Family life fiction / Stories about family

Book SynopsisA new fun and fresh rom-com set in Sicily by Canadian-Italian author Nancy Barone. In an attempt to resuscitate her twenty-five-year-old marriage, aerophobic Gillian Dobson knocks down a few tranquilisers and takes a dreaded flight to the Sicilian Island of Lipari to surprise her husband, away on a business trip. But her troubles are just about to begin... For fans of Jennifer Weiner, Kristen Bailey and Sophie Kinsella. Readers love Nancy Barone: 'I loved it!... It kept me flipping pages well past my bedtime!!' NetGalley Reviewer, 5 stars 'Finished this within 1 day, I devoured it!' NetGalley Reviewer, 5 stars 'Lovely lovely story and such a twist I really did not see coming.' NetGalley Reviewer, 5 stars 'Read the first page and you will be hooked.' NetGalley Reviewer, 5 stars 'Loved this fun, uplifting feel-good book. It really made me smile and at the moment is something that we all desperately need.' NetGalley Reviewer, 5 stars 'Really gorgeous, wonderfully feel-good, completely uplifting and wonderfully romantic. I absolutely loved it. Don't miss it.' NetGalley Reviewer, 5 stars 'Finished this in one sitting. A great uplifting read.' NetGalley Reviewer, 5 stars 'Will tug at your heart so be prepared.' NetGalley Reviewer, 5 stars

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Book SynopsisErica Cantelli has found her Mr. Right. Hasn't she...? After a long overdue divorce, Erica has finally made it to Italy with her two children and, amazingly, her dreamy now-fiancé Julian Foxham. The plan was to start fresh and for Erica to run a country B&B, but two years in and her business is failing miserably, while Julian's career as a novelist is soaring and taking him all over the world with his gorgeous agent. Despite having set a wedding date, with every day that goes by, their dreams are heading in opposite directions. And when her sexy Italian chef Alberto offers her a shoulder to cry on – as the saying goes, When in Rome... Now Erica needs to decide what she wants her future to look like. Will their wedding cake hold together or are she and Julian skating on thin icing? Perfect for fans of Sophie Kinsella, Kirsten Bailey and Lindsey Kelk. Praise for Nancy Barone: 'I thoroughly enjoyed this utterly lovely story. Touching, heartwarming and a joy to read' Holly Martin, on New Hope for the Little Cornish Farmhouse 'A big hearted, warm novel full of fun and surprises' Amazon review Readers love My Big Fat Italian Break-Up! 'Humor, love, and happy ever afters all rolled into one big fat italian romance! I so enjoyed this book by Nancy Barone!' NetGalley Reviewer, 5* Review 'Whirlwind of a story... Will have you laughing and crying... Funny and uplifting... I enjoyed it so much.' NetGalley Reviewer, 5* Review 'Lovely read... You can never go wrong with a book written by Nancy... Well worth 5 stars.' NetGalley Reviewer, 5* Review 'Wonderful romantic comedy set in the gorgeous region of Tuscany, Italy... Full of smiles and giggles... A must read for fans of rom-coms.' CYI Reads Books, 5* Review 'Absolutely adored this book!! Such a cute & fun summer read and the pacing made it easy to finish in a day.' NetGalley Reviewer, 5* Review 'Perfect beach read. This was a one-sitting read and kept me on the hook the whole time.' NetGalley Reviewer, 5* Review 'Perfect fresh start love story!' NetGalley Reviewer, 5* Review 'Cute and funny! It hooked me from the beginning and kept my attention the entire time. I laughed out loud at so many points and just loved it so much!' NetGalley Reviewer, 4* Review 'Absolutely loved this book! Kept me hooked the entire time.' NetGalley Reviewer, 4* Review 'Loved all the family dynamics (and dramas!)... This book has all the feels.' NetGalley Reviewer, 4* Review

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Book SynopsisIt's not over until someone says 'I do'...While her friends join the "Wife Club" one by one, Poppy feels like that part of her life is done and dusted. Already married and divorced she's not desperate to go through all that again.But what if her divorce never actually went through...?After a shock revelation Poppy not only discovers she is still married, but that Zac is about to have his second wedding!Coming face to face with her (almost) ex-husband after six years apart is never going to be easy. And when Zac panics and tells his new wife-to-be that Poppy is family, things can't get much worse as she is welcomed with open arms as part of the wedding party!As the memories flood back, can Poppy really leave the past where it is? And can she watch the first love of her life walk down the aisle to say 'I do' once again?A laugh-out-loud romantic comedy from top 10 bestseller Portia MacIntosh, guaranteed to brighten up your day.Praise for Portia MacIntosh:'A hilarious, roaringly fun, feel good, sexy read. I LOVED it!' Holly Martin'This is a heartwarming fun story, perfect for several hours of pure escapism.' Jessica Redland'Super-romantic and full of festive spirit. I loved it!' Mandy Baggot'A feel good, funny and well written book. I read it in 2 days and enjoyed every second!' A.L. Michael

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Book SynopsisFor fans of Katie Flynn and Sheila Jeffries, Angel's Secret is an uplifting novel from the Queen of family saga, and author of Bicycles and Blackberries, Sheila Newberry.Suffolk, 1924.After the death of her fiancé in the field hospitals of France, Angel becomes nurse to the MacDonald family in the small village of Uffasham.Taking residence at the appropriately named Angel Inn, she is met by many new faces - and old ones, too. Edith, a fellow nurse from the war, while taking great interest in Angel's new life, refuses to let her forget her old one.As Angel grows closer to her employer, Robert, Edith threatens to expose a secret that could ruin everything . . .Can Angel ever be free to move on with her new life and her new family, or will the secrets of her past finally be revealed?'Reading a Sheila Newberry book is like having dinner with your mother in her warm and cosy kitchen. You can feel the love and care put into every juicy morsel' - Diane Allen, bestselling author of For the Sake of Her Family'I have long been a fan of Sheila Newberry's novels. I love their wonderful warmth and charm.' Maureen Lee, bestselling author of The Seven Streets of Liverpool

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Book Synopsis‘A charming, funny story… Ideal sunshine reading.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Reader ReviewIt’s the right time for love, but is it the right place?After the tragic, premature death of her husband Anthony, Martha has spent all her time focused on her teenage daughter Rosie in their small Welsh village.But with Rosie leaving the nest, and Martha’s own job on the line, it feels that life is passing her by.Inspired by her love for Scandi-noir dramas, Martha impulsively books a trip to Denmark, determined to push herself out of her comfort zone – even if the thought terrifies her…Her trip to the tiny island of Fano becomes something much more: in the form of handsome stranger, Lars. Can Martha find love under the Scandinavian skies… but more importantly, can she find herself?A romantic, warm and uplifting read, guaranteed to leave you smiling. Fans of Jenny Colgan and Kathryn Freeman will adore this feelgood read!Readers are loving A Scandinavian Summer:‘I loved every page and still think about the characters… lots of laugh-out-loud moments to be enjoyed’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Reader Review‘A beautiful story…well worth 5 stars and I recommend this great summer read.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Reader Review‘What a beautiful story…An absolute gem, I couldn’t put it down.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Reader Review‘Whilst I’m feeling a bit lost now I’ve finished it, I’m left with a lovely warm feeling... I can’t recommend it highly enough’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Reader Review‘Quirky, delightful and will whisk you away to a beautiful island in Denmark. The only problem is you'll never want to leave!’ Reader Review‘A lovely story of a cautious woman learning to embrace life once again…An enjoyable, heartwarming read.’ Reader Review‘This was a delightful read… Martha’s story was heart-warming’ Reader ReviewPraise for Helga Jensen:‘I simply couldn’t put this down. I laughed out loud several times before I’d even finished the first chapter.’ Jules Wake, author of The Spark and The Saturday Morning Park Run‘A joyous tale of rediscovering your dreams, love and sense of self. Sheer fun and absolute UpLit!’ Pernille Hughes, author of Probably the Best Kiss in the World‘I love this book so much! All I wanted was for it not to end! It’s right there on my top romcoms list now.’ Natalie Normann, author of Summer Island

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Book SynopsisIn the darkness of the Great War, can she create a brighter future?Martha Owen has not had an easy start in life. Her abusive father dominates the family and she has lost her only friend after a painful falling-out.Her father’s reliance on the bottle, and his increasingly violent temper, brings turmoil for Martha, her mother and her three siblings and with World War One causing more strain on the home front, her prospects look bleak.With no money or qualifications to speak of, starting a job at the Potteries feels like a lifeline, but Martha finds herself wanting more than the production line job she works on.Her one talent is her artistic flair, but will this be enough to help her rise the ranks at Paradise Pottery and make a future for herself? And can she ever escape her father’s dark shadow over her?An uplifting and moving saga from the author of the bestselling Wartime with the Tram Girls. Fans of Nancy Revell and Rosie Hendry will be captivated.Praise for Lynn Johnson’s Potteries Girls series:‘A poignant, emotional and heart-wrenching read…best read with a box of tissues handy’ Bookish Jottings‘This truly was a fabulous story from beginning to endand I struggled to put it down!… richly detailed, beautifully written and the storyline along with the characters was enthralling' Rose is Reading‘I highly recommend reading this and being transported back in time. An excellent historical fiction that had me compulsively turning the pages.’ Books and Bookends‘Overall, I loved it. There were lots of moments that made me gasp and others that almost made me cry, and then there were those that made me smile and sigh.’ Jess Bookish Life‘heartwarming and emotional. I absolutely love the story line…I really enjoyed the setting and the characters. If you enjoy historical fiction, this is definitely a book to read ’ Jessica Belmont Book Reviews‘I’m quite astonished this is a debut novel… The characters came alive on the page, and it’s a fully rounded story… A fabulous read’ Grace J Reviewerlady‘an emotional, captivating read which is perfect for anyone who loves a good saga!… a fantastic read that quickly drew me into the story and kept my interest throughout with its fabulous plot.’ Over The Rainbow Book Blog‘the author winds her story around your person and snares your heart… Though filled with much darkness and despair, ;there is also hope and love’ Insatiable Readers‘Johnson has a Cookson flair…she does capture the heart and soul of her characters.’ Cheryl M-M Book Reviews

