Today I’m delighted to welcome romantic comedy novelist Rosie Dean.

“The book I have chosen is special because, after reading it, I knew I wanted to become a writer too.

I first read Prudence by Jilly Cooper when I was swotting for my finals. My housemates and I decided we couldn’t survive the exams without some light relief so we joined the local library and, between us, took out twelve books at a time. We mainly chose Mills & Boon romances because they were easy to read in a couple of coffee breaks – and provided wonderful light relief from our studies. At the appointed time, we would gather in one of our rooms, coffee, biscuits and books to hand, and read for half an hour, occasionally sharing a juicy passage for further entertainment. One day, Prudence was in the mix and I was hooked.

I don’t know how often I’ve read it – maybe five or six times. I have no idea what prompts me to pick it up – anymore than I know why I call a friend after months of silence. But I always know the comfort I will feel amongst the eccentric Mulholland family and observing the tangled emotional web they have woven.

I’m drawn in by the optimism and innocence of Prudence. She anticipates a romantic weekend as she heads to the family estate of gorgeous barrister, Pendle Mulholland. Instead she finds herself in a chaotic household, where everyone seems to be in love with the wrong person.

It’s very much of its time (1970s) so is almost an historic novel but, as with all Jilly Cooper stories, there are larger-than-life characters, glamour, lots of delicious puns and tons of heart.

A few years ago, I came across this first edition, hardback copy of Prudence in the Mother Goose Bookshop, in St Helens on the Isle of Wight.

Rosie Dean’s Bio
Although Rosie Dean has been writing stories and plays since she was big enough to type, she became an author after teaching Art, Pottery and Woodwork, and writing marketing copy for corporate clients. Now, happily inhabiting the imaginary world of her characters, Rosie loves to write romantic fiction with a sense of humour and, sometimes, a sense of the ridiculous – because we all know life and love aren’t exactly how we’d like them to be.

Rosie Dean’s links
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads

Rosie Dean’s latest novel

Gigi’s Island Dream
Gabriella Gill-Martin – Gigi to her friends – gives up her privileged life in London’s fast lane, to live on an island, in her dream house. Here she will build beautiful sculptures and grow vegetables. But she soon learns that’s not all she has to give up.
When dreams become nightmares – what’s a girl to do?
‘Gigi’s Island Dream’ by Rosie Dean [UK: R Dean] 

What is a ‘Porridge & Cream’ book? It’s the book you turn to when you need a familiar read, when you are tired, ill, or out-of-sorts, where you know the story and love it. Where reading it is like slipping on your oldest, scruffiest slippers after walking for miles. Where does the name ‘Porridge & Cream’ come from? Cat Deerborn is a character in Susan Hill’s ‘Simon Serrailler’ detective series. Cat is a hard-worked GP, a widow with two children and she struggles from day-to-day. One night, after a particularly difficult day, she needs something familiar to read. From her bookshelf she selects ‘Love in A Cold Climate’ by Nancy Mitford. Do you have a favourite read which you return to again and again? If so, please send me a message via the contact form here.

Discover the ‘Porridge & Cream’ books of these authors:-
Judith Field
JG Harlond
Rhoda Baxter

‘Prudence’ by Jilly Cooper [UK: Corgi]

And if you’d like to tweet a link to THIS post, here’s my suggested tweet:
Romantic comedy author @RosieDeanAuthor chooses Jilly Cooper’s PRUDENCE as her comfort read via @SandraDanby http://wp.me/p5gEM4-23Z