Absolutely delighted to feature Sandy Barker and her new release. Tell us all about the Ever After Agency series, Sandy!
Thank you so much for having me, Georgia. I am so excited to be bringing readers a new romcom series, this one set in a London-based matchmaking agency.
This is the third series I’ve written, alongside the Holiday Romance and Christmas Romance series, but this is the first that I’ve properly planned. As a pantser, the previous two series grew organically, with me deciding after the first book to continue the story.
This time was different. After finishing up my 8th book for One More Chapter, I had ideas for several contemporary romcoms set in a yet-to-be-decided city, but I wasn’t sure if they were standalones or a series. I thought of connecting the stories through a group of friends, which is a terrific (tried and tested) premise for a series, but as soon as the agency idea came to me, I knew that was it.
It happened during lockdown – I live in Melbourne, Australia, which has the dubious honour of being the most locked down city in the world during 2020 and 2021. I was bingeing Call My Agent, the French dramedy in which the agents at a talent agency are the main characters. (If you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend it. I even watched the British version, Ten Percent, which is also fab.)
The show sparked the idea of a matchmaking agency, with each book following one match and the agency staff as a cast of regulars who will be part of every story.
Book 1 introduces Poppy Dean, matchmaking agent, who is tasked with finding Tristan Fellows, diehard bachelor and ‘banker wanker’, a wife before his 35th birthday or he’ll forgo a £30 million inheritance. Poppy is plucky, smart and doesn’t suffer fools. She also loves a challenge, which Tristan delivers just by being his impossible, grumpy self.
This is a will-they-won’t-they, enemies-to-lovers, forbidden love story, with banter for days, side trips to Greece and Edinburgh, and lots of laugh-out-loud mayhem.
In Book 2, Poppy is engaged by the main character’s sister to reunite her with her long-lost love. It’s set in the world of fashion, which was brilliant fun to write. Actually, with the series set in a matchmaking agency, it’s been a blast playing with romantic tropes, almost as a wink to the romance reader.
Book 1, Match Me If You Can, is out September 28, with Book 2 (still to be named) coming in February and 3 more to follow.
The series sounds so much fun, Sandy. Tell us more!
When Tristan Fellows walks into the Ever After Agency, Poppy Dean knows she’s in for a challenge. A typical bachelor, Tristan has no intention of falling in love, but in order to receive his 30-million-pound inheritance, he must find himself a wife before his 35th birthday.
This may be Poppy’s hardest case yet, but even the most arrogant of men can sometimes warm a woman’s heart…
Preorder: https://www.boldwoodbooks.com/book/match-me-if-you-can/
Thank you again for having me, Georgia, and readers, thank you.
Sandy xxx
Here’s more about our guest author and the linky things:
Sandy is a writer, traveller and hopeful romantic with a lengthy bucket list, and many of her travel adventures have found homes in her novels. She’s also an avid reader, a film buff, a wine lover and a coffee snob.
Sandy lives in Melbourne Australia with her partner, Ben, who she met while travelling in Greece. Their real-life love story inspired Sandy’s 2019 debut novel One Summer in Santorini, the first in the five-book Holiday Romance series. She has since published seven more destination romance titles, and has just signed a five-book deal with Boldwood, with Book 1 in the Ever After Agency, Match Me If You Can,series coming in September this year.
Follow Sandy:
https://www.facebook.com/sandybarkerauthor
https://www.instagram.com/sandybarkerauthor/
Tags for social media
Twitter: @sandybarker @0nemorechapter_@BoldwoodBooks
Instagram: @sandybarkerauthor @onemorechapterHC@bookandtonic (Boldwood)
Facebook: @sandybarker – author @OneMoreChapterBooks@BoldwoodBooks
Thank you so much for guesting, Sandy. It’s been great fun!
Thank you for having me.
You’re very welcome. Great to have you on!