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Book Synopsis'Layers of secrets are gradually peeled back in this brilliantly absorbing tale.' Marion Todd, author of Old Bones LieDarkness lies at the heart of this family…In 1959 Milly starts her new life as a housemaid at Rutherford House, working for the aristocratic Rutherford-Percy clan. Entranced by her new mistress, Vivienne, she becomes deeply embroiled in the household and the keeper of dark secrets the family conceals beneath the mansion’s grand exterior.In the present day, Christie is working as a psychiatric nurse when she meets troubled patient Lillian Percy, Vivienne’s granddaughter and heiress to Rutherford House. They soon bond over the loss of their mothers – Lillian’s died when she was a child; Christie’s mysteriously disappeared over twenty years ago – and Christie finds herself increasingly fascinated by Lillian’s family and their imposing ancestral home.As Christie learns more about the Rutherford-Percys, she finds a shocking clue that could help her uncover what happened to her own mother. Desperate for answers, Christie puts her job, her family and even her very life on the line. But how much of the truth does she really want to know?A twisty, chilling and unputdownable page-turner about family secrets, perfect for fans of Kate Morton, Louise Douglas and Harriet Evans.Praise for The Shadows of Rutherford House:‘An absorbing tale of dark family secrets…It holds the reader in suspense with an intricately woven plot’ Heather Burnside, author of Guilt‘An absolutely riveting multi-generational drama with gasp-out-loud twists I never saw coming!’ J.M. Hewitt, author of The Life She Wants‘A gripping gothic thriller with a compelling cast of characters’ Stephanie Sowden, author of After Everything You Did'The secrets and twists of this intriguing tale kept me turning the pages well into the night.' Amanda Brittany, author of I’m Watching You‘I flew through this book, which hits the spot perfectly for the colder, darker nights. A moody Yorkshire mystery in which I pictured a lot of the men as modern day Heathcliffs and Rutherford House as a twentieth-century Wuthering Heights, I couldn’t put it down.’ Caroline Corcoran, author of What Happened on Floor 34?'Atmospheric, with a cast of creepy characters' Stephen Edger, author of The Prodigal Mother‘This book was so deliciously creepy! I devoured it in one sitting! It had me hooked from the first page.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review'My jaw literally dropped at the ultimate twist!...Honestly, one of the best books I’ve read this year.' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review'I was absolutely dumbfounded by the ending that was so freakin' satisfying and jaw-dropping!' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review'The twist at the end had me stunned' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review'One of the best books I’ve read recently!...would highly recommend to anyone that enjoys mysteries and thrillers!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review'If you want a story that has more twists and turns than a roller coaster, this is it.' Reader Review'I absolutely loved this book and could not put it down. A gothic thriller with so many great twists' Reader Review

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Book SynopsisFifteen years ago, he confessed to the murder of his wife and children.As a teenager, Hayley DaSilva walked into a nightmare; discovering the bodies of her mother, twin brother, and friend all brutally slaughtered in her home… and her nine-year-old brother missing. Her father, Leonard DaSilva, confessed to the murders, but Ethan was never seen again.He lied. But why?Now, Hayley has fled her dreadful past in Thamespark - until the call from Detective Sebastian Locke. Little bones uncovered in a shallow grave belong to Ethan… and the investigation reveals holes in the case that prove Leonard’s confession was false. He didn’t kill his family. So why did he say he did?As DI Locke and the squad realise that a killer has been hiding in plain sight in the sleepy commuter town of Thamespark, the previously cold case becomes an urgent investigation. But as the squad gets closer to the truth of who really murdered the DaSilvas, it becomes clear that the culprit won’t hesitate to spill blood to keep their shocking secrets hidden…An absolutely unputdownable police procedural with a shocking twist, introducing Detective Sebastian Locke. Fans of Karin Slaughter, Cara Hunter and Sharon Bolton will love this.Readers are loving The Quiet Dead:'A fabulous introduction to DI Sebastian Locke...a new hero (and fictional crush!) is born. A cast of liars and cheats makes for a thrilling and tantalising tale. My heart broke with Ethan’s story and those little bones.' Sam Holland'A brilliantly twisty cold case novel which gradually unfurls to reveal the chilling truth.' Marion Todd‘A perfect blend of mystery and psychological thriller…Dramatically and emotionally stirring, the unearthing of buried trauma is so deftly handled whilst also providing edge-of-your-seat thrills.’ Dominic Nolan‘So well plotted that you’ll find yourself staying up reading half the night.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review'I absolutely loved The Quiet Dead from start to finish, I thought the story was brilliant...totally unputdownable.' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review‘Really brilliant read. Got straight into it from the first page - really kept you guessing right till the end.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review‘Brilliant book. Didn’t want to read it all in one go as I was enjoying it so much.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review‘Couldn’t put it down, such a good plot and the ending was totally mindblowing.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review'I hope there will be more to come in this series...I became engrossed in the characters and the storyline.' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review'This cold case thriller is unputdownable! I absolutely loved this! It keeps you on the edge of your seat! It was so good!' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review'An excellent police procedural...Dark, twisty, surprising and welll written.' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review

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Book SynopsisThe eighth, heartwarming instalment in the much-loved Railway Girls series!This will be a Christmas to remember for the railway girls. . .Little Max is growing day by day and Joan is adjusting to her new life. But in her heart of hearts, she is desperate to return to work on the railways.Margaret's job in the engine shed is demanding. But when a friend finds herself in crisis, she knows she must do everything she can to help her.Alison is overjoyed at the prospect of organising a Christmas wedding until a long-held secret is revealed. Knowing the truth, can she find the strength to forgive those she holds most dear?As war rages on, the railway girls must also battle with matters of the heart. Can they overcome their troubles in time for Christmas?Readers LOVE the Railway Girls:'Make yourself a cuppa and find a comfy spot on the sofa because you are not going to be able to put this down''I simply cannot wait for the next one - I am hooked!''Gives a vivid picture of women's lives in wartime Manchester''Dramatic, intriguing and sprinkled with plenty of wit and heart''It's just like catching up with old friends'

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Book SynopsisSet against the Blitz in London, a young woman's extraordinary journey of self-discovery and an intimate meditation on what it takes to find our place in the world.A March Best Book in Red'NOTE PERFECT' East Riding Magazine'AN EXTRAORDINARY NEW WRITER' Nina StibbeI used to believe the world had been created for me; every stone and grain of sand. As I grew older, I began to think of myself as something tacked on to the edge. 1939, London: From McPhail's Passage to Kensington's Grand Palace Hotel, Rose Dunbar is evacuated from her humble home on the Rock of Gibraltar and dropped into a chaotic city of falling bombs, perplexing class rules and bad weather. Despite being 'flagrantly foreign' to the locals, she becomes an efficient go-between for the upper-class ladies helping out with the war effort and her own tribe of noisy displaced families.It is only when she is shifted to the countryside to become secretary to the plain-speaking and sightless Major Inchbold that Rose's dizzying journey to womanhood will become more surreal than ever, as she drinks tea at the vicarage and stands up for the lower orders. But Rose's greatest dilemma is yet to come, as she must decide where her home - and her heart - really lies.In Anne Youngson's wry and sublimely understated prose, this unique and beautiful story of love, class and belonging is also a profound and intimate meditation on what it takes to find our place in the world.*******************************Praise for ANNE YOUNGSON: 'Tender, wise and moving, Meet Me at the Museum is a novel to cherish.' JOHN BOYNE'Insightful, emotionally acute and absorbing' DAILY EXPRESS'Beautiful and affecting' NINA STIBBEReaders love Anne Youngson's novels:'I was utterly gripped and felt bereft when I'd finished it' *****'I could not put this book down. An inspired approach to writing about life and love' *****'One of my top ten best reads of the year'*****Trade ReviewA tender, often wry novel, rendered with impressive period authenticity * MAIL ON SUNDAY *Skilful, understated. Comes compellingly to life * HARPER'S BAZAAR *Note-perfect. Like a forgotten classic republished by Persephone Books or Virago * East Riding magazine *A touching story full of love and humanity * YOURS magazine *A beautiful story of love and belonging * WOMAN'S WEEKLY *

