Contemporary Fiction Books

Book SynopsisImagine you could be rid of your sadness, your anxiety, your heartache, your fear. Imagine you could take those feelings from others and turn them into something beautiful. Imagine the power that would give you, how valuable you would be to others...Lynx is a Grief Nurse. Kept by the Asters, a wealthy, influential family, to ensure they're never troubled by negative emotions. Kept at their manor house, limited to its walls, plush rooms and the elegant grounds on the family's Scottish island, she knows no other life.When news arrives that the Asters' eldest son is dead, Lynx does what she can to alleviate their sorrow. But as guests flock to the island for the wake, bringing their own secrets, lies and grief, tensions rise and Lynx finds herself trapped at the centre of a family tearing itself apart.But the son's death is not the last and the island soon becomes a vortex of jealousy, suspicion, hatred and tragedy - with Lynx caught in th

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Book Synopsis'It's unlikely that a more intelligent, amusing and yet disturbing novel will appear this autumn.'ScotsmanOn The Island, just as on many other islands, marriages are unhappy, people fall in love and the seasons pass. The town of Aberdeen is no different, until the earthquakes. These seismic ripples tear down houses, forge bonds, and shake the foundations of humanity and religion. And in the midst of it all, Nellie and Ingrid fall in love.In Aftershocks A. N. Wilson offers a portrait of nature, death and morality. Moved by the real losses of the Christchurch earthquake, this is an extraordinary novel about a community profoundly linked to the land it lives on.'Witty, erudite and artful.' SpectatorCountry & Townhouse's the best books for Christmas, 2018Trade ReviewIt's unlikely that a more intelligent, amusing and yet disturbing novel will appear this autumn. * Scotsman *Wilson is witty, erudite and artful. * Spectator *Wilson has crafted an unusual, intriguing narrative, filled with flashes of insight and humour * Literary Review *A joyfully eccentric book, stuffed with learning and wisdom. * The Times *Aftershocks is crafted with great elegance and is fizzing with ideas, as Wilson zig-zags between Euripides, Christianity, sex and anthropology with an intellectual fluency few of his contemporaries could hope to match. * Mail on Sunday *A teasing, cerebral novel which has much to say about religion, death and loss. * Country and Townhouse, Best Books of 2018 *Delightful and funny * The Catholic Herald, Allan Massie *Beautifully written * Allan Massie, The Scotsman *

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Book SynopsisTHE RESISTANCE STARTS NOWA group of rebels have united to save a world ravaged by war, violence and greed. Joan is their leader. Jean de Men is their foe. The future of humanity is being rewritten . . .Lidia Yuknavitch's mesmerising novel sees Joan of Arc's story reborn for the near future. It is a genre-defying masterpiece that may well rewire your brain.Trade ReviewBrilliant and incendiary . . . The Book of Joan has the same unflinching quality as earlier works by Josephine Saxton, Doris Lessing, Frank Herbert, Ursula K. Le Guin and J.G. Ballard. Yet it's also radically new, full of maniacal invention and page-turning momentum . . . A rich, heady concoction, rippling with provocative ideas -- Jeff VanderMeer * * New York Times * *Joan of Arc and Christine de Pizan are reimagined in a post-apocalyptic dystopia, in this compellingly ambitious examination of gender, semiotics and warfare * * Guardian * *Extraordinary . . . A wild ride . . . The pleasure of this novel is its inventive energy; it aims to burn itself into your skin * * Financial Times * *A raucous celebration, a searing condemnation, and fiercely imaginative retelling of Joan of Arc's transcendent life -- Roxane GayThe Book of Joan is something new altogether . . . Kaleidoscopic, lyric . . . The Book of Joan shows off Yuknavitch's imagination and her gift for crafting sonorous sentences * * Huffington Post * *Radical, raw and inventive * * Esquire * *Yuknavitch will draw you into the future * * ELLE * *A dystopian, feminist tale . . . Remarkable . . . The tension in this literary mash-up builds towards an action-packed climax; a convergence of characters and timelines with a page-turning momentum * * Irish Times * *As ferociously intelligent as it is heart-wrenchingly humane, as generous as it is relentless, as irresistible as it is important . . . Genius -- Cheryl StrayedLidia Yuknavitch's The Book of Joan imagines the 21st century breaking down into eerie androgyny, new medievalism and ultraviolence - we mightn't have far to go -- Kevin Barry

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Book SynopsisThe Woman in White is a mysterious sensational novel, written by Wilkie Collins, published in 1860. A young art teacher Walter Hartright, meets an entirely white dressed mysterious woman, while he was returning, after meeting his mother and sister. Later, he came to know that she has escaped from an asylum. Walter joins a job in Limmeridge House to teach art to Laura Fairlie and Marian Halcombe Laura's step sister. Walter surprises that there is resemblance between Laura and the woman in white known as Anne Catherick. In spite of her love to Walter Laura marries to Sir Percival Glyde as she promised to her dying father. After six months of her marriage Clyde with Fosco conspirates against Laura to steal her inheritance. Story takes sensational turn Laura and Anne's places were exchanged. After persisting efforts of Walter and Marian the truth revealed, Laura's identity proved and Glyde and Fosco are killed and in the end Walter marries to Laura.

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Book SynopsisAnne Marie's Da, a Glaswegian painter and decorator, has always been game for a laugh. So when he first tells his family that he's taking up meditation at the Buddhist Centre in town, no one takes him seriously. But as Jimmy becomes more involved in his search for the spiritual his beliefs start to come into conflict with the needs of his wife, Liz, and cracks begin to form in their previously happy family.With grace, humour and humility Anne Donovan's beloved debut tells the story of one man's search for a higher power. But in his search for meaning, Jimmy might be about to lose the thing that matters most.Trade ReviewA beauty . . . Had me engrossed to the end * * Sunday Telegraph * *An enchanting novel in which ordinary lives are illuminated with extraordinary charm * * Daily Telegraph * *Her deliciously corkscrewed tale flows with the sap of everyday life * * Sunday Times * *Anne Donovan is to be cherished * * Times Literary Supplement * *Anne Donovan is outstanding -- Melvyn BraggBuddha Da reads like a Scottish Roddy Doyle, dealing with potentially heavy issues with an addictive blend of pathos and humour * * Observer * *Quirky and endearing. Don't wait until your next life to read it * * Sunday Herald * *A delightfully deadpan look at what happens when one family member decides that he's unlocked the secrets of the universe * * Independent * *An engaging account . . . Buddha Da recalls the early stories of Roddy Doyle . . . it has just enough humour to make the family compelling, and some delicate touches of insight - usually from Anne-Marie - that raise it above a suburban comedy -- Katy Guest * * Independent * *

