Contemporary Fiction Books

Book Synopsis‘Profane, funny, and uncomfortably honest' – Brandon Taylor, author of Real Life Twenty-year-old Lilja is in love.He is older and beautiful, a Derrida-quoting intellectual.He is also a serial cheater, gaslighter and narcissist.Lilja will do anything to hold on to him.And so she accepts his deceptions and endures his sexual desires. She rationalizes his toxic behaviour and permits him to cross all her boundaries. In her desperation to be the perfect lover, she finds herself unable to break free from the toxic cycle. And then an unexpected ultimatum: an all-consuming love, or the promise of a life reclaimed. Thora Hjörleifsdóttir explores the darkest corners of relationships, capturing an ugly, hidden nature of love. In an era of growing pornification, she deftly illustrates the failings of our culture in recognizing symptoms of cruelty. In visceral, poetic prose, translated from Icelandic by Meg Matich, Magma depicts the unspooling of a tender-hearted young woman aching to love and be loved.'Mesmerizing . . . Hjösleifsdóttir dives deep into the fire-rivers of lust, just how much humiliation we’re willing to tolerate in the name of love.' – Oprah DailyTrade ReviewMagma is profane, funny, and uncomfortably honest about what happens when we substitute someone’s image of us for self-knowledge. -- Brandon Taylor * Vulture *A compulsive, propulsive debut about a young woman’s exploration of love and sex . . . Thora Hjörleifsdóttir’s narrator pulls us into the tale of her near undoing and her struggle to find her own value. -- Lily King, author of Writers & LoversA luminous and poetic novel . . . How to describe the slow escalation by which possession becomes control, and power abuse? [Hjörleifsdóttir] has created a whole new landscape for storytelling. -- John Freeman, author of How to Read a NovelistA novel that speaks directly to its present age . . . An incredibly compelling book * Iceland National Radio *Bulleted, candid, first-person prose that parallels the quickness in which women’s lives can become less their own. * Lit Hub *Unsettling . . . an achingly plausible mix of verve and bluntness . . . Throughout, Hjörleifsdóttir's fresh prose disturbingly evokes the young woman’s unmoored state. The burnished micro-chapters form a narrative necklace of gems. * Publishers Weekly *Hjörleifsdóttir's heart-wrenching American debut is a raw and empathetic depiction of a woman so subtly manipulated into an abusive relationship that she loses her sense of self and cannot find a way out . . . masterfully written * Booklist *Arresting . . . [Magma] urgently explores the challenges and costs of a young woman’s passionate yet toxic relationship. * Time, 'Best Books of Summer 2021' *Beautifully spare prose . . . A powerful excavation of what can go wrong when you love another. -- Literary Hub, '38 Novels You Need to Read This Summer'Mesmerizing . . . Hjörleifsdóttir dives deep into the fire-rivers of lust, just how much humiliation we’re willing to tolerate in the name of love. -- Oprah Daily

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Book SynopsisThe Prize-winning International Bestseller When a mother allows her thirty-something daughter to move into her apartment, she wants for her what many mothers might say they want for their child: a steady income, and, even better, a good husband with a good job with whom to start a family.But when Green turns up with her girlfriend Lane in tow, her mother is unprepared and unwilling to welcome Lane into her home. In fact, she can barely bring herself to be civil. Having centred her life on her husband and child, her daughter’s definition of family is not one she can accept. Her daughter’s involvement in a case of unfair dismissal involving gay colleagues from the university where she works is similarly strange to her.And yet when the care home where she works insists that she lower her standard of care for an elderly dementia patient who has no family, who travelled the world as a successful diplomat, who chose not to have children, Green’s mother cannot accept it. Why should not having chosen a traditional life mean that your life is worth nothing at all?In Concerning My Daughter, translated from Korean by Jamie Chang, Kim Hye-jin lays bare our most universal fears on ageing, death and isolation to offer, finally, a paean to love in all its forms.'An admirably nuanced portrait of prejudice . . . one that boldly takes on the daunting task of humanizing someone whose prejudice has made her cruel.' - The New York TimesTrade ReviewAn acerbic and wise book. -- Catherine Taylor * Irish Times *An admirably nuanced portrait of prejudice . . . one that boldly takes on the daunting task of humanizing someone whose prejudice has made her cruel. -- Imogen West Knights * The New York Times *I can't help but be moved by a story about women meeting, fighting, helping each other, looking after one another, and raising their voices against the prejudice and criticism they are subject to. -- Cho Nam-joo, author of Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982Concerning My Daughter is one of the best character studies I've read in years - thoughtful, complicated and surprisingly kind, it raises important questions about ageing, family, and both the cost and the value of change. -- Jessie Greengrass, author of An Account of the Decline of the Great Auk and Sight Concerning My Daughter is a work that is unafraid of the human body in all its contradictions, at once philosophical and practical in its treatment of the aging body, the gendered body, the body’s capacity for acts of caretaking, protest, and love. Urgent, timely, tender. -- Yoon Choi, author of SkinshipConcerning My Daughter provides desperate narratives of its female characters. It’s the story of a mother and a daughter, but it goes beyond the relationship and is also ahead of our time. By accompanying the women’s journey overcoming pain and suffering in their lives, we will see our stereotypes broken in the end. The great power smashing our fixed old ideas! This book is filled with such energy. -- Kyung-sook Shin, author of Please Look After Mom and Violets

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Book Synopsis‘Brilliant . . . These stories are sly and prescient, a nuanced reflection of the world we are living in.’ – Roxane Gay‘Evans is blessed with perfect pitch.’ – Tayari Jones‘Sublime short stories of race, grief, and belonging . . . an extraordinary new collection.’ New YorkerDanielle Evans is widely acclaimed for her blisteringly smart voice and X-ray insights into complex human relationships. With The Office of Historical Corrections, Evans zooms in on particular moments and relationships in her characters’ lives in a way that allows them to speak to larger issues of race, culture, and history.We meet Black and multi-racial characters who are experiencing the universal confusions of lust and love, and getting walloped by grief – all while exploring how history haunts us, personally and collectively. Ultimately, she provokes us to think about the truths of American history – about who gets to tell them, and the cost of setting the record straight.In ‘Boys Go to Jupiter’ a white college student tries to reinvent herself after a photo of her in a Confederate-flag bikini goes viral. In ‘Richard of York Gave Battle in Vain’ a photojournalist is forced to confront her own losses while attending an old friend’s unexpectedly dramatic wedding. And in the eye-opening title novella, a Black scholar from Washington DC is drawn into a complex historical mystery that spans generations and puts her job, her love life, and her oldest friendship at risk.

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Book Synopsis'One of the most exquisite debuts I've read' Daily Telegraph'Affecting and haunting' ObserverAfter the death of his wife, a father in a forgotten corner of France raises his two sons alone. But their town is not one of opportunity, and the boys are heading down different paths. Gillou sets his sights on university in Paris while Fus falls in with the local far-right group, searching for meaning and belonging with dangerous friends.How can a father and son find common ground when everything seems set to break them apart? A sudden act of violence will force them to find an answer.Tense, sharp and ultimately heartbreaking, Laurent Petitmangin's first novel, What You Need From The Night, asks what acts can truly be forgiven.'A tragedy of unconditional love' - L'Obs'Heartbreaking . . . haunts you long after you've put it down'- Libération'As sublime as it is painful' - Le ParisienTrade ReviewA triumph of tamped power and unsutured emotion . . . one of the most exquisite debuts I’ve read for some time * Daily Telegraph *Affecting and haunting * Observer *A short blast of a novel: a howl of pain, impotence and rage. The prose, fluently translated by Shaun Whiteside, is precise and unadorned * Spectator *Heartbreaking . . . haunts you long after you've put it down * Libération *A tragedy of unconditional love * L'Obs *As sublime as it is painful * Le Parisien *A poignant, modest, moving book * Télérama *It's impossible not to devour this heartbreaking and beautiful short text in one gulp * Psychologie Mag *An unforgettable first novel, Laurent Petitmangin writes as one lives. And it's dazzling * L'Est Républicain *Petitmangin tells his story of generational shock with a painful quality, a deep voice charged with sadness and a touching efficiency. Memorable * El País *A block of raw emotion * Paris Match *He describes with inifinite accuracy the violence of a father not being able to recognise his son anymore * Femme Actuelle *It shines with the dazzling yet minimalist style that probes hearts and consciences * La Provence *Magnificent! * France Inter *Everytime, Laurent Petitmangin finds the right word * Le Figaro *

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Book SynopsisChosen by Bernardine Evaristo as one of her Top 20 Books by Black British Womxn Writers, Yvvette Edwards' second novel, The Mother, tells Marcia's story.Marcia Williams thought she knew her son. She thought he was safe. She was wrong . . . Today, Marcia is heading to the Old Bailey. She's going there to do something no mother should ever have to do: to attend the trial of the boy accused of her son's murder. She's not meant to be that woman; Ryan, her son, wasn't that kind of boy. But Tyson Manley is that kind of a boy and, as his trial unfolds, it becomes clear that it's his girlfriend Sweetie who has the answers Marcia so badly needs and who can – perhaps – offer Marcia some kind of hope for the future. But Sweetie is as scared of Tyson as Ryan should have been and, as Marcia's learned the hard way, nothing's certain. Not any more.'Skillfully plotted and heart-wrenching' – Stylist'Thrilling, tense and poignant' – HeatTrade ReviewAs emotionally satisfying as it is simply constructed, The Mother tells the tale of every woman's worst nightmare: losing a child, then having to face in court the man accused of murdering that child . . . A powerful scenario, and Yvvette Edwards, in only her second novel, explores it with skill and subtlety, finding shards of humanity in her bitter, combustible narrator * Mail on Sunday Event Magazine *Skilfully plotted and heart-wrenching * Stylist *Thrilling, tense and poignant * Heat *A compelling novel that gets into the head of a mother attending the trial of the boy accused of murdering her son. Her story gathers momentum and tension until the final verdict * Woman & Home *A harrowing tale of a mother's grief where nothing is certain * Essentials Magazine *A powerful book that will cut you to the quick * Sun *A wonderfully vivid and arresting portrait of a mother facing up to the ultimate horror * Scotsman Magazine *

