With some festivals making a comeback for 2021 (we’re still processing the news that Brighton Pride isn’t going ahead), we’re dedicating this edition of Snog, Marry, avoid to tent life, live music (remember that?) and good vibes.

These days there’s a festival for everyone, so whether you’re into food, art, theatre, beats, dogs or silent discos, there’s a field out there with your name on it.

Between us, we’ve had our fair share of festival highs and lows, be it soggy pants, trash line ups, sad Fyre Festival looking sandwiches and the utter jubilation of cry singing into a crowd whilst an identifiable friend, possibly even a bold stranger overcome with emotion, attempts to mount your shoulders.

From Benicassim to Parklife and beyond, here’s our line-up of the festivals we love and loathe.

Charlotte says…

Snog: Reading Festival.

Ahhhhh I feel emosh just thinking about this. Reading was the first weekend festival I ever went to and I have so many endlessly happy memories here. I’ve seen some amazing bands and artists here like Billie Eilish, Dua Lipa, Panic! At The Disco, Peace, The Wombats, Pale Waves and Sundara Karma, but most of all seeing The 1975 headline for the first time on the Friday night of 2019 was hands down something I’ll never forget.

Marry: ‘Bring It All Back’ Club nights.

Now I always enjoy pre-drinking more than a club and would much rather a cocktail evening where you can chat to your friends than dancing to some current chart music I don’t know, but let me tell you a throwback night is up there with some of the most fun I have EVER HAD. Bring It All Back tour the country with throwback and themed club night and oh my god, they are out of this world. I’ve been to two One Direction events and it’s essentially like a full-on concert full of fans and pure joy.

Avoid: Latitude

Okay so hear me out on this one. I really did love Latitude, the vibes, the variety of things to do, the attention to detail and the overall aesthetic, but I think it was just a little bit too indie for me. I mainly went to see The 1975 (of course) but I can’t help but feel like the festival has so much potential but the lineup is always a bit …. meh.

Holly says…

Snog: The Brighton Fringe Festival.

When it’s on, you honestly can’t get hold of me for the whole month of May. There’s such an array of talent, from comedy to music, plays – all sorts. Whatever you fancy, you’re bound to find it. Act’s perform in different events at venues all around the city and it’s an opportunity for people just starting out to perform alongside big timers.

Marry: Brighton Pride

This isn’t really a question is it? BRIGHTON PRIDE! There is no day in the whole year I love more. Everything about it makes my heart glow. The colours, the people, the music, the love in the air. Most pride events have my heart but there is just something special about Brighton.

Avoid: Benicàssim

There are not many live events of any kind I would avoid in all honesty. But if I had to choose, I probably wouldn’t return to Benicàssim. It was soo much fun and the atmosphere was incredible. But the music was indie/alternative and I’m a solid 90’s pop girl.

Danielle says…

Snog – Bestival

It pains me that Bestival is no longer running and deep down I hope some millennial who loves it as much as me and my mates decides to get a cash injection and put it back on. Although I’ve only attended twice Bestival fills me with the BEST memories of so many interesting tents and areas to keep exploring all weekend long. The first time I went it was on the Isle of White and an absolute ball-ache to get to on public transport but it was such a great place to have a festival.

Marry – Lovely Locals

So this is a bit of a cheat answer but my absolute favourite festivals are always small and local. There’s one close to where I grew up called Marvellous which is a tribute festival so you can see the likes of Ted Sheeran, Adele again, Queen, T-Rextacy, Fleetwood Back, I could go on and on! It’s all a bit of a laugh and there’s only one stage but it’s just such a great day out and so easy to attend with loads of local friends.

Avoid – Glastonbury

Don’t @ me. I’ve said what I’ve said. After hearing so many friends come back from Glasto say it was AMAZING and they were so glad they went and they can’t wait to go again I still just can’t get on board.

Darcey says…

Snog: Benicàssim

Loved this festival so much I went two years in a row when I was 18/19, the best part is that it was a holiday and a festival wrapped in one which made it really cost-effective for a young adult working part-time. I found there was a really good mix of music, so there was something for everyone.

Marry: Parklife

I cannot begin to explain how much I enjoyed Parklife, firstly I love Manchester, so getting to spend some time there before the festival was really fun. The festival is so organised, it was really clean too which is pretty rare, even the toilets stayed fairly clean even up until closing.

