White Lies and Wishes for hours. The story is a big celebration of friendship and also about learning to love yourself. I also think that it will inspire many, included me, to dream and dream big and then, actually go for it. It might not be my favourite story by Cathy Bramley but it's a great and up-lifting story that I'm sure everyone will enjoy.

Rating: 4 stars

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