Who doesn't love a good wedding, or indeed more than one? Throw in an utterly gorgeous setting, a plethora of heart-warming characters and a dash of intrigue to curl up on the sofa with and dream.

Perfect for those who love funny romantic books. *Please note* This is the sequel to The Boat House Pretty Beach & number 2 in the trilogy, though it can be read as a stand alone the story starts in book one.

When dreams really do come true…  

‘An outstanding Summer read if you can’t get enough of contemporary romance novels.’ Julie Loves Reading

‘Fab! I've loved literally everything about this gorgeous romantic read.’ 

Chapter 1  

Sallie Broadchurch pulled her grey beanie further down to cover her ears as she got off the train. She’d been working on wedding quotes all the way in from Pretty Beach to the City and hadn’t noticed the time, nor the fact that the weather had really started to come in. She looked over the rooftops of the rows of terraced houses of London as large snowflakes began to fall. 

It probably wasn’t her best outfit choice to wear a floaty dress, thick tights and little black boots with the weather turning like this, but she’d opened her wardrobe and thought that for once she’d forgo the jeans and put on a dress - it wasn’t every week she got on the train to go and meet Ben in the City for dinner. 

Ben had texted her earlier in the day and asked her if she wanted to go out for a meal just the two of them, before all the craziness of Christmas and the Christmas weddings Sallie had booked in at the Boat House. Her first response was that she didn’t have time and then she had thought at the last minute, why not? 

She’d replied yes and had decided to dress up a little bit, blow dried her hair, put on a dress, some nice makeup and shaved her legs. More effort than she’d made for a while. 

Sitting on the train Ben had texted her to say his movements had changed and could she meet him at a different station to normal. He’d had to go across town for a meeting and knew of a lovely local Italian restaurant there that was good. She’d replied to say she didn’t mind where they met as long as it was in the warm. 

She pulled her coat closer to her, tucked her scarf into the collar and looked forward to meeting Ben and enjoying some lovely Italian food. The snow had started to fall heavily as she crossed the concourse and headed for the Underground. She carefully navigated the slippery steps down into the station, boarded the next train and emerged twenty minutes later where Ben was waiting in a huge navy-blue reefer coat under a lamppost in the snow. 

He took her hand and kissed her quickly on the cheek, a bit rushed, agitated. Not his usual laid-back style. 

‘Oh my goodness, the snow! You know how much I love it! Did you order it especially for me? I really hope it snows in Pretty Beach tonight too.’ Sallie said animatedly - Ben didn’t reply straight away and looked around hurriedly waiting to cross the road. 

‘I know you love snow Sallie, I can’t believe it’s actually snowing too…’ He was garbling and nearly yanked her across the road. 

‘What do you mean too? Are you alright Ben? You look, errm harassed.’ 

‘All good, right come on, the restaurant is just down here.’ 

The sky was thick and heavy with snow and it clung to her floaty dress and the black booties were skidding on the pavement as they hurried along towards the warm glow of the restaurant window. They bundled into the tiny little Italian restaurant and slid into an old-fashioned booth padded with red leather and pictures of Calabria on the wall. A good hour, a carafe of house wine and a healthy serving of tomato and anchovy pasta later, and Sallie was just considering ordering dessert and coffee. 

Ben’s phone pinged, he hastily checked it and then leaned over her, pulled down the top of her menu looking quite harassed. 

‘Actually Sallie, shall we go?’ 

Sallie looked at him confused, she’d made all the effort to get into town - heck she’d even worn a dress. They'd not been in the restaurant that long and he wanted to go back and get on the train already. 

‘I thought maybe we could have a walk around Ally Pally - see the Christmas lights. That was before it started snowing but now with the snow it’ll be even better, just a bit chilly.’

‘I’ll always walk in the snow, I love it.’ Sallie looked back at him, thinking that she did love snow but her outfit wasn’t quite suited to it. She looked over at the window, it was coming down thick and fast, huge fat snowflakes floating in the wind outside. 

They paid the bill, she wrapped up in her coat, hat and scarf, he wrapped his scarf over the top of her coat and they walked along the pavement to the palace all lit up for Christmas. They stopped and stood there gazing at the twinkling palace as the snow fell from the sky over the roof and settled on the gardens out the front. 

‘Let’s go and get a hot chocolate, you look freezing - there’s a cafe in there.’ Ben pointed across the grounds which were already covered in a thick layer of white powder and into the palace. 

He was acting really odd, she didn’t say anything, just clung onto his hand in the slippery boots, hardly able to see with the snow falling into her eyelids. He led her across the grounds of the palace, through the reception and to the cafe. The heat hit them as they walked in and she started to pull off his scarf. He was still holding her hand and urgently pulled her towards the ice. 

‘I thought we were getting hot chocolate? Ben, what are you doing?’

He turned around to her, a huge furrow between his eyebrows. She had never seen him like this - the regular laid-back Ben Chalmers had clearly been left in the City. 

‘I have a little surprise for you, I just didn’t factor in the snow.’ He gestured to her tights and boots which were soaked through and her blow-dried hair now flat to her head and a few specks of mascara had started to run down her cheek.

He pulled her further towards the rink and opened a gate to the ice. She followed him through.

‘What are you doing? Ben! I can’t go out there in these!’ She pointed down to her boots and the floaty dress. 

Skaters started to move away to the sides, the lights went down, and a beautiful cascade of lights above turned on. Sallie gasped seeing the lights and as people moved to the side a red carpet laid on the middle of the ice. 

With no idea what was going on, she looked at him in confusion. Ben was nearly beside himself and pushed her in front of him onto the carpet in the middle of the ice. The whole place had gone silent.

He gave her a nudge and a nod, instructing her to walk along the carpet. 

‘What are you doing Ben?’ She whispered to him. 

‘There’s something for you at the end.’

She walked in front of him along the thick, red carpet laid on the ice, her boots squelching, her damp hair now freezing on the top of her head, the icy air chilling her nose, all the way to the end. 

Right in the middle of the carpet was a tiny red ring box. 

Sallie’s hands flew to her mouth as Ben picked up the box, and facing it towards her opened it up. 

‘Sallie Broadchurch, will you marry me?’