Avoid: Wireless

I mean… It should have been so good with who was performing but it just fell really flat. I think being in London, getting there and back is such a chore as the tube is packed full of people all going in the same direction. The food options and just general stands were just not that exciting either, which doesn’t matter that much I suppose but I feel day festivals need to have good food because you are there all day. Also, it would have been good if they had some kind of extra entertainment because a lot of things seemed to go wrong with the lineup timings, on the Sunday there was no music except for a DJ (bless this poor guy trying to entertain an angry crowd ha) for about 6 hours? Because Nicki Minaj was running late and David Guetta couldn’t start earlier. It was all just a bit meh.

Lareese says…

This snog marry avoid is truly wasted on me because I’m really not your average festival-goer, well not in the traditional muddy field and wrist band sense, anyway. Alas, I shall do my best to come up with three events I would peck, wed and do just about anything to get out of attending.

Snog: Brighton Food Festival

Marry: Dogstival.

I won’t stand for poo-on-poo crimes and washing my fanny with a baby wipe for three days straight but a festival dedicated to celebrating dogs? Yes, yes, I am infinitely available. The calendar is wide open. I’ve never been to this one based in the New Forest (probably because I don’t actually have a dog) but that won’t stop me from wanting to snap someone’s hand off for a ticket.

Avoid: Camping Festivals

Although jeans and a nice top is a pretty fail-safe go-to, sometimes finding the perfect outfit combination requires a little too much concentration when you’re running out the door and an espresso martini is calling your name. Enter: the humble co-ord. A perfect two piece, a pre mixed cocktail if you will, the one you can always rely on when time is short and the style stakes are high. Whether it’s a trip to big Tesco (a 10/10 day out) or a bottomless brunch with the girls, there are co-ords from dressed down to dazzling that fit every occasion. 

Which two piece do you have your eye on?

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First off, how are you and how is your 2021 going? 

Well it’s not been the greatest of years that’s for sure, but would I change it for the world? Absolutely not. I’ve faced challenge after challenge this year, I’ve fallen and failed a lot but as with anything in life it matters not that you fell but how quickly you get up off the mat. There have been days this year where that has been much tougher than others but I’ve found in sharing those experiences with the team and with those around me I’ve felt all the better for it. If this year has taught me anything it’s that you can never be too kind or too vulnerable. There will always be someone there to help break the fall, even if it’s a stranger in the park. 

Can you tell us about Azurina as a brand and what you stand for?

The Azurinaverse is a place where the world has been flipped upside down and women are the ones in charge. We’re creating a workplace that is not only commercially productive and successful but works for us as women trying to balance work, our other interests, passions & hobbies, friends and family with our own wellbeing. Anything is up for grabs as we review all that we’ve ever known and set about creating a workplace that works for us. 

How did the brand start and why? 

I cut my teeth in online retail at Boohoo. I started there as an E-commerce Assistant back from my Gap Year having read Law at Sheffield University and longing to work in Buying. In truth, I don’t think I even knew what an ecomm assistant did, I just knew I had to be in there and I’d make it work and I’d hustle my way to my dream job as a buyer. I was in the buying team within 6 months, I left 8 years later as the Head of Buying, helping to oversee a team of 84 people and millions a week in sales and with some serious experience under my belt. 

So just because of the person I am I guess it was inevitable that I would always want to go on and do this for myself, to take what I had learnt in the best training ground imaginable in terms of business success stories in the UK over the last 10 years and instead this time I get to shape not just the product but the whole company culture. I spotted a gap in the market of low-cost personalised accessories and I went after it as a side hustle because I just couldn’t risk leaving a great job for something that wasn’t guaranteed. So after a long bout of sickness and vowing to slow down from my crazy lifestyle, I launched a secret business with a team and an office…. whilst I was across town working in another. We consistently grew and so a year later I handed in my notice. 

When I look back I think I must have been absolutely mental! 😂 

Can you tell us about your spring/summer drop? 

Spring Summer for us is about showing you the start of what we’ve been brewing in our witches cauldron in 2020. We‘ll be soft-launching our sister brand Alunar Crystals, a brand born out of my sister (by choice and not by birth) Sophia’s love for pretty rocks and their incredible energy. Within that, we’ll also be launching homeware for both the home and for you. 