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Book SynopsisWinner of the Desmond Elliott PrizeShortlisted: Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year - Goldsmiths Prize - Betty Trask PrizeLonglisted: Booker Prize - Dylan Thomas PrizeMaps of Our Spectacular Bodies is a story of coming-of-age at the end of a life. Utterly heart-breaking yet darkly funny, Maddie Mortimer’s debut is a symphonic journey through one woman’s body: a celebration of desire, forgiveness, and the darkness within us all.‘Original, memorable, shimmering’ - Sarah Moss, author of Ghost WallLia has only one child, Iris; her magical, awkward, endlessly creative daughter who has just entered the battleground of her teenage years. Lia and Iris have always been close, but there is a war playing out inside Lia’s body, too, and everything is about to change.As she confronts what might be the end, memories of her own childhood and a passionate love affair come rushing into her present, unearthing buried secrets and her family’s deepest fears. But Lia still has hope . . . for more time, for more love, for more Iris.The Sunday Times Book of the Year'Restlessly inventive . . . delicate and persuasive' - The Guardian‘Extraordinary, kaleidoscopic’ - Daisy Johnson, author of Everything, UnderTrade ReviewRemarkable . . . A tearjerker, but it's hopeful too . . . Brave, inventive and mature * Sunday Times *Here is a book to dance and sing about. An extraordinary, kaleidoscopic dive into language -- Daisy Johnson, Man Booker-shortlisted author of Everything, UnderCompelling and uplifting . . . undeniably impressive: Mortimer is clearly a talent to watch * Telegraph *An original and memorable novel written in shimmering prose. The characters stayed with me long after I’d finished reading -- Sarah Moss, Women's Prize-shortlisted author of Ghost Wall and SummerwaterBrave, inventive and mature . . . a remarkable debut * The Times, The best paperbacks of 2023 *Lyrical and beautiful, this is a novel unlike anything else * Stylist *Both expansive and intimate, Maps of Our Spectacular Bodies is an intricate portrait of a life hurtling towards the inevitable. An extraordinary debut. -- Kiran Millwood Hargrave, Sunday Times bestselling author of The MerciesStriking . . . formally inventive . . . Sadness is not allowed to crowd out wit and joy * New Yorker *A beautiful novel about death that feels completely alive, pulsing with tenderness and wit -- Megan Hunter, author of The End We Start From and The HarpyAn extraordinary debut, unlike anything I've read. Wildly inventive, poetic and poignant, this is a rare gem of a novel that took my imagination to new places and touched my heart. -- Emma Stonex, Sunday Times bestselling author of The LamplightersTechnically dazzling . . . Mortimer has the same felicity with language as Jon McGregor, combining an incantatory prose style with imagery so acute it almost burns * Daily Mail *Ambitious, sprawling . . . brings to mind Eimear McBride's A Girl Is a Half-Formed Thing . . . restlessly inventive . . . delicate and persuasive . . . sharply funny * Guardian *It may move between different styles and moods, but underpinning it all is the book’s bursting energy and, in the face of death, its verve for life * i newspaper *This is a touching, eye-opening perspective on life and illness like you've never read before * Good Housekeeping *Using word placement, font, and shape to create images on the page, Mortimer deepens the reader’s engagement with the story and characters . . . Through breathtaking attention to detail, Mortimer crafts a stunning novel that touches on the expanses one life can contain * Booklist (starred) *Maddie Mortimer's dazzling debut novel about a woman with breast cancer is a life-affirming read - all the more so because of its proximity to death . . . While there are many books that explore these themes, it is rare to find one that does so in such an immersive and harrowing way * Straits Times *

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Book Synopsis'Fiercely independent, all of Evans’s characters struggle for a place in a world intent of fencing them out.' - New York Times Book ReviewThe extraordinary début short story collection from Danielle Evans, one of the United States' foremost literary talents, is published in the UK for the first time.A college student's unplanned pregnancy forces her to confront her feelings of resentment toward her more privileged classmates. A father’s misguided attempt to rescue a gift for his adult daughter magnifies all he doesn’t know about her. And two teenage girls’ flirt with adulthood leads to disastrous consequences.Based in a world where inequality is reality, but where the shifting terrain of adolescence and family are the most complicating forces, Evans’ characters are wry, wise and utterly original. Striking in their emotional immediacy, the electrifying, prize-winning stories in Before You Suffocate Your Own Fool Self offer a fresh perspective on race and class in contemporary America.'Danielle Evans is funny as hell' - Victor LaValle, author of Big Machine'Knife-sharp wit and tender but unflinching eye' - V.V. Ganeshananthan, author of Love MarriageTrade ReviewDanielle Evans's whipsmart first story collection charts the liminal years between childhood and the condition dubiously known as being a grown-up. * New York Times Book Review *There are books that capture our world perfectly, like a scrim over a stage. And then there are books that surprise the audience and go somewhere new, somewhere completely unpredictable. In this collection, Evans paints a picture, sometimes ripping through the fabric. One wonders where she will go next. * Boston Globe *Danielle Evans' blisteringly smart short stories offer fresh perspective on being young and black in America. From a vandalizing valedictorian to a rejected biracial child, her characters triumph by surviving without forgetting. * Time *The most vivid characters in Danielle Evans's story collection are in-betweeners: between girlhood and womanhood; between the black middle class and Ivy League privilege; between iffy boyfriends and those even less reliable; between an extended family and living on your own. To say they're caught between worlds isn't quite accurate, though; they tend to be hard-headed, sadder but wiser and, most of all, funny. * The New York Times *I hope Danielle Evans is a very nice person because that might be her only defense against other writers’ seething envy . . . Again and again, without any histrionics, but with a clear appreciation for the natural drama of our mundane lives, Evans frames such questions in a way that will resonate with any thoughtful reader. * Washington Post *This striking debut collection Before You Suffocate Your Own Fool Self offers rich slices of African-American life . . . [Evans's] stories are bolstered by memorable images . . . Evans's book, meanwhile, carries a strong scent of freshness and promise. * Entertainment Weekly *Danielle Evans's considerable talents are in evidence on every page of this impressive debut. She finds her often surprising dramatic material in the unexpected asides of modern life, with results that are intense, intelligent, humane, and funny. I look forward to reading more. -- Daniel Alarcon, author of Lost City RadioEvans's knife-sharp wit and tender but unflinching eye create a range of characters who are entirely sympathetic, even as they tumble headlong into their own mistakes. -- V.V. Ganeshananthan, author of Love MarriageDanielle Evans is funny as hell. Which only makes all the heartbreak in these stories more surprising and satisfying. The young women in this collection are always on the edge of real trouble but don't be fooled, they're the dangerous ones. Written with wonderful clarity and a novelist's sense of scope, Before You Suffocate Your Own Fool Self is a fabulous literary debut. -- Victor LaValle, author of Big MachineDanielle Evans's stories are fresh, arresting, real. The young women and men in them could be sitting across from you on the subway or strolling past you on a college campus. And the young woman who brings them to us is a writer to watch. -- Martha Southgate, author of The Fall of RomeQuietly magnetic, Evans's voice draws us into richly-charged worlds where innocence isn't lost but escaped, and where pieces of the past reassemble in the present with the inevitable geometry of kaleidoscope glass. -- Sana Krasikov, author of One More Year

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Book Synopsis'Sharp' - The Guardian'Excellent' - Glamour'Darkly funny' - Harper's BAZAAR'Chaotic' - The SkinnyAmelia is no stranger to sex and death.Her job as a cosmetic mortician at her family's funeral parlour might be unusual but she's good at it. When it comes to meeting people who are still breathing she uses dating apps. Combining with someone else's body at night Amelia can become something else, at least for a while.But when a sudden loss severs her ties with someone she loves, Amelia sets off on a seventy-two-hour mission to outrun her grief - skipping out on the funeral, running away to stay with her father in Tasmania and experimenting on the local BDSM scene. There, she learns even more about sex, death, grief and the different ways pain works its way through the body. It'll take a pair of fathers, a bruising encounter wiht a stranger and recognition of her own body's limits to bring Amelia back to herself.Wise and heartbreakingly funny, Ella Baxter’s New Animal is a stunning debut.'Self-destructive anti-heroines are in vogue, but what Amelia's story makes clear is how under-represented female sexuality still is.' – The Telegraph, The Four best Debut Novels to Read'There's a compelling quality to Amelia's honesty that recalls Raven Leilani's Luster or the sex-addicted eponymous narrator of Leïla Slimani's Adele.' - The Irish TimesTrade ReviewBaxter’s writing is so forthright, her protagonist so raw and unmediated in her feelings, thoughts and flailing at the “arrowhead of sorrow” that New Animal makes for compelling reading . . . an intense, viscerally affecting book, with the quotient of tenderness to violence in an equal scale. * Sydney Morning Herald *Baxter is fascinated with the female body, which “trots everywhere with you like an indebted lover”, and how it assimilates extreme emotions . . . Self-destructive anti-heroines are in vogue, but what Amelia’s story makes clear is how under-represented female sexuality still is. -- 'The four best debut novels to read in 2022' * Telegraph *There's a compelling quality to [Amelia's] honesty that recalls Raven Leilani's Luster or the sex-addicted eponymous narrator of Leila Slimani's Adele. As with these books, Baxter focuses on the ways in which pain works its way through the body. * Irish Times *There’s not one expected detail here . . . Excellent. * Glamour *This story is unique and compelling. New Animal is funny, sad, and illuminating about the nature of mourning. Turns out, there's a lot to be learned about grief from the kink community. Who knew? * Buzzfeed *Amelia is in her late 20s and working at her stepfather’s mortuary. But when her mother suddenly dies, rupturing her fragile family, Amelia flees to Tasmania, joins a BDSM community and embarks on a journey toward self-acceptance. * The New York Times *New Animal is a wonderfully tender book. Ella Baxter doesn't shy away from any of the messiness of humanity, choosing instead to lean in, hard, and unpack all the ways that grief breaks us down and ultimately reshapes us. It's feral and raw, laugh out loud funny in parts, and absolutely the kind of family mess I love best. Baxter is a delightful writer and New Animal is a hell of a read. * Kristen Arnett, New York Times-bestselling author of With Teeth and Mostly Dead Things *One of 2022's most exciting debuts, New Animal is a blistering, darkly funny account of its narrator's eventful attempt to outrun her grief, in a 72-hour exploration of sex, death and pain. * Harper's BAZAAR *I inhaled Ella Baxter's New Animal, which is the sort of animal that is all spine, all teeth. The deftness of her prose, which is so damn funny, along with such a poignant and true and entertaining story, make this a book that positively glitters. Ella Baxter's New Animal is an animal that is so animal it's human. * Lindsay Hunter, author of Eat Only When You're Hungry *[Main character Amelia] has outrageous sex to swallow her ineffable sadness, and though she's from Australia rather than Ireland, she could have stepped from the pages of a Sally Rooney novel... Baxter is a sharp observer, and seems to have the Didion knack of getting close to a subject without surrendering her scepticism. * The Guardian *I loved this macabre, mordant, and very moving book. New Animal surprised and comforted me with its deft investigations of grief, power, and self, and with its beautiful prose. This is an economical novel that packs a major emotional punch. * Lydia Kiesling, author of The Golden State *This is writing that is sharp and fearlessly chaotic, grappling with the depths humans go to for mere illusion of control. Luridly funny and always surprising, New Animal takes on the promise of catharsis--and upends it entirely. * The Skinny *