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Book SynopsisA mischievous and genre-spanning story collection from legendary film director Pedro Almodóvar''Almodóvar's mind seems to be reporting from another world to illuminate, clarify, and challenge our own' KAVEH AKBAR''Akin to a Spanish Angela Carter'' TELEGRAPHThe Last Dream brings together twelve unpublished stories from Almodóvar's personal archive, written between the late sixties and the present day. Delivering a tantalising glimpse into Almodóvar's world, this wildly inventive collection reflects his most intimate obsessions, as well as his daring evolution as an artist.Ranging from The Last Dream' - a beautiful chronicle of the death of Almodóvar's mother - to a love story between Jesus and Barabbas;, a cult film director out in search of painkillers on a bank holiday weekend, the original story behind the film Bad Education, and a gothic tale of a repentant vampire, these stories delight and surprise.The Last Dream is a celebration of the relationship between life and art, fiction and reality from an artist unafraid to write about our most intimate moments.Translated by Frank Wynne*Readers love THE LAST DREAM*Dive into a world where vibrant characters and deep emotions come to life on the page'An intriguing blend of the personal, thoughts, his remarkable professional film career and more from the superb Pedro Almodóvar''Colourful characters and situations, a little madness. Warmth, humour and strangeness''Highly recommended'

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Book SynopsisTales of the Jazz Age (1922) is a collection of 11 short stories by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The story is divided into three separate parts, according to the subjects: My Last Flappers (The Jelly-Bean, The Camel's Back, May Day, and Porcelain and Pink), Fantasies Flappers (The Jelly-Bean, The Camel's Back, May Day, and Porcelain and Pink), Fantasies (The Diamond as Big as the Ritz and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), and Unclassified Masterpieces Big as the Ritz and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), and Mysterious Masterpieces (The Lees of Happiness, Mr. Icky, and Jemina the Mountain Girl), as well as the novelette May Day and the novella The Diamond as Big as the Ritz.

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Book Synopsis"A moving mural of lives in the underclass of Luanda." –The Guardian In a crumbling apartment block in the Angolan city of Luanda, families work, laugh, scheme, and get by. In the middle of it all is the melancholic Odonato, nostalgic for the country of his youth and searching for his lost son. As his hope drains away and the city outside his doors changes beyond all recognition, Odonato’s flesh becomes transparent and his body increasingly weightless. Alongside, disparate stories are woven into the narrative, spanning from the tragic to the comic, from the surreal to the every-day, culminating into a depiction of near-future Luanda. A captivating blend of magical realism, scathing political satire, tender comedy, and literary experimentation, Transparent City offers a gripping and joyful portrait of urban Africa quite unlike any before yet published in English, and places Ondjaki among the continent’s most accomplished writers. NOMINATED FOR THE 2019 BEST TRANSLATED BOOK AWARD A VANITY FAIR HOT TYPE BOOK FOR APRIL 2018 A VULTURE MUST-READ TRANSLATED BOOK A LIT HUB FAVOURITE BOOK OF THE YEAR A WORLD LITERATURE TODAY NOTABLE TRANSLATION OF 2018Trade Review"A moving mural of lives in the underclass of his home city, Luanda. [...] One of Angola’s most prominent authors, Ondjaki is attracting growing acclaim overseas." * The Guardian *“Ondjaki imagines an apocalyptic future caused by rampant corruption, and Transparent City opens and closes with Luanda engulfed in flames. Stephen Henighan’s translation from the Portuguese is no mean feat. Overlapping prose and loose punctuation give a vivid sense of humanity in constant motion, while elements of the surreal are interwoven through the narrative. It’s an audacious, highly original novel; a challenging, but rewarding read.” * The Financial Times *“Ondjaki is experimentally bold, and his prose shifts through a kaleidoscope of registers, from the poetic to the political, the erotic to the absurd.” * Times Literary Supplement *“Ondjaki’s prose pulses with life... shine[s] with an unexpected clarity.” * World Literature Today *“A blend of stylized surrealism and harrowing realism.” * LitHub *

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Book SynopsisImagine a child, a daydreamer, always gazing out of the window.His grandmother, busy in the kitchen, keeps an eye on him.The child stares at a balcony on the opposite building, watching the black-haired girl as she dances her reckless dance. For a love like this, a child can push himself to extreme feats. He can turn into explorer or cabin boy, cowboy or castaway; he can fight duels to the death, or even master an unfamiliar language.His grandmother is not articulate, but does not lack imagination, and her love for the boy is immeasurable. She tells him about the entrance to the underworld, engraving indelible images in her nephew's mind.An irresistible book, as sharp as the swords of fantasy hidden under the bed, as precious as a family jewel, in which the discovery of love and the discovery of death follow each other, marking the end of childhood.

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Book Synopsis'Brilliantly funny ... the best satire of our contemporary nightmare that you will ever see, and very possibly the last' Alan Moore It's 2019 and America is ruled over by a billionaire reality TV star. Its media is owned by a transnational class of the shameless and the depraved. And its people have been silently robbed of their wealth, their dignity and their democracy. In this brave new world, going to see a superhero movie counts as activism, and arguing with the other serfs on social media is political engagement. BUT EVERYTHING'S FINE - as long as you never, ever ask yourself who makes money from the ticket sales and the ratings, or who owns Twitter. It's 2019 and Jarett Kobek has done the only thing a dissident American novelist can do in those circumstances: he's joined the party and written fantasy novel about an immortal fairy queen and a shadowy billionaire philanthropist sheikh called Dennis. Hilarious, provocative and unmissable, Only Americans Burn in Hell is the only novel for our certifiably insane times.Trade ReviewAs radical as Samuel Richardson or Laurence Sterne ... Kobek makes you laugh and think at the same time -- Stewart LeeA smoking hot and hilarious dissection of why the world is in such a mess right now -- Dorthe NorsThe only contemporary American novelist who matters -- Matthew SpecktorThe most important and hilarious faerie story ever written -- Ivy Pochoda

