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The Desperate Bride's Diet Club by Alison Sherlock
Blurb
Violet Saunders is astounded when her boyfriend gets down on one knee and proposes. But at size 18-20, the thought of finding a wedding dress fills her with horror. What she needs is a miracle wedding day diet. So when a leaflet advertising a new diet club - New You! - that drops through her letterbox, it seems like her prayers have been answered. But the club is run by the terrifying Trudie, who secretly despises her fat clients, while pretending to encourage them. Things go from bad to worse; everyone just gets fatter on the horrible New You! drink shakes. At work, Violet's half-Italian boss - a man with a lively sense of humour - looks on in amazement and finally persuades her to take a break from New You! and lunch with him at his family's delicatessen. Inspired, she persuades her fellow dieters to form a new club, with secret weigh-ins at her house - while pretending to Trudie, of whom they are all petrified, that it is the New You! diet which is transforming them. Fabulous Italian recipes gradually begin to work their magic, but can Violet the duckling really become Violet the swan in time for her wedding?
Review
If you've ever tried to diet, if you've ever looked in the mirror whilst jiggling a roll of fat, then this book's for you. Funny, sad, enlightening - Ms Sherlock just reflected my own image back at me with her characters, and though I'm not seriously overweight, I still found it very easy to relate to the various and assorted issues each character portrays.
Chapter 1 yanked me into the story, with its mix of humour and pathos, and the trend continued right to the end of the book.
The novel isn't a simple 'lose weight and all your problems will be solved' story - it's about being happy and comfortable in our own skin, and it's about being healthy too.
Absolutely loved it!
About the Author
Alison Sherlock loves to write stories full of warmth, laughter, love and friendships including The Desperate Bride's Diet Club which reached No 1 in the Italian book charts. Her next series of books focuses on the lives and loves, trials and tribulations of all those who live and work at Willow Tree Hall, a crumbling stately home in the countryside. A House To Mend A Broken Heart (Welcome to Willow Tree Hall) is out on 1 July 2017. Alison lives in Surrey with her husband and Harry, the world's daftest golden retriever. She loves to hear from her readers. You can get in touch on Facebook/Alison Sherlock and on Twitter @alisonsherlock