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Book Synopsis‘Poetic and affecting’ - Robert Antoni, The Washington PostMr Potter, a taxi driver from Antigua, makes his living along the winding roads that pass through the only towns he has ever known. He sleeps, eats, drives, and tries to shake off his past. The sun shines squarely overhead, the ocean lies on every side, and suppressed passion fills the air.From Jamaica Kincaid, one of today’s most accomplished writers, Mr Potter is an original, spellbinding portrait of a man and an island.Now in the Picador Collection.

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Book SynopsisFrom Rumer Godden, the acclaimed author of Black Narcissus returns again to her beloved India win Coromandel Sea Change, a novel brimming with heart, wit, unforgettable characters, and ‘a sense of timelessness reminiscent of E. M. Forster’ (The Times).Hotel owner Auntie Sanni has entertained all manner of guests during her many years as hostess at Patna Hall, a popular vacation spot on the lush Coromandel coast. Now, with an election coming, business is especially brisk, and her hotel is packed with Indian politicians, British diplomats, journalists, American tourists – even an elephant, and a woman of mystery or two.Among the vacationers are Mary and Blaise, a young English couple on their honeymoon. But where Mary is enchanted by the colours, sounds and vibrant Indian life, prim and priggish Blaise sees only squalor, sordidness and a Coromandel Sea teeming with sharks.Matters are only made worse when Mary becomes interested in local Indian politics – particularly the handsome, exquisitely spoken candidate Krishnan, whose kindness and wisdom are like a balm for her spirit . . .Trade ReviewA novelist of many gifts. * Daily Telegraph *[Godden has] a genius for storytelling. * Evening Standard *One of our best and most captivating novelists -- Philip HensherHer craftsmanship is always sure; her understanding of character is compassionate and profound; her prose is pure, delicate, and gently witty * New York Times *

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Book SynopsisNiamh Mulvey is the author of the short story collection, Hearts and Bones, which was shortlisted for the John McGahern Award. Her short fiction has been published in The Stinging Fly, Banshee, Southword and The Irish Times and has been shortlisted for the Seán O'Faoláin Prize. She lives in Kilkenny, Ireland. The Amendments is her first novel.

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Book Synopsis*Winner of the CWA New Blood Dagger 2023*'A heart-wrenching mystery' – Jane Harper, author of The DryTwelve year-old Esther Bianchi disappears on her way home from school in the small town of Durton – and the truth will not come easily. Dirt Town by Hayley Scrivenor is an atmospheric crime novel set in rural Australia.Dirt town. Dirt and hurt – that’s what others would remember about our town . . .The DetectiveAs the community is thrown into a state of grief and suspicion, Detective Sergeant Sarah Michaels begins her investigation into the disappearance of Esther Bianchi. She questions those who knew the girl, attempting to unpick the secrets which bind them together.The MotherThe girl’s mother believes that her daughter going missing is the worst thing that can happen to her. But as the search for Esther develops, she learns that things can always get worse.The FriendsRonnie is Esther’s best friend and is determined to bring her home. So when her classmate Lewis tells her that he saw Esther with a strange man at the creek the afternoon she went missing, Ronnie feels she is one step closer to finding her. But why is Lewis refusing to speak to the police?And who else is keeping quiet about what happened to Esther?'I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough' - Chris Whitaker, bestselling author of We Begin at the End'A stunning debut' - Ann CleevesTrade ReviewA heart-wrenching mystery, Hayley Scrivenor’s remarkable sense of place brings Dirt Town to life. A stellar debut -- Jane Harper, bestselling author of The DryA stunning debut. Achingly atmospheric, thrilling and heartfelt, I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough -- Chris Whitaker, internationally bestselling author of We Begin at the EndBeautifully written, compassionate, with an entirely credible but heart-breaking ending. A stunning debut -- Ann Cleeves, The Sunday Times bestselling authorDirt Town deserves its praise. It is an intelligent novel, one that grapples with complex social and political dynamics, and brings a fresh voice to familiar narratives * Guardian *[A] deeply impressive first novel . . . It is a powerful story, shot through with moments of horror and tenderness, and another devastating indictment of the outback mentality * The Times *Best crime debut in ages, Hayley Scrivenor is a major new talent. Page-turning, heart-breaking, gut-wrenching stuff. I can’t remember when I enjoyed a book so much -- Erin Kelly, The Sunday Times bestselling author of He Said/She SaidMasterful. Australian crime has a new star. The characters of Dirt Town are rich, raw and beautifully realized. One of the crime books of the year. Intelligent, nuanced and compassionate -- Chris Hammer, bestselling author of ScrublandsA chilling and darkly atmospheric novel. I literally couldn’t put it down. -- Ruth Hogan, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Keeper of Lost ThingsRaw and intimate, Hayley Scrivenor unpacks small town life and its tragedies with heart and prowess -- Anna BaileyHighly doubt I will read a better debut in 2022. Evocative, immersive, heart-breaking and ultimately hopeful. In a word, brilliant -- Sarah Hilary, author of FragileA gripping mystery told in authentic and innovative fashion, Dirt Town will keep you engrossed. Hayley Scrivenor is an exciting new voice and an author to watch -- Adam Hamdy, The Sunday Times bestselling authorDirt Town is a remarkable debut, Hayley Scrivenor is masterful in her deft handling of the tensions underpinning a small, regional town, and the complex characters that populate it. You will not be able to put it down -- Hannah KentI loved it. Brilliantly written, evocative and touching -- Charlotte LevinBroadchurch but in a scorched, dying town in rural Australia. Immersive, sweeping and superb -- Catherine Ryan Howard[An] exceptional slice of outback noir * i online *

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Book Synopsis*Winner of the Crime Writers' Association New Blood Dagger Award 2023*Twelve year-old Esther Bianchi disappears on her way home from school in the small town of Durton – and the truth will not come easily. Dirt Town by Hayley Scrivenor is an atmospheric crime novel set in rural Australia.'A heart-wrenching mystery' – Jane Harper, author of The Dry'A stunning debut' - Ann CleevesTHE DETECTIVEAs the community is thrown into a state of grief and suspicion, Detective Sergeant Sarah Michaels begins her investigation into the disappearance of Esther Bianchi. She questions those who knew the girl, attempting to unpick the secrets which bind them together.THE MOTHERThe girl’s mother, Constance, believes that her daughter going missing is the worst thing that can happen to her. But as the search for Esther develops, she learns that things can always get worse.THE FRIENDSRonnie is Esther’s best friend and is determined to bring her home. So when her classmate Lewis tells her that he saw Esther with a strange man at the creek the afternoon she went missing, Ronnie feels she is one step closer to finding her. But why is Lewis refusing to speak to the police?And who else is keeping quiet about what happened to Esther?Dirt Town by Hayley Scrivenor is perfect for fans of Jane Harper's The Dry and Chris Whitaker's We Begin at the End.Trade ReviewA heart-wrenching mystery, Hayley Scrivenor’s remarkable sense of place brings Dirt Town to life. A stellar debut -- Jane Harper, bestselling author of The DryA stunning debut. Achingly atmospheric, thrilling and heartfelt, I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough -- Chris Whitaker, internationally bestselling author of We Begin at the EndBeautifully written, compassionate, with an entirely credible but heart-breaking ending. A stunning debut -- Ann Cleeves, The Sunday Times bestselling author of Vera and ShetlandDirt Town deserves its praise. It is an intelligent novel, one that grapples with complex social and political dynamics, and brings a fresh voice to familiar narratives * Guardian *[A] deeply impressive first novel . . . It is a powerful story, shot through with moments of horror and tenderness, and another devastating indictment of the outback mentality * The Times *Best crime debut in ages, Hayley Scrivenor is a major new talent. Page-turning, heart-breaking, gut-wrenching stuff. I can’t remember when I enjoyed a book so much -- Erin Kelly, The Sunday Times bestselling author of He Said/She SaidMasterful. Australian crime has a new star. The characters of Dirt Town are rich, raw and beautifully realized. One of the crime books of the year. Intelligent, nuanced and compassionate -- Chris Hammer, bestselling author of ScrublandsA chilling and darkly atmospheric novel. I literally couldn’t put it down. -- Ruth Hogan, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Keeper of Lost ThingsRaw and intimate, Hayley Scrivenor unpacks small town life and its tragedies with heart and prowess -- Anna Bailey, author of Tall BonesHighly doubt I will read a better debut in 2022. Evocative, immersive, heart-breaking and ultimately hopeful. In a word, brilliant -- Sarah Hilary, author of FragileA gripping mystery told in authentic and innovative fashion, Dirt Town will keep you engrossed. Hayley Scrivenor is an exciting new voice and an author to watch -- Adam Hamdy, The Sunday Times bestselling authorDirt Town is a remarkable debut, Hayley Scrivenor is masterful in her deft handling of the tensions underpinning a small, regional town, and the complex characters that populate it. You will not be able to put it down -- Hannah KentI loved it. Brilliantly written, evocative and touching -- Charlotte LevinBroadchurch but in a scorched, dying town in rural Australia. Immersive, sweeping and superb -- Catherine Ryan Howard[An] exceptional slice of outback noir * i online *

