Book Extract: Perfect Moments at Duck Pond Cottage By Della Galton

It’s wonderful to be welcoming Della Galton to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her latest book, Perfect Moments at Duck Pond Cottage. 

When two best friends decide to share their wedding day, what could possibly go wrong?

Jade is over the moon to be tying the knot alongside her best friend, Sarah, at the stunning Bluebell Cliff Hotel in Dorset—a venue where no detail is too small and no expense is spared in the pursuit of perfection.

But as the big day draws closer, so do the complications.

A long-lost relative, a troublesome brother, and some wildly unexpected animal antics all threaten to derail the brides’ dream celebrations.

With emotions running high and chaos around every corner, their perfect day begins to unravel.

Can love and friendship hold everything together when it matters most?

I want to say happy publication day to Della. She has shared an extract with us today. We hope you enjoy. 

*****beginning of extract*****

Jade saw she had a message from Malcolm Williams.

Please see attached the avian version of Love Story.

‘Ooooh, Sarah, look at this.’ Jade took her phone across the kitchen and then pressed play so they could watch the video together.

It opened with two parrots perched at either end of what looked like the back of Malcolm’s brown leather sofa. Mr Spock was on the far left and Talky Tallulah was on the far right. Mr Spock was the first to speak and said something that sounded like, ‘Come in, you buggers.’

Sarah clapped her hand over her mouth. ‘He hasn’t lost his foul mouth then since he’s got a lady friend.’

‘Doesn’t sound like it, does it!’

There was a five-second pause and then Talky Tallulah chipped in. ‘Sling yer ’ook.’

‘Blimey, that doesn’t bode well, does it.’

‘What’s occurring, people?’ That was Mr Spock. And as he spoke, he hopped a little closer to Tallulah.

Then she hopped a little closer to him.

‘Sling yer ’ook,’ she said again.

‘They don’t actually understand what they’re saying though, do they?’ Sarah asked Jade.

‘No. They’re just repeating what they’ve learned.’

Callum appeared in the doorway. ‘What are you two watching? Sounds like parrots.’

Sarah showed him and the three of them watched the rest of the video, which was about three minutes long and consisted of a series of squawks, hops and curses as the two parrots moved closer and closer to each other along the back of Malcolm’s sofa.

It culminated with them beside each other, bright feathers touching and their beaks close. And then a series of hearts floated up from the bottom of the screen.

‘Ahhhh,’ Sarah and Jade said in unison. ‘That’s amazing.’

*****end of extract*****

About Della Galton –

Della Galton is the bestselling author of several romantic comedies set around the Dorset beaches and the beautiful New Forest.

Her stories feature strong female friendship, quirky characters and very often the animals she loves. When she is not writing she enjoys walking her dogs around the beautiful Dorset countryside.

Connect with Della on Facebook, X, Amazon and Instagram.

Perfect Moments at Duck Pond Cottage was released by Boldwood Books on 3rd August 2026 and is book three in the Duck Pond Cottage series. Click to buy on Amazon, Kobo, Barnes & Noble and Waterstones. 

by

Laura

I'm Laura. I started Novel Kicks back in 2009 as I wanted a place to discuss books and writing - two loves of my life. As someone who has anxiety, these two things give me, and I am sure countless others, a much needed escape.
There is a monthly book club, writing exercises, prompts, reviews, author interviews, competitions and guest posts. I cover many genres and I hope there is something for everyone.
I grew up by the sea in Dorset and currently live in Poole with my husband, Chris and three cats. I love writing and have a BA (Hons) in Creative Writing from Falmouth University. I am writing my first book. If only I could stop pressing delete. Chris has threatened to stop it from working. Haha.
I have always loved creative writing since I was in first school and would very much like to meet my teacher, Miss Sayers, to say thank you for all the encouragement she gave me then.
When not writing, I love reading, cats, Disney, singing (I can't sing but this doesn't stop me,) and falling into a good TV show or film. If I could step into any fictional world, it would be amongst the characters in ABC's Once Upon a Time.
I love reading many genres and discovering new authors.