Jess is a trader in the market, when she’s meets Ash she wants to let her self go, but it’s so hard. He only has an hour a week to see her and there’s a trust issue. They are both likable characters full of personality. It was great reading about their story.

This a lovely romance story that is written very well. It’s an easy read that I read in one day. It’s a happy 5 star read.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a copy.

This was a delightful read with a really fun premise. I loved being within the stalls with Jess, Cressida described them so beautifully. I would highly recommend this one!

As a fan of the Cornish Cream Tea series by this author, I’m grateful to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this heartwarming story. Ash and Jess meet at Greenwich Market one Sunday after a pickpocket tries to steal from one of the stall holders. It becomes almost a ritual that they spend an hour together each Sunday, enjoying each others company as long as they can.

This has everything I want in a good read. It drew me in from the first chapter, I wanted to know all about Jess, Ash and all the other characters, like Enzo, Wendy and particularly Felicity. They all felt so real, just like people you really want to meet and spend time with. I even loved the stalls and shops they all ran. I really wanted to know what Ash was doing every Sunday after he’d left Jess and why he couldn’t explain to,her what was going on. As always with this type of book,- no spoiler - but you know things will always work out, you just never know quite how you’re going to get there. Another excellent read from this author.

Thank you Netgalley and Harper Collins UK for an advanced copy to review.

The story follows Jess and Ash who meet by accident one Sunday in Greenwich Market and go on to meet each Sunday for one hour. This allows then to build up a friendship and budding romance. Unfortunately Ash can only spend one hour with Jess as he has somewhere to be but won't let on where. This led to lots of guessing by me.

They are both very relatable characters and have issues with their past which makes for an interesting relationship between then.

As well as Jess and Ash's story there are numerous other side storylines featuring a wonderful range of characters. I especially loved Felicity and Spade.

A beautifully written book that had me invested from the beginning. The descriptions of the Market had me wishing I was there. There was fun, laughter and heartbreak which led me to go through a whole range of emotions and I must admit to shedding a tear or two.

This is a book I would definitely recommend.

A funny, romantic, beautiful story that will grab your heart and make you want to read more. This is a story about Jess and Ash. But all the characters in this book are great and the story is happy and sad, fun and funny, emotional and full of all the things in life you would hope for yourself.

A well written and easy to read book, the setting is charming the length of the book perfect and I read it in one day as I couldn't put it down. At times I felt like I was taking a tour of London as well as taking a ride along a romantic mini-rollercoaster. A great book and one I thoroughly enjoyed. 4 1/2 stars absolutely.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Another brilliant read from this author. This time it was set in Greenwich around the park. I loved the community spirit which ran all the way through this book. People coming together to help each other. The characters were so Interesting. I loved the attraction between Ash and Jess are how they finally fell in love. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

The story had me engrossed from the beginning. I loved Jess and Ash.

It was interesting to read about the lives of Jess and Ash.

I loved the setting, which was different to the previous books by this author.

I recommend this book.

Jess is perfectly happy working in Greenwich market with her job in a cramped gift shop that sells trinkets to locals and tourists. She is happy with her small circle of friends and being single. In other words, she thinks she is doing just fine.

One Sunday, Jess is thrown together with handsome, funny Ash, as they chase a pickpocket through the market. Sharing a coffee after their success, Ash and Jess soon start to enjoy one hour every Sunday. Is one hour a week really enough time to fall in love…?

I was absolutely thrilled to be able to read this book before publication. So far, I have enjoyed all of Cressida's books and always look forward to her next one.

I enjoyed the setting of Greenwich Market and I think the author really brought the hustle and bustle atmosphere to life. At times it felt like I was walking through the market, chatting with the traders, exploring the neighbourhood.

This story is filled with great characters that added a nice dimension to the story and there were a good mix of funny and sad moments. I loved the market community and the sense of helping & supporting each other. Felicity's story really showed the positive impact of reaching out for help.

I had to message the author to check if I needed a large box of tissues. I did wonder why Ash only had an hour and where was he going.

Jess and Ash’s story is slow-burning and at times riddled with miss-communication. You will really root for them and hope that they will sort themselves out.

This is a standalone but would also work well as part of a series, exploring the other traders lifes and catching up if Jess and Ash are doing well. I am sure Cressida will receive a few requests for a sequel.

The Happy Hour is the perfect stay-cation book for the summer.

