Family life fiction / Stories about family

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 SynopsisIs fur-ever on the cards for these enemies-at-first-sight?Jess is smashing her Edinburgh events management job right now. Her boss is talking about a promotion, her clients love her and other companies want her. But all of that comes to an abrupt halt when her brother has a sudden stroke. Jess doesn’t think twice about stepping in as his carer, but her boss is not so understanding.Demoted to managing low-end events, Jess is less than thrilled to be assigned to a small animal park in need of raising funds. She’s even less happy when she clashes with arrogant head keeper, Nick. He's frustrated with her squeamishness; she thinks he’s a lech. Nick wants a baggage-free life; Jess has so much drama going on, even the Kardashians can’t keep up.But maybe saving the animals of East Lothian Wildlife Park will help these op-paw-sites find some common ground…A stunning romance, filled with humour and heart, perfect for fans of Mhairi McFarlane, Miranda Dickinson and Laura Jane Williams.Praise for Just Like That ‘Left me with all the feels. Beautifully flawed characters and a heartfelt story at its core, this is a book to love!’ USA Today bestseller Andie Newton‘The perfect, warmest hug of a read’ Mandy Baggot‘A page-turny romance with humour and heart. Books like this are what I love about romance.’ Sandy Barker‘I adored this book! It made me giddy.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader review‘Nina Kaye has done it again with this captivating read! Tensions simmer and are built up fantastically through Kaye’s writing. A fantastic read that I would recommend.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader review‘Will easily puts a smile on the reader’s face. Kaye has created a book full of strength, optimism, trust & determination.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader review‘I’ve loved all of Nina’s previous books, and this one was no exception! She manages to combine very serious subjects – in this case, disability and suddenly having caring responsibilities thrust upon you – with sweet romance.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader review‘It made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside and it was just perfect and what I needed in a romance. I was captivated until the end.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader review‘Absolutely fantastic plot! Could not put the book down once I began reading it.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader review‘I absolutely loved this book. I found the writing strong, the characters had depth and warmth … the story flowed nicely. This spoke to me.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader review‘A heartwarming tale that explores the complexities of family, career, and unexpected connections. It's a story of resilience… with a touch of humour and romance that will leave readers captivated until the very end.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader review

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Book Synopsis'Fresh, funny and irresistibly good humoured - the perfect lockdown read' Claudia Carroll'A witty, exuberant debut' People magazine'A mix of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Frye and a Maeve Binchy novel [...] perfect to savor as we emerge from this particular winter.' American Booksellers Association indie pick'A delightfully friendly and welcoming read' LoveReadingMeet the Gogartys: cantankerous gran Millie (whose eccentricities include a penchant for petty-theft and reckless driving); bitter downtrodden stepson Kevin (erstwhile journalist whose stay-at-home parenting is pushing him to the brink); and habitually moody, disaffected teenage daughter Aideen.When Gran's arrested yet again for shoplifting, Aideen's rebelliousness has reached new heights and Kevin's still not found work, he realises he needs to take action. With the appointment of a home carer for his mother, his daughter sent away to boarding school to focus on her studies and more time for him to reboot his job-hunt, surely everything will work out just fine. But as the story unfolds - and in the way of all the best families - nothing goes according to plan and as the calm starts to descend into chaos we're taken on a hilarious multiple-perspective roller-coaster ride that is as relatable as it is far-fetched.Good Eggs is a heady cocktail of that warmth and wit of Marian Keyes, Caitlin Moran and TV's Derry Girls.Trade ReviewGood Eggs is a joyous, exuberantly fun-filled novel of second chances. In the Gogartys, Rebecca Hardiman has created a vivid cast of characters whose schemes, adventures and mishaps keep us on the edges of our seats. We can't help but cheer each of them on - especially the exasperating and beguilingly naughty Millie Gogarty - as they untangle the various muddles in which they find themselves. With all their quirks and flaws, this is a family that earns a place in our hearts. An absolute delight from start to finish! -- Sarah Haywood, author of THE CACTUSGOOD EGGS is a remarkably clear-eyed and sure-footed debut; pure, unadulterated reading pleasure. Hardiman writes with great warmth, humor, and incisiveness about reinvention and the unique foibles of family. * Jonathan Evison, award-winning and New York Times bestselling author *Bracing, hilarious, warm, this novel is as wayward and mad as the human heart. -- Judy Blundell, New York Times bestselling authorThe novel is sheer delight, from the moment we meet the prickly, fabulous Millie Gogarty until her final surprise on the last page. What a pleasure to be immersed in the story of a tangled family who you just KNOW are going to come through in the end. I loved Good Eggs! -- Amanda Eyre Ward, New York Times bestselling authorFresh, funny and irresistibly good humoured - the perfect lockdown read to put a big happy smile on your face! This gem has bestseller written all over it. -- Claudia Carroll * Claudia Carroll *With a similarly finicky and rambunctious cast of characters, GOOD EGGS is a story of what happens when a new caretaker arrives to aide the elderly (and delightfully naughty) Millie, and whose presence upends a chaotic three-generation Dublin household. Fans of Backman's good-natured characters and uplifting surprises will enjoy this spring debut! * Off The Shelf *Filled with warmth and hilarity, this book reads like a mix of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Frye and a Maeve Binchy novel. The Irish setting is especially welcome on this side of the pond, and of the three plotlines following different generations, the absolute best paints 83-year-old pistol of a grandma Millie as a delightfully quirky and determined soul. A charming, offbeat novel - perfect to savor as we emerge from this particular winter. -- Deb Wayman * American Booksellers Association’s ‘Indie NEXT List’ for March 2021 *What a lovely, amusing, and uplifting multi-generational debut this is! . . . Among the lightness, there are some stinging notes to be found too, which ensures this is a fully rich tale with much to discover. Good Eggs is a delightfully friendly and welcoming read, sit back and enjoy! -- Liz Robinson * LoveReading *GOOD EGGS captures the kind of dysfunction familiar in many families, but one that gives way to genuine love and kinship when the road gets tough. * Off The Shelf *Kooky Irish octogenarian Millie is saddled with a home caregiver to help curtail her shoplifting habit just as her hell-raising granddaughter is banished to a boarding school. Each falls prey to a questionable new friend, careening toward calamity-and each other. A witty, exuberant debut. * People Magazine *The humour is subtle, not unlike Ciara Geraghty, and if it's a funny family saga you're after, this is a perfect choice. Wryly observant, distinctly Irish and sometimes just plain ridiculous (exactly like real life) this is a stylish, accomplished debut. -- Anne Cunningham * Meath Chronicle *A wonderfully warm and welcoming read -- Charlotte Walker * LoveReading *

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Book SynopsisLonglisted for the 2022 Swansea University Dylan Thomas Prize'Tense, lyrical, intelligent' - The Big Issue'A heart-wrenching human story' - SagaExit West meets An American Marriage in this breathtaking and evocative novel about a young Syrian couple in the throes of new love, on the cusp of their bright future...when a travel ban rips them apart on the eve of their son's birth.Boston, 2017: When Hadi returns to his heavily pregnant partner Sama after a trip to Jordan to bury his father, he is stopped at border control - a hostile new immigration law has just been enacted - while she awaits him on the other side. Worlds apart, suspended between hope and disillusion as hours become days become weeks, Sama and Hadi yearn for a way back to each other, and to the life they'd dreamed up together. But does that life exist any more, or was it only an illusion? Achingly intimate yet poignantly universal, No Land to Light On is the story of a family caught up in forces beyond their control, fighting for the freedom and home they found in one another.Trade ReviewZgheib writes so lyrically about rootlessness, separation and a fierce longing for home that it makes the tragedy of war that much easier to bear. Sama and Hadi will always hold a special place in my heart. -- ALKA JOSHI, author of The Henna Artist and The Secret Keeper of JaipurA masterful story of tragedy and redemption, an entire history told through the prism of a single Syrian couple, beginning and ending with love. -- HALA ALYAN, award-winning author of Salt Houses and The Arsonists' CityThrough a heart-wrenching human story runs a narrative about avian migration, the urge to take flight felt even by a caged bird - but all birds of passage need land to light on. -- Rose Shepherd * Saga Magazine *In elegant prose, Zgheib skillfully mingles her protagonists' memories with a nail-biting account of their 2017 ordeal to craft a narrative rich in metaphors and complex, believable characters. -- Washington Post * Washington Post *[in] glittering language that brings emotional resonance to the effects of monstrous policies [...] The separation comes in like thunder to break a happy story apart. Zgheib's poetic language serves her well in conveying that story. But much of its power lies also in the playful way Sama and Hadi experience new love, the sense of open possibility that immigration can still represent. This happiness is embedded within her story of suffering - and vice versa. -- Lorraine Berry * L.A. Times *Zgheib has created a tense, moving novel about the meaning of home, the risks of exile, the power of nations, and the power of love. * Kirkus *Her devastating second novel, No Land to Light On, is an illuminating, intimate look at the Syrian refugee crisis and the immigrant experience in America during the Trump administration [...] Zgheib offers nuanced insights into the complex psychology of and challenges faced by displaced people, and effectively makes the consequences of anti-immigrant sentiments and policies feel personal to all readers.Written in soul-searing prose, No Land to Light On is an essential, compassionate story that reinstates a sense of humanity for the countless people affected by U.S. travel bans. * BookPage *a graceful tale of imperiled lovers -- Kirkus * Kirkus *If you can handle suspense and heartache then add this one to your list. -- Elizabeth Walsh * Muse *An ongoing travel ban threatens every hope [Hadi and Sumi] ever shared, and through a chronicle of their torn-up plans, Zgheib deftly addresses pertinent issues of identity, homeland, exile and loss. This is a tense, lyrical, intelligent novel. -- Jane Graham * The Big Issue *