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Book Synopsis*** WINNER OF THE 2021 CWA CRIME IN TRANSLATION DAGGER *** **LONGLISTED FOR THE DUBLIN LITERARY AWARD 2022** *LONGLISTED FOR THE 2021 COMEDY WOMEN IN PRINT PRIZE* Yona has been stuck behind a desk for years working as a programming coordinator for Jungle, a travel company specialising in package holidays to destinations ravaged by disaster. When a senior colleague touches her inappropriately she tries to complain, and in an attempt to bury her allegations, the company make her an attractive proposition: a free ticket for one of their most sought-after trips, to the desert island of Mui. She accepts the offer and travels to the remote island, where the major attraction is a supposedly-dramatic sinkhole. When the customers who've paid a premium for the trip begin to get frustrated, Yona realises that the company has dangerous plans to fabricate an environmental catastrophe to make the trip more interesting, but when she tries to raise the alarm, she discovers she has put her own life in danger.Trade ReviewA fresh and sharp story about life under late capitalism ... an entertaining eco-thriller * Guardian *The forces pitched against Yona reveal their true scale and monstrosity in a frothy-seeming satire that, in the end, shreds the very idea of commerce to bleeding tatters. I'd say this was a perfect short novel for reading on the beach, but given what's in store . . . -- Simon Ings * The Times *An endlessly surprising and totally gripping read, The Disaster Tourist is as hilarious as it is heartbreaking. It questions every aspect of life we so often take for granted, smashing apart any easy distinctions between natural and artificial, normal and abnormal, peaceful and violent, personal and political. There could not be a more prescient moment for this too-real fiction about how we create our own disasters on every scale and what resilience might mean in the face of catastrophe. -- Elvia Wilk, author of OvalThroughout The Disaster Tourist, there is a sense of impending catastrophe, of something huge and uncontrollable swallowing up those who spend their lives packaging, controlling and creating these macabre tours ... Phenomenal * Spectator *An exciting up-and-coming writer tackling gender ... these themes aren't unique to South Korea, but ones that resonate with women globally. -- Katie Goh * i-D *A gripping literary thriller about disaster, adventure, and a crisis of conscience that will resonate with any traveller. -- Jennifer Croft, author of Homesick and winner of the Man Booker International Prize for her translation of Olga Tokarczuk's FlightsA labyrinth of catastrophes and cataclysms, The Disaster Tourist is a precisely penned novel that lays bare the human condition. Mysterious, evocative, and rich. -- Sarah Rose Etter, author of The Book of XA mordantly witty novel that touches on everything from the rise of "dark tourism" to sexual predators in the office to climate change ... a highly literary, ultra-incisive thriller * Refinery29 *Excellent ... a plain rendering of the extraordinary * The Irish Times *Cleverly combines absurdity with legitimate horror and mounting dread. With its arresting, nightmarish island scenario, this work speaks volumes about the human cost of tourism in developing countries. * Publishers Weekly *Bizarre but intriguing, The Disaster Tourist will make you feel content with the prospect of staycations for the forseeable * Manchester Evening News *A searing critique of capitalism, the impact of tourism on poor countries and our complicity in it. Gripping. * Writes of Womxn blog *One of the best new books of August 2020 * TIME Magazine *All the upheavals of 2020 perhaps make now the perfect time to read Yun Ko-eun's latest novel, The Disaster Tourist ... it brings too close to home the disasters that we like to believe are far away, separate from us. * LA Review of Books *Fascinating * SheerLuxe *An intriguing read about capitalism's ability to monetise everything including climate disasters ... challenges the reader to more robustly evaluate our curiosity about traumatised communities and landscapes that appear exciting for their unpredictability and history of ruin * Firstpost *Ultimate pandemic reading * South Coast Today *A dystopian novel that reads like, well, next year * InsideHook *A tale of human impact on nature, and the terror nature can inflict back ... A slim book, it packs a hell of a story into a small but thrilling package. * The Skinny *An extravagant, clever, unpredictable story that walks the razor edge of horror-comedy * White Review *

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Book Synopsis'If you're a fan of Sally Rooney's work, then you can't go wrong by picking up a copy of Topics Of Conversation ... She's a fresh voice, and one that it's certainly worth listening to.' Vogue 'Miranda Popkey's debut explores the paradox of longing to assert control and longing to lose it ... She depicts what it feels like to exist, actually live, at that intersection, which can so often bring about paralysis.' New Yorker What is the shape of a life? Is it the things that happen to us? Or is it the stories we tell about the things that happen to us? From the coast of the Adriatic to the salt spray of Santa Barbara, the narrator of Topics of Conversation maps out her life through two decades of bad relationships, motherhood, crisis and consolation. The novel unfurls through a series of conversations - in private with friends, late at night at parties with acquaintances, with strangers in hotel rooms, in moments of revelation, shame, cynicism, envy and intimacy. Sizzling with enigmatic desire, Miranda Popkey's debut novel is a seductive exploration of life as a woman in the modern world, of the stories we tell ourselves and of the things we reveal only to strangers.Trade ReviewA sustained, Sally Rooney-esque brooding on our simultaneous but conflicting yearnings for autonomy and 'being a vessel for the desire of others'. * The New York Times *Fans of Sally Rooney's Normal People will love it. * Glamour UK *If you're a fan of Sally Rooney's work, then you can't go wrong by picking up a copy of Topics Of Conversation ... Popkey explores thought-provoking topics including female desire, relationships, consent, sex and anger. She's a fresh voice, and one that it's certainly worth listening to. * Vogue *Brilliant, thoughtful and compelling -- Sara Lawrence * Daily Mail *Miranda Popkey's debut explores the paradox of longing to assert control and longing to lose it ... She depicts what it feels like to exist, actually live, at that intersection, which can so often bring about paralysis. * New Yorker *Each of the chapters in this exacting, exhilarating debut novel records a deeply intimate discussion ... Our guess is that this book will be the topic of many conversations in 2020. * Oprah Magazine *A pleasingly unsentimental novel about attraction and repulsion and the fluid line between the two. Popkey writes about these emotional eddies with such thrilling detachment you'll wonder why you ever worried about love at all. -- Jenny Offill, author * Dept. of Speculation *Over the span of 20 years, an unnamed narrator has conversations with an eclectic set of women - conversations about shame and love, sexuality and power. Envy and guilt. Motherhood. Loneliness. The slim book is smart and raw, and Popkey dives head-on into difficult, well - how else to say it? - topics of conversation. * Washington Post *Formally adventurous and blisteringly current, this debut novel spanning almost two decades of conversations between women wrestles with the stories women tell about desire, friendship, and violence * Esquire *Topics of Conversation masterfully maps the unknowable terrain of intimacy * Boston Globe *As she explores her own history through a shifting lens of female rivalries and friendships, the book's surface coolness begins to peel away, revealing the raw, uncommon nerve of a radically honest storyteller. * Entertainment Weekly *In luminous prose, Popkey explores the intricacies of love and desire and female friendship. Every page sparks with intelligence. -- Kirstin Valdez Quade, author * Night at the Fiestas *An intimate evisceration of our narrow imaginings of female sexuality -- Karen Russell, author * Swamplandia! *Penetrating, brutal, a brilliant new voice in contemporary fiction -- Ben Marcus

