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Destination Thailand
Katy Colins
‘Brilliant, life-affirming, perfect escapism.’HeatWhat if you had a second chance… to find yourself?Instead of slipping on her something borrowed and tripping up the aisle to wedded bliss, Georgia spends her big day wondering where it all went wrong.Forced to make a bucket list of her new life goals by best friend Marie, it’s not long before travel-virgin Georgia’s packing her bags for a long-haul trip to Thailand.Yet, Georgia’s big adventure doesn’t seem to be going to plan. From strange sights, smells and falling for every rookie traveller scam in the book, Georgia has never felt more alone.But the good thing about falling apart is that you can put yourself back together any way you please. And new Georgia might just be someone she can finally be proud of…The new favourite series for fans of Bridget Jones’s Diary, the Shopaholic series and Eat, Pray, Love.This year it is time to find the place where you truly belong…‘Katy writes with humour and heart. The Lonely Hearts Travel Club is like Bridget Jones goes backpacking.' - Holly Martin, author of The White Cliff Bay series
What if you had a second chance…to find yourself?
Instead of slipping on her something borrowed and tripping up the aisle to wedded bliss, Georgia spends her big day crying into a warm Sex-on-the-Beach, wondering where it all went wrong.
Encouraged to make a bucket list of her new travel goals by best friend Marie, it’s not long before travel-virgin Georgia’s packing her bags for a long-haul voyage to Thailand.
Yet, Georgia’s big adventure doesn’t seem to be going to plan. What with strange sights, smells and falling for every rookie traveller scam in the book, Georgia has never felt more alone.
But the good thing about falling apart is that you can put yourself back together any way you please. And new Georgia might just be someone she can finally be proud of…
This year it is time to find the place where you truly belong…
Coming soon from Katy Colins (#ulink_aa2d1e4c-52fa-56d1-9065-47d85085a94e)
The Lonely Hearts Travel Club
Destination India
Destination Chile
The Lonely Hearts Travel Club
Destination Thailand
Katy Colins
Copyright (#ulink_5a113cab-5b88-5f8b-9115-c6cce962b461)
HQ
An imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd.
1 London Bridge Street
London SE1 9GF
First published in Great Britain by HQ in 2016
Copyright © Katy Colins 2016
Katy Colins asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.
A catalogue record for 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, downloaded, 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.
E-book Edition © June 2016 ISBN: 9781474046701
Version date: 2018-07-23
KATY COLINS
Author of ‘The Lonely Hearts Travel Club’ series
Katy completed her first novel A Dogs Tale at the age of 11 which received rave reviews…from her Grandad and English teacher. This was just the encouragement she needed to carry on writing.
As a qualified journalist with articles published in Company magazine and The Daily Star she crossed sides to work in Public Relations before selling all she owned to backpack solo around South East Asia and finally put her thoughts into words, writing as she travelled.
Katy currently lives by the sea in France where she is on a one-woman mission to educate the French about the necessity and technicalities of making a good cup of tea. When she is not writing about romance, travel and adventure, she loves travelling, catching up with family and friends and convincing herself that her croissant addiction isn’t out of control – just yet.
You can find out more about Katy, her writing and her travels on her blog www.notwedordead.com (http://www.notwedordead.com) or via twitter @notwedordead (https://twitter.com/Notwedordead)
Subscribe to her blog for your free quick guide to Thailand, inspired by Destination Thailand!
When life gives you lemons you take ‘em and run because … free lemons. Seriously though, sometimes you don’t realise how far you’ve come until you look back. This is for you past Katy, I told you it would all work out.
Huge gigantic thanks to my noisy, fun and ruddy inspiring family. Mum and Dad - you never doubted me and gave me the courage to be brave, say yes and always try my very best. I hope I have made you proud.
A special shout out to Paula Stokes an intelligent and insightful lady with a keen eye for detail. Your ongoing support would make my grandparents proud.
To Gregoire Pruvost for supporting me, feeding me cake and chatting over ideas in another language. Je t’aime. To my wonderful friends including my bezzo Jen Brown, a true diamond. My life is better because you are in it.
To Victoria Oundjian and Lydia Mason for your priceless editing expertise in polishing this book so that it gleams. Also a huge thanks to everyone at HQ for believing in me and to the other HQ authors for welcoming me into this new family with virtual hugs and enthusiastic support.
I probably wouldn’t be writing this if it wasn’t for Rosie Blake and Kerry Hudson. Because of the WoMentoring Project I got to meet two kick ass women who encouraged me to pour my soul into this wild journey.
Thank you to my writing gang Holly Martin, Kat Black, Helen Redfern, Rachael Lucas, Cesca Major and Emily Kerr, I never knew hot tubs in a powercut and villagers chasing us with jam could be so much fun.
I am forever grateful to the awesome people I met along my travels. Special thanks to the following individuals who truly inspired both mine and Georgia’s journey: Jenny Silkstone, Rachel Bryant, Laura Hughes, Lars Hognestad, Adam Whitley, Desiree McCaffrey, Mary Wade, Brent Alexander, Ryan Harrison and Zoe Collie.
