This has a darker side- the darker side that propels Cassie into action. It will make you smile in spots and you will definitely root for Cassie. It takes a village. Or, in this case a village school.

A Village Affair is a lovely book. It's not my normal genre but I really enjoyed it. It had a lovely setting, a great story and I immediately liked Cassie.

Thank you to NetGalley and Aria for my copy.

An easy, light hearted read by an author who is local to me. I'm keen to read more of her books, and have recommended this to many people at my library.

My first book by this author and I was lucky to be offered a place on the blog tour for its release. It's a fabulous lighthearted romp through village life. Some larger than life characters and a squirrel in a bowl of custard! Really enjoyed this book - it would make a perfect holiday. Looking forward to the next blog tour for this author which I am also taking part in.

When a book holds my interest, I generally read it within one to two days. Sometimes I stay up until the wee hours of the morning as I cannot put the book down. I started reading this book over a month ago and it just did not hold my interest. Since I received an advanced copy, I felt obligated to finish the book but it was a slow read.

A cute book with an interesting plot. Although it is a simple and somewhat predictable story, I found fascinating that it also dealt with some heavy issues such as adultery, sexuality, midlife crisis, land development on the countryside and betrayal.
My favourite part was Cassie's trip to Mexico and the vacation that she took there. It made me travel...

This is a warm and witty novel with plenty of characters to amuse and enough meat in the plot to keep you reading with interest. You are on Cassie's side from the beginning when her life seems to fall apart and she realises that she can't take anyone at face value. Her teenage children soon give her more to worry about. With her feet on the ground, she tries to make sense of her life. I particularly enjoyed her efforts at school as she tried to keep her head above water as the new headteacher.

Cassie's family provide plenty of heart-warming and humorous moments, none more so than Cassie's mother, Paula, who refers to her daughter as Cassandra Moonbeam and who has an unconventional take on life. There are some surprises lurking in the background which are completely unexpected (at least to me) but as you reach the end, you look back and join up quite a few dots which you may have disregarded before. The plotting is spot on. Just the job for a holiday read, this will keep you amused to the end.

In short: Warm, witty, endearing

Thanks to the author for a copy of the book

I read this book back in December 2018, and it is one which has stayed with me, so I am delighted to get the chance to revise my review.

Cassie Beresford is looking forward to a night out with her husband, her friends and their partners. About to begin her new job as deputy head teacher, the last thing she needs is her life imploding .. but hey, this is just the beginning!

This was my first novel by Julie Houston. Whilst it is a stand-alone read, it is followed by several others where the same characters pop up from time to time. Throughout them all I have soaked up the author's witty style of writing, disturbing my husband as I giggled so much that the bed shook, spluttered over various cups of coffee and even had a coughing fit from inhaling toast whilst reading. The story line is well planned, flows easily, is extremely enjoyable, and the icing on top is most definitely the wonderful humour. Julie is superbly funny and I found myself wondering why she hadn't been snapped up to write sit-coms for tv - trust me, they would be a guaranteed hit! Her character development is spot-on and on the basis of reading this book I have gone on to read all the rest; in fact, her forthcoming one is on my reading list for May. I truly adore everything about this book, and cannot recommend it (and her others) highly enough. Easily a five star sparkling read!

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley, and to Vicky Joss for my place in this blog tour. This is - as always - my honest, original and unbiased review.

A Village Affair has plenty of drama and humour which keeps you turning the pages. A story about finding your inner strength and marching onwards, I enjoyed the interaction between Cassie and her family, and how her children blossomed as the book progressed.

Thanks to Aria Fiction for a gifted digital copy via NetGalley, my thoughts are my own.

This is the first book I’ve read by Julie Houston and I thoroughly enjoyed this story.

I’ve worked in education in both primary and secondary schools over the past 12 years and loved the school scenes.

The book deals with relationships, parenting, new jobs, environmental concerns in an uplifting way.

Looking forward to reading more books by Julie.

Ah, I often wished if life were a fiction. But not in the case of Cassie and her life.

Her love life was the most twisted thing I had read in recent times. First, her husband had an affair with her best friend, then came her mother who threw a shocker of a bomb about the next guy she fell in love with. This was Cassie’s journey post her marriage break-up.

My first book by author Julie Houston, the writing was delightful, the characters varied and exciting. Every chapter brought its own caper to light. That book was hopping. I had to admit, post breakup Cassie lived a fuller life, like being on a roller coaster.

