It Started With A Kiss
Snubbed by her best friend, Rom flees from her humiliation and encounters a stranger whose kiss changes everything. Join her as she embarks on a quest to find the man of her dreams…Exclusive extra material available in this e-book edition!What would you do to find the one that got away?Romily Parker is a woman on a mission. On the last Saturday before Christmas, (shortly after disastrously declaring her undying love for her best friend, Charlie) Romily has a sudden, brief encounter with a gorgeous stranger who might, just possibly, be the man of her dreams. It only takes two small words – ‘Hello, beautiful’ – and one, heart-stopping kiss to make up her mind: she has to find him again.Giving herself a deadline of the following Christmas Eve, Romily commits to spending a year searching for the stranger – a decision which divides her family and friends.The ONLY book that you’ll want to curl up with this winter - perfect for fans of Jill Mansell and Sophie Kinsella.
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MIRANDA DICKINSON
It Started with a Kiss
AVON
HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd
77–85 Fulham Palace Road
Hammersmith, London W6 8JB
First published in Great Britain by HarperCollinsPublishers 2014
Copyright © Miranda Dickinson 2014
Miranda Dickinson asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.
A catalogue record of 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, down-loaded, 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.
Source ISBN: 9781847561671
Ebook Edition © OCTOBER 2011 ISBN: 9780007387083
Version: 2014-12-09
For the Peppermints: Andi, Clarko, Dan, Ed, Phil and Susanna. The best friends ever.
‘I dwell in possibility.’
Emily Dickinson
I’m a big believer in following your heart – and that’s so much easier to do when you have wonderful people believing in you. While writing and editing this book, I have been joined a merry band of lovelies who have watched my vlogs, tweeted with me and offered me so much enthusiasm and love. I hope this book is worth the wait for you!
Three books in, and I’m still blown away by everyone’s support. Big thanks to my family and friends for their constant love, Julie Cohen for wise words and woops, Ritzi Cortez, Ella, Barry and Sue for help with narrowboat questions, Joanne Harris for the signal box wedding pictures and Serena at Combermere Abbey (www.combermereabbey.co.uk) for sharing your wonderful wedding venue with me. Thanks also to Vickie Pritchett (Mrs Bou) from The Boutique Baking Company (www.boutiquebaking.co.uk) for providing magical cake inspiration for Auntie Mags. And, as ever, huge thanks to Kim Curran (Next Big Thing) for reading every draft, giving awesome advice and being a fab friend.
Massive thanks as always to my lovely editor Sammia Rafique for her constant belief in me (and long phone chats!), and to the fabulous team at Avon, especially Claire Bord, Caroline Ridding and Charlotte Allen. Big thanks also to Rhian McKay and Anne Rieley.
Inspiration for my characters comes from everywhere, but this time several real-life lovelies have inspired characters in my story. Big love to Phil White (father-in-law-to-be and the inspiration for Uncle Dudley), Wayne McDonald (top bloke and the inspiration for D’Wayne) and my wonderful chums in The Peppermints wedding band (www.peppermintmusic.co.uk) for inspiring The Pinstripes (we’re available for weddings, birthdays, events …!).
And last, but not least, thanks to my lovely fiancé, Bob – for putting up with tons of wedding research, being my constant cheerleader and making me smile. I can’t wait to marry you next year!
This book is about following your heart. I hope it inspires you to follow yours. xx
Contents
Chapter One: The most wonderful time of the year
Chapter Two: Dream a little dream of me
Chapter Three: You’ve got a friend
Chapter Four: We are family
Chapter Five: People get ready
Chapter Six: Get the party started …
Chapter Seven: Keep on moving …
Chapter Eight: Love is all around …
Chapter Nine: Help!
Chapter Ten: Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (a man after midnight)
Chapter Eleven: Rescue me
Chapter Twelve: Move on up …
Chapter Thirteen: Could it be magic?
Chapter Fourteen: Please don’t stop the music …
Chapter Fifteen: I will survive
Chapter Sixteen: Spinning around …
Chapter Seventeen: Here come the girls …
Chapter Eighteen: Respect
Chapter Nineteen: Stuck in the middle
Chapter Twenty: Let there be love
Chapter Twenty-One: It had to be you
Cake Therapy by Auntie Mags
About the Author
By the Same Author
When it comes to telling your best friend that you love him, there are generally two schools of thought. One strongly advises against it, warning that you could lose a friend if they don’t feel the same way. The other urges action because, unless you say something, you might miss out on the love of your life.
Unfortunately for me, I listened to the latter.
The look in Charlie’s midnight blue eyes said it all: I had just made the biggest mistake of my life …
‘Sorry?’
Perhaps he hadn’t heard me the first time. Maybe I should say it again?
‘I said I love you, Charlie.’
He blinked. ‘You’re not serious, are you?’
‘Yes.’ I could feel a deathly dragging sensation pulling my hope to oblivion.