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Book SynopsisHettie Bagshot and Tilly Jenkins are hired to investigate a spate of mysterious deaths at Mr Whisker's Academy for Wayward Cats

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Book SynopsisShortlisted for the Costa Novel Award 2019. Tobi and Ella's childhood in East Berlin is shrouded in mystery. Now adults living in London, their past is full of unanswered questions. Both remember their family's daring and terrifying attempt to escape. But what happened next? Where did their parents disappear to, and why? What happened to Heiko, their little brother? And was there ever a painting of three blue horses? In contemporary Germany, Aaron works for a Stasi archive, making his way through old files, reconstructing the tragic history of thousands of families. But one file in particular catches his eye; and soon unravelling the secrets at its heart becomes an obsession. When Ella finds a stash of her mother's notebooks, she and Tobi embark on a search that will take them back to Berlin. Her fate clashes with Aaron's, and they piece together the details of Ella's past... and a family torn apart. Devastating and beautifully written, funny and life-affirming, Confession with Blue Horses explores intimate family life and its strength in the most difficult of circumstances.Trade ReviewThe sheer beauty of Confession with Blue Horses lies in Sophie Hardach's deft hand at creating an atmospheric and page-turning story of lives built and destroyed in the shadow of the Berlin Wall. Incredibly moving, and in parts, devastating, but always beaming with hope. An exquisite, memorable novel -- Kate Mayfield, author of The ParentationsA powerful story of East and West Germany and the devastating impact of political division on a family's life. Sophie Hardach writes with intelligence, humour and compassion about the resilience of the human spirit and the ties that bind us. Gripping and beautifully written -- Sophia TobinHardach's wise and unsentimental novel presents a nuanced picture of East Germany. Hardach is excellent on telling details: there is a tender scene towards the end of the book when Ella visits a McDonald's in West Germany after the fall of the wall, and tries not to be disappointed by the gherkin in the burger. Highly recommended * The Times *A tragic family drama, a gripping mystery and a rich history of the impact of a divided country. Sophie Hardach portrays both the political upheavals and personal dramas with subtle poignancy and a sharp eye for detail. Her characters are richly layered and bristle with charm; and she evokes Berlin, both past and present, with all the vibrant colour that a city with such history deserves. Living, as we do, in such politically fractured times, it's a story of truth and reconciliation that packs a very timely punch -- Jason HewittA tale of family secrets and betrayals, shortlisted for the Costa novel award * The Times *Thought-provoking... An absorbing slow burn of a book that not only casts light on Germany's recent history but depicts, with careful tenderness, a family simultaneously torn apart by ideology and bound by powerful ties of love' * Guardian *Offers a sympathetic and non-judgemental insight into this period in German history, touching upon the controversial themes with a real sense of equilibrium * Times of Tunbridge Wells *

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Book SynopsisForty-something divorcee Mel is struggling with infertility. But when she has to look after her step-grandson, four year-old Billy, Mel's life begins to change in ways she never expected. A deeply empathic, humane debut, Gratitude asks how we live now and how we make meaning in lives that rarely work to plan.

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Book SynopsisTough teen Riz Montgomery plays high stakes roulette as London burns. With bugs in her skin and noise in her head, Riz is real and the rest are fake. What matters to her: Mark Rothko’s art. So despite the horror of family time, it’s a fine thing that a major Rothko show coincides with the global conference where her so-called Dad is such a big wheel. Holed up with VIPs at a heavily guarded hotel, Riz collides with a sharp-dressed assassin she calls The Man. As she plunges into a world of covert deals and power plays, Riz is befriended and betrayed by Russian and Syrian agents. And emotionally bruised by the leader of a violent anti-capitalist group in town to protest the conference. Told in Riz’s breathless, insistent voice, the edgy friendship between the isolated teen and the travelling killer drives a thrill-ride through riot-torn London.

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Book SynopsisWelcome-welcome-welcome-welcome to Being Young! And to the inner life and internet ragepage of Natasha [Redacted]. Her rst name is all you’re getting: there are too many haters, trolls and stupid adults out there. Iffen you understand me then you’ve picked up the rhythm of my heartbeat and maybe you’re a friend. But that means you’re a potential danger too, if you get too close and you know too much—be careful. Original, compelling and moving, Natasha [Redacted] is a coming of age story that charts the costs of trying to survive in the poisonous jungle that is ‘growing up’. Family breakdown, friends who turn out to be anything but friends, parents and their love interests who want bland conformity above all else, Internet wars and real-world violence populate Natasha’s Internet ‘ragepage’. And we see Natasha too though her self-appraising ‘sleevenotes’, penned some unknown time after the events that she describes. At the end of it all, has she grown up? Will you like the answer anymore than Natasha does? Whatever the answer—if you’ve ever loved music with a matchless passion, wanted to form a band and play a gig on the Moon, you could be the friend that Natasha is waiting for. Read on...

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Book Synopsis 'This compassionate biography will tug at your heartstrings' Joanne Owen, LoveReadingFrom bestselling author, Toni Maguire, comes a new story of trauma and survival.After sharing her own stories of childhood trauma and survival in her bestselling Don't Tell Mummy and When Daddy Comes Home memoirs, Toni Maguire now writes to give voice to others who've been through comparable experiences, with An Innocent Child relating Georgia Turner's story of surviving a childhood lived in the shadow of addiction and escaping marital abuse. In sharing her story of survival, Georgia hopes to help others and prove there is reason to live even after trauma and heartache.

