The Magnificent Mrs. Mayhew was a surprise! I fell in love with Sophie and was rooting for her to triumph from the first pages of the story. She was an interesting character who, when she finally had had enough of her situation playing the ' trophy wife', did the unexpected rather then conform to what her family and husband wanted. She finally takes her destiny in hand and realizes what her life could truly be like. I'm not sure that women in today's world would have supported Sophie's early life choices, but they would applaud her in the end.
Bravo Sophie and bravo Milly Johnson for sharing a delightful story!

Sophie Mayhew has always been an enigma, at least according to the tabloids. However, after her husband John, a major political player in the House of Commons, has an affair come to light, Sophie responds with an outburst during a press conference that leaves little doubt as to how she feels. From there, it’s as though a dam has burst, and she can’t help but escape to a world away from the spotlight, where she knows no one. And yet, somehow, it just might be the community where she feels at home for the first time.

Often the most interesting things in politics occur offstage, and author Milly Johnson more than knows that. At its core, her newest book is a political novel, examining power— how it’s gained, how it’s shared, and, perhaps most importantly, who can use it over another person. Johnson’s Commons is filled with backdoor dealings, nefarious luncheons, and affairs left and right.

Even with such a dark backdrop, Johnson finds a refreshing antidote: Sophie Mayhew herself. Often the doormat of her family, used as a crutch to prop up her husband and his political prospects, the beginning of the book finds her plummeting toward an imminent crash due to her husband’s actions. Some of these chapters are almost painful as she navigates a world that’s more concerned with image than substance. But that’s not to suggest the opening is unenjoyable by any stretch. Sophie has to appear at her lowest in order to go on a complete journey.

When she disappears from her London home and reappears in a Yorkshire seaside town, though, that’s when Johnson’s work really shines. The drab political banter is cast aside in favor of Sophie searching for exactly what she wants for once.

The result is a complex, funny, and heartfelt saga of discovery. Sophie is pulled into a comforting world so far outside of her usual zone. It’s a tight-knit community, mostly centered around a few grounded denizens who form a quasi-family for Sophie. They’re charming and comforting, but there’s an added bit of tension that Sophie will have to return to her former life at any time.

Above all, Johnson deserves praise for her characters— their realistic portrayals hold such broad and difficult concepts together. Johnson understands people in all their funny, sad, complicated, human ways. The result is an absolutely satisfying journey for the magnificent Sophie Mayhew.

Sophie Mayhew is married to an English politician who is poised for great things, hopefully to be the next P.M. Devoted Sophie is the perfect spouse. She is intelligent, beautiful, supportive and kind with a tragedy in her past. She is the one who shows compassion for her husband's constituents and stands by his side to enhance his profile.

However, Sophie, though well-educated and seemingly perfectly suited for this role, is quite unhappy. Things come to a crisis point (no spoiler as this happens early in the novel), when she learns of her husband's second affair. Groomed carefully on what to say to the media, Sophie instead says what she wants and of course, chaos results.

Sophie escapes to the one place where she had been happy, lives under an alias and begins to know what she wants for herself and to feel entitled to this. Along the way, she forms friendships and a potential romantic relationship. However....Sophie knows that she must return home. What will happen then?

This is a delightful escapist read so, of course, readers can imagine what will happen. Still, getting there is enjoyable and I very much enjoyed this light read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.

The Magnificent Mrs. Mayhew is a delightful story that will inspire Sophie to rediscover herself again.
Sophie Mayhew is the perfect political housewife. She never does anything wrong, always perfect that it makes you wonder why her husband cheats. I definitely know that he is just ungraceful and selfish that he only cares for his self. And you can see it throughout the book. And Sophie does see when she discover he cheated again and it is becoming a huge scandal in the world. Some may think that she is weak but she was raise early on to be a perfect housewife no matter what. Her upbringing was only about that, nothing else. It's kinda sad to hear but you can only hope for that she wakes up and change something. And she does when she expose her whole truth. It may upset her family but who care. She has feelings and forget about forgiving. And that's what makes Sophie realize that she needs to leave right away.And she does.
She finally discover what she needs and who she is. It is a process for her but it takes time. And it does for Sophie. She gets to know who she is and what makes her happy. And her old life is not what she wants.
I definitely appreciate how it shows how she rediscover herself again. It's a progress but discovering yourself will always take time.
Three Star

I loved Sophie and her story. She was a politicians wife who was trained to do whatever it took to be successful. The beginning of the story went between Sophie of today and Sophie at boarding school when she was young. I loved both timelines and I enjoyed how they reconnected with the help of fate. My only quibble with the story was it took too long for Sophie to rebel and live her own life. Since the book blurbs tell you she leaves, this isn't a spoiler and the best part of the book is her escape to the small village where she went to school. A great read. Millie Johnson has written numerous book but this is the first I've read. I'll need to rethink that. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Milly Johnson is a new-to-me author, and at about 1/3 of the way through The Magnificent Mrs. Mayhew I went onto my library's Overdrive system and immediately put everything they own of hers on my wishlist. I'd say that's a pretty hearty endorsement!