The writing was soothing and kept the story alive. Cassie life was well depicted, giving me glimpses of her mother’s POV too. Humor and warm moments interspersed with the angry ones that I felt for the wanker of a husband and the so called best friend. The book pulled at my emotions even when I wanted to be side-lined.

The words had a sweet power to them, and Cassandra was a well developed protagonist with her own band of friends. Too bad, the best friend did not realize friends before men!! The story turned directions in the last section, and I had to read it with bated breath to get to the truth. Would Cassie get her love?

Really enjoyed this book - it's the second book I've read this month by the author Julie Houston and I loved the subtle references to the other book - I need to see if there are others in the same series she has written.

It's a well-researched book with a lot of little twists and turns that kept it fresh and inviting and enjoyable.

It has been a long while for me, but it was good to be back in Midhope in this all new story, focusing on Cassie Beresford.

It can easily be read as a standalone, but there are familiar faces to those who have been reading other books from the author.

And what a story this was, I can't believe how many story lines and threads where packed into this book. There is a lot going on and never a dull moment.

We have cheating husbands, questions of parenthood, sexuality, a campaign again a development, a hilarious hen party, best friends. and new love. All of it executed in such a way that you can't help but be drawn into Cassie's life and enjoy seeing just bump in the road she may encounter next!

For nothing seems to run smoothly in this story for anyone, which keeps the reader on their toes at all times. Even the characters you want to dislike on the whole are shown to have another side to them.

I really enjoyed Julie Houston's writing, and everything about this story. I just regret that I'd had the book on my kindle for about a year before starting to read it, which given how much I liked the book, I now feel very guilty about.

Thank you to Aria and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

What a wonderful book, and one I found hard to put down. At first I did find the jumping back into the past chapters a little distracting, and didn't like it, but glad I stayed with the story, as it did make sense at the end. The main character is Cassie, who finds out her husband has been cheating on her with her best friend for a couple of years. Angry and hurt, she finds out the next day that the school where she is hired has lost their head teacher and so she has been promoted. A lot on her plate. Then, a wealthy landowner has decided he wants to build over all the beautiful fields and also build a ski hill. Not the best idea in rural England. With her wacky mother Paula and daughter on a mission to stop the building, and dealing with her friends who are still friends with the cheater, and deal with the issues of running a school she is never left time to relax, until she heads to Mexico for a week. There she runs into Xavier, the son of the wealthy landowner back home, and they hit it off. Would highly recommend this story and author. fun read.

What happens when the bottom of your perfect life falls out spectacularly? Cassie Beresford, new deputy head at a lovely village primary school, finds out in the worst way when her husband’s affair with her “best friend” is revealed at a public event in the village.

This charming and very funny novel tells how irrepressible Cassie copes with it all ... supporting her two teenagers, being promoted to head teacher, even dealing with possible new love. A warm, wonderful, feel-good-hug of a book. 5/5

Pub Date 06 Nov 2018.

Thanks to the author, Aria and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are mine.

#AvillageAffair #NetGalley

Surprisingly a super book. I was really into the book until the middle, when my interest dropped. I couldn’t understand the background of Paula, free going mother of Cassandra Moonbeam the main character. I continued reading rather than give up. I am so glad I finished the book. I can relate a little with each character. Even if you can’t relate to any of the characters you will get emotional to the storyline. I highly recommend this book.

You’ll know by now that I’m not always a pushover for romantic comedies – and when I saw that this book included a glorious love object, a squirrel in the school pink custard and goolies in the cellar, I did start to doubt that it would be entirely one I’d love. But the humour was totally spot-on for me, and perfectly judged – add in farmer’s wife and friend Fiona and her unguarded comments, Lithuanian lollipop lady Deimante and her grasp of English, and the most wonderful little vignettes of school life, and this book often had me quite helpless with laughter.

But the author has a quite perfect touch and sense of balance – although you’re never that many pages away from the next laugh, the whole book is also poignant and touching, a really engaging story full of unexpected twists and turns, a strong and believable love story, a tale of corporate greed, a family drama with some real edge, and so very much more. And it’s all shot through with a strong sense of place, some wonderfully drawn characters, and a real flavour of Yorkshire that just couldn’t fail to win my heart.

Cassie is a magnificent focus for the story, with her many different faces – Mrs Beresford to the children at Little Acorns, Cassandra Moonbeam thanks to her gloriously eccentric (and rather wonderful) mother, Cass to her errant husband Mark, mum to her family, Cassie only to her lovely circle of friends. She made me laugh, she sometimes made me cheer, she made me really worry for her, she frequently made me want to give her a big hug – and I really wanted, rather against the odds at times, for her to have the happy ending she so thoroughly deserved.