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Book Synopsis'Magical. The most festive book you'll read this year' CARLEY FORTUNE, bestselling author of Every Summer AfterOne snowstorm.Two strangers.Three times the holiday magic . . .When strangers Maryam Aziz and Anna Gibson are seated next to each other on a flight - Maryam travelling to her sister's impromptu wedding, and Anna to meet her wealthy boyfriend's parents over the holidays - neither expect that severe turbulence will scare them into confessing their deepest hopes and fears to one another. Unfortunately, Maryam's lifelong crush Saif happened to be sitting two rows behind them and heard it all, including the part where she professed undying love for him. An emergency landing finds Anna, Maryam and Saif snowbound at a quirky hotel in the picture-perfect town of Snow Falls - where fate has Anna's actor-crush filming a holiday romance. As Maryam finds the courage to open her heart to Saif, and Anna feels the magic of an unexpected new love, they might just realise there's nowhere they'd rather be for the holidays.What's everyone saying about Three Holidays and a Wedding?'The perfect cosy read' Amy E. Reichert, author of Once Upon a December'A heartwarming celebration' Jean Meltzer, author of The Matzah Ball'My favourite holiday romance ever!' Sara Desai, author of The Dating PlanTrade ReviewThe quintessential holiday rom-com...Three Holidays and a Wedding combines two budding romances, a massive snowstorm, unlikely friends, meddling family members, and one magical small-town for the most festive book you'll read this year. It's a hopeful story about having the courage to open yourself to others and the journey to finding where you belong. -- Carley Fortune, author of Every Summer AfterA sweet and touching celebration of friendship, family, faith, and of course, love that will delight readers seeking to lose themselves in the romance and magic of the season...A new festive classic. -- Lily Chu, author of The Stand-InThe perfect cozy read that turns winter travel chaos into triple-holiday magic! Uzma Jalaluddin and Marissa Stapley create a sparkling world readers will never want to leave. -- Amy E. Reichert, author of Once Upon a DecemberA festive fairytale. This sweet, sparkling novel is as fun and surprising as a perfect snow day. Uzma Jalaluddin and Marissa Stapley have proven that wherever you may find yourself, community is the people you love. -- Lauren Fox, author of Send for MeA heartwarming celebration of love, family and faith, Three Holidays and a Wedding tenderly explores the bonds that bring us to our best selves. -- Jean Meltzer, author of The Matzah BallPerfectly charming and heartwarming, Three Holidays and a Wedding expertly wraps three holiday traditions, two tender romantic stories, and one warm loving family in a giant feel-good wintry hug....My favorite holiday romance ever! -- Sara Desai, author of The Dating Plan and To Have and to HeistThe most delightful holiday rom-com...A charming novel that explores love, happiness, and honesty with sweet and hilarious characters that will steal your heart. I devoured it!" - -- Jennifer Close, author of Marrying the KetchupsSuch a delight! With larger-than-life memorable side characters, not one but two swoon-worthy romances, and all the diversity and acceptance I could ask for, this was truly a perfect holiday rom-com....This book should be a holiday classic. -- Farah Heron, author of Kamila Knows Best and Accidentally EngagedFestive and fun! A one-of-a-kind swoony story that celebrates so much more than just Christmas! I absolutely loved it! -- Chantel Guertin, author of It Happened One ChristmasThis delightful romance will have your heart humming with happiness: sweet, tender and joyful, it brings the magic of the holidays alive. An uplifting and inclusive celebration. -- Ausma Zehanat Khan, author of Blackwater FallsHoly holiday!...Being marooned has never been more fun. -- Zarqa Nawaz, author of Jameela Green Ruins Everything and creator of Little Mosque on the Prairie

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Book SynopsisFrom #1 bestselling author Lisa Scottoline comes a pulse-pounding new novel.Your family has been attacked. Now you have to choose between law… and justice.Jason Bennett is a suburban dad whose life takes a horrific turn. He is driving his family home when a pickup truck begins tailgating them. Suddenly two men jump from the pickup and pull guns on Jason, demanding the car. A horrific flash of violence changes his life forever.Later that awful night, Jason and his family receive a visit from the FBI. The agents tell them that the carjackers were members of a dangerous drug-trafficking organization — and now Jason and his family are in their crosshairs.The agents advise the Bennetts to enter the witness protection program. But WITSEC was not designed to protect law-abiding families. Trapped in an unfamiliar life, the Bennetts begin to fall apart at the seams. Then Jason learns a shocking truth and realizes that he has to take matters into his own hands.Sometimes justice is a one-man show.Trade Review'Just might be the best book Scottoline has ever written.' * Providence Journal *'Explosive new complications in the most relentless of all her mysteries. A high-octane thriller whose hero is tossed into one impossible situation after another. Best started early in the morning.' * Kirkus Reviews (starred review) *

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Book Synopsis'The stories in Black Light are grimy and weird, surprising, utterly lush... I loved every moment of this book.' Carmen Maria Machado, author of Her Body and Other Parties_____________________A black light illuminates that which the eye doesn't see, uncovering what is hidden in plain sight.In this raw, compassionate, debut collection Kimberly King Parsons casts light onto the weird, the intimate, the eerie and the sublimely beautiful with unflinching gaze and ferocious eloquence. Over twelve crackling stories, each a glorious escape hatch, she captures the bright ache of first love, the claustrophobic shadows of desire, the obsessive nature of friendship and the rapturous pull of taboo. Filled with a frenetic longing for connection, her reckless yet resilient heroines exhilarate and charm as they pursue the promise of elsewhere.With psychedelic energy and deep humanity, Black Light chews over the messiness of being alive, the unsteadiness of hope and the ecstasies of coming of age.Trade ReviewThe stories in Black Light are grimy and weird, surprising, utterly lush... I loved every moment of this book. * Carmen Maria Machado, author of Her Body and Other Parties *Exhilarating, enchanting, charming and irresistible... This is real-deal fiction. * Los Angeles Times *There is a reckless kind of heat to the tender, broken characters in these stories... Parsons is both unflinching and eloquent in her portrayals of people as they burn and rage. * Paris Review *Wild and compassionate... Every story in this collection is beyond remarkable, and Parsons proves herself to be a gutsy country-punk poet with a keen eye and a stubbornly unique sensibility. * NPR *Kimberly King Parsons' weird, intimate, enchanting debut does a service to the short story form... The writing sings at an undeniably pleasing pitch, with many of the sentences hitting such high notes that it feels breathtaking. * Lit Hub, "The Best Queer Debuts of 2019" *Just keeps getting better as you turn the pages... Wisdom and humor are so thick on the ground you could find a sentence worth quoting on every page... Comparisons have been made to Denis Johnson, Karen Russell, Carmen Maria Machado... and we'll add Angela Carter. The Angela Carter of Lubbock, Texas. * Kirkus Reviews *An incredibly satisfying reading experience... Perhaps the greatest strength of this collection lies in its weird, eerie, and sublimely beautiful details of setting and character. . . . Vividly rendered in a Texas setting that bursts off the page like Fourth of July fireworks. Black Light demands the attention of all the reader's senses. * Electric Literature *Wise and funny, Black Light takes your breath regularly with its elegant observations. * The Millions *These are stories bursting with feeling. Stories of heartbreak and humor, lust and friendship. It's the kind of book that will break your heart while reminding you of the lush possibilities of language. * BOMB Magazine *Black Light is an unshakable debut, a collection of stories that will grip you under its spell until its closing notes. Compulsively readable, this book is as much a love letter to language as it is to the natural world, the darkened corners of desire, and the absurdities of girlhood. Gutsy, loud, and so very Texas, this one moved me in a tectonic way. You'll underline every sentence. * Bustle *In lithe, lyrical prose à la Amy Hempel and Noy Holland, Parsons's short fiction parses the addictions and desires of Texan girls and women, and will break your heart even as it makes you laugh. * O, The Oprah Magazine *The bad-ass gals in these terrific stories are all attitude, and as funny and appealing in their imperfection and thwarted desire as you'll find in any fiction out there. Parsons opens and ends stories brilliantly. I just finished this book, and I'm going to read it again right away. * Amy Hempel, author of Sing to It *

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Book Synopsis'Brings twist after delicious twist. I love this book.' Jo Spain______________________________Small town. Huge scandal.Beverley Franklin will do whatever it takes to protect her local school's reputation.So when a scandal involving her own daughter threatens to derail the annual school musical's appearance on national television, Beverley goes into overdrive.But in her efforts to protect her daughter and keep the musical on track, she misses what's really going, both in her own house and in the insular Glass Lake community - with dramatic consequences.Glass Lake primary school's reputation is about to be shattered...'Eithne Shortall mixes humour and tragedy with a deftness reminiscent of Marian Keyes' Irish TimesTrade ReviewThe queen of the character-driven plot returns with a slow-burn Irish mystery that brings twist after delicious twist. I love this book. * Jo Spain *Sharp, funny and brilliantly observed - I absolutely loved it! * Andrea Mara *A wonderfully gossipy read, layered with dark moments, dry humour and a mystery at its heart to keep you guessing right to the end * Carmel Harrington *As cleverly plotted as an Agatha Christie whodunnit ... thought-provoking, with well-drawn characters ... tempered by empathy and witty humour * Irish Independent *Insightful ... an engrossing page turner that'll leave you shocked and amused in equal measure * Belfast Telegraph *This novel knocked me for six ... carefully and beautifully written ... I couldn't have liked it more. * Daily Mail on Three Little Truths *Funny... relatable, contemporary and exceptionally witty * Irish Times on Three Little Truths *Funny, endearing, mysterious and outrageous, this book is wildly entertaining and hugely enjoyable. -- Liz Nugent on Three Little TruthsA smart, humorous and gripping whodunnit, clear your schedule: this is a book for devouring in one sitting * Sunday Business Post *'A witty take on school-gate politics ... a multi-layered story' * Sunday Independent *Many secrets are hidden and shared in this page-turner whose scandal-evolving plot is meticulously constructed * Irish Examiner *