Sophie Mayhew, wife of political up-and-comer John Mayhew, flees to a small town following her husband’s affair. Seeking a respite from a life that only appeared perfect from the outside, Sophie finds community and friendship but must figure out where she truly belongs.

The wonderfully written characters and smart, sassy writing made this a standout for me in the summer of 2019. I think many of my IG followers would enjoy this one, and I can't wait to read more by Johnson! Thank you so much for this ARC.

The Magnificent Mrs. Mayhew is a first read of Milly Johnson for me - but it won't be my last!

Sophie has been brought up to stifle her emotions and 'do her duty'. That duty doesn't include herself. Instead she is to support her husband, a politician who has a good shot of being Prime Minister. She has always done what is necessary to help his career. After all, he loves her - doesn't he?

Until....Doorstepgate.....the day that Trophy Sophie has had enough. Enough of her husband, their families and not enough of herself. She runs away to the only place she truly remembers being herself - and being happy. To a small village by the sea. (Who doesn't want to live in a village by the sea?!

The first few chapters have a lot of political machinations and descriptions - not my favorite. But it does give us an idea of what Sophie is living with and shy she rebels. (In fine fashion!)

The real treat is when she lands in the village. The village is home to many quaint shops, kind and generous villagers - and a handsome vicar and his son.... Uh huh, there is most definitely some attraction there.

I loved Milly as a lead character - the reader can't help but feel outraged at how her family and husband treat her. (And they are quite despicably well depicted) And hope that that little spark inside her can grow. The supporting cast in the village is simply wonderful - you can't help but wish you lived there! Johnson develops the Sophie romantic sub plot at the just the right speed - as friends with no agenda. There are also some other relationships in the village that need repair and these too are well depicted. There's a wee touch of magic in an old house as well that makes you wonder.....

And although the book builds towards it and the reader has an inkling of what it might be, the ending is simply perfect! I wonder if there could be more stories from this Yorkshire village?

Jenny Colgan is one of my go-to's for feel good reading. I've added Milly Johnson to that list as well!

I was unable to read this book. I found it boring. Thanks to the publisher for my advance ebook. Sorry I can not honestly review this book.

Sophie Mayhew was the wife of popular MP John F Mayhew. Sophie and John were like the British version of the Kennedy`s and the press called her the magnificent Mrs Mayhew.I really felt for Sophie, she was stuck in a family who were only bothered about appearances. I felt sorry for her.She was an intrigued heroine!All the casting was great and the writing was fantastic!I find the story captivating!

The Magnificent Mrs. Mayhew turned out to be a really fun read, and I was really happy with the way this book ended. I wasn't too sure at the beginning, actually the first two-thirds, as there are a host of characters in this book that were just truly awful to Sophie and were so self-centered. I stuck with it and it turned out to be a sweet story at the end with characters to whom I could relate.

The way the story was set-up, you knew something big was going to happen with doorstepgate, but it took a bit of time getting here. In hindsight, the background information leading to that disaster was important and necessary, and I really liked the flashback episodes to when Sophie was young and at boarding school with the rich and wealthy kids, and the story does come full circle which made me happy. I really enjoyed Sophie's character and the way the author developed her personality throughout the book. I liked watching her learn to take her life back from those people who are sucking the life out of her with their needs and wants and Sophie deciding she doesn't want to deal with it anymore and wants something for herself. Her character really grew on me after the 'episode' and she could truly be herself for the first time in a long time. The other characters Sophie meets while running away were also interesting and I liked them all. I tend to like quirky characters so I especially liked Marshall and Roger and Sophie's interactions with them. You could finally see her natural ability to draw people out, and if she had been given a chance, she would have been amazing in her role as a political wife instead of being thought of as a Trophy Wife.