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Book Synopsis‘Moved me, inspired me, thrilled me. It filled up every chamber of my heart’ – Ann Patchett‘Masterful, surprising, and satisfying’ – Madeline MillerThe stunning short story collection from the bestselling author of Writers & Lovers and EuphoriaA reclusive bookseller begins to feel the discomfort of love again. A widow whisks her daughter away for a holiday she can barely afford, desperate to help the two of them grieve. A neglected teenage boy finds much-needed nurturing from an unlikely pair of college students. A proud man rages helplessly at his granddaughter’s hospital bedside. A writer receives a visit from all of the men who have tried to suppress her voice.The romantic but brutally raw stories in Five Tuesdays in Winter explore desire, heartache, moments of shocking cruelty and the inexorable tug toward love at all costs. This profoundly tender collection confirms Lily King as one of our most beloved chroniclers of the human heart.‘Vivid, moving, immersive’ – Marian Keyes‘Intimate and revealing, unflinchingly honest and insightful’ – The Observer‘Exquisite’ – Financial TimesTrade ReviewFive Tuesdays in Winter moved me, inspired me, thrilled me. It filled up every chamber of my heart. I loved this book -- Ann Patchett, author of The Dutch HouseLily King is one of my long-time literary heroes . . . masterful, surprising, and satisfying -- Madeline Miller, author of CirceEach masterful story reminds us that King is one of our finest cartographers of the human heart * Esquire *These are stories of outsiders finding their people, of new perspectives, and they place King . . . as one of our great short-story writers * Vogue *Intimate and revealing, this is an honest and insightful collection * Observer *Vivid! Moving! Immersive! -- Marian Keyes, author of Again, RachelFive Tuesdays In Winter perfectly captures those intense, defining moments in people’s lives without ever veering into melodrama or mawkishness. * Red Magazine *King dives into the emotional worlds of her characters whole-hog, her wry humour ensuring that tenderness never veers into sentimentality . . . it is the exquisite attention with which King articulates all that roils inside us that secures her place in the contemporary canon * Financial Times *Superb . . . Ten raw and insightful stories of the heart from the acclaimed novelist, from a babysitter’s loss of innocence to a nonagenarian at his granddaughter’s hospital bedside * i *Endearing, vulnerable characters . . . clever, charming short stories * Daily Mail *Love in all its forms is placed under the microscope in this typically forensic collection of short stories from the fabulously sharp, uncompromising American novelist Lily King * Metro *

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Book SynopsisIN A DYING WORLD, HOW FAR WILL A MOTHER GO TO SAVE HER CHILD?'Not Alone kept me breathless with tension.' - Emma Donoghue, bestselling author of Room'Intensely moving, genuinely gripping, plausible and absorbing' - Charlotte Mendelson, author of The ExhibitionistFive years ago, a toxic microplastics storm killed most of the population. Now Katie, a young mother, must forage and hunt the few surviving animals for meat as she attempts to feed her little boy, Harry.At a time when stepping outside could kill you, Harry is kept indoors at all costs, never venturing beyond the door to their one-bedroom flat. The bodies begin to build up around them and layers of poisonous dust hang heavily in the air, seeping into the soil and slowly killing anything attempting to cling onto the natural world.Then, after years without human contact, Katie and Harry are terrified by the unwelcome arrival of another survivor. Katie realises she must undertake a previously unthinkable journey in search of the man she was supposed to marry and a new life for her son.But outside their safe haven, Katie and Harry encounter a dangerous world that is forever changed . . . Trade ReviewNot Alone kept me breathless with tension. An outstandingly credible and gripping adventure story, rooted in a deep understanding of both ecology and family. -- Emma Donoghue, bestselling author of Room and The WonderIntensely moving, genuinely gripping, plausible and absorbing; this is a stunning debut by a truly talented new writer -- Charlotte Mendelson, author of The ExhibitionistWith hauntingly beautiful descriptions of the natural world, this challenging novel is tough and memorable. * Guardian *The emotionally wrenching story of a young mother’s fight to save her young son as they struggle across a toxic and hostile world. The tension never lets up. Utterly believable, always compelling, and deeply moving. I loved it. -- Ian Irvine, author of A Shadow on the GlassA gutwrenching, whiteknuckle postapocalyptic thriller, a story of love and perseverance. -- Gabriel Tallent, New York Times bestselling author of My Absolute DarlingHarrowing and achingly human, Not Alone is a sharp exploration of environmental apocalypse — and a celebration of pure, boundless love that can survive anything. This triumphant debut finds hope in the darkest places, and it made me want to be a better person. -- Allison Epstein, author of A Tip for the HangmanSarah K. Jackson’s Not Alone is an ode to ferocious power of motherhood, even in the face of Earth’s utter devastation. Part dire warning, part love song, Not Alone explores how, like a tree bending toward sunlight, life may endure if our worst climate nightmares become reality. Haunting, endearing, and captivating. -- Caroline Woods, author of The Cigarette GirlTense, brutal, and tender, Not Alone cuts to the core of how and why we survive. Jackson gives readers a truly harrowing adventure about the pull of light in the darkest hour. -- Erika Swyler, bestselling author of The Book of SpeculationFive years before the start of Jackson’s impressive debut, hurricanes across the globe lifted trillions of microplastic particles from the world’s oceans. The atmosphere became saturated with those pollutants, and breathing became deadly. One survivor, Katie, has devoted herself to keeping her son, Harry, who was born after the calamity, alive and well. * Publisher's Weekly *Ecologist Jackson makes her debut with this engrossing postapocalyptic cli-fi thriller that will have readers anxiously turning the pages and questioning their use of plastic. * Library Journal *

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Book Synopsis'Not Alone kept me breathless with tension' - Emma Donoghue, bestselling author of Room'Intensely moving, genuinely gripping' - Charlotte Mendelson, author of The ExhibitionistFive years ago a toxic storm made the world unrecognizable. Now the air outside could be deadly. Katie has done everything in her power to create a haven for her little boy, Harry. But now their home is no longer safe. And so they begin an impossible journey in search of the man Katie was meant to marry. It will take them across a devastated Britain and through terrible danger, but hope and love drive them on . . . Sarah K. Jackson's astonishing debut is a story of love and hope against all the odds.

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Book SynopsisBucky Wunderlick is a rock and roll star. Dissatisfied with a life that has brought fame and fortune, he suddenly decides he no longer wants to be a commodity.He leaves his band mid-tour and holes up in a dingy, unfurnished apartment in Great Jones Street. Unfortunately, his disappearing act only succeeds in inflaming interest . . .Great Jones Street, Don DeLillo's third novel, is more than a musical satire: it probes the rights of the individual, foreshadows the struggle of the artist within a capitalist world and delivers a scathing portrait of our culture's obsession with the lives of the few.Part of the Picador Collection, a series showcasing the best of modern literature.Trade ReviewAmerica's greatest living writer. * Observer *Brilliant, deeply shocking. * New York Review of Books *DeLillo has the force and imagination of Thomas Pynchon or John Barth, with a sense of proportion and style which these would-be giants often lack. * Irish Times *

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Book SynopsisIn the vein of Maggie O’Farrell and John Boyne, Tracey Lange’s critically acclaimed New York Times bestseller We Are the Brennans explores the staying power of shame - and the redemptive power of love – in an Irish Catholic family torn apart by secrets.Some secrets you keep from your family. And some secrets you keep for your family.When twenty-nine-year-old Sunday Brennan wakes up in a Los Angeles hospital, bruised and battered after a drunk-driving accident she caused, she swallows her pride and goes home to her family in New York. But it’s not easy. She deserted them all – and her high school sweetheart – five years before, with little explanation, and they’ve got questions.Sunday is determined to rebuild her life back on the East Coast, even if it does mean tiptoeing around resentful brothers and an ex-fiancé. The longer she stays, however, the more she realizes they need her just as much as she needs them.When a dangerous man from her past brings her family’s pub business to the brink of financial ruin, Sunday knows that the only way to protect her family is to reveal deeply buried secrets – secrets that will threaten everything they know about their lives. In the aftermath, the Brennan family is forced to confront painful mistakes - and find a way forward, together.'An astonishingly accomplished debut - the Brennans leap fully formed onto the page in this brilliantly judged novel of the intricacies of family life . . . Wholly engrossing.' - Cathy Kelly, author of The Year That Changed EverythingTrade ReviewBeautifully observed portrait of dysfunctional family life. -- Hannah Beckerman * Guardian *An astonishingly accomplished debut - the Brennans leap fully formed onto the page in this brilliantly judged novel of the intricacies of family life where the past can shadow the future until someone breaks free. Secrets abound and it's blissful to watch the Brennans from the sidelines, both a part of the family dynamics and yet, gloriously not in the middle of the fractures. Wholly engrossing. -- Cathy KellyConfident, polished debut novel . . . a book about secrets * New York Times *The Brennans are a great complex fictional family * Entertainment Weekly *Lange’s engaging family drama is fuelled by secrets and full of heart * People *A very accomplished debut and sublime storytelling. It oozes tension, but has so much warmth and tenderness too. I loved meeting this dysfunctional family. -- Claire Allan, author of Her Name Was Rose and The NurseI thoroughly enjoyed this tale of a close-knit family's individual and collective crises. Sharply written, well-observed, and a gorgeous mix of heart-warming and edgy with a massively touching love story at its heart. -- Tracy Rees, author of Amy Snow and The Rose GardenLange’s sizzling debut novel, which is an instant New York Times bestseller, explores the staying power of shame – and the redemptive power of love – in an Irish Catholic family torn apart by secrets * Good Morning America *Tracey Lange expertly captures the way one harrowing night can forever change a family. I devoured every page of this confident, accomplished debut -- Amy Meyerson, internationally bestselling author of The Bookshop of Yesterdays and The Imperfects Reading this novel is like getting a view through a lighted window on a family sitting around a table after dark. All families have their own story and the ways they tell it to themselves, and untangling the many strands of this one was deep and richly satisfying. -- Sarah Blake, New York Times bestselling author of The Guest BookLange skilfully contrasts the solace of family ties with the paralyzing burden of carrying secrets for too long. Her flawed but big-hearted Brennans will sneak under your skin * Star Tribune *Lange’s richly layered debut . . . deftly examines the long shadow of family history and the bonds that cannot be broken * Booklist *In Lange’s accomplished debut . . . she keeps all of the Brennans sizzling with humanity while they grapple with familial loyalty. Fans of intense family dramas are in for a treat * Publishers Weekly *In the vein of Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney’s The Nest, We Are the Brennans explores the redemptive power of love in an Irish Catholic family torn apart by secrets * PureWow *

