I was delighted to have the opportunity to connect with bestselling author Milly Johnson—one of the Top 10 Female Fiction authors in the UK, with millions of books sold worldwide—to talk about her uplifting novel Here Come the Girls—a heartwarming story that beautifully captures the magic of cruising, the power of friendship, and the excitement of new beginning Set aboard a cruise ship, the book follows four lifelong friends as they embark on a journey filled with laughter, reflection, and unexpected twists. In our exchange, Milly shared what inspired her to set the story at sea, reflected on her own memorable cruise experiences, and revealed her favourite cruise to date. Her passion for travel and storytelling shines through in both her fiction and her thoughtful responses. If you’re looking for the perfect summer read to escape with—whether you’re at sea or on dry land—Here Come the Girls is a wonderful choice. Read on to learn more about the inspiration behind the book and Milly’s personal love for life on the ocean.

Can you give us a brief synopsis of your fabulous book?

Four friends always planned to take a cruise for their fortieth birthday when they were schoolgirls together, but life has turned out to be a pale imitation of the lives they thought they’d have. Then one of them wins a cruise for four and she is determined to take her pals with her, though two of them aren’t talking any more so a little manipulation is needed to unite them and get them onboard. But will that cruise around the Med on the good ship Mermaidia turn out to be so much more than just a jolly holiday for them all?

What inspired you to set the story on a cruise?

From the moment I set foot on a ship I felt an affinity with that way of travelling but the more cruises I did I realised thatevery one had its similarities and was ripe for harvesting material from. I always like to write books that lots of people will find relevance in and the cruise community is huge, so I thought it might have a lot of interest – and I didn’t see any books out there about cruising so I wrote one. It’s been one of my biggest sellers and a firm favourite of people. It’s actually brought a lot of business to the cruise industry too as so many people said they didn’t fancy a cruise until they read Here Come The Girls and thought they’d give it a try afterwards. Then they write and tell me they loved it and have booked again. Result! We’ve been all over the place and seen so much, fabulous places. An Arcticcruise to see the northern lights inspired my book My One True North which enabled me to bring back characters from my first cruise book. And I have a couple of ebook onlys (Here Come the Boys and Ladies who Launch) about a couple of women who miss getting back on a ship and have a dash across countries to reunite with the ship again.

Have you ever been on a cruise yourself? If so, what did you enjoy most?

I’ve been on many, many cruises now over the past twenty years. In the early days, I was a single mum with two young sons and so it was an ideal way to holiday. The kids absolutely loved the onboard club and I was free to read on deck, go for a swim or listen to a lecture, so we all had the holiday we wanted. Nowadays I like the quieter adult-only ships because I’m not the sort of person who has to do as much as possible on holiday – quite the reverse. Being on a ship is the only time I ever truly relax, it’s a proper battery recharger for me. Plus neither myself nor my partner likes flying or airports so putting our bags on the bus down to Southampton is where our holiday starts. And I love that we go to so many different places on a cruise, little tasters of places. It’s as near to earthly bliss as I can find. I’ve just come back from another Med cruise which was a research trip as my book twenty-four will take me back on the Mermaidia for an eighteen day cruise. A nice bonus is that we often bump into people who we have met before because of the repeat custom and we love to see staff again that we have grown fond of over the years.

What would your dream cruise look like – destination, ship, or experience?

I’m very happy with P & O’s Aurora – it’s my favourite ship, there is something about the ambience onboard that is calming and relaxing like no other. That’s why I based the Mermaidia on it, but with a little bit of the Azura thrown in because we loved to go to the night cinema on the top deck and my ideal ship would have to have one of those. The Mermaidia is actually my dream cruise ship so I wish it were real. And it would go to my favourite ports: A stopover in St Petersburg, because I am so glad I got to do that and see the palaces. I’d like to go back to the Gdansk shipyards again, they were amazing. Then a little stopover at Zeebrugge so I could stock up with chocolates in Brugge.  Then calling in at all the best stops in the Med: Lisbon, Valencia, Livorno for some shopping in Florence, Corsica, Venice – so sad we can’t go down the Grand Canal any more. Korcula – my favourite place in Croatia, a couple of stops in Sardinia because the beaches there are to die for. One of the best trips we ever did was going to a tiny horseshoe bay that could only be reached by boat and it was fantastic, the sand like fine sugar and the sea beyond blue.  We had wine and Sardinian flat bread, cheese and meat back on board the little bobbly boat. Then let’s throw some Greek islands in – especially Mykonos and my favourite Cephalonia. And on the way back, happy to bob into Sorrento and Salerno so I can go back to Amalfi and have a massive lemon full of sorbet. And pizza because it never tastes better than when enjoyed in Italy. 

I do love the Med cruises though we have never been across the Atlantic to see New York and St Orleans and up to Canada and that’s on my future list of to-do’s. But for now, we are more than happy with the Med and a smaller adult ship – can’t get better than that for me. 

Milly Johnson’s heartfelt stories and genuine passion for cruising truly shine through in every part of our conversation. Her ability to weave friendship, adventure, and personal experience into Here Come the Girls makes it a captivating read that resonates with anyone who loves travel or is looking for an inspiring escape. Whether you’re a seasoned cruiser or new to the idea, Milly’s reflections and favourite cruise memories offer a wonderful glimpse into why cruising holds such a special place in so many hearts.

Thank you to Milly for sharing her journey with us—we hope it inspires you to embark on your own unforgettable adventure at sea.