Contemporary lifestyle fiction

Book SynopsisA tender, devastating and funny exploration of love and friendship and the yearning for self-evisceration. Coco Mellors is an elegant and exciting new voice' PANDORA SYKESFor readers of Modern Lovers and Conversations with Friends, an addictive, humorous, and poignant debut novel about the shock waves caused by one couple''s impulsive marriage.New York is slipping from Cleo's grasp. Sure, she's at a different party every other night, but she barely knows anyone. Her student visa is running out, and she doesn't even have money for cigarettes. But then she meets Frank. Twenty years older, Frank''s life is full of all the success and excess that Cleo''s lacks. He offers her the chance to be happy, the freedom to paint, and the opportunity to apply for a green card. She offers him a life imbued with beauty and artand, hopefully, a reason to cut back on his drinking. He is everything she needs right now.Cleo and Frank run head-first into a romance that neither of them can quite keep up with. It reshapes their lives and the lives of those around them, whether that's Cleo''s best friend struggling to embrace his gender identity in the wake of her marriage, or Frank''s financially dependent sister arranging sugar daddy dates after being cut off. Ultimately, this chance meeting between two strangers outside of a New Year's Eve party changes everything, for better or worse.Cleopatra and Frankenstein is an astounding and painfully relatable debut novel about the spontaneous decisions that shape our entire lives and those imperfect relationships born of unexpectedly perfect evenings.Trade Review‘Positively inhalable. I was intensely consumed by the world of Cleopatra and Frankenstein for a few happy days’ The Evening Standard ‘Friends who couldn’t get enough of Sally Rooney’s Conversations with Friends will fall head over heels for Coco Mellor’s debut novel’ ES Magazine ‘Cleopatra and Frankenstein, the luminous debut novel from Coco Mellors, is a book about many things: It's a great, swooning love story; a shattering depiction of how addiction and mental illness warp our lives; and a perceptive, witty portrait of globalized New York. But most of all, Mellors has written a devastatingly human book, at turns sharp and tender, that marks her as the rare writer whose sentences are as beautiful as they are wise. An unforgettable read’ Sam Lansky, author of The Gilded Razor and Broken People ‘A character driven epic thoroughly engrossing and entirely magnificent. It is thrilling to read a book that articles with nuance and compassion the way gender impacts every part of our lives. Sometimes you can just tell that a debut novel has been percolating and perfecting inside an author's mind until it is ready to leap into-and ultimately change-the world’ Adam Eli, author of The Queer Conscience “Mellors’ remarkably assured and sensitive debut … strongly evoke[s] Hanya Yanagihara’s A Little Life… At its core, it’s a novel about how love and lovers are easily misinterpreted and how romantic troubles affect friends and family. A canny and engrossing rewiring of the big-city romance.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review ‘Insistent, stylish and utterly captivating, the prose just sings.’ Heidi James, author of, The Sound Mirror

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Book SynopsisOver 2.5 million copies sold 'Funny, touching and unpredictable' Jojo Moyes 'Heartwrenching and wonderful' Nina Stibbe Winner of Costa First Novel Award, a No.1 Sunday Times bestseller and the Book of the Year Eleanor Oliphant has learned how to survive - but not how to live Eleanor Oliphant leads a simple life. She wears the same clothes to work every day, eats the same meal deal for lunch every day and buys the same two bottles of vodka to drink every weekend. Eleanor Oliphant is happy. Nothing is missing from her carefully timetabled life. Except, sometimes, everything. One simple act of kindness is about to shatter the walls Eleanor has built around herself. Now she must learn how to navigate the world that everyone else seems to take for granted - while searching for the courage to face the dark corners she's avoided all her life. Change can be good. Change can be bad. But surely any change is better than... fine? 'Moving,Trade Review‘A truly original literary creation: funny, touching and unpredictable. Her journey out of the shadows is expertly woven and absolutely gripping’ Jojo Moyes ‘Original [and] unexpectedly funny’ SUNDAY TIMES ‘As perceptive and wise as it is funny and endearing… Warm, funny and thought-provoking’ OBSERVER ‘A narrative full of quiet warmth and deep and unspoken sadness… Wonderful and joyful’ Jenny Colgan, GUARDIAN ‘Unforgettable, brilliant, funny and life-affirming’ Wendy Holden, DAILY MAIL ‘I adored it. Skilled, perceptive, Eleanor's world will feel familiar to you from the very first page. An outstanding debut!’ Joanna Cannon ‘Hugely original, a funny and sad tale of a survivor who tackles the challenges of emotional reconnection with grave courage. Unmissable.’ SUNDAY EXPRESS ‘A truly original voice and so good on loneliness: I sobbed and sobbed’ Cathy Rentzenbrink ‘An outstanding debut about loneliness and the power of a little kindness’ MAIL ON SUNDAY ‘So powerful – I completely loved Eleanor Oliphant’ Fiona Barton ‘An absolute joy, laugh-out-loud funny but deeply moving’ DAILY EXPRESS ‘Heartbreaking’ Bryony Gordon ‘Deft, compassionate and moving’ Paula McLain ‘Heartwrenching and wonderful’ Nina Stibbe ‘Heartbreaking and heartwarming’ STYLIST ‘Brave, smart and funny… the most refreshing and heartwarming debut I’ve read in some time’ YORKSHIRE POST ‘Moving, funny and devastating’ THE HERALD ‘Quirky, witty and absorbing’ HEAT ‘Warm and funny, moving and deeply original, Eleanor Oliphant is completely marvellous’ Gavin Extence ‘A beautiful and delicate balance between funny and heartbreaking… restores your faith in humanity’ RED ‘You’ll laugh and cry reading this fine debut’ PRIMA ‘Impeccable’ Dawn O’Porter ‘Delightful, dark and moving’ Sarah Pinborough ‘Warm, quirky and fun, with a real poignancy underneath’ Julie Cohen ‘A stunning debut! I laughed, wept and reflected’ Lucy Clarke ‘Satisfyingly quirky’ NEW YORK TIMES