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Book Synopsis''A delight'' Katherine Heiny, author of Early Morning Riser''Tender, unique and uplifting . . . Such an accomplished debut'' Beth O''Leary, bestselling author of The FlatshareThe Theory of (Not Quite) Everything by Kara Gnodde is a heartfelt, intelligent and uplifting debut novel about true love in all its forms. Perfect for fans of The Rosie Project and Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine.Bound together by their parents' tragic death, devoted siblings Mimi and Art have different ideas about everything most recently, how Mimi should find love.Mimi believes that love is more than just a numbers game. Art, a maths genius, thinks people are incapable of making sensible decisions, especially about romance. That's what algorithms are for.So, when Mimi meets someone, Art starts looking for a glitch. Because something doesn''t add up and Art fears he''s in danger of losing his sister forever . . .''Gorgeous'' Rosie Walsh, bestselling author of The Man Who Didn''t Call''My book of the year . . . Smart, funny, tender'' Kate Weinberg, bestselling author of The Truants

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Book Synopsis'A rollicking debut' - Telegraph'A necessary exploration of identity and belonging' - Derek Owusu, author of That Reminds MeIn Ashleigh Nugent's dynamic coming-of-age comedy of errors, Locks, teenager Aeon is on a quest for belonging. Locks is the story of Aeon, a mixed-up and mixed-race teenager from a leafy Liverpool suburb, who is desperate to find his Black roots and understand the Black identity foisted upon him by his community. To his growing shame, the only Black people in his life are his dad and his cousin, Increase – but they don’t count. Aeon’s dad is intent on ignoring race and climbing the social ladder. And Increase has taken to demeaning all Black culture since the shady and unresolved death of his own father, a ‘Yardie’ gangster.Aeon’s quest seems set to be fulfilled when he and Increase travel to Jamaica. But Aeon soon finds that smok

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Book Synopsis'Striking...brilliantly done' The TimesAn ember storm of a novel, this is Booker Prize-winning novelist Richard Flanagan at his most moving-and astonishing-best. Anna's aged mother is dying - if her three children would just allow it. Forced by their pity to stay alive, she increasingly escapes through her hospital window into visions of horror and delight.When Anna's finger vanishes and a few months later her knee disappears, Anna too feels the pull of the window. She begins to see that all around her others are similarly vanishing, but no one else notices. All Anna can do is keep her mother alive. But the window keeps opening wider, taking Anna and the reader ever deeper into a strangely beautiful novel about hope, love and orange-bellied parrots.'One of our greatest living novelists' Washington PostTrade ReviewPyrotechnic brilliance * Daily Mail *Ambitious, powerful... There is much to enjoy and admire in this novel... Flanagan writes with a startling brilliance * Scotsman *A fiercely well-observed account of the psychological twists and turns, the stress points and the double-binds, of familial love * Daily Telegraph *Richard Flanagan is one of the greatest writers at work in the world today - I admire him and his writing immensely. The Living Sea of Waking Dreams is a haunting, urgent and important book about our broken and confusing age -- James RebanksStriking... brilliantly done... Flanagan is wise enough to place his wider concerns, and the accompanying magic realism within the sturdy framework of a conventional family narrative * The Times *

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Book Synopsis[A] powerful book' Marilynne RobinsonA book to be read and re-read' Jesmyn WardPoetic and fierce' Yiyun LiFrom the moment Ava Carson and her ten-year-old son, Toussaint, arrive at the Glenn Avenue family shelter in Philadelphia in 1985, Ava is already plotting a way out. Estranged from her own mother, Dutchess, and their home in Bonaparte, Alabama, Ava is determined to give her sonthe chance of a better life.But when Toussaint's father, Cass, reappears, Ava is swept off course by his charisma and his bold vision for racial justice. As Ava becomes more enmeshed with Cass and the radical group he has created, Toussaint begins to sense the danger and threat of violence simmering all around him. He begins to dream of Dutchess and Bonaparte, his home and birthright, but can he find his way there?The Unsettled is an explosive and vital story of belonging, legacy and survival from one of America's most talented storytellers.I can't

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Book SynopsisAn emotional friends-to-lovers romance, perfect for fans of Mhairi McFarlane and Colleen Hoover'I cried, I laughed, I swooned! A gorgeous friends-to-lovers romance' Laura Jane Williams, author of Our Stop'Perfect for a sunny afternoon' Daily Mail 'Funny, heart-wrenching and simply brilliant' Beth Reekles, author of The Kissing Booth series on Netflix and Love Locked Down ONE PROMISE Aged thirteen, best friends Eleanor and Fin are inseparable. Convinced it will always be this way they make a pact - to go to university together, always live near each other, and if they're both single at 35 they'll get married. TWO DECADES Eleanor and Fin haven't spoken in fifteen years. Life has run away from them and they're both far from where they'd dreamt of being all those years ago. CAN THEY STILL KEEP THEIR WORD? It takes tragic circumstances for Fin to come back into Eleanor's life, but everything has changed since the last time they met. Is it too late to mend their friendship? Or is there a chance they can keep some of the promises they made? Readers have fallen for Emily Houghton's brilliant romances:***** 'I'm an absolute sucker for a good friends-to-lovers trope and this book definitely delivers that.'***** 'An absolute joy and a love story about falling in love and allowing yourself to be loved.'***** 'A funny, heart-wrenching and beautiful love story. Absolutely loved it.'***** 'Beautifully written with characters that have such great depth.'Trade ReviewI cried, I laughed, I swooned! A gorgeous friends-to-lovers romance filled with wise explorations of love, loss and self-forgiveness. * Laura Jane Williams, bestselling author of Our Stop *Romantic, hopeful and uplifting, I loved Last Time We Met and the gorgeous, emotional friendship at its heart. Eleanor and Fin are two characters who I couldn't help but fall in love with, and who will stay with me for some time * Emily Stone, author of Always, in December *Eleanor and Fin's stories hook you right from the off, making you root for them as individuals as well as for their sizzling, gorgeous romance that builds throughout the book. Funny, heart-wrenching and simply brilliant. * Beth Reekles, bestselling author of The Kissing Booth series *Perfect for a sunny afternoon * Daily Mail *[This book] will tug at all your heartstrings as it takes you on a rollercoaster of a journey * Chat *Heart-warming and emotional * My Weekly *For anyone on the lookout for a feel-good holiday read, [Last Time We Met] is one not to miss ... A light-hearted read for to get lost in. * The UpComing *Praise for Emily Houghton * : *The perfect read for fans of Me Before You * Candis *An emotional and character-led story that is sure to tug at your heartstrings * Woman's Own *A beautifully-written, emotionally rich story about hope, love and new beginnings * Lynsey James, author of The Single Dad's Handbook *A beautiful, uplifting story with characters that made me smile on every page * Jessica Ryn, author of The Extraordinary Hope of Dawn Brightside *

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Book SynopsisLONGLISTED FOR THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTIONSHORTLISTED FOR THE WATERSTONES DEBUT FICTION PRIZE'A rhapsodic hymn to Black women' New York Times Book Review'Epic yet intimate' Cosmopolitan'Ferocious and compassionate' Irish TimesFAMILY CAN HOLD YOU TOGETHER. AND TEAR YOU APART.Joan was only a child the last time she visited Memphis. She doesn't remember the bustle of Beale Street or the smell of honeysuckle as she climbs the porch steps to her aunt's house. But when the front door opens, she does remember her cousin Derek. As Joan learns more about her family's past she discovers she's not the only North woman to have experienced great hurt. But she also sees their resilience and courage, how these extraordinary women fry green tomatoes and braid hair and sing all the while.Joan can't change the past, but she can change her future. It's time to find her own song to sing.**** READERS LOVE MEMPHIS ****'I couldn't put it down. You will fall in love with these women''One of the best books I've ever read''Utterly spellbinding''This book has my entire heart''It felt so real - I cried at their pain and smiled at their joy''Intricately plotted, wildly satisfying''Epic, in every sense of the word. It completely blew me away'Trade ReviewIf ever there was a novel that reflects how the past can shape us, and how we can change our own story, it is this stunning debut . . . this beautifully written, inspiring story is full of hope and memorable characters -- Books of the Year * Woman and Home *I fell in love with this book and its characters . . . I can't wait to read more from this author -- Books of the Year * Prima *Written with the grace of a poet, Memphis is as hopeful as it is heartbreaking. I fell in love with this family, from Joan's fierce heart to her grandmother Hazel's determined resilience. Tara Stringfellow will be an author to watch for years to come . . . A stellar debut * Jacqueline Woodson, bestselling author of Red at the Bone *In luminous, lyrical prose, Tara Stringfellow sings the song of the North women - and the North men - with wisdom, humor, and deep humanity. Memphis is an American epic, a tribute to life in all of its sorrow and joyful resilience * Chloe Benjamin, bestselling author of The Immortalists *An evocative, compelling tale . . . Tara M Stringfellow assembles an endearing and unforgettable cast of characters who find strength in vulnerability, safety in art, and liberation in telling the truth. This is a shining, splendid testimony in the vein of Gloria Naylor, Delores Phillips, Ayana Mathis, and Honorée Jeffers * Robert Jones, Jr., New York Times bestselling author of The Prophets *Memphis is at once a sprawling generational epic and an intimate character study . . . There is sorrow in these pages, but there is also joy and wit and warmth . . . incredibly satisfying [and] deeply affecting * Roxane Gay *A stunning debut, a deeply affecting portrait of familial bonds. Rich with indelible black women and Southern charm * Irenosen Okojie *Black American literature at its finest . . . a symphony of stories * Irish Independent *A rhapsodic hymn to Black women * The New York Times Book Review *Ferocious and compassionate . . . Stringfellow deftly weaves the voices of four vivid, formidable and funny women over three generations . . . Memphis reaches back to literary mothers and towards potential daughters, honouring the strength, creativity and resilience of Black women * Irish Times *I fell in love with this book by the end of the second paragraph. This story truly touched my soul. A talented new author who is definitely one to watch * Prima, Book of the Month *Charting the story of three generations of women from a family in Memphis, this debut delivers an epic yet intimate history of black womanhood - ideal for fans of The Vanishing Half and An American Marriage * Cosmo *If ever there was a novel that reflects how the past can shape us, and how we can change our story, it's this stunning debut . . . this beautifully told and inspiring story is full of hope * Woman and Home *An accomplished debut * Good Housekeeping *Engrossing . . . beautifully written prose, unforgettable characters, messages of sisterhood and community . . . The author shows tremendous insight into the effects of violence on Black women in America, told from a captivating Southern female perspective -- Best Books of 2022 * NPR *Richly impressionistic . . . Stringfellow demonstrates he erratic movements of history, the false starts and reversals and, yes, the moments of progress that are reflected in the haphazard march toward realizing King's vision for America * Washington Post *This vivid debut novel examines the tragedies, joys, and deep connections of one extraordinary Memphis family . . . A powerful family saga from a promising writer * Booklist *This poetic, multigenerational story is set in the ancestral Memphis home a mother and her daughters flee to to escape the father's violence. Spanning 70 years, and told through a variety of voices, this powerful debut novel encompasses race, class, and the legacy of trauma * Oprah Daily Most Anticipated *This beautifully written debut will transport, challenge and transfix you . . . The novel is an ode to the city and the Black women living there. There's a great sense of the women's enigma and enchantment, humour and fortitude * Adele Parks, Platinum Magazine *An incredible read * Bella *Stunning . . . a spectacular debut rich with Southern charm . . . a celebration of sisterhood and life * Voice Magazine *I love this book. I couldn't put it down. You will fall in love with these women who gather strength from one another's care amidst a world of heartbreak, racism, and violence. Filled with Fifties music, this book went straight to my heart -- Al Woodworth, Amazon Editor, Amazon Best Books of April 2002This book was stunning. The characters were vivid and alive, and the weaving between tales was thematic and effortless -- Avalon, Aberystwyth Waterstones booksellerA real celebration of Black women living in Memphis - deals with complex issues of race, class, love and loss in a beautiful way -- Helen, Waterstones EventsI loved these larger than life, exuberant female characters -- Clare, Farnham Waterstones booksellerThis book had me gripped from the start - incredibly moving! -- Emily, Newport Waterstones booksellerA superb book by an author who knows how to write brilliant characters -- Ben, Chichester Waterstones bookseller