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Book Synopsis'Funny, stark, fascinating' THE INDEPENDENT'An extraordinary celebration of a bygone era' KATE THOMPSON, author of The Stepney Doorstep Society'A vivid portrait of the post-war years, but also a unique community spirit that is in danger of being lost forever' Choice Magazine *** Featured on BBC RADIO, WOMAN & HOME, PEOPLE'S FRIEND, INSIDE SOAP & LONDON LIVE!***Life in Cockney London was tough in the post-war years. The government's broken promises had led to a chronic housing shortage, rampant crime and families living in squalor. But one thing prevailed: the unbeatable spirit of the East End, a tight-knit community who pulled through the dark times with humour and heart.Drawing on both family history and her own memories of growing up in the 1950s and '60s, as well as her working life as a district nurse and local police officer, Jean Fullerton vividly depicts this fascinating part of London - from tin baths, to jellied eels, to tigers in a Wapping warehouse.***Includes a bonus 8-page photo plate section!***-FIND OUT WHY READERS ARE FALLING IN LOVE WITH JEAN FULLERTON: 'Food for the soul, it's simply deliciously readable and enjoyable' LoveReading'Charming and full of detail... You will ride emotional highs and lows... Beautifully written' The Lady on A Ration Book Daughter 'A delightful, well researched story' bestselling author Lesley Pearse'A real page-turner with larger-than-life characters and convincing period detail' Daily ExpressTrade ReviewVivid, unsentimental and very funny. An extraordinary celebration of a bygone era by the Queen of the East End ... a cracking read and a golden nugget of 20th century history. * Kate Thompson, author of The Stepney Doorstep Society on A Child of the East End *Funny, stark...grimly fascinating. (...) A Child of the East End offers a powerful corrective to a romanticised, nostalgic way of looking at a past that was (...) often regressive and oppressive * The Independent *Richly-textured and engrossing... Jean Fullerton's meticulous research and background knowledge enable her to create a wholly convincing and engaging wartime novel... Completely immersive. With humour to lighten the mood as well it can be laugh-out-loud funny as well as deeply poignant, but it is the emotional richness and heart to the book that draws the story together and makes this such a rewarding read. -- Nicola Cornick * Historia, on A Ration Book Childhood *Food for the soul, it's simply deliciously readable and enjoyable * LoveReading on A Ration Book Christmas *Charming and full of detail... You will ride emotional highs and lows... Beautifully written * The Lady on a Ration Book Daughter *A delightful, well researched story -- bestselling author Lesley Pearse * on All Change for Nurse Millie *From jellied eels to tin baths . . . a richly evoked portrait of a bygone world * The Lady *A vivid portrait of the privations of the post-war years, but also a unique community spirit that is in danger of being lost forever * Choice Magazine *

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Book SynopsisWhen a choice must be made between love and duty, solace comes in unexpected forms... Summer, 1929. The Hinton Dysart estate is dying from lack of money, and Kit Dysart, the heir, sees no way out. Then, at his sister's wedding, he meets the vibrant Daisy Chudleigh and her cousin, the heiress Matty Verrall. In love with Daisy but troubled by his family's decline, Kit chooses to marry Matty, though neither Kit nor Daisy is able to forget the other. When Matty, growing increasingly unhappy in her troubled, empty marriage, decides to re-create the estate's garden, she discovers solace and a gift of which she never dreamt. A haunting, passionate story played out between three people, Consider the Lily is also a poignant and beautiful novel of England between the wars that propels the reader into its own rich and nostalgic world.Trade ReviewA gorgeously well written tale: funny, sad, sophisticated * The Independent *The literary equivalent of an English country garden * Sunday Times *In her way Elizabeth Buchan is a chronicler of time and atmosphere as adept as Jane Austen. * Birmingham Post *An excellent story ... strong imaginative power ... wonderful atmosphere -- Joanna TrollopeAn outstanding, beautifully written and memorable story * Chicago Tribune *

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Book Synopsis'Modern marriage and its compromises ... a terrific, compassionate, compelling novel' Daily Mail Over twenty years of marriage to Max, Prue has remained a busy, contented mother and stepmother. Now, Prue's stepdaughter, Violet, has returned with her new husband from New York and, suddenly, Prue is precipitated into a secret life. As she moves between a sleepy village in Hampshire and buzzing London, Prue finds herself crossing the boundary between innocence and knowledge, exploring the line between the gluttony and surrender of desire and facing the stark realities that result. Because while marriage can be a battleground, extraordinary bargains and accommodations are often struck between people who love one another.Trade ReviewAdultery... handled with care and moral intelligence. What a good writer Buchan is. * Daily Telegraph *A powerful story: wise, observant, deeply-felt, with elements all women will recognise with a smile - or a shudder. Very highly recommended * Good Book Guide *Is Buchan the new Trollope?... A terrific new novel... Buchan's compassionate novel has an integral wisdom. * Daily Mail *The allure lies in the disparity between what its heroine is supposed to be and what she does. The intricacies of Prue's love affair keep the novel bowling along. * Sunday Times *

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Book Synopsis'An accomplished and memorable debut full of heart and heartbreak - an absolute corker for reading groups!' Ruth Hogan, bestselling author of The Keeper of Lost ThingsVal, a widow living in Weston-super-Mare, spends lonely evenings dressing up as the movie star Elizabeth Taylor. It seems to be a way of coping with the loss and sadness she has experienced in her life. One day, when Val sees a pram left unattended on the seafront, on a whim she kicks off the brake and walks away with it...Set in the present and the 1970s, BECOMING LIZ TAYLOR is a vivid and touching depiction of love, loss and bereavement - thought-provoking, moving fiction for fans of Rachel Joyce, Emma Healey and Ruth Hogan.****Shortlisted for the debut novel prize at the 'Festival du Premier Roman' in Chambéry.***Trade ReviewBecoming Liz Taylor is a truly compelling read and tackles the subject of loss and grief with brutal honesty and poignant sensitivity. It's such an accomplished and memorable debut full of heart and heartbreak - an absolute corker for reading groups! -- Ruth Hogan * Ruth Hogan, bestselling author of THE KEEPER OF LOST THINGS *