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Book SynopsisIn a Summer Season is one of Elizabeth Taylor's finest novels in which, in a moving and powerful climax, she reveals love to be the thing it is: beautiful, often funny, and sometimes tragic.'You taste of rain', he said, kissing her. 'People say I married her for her money', he thought contentedly, and for the moment was full of the self-respect that loving her had given him.Kate Heron is a wealthy, charming widow who marries, much to the disapproval of friends and neighbours, a man ten years her junior: the attractive, feckless Dermot. Then comes the return of Kate's old friend Charles - intelligent, kind and now widowed, with his beautiful young daughter. Kate watches happily as their two families are drawn together, finding his presence reassuringly familiar, but slowly she becomes aware of subtle undercurrents that begin to disturb the calm surface of their friendship. Before long, even she cannot ignore the gathering storm . . .Trade ReviewWitty, hilarious, astringent, devastating - her impeccable style can do anything and with seemingly effortless easeOne of Taylor's best novels * New Statesman *It's smashing . . . When you've finished In a Summer Season, you are totally fired up to read every book that Taylor ever wroteJane Austen, Elizabeth Taylor, Barbara Pym, Elizabeth Bowen - soul-sisters allHer stories remain with one, indelibly, as though they had been some turning point in one's own experienceOne of the most underrated novelists of the twentieth century

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Book SynopsisPomfret Towers, Barsetshire seat of the earls of Pomfret, was constructed, with great pomp and want of concern for creature comforts, in the once-fashionable style of Sir Gilbert Scott's St Pancras station. It makes a grand setting for a house party at which gamine Alice Barton and her brother Guy are honoured guests, mixing with the headstrong Rivers family, the tally-ho Wicklows and, most charming of all, Giles Foster, nephew and heir of the present Lord Pomfret. But whose hand will Mr Foster seek in marriage, and who will win Alice's tender heart? Angela Thirkell's classic 1930s comedy is lively, witty and deliciously diverting.Trade ReviewA perfect balance of satirical observation and chocolate-box charm ... one of the cosiest and funniest reads this winter * The Lady *Angela Thirkell is perhaps the most Pym-like of any twentieth-century author, after Pym herself -- Alexander McCall SmithA perfect balance of satirical observation and chocolate-box charm ... Thirkell's novel is one of the cosiest and funniest reads this winter * The Lady *Angela Thirkell is perhaps the most Pym-like of any twentieth-century author, after Pym herself -- Alexander McCall Smith

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Book Synopsis'I enjoyed it SO much!' MARIAN KEYES'With glorious characters and a dreamy setting, I couldn't have loved this book more' THE SUN, ***** 5 STARSJess Bright, single mum and journalist, feels her life has stalled. So when she's offered a writing job in Paris for the summer, she leaps at the chance to go. Hasn't she always felt that she left a piece of her heart in the city years before?Her subject is the iconic artist Adelaide Fox, whose personal life has been steeped in scandal and intrigue. Now approaching eighty, she's ready to tell her side of the story - and serve up some scalding-hot revenge in the process.Amidst a stormy working relationship, Jess and Adelaide must face up to their pasts. As passionate affairs, terrible betrayals and life-changing secrets surface, there may be more surprises in store than either of them dared imagine . . .Set in the city of love, with two unforgettable protagonists, I REMEMBER PARIS is a glorious, life-affirming novel about second chances, unlikely friendships and finding your way back to yourself.'Escapist, romantic and a little bit scandalous, this is Lucy Diamond at her page-turning best' VERONICA HENRY'As multi-layered, rich and enjoyable as a giant mille-feuille. You will adore it' MILLY JOHNSON'Heartfelt and escapist' WOMAN & HOME'Lucy's best book yet' 5* READER REVIEW'I loved it!' KATIE FFORDE'Escapist, romantic and scandalous' SUNDAY POST'Such a treat' 5* READER REVIEW'Escapist, thoughtful' MY WEEKLYREADERS LOVE LUCY DIAMOND'I love all of Lucy's books' 5* reader review'Lucy writes with such warmth and sympathy' 5* reader review'Pure escapism' 5* reader review'So uplifting' 5* reader review'I can't put Lucy's books down' 5* reader reviewTrade ReviewA warm, extremely likeable, romantic book with plenty of substance and a lovely dog. I enjoyed it SO much * Marian Keyes *With glorious characters and a dreamy setting, I couldn't have loved this book more * The Sun *What a joy! Escapist, romantic and a little bit scandalous, this is Lucy Diamond at her page-turning best. A glorious Parisian adventure * Veronica Henry *This book shows how the past can impact on the present. It is intriguing and its setting is a joy in itself. I loved it! * Katie Fforde *As multi-layered, rich and enjoyable as a giant mille-feuille. You will adore it * Milly Johnson *There are few things more enjoyable than sitting down with a Lucy Diamond novel. Her stories of family, friendship and life are heartfelt and escapist * Woman & Home *Just the antidote for bleak February days, with its uplifting story about second chances and friendship, all set in the magical city of Paris * The Gloss *This heartwarming novel is a romantic read with a delightful ending * Candis *[A] gem of a novel. At once escapist, romantic and scandalous * The Sunday Post *Escapist, thoughtful * My Weekly *A heartfelt and escapist read * Woman's Weekly *

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Book SynopsisFROM THE NUMBER ONE BESTSELLING AUTHORLose yourself in the sun-drenched hills of the Amalfi coast with bestselling author of Songs of Love and War, Santa Montefiore...Gianluca has to admit his life is empty so, in search of serenity and a deeper purpose to his existence, he flees to Italy, to the magical Palazzo Montelimone, lovingly restored by his parents, to assess his future.But life on the sun-drenched Amalfi coast is not as peaceful as Luca anticipates. The palazzo is filled with his mother's eccentric friends and haunted by the ghosts of its murderous past.He meets a woman whose dark eyes are heavy with sorrow and a solemn little boy with an incredible secret.As he begins to unravel a mystery that has its roots in a long-ago act of violence, Luca is forced to face his greatest fear in exchange for the greatest truth.***PRAISE FOR SANTA MONTEFIORE*** &lsqu

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Book SynopsisFrom the author of Sunday Times and New York Times bestseller Damaged, the gripping story of a woman caught in a horrific cycle of abuse - and the desperate lengths she must go to, to escape.When Aisha spots an ad for a ''personal introductory service for professionals'' in the newspaper, she could never have guessed it would lead to such a perfect marriage. But you should be careful what you wish forMark is sorry the first time he hits Aisha. His tears make her all the more determined to be a better wife; not to let herself down again. But however hard Aisha tries, she can''t live up to Mark''s impossible expectations or escape his terrifying, violent temper. Soon she is trapped in a cycle of horrific abuse and imprisonment. And with two young children to protect, Aisha must draw on what strength she has left to find an escape.What follows is something so devastating it plunges Aisha into her darkest days yet. Is the price she must pay for freedom too high?Trade ReviewReviews for The Girl in the Mirror ‘A moving read that Cathy Glass fans will devour.’ The Sun Reviews for Damaged 'Cannot fail to move those who read it.' Adoption-net 'Heartbreaking.' The Mirror 'A truly harrowing read that made me cry.' The Sun 'A true tale of hope. ****.' OK! 'Foster carers rarely get the praise they deserve, but Cathy Glass's book should change all that.****' First Magazine 'A hugely touching and emotional true tale.' Star Magazine

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Book Synopsis‘Hannah Richell's The Search Party is a compelling thriller told with real emotional insight and depth. An absolute page-turner!’ Lucy Clarke Five old friends.One glamping weekend.A storm that will change everything. Max and Annie Kingsley have left the London rat race to set up a glamping site in the wilds of Cornwall. They invite old university friends – TV star Dominic, doctor and new mum Kira, and free-spirited Jim and Suze – and their children for a trial weekend but the reunion quickly veers off-course. First, there’s The Incident around the campfire on the first night. The following afternoon, a storm quickly develops off the rugged North Coast. When one of their group goes missing, all hell breaks loose. And as the winds batter the bell-tents, emotions run high and tension mounts for all the characters. Who is lying in hospital, who has gone missing and who is the body onTrade Review'Fans of Lucy Foley’s The Guest List will love The Search Party. Meticulously crafted with suitably flawed characters and a terrific sense of placel. Compelling and atmospheric.' -- Sarah Hall

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Book SynopsisSet in snowy Amsterdam, Together by Christmas is a moving read of secrets, romance and heartbreaking dilemmas by Sunday Times bestseller Karen Swan. 'We couldn't put it down' – Bella magazineWhen Lee first came to Amsterdam, it was with a newborn baby and a secret. Five years later, her life is approaching normal: her career as a celebrity photographer is flourishing, her son Jasper is growing up, and they are enjoying the run-up to Christmas with their tight circle of close friends.But all this changes one morning when Lee finds a book in the basket of her bicycle – and scrawled inside it, a desperate message. Who left it for her, and why? Lee feels compelled to help and tracks down the book’s author, Sam. With an instant, undeniable connection it seems they might have a shot at a real future together. Until her past comes calling. As the snow falls and ice thickens on the city’s canals, the secret Lee has never told resurfaces. Suddenly everything she holds dear hangs in the balance. Christmas is a time for being together – but what if the truth means she ends up alone?'A real treat to get absolutely lost in. Go on - spoil yourself!' - Veronica Henry, bestselling author on The Christmas Party by Karen SwanReal readers love Karen Swan:'Gritty, real and romantic in equal measure' 'Something very special' 'Christmassy, romantic, heartbreaking' 'One of my favourite reads of the year' 'Laughed, cried . . . couldn't put it down'Trade ReviewAn absolute feast of a Christmas read - I devoured it more quickly than a plate of smoked salmon canapés. A wild and windswept location, three feisty sisters and enough family drama to keep you quiet for hours. A real treat to get absolutely lost in. Go on - spoil yourself! -- Veronica Henry, bestselling author of Christmas at the Beach Hut, on The Christmas PartyAnother epic tale of love, loss, and secrets, this new book from the always-excellent Karen Swan . . . tuck yourself in under a blanket and get lost in the adventure -- Heat on The Christmas SecretThe most unlikely of romances is only part of a moving story of loss and the promise of second chances -- Sunday Mirror on The Christmas SecretFun and great escapism -- Tracy Rees, author of The Hourglass, on The Christmas Secret