A lot of Azurina products can be personalised, why do you think personalisation means so much to people?

In a world where most high streets in Britain have become carbon copies of each other I think personalised products give our lovely customers the chance to feel like their item really belongs to them. It was until very recently an experience that was preserved just for those that could afford it and I’m proud that brands like Azurina have helped democratise that so every woman can get a bag made especially for her. As we think everyone not only has the desire but also deserves to feel unique. 

We think Azurina products make perfect gifts, can you pull out some of the best things to give to family or friends?

Well thank you, it’s always an honour when people spend their hard-earned money with us to gift their loved ones. The highest praise in my book. 

If I was gifting a sister and wanted to spend a little more, Our Munich Pouches are great. They come in three sizes, large, medium and pencil case. They’re ideal to put all your bag crap in one place and I often just grab that when I’m jumping in the car to pop to the shops or for a tea. You can buy the set or one size and kickstart someone’s Azurina collection.

We loved your Azurina Angel Investor initiative, how did it come about and why?

Micro-financing small business is something I’ve been interested and involved in for a long time but until now I’ve done it through a great charity called Lend With Care who connect you with small business owners across the globe. I love that I can see the immediate impact of the loans, in the businesses grown, the jobs created and the kids supported.

Then the penny dropped for me this year, that when you have your own business you can actually just do what you want (within reason of course 😂) and so we came up with the idea for me to invest in someone’s side hustle. The money is a gift, as is our time and support. It’s really just my way of paying it forward plus I get the chance to be involved in amazing businesses run by amazing women. For me, it’s a no brainier. I’m still wading through all our entries as I want to give them the time and energy they deserve so apologies to all the entrants for the delay! 

What is the process like for creating a brand-new product?

In truth, nothing I design is ever brand new. I’ve pulled inspo from a tear, from a vintage piece I’ve found in a bargain bin in Seoul, an iconic outfit from a movie or an everyday essential that just needs the perfect tweaks. I take inspiration from everywhere and pull them together to create beautiful things with functionality layered on top. Of course, I want a beautiful printed pleated pantsuit that is reminiscent of my Issey Miyake Pleats Please Japanese dreams but I want shapes that flatter my figure and subtly enhance my femininity rather than disguise it. I’m just hoping you all think like me, which given I’m a bit woo woo might be a bit of a stretch but fingers crossed. 

What are you currently working on?

So as I think you can probably tell it’s been a busy year of crafting our new product ranges and whilst those collections are taking shape we’re working on creating our Slab. The core values of the brand and what we stand for that won’t ever change. We’re also in the process of deciding what back to work looks like for us as a team and really nailing down the company culture and policies so that as we grow we don’t lose the essence of who we are. 

How do you see the brand changing now we can head out the house and socialise more?

We’re hoping so many of our lovely customers will be dusting off their Azurina faves from a year of enforced storage. We can’t wait to see all our bags back out in the wild again, enjoying themselves, as they should be! And our clothing launches are designed to gently take your hand and guide you out of your old loungewear into your PC (post-Covid) self. 

What does a Friday afternoon look like in the Azurina office? 

Well currently the team are still WFH the majority of the week and Friday is our day ‘off comms’ to get everything wrapped up for the week. We’re actually looking to implement an optional four-day working week so that the A-Team members who are side hustling, mostly as creatives, have the flexibility to fit it all in. So Thursday night is pub night for us and we hope the office always has a Friday afternoon vibe. Of course, building a business from the ground up can be stressful but we’re also all doing what we love so for me it should be fun every day. 

What are some of your highly anticipated trends for AW21? 

O gosh, the girls will tell you I’m so excited for all the trends bubbling through at the moment as there just seems to be so many. Nostalgia really seems to be the key theme inspired heavily by pop culture. More than anything I’m just seeing an explosion of colour. And head to toe colour at that. Whether it’s new neutrals or brights there is just so much emphasis on colour and I’m beyond excited.

What is one positive piece of advice you could give to our audience?

Look after yourself first. As women, we seem to feel that putting our needs before others is selfish, that we must bend and mould ourselves around people without any personal boundaries. I mean I had no idea what a boundary even was until I was recommended a book by a friend on the subject last year, my mind was blown. I was allowed to say no to stuff without feeling guilty. I was allowed to prioritise myself and my happiness in all aspects of my life. And I’ve found that as we put ourselves and our own wellbeing first we can start showing up better for those around us and then the magic really happens.