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Book Synopsis'A story rendered with so much heart' Taylor Jenkins Reid The bonds between women - as friends, and across the generations - are the jewels that make this story shine!' Tayari JonesThree women. Three decades. The friendship of a lifetime.Zainab, Funmi and Enitan first meet at University in northern Nigeria, all learning how to become themselves. It's an experience that binds the three very different women together. When Enitan moves to New York to elope with a white man, Zainab and Funmi are left behind, with drastically different fortunes.Over the course of thirty years, their lives and friendships diverge and change. Enitan is separating from her husband, trying to understand her daughter Remi. Zainab finds herself the sole breadwinner for her husband and their four sons. And Funmi is living a life of confined luxury, as the wife of a successful, shady businessman.But theirs is a friendship that can endure decades of distance. And in 2015, they are reunited for the first time for the wedding of Funmi's daughter, Destiny.Here they will reflect on their pasts, the things they loved and lost - but the present brings unexpected surprises too, because their daughters, Remi and Destiny, might just be as rebellious and open-hearted as they once were.DELE WEDS DESTINY is the heartfelt, vivid and sparkling debut novel by editor and writer Tomi Obaro, a dazzling new voice in fiction. A story of three women, we witness the shared histories, betrayals and triumphs play out, and their unforgettable, enduring friendship.'Tomi Obaro's deftly-paced novel is an ode to the enduring truth of friendship. Obaro's compelling narrative provides a beautifully flawed, full-bodied picture of the possibilities of African womanhood. It is optimistic, fresh and quickly draws you in' Jendella Benson, author of Hope and Glory'A generous and patient consideration of life, and of lives . . . I am so thankful for the world of this book and so excited for everyone who gets to sit in it' Hanif Abdurraqib, author of A Little Devil in America'A wonderful novel full of richly-drawn, complicated, nuanced characters all trying to love and connect with each other. An ode to the bonds of friendship across decades, Dele Weds Destiny is a marvelous debut' Jami Attenberg, author of All This Could Be Yours'Tomi Obaro has a true gift for honouring the details that illuminate our most human tensions . . . Dele Weds Destiny is a black diamond of a debut' Saeed Jones, author of How We Fight for Our Lives'This enchanting debut is an affectionate portrait of three women at middle age, cannily exploring the ways the self is forged in youth. With an admirably light touch, Tomi Obaro documents how class, race, faith, and power define the lives of women in Nigeria and America, past and present' Rumaan Alam, author of Leave the World BehindTrade ReviewFast-paced, glamorous, and bursting with emotion, Dele Weds Destiny is a thrilling debut. The bonds between women -- as friends, and across the generations -- are the jewels that make this story shine! -- Tayari Jones, author of An American MarriageExploring the complexity of female friendships and mother-daughter relationships, this is a story rendered with so much heart -- Taylor Jenkins Reid, author of Malibu RisingTomi Obaro's deftly paced novel is an ode to the enduring truth of friendship. Obaro's compelling narrative provides a beautifully flawed, full-bodied picture of the possibilities of African womanhood. It is optimistic, fresh and quickly draws you in -- Jendella Benson, author of Hope and GloryA beautifully written tale of love in all its forms, I was instantly hooked from the first page and utterly bereft at the last page. It had me laughing one minute and crying the next. It's safe to say Tomi Obaro is my new favourite author -- Sukh Ojla, author of SunnyObaro writes beautifully about the complicated labor of friendship and parentage. Dele Weds Destiny explores caregiving as a kind of deferment, but also as discovery, of desire, of fury, of home -- Raven Leilani, author of LusterThis enchanting debut is an affectionate portrait of three women at middle age, cannily exploring the ways the self is forged in youth. With an admirably light touch, Tomi Obaro documents how class, race, faith, and power define the lives of women in Nigeria and America, past and present -- Rumaan Alam, author of Leave the World BehindA generous and patient consideration of life, and of lives . . . I am so thankful for the world of this book, and so excited for everyone who gets to sit in it -- Hanif Abdurraqib, author of A Little Devil in AmericaA wonderful novel full of richly-drawn, complicated, nuanced characters all trying to love and connect with each other. An ode to the bonds of friendship across decades, Dele Weds Destiny is a marvelous debut' -- Jami Attenberg, author of All This Could Be YoursTomi Obaro has a true gift for honoring the details that illuminate our most human tensions . . . Dele Weds Destiny is a black diamond of a debut -- Saeed Jones, author of How We Fight for Our LivesAn engrossing read with strong characters and a clear portrait of Nigeria then and now . . . Obaro's debut is a portrait of female friendship that will feel familiar to women everywhere, but it is also infused with Nigerian cultural specificity: food, clothing, religion, music, and ambient threat * Kirkus Reviews *The intricacies of female friendships and the complex nature of mother/daughter relationships are at the heart of this absorbing novel from BuzzFeed culture editor Obaro, a sharp new voice on the literary scene * Library Journal *

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Book SynopsisFROM THE AUTHOR OF SPACEMAN OF BOHEMIA, SOON TO BE A MAJOR NETFLIX FILM STARRING ADAM SANDLER AND CAREY MULLIGAN'Ambitious, exciting . . . touches of Don DeLillo' Daily Telegraph'A Kurt Vonnegut-like satirical touch' New York Times'Inventive and heartfelt . . . packs a walloping punch' EsquireAdéla, diagnosed with a terminal illness, leaves her Czech village for America to reunite with her daughter Tereza, now a scientist at a New York biotech company hellbent on curing mortality. Their reunion is short, and before Tereza can help her mother, Adéla dies and her remains disappear.But Adéla's spirit survives, restlessly watching over Tereza as she searches for the body on a journey that spans oceans and continents, through a world ravaged by corporate greed and political extremism. Witty and prescient, A Brief History of Living Forever is a vivid story of family connection prevailing in the face of societal collapse.Praise for SPACEMAN OF BOHEMIA:'Funny, human and oddly down-to-earth' Guardian'A superb debut' Literary Review'Booming with vitality and originality' New York TimesTrade ReviewAmbitious, exciting . . . Kalfar knows his way around a sentence. By turns aphoristic and lyrical, with touches of Don DeLillo, Kalfar's prose contains plenty of stylish wisdom . . . Mixing fantasy, satire, horror and metaphysics, A Brief History has many stories to tell. But the pulse animating each of them is the shock of sudden loss - of jobs, of loved ones, of a world you thought you knew -- Frank Lawton * Daily Telegraph *Jaroslav Kalfar's A Brief History of Living Forever is a book from the future, here to deliver an urgent story about the present. Extending the speculative logics of Franz Kafka's Amerika and working in the dreamlike, psychic registers of Philip K. Dick's Ubik, Kalfar presents an entrancing, lucid, and incisive vision of immortality that starts and ends with the self-this is a brilliant, disorienting, and endlessly fascinating read -- Tom Lin, author of the Carnegie Medal winner The Thousand Crimes of Ming TsuInventive and heartfelt, this dystopian take on the immigrant experience and the American Dream packs a walloping punch * Esquire *Ingenious . . . With a perceptive satirical slant and sharp humour, Kalfar builds a plausibly terrifying world * Publishers Weekly *A thoroughly original story from a writer to watch * LitHub *A dystopian romp with a tender centre . . . I didn't want it to end -- Kate Knibbs * Wired *

