Today we’re meeting author Hannah Pearl, talking about all things love, and her latest release Meet me on the buddy bench.

What is your favourite romance novel and why?

Straight in with the tricky questions! I honestly don’t think I could narrow this down to one book. I’m not even sure I could narrow it down to one favourite romance author! I feel very lucky to be published by a label with so many fab writers and I thoroughly enjoy reading their novels. I think there are also lots of great stories that don’t think of themselves as romances but have great relationships that run through and I love reading that element of books in other genres too.

What is your favourite love song and why?

Can I give you a list for this question as well? In no particular order, I like:

All of me by John Legend

Heaven – Bryan Adams

Always- Bon Jovi

Thinking out loud- Ed Sheeran

Make you feel my love – Adele

Better together- Jack Johnson

I’m lucky that my husband is very musical. I love when he plays these ones and sings:

Can’t help falling in love – Elvis

Time after Time – Cyndi Lauper.

If you are married or in a civil partnership, did you have a “first dance”? What song did you choose and why?

We had our first dance to Somersault by Zero 7.

It feels like it’s a song about celebrating the best, and bringing out the best in each other and being there for each other.  I love how they say that their partner feels like home.

What is your favourite romantic film and why?
Dirty Dancing. The soundtrack is amazing too. In fact, I probably should have put half the songs from it on my playlist!

Do you have a favourite ongoing romance storyline from a TV show or series?
Jake and Amy from Brooklyn 99. I’m trying really hard to come up with a definitive answer to at least one question where I have to pick! But also in the running were Doctor Who and Rose. Or Doctor Who and River Song. Or Riker and Troi.

I’m a sucker for an ongoing romance! I binged Bones because they kept the slow burn going for so long. But then I love once the couple gets together to see how they get on and develop this too. It’s really nice to actually get to see the payoff when you’ve been waiting forever for it to happen.

What is the most romantic thing you have done for someone / someone has done for you?

My husband took me to see the musical Chicago for my 30th birthday because I’d wanted to go for a long time. It was amazing. That was some time ago though now. I’d drop hints that it is time for more romance, but these days he shows it more by being there and helping me everyday when I’m not well enough to manage things than by big gestures.

Tell us all about your latest book, Meet me on the Buddy Bench

When an ordinary park bench becomes a lifeline …

As a primary school teacher, Ava Lam is familiar with the ‘buddy bench’: a rainbow painted bench where sad or lonely children can sit to show they need a friend.

But are buddy benches just for kids? Ava might have assumed so – until she finds herself sobbing her heart out on a park bench and a kind stranger sits down next to her.

The stranger, Dr Sam Stone, has a house, an impressive job and he’s even training for a marathon – all things that have become painfully out of reach for Ava in her new and scary circumstances. But whilst Sam appears to have everything figured out, it seems he needs a sympathetic ear just as much as she does.

Is the encounter a one-off, or could the ‘buddy bench’ begin to represent a source of comfort and support that will become precious to them both?

Meet me on the buddy bench is available now

Find out more about Hannah

Hannah Pearl was born in East London. She is married with two children and now lives in Cambridge.

She has previously worked as a Criminology researcher, as a Development Worker with various charities and even pulled a few pints in her time.

In 2015 she was struck down by Labrynthitis, which left her feeling dizzy and virtually housebound. She has since been diagnosed with ME. Reading has allowed Hannah to escape from the reality of feeling ill. She read upwards of three hundred books during the first year of her illness. When her burgeoning eReader addiction grew to be too expensive, she decided to have a go at writing. In 2017 she won Simon and Schuster’s Books and the City #heatseeker short story competition, in partnership with Heat magazine, for her short story The Last Good Day.

For more information on Hannah visit her on Twitter