There are few occasions a reliable summer dress won’t see you through- drinks, city breaks, dog walks and 239431 beer garden trips, a versatile summer dress that can be styled up or dressed down can be a saviour in ‘I have NOTHING to wear’ moments aplenty. Whether you’re drawn to maxi, midi or mini, this is a wardrobe staple you really can’t be without. Add a denim jacket, basket bag and chunky sandals and voila, you’re ready to head out the door quicker than we can say “Let’s get a jug of Pimms”.

Gingham, polka dot and florals are the pinnacle of reliable prints and you won’t stray far wrong with these go-to’s in your repertoire. Notable high street destinations for summer dresses we predict you’ll be living in this year include Collusion on ASOS, Sezane, & Other Stories, Weekday and Never Fully Dressed- bookmark these babies, scroll ‘new in’ and you’re guaranteed a winner.

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[contains all the spoilers]

If you didn’t binge watch all four seasons of The Bold Type in lockdown after it landed on Netflix, allow us to bring you up to speed on the best thing that’s happened to us since The Devil Wears Prada and Sex and the City. We said what we said.

Originally released in 2017, The Bold Type is a tv series loosely based on the life of former Cosmo Editor-in-Chief Joanna Coles, who also happens to be the Executive Producer on the show.

It follows a trio of twenty-something best friends and co-workers Kat (Aisha Dee), Jane (Katie Stevens) and Sutton (Meghann Fahy), as they navigate relationships and climb the career ladder at the fictional women’s lifestyle magazine, Scarlet.

Whilst trying to excel in their careers and figure out who they are in their personal lives, their unwavering friendship is their one constant. Through breast cancer scares, estranged mothers, egg freezing, sexual awakenings, miscarriages and break ups, the crazy chemistry between Kat, Jane and Sutton does everything to dismantle the three’s a crowd adage so often used to divide women. Here it brings them together to form three parts of an unshakeable whole.

The Bold Type’s strength lies in its ability to walk the tightrope of heavy but essential conversations and feel-good soapy silliness. It’s far-fetched, wildly unrealistic and hilarious but it’s also comforting and empowering, and that’s all part of its humble, multi-hyphenate appeal.

Sisterhood is the show’s bread and butter, and despite the signature hokey rom-com tropes, love triangles and elevator meet-cutes, the real romance is between the Bold babes and their messy, unconditional bond.

With the fifth and final season about to drop (send help), we’re collecting some thoughts and feelings we had whilst watching the lives of the Scarlet women unfold.

Here’s to one last toast in the fashion closet and unleashing holy hell!

In episode one when Kat yells, “Excuse me my friend is having a moment” at the disgruntled guy behind her as Jane takes a group selfie is the moment we fell in love with her. A whole 154 seconds into the show.

Mentally, I work under Richard. Like, he’s heartbeat in your clitoris kinda territory.

Time to pitch vibrators and female pleasure in a boardroom full of white men. We’ve got a lot of time for Jacqueline, expertly played by Melora Hardin. Yee-haw.

“People tend to get uncomfortable when they cannot put you in a box”. I ship Kat & Adena.

Jacqueline turning down a phone call from Beyonce to comfort Jane. Is she the best boss or is she the best boss?

That yellow Scarlet Gala prosecco looks like it would put me in a grave.

Next time someone pisses me off, I’m getting the girls together in our evening gowns and screaming into the humid abyss of the central line.

Stating the obvious but the female friendships are chef’s kiss

“I deserve to be the girl you can’t stop thinking about”. Sutton is everything.

Want to start referring to every website as The Dot Com but also would quite like to keep some friends.

Name an underrated character: Andrew / Jacqueline Carmichael.

The soundtrack is SO good.

Carrie & Big have got nothing on Sutton and Richard. Don’t @ me.

Brb, off to find my erotic creature.

Found it and miraculously named it Pinstripe.

Why did I want to clap when Jane adds her byline to the orgasm article?

The worst Easter egg hunt scene will forever have my heart.

Shower thoughts include wondering who out of my friends would be committed to removing a Yoni egg from my vagina…

Do you know what’s bold? The fact that Kat went in glove-less. Not all BFFs are created equal.

The music montages get me every time. Genius.

