Search results for ""Author Emily Hourican""

'Insightful and astute writing ... Emily Hourican has a wonderful understanding of human nature' Louise O'NeillThe summer she turned twenty-five, Anna felt invincible.In love for the first time, in a strange city far from home, she could be a new person. All that she had ever wanted was there for the taking. But the glorious possibility of those long sultry days ended in a reality far starker than she could have imagined.Now, fifteen years later, Anna is struggling to get through to her teenage daughter Jessie -- named in memory of Anna's best friend -- who has developed an eating disorder. Mother and daughter were once close, but now Anna feels as if Jessie's every word and action is a mystery. Though sometimes she wonders if Jessie can see right through her.And when her daughter starts to report dreams about the namesake she never met, Anna -- increasingly unnerved by just how much her daughter seems to know -- is forced to face the secrets of that summer when her life changed in one unravelling moment, and the brutal truth about the part she had to play.

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What happens when you invite an outsider in?It was supposed to be the holiday of a lifetime - a luxury villa in Ibiza, a group of university friends, and their last chance to cut loose before embarking on their serious adult lives. But when when one of the group invites an outsider, the aloof and beautiful Natasha, tensions begin to simmer.The days pass amid the sweltering rays, and dissolve into wild, humid nights. And Natasha seems bent upon a path of destruction, leading her to Jennifer's boyfriend, Todd - while Jennifer and the rest of the group look on . . .Then, one hazy afternoon, paradise is shattered.Ten years later, the friends reunite. Will what happened that afternoon at White Villa now destroy the lives and facades they have so carefully built?

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''Perfect for fans of The Crown and Downton Abbey '' Hazel Gaynor, bestselling author of The Last Lifeboat''A breathtaking, glamorous and escapist read'' Irish TimesLondon 1938: Daughter of the US ambassador, Kathleen ''Kick'' Kennedy is a huge hit in society''s most elite circles, though she isn''t always sure she fits in. While Kick is falling for duke-in-waiting Billy Cavendish, a man her parents will never let her marry, across the city Lady Brigid Guinness has no interest in love or society connections. But her ambitious brother-in-law has other ideas and seems determined to engineer a match with a German prince.When they are invited to an exclusive gathering at a country estate, the young women soon form an unlikely friendship: the stuck-up aristocrat and the brash American. Then Billy and Prince Fritzi join the party, and tensions rise as Kick and Brigid discover that beneath the group''s façade of politeness,

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'A brilliant blend of sweeping satisfying family drama with a tense undercurrent of psychological thriller that hooks on and doesn't let go until [Hourican] delivers her last devastating page' Sunday Independent'The Outsider is everything you could want from high-end commercial fiction - it's sharp, compelling, and full of keenly observed truths about human behaviour. Emily Hourican has always been an insightful, astute writer but this may be her best novel yet.' Louise O'NeillTwo very different families ... One is loud, eccentric, rich and confident. The other is less sure of their place in life. On holidays in Portugal, a near-drowning brings the ten-year-old daughters, Jamie and Sarah, together and a friendship is formed. As the bond between the girls grows deeper, so too do the ties between their families and an unsettling closeness develops between two of the adults. Then, as Jamie begins to feel suffocated by the intensity of Sarah's friendship, cracks begin to show. What will it take to shatter the façade of friendship? The affair? The obsessive crush? And which family will be left whole? The Outsider is the compelling and unforgettable story of the complexity of friendship, marriage, hidden passions and teenage desire.