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Book Synopsis**Evie Woods'' stunning new novel The Story Collector is available now**The Echo of Old Books meets The Lost Apothecary in this evocative and charming novel full of mystery and secrets.The thing about books,' she said is that they help you to imagine a life bigger and better than you could ever dream of.'On a quiet street in Dublin, a lost bookshop is waiting to be foundFor too long, Opaline, Martha and Henry have been the side characters in their own lives.But when a vanishing bookshop casts its spell, these three unsuspecting strangers will discover that their own stories are every bit as extraordinary as the ones found in the pages of their beloved books. And by unlocking the secrets of the shelves, they find themselves transported to a world of wonder where nothing is as it seems.Readers have fallen in love with The Lost Bookshop:Beautifully written and captures the wonder and awe that a story can bring to its readera delightful story for any book loveran ode to storytelling and the connections that books can make!' ?????Wowwww!! It's been awhile since I read something so fascinating, captivating and special all in oneIt takes you on a journey like most books do, but this one, I just want to inscribe on my back and hope that it becomes a part of me so that I can carry it with me always' ?????A must read for readers that love books' ?????A beautiful story that begs to be read in one sittinga magical story filled with beautiful prose and many surprises that readers will not soon forget' ?????This spellbinding book hooked me from the very beginning and I couldn''t put it down til the end' ?????A love story, one with books and booklovers at its heart. A warm, wonderful novel that sweeps up the reader into an absorbing, magical tale' ?????If you enjoy books by the Brontë sisters then I would fully recommend you read this book' ?????This novel has it all: wit, a dash of magic, and a large heart. A fantastic read'?????Trade Review‘The characters are so very well developed that it makes you feel that you are there with them sharing their stories too… kept me turning the pages’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A truly joyful, magical book…this story will capture your heart’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Couldn’t put it down!…a magical, enthralling read’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘One book that I liked so much and would gladly pay more for… one of those books that you constantly ask yourself “how did the author come up with this great story?”’⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Utterly magical and absorbing…the mysterious bookshop and the promise of finding a long lost manuscript haunts the pages’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘An enchanting plot, fabulous characters, and some good historical fiction… I found myself imagining it as a Netflix series’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘I absolutely adored this book! A touch of magic, a love of books, pure escapism, perfect!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Book SynopsisThe international Number One bestseller from the author of The Song of Achilles, shortlisted for the Women's Prize for FictionWoman. Witch. Myth. Mortal. Outcast. Lover. Destroyer. Survivor. CIRCE. In the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born. Circe is a strange child not powerful and terrible, like her father, nor gorgeous and mercenary like her mother. Scorned and rejected, Circe grows up in the shadows, at home in neither the world of gods or mortals. But Circe has a dark power of her own: witchcraft. When her gift threatens the gods, she is banished to the island of Aiaia where she hones her occult craft, casting spells, gathering strange herbs and taming wild beasts. Yet a woman who stands alone will never be left in peace for long and among her island's guests is an unexpected visitor: the mortal Odysseus, for whom Circe will risk everything. So Circe sets forth her tale, a vivid, mesmerizing epic of family rivalTrade ReviewA novel to be gobbled greedily in a single sitting * Observer *Circe is poised to become the literary sensation of the summer, as much for the quality of its writing as its timeliness * Sunday Times Magazine *Enough magic, enchantment, voyages and wonders to satisfy the most jaded sword-and-sorcery palate. Miller approaches Odysseus’s story from Circe’s point of view, richly evoking her protagonist’s overlapping identities as goddess, witch, lover and mother -- Adam Roberts * Guardian, Books of the Year *A triumph * The Times, Books of the Year *Circe back as superwoman … Homer’s witch get a kickass modern makeover… Miller’s Me Too-era, kickass portrait of a woman trying to defy the men and Fates arrayed against her is enchanting… Blisteringly modern * The Times *In a thrilling tour de force of imagination, Miller makes her otherworldly heroine a complex, sympathetic figure for whom we cheer throughout. Circe is a truly spellbinding novel, the mesmerising shimmer of ancient magic rising from it like a heat haze * Mail on Sunday *A brilliantly strange work of mythic science fiction, as effortlessly expressive within the palaces of gods as it is about the world below … Superb … This is both a fabulous novel and a fascinating retelling; the best compliment, perhaps, that any myth could hope for * Daily Telegraph *This year’s novels were filled with the angry clamour of women’s voices: ignored, idealistic or excitingly ambivalent. Madeline Miller reflected the mood for feminist revisionism with her lissom follow-up Circe, which casts the witch goddess in the Odyssey not as a bit player in a man’s epic but as the star of her own show -- Claire Allfree * Daily Telegraph, Books of the Year *It was a big year for creative retelling of myth and pre-modern literature; a favourite was Madeline Miller's Circe, a distinctive, lyrical novel about power, agency and reponsibility, from the point of view of this crafty, much-misunderstood goddess -- Emily Wilson * Times Literary Supplement, Books of the Year *The writing is lovely, the tone assured, and the touch just right -- Alexander McCall Smith * Independent, Books of the Year *It is out of these insights that Miller achieves real narrative propulsion … Supple, pitched in a register that bridges man and myth * Guardian *The first witch in Western literature sets Homer straight as she tells her life story, from her unhappy childhood to her lonely island exile. The woman who emerges is complex and sympathetic. A spellbinding tour de force of imagination * Mail on Sunday, ‘Sizzling summer reads’ *Miller has effected a transformation just as impressive as any of her heroine’s own: she’s turned an ancient tale of female subjugation into one of empowerment and courage full of contemporary resonances -- Lucy Scholes * Independent *What more could you wish for on holiday than this fabulously written re-imagining of the myth? Gods, monsters and mortals are lushly evoked in a page-turner that is as gripping as a soap opera and which triumphantly fuses myth with our contemporary concerns -- Elizabeth Buchan * Daily Mail, Books of the Summer 2018 *Dubbed the ‘feminist Odyssey’, there’s so much to like about Circe. From the author of the much-loved The Song of Achilles, this novel puts a feminist spin on Greek mythology, recasting Circe, the vilified witch infamous for turning men into pigs, in a sympathetic light. Subverting the usual masculine tropes of epic adventure narratives, Miller tells the story of the women who have been historically silenced. And on top of that, she makes Greek myths and culture, which is often perceived as impenetrable and intimidating, accessible. A real page-turner * Elle Magazine *Illuminates known stories from a new perspective … Miller has determined, in her characterization of this most powerful witch, to bring her as close as possible to the human, as a thoughtful and compassionate woman who learns to love unselfishly … A highly psychologized, redemptive and ultimately exculpatory account of the protagonist herself -- Claire Messud * New York Times *The Orange prizewinner Madeline Miller reimagines Circe, the witch from The Odyssey. In Miller’s retelling Circe is a suitably bolshie character who is not going to be bossed around by men. The writing is beautiful * The Times *An epic that’s also a page-turner * i *Fabulous … Bold and sensuously written, it plays brilliantly with the original myth of Circe * Daily Mail *I’ve been waiting for Circe by Madeline Miller for what feels like forever. Since her 2011 debut, The Song of Achilles – a queer retelling of the Iliad from Patroclus’ perspective – I’ve been crowing about the wit and magic of Miller’s prose. Circe did not disappoint. It’s a feminist tale of the nymph child of Helios, the sun god, who is exiled for practising witchcraft. Circe lives for hundreds of years, encountering heroes, gods and legends, but it never feels like a Greek mythology lesson. Actually, it feels more like a splashy, gossipy memoir written by a celebrity who has met everyone. I suspect this will be my book of the year -- Caroline O'Donoghue * Irish Times *Greek myth is fertile fictional terrain for Miller, who won the Orange Prize with her debut, The Song of Achilles. Her new novel is narrated by Circe, the witch from Homer’s Odyssey, who is banished to a remote island and there learns how to survive as a woman alone in the world -- Anita Sethi * Independent, Books of 2018 *A bold and subversive retelling of the goddess’s story that manages to be both epic and intimate in its scope, recasting the most infamous female figure from the Odyssey as a hero in her own right * New York Times *[Miller] gives voice to Circe as a multifaceted and evolving character ... Circe is very pleasurable to read, combining lively versions of familiar tales and snippets of other, related standards with a highly psychologized, redemptive and ultimately exculpatory account of the protagonist herself * New York Times Book Review *God though she may be, here she faces life – and its love, heartbreak, loneliness and motherhood – with immensely relatable humanity. The definition of female strength in all its fractured, fragile glory * **** Stylist *Offers opportunities for feminist revision of famous characters both mortal and divine, especially the egotistical Odysseus and the irresponsible and laddish Hermes. It also leads to a suspenseful metaphysical dilemma … Polished diction and descriptive powers * Prospect *Absorbing ... One of the most amazing qualities of this novel [is]: We know how everything here turns out -we’ve known it for thousands of years - and yet in Miller’s lush reimagining, the story feels harrowing and unexpected. The feminist light she shines on these events never distorts their original shape; it only illuminates details we hadn’t noticed before… In the story that dawns from Miller’s rosy fingers, the fate that awaits Circe is at once divine and mortal, impossibility strange and yet entirely human * Washington Post *A look at mythology with fresh eyes ... In Circe the female perspective sharpens into focus in a way that doesn’t happen in the original * Wall Street Journal *Miller excels at reworking myths and legends for a modern audience … Miller conjures up a cast of strong, relatable characters, from cold-hearted gods and flawed heroes to deadly monsters-and best of all-a strong female protagonist. Fabulously readable * Scotsman *Beautifully written throughout … Miller has broken [Circe] free of the conventions of the masculine epic * Literary Review *A refreshingly complex and utterly compelling portrait of one of the most intriguing women in western literature … Miller’s depiction of what it feels like to work magic is extraordinarily vivid and convincing … What elevates Circe is Miller’s luminous prose, which is both enormously readable and evocative, and the way in which she depicts the gulf between gods and mortals … Circe can be part of that cycle of cruel and pointless conflict, or she can choose to break it. In this unforgettable novel, Miller makes us care about that magical, mythical choice * Irish Times *In Circe, Miller gives depth and history to the title character, how it was she came to be on her island, and her struggles as an independent woman. The “heroes” of Greek myths - the gods, Odysseus and so on - get shoved to the side, as Miller brings to the forefront a fascinating, captivating female character. This is wonderfully detailed and well worth the more than five year wait since The Song of Achilles * Stylist, The 20 must-read books to make room for in 2018 *A mesmerising, fiercely feminist and lyrical retelling of a story from Greek mythology – as enchanting as the enchantress herself * Psychologies *Circe is the utterly captivating, exquisitely written story of an ordinary, and extraordinary, woman's life -- Eimear McBride, author of A Girl is a Half-Formed ThingAn epic spanning thousands of years that's also a keep-you-up-all-night page turner -- Ann PatchettHorror, heartache and grit pour from the pages of this exquisitely written and compelling novel. An alchemist with words, Miller continues to rejuvenate the classics with her exceptional talent … Circe is one of the best and most rewarding books of 2018 * Attitude, 'Book of the Month' *Gives Greek mythology a modern, feminist twist * Elle *Miller weaves an intoxicating tale of gods and heroes, magic and monsters, survival and transformation * i *Gorgeously written ... It leaves you thinking about it for weeks * Grazia *

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Book SynopsisA totally brilliant, escapist and uplifting read that will break your heart and put it back together again, perfect for fans of Cathy Kelly, Jill Mansell and Debbie Macomber.I always thought I was going to be a girl who did something. I was going to run my own business and find fame and fortune! Fall in love…But here I am. Still waiting for it all to happen, sitting on the floor, surrounded by lilies and roses, trying to do my best friend’s wedding flowers because – in her words – ‘how hard can it be, Frankie?’. The answer is actually ‘very hard’ but it’s not the only thing that’s tough right now. My boyfriend won’t commit, I barely have a job, and once again I have the hangover from hell…What I don’t know is that life’s about to throw me a curveball. A new friend I will make with a beautiful, sad-eyed little boy who is so very tragically ill. I still don’t know about that heartbreak.Even so, in this moment, I know that it’s time for some changes. Maybe it’s time to make my dreams come true? To try to become a marathon-running, healthy-living, wildly-in-love florist-to-the-stars!Because I’m beginning to realise that you only get one chance at life. I don’t yet know how you change everything, all at once, but what I do know is it all starts with me…Previously published as Wildflowers by Debbie Howells.