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Book SynopsisTHE NEW MILLY JOHNSON NOVEL, THE HAPPIEST EVER AFTER, IS OUT NOW!'Written from the heart ... honest,inspirational and great fun ... I loved it' Janie Millman 'This book is delicious. As moreish as a freshly made sandwich, full of your favourite filling. It's well worth the wait and joyous to bite into' Jo Thomas'The perfect pick-me-up that you won't be able to put down. I loved it' Matt Dunn   Shay Bastable is the woman in the middle. She is part of the sandwich generation – caring for her parents and her children, supporting her husband Bruce, holding them all together and caring for them as best she can.   Then the arrival of a large orange skip on her mother’s estate sets in motion a cataclysmic series of events which leads to the collapse of Shay’s world. She is forced to put herself first for a change.   But in order to moveTrade Review'An unputdownable tale of redemption and hard-won wisdom, this is a book that speaks for us all wherever we are in our lives. Milly Johnson always delivers an absolutely cracking read' -- Katie Fforde‘The main characters are wise, loveable and so relatable. The humour is down to earth, the emotions are real and the storyline compelling. No one else writes quite like Milly and, with The Woman in the Middle, she has produced yet another winner’ -- Jill Mansell'Written from the heart ... honest, inspirational and great fun ... I loved it' -- Janie Millman'This book is delicious. As moreish as a freshly made sandwich, full of your favourite filling. It's well worth the wait and joyous to bite into' -- Jo Thomas ‘Immensely relatable, tender and wise; Milly’s magic sparkles from every page’ -- Cathy Bramley‘A complex family drama with a big heart, a light touch and lots of surprises’ -- Veronica Henry'The perfect pick-me-up that you won't be able to put down. I loved it' -- Matt Dunn'Milly Johnson gets better and better with every novel she writes. Filled with her trademark humour and populated with a cast of larger-than-life yet utterly realistic characters, this is a story full of wisdom and redemption. It’s a warm, touching read and you’ll be longing for Shay to find her own happy ending' -- Anne Cater * S Magazine *'A heartwarming tale about loss, love and second chances, that many women will relate to' * The Sun *'Warm and hugely relatable, this is a must-read' * Fabulous Magazine *'This absorbing book reminds us to be honest and true to ourselves' * Woman's Weekly *'A brilliant read' * Bella *'If you need a page-turner, then look no further. . . Emotional and heartwarming, it’s another gem from Johnson' * Heat *'With Milly’s trademark warm wit and wisdom' * My Weekly Special *'Bestselling author Milly Johnson is back with another poignant tale' * OK! Magazine *'With well-drawn, believable characters, this moving story of love, friendship and family life is unputdownable' * Candis * ‘A life-affirming emotional journey – a wonderful read!’ -- Trisha Ashley'the latest heartwarming, relatable read from bestseller Milly Johnson' * Yours *'a festive tale...with a deft sprinkling of magic' * The Christmas Magazine *'A beautiful, heart-felt, wise, want-to-hug-the-book-when-you-finish kind of book’ -- Miranda Dickinson, author of Our Story'A relatable, beautifully funny and charming read. With Milly Johnson’s trademark feel-good spirit, it makes you laugh in all the right places while leaving food for thought after the last page' * Yours *'Milly Johnson has come up trumps again with this poignant story . . . Warm, relatable characters ensure this tender story stays with you long after the final page. A perfect read from one of my favourite writers' * My Weekly, Editor's Pick *'a gripping read' * Pick Me Up *'A moving tearjerker of a read that's relatable and packed with wisdom' * Closer *

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Book Synopsis'An utterly adorable, pitch-perfect romance'Taylor Jenkins Read, author of Daisy Jones and The SixWhen chef Charlie Goodwin gets hit on the head on the L.A. set of her reality baking show, she loses a lot more than consciousness; she also loses her ability to taste and smell - both critical to her success as show judge. Meanwhile, Charlie's identical twin, Cass, is frantically trying to hold her own life together back in their quaint mountain hometown while running the family's bustling bakery and dealing with her ex, who won't get the memo that they're over.With only days until Christmas, a desperate Charlie asks Cass to do something they haven't done since they were kids: switch places. Looking for her own escape from reality, Cass agrees. But temporarily trading lives proves more complicated than they imagined, especially when rugged firefighter Jake Greenman and gorgeous Physician Assistant Miguel Rodriguez are thrown into the mix. Will the twins' identity swap be a recipe for disaster, or does it have all the right ingredients for getting their lives back on track?Readers love The Holiday Swap:'A feel good story, romance, Christmas, dogs and cake! What more could you ask for?' - 5 STARS'A perfect mix of fun and romance!' - 5 STARS'A delightful festive read with drama that will pull you in' - 5 STARS'A glorious holiday adventure with a dash of romance and sibling love . . . Great fun!' - 5 STARS'Delightfully entertaining and thoroughly addictive . . . the perfect winter romance to curl up with this Christmas, with an ending worthy of a Hallmark movie' - 5 STARSTrade ReviewAn utterly adorable, pitch-perfect romance with just the right amount of Christmas cheer . . . a pure delight, I couldn't stop from smiling * Taylor Jenkins Reid *'A fun and fabulous festive read' * Heidi Swain *I thoroughly enjoyed this story of finding yourself while being someone else * Sue Moorcroft *Deliciously fun and wildly romantic . . . like The Great British Bake Off meets Gilmore Girls * Jennifer Robson, international bestselling author of Our Darkest Night *A double dose of fun-loving, feel-good, Christmas cheer, with a recipe for love that's deliciously irresistible * Karen Schaler, author of Finding Christmas *Twice the fun, double the trouble and all the feels. Warm cosy bakeries, cold snowy nights, holiday traditions and two - TWO! - romances to steal my heart - what's not to love? . . . Smart, quick-paced writing, witty dialogue and swoon-worthy date scenes * Chantel Guertin, bestselling author of Instamom *I devoured this delightful romantic comedy in two nights . . . it's perfect * Colleen Oakley, USA Today bestselling author of You Were There Too *The cosy holiday rom-com you crave, complete with double the swoony meet-cutes, scrumptious desserts, and happily-ever-afters . . . a treat that will have foodie fiction fans begging for seconds * Amy E. Reichert, author of The Kindred Spirits Supper Club *

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Book SynopsisShortlisted for The Women’s Prize for Fiction. From the bestselling author of The Dutch House, Commonwealth and Bel Canto, Winner of The Women’s Prize for Fiction and the Pen/Faulkner Award. A magician (with one memorable appearance on the Johnny Carson Show to his credit) takes the name Parsifal. He is gay. He has a Vietnamese lover, Phan. When Phan dies of AIDS, Parsifal marries the woman who has always adored him and who has lived with them both, his assistant Sabine. Then Parsifal himself dies in California, suddenly and shockingly, of an aneurysm. Parsifal always said that he had no living family and that he came from wealthy upscale Connecticut stock. The reality is very different, as Sabine learns from his lawyer. He came from a poor Nebraska family and they are very much alive. Indeed his mother and sister are on their way to California to meet Sabine, the daughter- and sister-in-law they know nothing about. It is bad that her husband has died. What Sabine must now cope with is coming to terms with his horrific past and the reason he divorced himself from his family and roots.Trade Review‘Original, sparkling, funny and sad – a book you read in one gulp and want to revisit immediately’ Penelope Lively, Daily Telegraph ‘A delicate exploration of impossible love and new-found friendship’ Guardian ‘The kindliness of The Magician's Assistant is beguiling, and Patchett is an adroit, graceful writer’ Suzanne Berne, New York Times Book Review

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Book SynopsisIf you enjoyed How to Keep a Secret, don’t miss Sarah Morgan’s wonderful new summer read, Family for Beginners! * * * * Your fav authors love Sarah Morgan! ‘Joyful, uplifting and overflowing with love’ Cathy Bramley‘Comfort reading at its best’ Veronica Henry ‘A master storyteller’ Laura Jane Williams‘I loved every sparkly, big-hearted, warm-hug moment’ Miranda Dickinson‘Full of warmth, humour and heart’ Katie Marsh * * * * This summer one family will discover that together, they can do anything. Matriarch Nancy knows she hasn't been the best mother but how can she ever tell her daughters the reason why? Lauren and Jenna are as close as two sisters can be and they made a pact years ago to keep a devastating secret from their mother – but is it time to come clean? Lauren's teenage daughter Mackenzie masks her own pain by keeping her mother at a distance. Her mother, aunt and grandmother keep trying to reach her but will it take a stranger to show her the true meaning of family? When life changes in an instant, the Stewart women are thrown together for a summer and suddenly they must relearn how to be a family. And whilst unravelling their secrets might be their biggest challenge, it could also be their finest moment . . . * * * * Praise for How to Keep a Secret: ‘Heart-warming, emotional, funny and real – I adored this book! Jill Shalvis ‘A warm, wonderful rich story told with care and skill that broke my heart and then put it back together again’ Alex Brown ‘A delightful escape’ Woman & HomeTrade Review MORE PRAISE FOR HOW TO KEEP A SECRET: ‘I laughed, I cried, I held my breath. I absolutely adored it’Cathy Bramley ‘Sarah Morgan just gets better and better’Veronica Henry ‘A compelling, gorgeously drawn story with laughter and tears, warmth and so much heart’Miranda Dickinson ‘This sweeping novel will have you questioning all the secrets you've ever kept. I loved it’Penny Parkes, author of Practice Makes Perfect PRAISE FOR SARAH MORGAN: ‘An uplifting and satisfying tale’My Weekly ‘Full of romance and laughter’HELLO! ‘Feel-good fiction – with edge’Heat ‘A joyous and stirring mix of romance, secrets and family’S Magazine ‘Enjoyably escapist romance’Sunday Mirror

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Book SynopsisTrisha’s bestselling Christmas book will have you hooked from start to finish – the perfect read as those cold winter nights draw in. Christmas has always been a sad time for young widow Holly Brown. So when she's asked to look after a remote house on the Lancashire moors, the opportunity to hide herself away is irresistible – the perfect excuse to forget about the festivities. The owner of the house, Jude Martland, is also avoiding Christmas since the last one saw his brother run off with his fiancee. But forced to return home unexpectedly, Jude arrives to find that his family are running amok – with Holly seemingly at the centre of it all. As the blizzards descend, there is no escape. With nowhere to go, Holly and Jude get much more than they bargained for – and a Christmas they will always remember!Trade Review‘This is the perfect novel to snuggle up with on a cold winter’s night.’ Closer ‘A lovely, cosy read.’ My Weekly ‘As warm as a glass of mulled wine on a cold winter’s night.’ Lancashire Evening News