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Book SynopsisEmer Martin’s is a radical, vital voice in Irish writing, as she challenges the history of silence, institutional lies, evasion and the mistreatment of women across mid-to-late twentieth-century Ireland. Two families inhabit this immersive polyvocal work, an intergenerational saga announced with The Cruelty Men (2018) and continued here as punk rockers and Magdalene laundries spiral into a post-colonial Ireland still haunted by its tribal undertow. Scenes surface from Ireland’s mythological past, Tudor plantations, workhouses and industrial schools, the Troubles laid bare, the transformative pre-digital decades playing out in this propulsive narrative. Thirsty Ghosts is epic in scope while intimate in focus. The Lyons, professionals in a newly independent state, are attacked by paramilitaries in their family home in Tyrone. The eccentric O’Conaills of Kerry, traumatized by displacement, find themselves in leafy Dublin 4. We encounter a servant who meets Henry VIII, a Lithuanian Jewish family who become part of the fabric of Dublin, and a wild young girl who escapes the laundry only to stumble into a psycho pimp. Related with dark humour, verve and high literary style, Thirsty Ghosts is a revelatory exploration of Ireland combining themes of power, class, fertility, violence and deep love, forces as universal as the old stories that permeate and illuminate each character’s life.Trade Review‘Kevin Curran's spiky, polyphonic, multi-ethnic tale of four Balbriggan teenagers, Youth, scratches an itch for modern urban grit … I hunger for more of this.’ Sunday Independent‘An unstoppable tour de force … Martin’s work is extremely important; it provides a portal for people who want to learn more about Ireland and its complex and convoluted history.’ Atticus Review'An untamed dreamtime held together by stories, this is a wild river-run of a novel about Ireland’s dark histories, narrated in the merry voice we associate with Emer Martin, one of our truly original writers. Her wry humour gives the grimmest stories an exuberant buoyancy. And seldom has English as spoken in Ireland – from rural Tyrone to south Dublin suburbia – been so perfectly conveyed on the page.’ Éilís Ní Dhuibhne'Emer Martin casts a cold eye on Ireland and the Irish in this layered narrative which ranges from myths to myth-busting over the comforting fictions we tell ourselves.’ Martina Devlin‘Inventive, freewheeling and utterly fearless, Thirsty Ghosts delves into the Irish psyche with no holds barred. An incisive and intriguing novel.’ Christine Dwyer Hickey‘There is ambition and then there is the Great Irish Novel kind of ambition that is in Emer Martin's Thirsty Ghosts … It is a fine balance of the savagely funny and heartbreaking.’ THE BOOKSELLER‘To say Emer Martin’s fifth novel is epic would be an understatement. With the literary flair and love of language to match its ambition, it is breathtaking in its scope … The writing and the tangled, intergenerational stories flow beautifully. Each sentence, each word is in service of the tragically comic, the wonderfully epic story of Ireland.’ SUNDAY INDEPENDENT ‘A new book from Emer Martin is always a big deal … Emer is a singular voice’ Derek O'Connor, RTÉ‘Emer Martin’s fourth novel, The Cruelty Men, was my book of the year in 2018, a searing account of one Irish family’s tribulations at the hands of church and state in the last century. Thirsty Ghosts revisits some of the same characters, albeit from a slightly different perspective. … There is a raw and savage humour here … Flann O’Brien shot through with Guillermo del Toro. Martin’s use of language is superb, from the comedic colloquialisms of rural accents with one character having “a face on her like a pig licking piss off a nettle”, to the lyrical and poetic where ghosts are likely to live “inside the grimy guts of the gloom of nights”. Thirsty Ghosts is also epic in scope. Martin skilfully juxtaposes the bloodletting of the recent and the distant past in a glorious bid to capture the power of story itself as a means to push back the darkness. A wild, magnificent book.’ SUNDAY BUSINESS POST‘Emer Martin knows how to tell a story. Martin’s writing has a well-earned reputation of literary merit. Her latest, Thirsty Ghosts, is an epic work of multigenerational lived truth. It follows two families, and the hag—Ireland. It’s angry, beautiful and important. … Martin sees the ghosts. She gives voice to people who weren’t listened to, and that’s what makes this book so incredibly powerful. She shows us what a difference it makes to be poor, to be rich, to be impotent against the evils.’ BOOKS IRELAND‘Emer Martin’s novel is a fierce indictment of the collusion in 20th-century Ireland between church and state. … Martin specializes in contemporary stories of exile, family dysfunction and the Irish diaspora. [She] offers a searingly unsentimental view of modern Ireland.’ AMERICA MAGAZINE‘There are very few books that I find myself compulsively recommending to absolutely everyone I know. Emer Martin’s formidable Thirsty Ghosts is one of these few. … Martin has managed to capture an emotional history of Ireland since the birth of time — in just one novel. … It is a story of missed chances, of childhood, of politics and power, of inherited pain, of familial love, but most of all it is a story of stories — the mythology that connects us, that supports us and that keeps us alive.’ TOTALLY DUBLIN ‘A sprawling, epic powerhouse of a read’ ANNE CUNNINGHAM, MEATH CHRONICLE

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Book SynopsisFROM THE AUTHOR SHORTLISTED FOR THE MAN BOOKER PRIZE'A considerable achievement' GUARDIAN'Highly recommended' SUNDAY TELEGRAPH'Excellent entertainment: an absorbing book' TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT Durraghglass is a beautiful mansion in Southern Ireland, now crumbling in neglect. The time is the present - a present that churns with the bizarre passions of its owners' past. The Swifts - three sisters of marked eccentricity, defiantly christened April, May and Baby June, and their only brother, one-eyed Jasper - have little in common, save vivid memories of darling Mummy, and a long lost youth peculiarly prone to acts of treachery. Into their world comes Cousin Leda from Vienna, a visitor from the past, blind but beguiling - a thrilling guest. But within days, the lifestyle of the Swifts has been dramatically overturned - and desires, dormant for so long, flame fierce and bright as ever.Trade ReviewA considerable achievement * Guardian *A joy to read * Spectator *Highly recommended * Sunday Telegraph *Excellent entertainment: an absorbing book * Times Literary Supplement *In jugular-poised wit and hilarity: a brilliant comic novel * Kirkus Reviews *A considerable achievement * GUARDIAN *A joy to read * SPECTATOR *Highly recommended * SUNDAY TELEGRAPH *Excellent entertainment: an absorbing book * TLS *

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Book SynopsisYou can’t change your past. You can only use the experiences you live through to make your future better, wiser. Anna and her best friend George meet every week to remember, to sigh, to laugh, to reminisce about their moments of glory, guilt and mischief and share their sorrows over a glass or three of wine. The things they’ve done still make them blush. Anna wanted to be a poet – a famous poet. George left home in a childish rage and years later returned with her baby. When Anna is asked to look after the boy across the road for a few hours each week, she isn’t sure. She doesn’t really do children. But she takes the job on and, gradually, a child’s view of her world shows her a different place. George remembers a flat she stayed in when she ran away from home. It had the kitchen of all kitchens and, oh, how she’d love to see it again. Anna sets out to see if it still exists and discovers a cookbook full of recipes, intimates notes and drawings from George’s life. Does all this mark an ending or the beginning of something new and marvellous for Anna and George?Trade Review'It rings so true, Dewar evoking the preoccupations of age with a quiet authority… grounded in an awareness that experience and wisdom are qualities that are always hard-won' * Herald *'Under the surface there is a deep well of triumphs, romance, tragedy and loss ...[Anna’s verse is] sometimes profound and beautiful, sometimes comic' * The Scotsman *'Advancing age may have rendered Anna and George invisible to the world, but so well drawn are they that readers across the generations will be attracted to these golden pals ... Lines lightly laced with pathos combine to pack a punch so powerful they often leave readers reeling' * Sunday Post *'Funny and sweet but not overly sentimental, fans of Gail Honeyman will love this warm exploration of love and life' * Bookseller *

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Book SynopsisMorris Magellan wakes one morning to find himself stuck in a corporate job and living the suburban dream with a wife and two children, except this dream feels like a nightmare. Out of his depth and starting to drift from reality, we meet Morris at the precipice. Bit by bit he is losing his struggle with addiction – he just doesn’t know it yet. His only solace and escape from suburban family life and corporate duties is music and alcohol. His life is soundtracked with symphonies and concertos, every note, and every drink, carries him from moment to moment hoping to salvage something of himself before that too slips from his grasp. Harrowing but compellingly written, with humour and compassion, The Sound of My Voice is a stylistic masterpiece that presents conflict between a man’s cowardice and cruelty, and a desperate attempt to recover his humanity.Trade Review'Playful, haunting and moving, this is writing of the highest quality . . . One of the most inventive and daring novels ever to have come out of Scotland' -- Ian Rankin'One of the classic post-war Scottish novels. It’s simply a roaring success on all levels; it’s a genius piece of fiction' -- Irvine Welsh'A profound and beautifully written study of human fragility in the face of the brutalism of modern life' -- James Robertson'A stylistic masterpiece . . . chilling but extremely enjoyable' * Daily Mail *'Compulsively readable . . . a cleverly orchestrated unique work of fiction' * Herald *'Brilliantly-structured short novel . . . superb writing' * The Scotsman *'Deserves to be talked about in the same breath as Saul Bellow’s Seize the Day' * Metro *

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Book SynopsisA hilarious, heart-warming read from the No.1 bestselling author of The Christmas Invitation… Life is sweet for chocolate maker Chloe Lyon… In the picture-perfect Lancashire village of Sticklepond, Confectioner Chloe dispenses inspirational sweet treats containing a prediction for each customer. If only her own life was as easy to forecast – perhaps Chloe could have foreseen being jilted at the altar… But when a new Vicar arrives in the village, the rumour mill goes into overdrive. Not only is Raffy Sinclair the charismatic ex-front man of rock band 'Mortal Ruin', he's also the Chloe's first love and the man who broke her heart. Try as she might, Chloe can't ignore this blast from her past. Could now be the time for her to make a wish – and dare to believe it can come true? A charming novel for chocoholics everywhere, perfect for fans of Katie Fforde, Jill Mansell and Carole Matthews. Trade ReviewPraise for Trisha Ashley: ‘Trisha Ashley writes with remarkable wit and originality – one of the best writers around!’ Katie Fforde ‘Full of down-to-earth humour.’ Sophie Kinsella ‘Fresh and funny.’ Woman’s Own ‘Packed with romance, chocolate and fun, this indulgent read is simply too delicious to put down.’ Closer

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Book Synopsis**A gritty and emotional family drama, from the Sunday Times bestseller. Perfect for fans of Nadine Dorries and Katie Flynn.** You can never leave a bad man behind… Mavis Pugh has had a hard life. Despised and abused throughout her teenage years, she turned to the first man who showed her kindness. But her new husband, Alec, quickly revealed himself to be a violent bully. When Mavis escapes from Alec, she thinks the worst is behind her. Moving to a large family house with her two children is more than she ever dreamed of, and when handsome sign-writer Tommy takes an interest in her, she can't believe her luck. But Alec is far from a distant memory and, unbeknown to Mavis, he’s watching her and her happy family closely. Just waiting for the right time to make his next – and final – move…Trade ReviewPraise for Kitty Neale: 'Heartbreakingly poignant and joltingly realistic.’ Annie Groves ‘A moving tale of love, hope and family…full of drama and heartache.’ Closer