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Book SynopsisComing in 2025.

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Book Synopsis?A BBC Radio 2 Book Club Pick? 'Chilling and beautifully written C.J. Cooke's finest novel yet' Emilia Hart 'A spellbinding thriller' Scots Magazine

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Book Synopsis''No one does funny, emotional, life-affirming love stories quite like Abby Jimenez. She just keeps outdoing herself'' EMILY HENRY''Funny and poignant, relatable and aspirational, heart-tugging and satisfying. It is, in a word, perfect'' CHRISTINA LAUREN''Abby Jimenez''s words . . . sprinkle humour and warmth all over my life'' ALI HAZELWOOD''The sort of emotionally resonant love story I adore - I was captivated from the very first page'' PAIGE TOON.........................Dr Briana Ortiz''s life is seriously flatlining. Her divorce is just about finalised, her brother''s running out of time to find a kidney donor, and that promotion she wants . . . ? Oh, that''s probably going to the new man-doctor who''s already registering eighty-friggin''-seven on Briana''s ''pain in my ass'' scale. But just when all systems are set to hate, Dr Jacob Maddox completely flips the game . . . by sending Briana a letter. It''s a really good letter. Like the kind that proves that Jacob isn''t actually Satan. Worse, he might be this fantastically funny and subversively likeable guy who''s terrible at first impressions. Because suddenly he and Bri are exchanging letters, sharing lunch dates in her ''sob closet'' and discussing the merits of freakishly tiny horses. When Jacob turns out to be the perfect donor for her brother, Bri starts to realise that this quietly sexy new doctor might just be her perfect match, too...........................?? DISCOVER WHY READERS LOVE ABBY JIMENEZ . . . ??''Sweet and achingly romantic - a truly wonderful love story'' BETH O''LEARY''Full of fierce humour and fiercer heart'' CASEY MCQUISTON''A deliciously hot, sweet debut. This book is an absolute treat'' L. J. SHEN''This book deserves all the stars in the universe'' READER REVIEW''Things I loved about this book . . . I mean it''s literally everything. Not a single flaw'' READER REVIEW''Wow. wow. WOW. Every book I''ve read of Abby''s just gets better and better'' READER REVIEW

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Book Synopsis''If Gossip Girl and Made in Chelsea had a baby, it would be this book.'' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐''How many loves do you get in a lifetime?''She is a beautiful, affluent, self-involved and mildly neurotic London socialite.He is Britain''s most photographed bad-boy who broke her heart.Magnolia Parks and BJ Ballentine are meant to be, and everyone knows it.She dates other people to keep him at bay; he sleeps with other girls to get back at her for it. But at the end of their every sad endeavour to get over one another, it''s still each other they crawl back to.But now their dysfunction is catching up with them, pulling at their seams and fraying the world they''ve built; a world where neither has ever let the other go completely.As the cracks start to show and secrets begin to surface, Magnolia and BJ are finally forced to face the formidable question they''ve beeTrade Review*Blockbuster Book Trends of the Year* * EVENING STANDARD **Millie Bobby Brown's Book Recommendations 2023* * ELLE **Most Exciting New Romance Books* * CULTURESS **Books on BookTok: Creators Look Ahead to their Top Books of 2023* * THE BOOKSELLER **The Viral Booktok Series Giving Us All The Gossip Girl Feels! (But Better)* * FUCHSIA MAGAZINE *

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Book SynopsisLucinda Riley was born in 1965 in Ireland and, after an early career as an actress in film, theatre and television, wrote her first novel aged twenty-four. Her books have been translated into thirty-seven languages and continue to strike an emotional chord with cultures all around the world. The Seven Sisters series specifically has become a global phenomenon, creating its own genre.Her books have been nominated for numerous awards, including the Italian Bancarella Prize, the Lovely Books Award in Germany, and the Romantic Novel of the Year Award. In 2020 she received the Dutch Platinum Award for sales over 300,000 copies for a single novel in one year a prize last won by J. K. Rowling for Harry Potter.In collaboration with her son Harry Whittaker, she also devised and wrote a series of books for children called The Guardian Angels.Though she brought up her four children mostly in Norfolk in England, in 2015 she fulfilled her dream of buying a remote farmhouTrade ReviewRiley brings us a cast of exquisitely drawn characters and as you slip effortlessly into their lives and share their hopes, dreams and fears, prepare to be intrigued, moved to tears [...] and ultimately uplifted -- Lancashire Evening Post, on The Butterfly RoomA brilliant page-turner just soaked in glamour and romance -- Daily Mail, on The Seven SistersA masterclass in beautiful writing -- The Sun, on The Sun Sister

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Book Synopsis 'Darkly witty' Red 'Made in Chelsea if it got seriously dark' Heat Meet Kitty Collins. FRIEND. LOVER. KILLER. Trade Review‘Smart, fast-paced, darkly funny and a great main character. Definite 5 star read, Katy Brent is a fantastic storyteller.’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘I think this just might be my favourite book of 2022!’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Hooked from page 1! Complex characters, entertaining plot and very well written.’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘The book got stuck straight into the action and did not let up. It was fast paced, exciting and complete bingeable – I didn’t want to put it down.’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A really thought provoking read that had so many elements and so many layers to it. It was so gripping too I finished it within a couple of days.’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘If you’re a fan of the ‘Sweet Pea’ series or ‘Killing Eve’, this book is for you. Engaging, addictive and thought-provoking, this read has it all!’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Jesus Christ, this book. I absolutely loved it. It made me uncomfortable and sad and frustrated and angry, but I loved it.’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Kitty is a delight. Never thought that word would describe a serial killer, but she's absolutely delightful. Witty, hilarious, and on occasion she happens to murder men.’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A stonker of a read which I flew through.’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘I loved the humour of this book and couldn’t get enough of this story. I definitely recommend this as a must read.’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘I raced through this humour-laden murderous romp over the space of a couple of evenings.’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Female Dexter in Gucci and heels. Witty, intriguing, full of fashion, charm and slightly raunchy at times.’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Katy Brent has created a brilliant book that acts as social commentary and touches on issues that are a genuine downfall within our society. I’ll definitely be keeping my eye out for any future novels of hers.’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Book SynopsisFrom the New York Times number one bestselling author of The Nightingale and The Great Alone, Kristin Hannah, comes Wild, a remarkable story about the resilience of the human spirit, the triumph of hope and the promise of new beginnings.In the rugged Pacific Northwest of the United States lies the Olympic National Forest – a vast expanse of impenetrable darkness and impossible beauty. From deep within this mysterious woodland, a six-year-old girl appears. Speechless and alone, she offers no clue as to her identity, no hint of her past. Having retreated to her hometown after a scandal left her career in ruins, child psychiatrist Dr Julia Cates begins working with the extraordinary little girl. Naming her Alice, Julia is determined to free her from a prison of unimaginable fear and isolation, and discover the truth about Alice’s past. The shocking facts of Alice’s life test the limits of Julia’s faith and strength, even as she struggles to make a home for Alice – and find a new one for herself. ‘One of Kristin Hannah's most compelling and riveting novels’ – Booklist ** Published in the US as Magic Hour ******Here’s what readers love about Wild:‘I was moved to tears and devoured this book in a day’‘Couldn’t put it down’‘Gritty and thought-provoking’Trade ReviewA rich, compelling novel of love, sacrifice and survival, as epic as the Alaskan landscape it so vividly describes -- Kate Morton on The Great AloneHannah has delivered a masterclass in all the different ways love can both save us and destroy us [. . . ] She perfectly captures and evokes the majesty and splendid isolation of Alaska and it feels a privilege to have journeyed there with her. This is a story that will stay with me for a long, long time -- Karen Swan on The Great AloneEpic . . . By the end, I was surrounded by snow drifts of tissues damp with my tears -- Washington Post on The Great AloneGreat characters, great plots, great emotions, who could ask for more in a novel? -- Isabel Allende on The NightingaleMovingly written and plotted with the skill of Greek tragedy. You’ll keep turning the pages until the last racking sob -- Daily Mail on The Nightingale

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Book SynopsisThis sumptuous gift set collects together hardback editions of the three most recently published tales of Middle-earth - The Children of Hurin, Beren and Luthien, and The Fall of Gondolin - and presents them in a matching slipcase decorated with the stunning artwork of the books' artist, Alan Lee.