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Book SynopsisSometimes, only a dog's love can heal a family. A Dog’s Promise is the heart-warming and uplifting story about a dog who helps a family that are on the verge of breaking apart. From W. Bruce Cameron the international number one bestselling author of A Dog's Purpose, this novel is perfect of fans of Garth Stein's Art of Racing in the Rain. Bailey knows one thing for sure: all dogs who offer unconditional love, just like him, are destined for heaven.But before Bailey can rest in peace, there’s one family in particular that needs his help. A family that is on the verge of breaking apart. Bailey knows that helping this family means he won’t remember his previous lives, and the other families that he’s met and loved, but sometimes making the sacrifice to help those in need is its own reward. Deeply emotional and beautifully told, A Dog’s Promise will speak to dog lovers all over the world who know that their pets are sent to them for a reason and that their love can heal all wounds.Trade ReviewMarley and Me combined with Tuesdays With Morrie -- Kirkus Reviews on A Dog's Purpose

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Book SynopsisBad, mad, flame-haired cellist Stella, adulterous Jonathan and high-spirited sisters Ellen and Lydia Dent find their fates bound together through love, loss and literature in this dazzling tragicomedyTrade ReviewPungent with life, with wit, love yearning and grief, The Travelling Hornplayer is Barbara Trapido’s most entertaining and powerful novel to date. Her fans might be forgiven for thinking this writer couldn't get any better. She just has * GUARDIAN *Murdochian entertainment: a tragicomedy of errors. Trapido ... races along with a kind of nervy glamour * NEW YORKER *This woman is brilliant. She deserves to be up there, topping the bestseller lists and winning all the prizes. And she actually makes you laugh … I enjoyed every page of this book, which is so shimmering with wit, hectic energy and crazy convolutions of plots that I eneded up in a state of sublime, satiated exhaustion * DAILY MAIL *Sprinkled with magic * SUNDAY TIMES *An entrancing, quirky confection packed with such a rich mixture of fun and pathos that readers may need to pause occasionally, if only draw emotional breath … She has the mind-teasing skills of a crime-writer combined with a sense of humour as dry as a Martini * TELEGRAPH *Witty ... moving ... clever, warm-hearted * NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW *A funny, cunning and surprisingly sexy novel, which moved at least this reader to both tears and laughter * SUNDAY TIMES *The brilliant [Trapido] ... is one of the better-kept secrets of contemporary letters ... [She] is a great novelist; sooner or later the whole reading world will know it * SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE *Audacious, energetic and dazzing … The vividness, and the immediately engaging style, is as sure as ever, and the Dickensian swiftness with which she can draw a character is full of charm … There aren’t many novelists whose stories one doesn’t want to end, but Barbara Trapido is one of them -- PHILIP HENSHER * MAIL ON SUNDAY *Reading Barbara Trapido is sheer pleasure. Afterwards, I went out and bought everything else she has written - and am only disappointed I didn't do it earlier * INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY *

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Book SynopsisBest selling international author, Isabel Allende tackles her homeland head-on in this staggering, epic romance.Portrait in Sepia' is both a magnificent historical novel set at the end of the nineteenth century in Chile and a marvellous family saga peopled by characters from Daughter of Fortune' and The House of the Spirits', two of Allende''s most celebrated novels.As a young girl, Aurora del Valle suffered a brutal trauma that has shaped her character and erased from her mind all recollection of the first five years of her life. Raised by her ambitious grandmother, the regal and commanding Paulina del Valle, she grows up in a privileged environment, free of the limitations that circumscribe the lives of women at that time, but tormented by terrible nightmares. When she finds herself alone at the end of an unhappy love affair, she decides to explore the mystery of her past, to discover what it was, exactly, all those years ago, that had such a devastating effect on her young life.RichTrade Review‘You’ll find it hard not to be beguiled by the charm and ingenuity of Allende’s storytelling.’ The Times 'Though its story is the life of Aurora del Valle, a privileged young girl growing up in 19th century Chile, its subject is history, and the way in which the lives of people and the lives of countries exist in uneasy limbo, caught between the shadows of the past and the mysteries of the future. It's a world of secrets and uneasy truces; all that is certain is death, and all that is valuable is love.' Jeremy Poolman, Daily Mail 'If you were thrilled by “The House of the Spirits”, you'll love this.' Marie Claire 'A wonderful, wide-ranging story, which moves back to Chile, and is told in a clever mix of first and third person. Allende's dramatic descriptions of hand-to-hand combat and bloody battle scenes are every bit as vivid and physical as her descriptions of wild passionate love-making. A compulsively readable, colourful, informative and entertaining novel.' Sunday Tribune

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Book SynopsisThe Growing Pains of Adrian Mole is the second book in Sue Townsend''s brilliantly funny Adrian Mole series.Sunday July 18thMy father announced at breakfast that he is going to have a vasectomy. I pushed my sausages away untouched. In this second instalment of teenager Adrian Mole''s diaries, the Mole family is in crisis and the country is beating the drum of war. While his parents have reconciled after both embarked on disastrous affairs, Adrian is shocked to learn of his mother''s pregnancy. And even though at the mercy of his rampant hormones and the fickle whims of the divine Pandora, a victim of a broken home and his own tortured (though unrecognised) genius, Adrian continues valiantly to chronicle the pains and pleasures of a misspent adolescence. ________''Funny, moving and a poke in the eye for adult morality'' Sunday Express ''Written with great verve, and showing an uncanny understTrade ReviewEvery sentence is witty and well thought out, and the whole has reverberations beyond itself * The Times *One of literature's most endearing figures. Mole is an excellent guide for all of us * Observer *Adrian Mole will be remembered some day as one of England's great diarists * Evening Standard *The funniest, most bitter-sweet book you're likely to read this year * Daily Mirror *

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Book SynopsisLose yourself in this wickedly addictive exploration of family, relationships and modern love from the bestselling author of the HBO sensation BIG LITTLE LIES''I adored it. Fresh, intelligent and entertaining'' MARIAN KEYESThey say trouble always comes in threes . . .For sisters Lyn, Cat and Gemma Kettle, the year they turn thirty-three is no exception.Sensible Lyn is struggling to balance being a mother, wife and businesswoman without losing her mind.Cat, whose perfect marriage is the envy of all her friends, never suspected that her husband had been hiding a secret that will tear her life apart.Directionless Gemma, who changes jobs and boyfriends every few months, has just met a new man who could be the one to unlock her hidden past.The bonds of these sisters are strong enough to withstand whatever life throws at them.That is until the night of their thirty-fourth biTrade ReviewI adored Three Wishes . . . It's fresh, very, very funny, accessible, and entertaining. But it's also intelligent and unsentimental about family dynamics -- Marian KeyesFunny and dramatic, with vibrant characters, it's a delight * Sunday Mirror *Moriarty's first novel, written with wisdom, humour and sincerity, is an honest look at sisters who have a bond stronger than anything life throws their way * Booklist *Quirky and lovable * Publishers Weekly *Funny, wry, touching . . . the drama is raw and real. Each of the beautifully drawn characters is so vividly alive * Australian Women's Weekly *Three Wishes feels firmly set in the real world, where trivial domestic details, biting pain and sudden joy regularly overlap * Telegraph *Every single one of her books is a great read * E! Online *

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Book SynopsisThe new No. 1 Sunday Times bestseller from the master storyteller, Josephine Cox.Family secrets can weigh the heaviestAlthough she's surrounded by a loving family, Marie is lonely. The secret she has been carrying for many years is a burden it's telling could ruin the lives of those she loves most.Marie's granddaughter, Cathy, is a cheerful young woman and in the first flush of love. Her grandmother's secret will not only change Cathy's future but rewrite her past.Sister-in-law Beth seems to have a happy life and a goodmarriage but behind closed doors she's heartbreakingly sad. Will she be brave enough to speak out and run away?These three women are at the beginning of a journey one that will change their lives forever.Trade Review‘Family secrets threaten to ruin everything in this beautiful tale of love and sadness’ Woman’s Own ‘This latest novel from Josephine Cox gets straight to the heart of family life . . . Cox pulls at the heartstrings’ Lovereading

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Book SynopsisSeventeen-year-old Veronica ''Ronnie'' Miller''s life was turned upside-down when her parents divorced and her father moved from New York City to Wilmington, North Carolina. Three years later, she remains angry and alienated from her parents, especially her father . . . until her mother decides it would be in everyone''s best interest if she spent the summer in Wilmington with him. Ronnie''s father, a former concert pianist and teacher, is living a quiet life in the beach town, immersed in creating a work of art that will become the centerpiece of a local church. The tale that unfolds is an unforgettable story about love in its myriad forms - first love, the love between parents and children - that demonstrates, as only a Nicholas Sparks novel can, the many ways that deeply felt relationships can break our hearts . . . and heal them.