Going to need Jane to write about all the times Pinstripe made me want elevator sex. It’s the leather jacket for me. Hello? The man breaks lamps!

The violin scene with Kadena lives in my head rent free.

Every social media manager had a physical reaction to Kat sending that tweet from the Scarlet account.

Sutton landed a job in fashion and suddenly, I’m arranging drinks for her to celebrate.

“I’m Nora Ephron, bitch” Marry me, Sutton Brady.

Must Adena be so flighty?!

“No more nipple postings” sounds like something I need to hear when I’m drunk and intent on being shrill and semi-naked.

Did Brendon the intern just get his nipple out in the middle of the office for a photo op and not even question it?

He’s right though. It HAS been a long summer.

Jane getting tested for the BRACA gene mutation, with her second and third by her side. My heart exploded a tiny bit.

Kind of want to organise a free the nipple day in a local park in a major way.

Let’s just agree, there is no good angle for shower sex.

Low key adore high tea Sutton.

Climbing into a bathtub with my chaotic friends and wine is literally all I want to do rn.

Not getting good vibes from Incite. Stay well away tiny Jane.

Why does Trump always find us? It’s all too real, we ordered escapism.

Jacqueline taking those weights was one of the most underrated moments of tv.

“It’s sexual harassment time…. The seminar” gotta love Oliver.

Mitzi is not a woman of Scarlet. She is serving big Regina George energy.

These three really drink wine every night and we stan.

Kat: “I’ve gotta go find Adena”
Sutton: “Or at least her vagina” Reason 1873817819 Sutton is our spirit animal.

Just want to drink scotch with Jacqueline.

Cunnilingus getting the airtime it deserves. We love to see it.

Guess what, we miss Richard sex too, Sutton.

Season 2… not coping with tiny Jane’s empty desk.

Fill in the blank, Cleo Williams is a__

Mama Jackie loves a chunky bangle. Noted.

Since when was Ben the hot Dr Australian?

If a Dr ever asks me to dance when I’m about to give birth, they will feel the full wrath of my grapevine, let’s just say that.

“You need to live in this failure” tough love from Jacqueline hits different.

One cannot be platonic with Pinstripe the novelist. Nope.

When tiny Jane cries, we all cry. We just don’t look as pretty as her.

Speaking of Jane, the girl just LOVES a hard copy.

Don’t like the way this Brooke influencer is taking our Sutton for a ride. Don’t like it at all.

Pretty sure you can’t expense narcotics but whatever.

Karaoke ABBA is not meant to sound this good.

Oof seeing Richard get in that taxi with another woman, a woman Sutton has to style? Gonna throw up.

Sutton in Paris over Emily in Paris. Always and forever.

The Dua Lipa road trip scene is all of us.

Nobody sings Torn like drunk tiny Jane. Nobody.

Need Jane to pitch that Dr Pinstripe throuple tbh.

‘No white after Labour Day and never walk away from love”. Oh, Paris Oliver is too much.

Season 3 is off to a strong start with Pinstripe’s peen-stripe.

I only tolerate Patrick because we know he exposed himself to achieve gender equality.

If Sasha Velour can’t save a lesbian bar, there’s really no hope.

Hell yes to Sutton masturbating when she can’t jump Richard’s bones. Self-pleasure waits for no one.

“It’s not about the pond it’s about what the duck pond represents”…

And what it represents is our thirst for Richard. The end.

You’ve been gone 5 minutes Ryan. How will Jinstripe bounce back from this? It was a book tour, not lads on tour for crying out loud RYAN. Jane did a terrible webcam dance for you and everything.

Kat was robbed in that election. We demand a recount in the least Trumpish way possible.

Oh, Pinstripe that speech. Even the leather jacket can’t save you now.

No, no, no, where is Mama Jackie?

Frat boy frittata, Pinestripe? More like fuck boy frittata.

Just how many parties can one magazine have?

Richard’s proposal to the tune of Taylor Swift Lover. Sutton in that satin dress. He asked for Kat and Jane’s blessing. What a guy. What a beautiful day.

“You can be alone and sexually satisfied” you tell ‘em Kat.

Jacqueline has more composure in her eyebrow than I have in my entire body.

Today on Zoella (aka The dot co dot UK), let’s talk pegging.

Yes, tiny Jane. Let’s normalise vaginas smelling like vaginas over baked cookies.