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Book SynopsisShe could lose the perfect life... if she tells the truth. At the school gates in Wimbledon Village, Faiza fits in. It took a few years and a brand new wardrobe, but now the snobbish mothers who mistook her for the nanny treat her as one of their own. But the perfect life costs money. When her husband Tom loses his job, Faiza realises she'll have to reveal her biggest secret: she's spent her family's entire life savings. Unless she doesn't... It only takes a second to lie to Tom. Now Faiza has six weeks to find £75,000 or risk losing the family she has worked so hard to protect. Readers and reviewers are loving Would I Lie to You? 'Warm, intelligent [...] and keeps up the tension right till the end' Sophie Kinsella 'A properly indulgent page turner' Adele Parks, Platinum 'A fresh take on domestic dynamics and moral dilemma... Great for book clubs' Clare Mackintosh 'Convincing and compelling' Stacey Halls 'I couldn't put it down... Tense and funny' Claire Douglas 'I was immediately hooked' Lizzie Damilola Blackburn 'Wise and warm... A page turner' Woman & Home 'A breathtaking, tense ride' Jesse Sutanto 'I just fell into it and couldn't stop' Sarah Pearse 'A refreshing new voice in commercial fiction' Cosmopolitan 'Intelligent and original' Lesley Kara 'So warm, funny, sad and brilliantly written' Laura Marshall 'Not just entertaining, but intelligent and original too [...] and the resourceful Faiza will steal your heart' Lesley Kara 'A warm, funny, compelling, escapist read' Debbie Howells 'Tense, funny, poignant and very clever' Claire DouglasTrade ReviewAn uplifting and joyous read... A refreshing new voice in commercial fiction' * Cosmopolitan *Warm, intelligent [...] and keeps up the tension right till the end -- Sophie KinsellaA fresh take on domestic dynamics and moral dilemma... Great for book clubs -- Clare MackintoshConvincing and compelling -- Stacey HallsA page-turner hinging on financial meltdown * Woman & Home *An engaging, entertaining, smart, and ultimately feel-good novel with huge emotional integrity and balance * LoveReading *Compelling and heartwarming * Happiful Magazine *A brilliant read * Bella Magazine *This book acknowledges moral dilemmas with wit and warmth * Woman's Weekly *This warm-hearted, funny debut is an indulgent page-turner... A gripping, unexpected thriller -- Adele Parks, The Sun[A] dazzling debut * My Weekly *This is warm and genuinely funny, opening as Faiza tries to get out of a 'Botox party' she can't afford, and following her desperate attempts to keep her spending secret. Loved it * The Bookseller *A warm, insightful tale of family, friendship and fitting in * People's Friend *I just loved this... I read this almost in one sitting and I absolutely adored it * Annabel & Grace *Ali-Afzal's witty, sharp, and very funny book will have you cheering throughout * Penguin Random House Blog *

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Book SynopsisSeptember 1905. At the heart of the Ottoman Empire, in the ancient city of Smyrna, Scheherazade is born to an opium-dazed mother. At the very same moment, an Indian spy sails into the golden-hued, sycamore-scented city with a secret mission from the British Empire. When he leaves, 17 years later, it will be to the smell of kerosene and smoke as the city, and its people, are engulfed in flames. Told through the intertwining fates of a Levantine, a Greek, a Turkish and an Armenian family, this unforgettable novel reveals a city, and a culture, now lost to time. 'Fiercely intelligent, finely textured and achingly beautiful' Elif Shafak 'Utterly delightful' Buki Papillon 'This rich tale of love and loss gives voice to the silenced, and adds music to their histories' Maureen Freely, Chair, English PEN 'A must-read' Ayse Arman, Hu¨rriyet 'A symphony of literature' Açik Radyo 'Defne Suman is a story-teller. She tells the story of how love, emotions and identities are influenced by socio-political events of a lifetime' Cumhuriyet Newspaper 'A wonderfully braided story of family secrets set in the magical city of Smyrna, told in luminous prose' Lou Ureneck, author of Smyrna, September 1922Trade ReviewA symphony of literature -- Açik RadyoDefne Suman is a story-teller. She tells the story of how history inevitably determines our personalities, destinies and lives. She tells the story of how love, emotions and identities are influenced by socio-political events of a lifetime * Cumhuriyet Newspaper *Defne Suman has crafted a wonderfully braided story of family secrets set in the magical city of Smyrna. Told in luminous prose, The Silence of Scheherazade is a romance full of rich and memorable characters whose lives collided with a pivotal and tragic moment in history. The novel is a delight -- Lou Ureneck, author of Smyrna, September 1922When Smyrna was reduced to ashes in September 1922, the world lost one of its most beautifully cosmopolitan cities. Defne Suman and Betsy Göksel have brought it back to life in all its glory in this rich tale of love and loss, giving voice to the silenced, and music to their histories -- Maureen Freely, Chair, PEN UKThe Silence of Scheherazade is a wonderful, social and historical novel, with delicate touches of love, and realistic moments of a daily life that was lost forever -- Panos Tourlis, Books and Style Magazine (Greece)Suman's novel examines the conflict between a pluralistic notion of selfhood and a monolithically constructed national identity. The paradigms of exile and displacement, of speaking from minority positions, are intertwined with these themes * Sözcükler Literary Magazine *Dense with rich descriptions and interwoven narrative threads... A magnificent and illuminating historical novel concerned with every day life in the diverse Ottoman Empire' * Foreword *'This unforgettable novel reveals a city, and a culture, now lost to time'. * LoveReading *Part Victorian Gothic, part cosmopolitan modernist, and part metatextual experiment... Suman deftly paints a picture of a city which endures occupation after occupation... Suman's tale is at its heart about those small people living their daily lives within the city, loving each other and the land beneath them... Göksel handles the translation of this complex tale just as skillfully as Suman herself weaves it' * Asymptote Journal *At once breathtakingly sweeping and textured with alluringly fine detail, this beautifully written story set in the Aegean city of Smyrna in the lead up to WWI is a sumptuous tour de force * LoveReading *Suman's voice and descriptions are so unique and enveloping. I love the characters and reading it is an utterly delightful experience -- Buki Papillion, author of An Ordinary WonderTurkish author Suman's lush saga intertwines the fates of four families – Greek, Levantine, Turkish and Armenian – in a city now lost * Straits Times *A truly beautiful book. Exquisite language is plied with great skill to create gorgeous imagery. And the translator is an absolute genius * Historical Novel Society *