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Book SynopsisThe classic bestseller over a million copies sold worldwide!*Soon to be a major musical, written by Elton John and starring Vanessa Williams*High fashion, low cunning and the boss from hell When Andrea first sets foot in the plush Manhattan offices of Runway, she knows nothing. She''s never heard of the world''s most fashionable magazine, or its feared and fawned-over editor, Miranda Priestly her new boss.A year later, she knows altogether too much. She knows that it''s a sacking offence to wear anything lower than a three-inch heel to work, that you can charge cars, manicures, anything at all to the Runway account, but you must never, ever, leave your desk, or let Miranda''s coffee get cold. And she knows that at 3 a.m. on a Sunday, when your boyfriend''s dumping you because you''re always at work, if Miranda phones, you jump.But this is Andrea's big break it''s going to be worth it in the end.Isn''t it??????The Devil Wears Prada is everyone''s favourite book ?????''Watched the moTrade ReviewPRAISE FOR THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA: ‘This little gem mixes Sex and the City charm with dry New York wit.’ REAL ‘Sassy, insightful and sooo Sex and The City, you'll be rushing to the bookshop for your copy like it's a half price Prada sale.’ COMPANY ‘The most fun we've had in ages.’ HEAT ‘Delicious…a great insight into the world of magazines and fashion.’ RED

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Book SynopsisInspired by faery myth and folklore, the haunting, heart wrenching tale of a girl called Nettle in a dark, foreboding faery kingdom. A wild misfit in the human world, Nettle is enthralled by the glamour of the faery realm, with its two moons and scarlet stars. She grows close to Conor, a human stolen centuries before, and she also falls under the spell of mysterious Ellion, a Shadow Faery. To try to help her beloved grandmother who is fading in her world, Nettle makes a pact with the faery king. He'll heal her grandmother in exchange for Nettle completing three tasks. She agrees, not realising that deception lurks in this enchanted place, and that she has been trickedIn this dangerous fantasy kingdom Nettle discovers, too late, her part in an age-old love story and the price she will pay.

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Book SynopsisBRAND NEW from Number 1 Bestselling author Beth Moran!Sophie Potter’s job is helping people deal with the worst, because Sophie Potter knows what the worst feels like.An expert at keeping moving, with her trusty motorhome and faithful dog Muffin, Sophie has built her life around keeping her loves and loyalties to a minimum.Fabulous fifty-something Hattie Langford has kept her heart and past safely stored away too. But for reasons she’s only willing to share with a stranger, Hattie needs to tell the story her family has been hiding at Riverbend, their home in Sherwood Forest. There is a history of heartbreak and hurt that Hattie is now ready to face.As Sophie helps Hattie uncover the secrets of generations of women who have lived at Riverbend, along with the stories of the men they have loved and lost, they start to see echoes in their own pasts. And as Riverbend shares its biggest secret of all, can Hattie and Sophie finally embrace the lives they’ve put on hold for so long, and risk giving their hearts to men who just might break the Riverbend curse?Reading Beth Moran’s fabulous novels makes every day better. Heart-warming, soul-nourishing, with smart characters and irresistible romances, it’s impossible not to fall in love with a Beth Moran story. Perfect for all fans of Jill Mansell, Julie Houston, and Jenny Colgan.Praise for Beth Moran:'Beth Moran's heartwarming books never fail to leave me feeling uplifted' Jessica Redland'Let it Snow is so uplifting. It's cleverly written, witty and smart. A winner!' USA Today Bestseller, Judy Leigh‘Life-affirming, joyful and tender.’ Zoe Folbigg'Every day is a perfect day to read this.’ Shari LowReaders love Beth Moran’s books:‘I have read all of Beth's books and I do believe they just get better and better if that is possible. I adored this book’‘As always with Beth Moran, this story is full of everything you could ever want – lovely characters that you can’t help rooting for, twists and turns of joy, sadness and hilarity, and an ending that makes you feel like all is well in the world! She has such a knack for creating a setting that feels like home, and somewhere you just really want to actually live in! I already can’t wait for the next one!’‘I felt a lot of emotions while reading this book. It made me tearful (happy and sad tears), it made me hopeful and most of all it made laugh and smile, before leaving me with a lovely warm heart full of happy. Just gorgeous! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️’

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Book Synopsis**Don't miss Granny McCreedy's brand-new adventure in Call of the Penguins - available now!**A Richard & Judy Book Club and BBC Radio 2 Book Club pick.A truly feel-good book club read - a #1 bestseller in ebook and audio!'This year's Eleanor Oliphant . . . Funny, bittersweet and wholly original.' Daily ExpressVeronica McCreedy is about to have the journey of a lifetime . . .Veronica McCreedy lives in a mansion by the sea. She loves a nice cup of Darjeeling tea whilst watching a good wildlife documentary. And she's never seen without her ruby-red lipstick.Although these days Veronica is rarely seen by anyone because, at 85, her days are spent mostly at home, alone.She can be found either collecting litter from the beach ('people who litter the countryside should be shot'), trying to locate her glasses ('someone must have moved them') or shouting instructions to her assistant, Eileen ('Eileen, door!').Veronica doesn't have family or friends nearby. Not that she knows about, anyway . . . And she has no idea where she's going to leave her considerable wealth when she dies.But today . . . today Veronica is going to make a decision that will change all of this.'I love this gorgeous book. Unflinching, stubborn, funny and moving, Veronica is an unlikely heroine who will sneak in and capture your heart.' Trisha AshleyReaders are falling in love with Away with the Penguins:'Without a doubt the most delightful, joyous and uplifting book I've read so far this year . . . be prepared to fall in love.' *****'A gloriously quirky and life affirming story of hope.' *****'Oh how I loved this absolute gem of a book. Both heartbreaking and heartwarming.' *****Trade ReviewThis year's Eleanor Oliphant . . . Funny, bittersweet and wholly original. * Daily Express *A glorious, life-affirming story. I read it in a day. I’m going to buy it for so many people this year! * Clare Mackintosh *I love this gorgeous book. Unflinching, stubborn, funny and moving, Veronica is an unlikely heroine who will sneak in and capture your heart. * Trisha Ashley *A warm and witty journey of self-discovery. Prior proves that it’s never too late to become the person you were meant to be. * Wendy Wax, bestselling author of MY EX-BEST FRIEND'S WEDDING *A warm-hearted and life-affirming tale about ageing, human kindness, old-fashioned values and protecting our planet. * Culturefly *