The plot itself was enjoyable, even if you could see what would happen almost right from the beginning. So, yes, it was a bit predictable, but the writing was so good that it didn't really matter. And I have to say I loved doorstepgate a lot!!! However, my favourite scene in the book actually had to do with Edward and his big bomb given during dinner as it came out of the blue. While you could have predicted what would happen with Sophie, this was a bit of a surprise and I loved it. Wish I could have been a fly on the wall afterwards. There are some deeper discussions about God in this book, but I think they fit in perfectly as Sophie was trying to figure out who she was and what she wanted so the philosophical discussions worked. Plus, the author does ask some profound questions: Would you be able to stick by someone who cheated one you and still be true to yourself? Are you happy with what you are doing? Are you content to be someone's trophy? How much should you put up with? It doesn't matter what you do, but your morals and values should never be compromised - some deep thoughts on that too.

The Magnificent Mrs. Mayhew definitely asks some interesting questions through Sophie's flight and attempt to get control over her own life. I thought the story was enjoyable and I definitely liked the characters from the village who helped Sophie when she escaped from her political life. The author was definitely trying to be philosophical, asking questions about morals and values versus power and the corrupting influence of power. It definitely made you think. And while I thought this book was fun, and I would definitely recommend it, I don't think it quite lived up to some of the author's previous books. So if you haven't read any, get out there and do so.

I loved this book, and now I can’t wait to read Milly Johnson’s other books! The book is very well written and the character development is excellent. Once I started reading. I did not want to put it down. Thank you so very much for the free advance copy!

When was the last time you couldn't get enough of a book and wanted to devour it in one sitting, yet when you were finished, you were sad? That happened for me with Milly Johnson's newest book, The Magnificent Mrs. Mayhew. I wasn't familiar with Johnson's writing, but apparently she's known as "the Queen of Feel-Good Fiction" in the UK, and boy, they're not kidding!

Sophie Mayhew was raised to believe that a woman's purpose is to serve her husband, that the best thing she can do as a wife is to be a supportive and valuable spouse. And that's exactly what she has done for the last 14 years for her husband. John F. Mayhew is immensely handsome, politically shrewd, and ruthlessly ambitious, and with his glamorous, intelligent wife "Sophie the Trophy" by his side, he's one step away from becoming prime minister.

Sophie remembers when her relationship with John was full of passion rather than photo opportunities, spontaneity rather than scheduled appearances and carefully scripted remarks. But this is the role she agreed to, so even if she has had to sacrifice the things that bring her joy, even if her husband and her own family don't appreciate her for anything more than being the dutiful wife, she knows she is key to her husband's success. Even if the public and the media scrutinize her every move, her every outfit, her every expression, John is destined for greatness. That should be enough for her.

Then one day, scandal breaks. Sophie hears the allegations and is sad and angry, but not totally surprised. John's PR specialist assures them the scandal will go away quickly once Sophie lets the world know she stands faithfully by her man. Yet for some reason, Sophie can't bring herself to recite her prepared remarks and toe the line she always has. Instead, the words that spill out are spontaneous—and certainly not what John or his team wants anyone to hear. When everyone begins closing ranks around her to mitigate the damage, Sophie decides to flee to a small town on the coast where she spent the best summer of her life as a teenager.

"Sophie the Trophy was hardly known for being her own woman. If anything, she was the enemy of strong women. She existed in the shadow of her husband, she was good enough to work for him but not good enough to be given a wage for it. She bowed to his will, and for her pains he humiliated her in the worst way possible while lecturing the British public on keeping their own houses in order."

Sophie changes her appearance and assumes a new name, and hopes to keep a low profile. But she is shocked at how friendly the townspeople are, and how quickly they are to provide her food, supplies, smiles, simply because they recognize a person in need of help. For the first time in years, she starts to feel appreciated for her personality and her gifts, not scrutinized and criticized at every turn. And she realizes how horribly she's been mistreated, not only by her husband, but by her own family.

As she befriends Tracey, the owner of the local pub, and her brother, Elliott, the vicar, she comes to terms with the sacrifices she has made in her life. She doesn't know if she's ready to give up everything, or if she still loves her husband, but she knows that she feels freer and happier. As her feelings become more complicated, she knows she can't stay forever, but she doesn't know if she can step back into her old role, or if she's willing to give up everything she's known in order to really be herself.

"Kindness was not a weakness, it was an essential part of being a human being, a gift to be bestowed upon others, a strength."

