A beach read - easy to get through in one sitting. Likeable main female character but some weak male characters, with a surprising ending

A fluffy and fun easy read with likeable characters and a predictable ending. Very easy to read in one sitting.

Would recommend to others looking for a quick book to get lost in. 3.5 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley, Lucy Dillon and Black Swan for my free copy in exchange for review.

A great read with an unexpected ending. Romance, intrigue and rescue dogs feature in this story where you hold your breath to find out what the next chapter reveals. Its a well written and totally absorbing tale which involves something that could happen to anyone, how would I cope? is a question the story makes you think about, its going to be so easy just to go along with the flow even if it isn't what you know makes sense on a few different fronts but the ending was very satisfying and I would recommend this book to friends. It will be a great holiday read.

In the car on the way to my own wedding my Mum and Dad said exactly the same thing- "it is not too late to change your mind". Apparently my Grandfather said the same to my Mum 50 years ago!
however, unlike Jeannie neither of us had any doubts and our days went as according to plan.
Jeannie however is thrown into turmoil as she has the conversation with her Dad and voices her hidden concerns and feelings out loud for the first time. The whirlwind of her romance suddenly hits home and her insecurities rise to the surface.
Meanwhile Dan is oblivious (or is he?) and on his way to the venue.
From there on in things take a very different turn for them both and Jeannie is forced to make choices that are almost impossible to come to terms with, all the while trying not to hurt those around her and trying to work out how to live her best life in the circumstances she is thrown into.
This is a really beautifully told tale of love, love doubted, love maybe lost and then re-found that keeps the pages turning and the reader on the edge of their seat hoping for the best and right outcome for everyone.

I loved this book, all about weddings and dogs and relationships, such a good read and lovely characters; really enjoyable and not much idea as to where the story lines were going. Love Lucy Dillons books

"Most of all, Jeannie had learned that love - unfiltered, unedited, unnerving - was not how it seemed on Instagram"

Jeannie and Dan, after meeting online, have a whirlwhind romance and an instaworthy proposal in New York . On the day of their wedding Jeannie is plagued with doubts and in a twist of fate Dan is in a terrible accident which halts the wedding.

The story centres around Jeannie, struggling with her guilt about what has happened, trying to get on with her life in a new house and village, and realising that she doesn't really know much about Dan at all.

The characters are all well written and likeable. I especially liked Rachel, she is the wife of Dan's boss George, the big no nonsense vet, maybe it's because I am around her age, relatable! although I have neither dog or husband! ha! but whatever it was I just connected with her and would love to read more about her, George, Fergus and the dogs.

Back to Jeannie though. She was very sweet and I was glad when she finally found her voice, with help from Owen, and stuck up for herself. I had a feeling from early on where their story was going and I liked how it played out, it felt real.

I also loved the dog element to the story, with a little reminder there not to buy dogs from unreputable sources!

For me, this was a get comfy on the couch and read until it's finished kind of book. Some tears, some laughs and a nice ending. This was my first Lucy Dillon novel but I'm looking forward to reading more.

Fantasy Film Cast: (Sometimes I see the characters (not all of them) as famous people, some even as characters they have played!) the only one I saw in this book was Claudia Winkleman as Rachel

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers for the ARC.

A really enjoyable romance. Fast paced and well written. Write often the reader knows exactly what will happen but is quite happy to be led there, however convoluted a journey. This book however kept a lot more mystery so you were never entirely sure of the end result. Fab holiday read

Firstly, a huge thanks to netgalley for always providing me with these wonderful ARC's and also Random house UK, Transworld publishers and Black swan for approving me this lovely book. This book is so much than just a pretty cover and its more than just romace or wedding. Trust me I though this would be a pretty easy read but I was left with my own 'Lessons in Love...'

