A. Igoni Barrett was born in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, in 1979 and lives in Lagos. He is a winner of the 2005 BBC World Service short story competition, the recipient of a Chinua Achebe Center Fellowship, a Norman Mailer Center Fellowship, and a Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Center Residency. His short story collection, Love is Power, or Something Like That, was published in 2013. In 2014 he was named on the Africa39 list of sub-Saharan African writers under 40. Blackass is his first novel.

A. Igoni Barrett

The short life of A.J.A. Symons (1900-41) was described by his biographer as an intricate and largely harmless confidence trick. His many interests included the collection of musical boxes and rare books as well as the study and practice of forgery; they left him time to edit an anthology of Edwardian verse and compose studies of H.M. Stanley and other notable figures. He is remembered for The Quest for Corvo, one of the most remarkable biographies ever written, and for co-founding the Wine and Food Society.

A. J. A. Symons

A. J. Liebling, born in Manhattan in 1904, joined the staff of the New Yorker in 1935 and contributed innumerable articles to the magazine throughout his lifetime, on subjects ranging from food to boxing and France to horse racing. As a war correspondent during the Second World War, he reported from France, England and Algeria, and participated in the Normandy landings. In later life he married the writer Jean Stafford, his third wife. He died in 1963.

A. J. Liebling

A. J. Rosen is an author of YA fantasy novels and is an ambassador for Wattpad, known as @agatharoza. Entwined is her first novel.

A. J. Rosen

A. K. Davidson

A. O. Scott has been a film critic at the New York Times since 2000. His writing has appeared in many other publications, including the New York Review of Books, Slate, the New Yorker and the Nation. A finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in criticism in 2010, Scott is currently Distinguished Professor of Film Criticism at Wesleyan University. He lives with his family in Brooklyn, New York. 
 
@aoscott

A. O. Scott

A.S. Byatt (1936-2023) was a novelist, short-story writer and critic of international renown. Her novels include Possession (winner of the Booker Prize 1990), the Frederica Quartet and The Children’s Book, which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize and won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for Fiction. She was appointed CBE in 1990 and DBE in 1999, and was awarded the Erasmus Prize 2016 for her ‘inspiring contribution to life writing’ and the Pak Kyongni Prize 2017. In 2018 she received the Hans Christian Andersen Literature Award.

A. S. Byatt

A. T. Williams won the George Orwell Prize for Political Writing in 2013 for his book A Very British Killing: The Death of Baha Mousa. He lives in Warwickshire.

A. T. Williams

A. W. Chase

Dubbed ‘The new queen of spy fiction’ by the Guardian newspaper, and ‘the real thing’ by the Washington Post, A.C. 'Ava' Glass is the CWA Dagger-shortlisted author of Alias Emma (The Chase), The Traitor and The Trap. The Traitor was a 2023 Richard and Judy Bookclub pick. Alias Emma was a Barnes and Noble book of the month. A former crime reporter and communications consultant, for five years Ava worked closely with spies. Her time in that world fascinated her, and the people she met back then inspire every book she writes.

A.C. Glass

A.E. Housman

Arthur Edward Waite was the designer and co-creator of the now famous Rider Waite Tarot deck. 
 
An American-born British poet and scholarly mystic, his strong interest in all esoteric matters - divination, magic, Kabbalism, alchemy and Freemasony - led to him penning a number of books. These include the Key to the Tarot, The Book of Ceremonial Magic and A New Encyclopedia of Freemasony.

A.E. Waite

A.E. Warren is the author of the Tomorrow's Ancestors series, which consists of Subject Twenty-One, The Hidden Base, The Fourth Species and The Final Rising. 
 
After spending eight years working as a lawyer, she began to write in the evenings and early mornings as a form of escapism from life in a very small cubicle with lots of files. She self-published her first novels in her spare time, which were picked up by Del Rey UK which is the science fiction/fantasy imprint of Penguin Random House. 
 
 She is an avid reader, occasional gamer and fair-weather runner. She lives in the UK with her husband, daughter and hopefully, one day, a wise border terrier named Austen.