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Book Synopsis'Had me gripped from start to finish ... timely, horrifying, and hugely entertaining'Kiran Millwood Hargrave, author of The Dance Tree and The Mercies'Swerves through a fascinating, fractured landscape of folkloric traditions and contemporary divisions' Cari Thomas, Sunday Times-bestselling author of Threadneedle'A vibrant and devastating tale of loss and love ... Characters to treasure' - Saara El-Arifi, Sunday Times-bestselling author of FaeboundRowena has always been a rebel: foul-mouthed, light-fingered, the last to leave a party. Unfortunately, she's also cursed - marked by Death since birth. When Rowena's boyfriend and father die in quick succession her mother sends her North to her gran, the one healer strong enough to lift the curse before her eighteenth birthday.Halim is proud, independent and just a few payments away from owning his truck. Unfortunately, his latest cargo is Rowena. Every gun-patrolled, hard county border they cross poses a threat to his future, as d

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Book Synopsis'Striking a perfect balance between myth and psychosocial realism, this is a beautifully written debut' Guardian 'Recalls M. R. James at his nastiest' Telegraph Eshwood Hall is a great English house surrounded by sprawling woods. In 1962, Izzy is thirteen, lives in the servants quarters and doesn't go to school. Neglected by her parents, she spends her moments of freedom exploring the forest and the village beyond. The more she comes to understand the history of the place and her own situation, the stranger are the things she hears and sees. The most tantalising of these is the Green Man who inhabits the woods, and seems to know all about her, even those desires she has buried deep inside. A family story rooted in folk tale, The Green Man of Eshwood Hall shows us the power that the wild still holds on our imagination, and the shocking nightmares to which it can give rise.Trade ReviewThis evocative short novel is a work of folk horror, close in spirit to Alan Garner's fantasies rooted in the land . . . Striking a perfect balance between myth and psychosocial realism, this beautifully written debut is the first of a projected series set in an imaginary version of Northumberland * Guardian *A doozy of a final twist that recalls M. R. James at his nastiest * Telegraph *Delves deep into English folklore to tell a tale about childhood innocence floundering on the rocks of adult complexity. [Kerr] skilfully evokes a nation, its old certainties overturned by war, on the cusp of social upheaval and change * Financial Times *A novel about vanity, selfishness and exploitation and the damage they do ... beautifully written and heart-breaking * Literary Review *One of those books that enchant you to the point of distraction; so engrossing, you crave more precious reading time. [...] It offers the reader a classic adventure story, delivers ample scares and supernatural peril, and show that for all her real-world woes, the protagonist's life can still get infinitely worse. An absolute treasure of a novel, one that reminds you what a joy reading can be * Buzz Magazine *Kerr's eco-horror preaches embracing rather than avoiding your fears. A terrifying prospect indeed * Irish Times *Brimming with wonder and menace, The Green Man of Eshwood Hall is unnerving, unflinching and unputdownable. This is a story that possesses its readers dreamlike and yet utterly convincing * Nell Stevens, author of Briefly, A Delicious Life *Lush and magical, softly creepy and ultimately shocking; Kerr is a born storyteller * Jenn Ashworth, author of Ghosted *Elegant and unfussy prose * the Crack *Kerr, a rare talent, has created something unique. A multi-genre piece, it draws on folk tales and stories of servants and masters, before infusing it with coming-of-age-style horror, to create something unlike anything the reader has read before... Truly unputdownable * Bookmunch *Strange, disturbing, sometimes disorientating and more than a bit scary, with strong mythological elements, The Green Man of Eshwood Hall is the essence of folk horror. -- David Barrett * Fortean Times *

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Book SynopsisFrom Joyce Carol Oates, literary icon and author of Blonde, now a major motion picture, comes a collection of darkly compelling tales. A young professor is convinced she's being followed, but when she confronts her shadow all is not as it seems. A promising student attempts to save her brother from his descent into madness, but finds there may be more to his world than hers. An elderly nun is found dead in her care home, but was it old age or dark secrets that killed her? These biting and beautiful stories force us to confront, one by one, the demons within. Reviews for Joyce Carol Oates: 'A writer of extraordinary strengths.' Guardian 'Oates chillingly depicts the darkness lurking within the everyday.' Sunday Express 'Both haunting and sublime.' Literary Review 'Splendidly chilling.' Financial Times 'Visceral, psychologically involving, and socially astute.' BooklistTrade ReviewThese "tales of darkness and dread" won't put you to sleep, but they'll give you more interesting nightmares * New York Review of Books *Oates perfectly captures the atmosphere of fear and well-meaning misunderstanding * The Times *A writer of extraordinary strengths * Guardian *Extremely compelling... We cannot look away, no matter how gruesome the sight * Spectator *Oates chillingly depicts the darkness lurking within the everyday * Sunday Express *

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Book Synopsis''Brilliant... a biting critique of the orientalist, gender and class attitudes that shape Britain today. I loved it.'' Preti Taneja It was supposed to be the trip of a lifetime: the open road, London to Kathmandu, just three young people looking for adventure. No one could have predicted the way it ended, and for fifty years the truth has been buried. But now, Joyce is ready to tell her story. London, 1970. Fresh out of a dead-end job, Joyce answers an ad in the local paper: Kathmandu by van, leave August. Share petrol and costs. Joyce is desperate to escape life in suburbia, and aristocrat Freddie looks like he can show her a wild time. Together with Anton, Freddie's best friend from boarding school, they embark on the overland trail from London to Kathmandu in a beaten-up old Land Rover. But as they cross the borders into Asia, Freddie can't outrun his family's history, leading to devastating consequences for everyone.

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Book SynopsisAmerican author Willa Cather wrote a book titled The Professor's House. The story begins with Professor Godfrey St. Peter and his wife when move to a new house. He becomes uneasy about the route of his life is taking. His two daughters' marriages resulted in their departure from the house and the addition of two new sons-in-law, causing a midlife crisis that leaves the Professor feeling as though he has nothing to look forward to and has lost the will to live. The novel focuses on the relationships between the Professor and his new sons-in-law and family, while also making allusions to their grief over Tom Outland's, who was his student, friend and also the fiancé of his elder daughter, loss during the Great War. What will the Professor do to manage his family? How will he overcome his and his family's pain? Read The Professor's House to know the complete story.