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Book Synopsis What do you do when you meet the love of your life…twice? Ashley Ryan met her soul mate in her husband Devon and when he is killed in a car accident she struggled to move on. Until 3 years later her friends buy her a weekend away in the small town of Catalina Cove. The beautiful small town offers her peace and escape from her memories. Until she meets Ray Sullivan – fisherman, loner, and most definitely her dead husband. Ray arrived in Catalina Cove to start his life again after waking up from a coma with no memory of his previous life. Hidden away in Catalina Cove he is determined to take one day at a time until a visitor to the town sparks a distant memory and a feeling he can’t ignore… Ashley knows who he is. Ray does not. The question is can you fall in love with someone you never stopped loving…

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Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE COMMONWEALTH WRITERS' PRIZE 2009LONGLISTED FOR THE MAN BOOKER PRIZE 2010'A tremendously vital book in every sense.' - Sunday TimesAt a suburban barbecue one afternoon, a man slaps an unruly boy. The boy is not his son. It is a single act of violence, but the slap reverberates through the lives of everyone who witnesses it happen. Christos Tsiolkas presents the impact of this apparently minor domestic incident through the eyes of eight of those who witness it. The result is an unflinching interrogation of the life of the modern family, a deeply thought-provoking novel about boundaries and their limits...Trade ReviewThe must-read novel of the summer. * Guardian *Honestly, one of the three or four truly great novels of the new millennium. * John Boyne *Now and then a book comes along that defines a summer. This year that book is The Slap... The writing has shades of Martin Amis, Nick Hornby and Anne Tyler... The ideal summer read. * Daily Telegraph *As addictive as the best soap opera. * Daily Mail *A tremendously vital book in every sense. * Sunday Times *Dazzling. * Independent *Tsiolkas is a true storyteller and a hundred sentences could be plucked from the text to demonstrate his genius for establishing place, mood and character in a handful of words * Sydney Morning Herald *Brilliantly compelling and utterly fresh... Fiercely fantastic, you won't be able to put this down. * Grazia *Nothing short of a tour de force. Tsiolkas outs a microscope to family life and presents us with a vision both of unflinching honesty and great tenderness. Here is a novel of immense power and scope, reminiscent of Jonathan Franzen's The Corrections and Don De Lillo's Underworld. * Colm Toibin *Brilliant, beautiful, shockingly lucid and real, this is a novel as big as life built from small, secret, closely observed beats of the human heart. A cool, calm, irresistible masterpiece. * Chris Cleave *

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Book SynopsisElijah, seven years old, is covered in scars and has a history of disruptive behaviour. His adoptive mother Nikki believes that she and her husband Obi are strong enough to accept his difficulties - and that being white will not affect her ability to raise a black son. Elijah's birth mother Deborah loves her son like the world has never known. Elijah thinks it's his fault they can't be together. Each of them faces more challenges than they could have dreamed, but just as Elijah starts to settle in, a shocking event rocks their fragile peace and the result is devastating.Trade Review'Expertly handles delicate, culturally sensitive issues . . . Elijah's voice shines through the pages, making him a character who is memorable long after the story ends' We Love This Book. * We Love This Book *'Kept us gripped throughout . . stayed with us long after we'd finished the final page' Stylist. * Stylist *'Staggeringly authentic, staggeringly moving and profound ... and at times hysterically funny. It's a gem' Lesley Lokko. * Lesley Lokko *'Uplifting, heartwarming' Pride Magazine. * Pride Magazine *

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Book SynopsisIn the comic masterpiece which established him one of the greatest writers in the English language, Naipaul follows the fortunes of Mr Biswas, the outsider who refuses to conform to the customs of his grander in-laws whose house he lives in. Finally finding a house of his own, he triumphs over the smaller minds who would repress him.

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Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE 1968 SOMERSET MAUGHAM PRIZE 'A picture of the Swinging Sixties without the romantic gloss of middle-aged memories' SUNDAY TIMES 'Angela Carter has language at her fingertips' NEW STATESMAN ' ... one of its most vivacious and compelling voices' INDEPENDENT Centre stage in Angela Carter's unruly tale of the Flower Power Generation is Joseph - a decadent, disorientated rebel without a cause. A self-styled nihilist whose girlfriend has abandoned him, Joseph has decided to give up existing. But his concerned friends and neighbours have other plans.In an effort to join in the spirit of protest which motivates his contemporaries, Joseph frees a badger from the local zoo; sends a turd airmail to the President of the United States; falls in love with the mother of his best friend; and, accompanied by the strains of an old man's violin, celebrates Christmas Eve in a bewildering state of sexual discovery. But has he found the Meaning of Life?Trade Review... One of its most vivacious and compelling voices * Independent *A picture of the Swinging Sixties without the romantic gloss of middle-aged memories * Sunday Times *Whatever her subject, Angela Carter writes like a dream - sometimes a nightmare * Sunday Telegraph *Angela Carter has language at her fingertips * New Statesman *

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Book SynopsisBetty Trask Award winner 2016. A stunning debut from the author of Speak Gigantular.A fragile outsider living in London, Joy struggles to pull the threads of her life back together after her mother's sudden death. Emptiness consumes her and, needing to fill the gaps of her loss, she finds she is drawn to a unique artefact inherited from her mother - a warrior's head cast in brass that belonged to a king in eighteenth century Benin, Nigeria.Joy is haunted by a beautiful young woman who appears in her photographs, familiar yet beguilingly distinct, the woman trails her wherever she goes. Joy begins to dream of a different time, a different place. She feels an inexplicable pull towards this mysterious female, and a past revealing itself through clues is scattered in her path. As family secrets come to light, she unearths the ties between her mother, grandfather, the wife of the king, a fearsome warrior, and the brass head's pivotal connection to them all.Haunting and compelling, Butterfly Fish is a richly told story of love and hope; of family secrets, power, political upheaval, loss and coming undone.'a novel of epic proportions... I fully expect to see Butterfly Fish on many an award nomination list.' Yvvette Edwards'A stunningly well-written book, juggling different timescales with great skill. Benin itself is vividly imagined in a historical narrative that runs in parallel with the contemporary London one. It is a wonderful novel." Simon Brett OBE'A wonderful, richly drawn novel, cleverly juxtaposing scenes from everyday London with African folklore and mysticism.' Joanne HarrisTrade ReviewButterfly Fish is a novel of epic proportions... From sentence to sentence, Okojie conjures up acutely observed, beautifully-worded metaphors that resonate and delight... I fully expect to see Butterfly Fish on many an award nomination list. It is a fascinating read, and one I highly recommend. * Yvette Edwards (author of A Cupboard Full of Coats, longlisted for the Man Booker Prize, and The Mother), Words of Colour *Her West African heritage is richly spun into her novel Butterfly Fish... The tale is peppered with moments of magical surrealism: a glass bottle shattering on a South London street to release two tiny scurrying figures into the night; a butterfly fish bursts into a local pool and belches a portentous brass key... The lyrical prose brings poignancy to the familiar London landscape. * Samuel Fishwick, Evening Standard *Vital, vivid, witty, truthful... * Maggie Gee, The Observer *

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Book SynopsisSpring is a deeply moving novel about family, our everyday lives, our joys and our struggles, beautifully illustrated by Anna Bjerger.I have just finished writing this book for you. What happened that summer nearly three years ago, and its repercussions, are long since over. Sometimes it hurts to live, but there is always something to live for.Spring follows a father and his newborn daughter through one day in April, from sunrise to sunset. It is a day filled with the small joys of family life, but also its deep struggles. With this striking novel in the Seasons quartet, Karl Ove Knausgaard reflects uncompromisingly on life's darkest moments and what can sustain us through them.Utterly gripping and brilliantly rendered in Knausgaard's famously pensive and honest style, Spring is the account of a shocking and heartbreaking familial trauma and the emotional epicentre of this singular literary series.Trade ReviewEntirely ingenious. Knausgaard isn’t afraid to be gauche, anxious, vulgar, inconsistent, portentous, sentimental. He makes virtues of what, in literary novels, are often counted faults. And he makes them moving. * Daily Telegraph *Spring features Knausgaard unbound. . . the book’s blunt, unforced telling brings the larger project’s meaning into sudden, brilliant focus… Knausgaard has assembled this living encyclopedia for his daughter with a wild and desperate sort of love, as a way to forge her attachment to the world, to fasten her to it... Fall in love with the world, he enjoins, stay sensitive to it, stay in it. * The New York Times *Heavy but not heavy-handed, this true noir of the North is dark, bleak and moody. This story about life that’s set over the course of single day will move and disturb in equal measure. * Monocle *An unexpected treat… A lovely piece of work. * Sunday Telegraph *Oodles of musing on life and art that’s by turns meandering and electrifying. * Metro *[Karl Ove Knausgaard] observes a subject so closely, mining so far into its essence – its quiddity – that the observations transcend banality and become compelling. -- Peter Murphy * Irish Times *For anyone who is curious about this writer... Spring makes for an excellent introduction. It is the shortest book he has ever written, but it is all muscle, a generous slice of a thoughtful, ruminative life. * The Washington Post *If you still haven’t tried Knausgaard... try Spring. It’s poignant and beautiful… you’ll get him and get why some of us have gone crazy for him. * Los Angeles Review of Books *A radical, thrilling departure from the first two volumes of his Seasons Quartet... this moving novel stylistically resembles his acclaimed My Struggle series... A remarkably honest take on the strange linkages between love, loss, laughter, and self-destruction, a perfect distillation of Knausgaard’s unique gifts. * Publishers Weekly *Knausgaard’s assets are on full display, including his precise writing style and his unerring sense of detail … it is all muscle, a generous slice of thoughtful, ruminative life. -- Rodney Welch * Washington Post *