Nothing that happens in The Magnificent Mrs. Mayhew is surprising; you've certainly seen this story before. But Johnson has created characters that you'll want to root for and characters you'll loathe, and I for one couldn't get enough of this book. Watching Sophie blossom on her own and realize she could have a life where she could make her own decisions and do what makes her happy for once was heartwarming, and I loved her interactions with Tracey, Elliott, Luke, and others.

If you like "feel-good fiction" then be sure to pick up a copy of The Magnificent Mrs. Mayhew. I read the entire book in a matter of hours, and now I'm missing the characters!

I was fortunate to be part of the blog tour for this book. Thanks to Gallery Books, Simon & Schuster, and NetGalley for giving me an advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review! See a Spotlight/Excerpt from the book at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2019/07/spotlightexcerpt-magnificent-mrs-mayhew.html.

Why have I never read Milly Johnson before? THE MAGNIFICENT MRS. MAYHEW was such a funny book, but also dealt with some tough issues. My heart broke for Sophie and what those closest to her put her through. Her nickname in the press is Sophie the Trophy. Her husband, John is high up in politics and plans to keep on climbing the ladder until he hits the top rung. He is very good at his job, but not so good at being a husband. He has been unfaithful more than once and it’s about to be made public.

John and his team try to put out the fire before it hits. All THE MAGNIFICENT MRS. MAYHEW has to do is get before the press and tell them what a wonderful husband John is and tell them she is standing by her man as she has always done in the past. But Sophie has had enough. She is tired of being kicked and put down. When she gets in front of the microphones, she tells them how vile John is. Hang on tight readers, Sophie is about to make some big changes in her life and keep you entertained until the very last page. There are also quite a few surprises along the way that will have you cheering for all of these wonderful characters. Well, except for her husband John! THE MAGNIFICENT MRS. MAYHEW is filled with girl power and kept me giggling throughout! Nothing like revenge at its finest.

THE MAGNIFICENT MRS. MAYHEW will be very hard for you to put down. If you are like me, you won’t be able to stop until you know what happens to Sophie and John. What would you do if God finally brought you your soulmate, while you are unavailable and then took him away? Make yourself a cup of coffee or tea get your favorite blanket and get on the couch. THE MAGNIFICENT MRS. MAYHEW is an awesome way to spend the afternoon or evening. Once you start reading, you won’t be able to put it down and will find yourself cheering for Sophie and hoping she can find her true self and be happy once and for all. Milly Johnson will pull you in from the very first page and never let you go! I loved every page of this book and she is now one of my auto buy authors! I’m so excited to go back and read ALL of Milly Johnson’s previous books!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Gallery Books through Netgalley. All opinions expressed are my own and were voluntarily given.

The Magnificent Mrs. Mayhew is a lovely story about a woman who seemingly has it all. Her husband is successful and charming--his political ambitions have lead them close to 10 Downing Street--and her glamorous lifestyle is the envy of women all over the country. When an indiscretion comes to light, it is naturally assumed that Sophie will stand behind her husband and help him to weather the controversy, but when push comes to shove, Sophie makes a momentary decision that could destroy her husband's career. In the wake of the scandal, she flees to a small village to clear her head. As she settles into her temporary haven, she meets people who genuinely care about her, and for the first time in a long time, she must decide who she is and what she wants from life.

I fell in love with this story! As the book opened, I was instantly drawn into the story and into Sophie's life. I liked how Sophie is a multi-faceted character. To her husband and family, she appears to be obedient and steadfast, always there when she's needed. To the British public, she appears cold and lifeless, just a face at her husband's side. But to the readers of her story, we see her softer side as we understand how she came to be who she is, and we see her internal dialogue struggle with who she appears to be, and who she wants to be. The other characters are interesting and enjoyable as well, but it's really a story about Sophie.

As the book progresses, Sophie is stuck between two worlds--a ritzy city lifestyle and a low-key small town experience. I enjoyed the descriptions of both places, but I really enjoyed the way the small coastal village was described. It made me want to visit there! I also appreciated the plot pacing. It moved steadily, and I was never bored or struggling to keep up with what was going on. I had a hunch about how the book would end, but I was never entirely sure that it was actually going to end that way until I finished the book.

Overall, I really enjoyed this character-driven story! It's a lighter read that still has a great amount of depth, and I will probably read it again in the future.

A big thanks to Milly Johnson, Galley Books, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and honestly review this book!

Sophie Mayhew is one of my top favorite characters this year. She’s amazing. This book is the perfect summertime beach read. It’s not too heavy plotted, the characters are extremely well-developed, and it has the perfect amount of drama.