Pinstripe judging Evan for cheating, well that’s rich.

Really want Jacqueline to have the season 4 hot girl summer she deserves, alas Ian is back.

He SLEPT with book tour girl?! There’s no fixing this. A pinstripe never changes his pinstripes.

Ok Babs Brady is going to have to stop with this wedding day limo speech because eyes on fire here.

Can’t believe Richard’s stubble is this on point.

I can feel the feminism leaving my body. Stuff the stylist job, look at that distinguished gentleman and his perfectly styled face

They did it! The Brady-Hunters did IT.

“Nothing is bigger than us” omg these beautiful fucking WOMEN

Putting your boyfriend down for a nap. Can relate.

This miscarriage story is powerful.

Praying Andrew’s confidence finds me someday.

Jane’s dad driving miles to deliver a hug, a DVF wrap dress and take her stationery shopping. What a guy.

Big fat yes to the child free by choice conversation.

Freeform really want to ruin the one stable couple we had going for us, huh?

Well, this Keva romance is wild and unexpected on every level.

I don’t feel like dancing right now girls because I’m never going to be prepared for the lights in that emotionally-charged fashion cupboard to go out for the very last time. Hold. Me.

Did someone say Marmite fashion coming through? Ohh yes they did! You either love it or you hate it when it comes to some fashion trends (cycling shorts and low rise jeans we’re looking at you) but Dad sandals ain’t budging for the summer season ahead and this week’s edit has the best of the bunch …

Chanel offers the creme de la creme of chunky sandals, but if you don’t want to be stuck eating beans on toast for the rest of eternity then keep scrolling for the best high street dupes …

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Nancy Johnson’s, The Kindest Lie, tells the story of Ruth Tuttle, a young black Yale-educated chemical engineer tethered to her past by a burning family secret not even her husband knows.

Touching on race relations, family ties, motherhood, class and what it means to be black in America, Johnson’s timely debut novel is a heartfelt portrayal and a deeply necessary book for all readers.

If you’re looking to diversify your reading list by exploring new voices and learning about perspectives and cultures that differ from your own, The Kindest Lie is a great book to pick up.

Here’s a reminder of the blurb and a look at the team’s reviews for this dazzling debut.

A promise could betray you.

It’s 2008, and the inauguration of President Barack Obama ushers in a new kind of hope. In Chicago, Ruth Tuttle, an Ivy-League educated Black engineer, is married to a kind and successful man. He’s eager to start a family, but Ruth is uncertain. She has never gotten over the baby she gave birth to and was forced to leave behind when she was a teenager. She had promised her family she’d never look back, but Ruth knows that to move forward, she must make peace with the past.

Returning home, Ruth discovers the Indiana factory town of her youth is plagued by unemployment, racism, and despair. As she begins digging into the past, she unexpectedly befriends Midnight, a young white boy who is also adrift and looking for connection. Just as Ruth is about to uncover a burning secret her family desperately wants to keep hidden, a traumatic incident strains the town’s already searing racial tensions, sending Ruth and Midnight on a collision course that could upend both their lives.

Powerful and revealing, The Kindest Lie captures the heartbreaking divide between Black and white communities and offers both an unflinching view of motherhood in contemporary America and the never-ending quest to achieve the American Dream.

First off, how are you and how is your 2021 going?

Well, hi! I’m good, thanks – I’m seven months pregnant, which has made 2021 a pretty exciting year for me and my husband! And I’ve been beavering away at my writing desk, juggling promotion for my new novel The Road Trip with edits on my next book (title soon to be announced). So I’ve definitely been keeping busy…

We’re so excited to be reading The Road Trip for our May Book Club, can you tell us about the process for writing it?

I am so honoured that you’ve chosen The Road Trip for your May Book Club! I actually wrote this novel in a kind of flurry of creativity – I finished The Switch, my second book, and it felt as though all the pressure of the ‘tricky second album’ lifted, and with The Road Trip I could just let the words fly. The first draft was done within a few months, though of course there were many months of editing afterwards. But it really was a joyful book to write.

Where did you first get the idea to write The Road Trip?

I had the initial idea – two exes crashing cars and then having to share a vehicle – way back when The Flatshare didn’t even have a publisher yet. But it never quite felt like a whole story. It’s hard to explain that feeling, but I have lots of ideas like this which sit at the back of my mind, waiting for their missing ingredient. I don’t know what they’re missing, I just know it’s something.

