A Family Affair: the irresistibly funny, heartwarming new read from bestselling author Julie Houston

Julie Houston

Jun 2021 · Head of Zeus Ltd

About this ebook

'A joyful, feel-good story with characters you'll love. Bravo!' - Faith Hogan, bestselling author of The Ladies' Midnight Swimming Club

'Full of heart – a joyful read' - Mandy Baggot, bestselling author of Staying Out for the Summer

'The perfect mix of love, family and friendship – a lovely, engaging read' - Bella Osborne, bestselling author of The Library

Joining the family business was never going to be easy...

Frankie Piccione is done running away from her responsibilities – well, for now, anyway. Two years after fleeing Westenbury with a shattered heart, it's time to return and take up her place on the board of the family business. Piccione's Pickles and Preserves is floundering, and Frankie knows she can turn it around.

But with her brother Luca and the new, rather attractive, Cameron Mancini watching her every move, she's going to have to come up with something special to persuade them that she belongs on the board just as much as they do.

With the help of her Aunt Pam and best friend Daisy, Frankie begins to thrive with her new sense of purpose. Until someone from her past walks right back into her life and threatens to ruin everything...

Perfect for fans of Heidi Swain, Milly Johnson and Cathy Bramley.

Praise for Julie Houston:

'A warm, funny story of sisters and the secrets they keep' Sheila O'Flanagan

'Warm, funny and well written, with a page-turning plot, this book has everything! I loved it!' Katie Fforde

'Julie Houston at her best – heartfelt and hilarious' Sandy Barker

'Laugh-out-loud hilarious and heartwarming!' Mandy Baggot

'This book is an absolute gigglefest with characters you'll fall in love with!' Katie Ginger

Ratings and reviews

How I’ve been looking forward to this one! Two years ago, Frankie Piccione went travelling two years ago but now she’s back. The family business of pickles and jams needs some new input and she joins the board with the remit to sort it out. Her brother Luca and his new hire, Cameron Mancini, are watching her and she knows she needs to impress them. Settling back into life in Westenbury, her friend Daisy and her Aunt Pam make her feel at home – until a blast from the past appears and she yearns to just take off again . . . I’ve loved every book set around Westenbury and this one is no different. With a small connection to previous characters this joins up to previous stories but it is a tale all of it’s own. Frankie is a fascinating character and I loved that we followed her both in the present whilst finding out about past events which made her look out her passport. With a wider family, a touch of romance, a lot of humour (yes, back to giggling in bed again and trying not to waken my other half), this is a sheer delight from beginning to end. I would love a map of Westenbury – I’m beginning try to imagine where everyone fits in! Oh, how I want to taste Aunt Rosina’s recipes; as someone who is very fond of everything containing lemons my mouth watered every time any dish was served containing them. Talking about dishes, Dev Patel’s name pops up more than once! I feel a gap now that I no longer have this on my list. If I absolutely had to come up with a criticism, it would be the speedy ending but then, as we all know, great books are always too short and this is, without hesitation, a five star read and one I’m so happy to recommend.

About the author

Julie Houston lives in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire where her novels are set, and her only claims to fame are that she teaches part-time at 'Bridget Jones' author Helen Fielding's old junior school and her neighbour is 'Chocolat' author, Joanne Harris. Julie is married, with two adult children and a ridiculous Cockerpoo called Lincoln. She runs and swims because she's been told it's good for her, but would really prefer a glass of wine, a sun lounger and a jolly good book – preferably with Dev Patel in attendance. You can contact Julie via the contact page, on Twitter or on Facebook. Twitter: @juliehouston2; Facebook.com/JulieHoustonauthor