To my Twitter friends, super lovely book and travel bloggers and supporters of NotWedorDead.com, big thanks for tirelessly cheering me on, we may have never met IRL but that doesn’t mean you don’t rock my world.
And finally, a squishy big thanks to you lovely reader for buying, reading, sharing and reviewing. If you enjoyed my little book then please tell all your friends, I’m sure they are just as awesome as you.
Gather your rosebuds while you may.
Grandad, this is for you.
Contents
Cover (#uc2703fc1-7038-5098-8e7d-aca99e22bc8e)
Blurb (#u204f39fe-a663-52bb-993b-0d358efee26f)
Book List (#u7b840581-1f36-5177-95f3-cb71191720f0)
Title Page (#u9f3c1b0a-24de-508e-a9c8-d13d16ed8026)
Copyright (#u979d0bc4-54a4-5e3e-96a7-6c9da29719d0)
Author Bio (#udbe713fa-e992-5cdd-91b0-806cb35df049)
Acknowledgement (#u3b2fe167-c5a0-5a0b-bf45-9ce3a3c12c3f)
Dedication (#u7848b73f-40ca-58c6-81cd-7a83efda19a0)
Chapter 1 (#u82928d3b-e7b4-5aa2-a9d8-630d025dee41)
Chapter 2 (#u654caad5-a214-571d-8ce1-34dbd7fd0254)
Chapter 3 (#u2df798a0-03c0-556f-837e-109c54afe304)
Chapter 4 (#u30f52e24-73ac-5ea5-9bbf-a4d129850391)
Chapter 5 (#ua5222081-3e2f-5741-b049-a8bd4dd92562)
Chapter 6 (#u25ba5cf4-0d6b-505f-b4bd-f1e916dcbb63)
Chapter 7 (#u56063d4a-f1db-5c59-bc4d-5949429b0926)
Chapter 8 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 9 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 10 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 11 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 12 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 13 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 14 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 15 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 16 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 17 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 18 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 19 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 20 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 21 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 22 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 23 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 24 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 25 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 26 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 27 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 28 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 29 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 30 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 31 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 32 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 33 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 34 (#litres_trial_promo)
Endpages (#litres_trial_promo)
About the Publisher (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER 1 (#ulink_34f3c748-6c6b-5fce-8630-a368a9725484)
Wanderlust (n.) A strong desire or urge to wander or travel and explore the world
It was my wedding day. A day I’d been fantasising about since I was a little girl, a day I had spent the last twelve months planning and organising. It was going to be a rustic English country wedding, complete with homemade bunting strung from the beams of an outrageously expensive manor house and a billowing marquee set up in the perfectly manicured grounds. The harpist would pluck a simple but charming set as we glided into the grand reception room with our nearest and dearest cheering and clapping our arrival as Mr and Mrs Doherty. That was the part I was cacking myself about the most; all those people staring at me, expecting a radiant blushing bride, when really I was terrified I would go arse over tit on my train. Being the centre of attention made my stomach churn and my sweat glands go into overdrive, but I’d limited the numbers as much as I could and technically I was only half of the centre of attention.
I should be in my creamy, laced, fishtail gown by now. As I glanced at my watch, I realised the hand-tied bouquets of soft powder blue forget-me-nots, complemented by the sweet scent of freesias, should have been delivered ten minutes ago. I should be preparing to sink into the plush chair at the pricy hairdresser’s as they transformed my limp locks into a work of art.
Except that I was sat on an uncomfortable plastic sun lounger trying to hide the big fat tears falling down my slightly sunburnt face, as my best friend Marie passed me yet another dodgy watered-down sex on the beach punch from the all-inclusive pool bar.
In one hour’s time I would have married my fiancé, Alex, but this had all changed fifteen days earlier when I was half-watching a re-run of Don’t Tell the Bride whilst triple-checking the seating plan matched up to the 3D replica Alex’s sister-in-law Francesca had loaned me. She was the one who’d been to school with Kate Middleton, and managed to bring it up into every conversation I’d ever had with her. Waiting for him to arrive home after yet another late shift at work, I had become so engrossed in this episode in which the henpecked husband-to-be had got it oh-so-wrong by choosing a size eight dress for his blatantly curvy size sixteen bride, that I hadn’t realised Alex was standing in the doorframe chewing his fingernails and loosening his tie.
‘We need to talk.’ His voice sounded strangled and distant. His tie had an ink stain that no doubt I’d get chastised by his mother for not being able to scrub off. She’d pursed her lips many a time at my lack of domestic goddesstry. Alex had rebelled against it at the beginning, being the last single man in a family of smug married older brothers. I had been the breath of fresh air next to his Martha Stewart sisters-in-law. Five years later that sweet scent had soured into country air.
We’d met at a dodgy Indie nightclub in Manchester, having been dragged there by our respective best friends one wet Saturday night. Bonding over cheap lager in plastic pint pots, chatting like long-lost friends to the strains of the Smiths and the Kaiser Chiefs, as our two ‘besties’ got off with each other. After sharing a deep appreciation of cholesterol-clogging cheesy chips in the taxi ride back home, and a mutual love for garlic mayo, I knew this was something special.