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Book SynopsisOne of O: The Oprah Magazine's Most Anticipated Books of 2021One of Publishers Weekly's Top 10 picks for Spring 2021Ethan, a young lawyer in New York, learns that his father has long kept a second family - a wife and two kids living in Queens. In the aftermath of this revelation, Ethan's mother spends a year travelling abroad, returning much changed, just as her now ex-husband falls ill. Across town, Ethan's half brothers are caught in their own complicated journeys: one brother's penchant for minor delinquency has escalated and the other must travel to Bangkok to bail him out, while the bargains their mother struck about love and money continue to shape all their lives. As Ethan finds himself caught in a love triangle of his own, the interwoven fates of these two households elegantly unfurl to touch many other figures, revealing secret currents of empathy and loyalty, the bounty of improvised families and the paradoxical ties that weave through life's rich contours. With a generous and humane spirit, Secrets of Happiness elucidates the ways people marshal the resources at hand in an effort to find joy.Trade ReviewSecrets of Happiness unfolds across families and lovers, across time and expectations, across the country and across the world, and the bigger it gets, the more it shows how deeply connected we are. Joan Silber writes with a frankness and freshness that draws the reader closer with every page. It would be impossible to overstate just how good this book is. -- Ann PatchettSometimes the dexterity and plenitude of Silber's plotting take your breath away, or make you want to laugh. Why isn't there more fiction like this? ... why isn't there more fiction that's such a pleasure to read, simply because of its clarity, wisdom, heart, and elegance? Secrets of Happiness feels like a benchmark, a guiding star, a minimum height requirement; I'd like to say I will never again settle for fiction that's not as good as this, but I know I will have to. -- Nick Hornby * The Believer *As usual, with Secrets of Happiness the magnificent Joan Silber manages to make great writing look absolutely effortless. A warm, smart, seductive, hugely satisfying novel. -- Sarah Waters[Silber's] clean, confident prose offers plenty to savour. * Daily Mail *In an angry world, absence of anger may be Joan Silber's most original quality. Subtle, funny, thoughtful * Literary Review *Secrets of Happiness is a swim in cool, clear water in which the contours and colours of all experience are magnified, purified, intensified. Joan Silber's translucent, morally attentive prose does something to the vision as well as the spirit: if you can look up from it, you'll find your own world altered - rinsed clean, and luminous. -- Charlotte Wood, author of THE WEEKENDThese stories unfurl with such verbal verisimilitude that they're like late-night phone calls from old friends. Every imperative page trips along with the wry wisdom of ordinary speech - the illusion of artlessness that only the most artful writers can create. -- Ron Charles * Washington Post *Rich with the complexities of life . . .Pull any life's thread and you discover a mesh of involvement that soon takes in all the others. It is a fine thing, subtly done, and truly exhilarating. * Wall Street Journal *Few make fiction feel as exciting as Silber - and not in plot, but mere structure. Characters impact one another. Tones shift with perspective. Scenes build with profound scope . . . This latest novel feels like vintage Silber: stories interlinked with the confidence of Elizabeth Strout, but all their own mood and power. * Entertainment Weekly *If E.M. Forster hadn't already scooped up "Only connect" as the epigraph for his novel Howards End, Joan Silber would have the perfect fit for it. In fact, Silber deserves it a little more...Silber's knack for inhabiting far-flung realities is remarkable...Secrets of Happiness pays the best kind of attention to its characters' desires, dilemmas and, of course, connections. * Seattle Times *The author of the award-winning Improvement once again takes her scalpel to the complex anatomy of family, dissecting, with stunning precision, one young New Yorker's struggles with his father's secret life, the toll of deceits that doom a marriage, and the pitfalls of his own sexuality. * O, The Oprah Magazine *A new novel in stories from the master of the form...[E]choes the great Grace Paley, to whom Silber is so close in spirit and voice. While Paley was an all-New York gal, Silber makes faraway places seem familiar - oh, for the time when we can work on knowing the world even one-tenth as well as she does. These secrets of happiness really will make you happy, at least for a few sweet hours. * Kirkus Reviews *I never wonder more at how little we know about how greatly we factor in other people's lives than I do when reading Silber at her best. She aims, in increments, at the ecstatic...Capable of ecstasy, this time Silber delivers merely something humane, elegant and wise. -- Joshua Ferris * New York Times Book Review *Silber's brilliantly realised bird's-eye view has shown us...[the] people we are connected to are crucial to our happiness, just as we are to theirs. * Irish Times *Silber has a power that the rarest old masters have: close up, you feel their breath breathing life, nothing less, across a rosy cheek. You hold your own breath in those suspended seconds. * The Monthly *

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Book SynopsisOne beautiful September day, three sixty-six-year-old men convene on Martha's Vineyard, friends ever since meeting in college in the 1960s. They couldn't have been more different then, or even today - Lincoln's a commercial real estate broker, Teddy a tiny-press publisher and Mickey an ageing musician. But each man holds his own secrets, in addition to the monumental mystery that none of them has ever stopped puzzling over since 1971: the disappearance of their friend Jacy. Now, decades later, the distant past interrupts the present as the truth about what happened to Jacy finally emerges, forcing the men to reconsider everything they thought they knew about each other. Shot through with Russo's trademark comedy and humanity, Chances Are also introduces a new level of suspense and menace that will quicken the reader's heartbeat throughout this absorbing saga of how friendship's bonds are every bit as constricting and rewarding as those of family.For both longtime fans and lucky newcomers, Chances Are is a stunning demonstration of a highly-acclaimed author deepening and expanding his remarkable body of work.Trade ReviewCleverly paced, Russo's latest novel folds page-turning suspense into an unhurried, warmly observed portrait of friendship in later life. * Mail on Sunday *His stories are omnisciently narrated in a tone of sardonic understanding of human folly, which places him in the house of American style on a polished mezzanine between John Updike and Anne Tyler...Chances Are, a rare mix of the tense and tender, should gain Russo further literary acclaim. -- Mark Lawson * Guardian *There's much to enjoy in Richard Russo's typically nuanced portrait of three childhood friends...[a] fine-grained exploration of troubled, small-town masculinity...Russo's prose is so quietly melodious you can almost hear it singing. * Daily Mail *An eloquent excavation of long-buried secrets. * Observer *totally engrossing...Humane and beautifully crafted, it provides further compelling evidence of Russo's prestige as a contemporary American writer. * Sydney Morning Herald *...chances are awfully good that you'll lap up this gripping, wise and wonderful summer treat. * Boston Globe *Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Richard Russo balances suspense with comedy in this gripping tale. * Time *Richard Russo is often compared to Dickens, to whom he clearly owes a debt, but the ghost hovering over his fabulous new novel, Chances Are, feels more like Sam Shepard...Next to Colson Whitehead's new book, there's not a better paced summer read -- John Freeman * Literary Hub *...blends everything we love about this author with something new...Vintage Russo...No one understands men better than Russo, and no one is more eloquent in explaining how they think, suffer and love. * Kirkus (starred review) *Russo's hallmark themes - the intricacy of male friendships, one-sided love, the collision of the past with the present - are on full display * New York Times *...a brisk story with memorable characters and smart things to say about loss and missed opportunities. * Minneapolis Star Tribune *...there's heart and beauty on every page. * USA Today *Richard Russo can write like Edith Wharton leavened with a touch of David Lodge. * The Economist *A writer of great comedy and warmth, Russo's living proof that a book can be profound and wise without aiming straight into darkness. * USA Today *Perhaps if it was pointed out that here was a US writer who stood somewhere between Anne Tyler at her darkest and Russell Banks, with an occasional hint of Richard Ford at his least bleak, perhaps Russo would become as widely read as he deserves to be. * Irish Times *No one writing today captures the detail of life with such stunning accuracy. -- Annie Proulx

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Book SynopsisIn love and happy, with a marriage that back home in Colombia people would kill for, Tom and Naomi Barnes, pursue their dream of prosperity and the perfect family in a London brimming with opportunity. While Tom works long hours for a super-hedge fund, Naomi becomes the ghostwriter for fellow school mum and Haitian immigrant Solange Wolf with whom she shares parallel lives. Tom becomes increasingly successful and soon the family are living the dream. But as money and prestige increase, Naomi can't shake the paranoia that comes from accelerated wealth and a culture of malediction. When Solange suddenly announces that the manuscript they have been working on was all based on secrets and lies, Naomi, whose own life is beginning to unravel, starts to doubt not only Solange's grasp on reality but her own and she begins to seriously question the very foundation of her love and marriage to Tom, with devastating consequences.Trade ReviewA magnetic and affecting tale filled with both humor and pain, Living the Dream depicts the glamorous yet flawed lives of two immigrant women in pre and post Brexit London. This layered and captivating novel is at times out loud funny and other times heartbreaking, yet we are constantly charmed by its narrator and her muse, or rather her muses, which include Colombia, Haiti, England, and beyond. * Edwidge Danticat, author of Breath, Eyes, Memory *

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Book SynopsisHoney Fontaine has spent much of her adult life dodging her mother's attempts to marry her off, and has had enough. Her mother, having changed her own life by marrying into comfort and means, is determined to find a similar suitable match for her daughter, much to Honey's distress. At her wits end, Honey decides to enlist the support of Ashley Elliot, a well-off club owner and determined flirt, who will pretend to be Honey's man. Ashley is not Honey's usual type, but she finds herself increasingly drawn to him and what a relationship with him could be like. When the latest of her mother's picks proves to be unexpectedly attractive to her, Honey finds herself suddenly forced to have to make a choice. Stability or passion, comfort or risk? What will Honey do?