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book Synopsis**The mesmerising retelling from the woman at the heart of one of Ancient Greece''s most famous myths.**''I absolutely adored this book and am encouraging everyone I know to buy a copy.'' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ READER REVIEW''The last few pages will easily become tear soaked. I loved every minute of this book'' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ READER REVIEW''A lyrical, insightful re-telling'' - Daily Mail''If you like Madeline Miller''s Circe and Song of Achilles, you will eat up Ariadne [. . .] Saint makes it a page-turner'' - Glamour''Exquisitely written and exceptionally moving, this is a mythical retelling to savour.'' - Elodie Harper, author of THE WOLF DEN''ARIADNE gives voice to the misused Princess of Crete who betrayed her father to save Theseus from the Minotaur. Relevant and revelatory.'' - StylistTrade ReviewARIADNE gives voice to the misused Princess of Crete who betrayed her father to save Theseus from the Minotaur. Relevant and revelatory. * Stylist *What happens after the monster is defeated and the princess leaves with the hero? Jennifer Saint's Ariadne is a shimmering tapestry of two sisters bound by deceit and the shadows of family history. One marries a hero, the other a god. As their lives criss-cross through girlhood and womanhood, the secrets that their husbands keep become a monstrous backdrop to their relationship. With a fresh voice and keen insight, Saint adds flesh and bone to an ancient myth, drawing the reader into an uneasy world of ever-afters. * Yangsze Choo, New York Times bestselling author of THE NIGHT TIGER *With her wonderfully executed debut that reimagines the classic tale of Theseus, Adriane and the Minotaur, Jennifer Saint joins the likes of Madeline Miller and Pat Barker in forging mesmerising retellings of ancient Greek myths from a female -perspective. * Waterstones.com *Saint's immersive novel thrusts the reader straight into the heart of Greek mythology with this wonderful reimagining of the story of Ariadne. * iPaper *An ancient story of love and sisterhood reimagined, Jennifer Saint's ARIADNE is a truly masterful debut - compulsive, absorbing and lyrical. Saint breathes new life into the forgotten women of Greek mythology with a novel that's both incredibly absorbing, and full of heart. * Katie Lowe, author of THE FURIES *In ARIADNE, Jennifer Saint places women centre stage. It is a beautiful exploration of the bond of sisterhood, the challenges of womanhood and the desire to forge one's own destiny in a world dominated by the will of heroes and gods. Utterly absorbing and brought to life in lyrical prose, ARIADNE is a joy from start to finish. * Elizabeth Lee, author of CUNNING WOMEN *Saint's enchanting debut retells the myth of the minotaur through the eyes of Ariadne . . . As the women navigate their changing positions of power, they court disaster at the hands of both gods and men. Saint expertly highlights how often the women of this world pay the price for the actions of the men around them. Lovers of mythology should snap this up. * Publishers Weekly *In a world ruled by temperamental, petulant gods, Ariadne is a shining beacon of female strength and courage - making this a story that's impossible to forget. * Culturefly *The story is well known, of course, but Saint tells it skilfully and, like Miller and Haynes, gives a twist to familiar myth by offering the perspective of women characters * The Sunday Times *Here, Ariadne takes centre stage in a lyrical, insightful re-telling that explores her motivations and emotions and the grievances caused by grumpy, cold-hearted gods and warm-blooded men, who are equally vengeful and self-interested * Daily Mail *If you like Madeline Miller's Circe and Song of Achilles, you will eat up Ariadne, a retelling of yet another engrossing and horrifying classic Greek myth . . . Saint makes it a page-turner * Glamour *Exquisitely written and exceptionally moving, this is a mythical retelling to savour. * Elodie Harper, author of THE WOLF DEN *

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Book SynopsisThe first installment in the brilliant Scott Pilgrim' graphic novel series from Bryan Lee O'Malley, writer of Scott Pilgrim Takes Off now a major Netflix series.Scott Pilgrim's life is totally sweet. He's 23 years old, in a rock band, between jobs' and dating a cute high school girl. Nothing could possibly go wrongUnless a seriously mind-blowing, dangerously fashionable, rollerblading delivery girl named Ramona Flowers starts cruising through his dreams and sailing by him at parties. Will Scott's awesome life get turned upside-down? Will he have to face Ramona's seven evil ex-boyfriends in battle? The short answer is yes. The long answer is unravelled in Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life', the first instalment of Bryan Lee O'Malley's brilliant Scott Pilgrim' graphic novel series.Trade Review‘”Scott Pilgrim” is the best book ever. It is the chronicle of our time. With Kung Fu, so, yeah: perfect.’ Joss Whedon, creator of ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ ‘One of the best things to happen to printed comics this millennium.’ Ain't It Cool News ‘A hilarious, idiosyncratic gem.’ Washington Post ‘A great oddball tale that captures the energy of a generation.’ Publishers Weekly ‘An inventive, genre-tweaking tale of young love, platonic bed-sharing and epic battles unlike anything else you will likely pick up. So, go on, pick it up.’ E! Online 'Earlier this week, an English journalist claimed Jonathan Franzen's soon-to-be published “Freedom” as the novel of the century. A ludicrous accolade, not least because it should more rightly go to Korean-Canadian writer Bryan Lee O'Malley's “Scott Pilgrim” comic-book series.' Telegraph ‘Scott Pilgrim is the best 23-year-old ever. Like Proust's Swann, he has a story that takes multiple volumes to unfold, except Pilgrim is even more awesome because he's in a comic book … the series is wildly enjoyable for its absurdist humor, its indelible characters and its growing, inevitable sense of melancholy as Pilgrim becomes that most terrifying of things: 24 years old.’ Glen David Gold, author of ‘Carter Beats the Devil’ and ‘Sunnyside’

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Book SynopsisWhen the owner of the local flower shop in Rome, Kentucky, makes a questionable agreement with a tattooed bad boy, a delightful friends-to-lovers romance begins to bloom - from the author of When in Rome and TikTok sensation, The Cheat Sheet.''Sarah writes books that truly make me smile. They''re kind and hopeful, playful and feel-good. PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT was all of that in spades'' CHLOE LIESE ''Sarah has written a tender, witty, emotional love story and I adore it to pieces'' B.K. BORISON''It was deliciously romantic. Kind of like watching a 90s rom-com but with still it having the magic of being a book'' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐''The story? PERFECT. the couple? AMAZING. the tension?! INCREDIBLE. Honestly this was one of my favorites from Sarah Adams. . .THIS WAS EVERYTHING'' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐''I binged this bo

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Book SynopsisIt''s the great undoing of my heart as I know it.Daisy Haites thought she''d left everything about her old life in the past: the crime, her family and the man she loves. But when her safety is threatened once again, she finds herself back under the watchful eyes of her gang-lord brother Julian and her ex-boyfriend Christian, both desperate to keep her safe.Everything gets more complicated when beautiful, broken-hearted socialite Magnolia Parks enters the scene and Julian finds himself entangled with her. Because for Julian, falling in love isn''t just unwelcome - it could be deadly for everyone involved . . .READERS LOVE THE MAGNOLIA PARKS UNIVERSE ''Magnolia and BJ have embedded themselves into my DNA.'' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ''This book gave drama, love triangles, toxicity, chaos and I ate up every single moment.'' ⭐⭐⭐є

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Book SynopsisThe brand new page-turner from the bestselling author of The Life You Left Behind.'When the world says “give up”, hope whispers, “try it one more time”.’Callie’s always been the least ambitious of her sisters but also the happiest, until fate snaps her fiancé away before they can say I do.One year later, she is still putting her life back together, but she might be ready for more. With so much life left to live, she has to find a way to be happy.Nathan knows not everyone gets a second chance at life and he’s not going to waste his. He’s left the city behind, moved to Cornwall and is starting over. When he meets a beautiful woman at the beach it feels like fate, but her heart belongs to someone else. Could Callie and Nathan be just what each other needs?

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Book SynopsisTikTok Made Me Buy It! This addictive new romance series is a must-read for fans of Gossip Girl, Colleen Hoover, Made in Chelsea and Euphoria - and bound to be your new obsession in 2023.Trade Review*Blockbuster Book Trends of the Year* * EVENING STANDARD **Millie Bobby Brown's Book Recommendations 2023* * ELLE **Most Exciting New Romance Books* * CULTURESS **Books on BookTok: Creators Look Ahead to their Top Books of 2023* * THE BOOKSELLER **The Viral Booktok Series Giving Us All The Gossip Girl Feels! (But Better)* * FUCHSIA MAGAZINE *

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Book SynopsisWhile clearing out his late grandfather's flat, Will Davenant discoversa surprising copy of The Complete Works of Shakespeare. Whenhe opens the book, a group of characters tumble out! Will is thelast descendant of the legendary bard, William Shakespeare, andhe's accidentally summoned them to help with some neighbourly troubles!