A.E. Warren

A.G.D. Maran

A.J. Ayer

A.J. Cronin

A K Benedict writes crime and speculative fiction in a room filled with clowns, mannequins and Doctor Who figures. Her first novel, The Beauty of Murder, was nominated for an eDunnit award and is in development for a major 8-part TV series by Company Pictures. Her second, Jonathan Dark or The Evidence of Ghosts, came out in February 2016. She's written Torchwood audio dramas for Big Finish and her short stories have featured in anthologies including Great British Horror and Best British Short Stories. She lives in St Leonards-on-Sea with her dog, Dame Margaret Rutherford.

A.K.Benedict

A. L. Kennedy has twice been selected as one of Granta’s Best of Young British Novelists and has won a host of other awards – including the Costa Book of the Year for her novel Day. She lives in Essex.

A.L. Kennedy

A.M. Ellis is a speculative fiction author and lover of everything steeped in myth and mystery. Her stories often lean into diverse voices, not only in her identity as a Black woman, but in exploring neurodivergence and mental health. A proud introvert and nostalgic gamer, she lives in Maryland, USA, with her husband and three children.

A.M. Ellis

A.N. Wilson was born in 1950 and educated at Rugby and New College, Oxford. A Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, he holds a prominent position in the world of literature and journalism. He is an award-winning biographer and a celebrated novelist, winning prizes for much of his work. He lives in North London.

A.N. Wilson

A. T. Emerald lives with her husband and baby daughter in Nottinghamshire. She discovered her love of writing in 2020 and has not shut up about enemies to lovers ever since. She loves iced matcha, torrid love confessions with knives pressed to throats (fictional, of course) and does not accept bills for any therapy her books might incur.

A.T. Emerald

A.W. Priest

A.B.C. Merriman-Labor was a barrister, writer and munitions worker born in Freetown, Sierra Leone in 1877. His published works include A Series of Lectures on the Negro Race and The Story of the African Slave in a Nutshell. He also edited two editions of the Handbook of Sierra Leone. He arrived in the UK in 1904 to study law. In 1907, he organised a centenary commemoration of the abolition of the slave trade in Westminster Abbey. He later embarked on an 'entertainment-lecture' tour called Life and Scenes in Britain, travelling across thousands of miles of West, South West and Central Africa, which he expanded on to create Britons Through Negro Spectacles.

ABC Merriman-Labor

AJ Cronin

AJ Molloy

Aabria Iyengar is an American actress and author.

Aabria Iyengar

Aaliya Jaleel is a freelance illustrator, designer, and visual development artist, currently majoring in Animation at the University of Texas at Dallas. She is also the illustrator of Under My Hijab and Muslim Girls Rise. You can visit her online at www.aaliyamj.com.

Aaliya Jaleel

Aaron Allston

After more than fifteen years of experience as a clinical psychotherapist, Dr Aaron Balick has taken the amazing insights from psychology and psychotherapy out of the consultation room and made them accessible to the wider world. 
 
He has been an ‘agony uncle’ for many years for both CBBC and BBC Radio 1, as well as on television, including BBC Worldwide, BBC 3 and BBC Learning.

Aaron Balick

Aaron Carroll

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Janet Haslam

Rachel Cooper's father kept his family in a state of terrified subservience. When he died - apoplectic with rage at having been crossed, at last, by his son - Rachel was left to care for her helpless mother and difficult young sister. Raped by a local youth whose love she thought she had gained, she gave birth in secret to a daughter who had to be given away for adoption. 
 
Hating and mistrusting all men, Rachel's only friend was Polly, the local wise woman whose support and counsel was to bring her through the worst of times. She managed to develop a successful career and to win the love of a good, kindly man, but her sufferings were not yet over. At last, with courage and the will to survive, Rachel found true fulfillment and reconciliation with the daughter she thought she had lost forever.

Rachel's Daughter

Joanna Trollope

This special 2-for-1 collection features two classic Joanna Trollope novels: The Other Family and A Village Affair. 
 
The Other Family: 
 
Chrissie, in the twenty-three years she'd been together with Richie, had always believed that he loved her. He loved their three daughters and their house in Highgate and their happy, lively existence. But if she really was the love of his life, why had he never given her the one thing that would have made her life perfect? 
 