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'Glorious! Glamorous, feisty women living through shifting times. Wonderful escapism' TRACY REESFrom the top ten bestselling author of The Glorious Guinness Girls, a stunning new novel of secrets, scandals and passions which follows the three enigmatic Guinness sisters, set in Ireland and London in the fascinating 1930s. 'An utterly captivating insight into these fascinating women and the times they lived in ... it's an absolute page-turner' Irish Independent 'Fans of Downton Abbey will adore this, and it would be surprising if the book weren't made into a luscious mini-series' The Sunday Times on The Glorious Guinness GirlsAs Aileen, Maureen and Oonagh - the three privileged Guinness sisters, darlings of society in Dublin and London - settle into becoming wives and mothers, they quickly discover that their gilded upbringing could not have prepared them for the realities of married life.For the eldest, Aileen, in Luttrellstown Castle outside Dublin, being married offers far less than she had expected;for outspoken Maureen, in the crumbling Clandeboye in Northern Ireland, marriage means intense passion, but fiercerows; while Oonagh's dream of romantic love in London is shattered by her husband's lies.And as 1930s Britain becomes increasingly politically polarised, the sisters' close friends, the Mitfords, find themselves under the media glare - causing the Guinness women to examine their own lives.Inspired by true-life events, The Guinness Girls: A Hint of Scandal is a sweeping, epic novel of Ireland and Britain in the grip of change, and a story of how three women who wanted for nothing were about to learn that they couldn't have everything.Praise for The Glorious Guinness Girls:'If, like me, you have binge-watched Bridgerton then this book is bound to be your cup of tea' Scribbles by Kat'A captivating and page-turning novel about a fascinating family. Fantastic' Sinéad Moriarty'The Glorious Guinness Girls has already been compared, and rightly so, to Downton Abbey. The two share a delicious comfort-blanket quality, only in the book's case, you do not need to wait until Sunday evenings before availing of its escapist properties. The story combines the intimacy of a family drama, set against the most opulent of backdrops, with sweeping historical themes. The tragic fragility of so many of the Guinness Girls' set - that ability to burn bright, but burn fast, is perfectly captured here' Irish Independent'A must for all Downton Abbey fans, The Glorious Guinness Girls is a gorgeous book, a captivating tale about a young girl caught up in the lifestyle of a family that continues to fascinate - the Guinness Family. A joy to read' Swirl and Thread

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'A gloriously good read' Sunday Independent LIFESURROUNDED BY WEALTH, GLAMOUR AND EXCITEMENTLady Honor Guinness is a reluctant wallflower. But that all changes when she marries Henry 'Chips' Channon, a charming and ambitious American. On his arm, she finds herself at the heart of 1930s London's most elite social circles, mingling with aristocrats, politicians and royalty. But it's not too long before Chips begins toprioritise his aspirations over all else, and Honor begins to wonder who exactly she has married.By her side is her best friend Doris, a young woman eager to establish her place in society. A social butterfly who keeps the details of her family background to herself, Doris is hopeful her beauty and charm will win her a suitable husband, but she has no interest in a romantic attachment. Until she is introduced to 'the most devastating man in London'.Inspired by true-life events, The Other Guinness Girl: A Question of Honor is an elegant, captivating story of two young women navigating friendship, loneliness, love and desire as they try to find their places in a society where the rules seem to change every moment.PRAISE FOR THE GUINNESS GIRLS NOVELS'Utterly captivating ... an absolute page-turner' IRISH INDEPENDENT'Masterfully and glamorously told' SUNDAY BUSINESS POST'Fans of Downton Abbey will adore this' SUNDAY TIMES

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'An utterly captivating insight into these fascinating women and the times they lived in ... it's an absolute page-turner' Irish Independent'Masterfully and glamorously told ... essential reading for history and gossip lovers alike' Sunday Business Post'An enthralling tale that will dazzle and delight ... If you loved the drama of The Crown, then you will adore The Guinness Girls: A Hint of Scandal' Swirl and Thread'Engrossing and page-turning ... I loved it' Louise O'NeillAs Aileen, Maureen and Oonagh - the three privileged Guinness sisters, darlings of 1930s society - settle into becoming wives and mothers, they quickly discover that their gilded upbringing has not prepared them for the realities of married life.At Dublin's Luttrellstown Castle, practical Aileen has already run out of things to say to her husband. Outspoken Maureen is very much in love but feels isolated at the crumbling Clandeboye estate in Northern Ireland. And, as romantic Oonagh's dreams of happiness in London are crushed by her husband's lies, she seeks comfort in her friends - but can they be trusted?As the sisters deal with desire and betrayal amidst vicious society gossip, their close friends, the Mitfords, find themselves under the media glare - and the Guinness women are forced to examine their place in this quickly-changing world.Inspired by true-life events, The Guinness Girls: A Hint of Scandal is a dazzling, page-turning novel about Ireland and Britain in the grip of change, and a story of how three women who wanted for nothing were about to learn that they couldn't have everything.

