I loved this book. It wasn't the run of the mill chick lit it had a twist that turned everything upside down. I couldn't put it down.

I really enjoyed this book. It took me a time to read as I didn’t have much free time but it was a great read. I loved the characters and I liked it so much I went and bought all the other Longhampton novels by this author, one I haven’t read before. I love dogs myself so I love the inclusion of dogs in this story and it’s a very satisfying conclusion to it. I already can’t wait for the next Lucy Dillon to find out what happens to Jeannie next.

This is a lovely romantic story with a difference, it is heart warming and moving and it isn’t like other romance stories. The characters are strong and likeable.

Dan gave Jeanne a magical proposal when he whisked her away to New York and asked her to marry him on Brooklyn Bridge after only 5 months of being together.

Now, one year to the date they met over the internet, Jeannie is on her way to marry Dan, but she is having second thoughts. Dan is also on his way to the wedding but fate as other plans!

Lucy Dillon has created a beautiful tale of love, heartbreak and new beginnings and I was pulled into the story from the start. She fills the pages with love, warmth and honesty and all of her characters are utterly believable, which meant I really cared what happened to them.

The way Jeanne copes in the aftermath of Dan’s accident and the decision she reaches makes for compelling reading.

Oh dear, Jeannie is on her way to the church to marry gorgeous vet Dan and only then decides she can’t go through with it. A cosy, pleasant easy read, apart from the parts where dogs were featured. I just didn’t take to Jeannie at all and thought she was feeble. I enjoyed the beginning very much, the ending wasn’t too bad but the middle did drag. This wasn’t really the story I was expecting but it was a nice bit of escapism.

This book was a brilliant read and one that is perfect to escape for a few hours and loose yourself.
Characters that fall out of the pages of the book and make you fell apart of the story, the setting is lovely and captured well with words.
A great read. that I would highly recommend.

The book opens in New York.  Dan and Jeannie are on a holiday and he ends up proposing to her.  How romantic is that - a marriage proposal in the Big Apple, what a great place to start.  As you get into the story you find out that there's has been a bit of a whirlwind romance.  They meet online, they live far apart but their relationship accelerates and they become engaged after 5 months of dating and then things escalate as they plan the wedding.  Come wedding day Jeannie feels unsure about it all.   But then there is an accident and Dan is injured.

Jeannie believes that she is responsible for Dan's accident.  But there is a lot more to this story.

One of the storylines that I found really interesting was about puppy farming.  It is a really sad state of affairs and it was lovely to read about the puppies being re-homed.  

Then there is story line about raising funds for the puppies needs via selling wedding dresses that ladies no longer wish to keep.

All in all I thought this was a lovely story.

Always enjoy a Lucy Dillon read and this one did not disappoint. Loved the main character Jeannie & her understanding parents. . All in all thought it was very well written

A wonderful book! To be honest, it took a little time for me to get into, but once I did, I couldn't put it down! I would say this is a typical story by Lucy Dillon, in as much as I always find her books just that little bit different from the normal romcom stories (although they would still fall under that category). I loved the story lines around the kennels and the dogs - I have never thought about getting a dog, but this story made me think about it! You just really want a happy ending for Lady Sadie, Constance and Grace as well as for Jeannie and Dan! Does that happen for them all? Well, you'll simply have to read this great book to find out for yourself - all I'll say is that I was really pleased with how it all finished up!

I have always enjoyed Lucy Dillon's books and this one did not disappoint! Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers for letting me read this.

This book was ok; but didn't have me hooked. It was pleasant enough, but the characters didn't really engage me that much. The plot was good; showing her guilt at wanting to stop the wedding and then not being able to tell anyone after the accident - quite a dilemma! And her reluctance to see Owen is understandable, but something just didn't gel with the book for me.

On the way to her wedding, Jeanie suddenly panics that she’s making a mistaking marrying Dan after a whirlwind romance. What happens next changes both their lives forever, and Jeanie is forced to decide what she really wants out of life, and if Dan will feature in it.

A sweet, slow burner of a novel, with likeable characters who face interesting moral dilemmas. Jeanie goes on a relatable journey of self discovery in an obviously well researched tale.

This book was a bit of a miss for me. I found the main character unbelievable and the scenario of the groom to be being run over a tad unrealistic. I did finish this book but the ending was predictable.

I wanted to read this as a change from my regular genres but ended up very disappointed. The plot set up is good but then it felt like the author didn’t know where to go with it. A boyfriend in a coma with a mysterious secret (which turns out to be a massive damp squib), a sub plot about wedding dresses and dog rehoming (yes, really) and a new romance that is obvious from the outset meant that I skim read the second half of the book to see if it was as predictable as I thought. And it was. . Only read this book if you are a fan of chick-lit in all its forms.

A very nice read.
Jeannie is due to marry Dan. She is on her way to the church when she realises she cannot go through with it.
Not far away an event happens which will stop the wedding and change the course of her, and the groom's lives.
The story is one of love, life and puppies.
Read this with a box of tissues for some of the more heart-rending moments, of which there are a few!
The characters are believable as is the story and the twists and turns in the story are enjoyable.
I recommend this read.

