Here Come the Girls [Paperback]

Another fabulous book from the extremely talented Milly Johnson. Milly writes her books in such a realistic and down to earth way, they entice you in right from the start and you just can't put them down, shutting the outside world out completely.

Milly has an amazing way of making the characters in her books turn into your best friends, with a little bit of my own friends in each of them. I laughed out loud many many times while reading this book, with some hilarious moments that kept me grinning all day and still make me smile now when I think about them.

I absolutely loved this book and while I couldn't wait to get to the end to find out what happened, was also a little sad that this particular adventure was over. Milly can't write quick enough for me! I discovered her first book `A Spring Affair' which for me was quite a life changer and rushed online to buy all her others and enjoyed them all as much as the first.

`Here Come The Girls' - her fifth novel - is pure delight, hysterical at times, full of every emotion possible and a real treat to read. I've never wanted to go on a cruise before in my life, but it has certainly got me wishing I could take my best mates on a no expenses barred trip. What a whale of a time we would have had too!

Straight away, I loved this book and its characters. We begin by meeting the 4 women when they are 16 year old girls, all best friends and keen to cement their future as such. I enjoyed this as I felt it was a good start to cement the friendship between the ladies, and also makes the division between Frankie and Roz more shocking, because its hard to believe anything could separate the women! Johnson doesn't immediately tell us what went on between them, but as snippets are revealed, we can all hazard a guess as to why they aren't speaking, and I was right. I really liked the way Johnson handled it, and as the story progressed it was very touching how things went between the women.

Ven was a great character, and somewhat the leader of the pack due to the fact she was controlling the cruise and its prizes. I really liked her, she is clearly hiding a secret throughout the book and things weren't revealed until right at the end which I liked as it kept me guessing. I actually didn't manage to guess the answer, so I was pleased Johnson managed to keep it a surprise for me! I really liked Ven, she copes well despite the trouble she has faced in her life, and she's come through a stronger woman which I think is good. Olive is somewhat different to the other women, she's married but trapped in a loveless marriage that feels more like a prison. You can really feel sorry for her and its nice to see her come to life as she goes on the cruise and escapes her awful husband and mother in law.

Each of the women have had their issues in their past, and also Olive who is struggling with her present too, and all of these are something women reading this might be able to relate to, and this is exactly what I love in Milly Johnson's novels. They are believable, they are realistic and the characters in them, you can imagine being your friends or women you know. I like how Johnson tells us of their pasts without delving too deeply into it, just enough to give the reader the sense of their trouble, and it makes you even more determined that their cruise is going to be enjoyable! There are some great sub-plots going on with Olive's and Roz's male other halves that are dotted throughout the book, and provide a little break from the cruising ladies, enough just to ground you for a while!

You can tell Johnson has done her research regarding cruises because she writes so well and clearly about it, you can imagine you are on board the grand ship with the ladies, and certainly makes you envious when you're sat at home on your sofa reading about gorgeous 3 course dinners, fun belly dancing classes and the odd handsome love interest too! Cruise life sounds like absolute bliss, and I also loved the places Johnson visits along the way. She writes them very vividly, and you can visualise the beautiful islands and lovely sunshine as you read, perfect for these chilly nights! I did love the cruise aspect, and since I've never read a book on a cruise ship it was really interesting!

Overall, this is a fantastic book that I couldn't put down and I can't recommend it highly enough. There is a lot going on throughout the book to keep you entertained, whether its on board the ship or docked on the gorgeous Mediterranean islands, and the stories with the characters keep you hoping for a happy ending for everyone too. All 4 of the women are believable and lovely characters, and the use of third person narrative works perfectly to allow it to chop and change between the characters. I loved every page, and luckily for fans of Milly, she is back this autumn with another release An Autumn Crush! There's something about Milly's book which just get into your head and heart and if you haven't discovered her yet, then you really must. A brilliant read!

This is my first novel by Milly Johnson and will not be my last. I thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish. Very easy reading and I did not want to put it down, or for the story to end. I loved the storyline following of the 4 girls from teens to adulthood, giving a true to life account of their experiences through their early life into their forties and their ups and downs. I thought it was so funny in places and could not stop laughing, my husband wondered what I was reading (had some very strange looks) and it was also very sad. I also love cruising although, I have not been on many yet and it was so true in the sort of people that you meet and life on board, it is such an amazing experience. Not sure, which one to read next, but cannot wait.