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Book SynopsisFrom Edith Pargeter, who also wrote as Ellis Peter, BROTHERS OF GWYNNED is an epic quartet of novels telling the dramatic tale of Llewelyn, the first true Prince of Wales. ''A richly textured tapestry of medieval Wales'' Sunday TelegraphLlewelyn has a burning vision: one Wales, united against the threat of the English. But, before he can realise his dream, Llewelyn must tackle enemies closer to home. Llewelyn''s three brothers all stand in the way of his ambition to create an independent state. The best-loved of the three, David, was brought up at the English court. Restless, charming and torn between loyalties, David is fated to be his brother''s undoing. Despite the support of Llewelyn''s beloved wife, Eleanor, Llewelyn finds himself trapped in a situation where the only solution is his own downfall and a tragic death...Here, in one volume, is the entire saga of the Brothers of Gwynedd, including:SUNRISE IN THE WESTTHE DRAGON ATrade ReviewA richly textured tapestry of medieval Wales * Sunday Telegraph *Strong in atmosphere and plot, grim and yet hopeful...carved in weathered stone rather than in the sands of current fashion * Daily Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisYOU''LL BE HOOKED BY THE FIRST PAGE, AND SHOCKED BY THE LAST . . . THE TWISTY NEW THRILLER FROM THE #1 BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF FRIEND REQUESTThey thought the killer had no motive. But these murders are not what they seem . . .On 15th June 1994, Travis Green - husband, father, upstanding citizen - walked through the streets of Hartstead and killed eleven of his neighbours. The last victim was little Cassie Colman''s father.As the twenty-five-year anniversary approaches, Cassie tries to forget the past - even as her mother struggles to remember it at all. Then something hidden in her mother''s possessions suggests the murders were not what everyone believes.Cassie can''t stop herself from digging up the past. But someone will do anything to keep it buried . . .PRAISE FOR THE ANNIVERSARY:''A poignant and unsettling page-turner'' SUN''A book to keep you guessingTrade ReviewPraise for The Anniversary * - *Queen of the irresistible premise, Laura Marshall returns with a book to keep you guessing and pull at your heartstrings -- Erin KellyChilling, moving, compulsively readable. The Anniversary is Laura Marshall's best yet -- Chris WhitakerFascinating * Sunday Times *A poignant and unsettling page-turner * Sun *I kept thinking 'just one more page' and was genuinely unable to put it down. Expertly written and plotted -- Karen HamiltonA tense, twisty one-sitting read -- Tammy CohenA brilliant, twisty thriller you'll want to race through * Fabulous Magazine *The perfect compulsive summer read -- Fiona CumminsClever, pacey and compelling. A cracking thriller that also examines the relationship between mothers and daughters with honesty and compassion -- Emma CurtisLaura Marshall's unsettling psychological thriller is utterly gripping * Woman's Own *A storming return by one of my favourite thriller writers and could well be her best. Turning the whodunnit on its head to focus on the "why", Marshall crafts a chilling and emotionally complex read . . . Sensitive, intelligent, and hugely entertaining -- Caz FrearI love Laura Marshall's books and this is my favourite. The twist at the end is delicious! -- Amanda ReynoldsFast-paced, intriguing, and with plenty of twists and turns * Irish Examiner *The type of book that'll make the hairs on your arms stand up, as you delve further into the twists and turns * Belfast Telegraph *Grabs hold of the reader and digs in its nails from the chilling first chapter, not letting go for the rest of the novel -- Nikki SmithA twisting tale that stuns you, written with real heart. A wonderful read -- Rachel EdwardsA gripping, tense and addictive psychological thriller . . . I wasn't able to put it down -- Olivia KiernanA knockout hook, full of twists and turns. Expertly crafted and it kept me guessing right until the very end. Highly Recommended -- Neil LancasterEverything I love in a thriller: a stand-out concept and beautifully drawn characters. Clever, emotionally astute - and totally gripping -- Phoebe LockeThis book! A poignant exploration of family dynamics and a white-knuckle ride. Full of truth, it feels very real. You'll not put it down -- Rachael BlokDelivers suspense and tension at great pace . . . there is a deliciously shocking final twist. This is superior 'domestic noir' * Crime Shots *Praise for Laura Marshall * - *Supremely gripping with an excellent twist -- Marian KeyesIntriguing and compulsive . . . I raced to the end -- Louise CandlishA read-it-in-one-sitting thriller . . . Twisty and gripping but always relatable -- Erin KellyAddictive, expertly-plotted -- T.M. LoganThe twist is genuinely unexpected * Independent *A devour-in-one-sitting must * Heat *Sharp, relevant and tightly plotted, with a fabulous twist * Sunday Mirror *Brilliant, compelling -- Karen HamiltonA slick psychological thriller with a killer hook * Red *Superb * Sun *Ramps up the tension page by page . . . I loved it -- Rachel Abbott

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Book Synopsis''Faultless storytelling . . . Wise, generous, atmospheric'' ObserverGrowing up after the war in Westmere, an English seaside town, Kitty has been sheltered by her parents, but meeting Danny changes all of that. She decides to leave everyone and everything she knows to follow Danny to London, in pursuit of glamour and opportunity, and this sets in motion a series of events that will echo down the generations. Over fifty years later, when Kitty''s body is found in her beach hut with a suicide note by her side, her great-niece will help to unravel all the secrets which the family has kept hidden over the decades.''Explores familial legacy, generational secrets and the effects of long-lasting trauma with a distinct tenderness'' New Statesman''A portrait of sisterhood . . . powerful'' Daily Mail''A writer who never lets you down'' Ali SmithTrade ReviewDuffy is a fearless writer ... A portrait of sisterhood in the wider sense - one that's as powerful and gritty as it is wise and celebratory -- Stephanie Cross * DAILY MAIL *Lullaby Beach explores familial legacy, generational secrets and the effects of long-lasting trauma with a distinct tenderness * New Statesman *Whether it's down to the sure rhythm of Duffy's faultless storytelling or the faded backdrop of the south coast of England, her latest novel is a comforting tale despite some gritty subject matter. It opens as eighty-something Kitty takes her own life, leaving behind not just a gaping hole in the world of her two great-nieces, but a mystery, too. Four dates contained in a note seem to hold the key, concealing secrets that bind three generations of Beth and Sara's family. Wise, generous and atmospheric -- Hephzibah Anderson * Observer *A suicide in a sleepy English seaside town exposes family secrets that have lain dormant for three generations in thisatmospheric novel . . . The action is set in the present day and the 1950s. We meet Kitty as an idealistic young girl keen to escape the monotony of her small-minded seaside existence. She elopes with an unsuitable man and starts a new life in London. But it doesn't quite match up to her expectations and she comes running back home, licking her wounds. The narrative masterfully interweaves her story with that of other women in her family, leading to a dramatic finale * The Lady *A writer who never lets you down * ALI SMITH *First class * MARCEL BERLINS, THE TIMES *Sharp insights and sharper wit * DAILY MAIL *A powerful talent * GUARDIAN *Nobody turns the screw of tension tighter than Stella Duffy * VAL MCDERMID *Duffy writes with a judicious combination of power and subtlety * SUNDAY TIMES *A versatile and gifted novelist * LAURA LIPPMAN *

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Book SynopsisComplete and unabridged.One of BBC's 100 Novels That Shaped Our World.Dickens exposes the corrupting power of money in his last complete novel, Our Mutual Friend, with its expansive cast of characters and interweaving plots.Part of the Macmillan Collector’s Library; a series of stunning, clothbound, pocket sized classics with gold foiled edges and ribbon markers. These beautiful books make perfect gifts or a treat for any book lover. This edition has an afterword by Lucinda Dickens Hawksley and original illustrations by Marcus Stone.John Harmon made his fortune collecting ‘dust’. On his death his estranged son is due to inherit his wealth on the condition that he marry Bella Wilfer, a young woman who he has never even met. But when his son is presumed dead, John’s riches pass to his servants Mr. and Mrs. Boffin and they in turn take Bella into their own home. They hire a secretive young man, John Rokesmith, to be Mr. Boffin’s secretary – but what is this man’s real identity and what is his interest in Bella?Trade ReviewI find it irresistible: the autumn evening closing in, the crazy little boat afloat on the filthy Thames, the strong young woman plying the oars and a ragged, grizzled man, her father, busying himself with something towed in the water behind them. You are some way into the narrative before it dawns on you that it is a drowned body. -- Shirley Hughes * Independent *Dickens's last completed novel is a marvel of play-acting and posturing, of taking on roles through delusion, calculation and ambition -- Philip Hensher * Guardian *

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Book SynopsisThe captivating new novel from Diney Costeloe, bestselling author of The Throwaway Children and The Girl With No Name. In London in 1912, Mabel Oakley and her family are typical of their time. Her father Andrew is a solicitor, her mother Alice keeps the home fires burning and her brothers plan to become skilled apprentices. Mabel would rather die than go into domestic service like her cousin, and is determined to train as a secretary. But one February morning, a terrible tragedy strikes Andrew on the way to work and the lives of the Oakley family are forever changed. Swallowing her pride, Mabel takes on a position as a maid and finds it every bit as unpleasant as she expected. But when help comes from an unexpected direction, Mabel finds her dreams might not be lost after all… Praise for The Girl Who Dared to Dream: 'Fans of historical fiction will love how Costeloe paints pre-war London... You won't be able to put it down!' Chat Passions 'Diney Costeloe delivers an inspiring, heart-rending read with a wonderfully strong female protagonist.' Woman's Own 'A fascinating insight into the lives of women at the turn of the century.' Yours 'Beautifully crafted... Diney Costeloe has written over 20 novels, and this is one of her best.' Historical Novel Society 'A brilliantly written, tender and compelling page-turner – I LOVED it!' Faith Hogan Praise for Diney Costeloe: 'Truly captivating.' Woman & Home 'A treat from the very first page. I could not put it down!' Historical Novel Society 'Historical fiction heaven... Anyone who feels that women's hist fict is a simplified genre sub-set would definitely need a rethink after this.' The BookbagTrade ReviewFans of historical fiction will love how Costeloe paints pre-war London... You won't be able to put it down! * Chat Passions *Diney Costeloe delivers an inspiring, heart-rending read with a wonderfully strong female protagonist * Woman's Own *A fascinating insight into the lives of women at the turn of the century * Yours *Beautifully crafted. Costeloe vividly portrays the relentless, servile drudgery in the lower levels of domestic service in a rich household... Diney Costeloe has written over 20 novels, and this is one of her best * Historical Novel Society *PRAISE FOR DINEY COSTELOE: 'Truly captivating'Woman & Home on The French Wife. 'A treat from the very first page. I could not put it down!' Historical Novel Society on The Sisters of St Croix. 'Wonderful characters, with storytelling that pulls you from page to page, this lovely novel about a girl's search to fulfil her dreams is set in the City of London just before the First World War' Rosie de Courcy, publisher. 'Historical fiction heaven... Anyone who feels that women's hist fict is a simplified genre sub-set would definitely need a rethink after this' * Bookbag on The Children of the Siege *