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Book SynopsisAll 20-year-old Daisy Haites has ever wanted is a normal life, but as the heiress to London''s most notorious criminal empire, it''s just not on the cards for her.Raised by her older brother Julian since their parents were murdered, Daisy has never been able to escape the watchful gaze of her gang-lord brother. But Julian''s line of work means that Daisy''s life is... complicated.And things don''t become any easier when she falls hard for the beautiful and emotionally unavailable Christian Hemmes, who also happens to be one of the few men in London who doesn''t answer to Julian.Christian''s life is no walk in the park either, since he''s in love with his best friend''s girlfriend, Magnolia Parks.He''s happy enough to use Daisy to throw off the scent of his true affections - until she starts to infiltrate those too.As their romance blossoms into something neither were anticipating, Daisy, Christian, and Julian

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Book Synopsis***NOW A MAJOR FILM STARRING ANNE HATHAWAY AND NICHOLAS GALITZINE ON PRIME VIDEO***READ THE ADDICTIVELY SPICY NOVEL THAT INSPIRED THE SMASH HIT FILMTHE SCORCHING HOT LOVE AFFAIR ABOUT THE MAN THAT EVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUT . . .''THIS SLAYED ME'' Taylor Jenkins Reid ''IF YOU ONLY READ ONE BOOK THIS YEAR, MAKE IT THIS'' 5***** Reader Review ''SUMMER''S SAUCIEST, SEXIEST READ'' Red ''THE ENDING . . . I''M NOT OVER IT'' 5***** Reader Review''''I''M MADLY IN LOVE WITH THIS NOVEL'' Curtis SittenfeldA RICHARD & JUDY BOOK CLUB PICK _______EVERYONE IN THE WORLD KNOWS HIS NAME. BUT IT''S YOU HE WANTS. To the media, Hayes Campbell is the star of a record-breaking British boyband. To his fans, he''s the naughty-but-nice front man - whose dimples and outlandish dress sense drive them crazy. To Solène Marchand, he''s just the pretty face that'Trade ReviewThe sleeper hit of the pandemic ... a glittering, global love affair full of bougie, vicarious travel. It's electric, triumphant, to read -- VogueThis slayed me. It's the story of a single mom who starts an affair with a rock star in a boy band. She takes that premise and turns it into this incredible, effective, moving, honest, human love story -- Taylor Jenkins Reid, author of Daisy Jones and the Six and Malibu RisingI DEVOURED this! The world-building and psychology around the romance was so good, and boy did the ending break me ... the book we really just NEED right now -- Holly BourneI'm madly in love with this novel -- Curtis SittenfeldFun, sexy, intelligent, I LOVED it * Prima *My book of the year! The writing is sharp and believable and the sex scenes are so scorchio that soon you too will stan for Harry Styles #ifyouknowyouknow * Red *Steamy and sexy, this is escapism at its absolute finest. I spent the hours in between binges fantasising about the characters and what they were up to. The three days I spent reading this were blissful -- Laura Jane Williams, bestselling author of Our StopAn addictive, glamorous, escapist page-turner - and pure wish fulfilment for Harry Styles fans * Daily Record *Glorious, glamorous, dizzying escapism that has consumed me for the last day. I am not over it -- Cressida McLaughlin, bestselling author of The Cornish Cream Tea BusSummer's sauciest, sexiest read. This book has ruined my life and I'm not even mad about it * Red *As the pages turned and the minutes passed, The Idea of You managed to work the ultimate book magic: It blurred the boundary between this world and that one -- Elena Nicolaou, Oprah MagazineAn OMG page-turner that literally sucks you in from page one to the last few words. I found myself yearning for more, needing, really, to know what happens next...it's that good -- Gabrielle UnionYou finally have something else to obsess about [...] will have you staying up all night to finish -- The SkimmCaptures what fame looks like, and how it affects us all...a fun, juicy love story -- Elizabeth BanksAn honest and elegant book about modern love in the age of uber-celebrity and social media -- Hill HarperNot only is this romance a fun ride, but it also draws on themes of celebrity and sexism that will give you something to think about after you're done * Bustle *A fascinating, thought-provoking, genre-bending romantic read * Kirkus Reviews *Sexy enough for the beach, smart enough for the book club * Book Circle *I can't put this down... the anticipation of the slow burning relationship is completely compelling -- Alex Brown, bestselling author of A Postcard from ItalyA sizzling summer love story that I couldn't put down -- Lynsey James, author of The Single Dad's Handbook

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Book Synopsis"There was a time when no one burned hotter than Eve Babitz. Possessing skin that radiated "its own kind of moral laws," spectacular teeth, and a figure that was the stuff of legend, she seduced seemingly everyone who was anyone in Los Angeles for a longstretch of the 1960s and ''70s. But there was one man who proved elusive, and so Babitz did what she did best, she wrote him a book. She also pulled off a remarkable sleight of hand: Slow Days, Fast Company far exceeds its mash-note premise. It is a full-fledged and full-bodied evocation of a bygone Southern California. In ten sun-baked, Santa Ana wind-swept sketches, Babitz re-creates a Los Angeles of movie stars distraught over their success; socialites on three-day drug binges, evading their East Coastbanking husbands; soap-opera actors worried that tomorrow''s script will kill them off; Italian femme fatales even more fatal than she is. And she even leaves L.A. sometimes, spending an afternoon at the house of flawless Orange County suburbanites, a dayamong the grape pickers of the Central Valley, a weekend in Palm Springs where her dreams of romance fizzle and her only solace is Virginia Woolf. In the end it doesn''t matter if Babitz ever gets the guy--she seduces us"--

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Book SynopsisTHE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER Following her bestselling, critically acclaimed The Silence of the Girls, Pat Barker continues her extraordinary retelling of one of our greatest myths.''Myth for a MeToo age. Pat Barker returns to Homer in this gory but unexpectedly uplifting novel'' Sunday TimesTroy has fallen. The Greeks have won their bitter war. They can return home as victors - all they need is a good wind to lift their sails. But the wind has vanished, the seas becalmed by vengeful gods, and so the warriors remain in limbo - camped in the shadow of the city they destroyed, kept company by the women they stole from it.The women of Troy.Helen - poor Helen. All that beauty, all that grace - and she was just a mouldy old bone for feral dogs to fight over.Cassandra, who has learned not to be too attached to her own prophecies. They have only ever been believed when she can get a man to deliver them.Stubborn Amina, with her gaze still fixed on the ruined towers of Troy, determined to avenge the slaughter of her king.Hecuba, howling and clawing her cheeks on the silent shore, as if she could make her cries heard in the gloomy halls of Hades. As if she could wake the dead.And Briseis, carrying her future in her womb: the unborn child of the dead hero Achilles. Once again caught up in the disputes of violent men. Once again faced with the chance to shape history.Masterful and enduringly resonant, ambitious and intimate, The Women of Troy continues Pat Barker''s extraordinary retelling of one of our greatest classical myths, following on from the critically acclaimed The Silence of the Girls.''Readers turn to Barker''s novels for their plain truths and clear-eyed sense of our history and creation stories. But the sombre clarity of her writing is offset by a luminous wisdom'' Sunday Times ''The Women Of Troy''s immediate beauty is its accessibility and Barker''s precise, elegant writing'' Metro''Barker has always looked on the world with the combination of a cold eye and a sympathetic understanding. Her characterisation is sharp, her sympathy deep'' ipaper Trade ReviewIn a novel filled with names from legend, Briseis stands tall as a heroine: brave, smart and loyal. Barker's latest is a wonder. * Publisher's Weekly *This continuation of the Trojan woman's story feels like another victory for every person who was silenced by history, their story stolen from them * Refinery 29 *A stirring adventure set amid a misogynist dystopia -- Anthony Cummins * The Observer *Barker is at her best when she evokes Hecuba's grief on the shore, surrounded by a group of female slaves with the ruined city behind them... * TLS *As a novelist, Barker has always looked on the world with the combination of a cold eye and a sympathetic understanding. Her characterisation is sharp, her sympathy deep. She extends it even to the often brutal men.Her overall achievement is to have taken one of the great myths of European history, something that has permeated Western culture for 3,000 years, and made something new and immediate of it. * i *This is a powerful page-turner, bringing ancient characters and stories into full colour. Skip Homer, and just enjoy this epic read * Daily Express *Briseis . . . returns again in this rich, readable sequel . . . Barker brings to life the mythical Trojan women. * New Statesman *

