Daisy James - The Summer House of Happiness - A delightfully feel-good romantic comedy perfect for holiday!

Love is in the air…

Gabbie Andrews thought that her dreams of becoming a professional perfumer at the prestigious House of Gasnier on the French Riviera were finally coming true. There’s nothing she loves more than creating the perfect fragrance for her delighted customers…

So when her boss sends her to work in a laboratory in Paris for six months, she quits on the spot! Returning to her home in Devon, she soon finds that her herbal remedies are in more demand than she ever imagined.

And when she bumps into Max, the gorgeous mechanic who works at her father’s garage, she realizes that life might just be about to change forever!

Perfect for fans of Christie Barlow, Debbie Johnson and Cathy Bramley.

Also from Daisy James

The Runaway Bridesmaid

If the Dress Fits

When Only Cupcakes Will Do

There’s Something about Cornwall

Sunshine after the Rain

Christmas at the Dancing Duck

The Summer House of Happiness

Daisy James

ONE PLACE. MANY STORIES

Copyright

An imprint of HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.

1 London Bridge Street

London SE1 9GF

First published in Great Britain by HQ in 2018

Copyright © Daisy James 2018

Daisy James asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.

E-book Edition © May 2018 ISBN: 978-0-00-828599-9

DAISY JAMESis a Yorkshire girl transplanted to the north-east of England. She loves writing stories with strong heroines and swift-flowing plotlines. She has written seven novels: The Runaway Bridesmaid , If the Dress Fits , When Only Cupcakes Will Do , There’s Something about Cornwall , Sunshine after the Rain , Christmas at the Dancing Duck and The Summer House of Happiness – all contemporary romances with a dash of humour. When not scribbling away in her peppermint-and-green summerhouse (garden shed), she spends her time sifting flour and sprinkling sugar and edible glitter. She loves gossiping with friends over a glass of something pink and fizzy or indulging in a spot of afternoon tea – china plates and teacups are a must!

Daisy would love to hear from readers via her Facebookpage or you can follow her on Twitter @daisyjamesbooksand Instagram @booksdaisyjames

To my family, especially my mum, who inspired the story.

Contents

Cover

Blurb

Title Page

Copyright

Author Bio

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Epilogue

Acknowledgements

Author Letter

Excerpt

Endpages

About the Publisher

Chapter One

Grasse, South of France

‘Okay, everyone!’ declared Jean-Pierre, rushing into the room, clapping his hands in excitement mingled with a little nervous trepidation. ‘Gird your loins! Monsieur Jules Gasnier, our esteemed and fragrant demigod, has just entered the building! Deep breaths, shoulders back, and plaster on those neon smiles!’

Nerves fluttered around Gabbie’s stomach as she took up her position in the welcoming committee between Fleurette and her boss, Marianne, to greet the great man himself. Jean-Pierre may have labelled Jules Gasnier a demigod but Gabbie preferred to think of the celebrated perfumer as more of a magician; an alchemist who could create not just a fragrance but an experience, a sensation, a dream. Every morning she thanked her often-elusive guardian angel for being on duty the day she was offered her dream job at the House of Gasnier – except not that particular morning, when she would rather have been hiding underneath the duvet in her attic studio, trying to shut out the world and the scorching pain that date on the calendar always brought.

‘Gabbie, darling, you could at least look like you’re enjoying yourself!’ chastised Jean-Pierre, stretching up onto his tiptoes to peer down the corridor for a sign that his hero was approaching. ‘I know this was supposed to be your day off, but who are we to question our commander-in-chief’s last-minute change of itinerary? Anyway, I don’t know what you’re worried about – you’re our star perfumer! Monsieur Gasnier is bound to select your fragrance for the summer range, especially after you won that award for best bridal perfume in Confetti! Magazine last month. Ah, what I wouldn’t give to possess a smidgeon of your creative flair!’

‘Sorry, Jean-Pierre, it’s just nerves,’ said Gabbie, stretching her lips into what she hoped was a smile but was probably more akin to a grimace. After all, it wasn’t Jean-Pierre’s fault she’d chosen not to confide in him, or Fleurette, that the real reason she’d been adamant about having the day off work was because it was the anniversary of her mother’s passing – two years and it still felt like yesterday. Yet that wasn’t the only thing playing on her mind that morning.

‘Nerves? Pah! ’ snapped Marianne, every inch the sleek, elegant French woman with her glossy magenta bob and effortless style. ‘You are one of House of Gasnier’s most accomplished perfumers, Gabbie. Haven’t I told you a hundred times that you possess le nez ? Were not your last three perfumes the most successful since Jules Gasnier launched his debut fragrance, Juliette , two decades ago?’

Initially, Gabbie had been a little intimidated by her boss’s stern, rather aloof personality, but Marianne had proved to be a fabulous mentor who had unselfishly shared her vast knowledge and experience of the perfume industry, quirks and all, with her enthusiastic students. Her perfectly applied Cupid’s bow of deep-burgundy lipstick gave the impression she had just taken a last languid sip of delicious red wine, extinguished her Gauloise, and strolled into work from the pavement café at the end of Rue de Bouvier.

‘Relax, Monsieur Gasnier is going to love every one of the fragrances we’ve created! And Gabbie?’