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Book SynopsisThe weird, fetid, familiar discomfort of family is front and centre in these short stories of all the ways we remain a mystery to each other.The mysteries of kinship (families born into and families made) take disconcerting and familiar shapes in these refreshingly frank short stories. A family is haunted by a beast that splatters fruit against its walls every night, another undergoes a near-collision with a bus on the way home from the beach. Mothers are cold, fathers are absent—we know these moments in the abstract, but Adaui makes each as uncanny as our own lives: close but not yet understood.Trade Review"haunting….Adaui’s poetic prose elevates the poignancy of these mostly somber stories" —Publishers Weekly"A kaleidoscopic collection that takes a sharp, dark look at family and how we survive it." —Kirkus"A softly beguiling book that pulls the reader into its complexity and investigation of deeply vicious themes." —The Arts Desk"Brief, incendiary tales, flaring into being." —Irish Times"With this book Katya Adaui consolidates her position as one of the most subtle and original Peruvian writers in recent years." —El País"Adaui belongs to a resurgence of women storytellers who have restored the pleasure of reading stories that leave us suffering from their sweet intoxication." —WMagazín

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Book SynopsisThis gorgeous, funny novel paints a picture of a bygone era, depicting the changing society in Ceylon after Independence from the British in 1948. Three Tamil girl cousins, Gowry, Saratha and Buvana, grow up in the old-fashioned village of Kolavil in Eastern Sri Lanka near the beautiful River Thillai. As they approach womanhood, they each struggle in their own way to assert themselves in opposition to the strict traditions of Tamil culture and their powerful Grandma. Their idyllic village life is threatened by people and by events beyond their control. Meanwhile, the reader can get lost in a colourful world of flamingos, temple bells and coconut prawn curry.

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Book SynopsisA rare, funny and poignant novel celebrating the beauty of open adoption and non-traditional families.They look just like any other family... but between the four children there are THREE sets of parents who committed to an open adoption of biological siblings, keeping the children connected after the death of their grandmother.Tabitha the planner of the group, is insistent that everything happens just so. Quiet single mother Ginger resists the forced togetherness, and newest mother Elizabeth is still reeling from going directly from failed fertility treatments into adopting a newborn.But when the three women receive a surprising call from their children's birth mother, announcing she is pregnant again and wants them to help her find an adoptive family for this child too, the delicate bonds they are still struggling to form threaten to collapse. As tensions start to rise on their joint family holiday, the three women reckon with their own feelings about what it means to be a mother and what they owe each other as a family.The New York Times bestselling author of The Weird Sisters returns with a striking and intimate new novel about three very different women facing an impossible question: what makes a family?Real Simple''s Best Books of 2022The Washington Post''s 12 Noteworthy Books for July and AugustEntertainment Weekly's Best New Books of July 2022''[A] full-bodied exploration of family ties, especially those made by choice'' The New York Times Book Review''Brown's experience with adoption brings emotional depth to her chronicle of each woman's anxieties'' The Washington Post''Brown has a sure hand in portraying the adoptive women; their smart, lively dialogue sparks as the characters try to define the boundaries of a family'' Publishers'' Weekly''A prismatic story of family, adoption, and how the people we choose to keep close shape who we are'' Kirkus''Explores what it means to be a family, in all its messy complication'' Christina Baker Kline''Brown brings compassion and insight to exploring the hopes and vulnerability that make us first human, then family'' Isabel Costello''A beautifully written, elegantly assembled exploration of the joys and complications of family, any family, no matter what it looks like'' Laurie Frankel''I adored this story'' Prima''Smart, original, wholly satisfying'' Elinor Lipman

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Book SynopsisOh how I love this book. I finished Edie Richter Is Not Alone in one sitting, then reread it immediately. Hilariously heartbreakingly honest on every page, Rebecca Handler's novel is that rare thing: a perfect book. Andrew Sean Greer, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of LessFunny, acerbic Edie Richter is moving with her husband from San Francisco to Perth, Australia. She leaves behind a sister and mother still mourning the recent death of her father. Before the move, Edie and her husband were content, if socially awkward?given her disinclination for small talk. In Perth, Edie finds herself in a remarkably isolated yet verdant corner of the world, but Edie has a secret: she committed an unthinkable act that she can barely admit to herself. In some ways, the landscape mirrors her own complicated inner life, and rather than escaping her past, Edie is increasingly forced to confront what she''s done. Everybody, from the wildlife to her new neighbors, is keen to engage, and Edie does her best to start fresh. But her relationship with her husband is fraying, and the beautiful memories of her father are heartbreaking, and impossible to stop. Something, in the end, has to give.Written in clean spare prose that is nevertheless brimming with the richness and wry humor of the protagonist''s observations and idiosyncrasies, Edie Richter is Not Alone is Rebecca Handler's debut novel. It is both deeply shocking and entirely quotidian: a story about a woman''s visceral confrontation with the fundamental meaning of humanity.

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Book Synopsis?Hafner?s taut and utterly delightful debut is a novel of multitudes. . . . What a wonder of storytelling.??Weike Wang, New York TimesNew York Times Editor?s Choice * Good Morning America Reading Pick * LitHub Most Anticipated Book * Christian Science Monitor Summer Reading PickA delicious summer read filled with humor and surprise for readers of Anne Tyler and Kevin Wilson.When introverted Ethan Fawcett marries fun-loving Barb, so comfortable in the world, he has every reason to believe he will be delivered from a lifetime of solitude. She fills his world with a sense of adventure, expanding his horizons beyond his comfortable routine. To ease Ethan?s fears of becoming a father, Barb suggests they foster two young brothers, Tommy and Sam, and Ethan immediately falls in love with the boys.When the pandemic hits, he becomes obsessed with providing a perfect life for them. But instead of bringing Barb and Ethan closer together, the boys become a wedge in their relationship, as Ethan is unable to share with Barb a secret that has been haunting him since childhood. Then Ethan takes Tommy and Sam on a biking trip in Italy, and it becomes clear just how unusual Ethan and his boys are.

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Book SynopsisA new kind of momcom role-playing adventure! Next stop on the party's journey is a casino town! Lured by the potential big winnings, Wise, Medhi, and Porta try their luck at a few games only to sustain devastating financial losses. It's up to Masato and his mother Mamako to rescue them from their debt by taking on a job at the casino...and for Mamako, that involves a bunny girl costume! For readers ages 16 and up

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Book Synopsis'The Valley of the Moon' is an autobiographical portrait of Jack and his wife Chairman leaving working on the Oakland docks to live in Sonoma Valley. The story of Saxon and Billy is a love story that starts off with a boom and then go through difficulties and hard times. Saxon and Billy end up following a wonderful dream. This book is notable for the scenes in which the hero enjoys fellowship with the artists' colony in Carmel, and he settles in the Moon. It is Saxon, London's most fully realised heroine, who embraces these concerns.

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Book Synopsis From the bestselling author of Everything Is Beautiful, comes an utterly heartwarming new novel, about what it truly means to belong to those you love.''A warm-hearted, emotional read'' Daily Mail''Gripping, endearing and thought-provoking, this beautifully woven novel championing family, solidarity and friendship is full of warmth and heart. A joy from start to finish - one not to miss'' HOLLY MILLER''Joyful and tender'' Woman''s Own''The Art of Belonging is just the loveliest, uplifting novel and fills the soul with joy'' LORNA COOK''A delightful, big-hearted story of family and forgiveness'' Good Housekeeping''Heartfelt and heartwarming, this uplifting read is full of characters to cherish and cheer for'' PHAEDRA PATRICK ................................................ Sometimes you need to ope

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Book Synopsis Sunday Times bestselling author''s brand new thriller about one woman''s quest to reclaim her life What turns someone into a monster? Are they born that way, or is it a choice? I suppose it can be either or bothMorgan Albright dreams of owning her own bar one day but she''s bartending for now - working hard, saving money. Life is hectic but she loves sharing a house with her best friend, Nina, and she is even finding time to date for the first time in what feels like forever.When a seemingly random attack turns Morgan''s life upside down, she must leave the city to return to her family home. She hopes that moving back to a small town where she can feel safe will help her to put the horror of that day behind her but, as Morgan soon discovers, sometimes your past just doesn''t want to let you go...

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