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Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE WOMEN''S PRIZE FOR FICTIONTHE BOOK EVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUT''Just read it. It''s unforgettable''India Knight, The Sunday Times''It is impossible to read this novel and not be moved. It is also impossible not to laugh out loud... Extraordinary''Guardian''Full of snappy one-liners but, at the same time, remarkably poignant''Craig Brown ''Probably the best book you''ll read this year''Mail on Sunday''Completely brilliant. I think every girl and woman should read it''Gillian Anderson''Exactly the book to read right now, when you need a laugh, but want to cry''Observer''The most wonderful, heartbreakingly gorgeous novel of the year''Elizabeth Day, author of Magpie''A raucously funny, beautifully written, emotion-bashing book''The TimesTrade ReviewThis richly spiced novel is a pleasure from the first page to the last... Its beautifully understated, airy style conceals the fiercest intelligence. I loved it so much that I stalked the author on social media - a first. Just read it. It's unforgettable. -- India Knight * SUNDAY TIMES CULTURE *The most wonderful, heartbreakingly gorgeous novel of the year. -- Elizabeth Day * THE MAIL ON SUNDAY, YOU MAGAZINE *It is impossible to read this novel and not be moved. It is also impossible not to laugh out loud... Mason pulls off something extraordinary in this huge-hearted novel, alchemising an unbearable anguish into something tender and hilarious and redemptive and wise, without ever undermining its gravity or diminishing its pain. -- Clare Clark * GUARDIAN *Inspired storytelling... a devastating and sharply funny love story... it is Martha's voice itself - her woeful deadpan narration always teetering between the comic, the tragic and the downright unlikable - that makes this novel sing. -- Julie Myerson * OBSERVER *Probably the best book you'll read this year... Brilliant, bleak, hilarious: the book of the summer. -- Natasha Poliszczuk * THE MAIL ON SUNDAY *Sorrow and Bliss, Meg Mason's first novel to be published in the UK, is as wonderful as everyone says it is. Blunt, tender, hilarious, and so very good on the trickiness of families, it is that rare perfect balance of fun (commercial) and difficult (literary), and exactly the book to read right now, when you need a laugh, but want to cry. -- Eva Wiseman * THE OBSERVER MAGAZINE *Summer's must-read novel... We can't recommend Sorrow And Bliss highly enough. -- Francesca Brown * STYLIST *A Fleabag-esque novel being raved about by Gillian Anderson and Ann Patchett... Expect this one to light up the WhatsApp chats. -- Louisa McGillicuddy * SUNDAY TIMES STYLE *You know that book that only comes along every so often, that seems to unite everyone who has read it in a sort of delirious fervour? Sorrow and Bliss is that book... It's utterly compelling and darkly funny: the book you have to read this summer. -- Jessie Thompson * EVENING STANDARD *Meg Mason has achieved something remarkable - Sorrow and Bliss is a raucously funny, beautifully written, emotionbashing book about love, family and life's curveballs that leaves you, satisfyingly, with what feels like wisdom forged in fire. -- Siobhan Murphy * THE TIMES *This is a story of mental illness reflected through the prism of an uproarious, big-hearted family comedy. It is fiercely intelligent and absolutely sublime. -- Anne Cunningham * IRISH INDEPENDENT *Rarely have the excoriating effects of mental illness been articulated quite so beautifully - as heartbreaking as it's funny, Sorrow And Bliss is one for the keeper shelves. -- Sarra Manning * RED MAGAZINE *Deeply moving but also darkly funny, Mason has created the sort of story that you savour the last pages of and long for once it's over. -- Olivia Ovenden * ESQUIRE *Completely brilliant, I loved it. I think every girl and woman should read it. * Gillian Anderson *Sorrow and Bliss is a brilliantly faceted and extremely funny book about depression that engulfed me in the way I'm always hoping to be to be engulfed by novels. While I was reading it, I was making a list of all the people I wanted to send it to, until I realized that I wanted to send it to everyone I know. * Ann Patchett *Sharp yet humane, and jaw-droppingly funny, this is the kind of novel you will want to press into the hands of everyone you know. Mason has an extraordinary talent for dialogue and character, and her understanding of how much poignancy a reader can take is profound. A masterclass on family, damage and the bonds of love: as soon as I finished it, I started again. * Jessie Burton *Sorrow and Bliss is a thing of beauty. Astute observations on marriage, motherhood, family, and mental illness are threaded through a story that is by turns devastating and restorative. Every sentence rings true. I will be telling everyone I love to read this book. * Sara Collins, author of THE CONFESSIONS OF FRANNIE LANGTON *A sharply observed, darkly hilarious and merciless portrait of a thoroughly messed-up family. Patrick Melrose meets Fleabag. Brilliant. * Clare Chambers, author of SMALL PLEASURES *Meg Mason writes about the slow bleed of life-long depression with candour, humour and stark precision. Sorrow and Bliss is about what happens when your illness pushes everyone away - leaving you with only the sorest parts of yourself for company. It will, as the title suggests, shatter your heart, before mending it with infinite love. I've never read anything like it and will be pressing it into the hands of every reader I know. * Pandora Sykes *Compulsively readable, Sorrow and Bliss is one of the funniest books I've read... Martha is such a brilliant, singular creation - as Patrick says, "The idea that you might be ordinary is unbearable" - that it is more interesting to imagine not the characters that have inspired her but the ones she will inspire. -- Francesca Steele * I NEWSPAPER *Sharp, stylish and revelatory, this novel is sure to be one of the big success stories of the year. -- Sarah Gilmartin * IRISH TIMES *Consistently funny and sharp and dark: it's wonderful. * Charlotte Mendelson, author of ALMOST ENGLISH *[A] razor-sharp exploration of mental health and identity. Hilarious and heartbreaking, this is best enjoyed over a large glass of rosé on a sunny afternoon. * COSMOPOLITAN *The unforgettable novel you need to read this summer. * TIMES BOOKS NEWSLETTER *I've never read a novel about the impact of mental illness on the life of a woman, and those around her, like this. It is simply brilliant, and Martha's voice is a joy: hilarious, sharp and devastating. A must read. -- Alice O'Keefe * THE BOOKSELLER, Editor's Choice *Nina Stibbe meets Fleabag -- Charlotte Heathcote * DAILY EXPRESS *Blisteringly good... a novel that manages to be psychologically complex, yet still an utter joy to read. Sorrow and Bliss bristles with great one-liners and setpieces that are sometimes alarming, sometimes comic, but more often both. * READER'S DIGEST *Heartbreakingly sad and yet screamingly funny. -- Deirdre O'Brien * BEST *I very much enjoyed Meg Mason's witty, affecting Sorrow and Bliss. -- David Nicholls * GUARDIAN - Hot Summer Books feature *This is a beautiful depiction of a marriage, with all of its ugliness and joy. But its also a brilliant depiction of a whole family, wounded by a legacy of mental illness, and tender, witty, and loving, in spite of it, So funny, and so very, very sad. * Abigail Dean, bestselling author of GIRL A *An incredibly funny and devastating debut ... enlivened, often, by a madcap energy. Yet it still manages to be sensitive and heartfelt, and to offer a nuanced portrayal of what it means to try to make amends and change. * Guardian *With its finger on the modern pulse, Sorrow and Bliss blisters with its prose which manages to be both hilarious and heartbreaking in the same line. I kept having to stop to underline sentences. It reminded me of a cross between Fleabag and My Year of Rest and Relaxation, but really, Meg Mason has crafted a protagonist who feels completely her own person. Fresh and alive. * Jodie Chapman, author of ANOTHER LIFE *Sorrow and Bliss is a moving and poignant story about mental illness, family and love. It made me laugh and cry; a bittersweet read that will stay with you for a long time. * Libby Page, bestselling author of The Lido *I devoured this book, with all its humour and pain and cock-eyed hope. It's a funny and excruciating portrayal of mental illness, family dysfunction and love, all told through the point of view of a narrator who is in turn frustrating and endearing, but always fascinating. I adored it from the first page. * Julie Cohen, author of TOGETHER *Sorrow and Bliss is hilarious, haunting, and utterly captivating. Meg Mason has created a heroine as prickly as Bernadette in Where'd You Go, Bernadette. Her humor is as arch and wise as the best work of Joan Didion and Rachel Cusk, yet completely original. What a thrilling new voice! * Amanda Eyre Ward, New York Times bestselling author of THE JETSETTERS *Brutal, tender, funny, this novel - a portrait of love in all of its many incarnations - came alive for me from the very first page. I saw myself here. I saw the people I love. I am changed by this book. * Mary Beth Keane, New York Times bestselling author of ASK AGAIN, YES *So dark, so funny, so true. You will see your sad, struggling, triumphant self in this deeply affecting novel * Laura Zigman, author of SEPARATION ANXIETY *This is a romance, true, but a real one. It's modern love up against the confusing, sad aches of mental illness, with all its highs, lows, humour and misery. Comparisons to Sally Rooney will be made, but Mason's writing is less self-conscious than Rooney's, and perhaps more mature. Her character work is outstanding, and poignant-the hairline fractures, contradictions and nuances of the middle-class family dynamic are painstakingly rendered with moving familiarity and black humour, resulting in a combination as devastating and sharply witty as Phoebe Waller-Bridge's Fleabag. * Bookseller+Publisher *Exploring the multifaceted hardships of mental illness and the frustrating inaccuracy of diagnoses, medications, and treatments, Sorrow and Bliss is darkly comic and deeply heartfelt. Much like the narrator of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, Martha's voice is acerbic, witty, and raw. Fans of Marian Keyes should put this on their to-read lists. * Booklist *Martha's anecdotes, simultaneously funny and sad, are stacked with observations that alternate between brutally cutting-especially when directed at her mother and at the patient and supportive Patrick-and aching, as when her oblique descriptions of her sister's growing family increasingly belie her true feelings about motherhood. Witty and stark, Martha's emotionally affecting story will delight fans of Sally Rooney. * Publishers Weekly, Starred Review *Martha Friel, the narrator of this improbably charming novel about mental illness, will have you chortling and reading lines aloud. * PEOPLE *Meg Mason has the ability to keep the reader alongside and sharing in the hope every step of the way. * WOMAN & HOME *A sharp-eyed look at the impact of mental illness that's heartbreaking but also bitterly funny. -- Jo Finney * GOOD HOUSEKEEPING *Deliciously dark and fantastically funny. * THE SUNDAY POST *Martha tells the sotry of the end of her marriage, her fiercely close relationship with her sister and her terrifying experiences of mental chaos in this brilliant, painful and unexpectedly comic novel. Narrated with insight and sensitivity by actor Emilia Fox, it looks set to become one of the hits of the year. -- Alex Clark * FINANCIAL TIMES, Audio Books review round up *A viciously funny novel about mental illness that combines acute social satire with warmth and insight. -- Claire Allfree * METRO *Without a doubt the book of the summer. By turns dryly funny and breathtakingly sad, it is a compulsive, exquisitely written look at mental illness and relationships. -- Gwendolyn Smith * I NEWSPAPER - #1 pick in summer reading roud up *Brilliant, bleak and hysterically funny. Tackling mental illness, families, sisterly love and failing marriages... it's universally being proclaimed "The book of the summer". -- Suzannah Ramsdale * EVENING STANDARD *Meg Mason's debut novel is tender and dark as a bruise, coloured with complicated emotions but also wryly funny. And, as it takes a candid look at the way mental illness can derail a person, it also brims with hope as Martha looks to the future, determined to pick up the pieces of her broken life. -- Eithne Farry * SUNDAY EXPRESS S MAGAZINE *Unputdownable - one of the darkest, sharpest novels you will find this year. -- Nadine O'Regan * THE SUNDAY BUSINESS POST *This debut from Meg Mason is a brilliant, many-faceted diamond of a book. * SAINSBURY'S MAGAZINE *Martha Friel is one of those fictional characters that you can't get out of your head... The moment we'd finished this dazzling, spiky, darkly funny book, we wanted to read it all over again. -- Emma Lee-Potter * INDEPENDENT *The most recommended book of the summer, and with good reason. Meg Mason's novel about mental health, marriage and sisterhood is told in a singular voice of wry wit and blackly comic frankness. One of those 'read it in one sitting and tell all your friends' kind of books. -- Jessie Thompson * EVENING STANDARD, Best Fiction of 2021 *It is a subtle and sensitive writer who can make you shout with laughter as she wrings your heart. Mason's characters are exquisitely drawn. Sorrow, yes, but also utter bliss. -- Rose Shepherd * SAGA *Must-read stuff: clever, sparkling and funny. * STRONG WORDS *This account of a life derailed by mental illness is both darkly funny and deeply touching... A brilliantly faceted and funny book that will engulf you. * BEST MONTHLY *It made me laugh and cry. I loved it so much - I need to read it again. * Emilia Clarke *The summer of 2021's most (justifiably) hyped novel... is a beautifully paced, darkly funny, heart-thuddingly moving portrait of family, marriage and chronic illness. Its pithy protagonist-narrator, Martha, is a memorable creation. -- Patricia Nicol * THE SUNDAY TIMES, Best Fiction of the Year *Simply unforgettable. -- Francesca Steele * I NEWSPAPER, Best Books of 2021 *The summer's word-of-mouth hit was Meg Mason's Sorrow and Bliss (W&N), a wisecracking black comedy of mental anguish and eccentric family life focused on a woman who should have everything to live for. -- Justine Jordan * GUARDIAN, Best Books of 2021 *Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason is a knockout. An unnamed mental health illness and a struggling marriage are both rendered by Mason with devastating honesty and laugh-out-loud wit. -- Louise O'Neill * IRISH EXAMINER *

