I am delighted to share my review today for Bad Panny by Michele Gorman. This was a wonderful romance, rom-com to disappear into and I am looking forward to reading more by this author.

My huge thanks to Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for my spot on the Blog Tour and for arranging my e-copy of this fabulous book.

Penny’s life is one big, fat secret… and everyone is about to find out

Penny isn’t the girl she used to be, or the woman everyone thinks she is now. At 19, she bolted for London and never looked back. Nobody there knows who she was – not her care home colleagues, her boss, her clients or even her best friend and flat-mate. Auntie Mags is her only connection to her past, and she’s keeping schtum.

Oli can’t believe his luck. Not only is he about to fulfil his dream of really making a difference (assuming he wins his seat in the upcoming general election), now he’s met the perfect woman. Within a few dates he’s sure he wants to spend the rest of his life with Penny, and it’s all he can do not to shout it from the rooftops.

But Penny has hidden her secret by not shouting from any rooftops. In fact, the quieter, the better. So when Oli’s campaign swings into gear and the reporters start circling, it’s not only her future that’s about to come crashing down.

How can she find a happy ending with Oli when her past will definitely ruin his future, yet living with the lie will ruin their future together?

Then Penny’s past gets out of prison, and he’s about to turn up like a… bad penny.

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MY REVIEW

If you are after a romance with some humour, mismatched characters and secrets then you really should consider picking up Bad Penny. The title is rather intriguing as the impression you get of Penny is far from bad, so what is going on here!

What a great job the author has done with Penny, she is just a lovely character and one that seems to go out of her way to help people, especially those she cares for. Penny lives with her total opposite, Fi. Where Penny is happy in dungarees and flats, Fi wouldn’t be seen dead in them – well unless they had a designer label on them. Even though this pair are very different they are also the best of friends.

It is Fi that pushes Penny out of her comfort zone and into a dress, heels and make-up for a fundraiser that she has been invited to. There is a candidate for election there, Oli, he runs a charity shelter for dogs and isn’t quite sure how or why he was chosen to run for election. The chance to help those in need though should benefit from the additional publicity.

The characters of Penny and Oli are pushed together by well-meaning friends, and while there are sparks, neither thinks they are worthy. Why these two are so down on themselves is gradually told in their back stories. Parents are not the go-to people for either of them, instead, it is friends and other family members that are sought for solace and advice. These also make for some more brilliant characters that you will get to meet.

The author has created such a wonderful story around the two main characters, and also their families. It does make for some heartwarming and also sad moments. These are balanced brilliantly with some great shenanigans, one-liners and mishaps. The author has brought together many different traits to her characters and blended them so well within one another that there is a natural flow and banter between them.

A story where the rich rub shoulders with the working class and with no obvious stereotypes. I really enjoyed this story and if you are a fan of family dynamics, romance, heartwarming and also fun reads then this is one I would definitely recommend.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Michele writes comedies packed with lots of heart, best friends and girl power. She is both a Sunday Times and a USA Today bestselling author, raised in the US and living in London.
Michele also writes cozy comedies under the pen-name Lilly Bartlett. Lilly’s books are full of warmth, quirky characters and guaranteed happily-ever-afters.

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