Then suddenly Richie is no longer there, and without him Chrissie's carefully constructed life is in jeopardy.The one big fact she had always tried to keep from her daughters threatens to overwhelm them all. For Richie had still been married to his first wife, the one with a son that he had abandoned in Newcastle. 
 
And now, with Richie gone and the practicalities of wills and money to be sorted out, it is finally time for the two families to face each other ... 
 
A Village Affair: 
 
The Grey House is the answer to everything in Alice Jordan's perfect life. It seems to be the ultimate achievement of her outwardly happy marriage – a loyal, if dull husband, three children, two cars and now the house. So why does she feel as if something crucial is missing? 
 
As Alice and her family settle themselves into village life the something missing becomes something huge and then breaks, scandalizing the village, opening up old wounds. But because of it, Alice begins to feel that there is hope and humour, understanding and compassion in the new life she must build for herself.

Joanna Trollope: The Other Family & A Village Affair

Ebook Bundle

Johanna Lindsey

Let #1 New York Times bestselling author Johanna Lindsey take you on a captivating and sweeping romantic adventure. If you like Bridgerton, Georgette Heyer and Jenny Hambly, you will love this! 
 
"Deliciously sexy historical romance" -- BOOKLIST 
"First-rate romance" -- NEW YORK DAILY NEWS 
"Lindsey has mastered her craft, she creates fantasy...You want romance - you got it!" -- INSIDE BOOKS 
"Johanna Lindsey creates fairy tales that come true...she understands a woman's secret fantasies" -- ROMANTIC TIMES 
"Just what the doctor ordered..." -- ***** Reader review 
"A must read...beautifully written" -- ***** Reader review 
"I love the way she takes the reader right inside the characters heads" -- ***** Reader review 
 
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TWO SISTERS. ONE MAN. WHO WILL CAPTURE HIS HEART? 
 
When their father does unexpectedly, twins Amanda and Marian Laton are stunned to discover that in his will he has put them in the charge of their Aunt, who lives on a sprawling Texas farm. 
 
Horrified to be leaving the town where they have grown up, the twins arrive at their Aunt Red's ranchhouse, only too aware that she now has to approve any suitor of theirs who may appear - or they lose their inheritance. 
 
Amanda, with her glorious golden ringlets, had always been her father's favourite, and her scheming ways ensure that Marian never has the attention of any of the boys who call at their house. 
 
But they soon both meet Chad Kincaid, handsome cowboy son of the next-door ranch owner - and both girls want him. 
 
After an intoxicating series of twists and turns the course of true love ends in one of the Laton twins winning the heart of Chad...the heart of a man she can call her own.

A Man To Call My Own

An unforgettable romance from the #1 New York Times bestselling author Johanna Lindsey

Elvi Rhodes

Perfect for fans of Kitty Neale, Rosie Goodwin and Dilly Court, this is timely novel of one woman's quest to establish herself in a man's world by multi-million copy seller Elvi Rhodes. Perfect to settle down with! 
 
READERS ARE LOVING DOCTOR ROSE! 
"What a page turner" - 5 STAR REVIEW 
"A book to lose yourself in and enjoy - fantastic!" - 5 STAR REVIEW 
"Captures the imagination" - 5 STAR REVIEW 
"A very good story - Elvi Rhodes eases you in to her stories. When you finish a chapter the reader is left with enthusiasm to turn the next page and continue" - 5 STAR REVIEW 
 
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SHE'S DETERMINED TO MAKE HER MARK IN A MAN'S WORLD... 
 
The 1920s: being a female doctor is tough, especially if you work in the welfare centre of an industrial Yorkshire town. 
 
Rose - who has the added disadvantage of being young and pretty - finds she has to cope with elderly male prejudice from those above her, and apathetic ignorance and poverty from those she is trying to help. 
 
She'll need all the inner strength and confidence she can muster to find her way...

Doctor Rose

a stirring Yorkshire saga of female determination and drive you won’t easily forget

Susan Sallis

An epic tale of love and rivalry from the Sunday Times bestselling author and multi-million copy seller Susan Sallis, perfect for fans of Maeve Binchy and Rosamunde Pilcher. 
 