With The Road Trip, that ingredient came when I was on holiday in beautiful Provence, France. (Don’t ideas so often come when we take a break?!) I fell in love with the landscape, the vineyards, the dusty fierce sunshine. I wanted to write a love story set there! And it suddenly struck me that if my road trip idea was about exes… then it was about people who had already had a love story. Perhaps that romance could have happened in Provence, and could be woven through the story of their awkward road trip across the UK.

Once I had this missing ingredient, I was away. I started writing and just didn’t stop.

How has your process for writing changed during the pandemic?

My process hasn’t really changed: I still write 2000 words per day when I’m writing a first draft; I still try to be at my desk as early as I can when I’m editing; I stick to my routine. But it’s definitely got harder, and I’ve found this last year a struggle at times, as everyone has. I’ve been extremely grateful for my dog, Molly, who gets me out for a walk every day, which always does me so much good!

If the person reading this had never picked up a Beth O’Leary novel what would you tell them to expect?

Oh, I love this question. I’d say… expect an uplifting, romantic read that’s grounded in real life. I hope my books will engross you, make you laugh, and leave you smiling when you reach that final page.

We loved reading The Switch last year and absolutely adored the characters, who is your most beloved character you’ve written?

I am so glad you enjoyed The Switch! It’s so hard to choose a favourite character, but I do think Arnold in The Switch will always have a very special place in my heart. He just turned up on the page fully formed, really. I loved playing with the trope of the gruff romantic hero who can’t express his feelings well… and making that hero a man in his seventies!

Do you read novels in the same genre you write, or do you go for something else?

I read a lot of romance, romantic comedies and contemporary fiction – it’s what I love, which is why it’s what I write! I do pick up the occasional thriller, but I’m very picky about those, and if they’re too tense I get a little stressed out. And every so often I dip back into a classic when I’m in the mood for it.

What are some of your favourite books from the last year?

I loved Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto, which begins with the main character accidentally killing her blind date and then ringing her aunties to help her with the aftermath! It is brilliantly dark and so funny, and has a lovely romance woven through it too. I also loved Marian Keyes’ latest, Grown-Ups, which I think is her best novel yet (and I’m a huge fan of hers, so that is a high bar). And I recently read The Private Joys of Nnenna Maloney, by Okechukwu Nzelu, and adored it – his writing reminded me a little of Jane Austen, with that wonderful combination of wry humour and perceptiveness.

What are you currently working on?

I’m editing my fourth novel, which is due to publish next spring. I’m so excited about this book. It’s definitely my most ambitious yet, and the characters are so real to me now, I love them all to bits. I can’t wait to share more about it soon!

What does your perfect weekend look like?

A long dog walk with my husband, a hot cup of tea with a really great book, and then making dinner for a cosy evening with friends. I love cooking and baking, and over lockdowns I have really missed catering for loved ones when they come to visit!

What do you always carry with you?

Dog treats, lip balm, a snack (I am very grumpy when I’m hungry…)

What would your last ever meal be?

My husband’s vegetarian lasagne and then my mum’s rhubarb crumble with custard for pudding. They are both delicious dishes, but they’re also special to me because they remind me of two of my favourite people.

What is one positive piece of advice you could give to our audience?

Be gentle with yourself – you deserve kindness. In fact, right now, while you’re reading this, think of something you’re going to do to treat yourself today, and commit to doing it. Go on. It can be something tiny, but it’s got to be something 🙂

Nothing gets the pulse racing quite like a good old fashion bargain (okay maybe Bridgerton is up there too) and securing a 10/10 outfit for a price that won’t break the bank is always something worth celebrating. It’s clear by now that the gems of the high street including the likes of Mango, Zara and H&M mean a bigger price tag doesn’t equal a more stylish ‘fit, making a £100 outfit challenge a piece of cake for those dedicated to a scroll through ‘new in’ on the regular.

Knowing where to invest and scrimp is key, with items like denim, footwear and jackets often benefiting from a little extra £££ if you can help it. Jewellery, bags and basic tees or layering pieces can often be found at a lower price, forming the foundation of your look and allowing your statement pieces to do the talking.

From H&M, Monki, New Look to Urban Outfitters, this week’s team picks are in full celebration of the wonders of the British high street!

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