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'A fascinating read' Sunday Independent'The best in the series so far' Sunday Business PostHonor Guinness is rich, aristocratic, shy and awkward -- nothing like her glamorous cousins Aileen, Maureen and Oonagh.But when she marries charming and ambitious American, Henry 'Chips' Channon, together they make the perfect couple at the heart of the most elite social circles -- including a close friendship with the Prince of Wales and Mrs Wallis Simpson. But within the marriage, all is less than perfect.Meanwhile, Honor's best friend, the beautiful, enigmatic Doris, is set on establishing her place in London society. But, as tensions rise in 1930s Europe, Doris, born to a German-Jewish mother, hears troubling accounts from her cousins in Berlin. Will she be able to secure the right marriage to protect her family, and her future?Set against the rise of Nazism, the abdication of a king, and the slide into World War II, The Other Guinness Girl is a sweeping novel of love, desire, friendship and self-discovery.

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When Kathleen ''Kick'' Kennedy left London four years ago, Europe was facing war and Billy Cavendish, the man she loved, had told her he could never marry her. Now, as London stands a shell of its former self, Kick returns to volunteer with the Red Cross, determined to do what she can for the city that holds a part of her heart, and to reconnect with Billy - despite what London society thinks of her.For Lady Brigid Guinness, life is unrecognisable. She has swapped dinner parties, social engagements and high fashion for long shifts as a nurse helping wounded soldiers. And the only person she can really talk to is a man shunned by her inner circle. When Sissy, a young Irish girl, arrives from Wicklow under the care of the Guinness family, she brings her own secrets and all three women begin to realise that in a time of war, friendship might be the only thing they can rely on. A Kennedy Affair is a story of forbidden love, family discord, and how in the w

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From the top ten bestselling author of The Glorious Guinness Girls comes a stunning new novel following the three enigmatic sisters as they set out on married life.

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LOVE AFFAIRS, LIES, SCANDALS, SECRETS... Aileen. Maureen. Oonagh. The private lives of the Glorious Guinness Girls fascinated a nation. But privilege always has its price...Granddaughters of the first Earl of Iveagh, the three daughters of Ernest Guinness are glamorous society girls, skipping from party to party, the toast of Dublin and London. Darlings of the press, with not a care in the world. But what beautiful ruins lie behind the glass of their privileged worlds? The love affairs, the scandals, the tragedies, the secrets...Inspired by fascinating real events and a remarkable true story, from the the brittle glamour of 1920s London to the turmoil of Ireland's War of Independence, this dramatic, richly textured reading group novel takes us into the heart of a beautiful but often painful hidden world.If you loved Downton Abbey, Julian Fellowes' Belgravia, Paula McLain's The Paris Wife or Therese Anne Fowler's Z is for Zelda, you will adore The Golden Guinness Girls.

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'Perfect for fans of The Crown and Downton Abbey ' Hazel Gaynor, bestselling author of The Last Lifeboat'A breathtakingly glamorous and escapist read' Irish TimesKathleen 'Kick' Kennedy, recently arrived from Boston, is already a huge hit in 1930s London society. As the daughter of the US ambassador, she is at the centre of the most elite social circles. But when she falls for a duke-in-waiting, she realises there are plenty of people who think she doesn't belong.Lady Brigid Guinness has no interest in love, marriage or society connections. But her brother-in-law Chips Channon has other ideas - and seems intent on pushing her towards a match with a dull German prince.When Chips invites the Kennedys and a select group of friends and family to Kelvedon Hall, his country estate, Brigid and Kick discover that beneath the brittle facade of politeness, marriages are on the rocks, political intrigue abounds and nothing is really as it seems - all while the war in Europe grows closer by the day.By the time their week in Essex has ended, both Kick and Brigid realise that their world is changing rapidly, and their hopes and plans for the future may have to change too . . .Inspired by true-life events, An Invitation to the Kennedys is a spell-binding page-turner from the bestselling author of the Guinness Girls series.'Full of rich details and dizzying descriptions worthy of Downton, it's a really enjoyable piece of escapism' Woman's Way

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