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Book SynopsisGet ready for small towns stirred by mystery and desire in The Eden series, sexy fourth story . . .Eloise is so close to her dream she can almost taste it. Eloise Eden always knew one day she''d take over her family''s hotel, The Eloise Inn, in Quincy, Montana. All she has to do is prove she''s responsible to her parents. And that her immature, gullible, and reckless ways are long gone. But now her ideal future is at stake following a weekend in Las Vegas when she comes home married to a stranger. Jasper must have put her under a spell with those soul-deep eyes because after a single night together, they woke up husband and wife. Her only hope is to keep this marriage a secret until it''s annulled. Then she''ll pretend it never happened. Except Jasper begs her to stay married. To fake it for just three months so she can accompany him to a wedding. Maybe she''s lost her mind to agree. But her brooding husband seems desperat

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Book SynopsisRead the next book in the heart-warming WW2 historical romance saga series, The Steel GirlsIn their darkest days, they'll find the courage to carry onSummer 1940The war is raging on but the Steel Girls are fighting their own battles closer to home. After patching things up with Archie, Patty is miffed when he appears to have forgotten all about her 18th birthday.New girl Hattie has a lot to deal with as she trades the counter at Woolworths for the Vickers factory floor. But is she keeping a secret and are things tougher at home than she's been letting on?Meanwhile, Nancy is besides herself when she receives word that Bert is missing in action and is struggling to keep it together.As the Steel Girls come together to be there in Nancy's hour of need, will life ever be the same again?Trade Review Praise for The Steel Girls: ‘A riveting saga about love, courage and, above all, female friendship’ Best ‘A lovely read’ Bella ’The perfect book to snuggle up with this autumn’ That’s Life ‘Hardship, courage and hope on the Home Front’ Kate Thompson, bestselling author of Secrets of the Lavender Girls ‘A heart-warming story perfect for saga lovers’ Nancy Revell, bestselling author of The Shipyard Girls on the Home Front ‘A great read’ Yorkshire Post ’A heart-warming tale of the brave women who stepped up to become the backbone of Sheffield’s steel industry during the Second World War’ Yours

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Book Synopsis''Young is a sharp and funny writer with a brilliant eye for moral fudging and verbal hypocrisy, and she has a splendid foil in Miss Mole'' Sally BeaumanWINNER OF THE JAMES TAIT BLACK MEMORIAL PRIZE''Who would suspect her sense of fun and irony, of a passionate love for beauty and the power to drag it from its hidden places? Who would imagine that Miss Mole had pictured herself, at different times, as an explorer in strange lands, as a lady wrapped in luxury and delicate garments?''Miss Hannah Mole has for twenty years earned her living precariously as a governess or companion to a succession of difficult old women.Now, aged forty, a thin and shabby figure, she returns to Radstowe, the lovely city of her youth. Here she is, if not exactly welcomed, at least employed as housekeeper by the pompous Reverend Robert Corder, whose daughters are sorely in need of guidance. But even the dreariest situation can be transformed into an adventure by the indomitablTrade ReviewYoung is a sharp and funny writer with a brilliant eye for moral fudging and verbal hypocrisy, and she has a splendid foil in Miss Mole -- Sally BeaumanThis delightful 1930 classic about love, loneliness and using your wits was way ahead of its time * Daily Mail *

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Book SynopsisIn Annie Murray’s bestselling Chocolate Girls, three very different women work together at Cadbury’s Bournville factory, where their lives become entwined by war and work – and a child called David.Edie marries young to escape her unhappy family home. Widowed at nineteen, and having lost her child from the marriage, she faces the war grieving and lonely. Then one night during the Blitz, an infant mysteriously abandoned during the bombing is handed into her care . . .Ruby, meanwhile, doesn’t want to be left behind in the wedding stakes, and settles for marriage with Frank.Finally there’s Janet, kind-hearted and susceptible to male charm, who is hurt desperately by an affair with a married man.David, the child who steals Edie’s heart as she brings him up through a time none of them will ever forget, is the love of all their lives. And when David is old enough to wonder who he really is, he leads Edie through struggle and heartache to a life and love she would never have dreamed of . . .Chocolate Girls is followed by the captivating sequel, The Bells of Bournville Green.

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Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE ENCORE AWARD 2020''Tinged with melancholy and yearning, this novel is wry and frequently beautiful, and its culmination is surprising and deeply moving'' Guardian''Both an acute satire of our social-media dominated times, and a haunting examination of depression and anxiety rendered in diamond sharp prose. It deserves to be on every prize longlist this year'' i____________________________________________You wake up. You go to work. You don''t go outside for twelve hours at a time. You have strategy meetings about how to use hashtags. After work you order expensive drink after expensive drink until you''re so blackout drunk you can''t remember the circumstances which have led you to waking up in bed with your colleague. The next day you stay in bed until the afternoon, scrolling through your social media feeds and wondering why everyone else seems to be achieving so much. Sometimes you don''t get out of bed at all.Then you hear about Life on Nyx, a programme that allows 100 lucky winners the chance to escape it all, move to another planet and establish a new way of life. One with meaning and purpose. One without Instagram and online dating. There''s one caveat: if you go, you can never come back.But you aren''t worried about that. After all, what on Earth could there possibly be to miss? ____________________________________________''Sauma has the horrors of the workplace nailed with satirical precision'' Sunday Times Culture''Weird, wonderful and beautifully written'' Daily Mail''What Sauma captures so excellently is the low level anxiety that hums through everyday life'' Telegraph''Uplifting, unputdownable and mordantly funny'' Sharlene Teo, author of Ponti''I''d follow Sauma''s voice down any wormhole'' Rowan Hisayo Buchanan''For fans of Black Mirror'' Elle''Sublime'' Otegha UwagbaTrade ReviewSauma skewers the falsities and disappointments of contemporary life and work with rare sensitivity, unfolding an evocative narrative of unearthly escape. I loved it -- Megan Hunter, author of 'The End We Start From'Every now and then, a book comes along and pins down the wild thoughts that have been circling around in your brain as you question the meaning of your life in the bath at midnight. Manages to sensitively unpack the frustrations of modern life while appreciating how funny the banality of it all is * Refinery29 *An important and poignant novel that captures the ennui, panic and stubborn optimism of the zeitgeist with spirit, humour and a fearless portrayal of human truth -- Helen Cullen, author of 'The Lost Letters of William Woolf'Beautifully written . . . Everything You Ever Wanted explores our current obsession with a meaningful life * Bookseller *Everything You Ever Wanted is one of the most original and urgent novels I've read this year. Sauma dives under the skin of the way we live now and makes it into an astonishing new shape. Funny, heart-breaking and thought-provoking - a novel that talks about all the things we are most afraid to talk about. Read it! -- Clare Fisher , author 'All the Good Things'Sauma's wondrous novel could not be more timely. Captures the era of social media addiction and status anxiety perfectly. . . . with echoes of The Truman Show and 1984 * The Gloss *Uplifting, unputdownable and mordantly funny, Everything You Ever Wanted is the dystopian beach read you didn't know you needed. It's a love letter to London from outer space. It's both a speculative dystopian drama and a deadpan office satire. It's a brilliantly relatable and ambitious ode to the humdrum and the sublime; a truly original novel that captures the pleasures and displeasures of modern, earthly life. -- Sharlene Teo, author of 'Ponti'Everything You Ever Wanted is so sharp-eyed about our hidden hopes and tiny hypocrisies. Even the most fantastical elements feel painfully, perfectly true. I'd follow Sauma's voice down any wormhole -- Rowan Hisayo Buchanan, author of 'Harmless Like You'A daring and original novel that asks profound questions about the way we live today whilst being simultaneously playful and fun. Sauma is brilliant at nailing the details of contemporary life in a way that is recognisable to anyone who has suffered the mundanity of office jobs. -- Laura Kaye, author of 'English Animals'Courageous, haunting, and beautiful-with EVERYTHING YOU EVER WANTED, Luiza Sauma takes us on a breathtaking voyage through both the farthest reaches of space and the innermost depths of the human soul -- Peng Shepherd, author of 'The Book of M'Tinged with melancholy and yearning, this novel is wry and frequently beautiful, and its culmination is surprising and deeply moving * Guardian *What Sauma captures so excellently is the low level anxiety that hums through everyday life * Telegraph *Her writing is beautiful * Rachel Seiffert, author of Dark Room and A Boy in Winter *Weird, wonderful and beautifully written * Daily Mail *Sauma has the horrors of the workplace nailed with satirical precision * Sunday Times Culture *Absorbing and ambitious. Filled with sharp observations about the way in which we live now, Everything You Ever Wanted is both an acute satire of our social-media dominated times, and a haunting examination of depression and anxiety rendered in diamond sharp prose with barely a wasted word. . . It deserves to be on every prize longlist this year * i *For fans of Black Mirror * Elle *Millennial angst meets sci-fi * Stylist *Sublime -- Otegha Uwagba, author of 'The Little Black Book'