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Book SynopsisThe No. 1 bestselling author Stephen King's novella The Sun Dog, published in his award-winning 1990 story collection Four Past Midnight, is now available as a standalone publication.It's mine - that was what he had thought when his finger had pushed the shutter-button for the first time. Now he found himself wondering if maybe he hadn't gotten that backward. Kevin Delevan wants only one thing for his fifteenth birthday: a Polaroid Sun 660. There's something wrong with his gift, though. No matter where Kevin aims the camera, it produces a photograph of an enormous, vicious dog. In each successive picture, the menacing creature draws nearer to the flat surface of the Polaroid film as if it intends to break through. When old Pop Merrill, Castle Rock's sharpest trader, gets wind of this phenomenon, he devises a way to profit from it. But the Sun Dog, a beast that shouldn't exist at all, turns out to be a very dangerous investment.Trade ReviewThe Sun Dog works beautifully as another addition to those metaphorical stories about King's own personal fears * GUARDIAN *A fabulous teller of stories who can create an entire new world and make the reader live in it * EXPRESS *Without doubt one of the world's greatest storytellers, King has an uncanny knack of finding horror in the midst of the commonplace * DAILY MAIL *

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Book SynopsisThe No. 1 bestselling author Stephen King's memorable story Apt Pupil - published in his 1982 story collection Different Seasons and made into a movie starring Ian McKellan and Brad Renfro - is now available as a standalone publication.You must know that your fate and my own are inextricably intertwined Todd Bowden is an apt pupil. Good grades, good family, a paper route. But he is about to meet a different kind of teacher, Mr. Dussander, and to learn all about Dussander's dark and deadly past . . . a decades-old manhunt Dussander has escaped to this day. Yet Todd doesn't want to turn his teacher in. Todd wants to know more. Much more. He is about to face his fears and learn the real meaning of power - and the seductive lure of evil. A classic story from Stephen King Apt Pupil reveals layers upon layers of deception and horror as the boy and old man hold each other in a mutual deathgrip. Each knows something the other wants kept secret.Trade ReviewKing has an uncanny knack of finding horror in the midst of the commonplace * DAILY MAIL *King readers know that he is an absolute master of the long story * DAILY EXPRESS *Not since Dickens has a writer had so many readers by the throat * GUARDIAN *

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Book Synopsis''LINGERS LIKE A FEVER DREAM'' V.E. SCHWAB''INTOXICATING'' EMILY HENRYEvery fairy tale must come to an end.In the tradition of sumptuous gothic novels like The Cloisters and The Bloody Chambers comes a dark fairy tale-infused story about a cursed friendship and a marriage steeped in secrets - from New York Times bestselling author Roshani Chokshi.Once, a man who believed in fairy tales married a beautiful, mysterious woman named Indigo Maxwell-Casteñada. In exchange for her love, Indigo extracted a promise: that her bridegroom would never pry into her past. But when the couple return to Indigo''s childhood home, they find the shadow of another girl lurking in the manor''s extravagant rooms: Indigo''s beloved friend, who disappeared without a trace.Faced with his wife''s dark secrets, the bridegroom is unable to resist breaking his promise. Even if it threatens to destroy the

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Book Synopsis'Compelling . . . almost Dickensian' The Times'The best thriller writer in the world' Daily Telegraph*****Jonas Merrick. At MI5 they call him 'the eternal flame', because he never goes out. Never goes undercover, or on surveillance, or kicking down doors. If he's studying a map, he's probably planning his caravan holiday.But what the hot-shots fail to notice in Jonas is a steely concentration, a ruthless ability to find the enemy who hides in plain sight like a submerged crocodile, waiting for prey.Cameron Jilkes. A young man from a broken background, trained as a Jihadi in the harshest theatre of war. Coming ashore near Dover, he plans to live unnoticed, before unleashing a terrifying strike.And this time, Jonas Merrick must go out - to hunt the crocodile himself.Featuring a chapter from the new Jonas Merrick novel The Foot Soldiers, publishing in 2022*****Readers love THE CROCODILE HUNTER:'Another winner from Gerald Seymour' 5*'An outstanding book and thoroughly recommended' 5*'Every year without fail . . . Gerald Seymour comes up with a masterful thriller . . . A wonderful read from a master of his craft' 5*Trade ReviewHe has never lost his journalist's eye for the stories behind the news * The Sunday Times *Compelling novel . . . Seymour's feel for the Kent landscape and his realisation of minor characters, such as Cameron's heart-hardened mother, are almost Dickensian * The Times *Another fine spy story with an offbeat protagonist. * Peterborough Telegraph *The three British masters of suspense, Graham Greene, Eric Ambler, and John le Carre, have been joined by a fourth - Gerald Seymour * The New York Times *

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Book SynopsisTHE INSPIRATION FOR THE OSCAR-NOMINATED MOTION PICTURE 'JOJO RABBIT'NOMINATED FOR 6 ACADEMY AWARDS INCLUDING BEST PICTURE AND BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAYThis extraordinary novel is seen through the eyes of Johannes, an avid member of the Hitler Youth in the 1940s. After he is severely injured in a raid, he discovers his parents are hiding a Jewish girl called Elsa behind a false wall in their large house in Vienna. His initial horror turns to interest, then love and obsession. After the disappearance of his parents, Johannes finds he is the only one aware of Elsa's existence in the house, the only one responsible for her survival. Both manipulating and manipulated, Johannes dreads the end of the war: with it will come the prospect of losing Elsa and their relationship, which ranges through passion and obsession, dependence and indifference, love and hate.This gripping, masterful work examines truth and lies at both political and personal levels, laying bare the darkest corners of the human soul.Trade ReviewEnthralling throughout... * My Weekly *A vivid and deeply compelling novel, Caging Skies is an existential battle of moral and ethical extremes. Christine Leunens is an adept and eloquent storyteller -- Georgia Hunter * New York Times bestselling author of We Were the Lucky Ones *The good-natured humour and quirkiness of the film and the drama of the novel are quite fun to contrast, and both are impactful in their own right. * Cherwell *The best part of this interesting novel is its ability to show parts of our history which others dismiss: why suffering can make some people more sensitive but others more cruel, and how a war, such an outrage to human dignity, blurs the line between the victorious and defeated * Elle *Leunens said the film showed moviegoers that "we have a choice, are we going to go back to this kind of thinking ... superior, inferior ... or are we going to move on and bring more love and compassion to our relationships?" * Guardian *Totally compelling * Woman's Weekly (NZ) *Leunens has an ear for language and the ability to create a vividly sensual world for her characters that I found highly satisfying -- Cushla McKinneyA novel that breaks all the rules. In spite of this, or maybe because of it, the result is a disturbing and gripping novel that has haunted me ever since I finished reading it. * New Zealand Books *Disturbing, moving, eminently readable - this is a story you won't be able to put down * My Weekly *. . . a novel about Hitler's Third Reich without equal * Design Observer *

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Book Synopsis** The phenomenal Indian bestseller ** **Winner of the Tata Lit Live Best First Book of the Year Award **'Intense, lyrical, and powerful. This is a remarkable debut' Jeet Thayil, author of Narcopolis and The Book of Chocolate Saints'Latitudes of Longing is a book to be savoured' The Hindu 'Bold and imaginative' India TodayA prizewinning literary epic of the subcontinent, for readers of Yaa Gyasi's HOMEGOING and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's HALF OF A YELLOW SUN In the feverish tropics of the Andaman Islands, a young botanist tends to a fragile rose he has imported to welcome his bride. Hoping their marriage will bloom in this strange life, hundreds of miles from the east coast of India, he is entranced by Chanda Devi's fierce nature and unusual gifts; speaking to trees and the ghosts of former colonialists. These islands, she tells her adoring husband, rest on a faultline, cracked so deep into the earth that spirits cross the boundary freely. But it is not this fracture that takes a tragic bite out of their happiness.With the family riven by heartbreak, their maid takes the chance to resolve her own past mistakes. Having abandoned her son many years before, she now traces him to Myanmar, only to find him in prison - the enemy of a brutal regime. The faultline she followed over the Indian Ocean now cuts north into Nepal, where the prisoner's ally, an itinerant drug dealer, tries to rescue a young woman from the dancing bars of Kathmandu. It shadows his footsteps into the Karakoram mountains, where a scientist looks deep into the abyss between India and Pakistan. It rises all the way to the snow deserts, beyond the reach of nation or war, where an elder of the village waits for the return of his true love, bringing all their journeys full circle.A breathtaking epic, Latitudes of Longing possesses the reader with a blazing sense of wonder. Shubhangi Swarup's vision goes deeper than the human stories of the subcontinent to reveal the conscious history of the earth itself. Tender in every detail, touched with humour and profound humanity, this is a novel brimming with life, an original masterpiece.Trade ReviewIntense, lyrical, and powerful. This is a remarkable debut * Jeet Thayil, author of Narcopolis and The Book of Chocolate Saints *The insistent pulse of the earth beats through the human interactions in this exquisite novel. Her voice is original, and her work shows the measured pace of dance. Latitudes of Longing is a book to be savoured * The Hindu *Shubhangi Swarup's debut fiction novel should be your next read. It's a journey through the physical and the metaphysical * Elle India *If one of the roles of fiction is to reframe our view of the world, this is an uncommonly bold and imaginative attempt * India Today *Astonishing and completely original, Shubhangi Swarup's magical novel will change the way you see people-and landscapes, forests, the oceans, snow deserts. She stirs your curiosity about the earth, takes you from sadness and heartbreak to rich, unexpected surprises, and finds hope in the cracks of broken lives[Swarup's] debut novel will certainly be one of the most wondrous literary achievements to hit the shelves this year. A multigenerational epic intertwined with spellbinding myths, Swarup's is a many-layered narrative...Extraordinarily affecting. * Library Journal *Swarup's lyrical debut exalts in the majesty of the South Asian subcontinent.... Generous doses of magical realism mixed in with regional folklore add to the atmospheric charm * Booklist *A thoughtful, philosophical book...Their stories unfold movingly in four sections, each with only a loose connection to the last. A unique and rewarding read * Grimsby Telegraph *Beautifully written in lush, lyrical prose * Irish Times *An exuberantly flowing novel... a promising debut * Mail on Sunday *