This book is consists of story about Jeannie and Dan. They both met online, had a very whirlwind romance and in between a few months time they were engaged and Jeannie was already walking towards the church in a white dress. But she is not so sure about her feelings for Dan and a few minutes before the big 'I do', she tells Dan on a voice mail that she can't marry him. And soon after she gets a call from the best man Owen that Dan faced a terrible accident while crossing the street and thus she is totally filled with guilt. Jeannie actually thought that her message had some part to play in the terrible thing that happened to Dan. I totally understand her feelings. The story focuses on Jeannie now and the things that she had to face now. Let me talk about Owen. He was a good friend and he was wonderful to Jeannie. I don't want to give anything away but you'll have to read till the very last page for all the pieces of the puzzle to fall into place. I started reading this book as soon as I got it since I was so very curious about all the things that was described in the blurb. I wanted to see if they had a happy ending. I have to say that the ending was happy but not as the way you are probably thinking. Jeannie did get her happy ending or it was hinted and left out for the unknown. Anyways, what I liked most about this book was the characters. They were so realistic. I could totally relate to them. They were flawed but so are most of us. I also liked the characters which are not so human such as the dogs. Thats a part which I enjoyed the most other than jeannie's relation with her would be mother in law. In Jeannie's words, you can definately have a better relation with your mother in law than her son-another 'unexpected love lesson'. This book does have a love story but I simple didn't favour it. It was just not for me to be happy with Dan.
Owen can be considered a good friend and we all saw that. But I kinda was rooting for him and Jeannie and I was happy towards the end.
This book simple left me with a happy smile on my face.It contains so many important lessons pointed out such as love,self discovery, friendship and finding out if you are truly in love or just the memory of it.
This is a great book and I highly encourage every romance/woman's fiction lover to give it a try. You'll not be sorry.
Happy reading!

Jeannie meets Dan, a vet, online. After a bit of a whirlwind romance, Dan proposes and the time to the wedding whizzes by. On the way to the church, Jeannie finds herself wondering if she is doing the right thing. Then she gets a call from Owen, the best man, that Dans had an accident crossing a road while on his phone. Jeannie finds herself being taken to the hospital instead of the church.

This book had me from the first chapter. It is very nicely written, and the characters are well written and likeable. The characters were believable, likeable (except for Edith, but you always need a villain) and then there were the rescued dogs. I admit I had a small cry towards the end but not over one of the humans. I really enjoyed this book, it’s and easy but compelling read. I’ve not read anything by this author before, but I’m certainly looking forward to reading more of her work.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.

This was a lovely read that tugged at the heart strings. Full of great characters and a really interesting storyline. It was a nice change from my usual crime stuff.

I really enjoyed this one, as I have all of Lucy Dillon’s other books. This is a lovely read with characters that you warm to quickly and a great storyline. I enjoyed following Jeannie’s path, which did not always run smoothly and was rooting for a happy ending. The friendships are warm and real and the dog references made this even better! This is the perfect book to snuggle up and read on a winter’s night.
Thank you to netgalley, the author and the publishers for gifting me this copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

This story is really good, it kept me needing to turn the pages to see what happened next, all the way through. It is well written, with an intriguing storyline, great characters, dogs and wedding dresses; what more do you want from a good romance.

All the characters are very well written. They are strong, believable people, the sort you really would meet in real life. I loved Jeannie she is so nice and kind, but I really wanted to tell her to stand up for herself at times. Owen is just adorable, such a good friend and caring person too. They all came together well to make a very realistic story.

Lucy Diamond has written a really lovely story, with twists and turns aplenty and I was never quite sure what would happen; though I did have some suspicions. I loved this story and would highly recommend it.

This book has me hooked from the first page. I loved the characters and thought it was so well written. Although there were so many sub stories told within the big picture, it was so easy to follow and each extra piece of information really shaped how you view the main characters and it really allowed me to see their back story in a different light; explaining certain characteristics and their motivations.

The story itself kept me guessing as to what would happen by the end of the book, but while reading I realised that it's not always the destination that's important,but the journey. Looking at the book in this way was much more satisfying, because although I was very pleased with the outcome, I truly enjoyed all of the story.

The book is full of home truths about love and marriage and it seems to have been written by someone who understands that love is precious in all of its forms, be it romantic, familial / friendship; not forgetting the hind that seems stronger than most, between a person and their pet.

Jeannie and Dan had a whirlwind romance and when he on proposes on Brooklyn Bridge she immediately says yes. Jeannie is on her way to her wedding to Dan when she realises that she was caught up with the excitement of the romantic gestures that Dan has made and she is having second thoughts. She tries to phone Dan to tell him but her call goes straight to voice mail. As she approaches the church she gets a call from Best Man, Owen to say that Dan has been involved in an accident and is going to be taken to hospital in Birmingham. Jeannie feels enormous guilt when she discovers that the cause of the accident is Dan looking at his phone rather than the road. While Dan spends time in hospital in intensive care Jeannie moves into the cottage that was to be their new home and spends her time going between visiting Dan and helping out at the dog rescue that belongs to the wife of Dan’s new boss. The addition of the dogs improves this book for me as these little characters bring another dimension to the story. All the characters are well portrayed, particularly Jeannie who has a tendency to put others before herself, carrying on with the charade of being Dan’s fiancée despite her true feelings. Dan’s mother, Andrea, is another interesting character who plays a major part in the story as she starts to form a bond with Jeannie as they spend time together in the hospital, further increasing Jeannie’s guilt. Without giving too much away I didn’t particularly predict the ending as I thought it could have gone one of two ways. I enjoyed this book, despite Dan’s accident it was an easy read. The characters were likeable except for Edith and the relationships were interesting. Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

Unexpected Lessons in Love, Lucy Dillon

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre: Romance, Women's fiction

Oh Dear, Women's fiction again – why on earth do we still use this outdated genre category. Men read romance, men write romance, why exclude them?

