What Really Happened to Me

A sweet and wholesome romance set in the charming Strawberry Village about healing hearts, unexpected hope and the courage to write your own happy ending.

Sometimes losing everything is the only way to find yourself.

Grace Leven seems to have it all—CEO of a national TV channel, a picture-perfect family and a life others envy. But behind the glossy façade, cracks are forming. Her career is on the line, her marriage has crumbled and her best friend has disappeared.

Lost and alone, Grace stumbles upon the Strawberry House Hotel, a haven in the idyllic Strawberry Village. Here, surrounded by a community that values truth and connection over social media perfection, Grace begins to ask the one question she’s been avoiding: What really happened to me?

Heartwarming, empowering and beautifully reflective, What Really Happened to Me is a story for every woman who’s ever wondered if there’s more to life.

_________________________________ Praise for What Really Happened to Me: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Ellie’s writing is funny, warm and the characters are inviting. It’s escapism, it’s funny and there is a serious message about living your life on your terms. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Completely hooked from the first chapter to the last! ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Sit down with a cuppa and enjoy ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Absolutely loved this and felt like I was meeting up with old friends

Author Biography

Ellie Barker is a television journalist, author and host of The Next Chapter podcast. Ellie started as a runner in TV just like Rosie in The Pink Coffee Shop. Does the camera really lie? With more 25 years in the industry, Ellie knows.

When she’s not being dazzled by those tv lights – Ellie writes contemporary romance novels or Fiction Therapy as she calls it. THE PINK COFFEE SHOP, THE JUGGLE and THE SECRETS OF THE COFFEE CLUB are all set in the fictitious Cherry Blossom Park in Bristol – the city where Ellie lives with her journalist husband, sons and dog, Cookie.

Her latest novel DO WE REALLY HAVE TO DO THIS? is the first in new series set in the fictitious Strawberry Village also in Bristol, the next one is due in 2024.

When Ellie’s not holding a microphone or collecting socks, she loves to write warm, uplifting fiction with lots of love and hope. All her books have a therapist in (hence the Fiction Therapy) based on her lifelong fascination with mental health. And be warned: after years of reporting on some of the not-so-fair parts of life, only happy endings are allowed.

Ellie would love to hear from you on her website – where you can read the real-life story behind her books.