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Book SynopsisEleanor Henderson is in possession of an enormous talent' Ann PatchettA superb novel whose roots can be traced to Harper Lee and Carson McCullers Oprah MagazineGenus Jackson was killed in Cotton County, Georgia, on a summer midnight in 1930, when the newborn twins were fast asleep.They lay head to toe in a cradle meant for one, Winnafred on one side and Wilson on the other. Only if you looked closely and people did could you see that the girl was pink as a piglet, and the boy was brown.At once an intimate family drama and an expansive, mesmerising epic The Twelve-Mile Straight explores the blood, guilt and violence that lies at the heart of the American experience.Despite the prying eyes and curious whispers of the townspeople, Elma begins to raise her babies as best as she can, under the roof of her impulsive father, Juke, and with the help of Nan, the young black housekeeper who is as close to Elma as a sister. It soon becomes clear that the ties that bind all of them together are Trade Review‘Eleanor Henderson is a novelist who is clearly suited to the expansive mode, and her labyrinthine plot never wants for twists and turns. Nuanced and compassionate, hers is a sweeping tale of uncompromising brutality, which is finally offset by a faint, but hugely welcome, glimmer of light’ Daily Mail ‘A rich, complex narrative that moves skilfully back and forth in time, unfolding the histories and secrets of those involved. The wounds of America’s racial past have provided the subject for some excellent novels in recent years and Henderson’s book is an impressive addition to their number’ The Times ‘An ambitious and sprawling Southern Gothic tale’ Emerald Street ‘Riveting … plunges you into the Jim Crow South with stunning fierceness … Henderson immerses you in characters worthy of Flannery O’Connor … A masterful piece of storytelling’ Seattle Times ‘Devastating … Filled with twists and turns, this book gives an intimate and heartbreaking look at America’s ugly history of racial violence’ Shondaland ‘Affecting, profound … this story resonates deeply in our current political climate’ Nylon ‘Provocative and important … These stories linger under the skin … Henderson puts the stories of African-Americans back into the narrative … The Twelve-Mile Straight, although shouldering complicated themes in history, is a timeless novel’ Ithaca Times ‘The characters are so vivid that you will feel as though they exist unbound by the pages of the book; the writing is so extraordinary it will make your teeth ache; the story is so compelling that you may gasp out loud—as I did—as the revelations unfold. This is no ordinary novel. It is art of the highest order’ Cristina Henríquez ‘An intricate and fascinating tale of maternity and paternity, of race and blood, of two young women doing what they must do to survive … confronted with unblinking honesty and woven with intelligence and grace’ Christopher Tilghman

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Book SynopsisHeart-warming Fantastic to curl up in your chair with a cup of coffee in front of the fire with and smile, laugh and cry your way through.It will really bring out your Christmas spirit!' NetGalley review?????For Bo Grayson, Christmas has always been the most wonderful time of the year. Well, until she had her heart broken last DecemberWhen Bo Grayson and her friends meet a mysterious fortune teller, she gives each woman the same prediction: You will meet the love of your life by Christmas Day.But Bo quickly dismisses this as nonsense. And with the festive season in full swing, she has plenty to keep her busy: creating the seasonal menu for her Boatyard Café, getting her rock and roll dance group ready for their Christmas show and avoiding thinking about last December, when her fortune took a turn for the worseBesides, she definitely isn't ready to open her heart again. But will fate and perhaps a sprinkle of Christmas magic change her mind?Pour yourself a mug of hot chocolate and seTrade Review ‘Fabulously festive and sparkly as tinsel – an absolute treat of a book’ Milly Johnson Praise for Phillipa Ashley’s books: ‘Sparkling and festive, as satisfying as figgy pudding and clotted cream – loved it!’ Milly Johnson ‘Sheer joy!’ Katie Fforde ‘Full of genuine warmth and quirky characters’ Woman’s Own ‘Serious festive escapism . . . like a big warm hug’ Popsugar ‘A page-turner of a festive read’ My Weekly

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Book SynopsisFrom Sunday Times bestselling author and viral TikTok sensation @MammyBanterOne month to go. One stressed mum. Can she pull off the perfect family Christmas?It's the most wonderful time of the yearLike every mum, Tara wants a perfect Christmas for her family but no-one else is lifting a finger and she's losing her elf-ing mind.From a vaping teen, explosive potty training and a disastrous Nativity, to a distracted husband acting very out of character, the final straw is Tara's glamorous, feckless mother moving herself back in for the holidays.Can Tara pull off the holly jolly Christmas of her dreams? Will she deck the halls and not her family? Or is this a Christmas catastrophe waiting to happenHilarious, heartwarming and festive as f*ck the new novel from the Sunday Times bestselling author of Mammy Banter: The Secret Life of an Uncool Mum.Mammy Banter was a Sunday Times #4 hardback fiction bestseller on 5 March 2022.Trade ReviewPraise for MAMMY BANTER: THE SECRET LIFE OF AN UNCOOL MUM ‘Honest and laugh-out-loud funny’ Woman’s Own ‘An authentic, relatable and hilarious debut novel’ The Sun

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Book SynopsisThe Queen of Christmas feelgood novels' The IndependentDive into this gorgeous Christmas novel from Sunday Times bestseller, Sue Moorcroft the perfect companion for a cold winter's night!* * *A secret romance was just the start of the storyTucked into a crook of the Norfolk coast lies Nelson's Bar an idyllic village where time seems to stand still. Maddy Cracey has called this beautiful spot home all her life, as had her husband Adey until an epic row sent him storming out into a blizzard, with no sign of him since that fateful night.Six years on, and Maddy's life in the village has settled into a gentle pattern with her young daughter and Great Aunt Ruthie. However, when handsome stranger Raff turns up with a handful of long-forgotten love letters, their quiet life is upended as family secrets from the past are unearthed.As Raff and Maddy get to know each other, they grow closer and a love story of their own seems inevitable. But when Maddy receives a mysterious message, she can't help but wonder whether her own past is as distant as she''d thought it wasThe festive new novel about love, family and the power of words from Sunday Times bestseller Sue Moorcroft, perfect for fans of Sarah Morgan and Phillipa Ashley.Readers are obsessed with Sue Moorcroft!Love this author, loved the characters, all set in a snowy landscape what more could you ask for?' ?????Festive, feel-good and heartwarming from beginning to end.' ?????What is there not to like in this book? Christmas lights, an old house, snow and happiness. Absolutely love it.' ?????Every time I read a new book by Sue Moorcroft I think, this is the best book she has written!' ?????Wow, wow, wow! I absolutely adored this book, it''s the perfect Christmas tale.' ?????I didn''t want the story to end!' ?????Trade ReviewPRAISE FOR SUE MOORCROFT: ‘Sue Moorcroft is the queen of fabulous Christmas stories and this one is utterly perfect! The Christmas Love Letters has everything you want in a seasonal tale. It was emotional, moving and totally satisfying. Really didn’t want it to end!’ Christina Courtenay ‘Fun, festive and fabulous. A story that sparkles like Christmas snow.’ Milly Johnson ‘Evocative, engaging and gloriously romantic.’ Cathy Bramley 'I love all of Sue Moorcroft's books.' Katie Fforde ‘Full of sunshine and secrets.’ Heidi Swain ‘It whisked me off to sun-drenched Italy…I could feel the heat on my face and taste the wine!' Phillipa Ashley ‘A glorious adventure… perfect escapism to brighten the greyest of days.’ Fiona Gibson ‘Sue’s novels are the perfect escape. You’re guaranteed a warm and cosy read whatever the weather.’ Bella Osborne ‘A magical escape with all the ingredients of a perfect romance.’ Helen Rolfe ’An absolute gem – I just couldn’t put it down!’ Christina Courtenay

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Book Synopsis''Serrailler, Hill''s brilliant detective, is the central character in the great writer''s crime fiction novels'' CAMILLA, DUCHESS OF CORNWALLSimon Serrailler faces his most dangerous challenge yet in the edge-of-your-seat thriller from Susan Hill, the bestselling author of The Woman in Black. Going undercover, he must leave town immediately, change his identity and sever all contact with friends and family. And, more importantly, he must inhabit the mind of the worst kind of criminal. But can he do so without losing everything? ''Crime writing with a dark, fierce edge'' Daily Mail ''Keeps the reader gripped until the last page'' Sunday ExpressDiscover the bestselling crime series that over ONE MILLION readers have devoured.Trade ReviewA wonderful storyteller… she is also one of those rare crime writers whose books invite a second reading * Scotsman *Hill's Serrailler novels have developed into a series whose appeal stretches beyond their genre... The secret of Hill's narrative style is that she forces the readers to invest emotionally in her characters. And then she makes ghastly things happen to them... It sounds easy, but it isn't * Spectator *The Simon Serrailler novels are in a league of their own; literate, detailed and full of drama - they stand head and shoulders above the majority of crime novels. This is the eighth novel in the series and is the darkest and most disturbing yet. It is also the best. * CrimeSquad *Kept me turning the pages, gripped * Woman & Home *Although at times distressing, Hill tackles a difficult issue without losing any tension and the finale keeps the reader gripped until the last page * Sunday Express *Never less than wholly absorbing * Church Times *This is modern crime writing with a dark, fierce edge – and all the better for it * Daily Mail *Keeps the reader gripped until the last page * Sunday Express *Not all great novelists can write crime fiction but when Susan Hill does the result is stunning * Ruth Rendell *Exhilarating… These books succeed in harnessing all the genre’s addictive power while maintaining a complexity and fascination entirely their own * Independent *

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Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE COSTA NOVEL OF THE YEARSHORTLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZESHORTLISTED FOR THE SALTIRE AWARD ''Joyous'' The Times The Accidental pans in on the Norfolk holiday home of the Smart family one hot summer. There a beguiling stranger called Amber appears at the door bearing all sorts of unexpected gifts, trampling over family boundaries and sending each of the Smarts scurrying from the dark into the light. A novel about the ways that seemingly chance encounters irrevocably transform our understanding of ourselves, The Accidental explores the nature of truth, the role of fate and the power of storytelling.*****''Brilliant and engaging, frequently hilarious. . . Smith makes one look at the world afresh'' Sunday Telegraph ''Funny, sexy, poignant, bewitching'' Observer''A beguiling page-turner . . . To read The Accidental is to be excit

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Book SynopsisRosie is a compelling novel by the bestselling author Lesley Pearse.Her brutal, violent family will be the death of her . . .Without a mother, Rosie is at the mercy of her father and thuggish brothers. Then one day a friend comes to the farm in the form of cockney housekeeper Heather Farley. But soon enough Heather vanishes, abandoning Rosie to her fate. Only when Thomas Farley comes to find his sister several years later, does Rosie learn the terrible truth about Heather - and her family.Running away from home, she finds herself pursued by the man who brought ruin on her family. Is he out to get her too? Or could he have some other reason for chasing her?Lesley Pearse, author of the UK and international best-sellers Stolen and Belle, tells a captivating and powerful story of family and secrets in her compelling novel Rosie. If you like Susan Lewis, you''ll love Lesley Pearse. Praise for Lesley Pearse:Trade ReviewWith characters it is impossible not to care about, this is storytelling at its very best * Daily Mail *An emotional and moving epic you won't forget in a hurry * Woman’s Weekly *