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Book SynopsisNow in paperback, Katharina Winkler’s heartbreaking saga of a tenacious woman trapped in an abusive marriage. Blue jewelry is private property. Not to be seen. Not to be talked about. It is worn like a bracelet around the wrists, on ribs, legs, arms. Blue jewelry is another name for the marks left on women’s bodies, inflicted by the men around them. This novel tells the story of Filiz and Yunus. When Filiz meets Yunus, he is young and beautiful, and Filiz is proud that he wants her. Against her father’s wishes, they marry when she is thirteen. Yunus is her entire universe, all encompassing, all powerful. Soon after the wedding, Filiz’s dream of living in the West with her husband, of escaping their small village in Anatolia for freedom and autonomy, comes crashing down around her. Yunus, only a few years older than his bride, turns their marriage into a prison of dependency and violence. Trapped in her mother-in-law’s house, Filiz is subjected to physical and mental abuse, forced to veil herself, and treated as a house slave. When she becomes pregnant, Filiz seems to have reached her breaking point. But she endures. When Yunus moves his young family first to Istanbul and then to Austria, the life he had once promised her seems to be within reach. But there is no escaping the spiral of violence and love, which, to Filiz, have become inseparable. Katharina Winkler’s powerful story of a marriage dominated by violence gives voice to a tenacious young woman whose will to survive is never broken. Trade Review“A debut in a class of its own . . . The narrative rhythm develops a fascinating pull that one cannot escape. Again and again, the author enhances the power of her imagery into poignant maxims with downright lyrical character. She works virtuously with reduction and consolidation, with hard cuts and the art of effective omission.” * Christian Schacherreiter, OON *

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Book SynopsisA highly readable and lighthearted, yet intellectual-stimulating exploration of the modern human condition. This volume concerns itself with the question of time, from the description of a brief fragment passing by in a matter of minutes to stories of the unexpected stock-market crash of 1929, a once-in-a-century event that Europeans call ‘Black Friday’ because Wall Street’s collapse reached the Old World one day later. Through this exploration of time, Kluge ponders some fundamental questions not altered by the passing of time: What can I trust? How can I protect myself? What should I be afraid of? Our age today has achieved a new kind of obscurity. We’ve encountered a pandemic. We’ve witnessed the Capitol riots. We see before us inflation, war, and a burning planet. We gaze at the world with suspense. What we need in our lives is orientation—just like ships that navigate the high seas. We might just find that in Kluge’s vignettes and stories. Table of Contents1. 0.0001% of a lifetime2. An afternoon on the Ligurian coast3. A case of time pressure 4. Commentary on Anna Karenina5. Blood like bubbling water6. Emotion consists of what remains unused7. A living relationship to work8. Causality outstripped9. Hitler as “moonwalker10. A glut of informers 11. An unusual case of lobbying12. Heiner Müller and “the figure of the worker”13. A musical interlude for great singing machines14. Lohengrin in Leningrad15. Twilight of the Gods in Vienna16. Heiner Müller’s last words on the function of theatre17. The death of the gods – a black hole at the heart of Rome18. In another land19. What is power of the mind?20. The conman and happiness 21. Is one allowed to defend oneself against a helpless man?22. Solar eclipse 23. The consistency of the moon24. The poets of organisation25. Siberian time reserves26. The glowing block in the balance; the diver Ananenko27. A near disaster28. A new age29. The immortal woman30. A memorial to unknown soldiers31. A visit to Robert Musil in 194232. A story of a tyrant33. “Shore of fate34. Reader-friendly articles must tell their stories spatially 35. A sudden outbreak of defeatism36. Is it possible to find something without having any hope?37. The strong influence of a daughter38. Out of sight, out of mind39. Lovestruck conspirators of a more noble humanity40. Stauffenberg’s grave41. Principles of life on Black Friday I42. Principles of life on Black Friday II43. Torch of freedom44. That was the farewell to the industrial age45. Turkish honey46. The proprietor47. A dignified form of property

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Book SynopsisOne Of Ours is a book written by Willa Cather, who later received the 1923 Pulitzer Prize. In One of Ours, Cather brings World War I to the heartland of Nebraska and sensitively guides the reader through the highs and lows experienced by a young man who is already enjoying what are perhaps his life's greatest triumphs. But, One of Ours is not a tale of battle. Instead, it's just another excellent examination of the most fundamental aspirations, phobias, and concerns of travelers. This is an emotional tale of purposelessness and human restlessness. At the turn of the century, Claude Wheeler was born in Nebraska to a wealthy agricultural family. Claude, who is unsatisfied with his job and his wife, finds fulfillment while serving in France during World War I. How will Claude survive during the War? What will happen to Claude's family? To read this amazing collection of ideas based on sacrifices and life, readers should go through the book!

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Book SynopsisPassed down through generations, these Fulani tales of love and djinns are collected here in the form of twenty-eight short stories. Transcribed and translated from the notes of Malum Amadu, a Fulani scribe who collected stories, songs, and spells, Amadu's Bundle brings together a long tradition of poetry and prose that have been told and retold over countless generations.

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Book SynopsisAmu Djoleto's debut novel, The Strange Man, tells the comedic tale of Old Mensa and his troubled childhood in 1960s Ghana. Bold and rebellious ever since he was a boy, Mensa knows what it's like to be on the wrong side of the teacher's caning stick – and he is determined to save his children from the same fate. Looking back on his life, Mensa recounts moments in his early years when his sharp tongue led him into trouble and his knack for mischief pulled him into wild misadventures – the most memorable involving a very disgruntled goat. But his childhood battle against tyrannical teachers and corrupt church members takes on new meaning when he discovers his daughter is facing the very same cruelty he faced years ago. Writing with brilliant humour and wit, Djoleto shrewdly explores the role of religion, parenting, and teaching in mid-century Ghana.

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Book SynopsisHonore de Balzac wrote a book titled Father Goriot. The story, which takes place in Paris in the early 19th century, explores the concepts of love, wealth, and social status. The protagonist Father Goriot, an old widower who has used his fortune to support his two daughters, and other people are followed throughout the novel. But, the daughters have left him and are now leading lavish lifestyles while disregarding the needs of their father. Eugene de Rastignac, a young law student who is lured into Parisian high society, is another key figure. One of Father Goriot's daughters, Delphine, is the object of Rastignac's affection. Delphine, meanwhile, is already married to a rich, ruthless man who is using her to maintain his social status. The novel shows the dramatic difference between middle-class hardship and the lifestyles of the rich elite. Balzac depicts the greed and corruption that often go hand in hand with the chase of money and social prestige. Father Goriot dies in poverty and is left by his daughters at the novel's terrible conclusion, and Rastignac realises the full price of his ambitions. Father Goriot is a potent examination of 19th-century French society as well as a timeless look at human nature and the quest for happiness.

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Book SynopsisA tense, thought-provoking pressure cooker about a young woman imprisoned in a psychiatric facility for her political views, perfect for fans of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and Girl, Interrupted.