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Book SynopsisA deserting soldier treks through the torn-up countryside and abandoned villages, trying to distance himself from the atrocities of war.An elderly man sits beneath lime trees, remembering his first sexual encounter one summer night with a female stranger who whispered another man's name.A young woman takes up a job in a care home, spending monotonous days scrubbing floors and yearning to dance at the local nightclub.The artist Franz Marc lives on in an imagined life as a patient at an asylum, before falling victim to Hitler's policy of Gnadentod.Finally, a young Jewish girl, the life she once knew destroyed, holds her memories close as she finds refuge in wreckage of her homeland.And throughout there is the shadowy presence of Viktor - one man or many? A looming figure in Germany's own reckoning with its past.Through these five interconnected stories, Philippe Claudel reflects on Germany's complex history and the experiences of its people, dismantling the idea of "a nation" or "a people" and exploring the malleability of memory.Trade ReviewDark, sober and strong * Le Monde *[Philippe Claudel] manages to instil sweetness into the very heart of the suffering and drama he depicts * Culture Tops *Philippe Claudel leads his readers in a dance between great history and intimate stories, great wars and internal wars with his new novel . . . Characters intersect and reappear like a dream, or a form of haunting, until they find their destiny * Le Journal de Québec *

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Book SynopsisIn her perceptive and affecting new novel, Daniela Krien explores a marriage where everything hangs in the balance. Quietly devastating HANNAH BECKERMANN, ObserverA stylish, subtle read Woman & Home BOOK OF THE MONTHPerfectly paced, nuanced Saga Magazine PICK OF THE MONTHPowerful . . . subtle and psychologically astute Times Literary SupplementBeautifully written IndependentHow can two lovers find a way back to each other, when the pain of the past stands between them?With plans adrift after a fire burns down their rented holiday cabin, Rahel and Peter find themselves unexpectedly on an isolated farm where Rahel spent many a happy childhood summer. Suddenly, after years of navigating careers, demanding children and the monotony of the daily routine, they find themselves unable to escape each other''s company. With three weeks stretching a

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Book SynopsisA dark and intense mystery featuring a private detective who is tasked with solving the disappearance of a lonely accountant.

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Book SynopsisThe Imposters is the first novel in stories that Tom Rachman has written since his international bestseller The Imperfectionists.''An astonishing achievement - brutally funny, humane, dizzying - will win Rachman the readership he deserves'' Patrick Gale''Easily the best thing I have read in ages'' Rebecca Wait''Clever and full of tricks from start to finish'' SpectatorIt''s set during a crisis in democracy, a society in lockdown linked digitally but convulsed by a social media frenzy, and is told by a little-known, little-read Dutch novelist named Dora Frenhofer who has decided that her life as an old woman in this post-truth pandemic world has become too much.But like a twenty-first century Scheherazade Dora spins stories to fend off the evil day, conjuring connections from her past to give meaning to the present. She imagines the fate of her missing brother, lost on the hippie trail in India in

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Book SynopsisDis//Integration, a previously unpublished work by William Melvin Kelley, author of A Different Drummer, is a notable and welcome addition to African American literature.The linked 2 novelas, 3 stories, and a little play that make up DIS//INTEGRATION follow the life journeys of Charles Chig Dunford from his Nanny Eva sermonizing from her front porch, when he is only seventeen, to his peripatetic studies in Reupeo (an anagram of Europe) as a college student, to his unsettled bachelorhood as an English professor at a small Vermont college, where he continues to struggle to finish his life-long study of theReupeonese author Dupukshamin and find true love.Along the way, as Chig''s sentimental education unfolds, we meet an array of memorable characters: John Hoenir, the Hemingway-esque expatriate novelist who takes Chig under his wing; Wendy Whitman, an actress passing for white, who breaks Chig''s heart; Merry, his troubled teen-age niece who Chi

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Book Synopsis The best-selling post-apocalyptic coming-of-age series returns. "After the collapse of their family, the kids who grew up in Academy Records are coming back together for a birth, a death, and some much needed revenge. It''s time to fight for your life, your loved ones, and your LPs. Collects WHAT''S THE FURTHEST PLACE FROM HERE? #14-18"

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Book SynopsisShe's always been the girl with the plan . . . until the plan crashed big timeKendall Walsh has exactly one second to save a fancy, five-tiered wedding cake and any possibility of being a wedding planner-not to mention her family's struggling ski resort. All because of one very cute, very furry, golden menace of a retriever who has a serious thing for butter chiffon icing. Which is exactly when Olympic skier Brody James shows up and saves the day . . . and the cake.Brody makes Kendall feel about a million indecipherable things. He's her brother's bestie. Her first crush. And a ridiculously popular Olympic hero, which only reminds her of her own failed Olympic dreams. What Brody isn't telling her is that he's walked away from it all. The fame. The sponsorships. The celebrity girlfriend. Now he and Kendall are both lost somewhere between their past and a future they can't yet see. But four weddings, one mischievous puppy, and a few steamy kisses later, these two might just realize that they are both exactly where they need to be...with each other.

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Book SynopsisGilmore Girls meets My Big Fat Greek Wedding in this humorous, multi-generational story about a mother and daughter who discover that life happens when you least expect it.Aspiring photographer Gabi Bloom was supposed to build her portfolio on her trip to Europe. What she wasn't supposed to do was come home with a fiancé. But as she and Ethan barrel full steam ahead toward tying the knot, they learn that falling in love is one thing, but staying the course isn't as easy as one might think--especially when your partner feels more and more like a stranger the closer they get to saying "I do."Forty was going to be Alissa Adler's year. After raising her daughter, Gabi, mostly by herself, it was time to focus on what she wants: turning her new bakery into a success. But nothing derails plans like an unexpected pregnancy. And as if that wasn't complicated enough, the father is Alissa's ex, who's promising to stick around this time. So now Alissa is trying to plan the perfect wedding for her daughter and figure out her relationship status with the man determined to win her back.

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Book SynopsisClueless meets Bridgerton in this spicy opposites-attract Regency romance from “a must-read author” (Jodi Picoult, #1 New York Times bestselling author). Lady Vesper Lyndhurst is beautiful, clever, and popular. Afforded every luxury as a duke’s daughter, she fills her days with friends, intrigues, and a self-professed knack for matchmaking. She may have sworn off love for herself, but she is rather excellent at arranging it.  Faced with an insolvent estate, the Duke of Greydon has no choice but to return to England in a final attempt to revive his family’s fortunes. He’s been gone for years, happy to have escaped his mother and the petty circles of the ton. To his dismay, not much has changed, including the beautiful and vexing heiress next door.   But when an accident of fate traps the friends-turned-enemies in an attic together, the explosive attraction between th

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Book SynopsisIt’s 'captivating from the very start and entertaining to the very end” (India Holton, The League of Gentlewomen Witches) as family secrets and scandalous mystery combine in this delightfully witty historical rom-com—perfect for fans of Evie Dunmore, Enola Holmes, and Netflix's Bridgerton! Lady Charlotte Lovett should have never run away upon discovering her betrothal. But when one has been promised to a man who, rumor has it, killed his previous two wives, one does what one must. The only thing that can get her out of this engagement is proving that Viscount Hawley is as sinister as she thinks he is. And the person who would know best is his very own brother. In many ways, Dr. Matthew Talbot is the exact opposite of his sibling—scholarly, shy, and shunned by society. But like his brother, he has secrets, and he doesn’t need Charlotte exposing them in her quest to take down the viscount. It only seems prudent to help her

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Book SynopsisChristmas is both naughty and nice this year when a single dad and his best friend’s sister celebrate with some secret (steamy) romance and festive fun, perfect for fans of Maggie Knox and Lyssa Kay Adams.   Charlotte Calhoun has avoided Hayden Porter, her older brother’s sexy-as-sin best friend, ever since that mortifying night when he flat-out rejected her. Fine. Except this Christmas season, they’re thrown together at a snowy ski resort for her brother’s bachelor party, complete with mistletoe, cozy fireplaces, and adjoining rooms. She can tell herself to get over Hayden, but holiday cheer is turning to holiday lust every time he is within ten feet of her.  Between being a full-time single father and his high-pressure college coaching job, a romantic relationship is off the table for Hayden. But he’s fought his attraction to Charlotte for as long as he can. A one-night stand is star

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Book SynopsisIn this dazzling historical romance, a Duke with a complicated romantic history and a bookseller with a family business to protect find themselves drawn to each other—even if their hidden secrets should keep them apart. Perfect for fans of USA Today bestsellers Lenora Bell and Sophie Jordan!   Dorian Whitaker, Duke of Holland, needs an heir after his so-called “fairytale marriage” ended in disaster. When the intriguing bookseller he’s hired to liquidate his late wife’s library finds love letters revealing an affair, he is drawn into a mystery alongside a lady whose sharp intellect dazzles him and dares him to imagine a new adventure outside the gilded cage of the Ton. If anyone found out Caroline Danvers writes erotic novels under a pen name, she’d face utter ruin. Except her latest hero inspiration is none other than the Duke of Holland—a man with the power to destroy her family’s bookshop. And yet the

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Book SynopsisONE OF THE MILLIONS'' MOST ANTICIPATED BOOKS OF 2024This is an astonishingly accomplished novel...Just stunning. - Kirkus Reviews, starred reviewMagnificent - Publisher''s Weekly, starred review After a deployment in the Iraq War dually defined by threat and interminable mundanity, Joseph Thomas is fighting to find his footing. Now a doctoral student at The University, and an EMS worker at the hospital in North Philly, he encounters round the clock friends and family from his past life and would-be future at his job, including contemporaries of his estranged father, a man he knows little about, serving time at Holmesburg prison for the statutory rape of his then-teenage mother. Meanwhile, he and his best friend Ray, a fellow vet, are alternatingly bonding over and struggling with their shared experience and return to civilian life, locked in their own rhythms of lust, heartbreak, and responsibility.Balancing the joys an

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Book SynopsisIn this spellbinding rom-com about a wish gone wrong, two opposites might just get a second chance at love, perfect for fans of New York Times bestsellers Payback's a Witch and The Ex Hex. Ex-celebrity chef Sirena Caraway has had the wackiest October ever. Her cooking powers are on the fritz, she failed to land a career-saving job, and she embarrassed herself at the town’s Halloween party. Just before midnight, she makes a desperate wish for a second chance to fix her life. The next morning Sirena wakes up and realizes that she’s repeating the entire pumpkin spice-flavored month. Even sweeter, she runs into Gus Dearworth, whose magic leaves her spellbound. A former reality star, Gus moved to Freya Grove to rebuild his reputation and heal his broken heart, but his restless magic is tempting him to return to the spotlight. And his secret crush on Sirena is making him want to try something dangerous like fall in love again. When Siren

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