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book SynopsisNew from the NUMBER ONE bestselling author of The Note. A must-read winter romance for fans of When Harry Met Sally!'A wonderful read that’s got everything – romance, suspense, a New York Christmas setting and an unputdownable plot.' Samantha TongeThirty-two-year-old Charlie Brown has a plane to catch.As Christmas approaches, she is New York bound, to be reunited with boyfriend Harry after work has kept them apart.But once she lands, Harry is nowhere to be found…There’s no hand-drawn sign with her name being brandished at the gate. No answer from Harry's phone. And all at once, Charlie’s worst fears come true.What has happened to Harry? And what should Charlie do now that she’s an ocean away from home?As Charlie slowly comes to terms with her predicament, she makes a decision. She’s not leaving New York without finding out the truth, and with a little help from her handsome new friend Pete, there might still be a path to happily-ever-after…Bestseller Zoë Folbigg returns with a page-turning story of love, friendship and learning to believe in your own worth. Perfect for fans of Mike Gayle, JoJo Moyes and David Nicholls.Praise for Zoë Folbigg:'The Three Loves of Sebastian Cooper is a cleverly constructed, brilliantly insightful book with a glorious cast of characters. You’ll be racing through the final chapters!' Paige Toon'A beautifully-written, perfectly-crafted novel about love, loss and family that kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end. I love how we meet the entire cast of characters (some of whom you'll love, others you'll hate!) in the present and then weave back in time to discover their connection to the infamous Sebastian Cooper. Pacy, evocative, intriguing and complex - I loved it! Lorraine Brown'Folbigg's beautiful tale of love and loss owned my heart from page one. Riveting and touching with an intriguing cast of characters from Sebastian Cooper's past and present, this gorgeous story is a must-read. Highly recommend!' Jacquelyn Middleton'Zoë Folbigg's new novel, The Three Lives of Sebastian Cooper is a brilliant, warm-hearted take on the complexities of love, and the messiness and joy of family life.' Ian Critchley, book reviewer'The Night We Met will warm and break your heart in equal measure, and make you laugh out loud and sob quietly. A lovely gem.' Heat'Bestselling author Zoë works her magic again in this lovely tale' Now! on The Distance

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Book SynopsisPainstakingly restored from Tolkien's manuscripts and presented for the first time as a continuous and standalone story, the epic tale of Beren and Luthien will reunite fans of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings with Elves and Men, Dwarves and Orcs and the rich landscape and creatures unique to Tolkien's Middle-earth.Trade ReviewPraise for The Children of Húrin:‘I hope that its universality and power will grant it a place in English mythology’Independent on Sunday ‘The darkest of all Tolkien’s tales. Alan Lee’s illustrations complement the writing splendidly’Times Literary Supplement

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Book SynopsisHOW MANY LOVES DO YOU GET IN A LIFETIME? AND ARE MAGNOLIA AND BJ EACH OTHER''S?It''s been nearly a year since everything happened between Magnolia Parks and BJ Ballentine on the steps of the Mandarin Oriental, and it seems like everything since then has changed.Magnolia has a life in New York now and BJ appears to have finally let go and moved on.But when they both wind up back to London and are thrust together once again, they find themselves asking their age-old question: how many loves do you actually get in a lifetime, and most importantly - are they each other''s?READERS LOVE THE MAGNOLIA PARKS UNIVERSE ''Magnolia and BJ have embedded themselves into my DNA.'' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ''This book gave drama, love triangles, toxicity, chaos and I ate up every single moment.'' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ''TikTok made me do it, 1000% live

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Book Synopsis**THE LOST LOVE SONGS OF BOYSIE SINGH - THE NEW NOVEL FROM INGRID PERSAUD - IS AVAILABLE NOW**WINNER OF THE COSTA FIRST NOVEL AWARD 2020LONGLISTED FOR THE OCM BOCAS PRIZEAS SEEN ON BBC''S BETWEEN THE COVERSONE OF STYLIST''S BEST NEW BOOKS FOR 2020''A beautiful book. I adored it.'' RICHARD OSMAN''Full of wit and soul.'' TRACY CHEVALIER''Unforgettable'' MARLON JAMES''It made me ugly cry'' JESSIE BURTON''Glorious'' RACHEL JOYCE''Spellbinding'' ANDRÉ ACIMANMeet the Ramdin-Chetan family: forged through loneliness, broken by secrets, saved by love.Irrepressible Betty Ramdin, her shy son Solo and their marvellous lodger, Mr Chetan, form an unconventional household. Happy in their differences, they build a home together. Home: the place keeping these three safe from an increasingly dangerous world until the night when a glass of rum, a

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