This review is part of a rather massive blog tour – and you’ll read far better and more thorough reviews than mine of this lovely book. But you’re very unlikely to find a reviewer who enjoyed it more than I did. I loved this book without reservation.

Cassie Beresford is living a pretty good life. She’s happily married to Mark, has been promoted in Little Acorns, the school where she teaches and has a great bunch of friends.
She is totally floored when she discovers her marriage is not so happy after all, her promotion is doubled as she unexpectedly becomes the head teacher in school and one of her friends isn’t so great!
As if she hasn’t enough to deal with, there’s also the Bamforth family. They plan to develop every piece of greenery in her hometown, much to the dismay of the locals, in particular, her Grandad Norman.
This book is hard to put down, the characters are likable, and it is funny. There are so many laugh out loud moments. I loved the relationships Carrie has with her friends. I haven’t read anything from Julie Houston before but I certainly will be now. She has such a lovely style of writing.

5☆ A Wonderfully Warm and Endearing Read

A Village Affair is a warm, endearing story of betrayal, new beginnings, starting over and friendship.

Cassie is happily married to Mark... well at least she thought she was.
That is until her whole world comes crashing down, when she finds out her husband has been having an AFFAIR with her Best Friend for the past 2years!!

Cassie is absolutely devastated. But with two teenage kids to look after and a brand new promotion to Head Teacher, she has no choice but to dust herself off and carry on.

Cassie has been thrown in at the deep end with the Head Teacher position at Little Acorns Primary School. But I think it's come just at the right time.
I can so relate to all the school drama, I'm a qualified nursery nurse and all the teacher drama happens... it's why I avoided the staff room lol

I also loved learning about Cassie's upbringing and childhood.
Her Mum Paula is such a quirky, eccentric and indeed an endearing character, her story certainly makes an impact.

There are so many touching moments, but also many laugh out loud moments, it had me smiling throughout.
I adored all of the characters, well apart from love rat Mark and Tina the ex friend of course!
The characters are beautifully written, they're strong and unique you can't help routing for them to suceed.

A village Affair is a totally absorbing read that's beautifully written, full of warmth, charm, humour, a Compelling and heart warming plot that I didn't want to put down.

This is my first book by Julie Houston and can't wait for her next book! She's definitely going on my to watch out for list.

So the big Question....Would I recommend reading this Gorgeous Book...100%.....YES!!

Thank you to Victoria from Aria for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Sparkling with hilarity, humour and heart, Julie Houston’s A Village Affair is a delicious bucolic romp that will make readers smile and have them gleefully turning the pages of this uplifting, feel-good and captivating read.

Cassie Bereseford’s life is as close to perfect as it is possible to get. She has been married for over twenty years, has a close circle of friends and has landed her dream job as a deputy head at Little Acorns, her local idyllic village primary school. Everything seems to be coming up roses for Cassie – until at the village charity action her husband’s infidelity comes to light. As if the humiliation and the knowledge that her husband was doing the dirty on her with one of her closest friends isn’t enough, Cassie finds herself having to contend with another massive disaster – she needs to step into the breach and fill the vacant head teacher position which has suddenly become available and fight to death to keep ruthless developers from destroying the beautiful rural landscape! Poor Cassie has got enough to cope with, she certainly does not need this massive millstone around her neck, however, she is determined not to let anybody down, so she rolls up her sleeves and begins to get ready for the fight of her life. But luckily for her, Cassie finds support from some unexpected quarters…

Cassie isn’t sure she can cope with any more disasters. Not only does she have to juggle the challenges of her demanding job and try to recover from her husband’s devastating betrayal, but she has got teenage kids to keep on the straight and narrow, ebullient family and friends who seem to thrive on drama and a surprising attraction to deal with. Having struck romance off the agenda, will Cassie end up finding the happiness that has eluded her for so long?

Are all of Cassie’s dreams about to come true? Or is she merely setting herself up for yet another fall?

A Village Affair is a wonderful read that I absolutely adored! Julie Houston writes like a dream and has penned an entertaining and engrossing novel that simply shines with warmth and charm. A fantastic tale of second chances, fresh starts and the curve-balls life throws our way, A Village Affair has at its heart a believable heroine we can all relate to, a gorgeous cast of supporting characters, an idyllic setting and plenty of hilarious moments guaranteed to make readers laugh out loud.

Julie Houston will capture readers’ hearts with A Village Affair and I cannot wait to see what else this funny, astute and intelligent writer has got in store for us in the hopefully not too distant future.