The Happy Hour is a beautiful story about Jess and Ash and how they are thrown together when a young boy is caught stealing from the market where Jess works.
Ash come to Greenwich every Sunday to go to a secret meeting but starts to come every Sunday to meet Jess for what becomes their Happy Hour.
Making friends in the market along the way Ash eventually shares with Jess where he goes.
Can the relationship survive his revelation, filled with love and friendship this book made me warm through although I did shed a tear towards the end.
Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

Oh, I really do love a book from this author and when i had the chance to read this one early, I absolutely jumped at the chance!

Right from the very beginning I loved this story so much and became engrossed in it. I loved both Ash and Jess and very much enjoyed how their stories unfolded. I knew that there was more to both of their back stories and i just loved how it was slowly being fed to me, just enough to keep me curious but not too much to spoil it too soon!

Cressy always manages to make me feel hungry whenever i read her books!! The way she describes the food that she is writing about totally makes my mouth water and i am always left feeling hungry! In this book it was Kirsty’s muffins that did it for me, especially the cheese and bacon ones, they sounded delicious…

I loved finding out about all of the places in London and i loved when Ash was giving Jess a film tour and was telling her all about films that were made in that location. I just loved how Cressy described places, it always makes me feel as though i am there, immersed in all of the novels goodness!

I thoroughly enjoyed the market location of this story and the whole thing was a perfect mix of wonderful emotions and was funny and wholesome and sad and romantic and purely escapist and I LOVED it!! I also loved the little cameo from Hester and Jake too - perfect!!!

Jess is perfectly happy. Perfectly happy with her job in a gift store in Greenwich Market, with being single and her small circle of friends.

One Sunday Jess meets Ash after chasing down a shoplifter in the market and so begins the habit of running into each other once a week but only for one hour. But Jess soon realises that their “Happy Hour” is the best part of her week, and perhaps being perfectly happy isn’t perfect enough.


I am a big fan of Cressida McLaughlin’s work, and her books are an auto request/buy for me. I started this one with high anticipation but it wasn’t long before I realised I wasn’t connecting to the story or the characters. I enjoyed the setting of Greenwich Market and think the author really brought the hustle and bustle atmosphere to life, as well as the good natured camaraderie between the stallholders. I can’t put my finger on the exact reason I didn’t feel invested, but this one just missed the mark for me.

I’m so used to reading Cressida McLaughlin’s books set in Cornwall & surrounding areas I initially found it a little jarring to read a book of hers set in London, of all places. However, I quickly overcame my discombobulation as Cressida’s writing drew me into a wonderful story.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, populated by fully-formed & interesting characters. The main storyline follows the development of a friendship & the beginning sparks of a relationship between two previous strangers who meet for one hour each week; however, there are also several other smaller storylines that develop other characters and add to the delicious medley this author always creates in her writing.
An enjoyable book, perfect summer reading.

Cressida Mclaughlin is one of my all time favourite authors and I trust and love her writing so much so that I never read her synopsis of her books now before diving in. Her new release is titled The Happy Hour and it is a stand alone so it is a great book to start if you haven’t yet discovered her writing ( although I am going to badger you to get The Cornish Cream Tea Bus next as it is a must read and my favourite of her books!)

We meet Jess who is a creative and supportive woman but who has barriers as high as Big Ben, she is a loved and valued worker of the market community. When a shoplifting attempt brings Ash into her path things begin to blossom for the pair in a unique set up of only spending an hour together every Sunday. But as Jess begins to fall for Ash it is clear he his hiding something important from her.
There was a sense of intrigue created in the early part of this book which really kept me gripped as I had different scenarios running through my head as to why Ash had to dash off every Sunday at the same time.

Was he Married?
Meeting his child?
Having Counselling?
These were just a few of the ideas that were rattling around in my mind. I am not going to give this part of the book away as I think this intrigue was what appealed to me in this book alongside the community spirit that was found amongst the traders at the market.
Jess and Ash were both loveable characters who each have their issues and there relationship was far from plain sailing but at times they did bring out the best in each other and they did have some entertaining hourly dates too.

Weirdly as much as I enjoyed the romance between the pair I actually found myself more drawn to a supporting character Felicity and her situation and I continually looked forward to those chapters that found us back at her house!

The one thing that Cressida always does so well is to bring the atmosphere to life and she does that again in this book with the Hussle and bustle of the market and the various landmarks of London thrown in too.
I really enjoyed my time with these characters and it is certainly a book I will be recommending.

I loved this book. To be honest I’m a massive fan of Cressida’s series of books set in Cornwall and wasn’t sure how I’d take to The Happy Hours market setting in London but any reservations I had soon fell away. I loved the community feel and all the supporting characters as well as following Jess and Ash’s journey obviously. Jess and Ash were both quite complex characters but that only made the story more real in a way. I had a warm glowy feeling when I finished this and a big smile on my face. Will be recommending this to everyone.