Sophie Mayhew is the wife of a politician. As John F. Mayhew climbs the political ranks, Sophie becomes more and more ornamental. She is there to make her husband look good. She is not to have emotion, she is not to veer from the written speeches, she is arm candy. She is described by reporters and tabloids as “aloof, cold, unapproachable”. She always does what she is supposed to do, even though it doesn’t feel right in her heart. But when Sophie finds out about a serious indiscretion made by her husband, all the rules fly out the window. Sophie has always had a bit of a rebellious streak and a kind heart and I was so relieved when Sophie ran away to a small beach town to clear her head. Once there, she becomes engrossed in the town and its occupants. She makes friends, she receives kind gestures from strangers, and she meets a little boy who steals her heart. The best part is no one there knows who she is.

The book alternates between the present time and 18 years ago when Sophie was in school. I liked it because the reader gets small glimpses into Sophie’s past as the book goes on, and often times those snippets relate to what is happening in her current life.

Sophie completely changes from the start of the story to the end, and that change is for the better. Once she realizes what it’s like to have true friends and real people to talk to, she begins to question everything she has done in her life. She finds joy in the small things in life and she realizes what big dreams she had for herself before she became Sophie the Trophy. I absolutely loved her. She is brave, kind, easy to talk to, and just has a truly wonderful soul. This is one of those stories that makes the reader root for the main character all the way through. There were definitely times that I thought “no, Sophie, don’t make that stupid decision!” because I really wanted her to do the best thing for herself, instead of catering to others all the time.

All in all, this book was amazing. Five star read. I would like to thank NetGalley and Galley Books for the opportunity to review this book in exchange for a free copy.

Quite honestly, the cover of the book (which drew me in) did not seem to match with the writing/plot/characters. However, once I got used to the story and the author's way of writing, I came to enjoy the storyline.

I loved this book. Some women take on the world face to face, with a hardscrabble attitude, testing their limits in an “in your face” kind of way. I just finished a great book by Katherine Center and I admit to be in awe of her heroine.

In Milly Johnson’s latest book, The Magnificent Mrs. Mayhew, the heroine’s personality is totally antithetical. She is called a cold fish and lacking in emotion. She was tutored to be the finishing touch to a successful man, a very pretty ornament. She is a champion of the quiet order despite being marginalized by all around her. Seeing her truth makes her immensely human, completely likable and the most respectable, by a long mile, of all the reprobates surrounding her.

Sophie Calladine Mayhew throws out a quote from Macbeth that alerted me to the nastiness that was approaching. Caught up in the spider’s web of British politics with a sh*t of a husband who cares only about becoming the next lodger at 10 Downing Street, this heroine is thrown to the wolves, the undeserving, the malicious gossips, and the deviant political forces. She can trust no one, least of all any member of her family. This is a great story about the corruption of raw political power, about men who feel they are entitled to anyone and anything and one very bright, very damaged, very frightened and very brave woman who can tumble the pile.

Thank you NetGalley and Gallery, Pocket Books for a copy.

This is one of the best chic lit/rom-com/soft romance book I've read on this year! It deserved full four stars!

Lately I have seen so many bad examples of self awakening and discovery books about taking the control of your own life and embrace all the challenges to test how strong you are and how your survival skills endure.But I'm so happy to say that book is great, smartly written, sarcastic, funny., enjoyable, heartwarming and definitely adorable one!

This is my first book of Milly Johnson.. As I read several reviews , I realized this is different from her previous works but thankfully I enjoyed her writing style, characterizations, story pacing. This book is inspirational and spiritual by testing our beliefs and second chances of life.

I hate the mother and sisters at first and I completely understood why Sophie is being called `Cinderella` which perfectly make sense !
I loved Sophie's transformation and seeing her strength and determination and of course I loved Vicar a lot!
Don't forget her friend Tracey! There are really great and memorable characters on this book.

I enjoyed romance parts and ending! So as a summary: I loved it a lot. It was a great escape after reading too much thriller books . It felt like fresh air to my soul.

Special thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me this wonderful as exchange of my honest review! I honestly enjoyed so much!

I had a hard time getting into this one. The beginning doesn’t really grab you but I’m glad I stuck with it because it’s a great story. Sophie’s journey is believable and realistic. Could very well be from the diary of some woman right now. I enjoyed how her life changed when stepping out of the spotlight and into every day life. Very sweet.