Anyway, the book. I was sure I'd read and enjoyed some of Lucy's previous novels but when I checked just before writing this I haven't – yay, more books to enjoy from a new to me author!
This is classed as romance and...well... it is but its kind of a tenuous connection, and is more the possibility of romance than an actual one.
I love the characters, Jeannie of course and her lovely parents, Andrea, Dan's mum, Owen, his best friend and then there's the dogs and the connections they bring. Its a serious problem here in the UK, only yesterday I read of yet another recently shut down in our local paper, where three people had made around £300,000 in two years, and the dogs that were rescued were in much the same state as the ones Rachel takes in. Makes me furious. Always ask to see parents, check that dogs seem happy and secure in the environment, that they haven't just been placed in a house to appear to have come from there. There's lots more advice online but the crux is if we're more careful, demand and profits go and that's the best way to stop the trade.

The story is so horribly real, I could imagine it happening just the way it was written. Poor Jeannie, so happy and then that last minute concern. Was it bride's nerves or more, should she go with her head or her gut feelings. Then that crushing feeling of guilt. Then That happens, but while Dan is recovering things come out that don't quite add up.
The dogs, they were real showstoppers, and of course the Brides Dress Revisited, ( what a fabulous name) added so much extra to the story, that while I'm a romance lover through and through, this was one of the stories I love that has little actual romance, but so much more to the story that I am totally engrossed. Its a fabulous read, I loved it and will look at Lucy's other stories now.

Stars: Five, a wonderful, all round story it's a promise of future romance.

ARC supplied by Netgalley and publishers

I completely fell in love with Jeannie. This book gripped me from the beginning, and far from being a saccharine wedding day novel, I loved this story of friendship found and lost and seizing the day, however late! Thanks NetGalley!

A heartwarming tale of love and friendship - and oddly for me with a book of this genre, one that I couldn't put down!
I found the characters very real - they weren't perfect, they weren't stereotypical, they were just ... real! The addition of the dogs was lovely - I’m not a dog person but I could totally picture these bundles, from the terrified, matted, maltreated dogs brought into the dog rescue to old Gem lying by the fire ... The ending was quite obvious from part way through the book, yet this didn't detract, you wanted to follow the characters on their journey to get there ...

Overall, this was a thoroughly enjoyable novel, and I will look out for more from the same author!

Disclosure: I received an advance reader copy of this book free via NetGalley. All opinions are my own

I hadn't heard of Lucy Dillon before reading this book but I will now be off searching for her other books to read as I really enjoyed her style of writing.
I will admit that about half way through it kind of lost its way but I continued and ended up reading the final 40% in one sitting late at night as I HAD to find out what happened!
I love dogs and weddings so this book really appealed to me and I have to admit, towards the end I was silently sobbing into my pillow. I liked how there was not only the story with Jeannie and Dan but it also followed Rachel, George and the dogs. I found myself praying for the happy ending they all deserved. I just hope Owen got his happy ending too!

A heartwarming tale of love and friendship - I really enjoyed this book and read it in a matter of days!
I felt like I really got to know all of the characters - even the lovely dogs - and found myself rooting for certain people. A really easy, enjoyable read.

I couldnt put this book down!
Jeannie, at the last moment en route to her wedding, realises that she doesnt after all know her fiance very well. Certainly not well enough to marry him. She leaves a message on his phone telling him this, and is deeply upset to find that he was involved in a bad traffic accident seemingly whilst listening to her message.
Was she to blame?
The book is almost like two books in one. There is so much about Jeannie, Dan, her family. Yet alongside this runs the story of Rachel and George and their Dog Rescue business, separate and yet a part of the whole.. There are a lot of dogs involved!
Jeannie comes to learn more about herself and her true feelings. She is torn in many ways, but the ending seemed right.
Thanks to NetGalley for a review copy, which I thoroughly enjoyed reaading.