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Book SynopsisThe luminous debut novel from one of Ireland's finest storytellers'The Polite Act of Drowning is a beautiful and captivating novel, lyrical and sensuous, a precise and faithful evocation of the tumult and trauma of family life, and of emergence into adulthood, and the confrontation of truths about ourselves and the people we love' - Donal RyanMichigan, 1985.The drowning of a teenage girl causes ripples in the small town of Kettle Lake, though for most the waters settle quickly. For sixteen year old Joanne Kennedy, however, the tragedy dredges up untold secrets and causes her mother to drift farther from reality and her family.When troubled newcomer Lucinda arrives in town, she offers Joanne a chance of real friendship, and together the teenagers push against the boundaries of family, self-image, and their sexuality during the tension of a long, stifling summer. But the undercurrents of past harms continuously threaten to drag Joanne and those around her under...Perfect for fans of Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owen.Trade Review'The Polite Act of Drowning is a beautiful and captivating novel, lyrical and sensuous, a precise and faithful evocation of the tumult and trauma of family life, and of emergence into adulthood, and the confrontation of truths about ourselves and the people we love' -- Donal Ryan'...loved every word of it. Such a beautifully written, evocative book ... Heartbreaking at times, this is ultimately a story of hope. The best book I've read this year so far. If you liked The Paper Palace, you'll love this' -- Michelle McDonagh * author of There's Something I have to Tell You *'Charleen Hurtubise is a gifted storyteller. The vivid world of Kettle Lake, its natural beauties, its characters and its secrets, comes alive in this lyrical, evocative novel. Hurtubise's writing is skilful, compelling, mesmeric' -- Lia Mills * Lia Mills *'A luminous and gripping portrait of a teenage girl coming of age in a small lakeshore community. Filled with colourful, complicated characters and brimming with heartbreak, love, and redemption, it is an exquisite debut from a powerful storyteller' -- Michelle Gallen * Michelle Gallen *'Hauntingly atmospheric' -- Sue Leonard * Irish Examiner *'The Polite Act of Drowning is an accomplished debut franked with credible characters and imbued with the conviction that we determine our own destiny' -- Brendan Daly * Irish Examiner *'The humid haze of small-town America in high summer is brilliantly wrought here' * Irish Independent *'Part coming of age drama, part exploration of inherited trauma, Hurtubise expertly places us in the middle of the action ... this is a tale that lingers' -- Sophie Grenham * The Sunday Times *'an impressive debut, establishing its author as someone with a keen eye for emotional detail and luscious scene-setting. Hurtubise's coming of age tale balances the tension of the trouble brewing in this community with the vulnerability, joy and pain of growing up' -- Emma Flynn * The Irish Times *

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Book SynopsisI didn't like to perform. I liked to be loved.'Like Daisy Jones soaked in Britney Spears' Curious' HOLLY BOURNE'It's a delightfully bubblegum novel of hot summer nostalgia' LITHUB'A sexy swagger of a debut' EMMA STRAUBIt is 1997, and Amber Young has received a life-changing call. It's a chance thousands of girls would die for: the opportunity to join girl group Cloud9 in Los Angeles and escape her small town. She quickly finds herself in the orbits of fellow rising stars Gwen Morris, a driven singer-dancer, and Wes Kingston, a member of the biggest boy band in the world, ETA.As Amber embarks on her solo career and her fame intensifies, she increasingly finds herself reduced to a body, a voice, an object. Surrounded by the wrong kind of people and driven by a desire for recognition and success, for love and sex, for agency and connection, Amber comes of age at a time whe

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Book SynopsisThe Lost Girl by D.H. Lawrence is a novel about a young woman named Alvina Houghton who lives in the small English village of Woodhouse. Dissatisfied with her life there, Alvina sets out on a journey of self-discovery that takes her to various places in England and Europe. Alvina begins a relationship with a wealthy man named Ciccio, but soon realizes that their cultural differences and his possessiveness are too much for her. She breaks things off with him and meets a young British man named Everard Barfoot. They fall in love, but their relationship is complicated by Everard's desire for a traditional marriage and Alvina's reluctance to conform to societal norms. Alvina eventually decides to leave Everard and returns to Woodhouse, where she becomes involved with the local doctor, Mitchell. Their relationship is also tumultuous, and Alvina ultimately decides to leave him as well. In the end, Alvina realizes that she must find her own way in life and sets out once again on her journey of self-discovery. Overall, The Lost Girl explores themes of individualism, societal expectations, and the search for personal fulfillment in a rapidly changing world.

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Book SynopsisWhen her husband suggests a romantic break, Claire feels obliged to say yes but immediately regrets it. After the tragedy they've been through, how can one weekend in Paris save their marriage? Claire and Ronan aren't the only people on a make-or-break visit to the City of Love. There is a big-shot movie producer from Hollywood, full of regret for a life ill-lived; a student from Boston, torn between love and duty; a Ukrainian refugee struggling to protect her little sister; and an old woman from Dijon, hoping to be braver than she has ever had to be before.When their lives briefly intertwine, something extraordinary happens...Trade Review'A story of love, loss and redemption in one of the world's most iconic cities' -- Sheila O'Flanagan * author of Her Husband's Mistake *'Frankly, it is wonderful' -- Martin Sheen'A fresh new voice in Irish fiction, a story peopled with original and well-drawn characters and imbued with a delightful Parisienne flavour' -- Roisin Meaney * author of Life Before Us *'Last Chance in Paris is a vividly written confection which transports you to a weekend in Paris. Four unconnected people are each on the cusp of something new in the City of Light, and gradually their lives intersect in the most satisfying way' -- Dymphna Flynn

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Book Synopsis'A charming and fun read that will have you pining for a summer on a misty Irish island' - Georgie Tilney, author of Beach RivalsA wildly romantic story on a wild island with the promise of hope, redemption and self-discovery at its core.Cordelia James was once at the top of her game-a renowned street photographer with a massive social media following, gallery showings in Chelsea, and a lucrative book deal. But after the sudden death of her father, everything changed. Now, Cordelia can barely force herself to leave her apartment. That is, until she sees an ad for a summer gig at a cosy cottage on Ireland's picturesque Inishmore island. Rent-free, plus a small stipend if willing to do some menial housework and look after an elderly neighbour. Cordelia is on a plane before she can talk herself out of it. But practically the moment she steps off the boat, she crashes-literally-into Niall O'Connor, a grumpy local who's j

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