A brand new book from Cressida McLaughlin. It also had a bit of a more grown up edgy feel to it. As the story of Jess and Ash and the small group of traders unfold some very deep issues are dealt with in such a wonderful way. It was eye opening to see the perceived impression you might have of someone to be the opposite. We all go to lengths to always try and portray our best selves and try to be seen as good enough and ‘normal’ (but what really is normal?), and it takes a lot of bravery to show that everything isn’t as it seems and some support is needed.

This group of traders are in the middle of London, a place that is perceived to be so huge that the people are faceless and strangers to each other as they are so busy going about their day. This just shows that a close knit friendship group can happen anywhere, with people from all walks of life and ages. It was really nice to read.

The love story between Jess and Ash, I have to admit was a bit hard to get my head around at first that an hour a day would be enough, when there was so much that they just weren’t sharing with each other, but gradually they extend the time they spend together and the contact they have with each other and it’s clear to see the positive impact they each have the other, drawing strength and helping ease anxiety. It was lovely to read. As they grew and changed their lives touched others that also grew and changed and in turn they touched others. Friendship, the gift that keeps in giving.

It was a brilliant read from the start, demonic rabbits included. 😂 I hope there is more to read from this ragtag group.

The Happy Hour by @cressmclaughlin a NetGalley review. Jess is plodding along in life, working in Greenwich market, great at helping others but scared of letting people in. Thats until due to fate lending a helping hand through a shoplifter she meets Ash. Together every Sunday they spend an hour together but live is never that easy! It’s no secret if you follow me that I really like this author, particularly her series based in Cornwall. However the authors stand alone books are great to read, like this one. The Happy Hour is an easy read, filled with great characters and overall a great story that gets you hooked. Jess is the character the story revolves around, she has the biggest heart, readily there to help others. Yet Jess lacks confidence, shields her heart from getting hurt and feels over loved by her adopted parents. Jess meets Ash after he catches a shop lifter and Ash comes with his own issues and secrets, that despite meeting Jess and having that instant connection he is scared to let her in. Yet together their superpower is helping people, when all they want to do I get to know each other. They both put other people before themselves and at times this can be quite annoying, yet this is great that the author is able to get the readers emotions swinging back and fourth towards these character, inevitably I ended up loving them both. I love the energy that comes off the pages surround the Greenwich market and the misfits (you will understand once you’ve read it) and I love the friendship and bonds that are amongst the store holders of the market. Overall this is a great easy and enjoyable read, so easy to pick up, I will say it’s a predictable read but if you’ve picked this up then you kind of know that . I’m never disappointed when reading this authors books. I will be honest and will say that in my opinion, the Cornish series is by far my favourite books from this author but I think that’s because of the setting, which can relate to and because it’s a series there’s a connection with the characters. I will once again be recommending to friends and family. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ another great book @cressmclaughlin always looking forward to what comes next. 📚📚📚

I loved this book, it made me cry! Such an emotional heart warming tale which was so well written, I adored it from the very first page.

I love this author and was excited to start this new book. We meet Jess and Ash who meet at a Sunday London market. Their chance meeting then leads to them meeting every Sunday but only for a hour. I do like a book set in London, so this for me sounded perfect! Jess and Ash are likeable characters and I enjoyed their first few meetings. I have to admit though that this book didn't capture me as much as other books which I have read, and as the story moved on I found myself becoming less interested in their stories. The book was light-hearted and easy to read, but it wasn't one of my favourites.

I was absolutely thrilled to dive into this book, and let me tell you, it did not disappoint. From the very beginning, I was captivated by the charming and heartwarming interactions between Ash and Jess. Rarely do I find myself so enamored with the main characters, but I felt an instant connection with Jess, making her journey all the more relatable and compelling.

But it wasn't just Ash and Jess who stole the show – every character in this book added depth and richness to the story, each with their own captivating storyline that kept me engaged. And while I was initially expecting a pure romance, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the book explored other themes as well, tugging at my heartstrings and even breaking it at times.

In the end, I can confidently say that this was an exceptional read. As a newcomer to Cressida McLaughlin's work, I was thoroughly impressed and left eagerly anticipating more. Overall, a delightful and unforgettable journey that I wholeheartedly recommend to any romance enthusiast.

I loved every page of this book. It drew you in from the outset and kept you hooked all the way through