I have not read anything by this author before and at first I did not think I would enjoy the book as I found it slow but I persevered and ended up enjoying the story. I am not sure whether I liked the main character Jeannie but I do know people like her so could relate to her nature. Life takes a dramatic turn and that sends her spiralling into a situation which she did not want to be in and her decision making makes it very difficult. She had lovely parents (especially her father who was kindness itself) who being so devoted to one another made her question her feelings for her fiancé hence the change of events. She settles into a cottage and helps out with the dog kennels which in turns evolves into taking puppies from a puppy farm. This was upsetting but we all know it goes on and watching the puppies grow with her was written really well which also helped her comes to terms with the decisions she needed to make. As I read on I thought I knew how the story would pan out as the author took us down a very specific path – how wrong can one be or are we. A sequel maybe!

Interesting book - liked the story - interesting moral dilemmas, Difficult decisions and scenarios you would hope you never have to face.

A heartwarming book that draws you in from the very start, you just have to know what happens next. Not the usual story and you keep reading just to see where it is going. Lovely characters and an engaging story, and add some dogs to that - who doesn’t want to read that ?

Very well written by Lucy and another best seller I think. Even though this was a nice easy read with good characters it was by no means predictable as there were many paths this story could take so it kept you on your toes and turning those pages to see what was going to happen next. I really enjoyed this and would recommend it.

We follow the main character Jeannie, starting on her wedding day! Having recently been married myself, I really related to the first chapter, the build up, the nerves, however I did go ahead with my wedding and fortunately nothing terrible happened, unlike what happened to the groom when he gets hit by a bus. The rest of the book follows Jeannies turmoil as she battles with her guilt, whilst also making new friends in the new village her and her partner were meant to be moving too together. I really enjoyed this book, and loved the link to stopping puppy farming, and the relationship people get with their dogs is like no other. I would definitely recommend!

We first meet Jeannie, the main character, on her way to her wedding. She suddenly panics, realising that the whirlwind romance with gorgeous vet Dan, has all happened too fast. As she confesses to her dad that she can’t go through with the wedding, fate takes a very cruel and unexpected turn.

During the following months, Jeannie finds herself living in a cottage next to the vet practice, where her fiance was working. She makes friends with Rachel who runs a dog rescue alongside the veterinary business and is happy to roll her sleeves up and help out with the homeless pups. With her life in turmoil, Jeannie receives huge comfort from the volunteers and dogs, who give her a huge welcome to the community.This book does a great job of informing readers about the plight of dogs from puppy farms, whilst integrating it into a compelling and heartwarming story. There is a chapter at the end of the book called ‘How To Help Stop Puppy Farming’ which is so worth reading for anyone who is thinking of buying a puppy. Lucy credits Hope Rescue for helping her research the cruel and sickening way of breeding and selling puppies, this is a dog rescue I have personally been familiar with for many years.

To conclude, this is an amazing story that shows the strength of love and how it can be shown in many different ways. The new business venture to raise funds for the rescue was inspiring and I loved the cast of deep, warm and caring characters. The highlighting of puppy farming is informative, shocking and heartbreaking. I was so in love with all the dogs, they all had their own little personalities and I just wanted to reach inside the pages and give them a big hug!

This is an absolute must-read for anyone who likes to read love stories, adores weddings and is a huge fan of dogs.

Lucy Dillon is a new author for me, and so my attraction to this novel was based solely on the blurb, which had me hooked. I knew that this was a book I wanted to read.

It did take me a while to warm to Jeannie’s character. I can’t put my finger on precisely why, but I think that her confusion, guilt and her preoccupation with herself as she was during her relationship with Dan shielded me from really getting to know the real her. I wanted to understand her reasoning and who she was better, and it just felt that certain bits of information relevant to the story were dangled a little too long which impacted on my ability to empathise with her character until much later on in the story.

It was from just before the halfway point I really felt that the story began to flow. The sub-plots in particular were wonderful, and the creation of a community around Jeannie were what really made this novel sparkle. This support circle around her becomes the beating heart of the book, and Lady Sadie, Gem, George and Rachel all deserve an extra special mention, once they were present and their stories were playing out alongside the main plot, I couldn’t put this book down. They brought the best out in Jeannie and contributed greatly to my ability to connect with her and understand her.

Once the story really began to unfold I found this to be a fantastic read with some very insightful observations on love, weddings and marriages; ultimately unpacking and examining them as separate entities. Particularly relevant in a climate where weddings so often eclipse the true meaning of marriage.

There is so much that I enjoyed about this novel. It’s about love, but it’s not a romance in the traditional sense, first and foremost it’s a story about discovering yourself, learning to be who you truly are and stand up for what it is you want from life. Unexpected Lessons in Love is a fabulous book for wiling away a lazy Sunday afternoon – or, if you’re lucky enough to see some sun this winter, it would make a great holiday read!