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Book SynopsisThe Rain Before it Falls - Jonathan Coe''s heartbreaking novel of family secretsDeeply moving and compelling, The Rain Before it Falls is the story of three generations of one family riven by tragedy. When Rosamund, a reluctant bearer of family secrets, dies suddenly, a mystery is left for her niece Gill to unravel. Some photograph albums and tapes point towards a blind girl named Imogen whom no one has seen in twenty years. The search for Imogen and the truth of her inheritance becomes a shocking story of mothers and daughters and of how sadness, like a musical refrain, may haunt us down the years.''Spectacular, heartbreaking, beautifully written. Rosamund''s story is one of the most extraordinary and compelling you will ever read. Impossible to put down, I loved every minute of it'' Sunday Express''A sad, often very moving story of mothers and daughters'' Guardian''Entirely compelling...the plot will keep you rapt...reminiscent of Ian McEwan at his most effective'' New Statesman Jonathan Coe''s novels are filled with moving, astute observations of life and love, and are written with a revealing honesty that has captivated a generation of readers. His other titles, The Accidental Woman, The Rotters'' Club (winner of the Everyman Wodehouse prize), The Closed Circle, The Dwarves of Death, The Terrible Privacy of Maxwell Sim, The House of Sleep (winner of the 1998 Prix Médicis Étranger), A Touch of Love, What a Carve Up! (winner of the 1995 John Llewellyn Rhys Prize), Middle England (Costa Novel Award), Mr Wilder and Me and Bournville are all available in Penguin paperback. Written with his signature wit, Jonathan Coe''s unmissable new novel, The Proof of My Innocence, is available to order now!Trade ReviewSpectacular, heartbreaking, beautifully written. Rosamund's story is one of the most extraordinary and compelling you will ever read. Impossible to put down, I loved every minute of it * Sunday Express *Entirely compelling . . . the plot will keep you rapt . . . reminiscent of Ian McEwan at his most effective * New Statesman *A sad, often very moving story of mothers and daughters * Guardian *A hauntingly melancholy tale of love and loss...a moving exploration of the inheritance of unhappiness, and the devestating consequences it can have for future generations * Daily Mail *Potent and melancholy, like a short, sad song * Guardian *A male writer who can enter such traditionally female territory and aquit himself with such aplomb * Sunday Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisWINNER of the Kerry Group Irish Novel of the Year 2023WINNER of the John McGahern Prize 2023''Unputdownable . . . one of the best novels of the year'' Sunday Independent* * *In the seaside town of Tramore, County Waterford, visitors arrive in waves with the tourist season, reliving the best days of their childhoods in its caravan parks, chippers and amusement arcades.Local teenager Helen Grant is indifferent to the charm of her surroundings; she dreams of escaping to art college with her glamorous classmate Stella Swaine and, from there, taking on the world. But leaving Tramore is easier said than done. Though they don''t yet know it, Helen and Stella''s lives are pulled by tides beyond their control.Following the Grant and Swaine families and their neighbours over three decades, The Amusements is a luminous and unforgettable story about roads taken and not taken - and a brilliantly observed portrait of a small-town community.* * *''THIS BOOK is EVERYTHING'' Marian Keyes''Flannery''s flawed, hopeful characters live and grow on the page'' ANNE ENRIGHT, author of The Gathering''Quietly beautiful . . . Flannery''s characters are very well drawn, as is her understanding of small-town mores and idle gossip. It''s a book that leaves and impression long after the final page'' IRISH INDEPENDENT''Effortless, perceptive, and hugely entertaining - I loved it'' DONAL RYAN, author of Strange Flowers''A cracker of a book'' KATHLEEN MAC MAHON, author of Nothing But Blue Sky''Fantastic . . . we were gripped'' STELLAR''If you like dark humour, superbly drawn characters, caravan parks, fish suppers and slot machines, The Amusements is what you''ve been waiting for'' JAN CARSON, author of The Fire Starters''A joy to read'' LOUISE NEALON, author of Snowflake''A brilliant book. I loved meeting all these characters, who jumped off the page and stayed in my head'' RÓISÍN INGLE''Brilliant. Dramatic, heartfelt, sometimes shocking and sad'' IRISH EXAMINERTrade ReviewIf you like dark humour, superbly drawn characters, caravan parks, fish suppers and slot machines, The Amusements is what you've been waiting for -- Jan CarsonBrilliant. Dramatic, heartfelt, sometimes shocking and sad -- Sue Leonard * Irish Examiner *Unputdownable . . . one of the best novels of the year -- Estelle Birdy * Sunday Independent *The writing, so true to small-town life, is both shrewd and enlarging. Flannery writes like a grown-up; her flawed, hopeful characters live and grow on the page -- Anne EnrightIts effortless evocations of the tides and pulls of small-town life are note perfect . . . It's often very funny, sometimes sad, always authentic and perceptive, and hugely entertaining. Beautiful -- Donal Ryan

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Book SynopsisFrom the Sunday Times bestselling author of Me Before You and the new 2023 novel Someone Else''s Shoes.When twenty-one year old Joy meets handsome naval officer Edward at an ex-pat party in 1950s Hong Kong, the last thing she expects is to fall in love. Quickly wedded, she leaves to travel the world with her new husband. But she soon discovers that married life isn''t all that it seems . . .In 1980, Joy''s young daughter Kate mysteriously flees the family home. Fifteen years later, Kate''s own daughter Sabine leaves London in search of grandparents she has never known. When the family is finally reunited, hidden tensions come to the surface, uncovering a dark secret which has been deeply buried for years . . .Trade ReviewAn enjoyable read and a promising debut novel. * Sunday Express *A thoughtful first novel about mothers, daughters and lovers. * Daily Mail *An emotional roller-coaster of a read. * Company *

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Book SynopsisEven down to its well-set Georgian townhouses, Edinburgh is a hymn to measure and harmony. But on Scotland Street, domestic accord is in short supply. Matthew and Elspeth welcome three new arrivals, though the joys of multiple parenthood are somewhat lost due to sleep deprivation and the difficulties of telling their brood apart. Angus and Domenica are to marry, and Domenica has ambitious and disturbing plans for their living arrangements, especially when it appears that Antonia, in Italy recuperating from Stendhal Syndrome, may not return. And little Bertie, feeling blue, puts himself up for adoption on eBay. Can Edinburgh''s most deliciously dysfunctional residents forsake discord and learn to dance to the same happy tune? Trade ReviewPraise for the 44 Scotland Street series: 'A joyous, charming portrait of city life and human foibles' Sunday Express

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Book SynopsisMarried for ten years. Four children. She thought she knew her husband better than anyone.She was wrong. Heart-poundingly suspenseful and heart-wrenchingly insightful' J.P.Delaney, author of The Girl Before This compulsive, clever thriller will have you reading long into the night' Red****You get to work. Make a coffee. Turn on your computer.Your task: break into a Russian criminal''s laptop and find proof that he''s concealing five deep-cover agents - seemingly normal people living in plain sight.You're in. Five faces stare back at you.One of them is your husband.****An immensely satisfying story with serpentine twists and turns' Daily MailTrade ReviewI raced through this gripping tale of domesticity and deceit. Cleveland deliciously ratchets up the tension at every turn . . . you won't be able to put it down until the final, stunning page! * SHARI LAPENA, author of THE COUPLE NEXT DOOR *Heart-poundingly suspenseful and heart-wrenchingly insightful, NEED TO KNOW hums with authentic detail, crisp storytelling, and characters that will long stay in your thoughts. * J. P. DELANEY, author of THE GIRL BEFORE *This compulsive, clever thriller will have you reading long into the night. * Red *If you liked THE COUPLE NEXT DOOR, try NEED TO KNOW by Karen Cleveland . . . Thrillers don't get much more twisty and turny than this one. If you don't mind staying up reading til 3am, this is the one for you. * BBC Arts and Entertainment, 'Books To Look Out For in 2018' *Impressively compelling . . . this is probably the banker among the New Year crop thanks to its sheer page-turning readability. * John Williams, Mail on Sunday *The heart-stopping plot barely lets up pace throughout this brilliant novel. * Heat *You'll devour this terrific debut like the rest of us, skipping lunch, losing sleep, turning pages until the end, where we're all left waiting for more. * JOHN GRISHAM *Karen Cleveland is the real deal - an exciting new voice in thrillers. * PATRICIA CORNWELL *Prediction: if you read chapter one, you'll read chapter two. If you read chapter two, you'll miss dinner, stay up far too late, and feel tired at work tomorrow. This is that kind of book. Superb. * LEE CHILD *Remarkable * Sunday Times Magazine - Thriller of the Month *An immensely satisfying story with serpentine twists and turns . . . ingenious and compelling. * Daily Mail *

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Book SynopsisJo Thomas worked for many years as a reporter and producer, including time at Radio 4's Woman's Hour and Radio 2's The Steve Wright Show.Jo's debut novel, The Oyster Catcher, was a runaway bestseller and won both the RNA Joan Hessayon Award and the Festival of Romance Best eBook Award. Her book Escape to the French Farmhouse was a #1 bestselling eBook. Jo loves to explore new countries and discover the food produced there, both of which she thoroughly enjoys researching. Jo lives in Pembrokeshire with her husband and three children, where cooking and gathering around the kitchen table are a hugely important and fun part of their family life.Trade ReviewA delicious summer read. * Heidi Swain *You smell the lavender, you feel the sun on your face, this book is pure joy! * Katie Fforde *Hopeful and lovely, sunny and smashing – I loved this gorgeous book. * Milly Johnson, Sunday Times bestselling author *Jo Thomas at her best - filled with love, food and real heart. Always welcome, particularly in challenging times, reading a Jo Thomas novel is like going on the loveliest holiday in your head. * AJ Pearce *This is the burst of sunshine you’re looking for! Evocative, warm, wonderful, transporting you to beautiful Provence...I loved it! * Miranda Dickinson *A warm story of friendship and community. A joy and a true escape. * Phillipa Ashley *Uplifting and full of warmth, this novel is the next best thing to jetting off to France on a relaxing break away. * My Weekly *A warm and evocative summer read. * CultureFly *A gorgeous summery read. * Best *

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