Julie Cohen, Heroine Addict Extraordinaire, has had her book DEAR THING chosen by Richard and Judy as one of their Summer Book Club Selections!
If you don't live in the UK, the best equivalent I can give you is that this is on the order of having Oprah pick your book for her book club, back in the day.
In other words, it's HUGE.
And very, very well deserved. I'm admittedly biased when it comes to Julie's books, and I tend to push them on everyone I meet, but Dear Thing is really quite special. If you haven't read it yet, you really should.
You can read Julie's reaction to the news here, on her publisher's website.
And follow along with the Summer Book Club discussion here.
And on Julie's own website, you can find out more about all her books, and read a lovely excerpt from DEAR THING. Here's a taste:
I want to tell you a story.
Once upon a time, when we still believed in wishes, there lived a prince and a princess. The prince was handsome and clever, and the princess was beautiful and good, and they were deeply in love.
That’s something you might ask about one day, when you’re older. What is love? Some people think it’s magic. Some people think it’s biology. In this case, the prince and his princess seemed meant for each other. It’s difficult to explain why; he liked football and she liked concerts. She liked old things, and he liked new. Their life together was a series of compromises. Maybe that’s what a happily ever after really is.
I wish you’d been there to see it. In a way, you were there; the princess and the prince had certainly thought of you. They already wanted you. A perfect child, who would make their love complete.
But the years went by, and went by…and you never appeared.
It’s not much of a fairy tale, is it?
This is the story of Claire and Ben, who are perfectly in love – in fact, who are seemingly perfect in almost every way. Except one. They can’t have a baby.
It’s also the story of Ben’s best friend Romily, who after years of watching Ben and Claire suffer, offers to have a baby for them.
But being pregnant stirs up all kinds of feelings in Romily – feelings she’d rather keep buried, but can’t. Now there are two mothers – and one baby who belongs to both of them, and which only one of them can keep.
(Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to have a glass of champagne in Julie's honour. Feel free to join me in the celebration!)
