Do you have that one author where every time you get a new book from them it feels like you’re catching up with an old friend? Well that is what Katie’s books are for me (and my mum, her number one fan). I’ve wanted to have a book for Meg since we first met her in A Wedding in the Country so I’ve been super excited for this one since it was announced. MONDAY 6TH MARCH 2023 We are delighted to announce the winners for this year’s Romantic Novel Awards. The nine category winners were presented with their trophies during a ceremony in London this evening. In addition, Heidi Swain was presented with the Popular Romantic Fiction Award and Katie Fforde was honoured with the RNA Lifetime Achievement Award. All the elements that make up a classic Katie Fforde novel are here. I always read her new books when they come out, though over the years some have not been as memorable as others. In fact, this is the first book of hers in recent years that reminds me of her early novels which I have read many times over. Justin and Meg may clash in the kitchen, but their chemistry is strong and there is enough interaction for their relationship to be credible. One thing I adored was the setting as I live in Dorset currently and so had some idea of what Nightingale Woods could look like. This is the first time I've ever read anything by Katie Fforde, although I am of course familiar with the name and the kind of books she writes.

Katie Fforde | Waterstones One Enchanted Evening by Katie Fforde | Waterstones

I loved watching Meg, together with help of her mum, the staff (who are just as invested) and her friends, breathe new life into the hotel. It felt like I was catching up with old friends when first David then Alex & Antoine (swoon!), and the kids turned up to help and support Meg. This group of friends prove family isn’t just about blood. British author of romance novels, Katie Fforde is well known for her contemporary and ever appealing style of fiction. Easily accessible as it is textured, she has managed to amass herself a sizable audience throughout the many years of her career. With both commercial and critical success, she continues to attract audiences to her unique and distinctive works. Early and Personal LifeMeg has a Job offer in France but berms offered one in hotel 🛏 But can she leave all her long standing behind: Alexander and her partner Antoine, Lizzy and Vanessa all old friends also David and Russell want to put on This novel makes you through several love story's and there is some well build friendship circle and her family and that of Justin's family. I first met Meg when I read A Wedding in the Country. She was one of a group of three young women who attended a London cookery school aimed at teaching the culinary arts to young ladies. Having already followed the stories of the other two in the previous books in this loose series, I was delighted to learn more about Meg. Jean Fullerton, the RNA Chair, commented, ‘Once again the judges have had the almost impossible task of choosing winners for each of our romantic awards categories. Huge congratulations to our worthy winners.’ Published since 1995, her romance novels are set in modern-day England. She is the founder of the "Katie Fforde Bursary" for writers who have yet to secure a publishing contract. Katie was elected the twenty-fifteenth Chairman (2009-2011) of the Romantic Novelists' Association. She is delighted to have been chosen as Chair of the Romantic Novelists' Association and says, "Catherine Jones was a wonderful chair and she's a very tough act to follow. However, I've been a member of the RNA for more years than I can actually remember and will have its very best interests at the core of everything I do."

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Meg is a very talented cook who is planned to stage under a chef in France to be trained. She travels to Dorset to lend a hand when disaster strikes in the hotel her mother works for. But just before the important banquet, the owner's son, Justin shows up to take over the kitchen. The hotel is charming, a place I'd love to stay at with its welcoming and homely feel and beautiful location. Meg goes to France for a while too and I enjoyed her time working in a restaurant there. But what really sold this book to me was the romance, the spark between Meg and Justin, and the way their relationship develops throughout the book made my heart sing. It was just so sweet and lovely to watch their burgeoning feelings for each other grow. This time, the focus is on Meg as she agrees to support her mother with caretaking a Dorset hotel in the owner’s absence. Despite having a confirmed opportunity to experience a professional kitchen in a French restaurant, Meg takes control of the hotel’s kitchen even though the owner’s son views her through misogynistic eyes. There is clearly no love lost between Meg and the rather pompous Justin, and tempers become frayed as he continually undermines her skills. Meg is such an optimistic and enthusiastic heroine. Though Justin, is admittedly not my favorite. He pops around, here and there, and I kinda wish we could get into his head, (I understand why we can't). He can be frustrating, but he makes up to it, almost like-- pound for pound. He does grow on you and it does pay off in the end,..eventually. I have to give a special mention to Ambrosine. I could have happily sat beside her for hours as she regaled me with her life stories *sighs*.Meg hasn't got much professional training, but what she does have is passion, ideas and empathy, which endear her to the staff and guests alike. Bestselling author Katie Fforde has been honoured with the RNA Lifetime Achievement Award for her almost-30 year career as an author and for her dedication and service to the RNA. She is a #1 bestselling author and has sold over 4.5 million books in the UK alone. Katie has been President of the Romantic Novelists’ Association since 2011 – and will step down from this role in March 2023 – and founded the Katie Fforde Bursary to support aspiring authors. To many, she is the ‘Godmother of Romantic Fiction’. Our bookworms are adding upcoming Katie Fforde books 2022 as soon as they're announced, giving you less searching and more reading time. Shame it doesn't seem to be the case for the owner's son, who firmly believes that women shouldn't be in charge of a professional kitchen at all.

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On reading this book, it's easy to see why Katie has had such a great writing career; One Enchanted Evening is a book which many many people will enjoy. And what an enchanting evening it was! The RNA Lifetime Achievement Award is presented at the RNA’s discretion for an exceptional and long-standing contribution to romantic fiction, whether in the field of publishing, writing or supporting romantic fiction. There is no shortlist for this award. Jean Fullerton added, ‘The RNA Lifetime Achievement Award is the highest accolade our organisation bestows and this year we are honoured to present it to bestselling author Katie Fforde. As President of the RNA, Katie is a wonderful ambassador for the organisation and has championed the romantic fiction genre for decades. Katie is loved and respected across the industry and by her readers around the world. But to us in the RNA she’s ‘our Katie’ who has been a tireless supporter of both the organisation and writers and who now, after twelve years as our figurehead, is stepping down as President of the RNA.’ I loved this book so much that I devoured it in a day and a half. The characters were very well rounded and you instantly become invested in the storyline, the characters, and the beautiful old hotel.' What I thoroughly loved about this story was the twist though, especially as it involved my favourite character. It added a little bit of mystery to the book, and it wove beautifully through the romance without seeming like a side quest.I absolutely adored this book as much as the previous instalments that helped us navigate through the ongoing lives of this trio of novice cooks. Of course, there are cameos from the other key characters and it was a treat to learn more about their ongoing lives. First of all, thank you to Net Galley and the publishers, Random House, for an advanced copy of this book. The last few chapters seemed a bit unedited. They chopped around with oddments of text that I think should have gone somewhere else, and they felt a bit rushed. But my biggest bugbear was the number of characters in the story, and particularly when another boatload turned up for the finale/closing image. If you're looking for a novel that will take you on an enchanting journey, look no further than Katie Fforde’s One Enchanted Evening. This book follows on from two previous books set in the 1960s and vividly brings to life the beauty of Nightingale Woods Hotel in Dorset. In this review, we'll follow Meg's journey and learn why this book is must-read.