READERS ARE LOVING SWEETER THAN WINE! 
"This is a good read with vivid characters and locations." - 5 STARS 
"I'm looking forward to more stories by this author. Hopefully there will be more about these characters in the future." - 5 STARS 
 
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Two families. Two young lovers. Their loyalties divided; their hearts torn in two. 
 
1850, Barbados. A quarrel between two rival families on a sugar plantation sets off years of resentment and rivalry between the Rudolphs and the Martinez. 
 
1927, Bristol. Jack Martinez dances with Maude Rudolph at the Michaelmas Ball. A spark is kindled, a passion grows. 
 
Can the two young lovers bring their families together or will age-old enmities be too deep-rooted...?

Sweeter Than Wine

A heart-warming and uplifting romance from bestselling author Susan Sallis…

Perfect for fans of Kitty Neale, Rosie Goodwin and Dilly Court, this is an emotional and powerful saga by multi-million copy seller Elvi Rhodes. 
 
READERS ARE LOVING THE RAINBOW THROUGH THE RAIN! 
 
"I cannot tell you how much I have enjoyed this book." -- ***** Reader review 
"Thoroughly enjoyed this book" -- ***** Reader review 
"Excellent read - I love all Elvi Rhodes books" -- ***** Reader review 
 
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AS THE STORM CLOUDS OF WAR GATHER, WILL HER LIFE BE THE ONE SHE DREAMED OF? 
 
The Brogdens are one of Chalywell's most important families: their antique business is famous for its beautiful furniture and pictures. But the most beautiful - and valuable - thing in Old Jacob Brogden's life is his granddaughter, Lois - for Lois reminds him of the daughter he had lost so tragically many years ago. 
 
When Lois falls in love with John Farrar, the whole family are dismayed, for between Jacob and the Farrars lies a deep and abiding feud that can never be mended. 
 
Lois, conscious of the storm clouds of war gathering over her future, determines that nothing and no-one should come between her and her beloved John. 
 
But as war breaks out and families are torn apart, Lois finds her life changing irrevocably.

The Rainbow Through The Rain

A moving, heart-warming and uplifting story of love and loyalty that you’ll never forget

Sally Stewart

James Rushton dominated both his thriving wine business and large family with all the style of an old autocrat.It was part of his plans that Jane, his only daughter - already thirty-one and likely to become a spinster if she wasn't careful - should marry her cousin William, not a love-match exactly, but highly convenient for the family. 
 
But Jane, slight, plain, quiet, wanted more than William's obedient acquiescence, for she had loved her careless handsome cousin for a long time.On the point of settling for the little she could have, she discovered a shameless betrayal.Humiliated, not really wanted at home, she took the most daring decision of her life - to go and live and work in Italy. 
 
It was to be the beginning of a long, passionate, and overwhelming involvement with the Buonaventura family, aristocratic, and torn apart by the strife of Mussolini's new Italy.To Jane, Ottavio Buonaventura and his family were a fascinating challenge.And the impoverished aristocrats at Castagnolo were to discover that the quiet Englishwoman was to revolutionise their lives.

A Rose For Every Month

Fans of Rosamunde Pilcher and Maeve Binchy will love this warm-hearted and moving novel from multi-million copy seller Elvi Rhodes. The perfect dose of escapism! 
 
READERS ARE LOVING MIXED BLESSINGS! 
"The twists and turns of the main characters keeping you entertained and wanting more" - 5 STARS 
"She really brings characters to life" - 5 STARS 
"Captivates you on every page" - 5 STARS 
 
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CAN OLD LIVES AND NEW LIVES EVER BE RECONCILED? 
 
For Venus Stanton, the attractive young vicar of Thurston, life could not be better. When she first came to this traditional parish, many people found it hard to accept a woman priest. After a tricky start, however, she is now accepted by most of her parishioners, even though some people still cannot and will not recognize her. 
 
 But vicars have their personal lives as well, and to the delight and surprise of the parish Venus is to marry Nigel, the doctor from the local practice. Her eleven-year-old daughter Becky, after some misgivings, has accepted the idea and there is a joyous ceremony at the church, after which the happy pair set off for honeymoon in France. 
 
On their return, they try to settle down to their new life, but Venus soon finds that marriage, motherhood and her priestly duties do not always go together... 
 
Mixed Blessings continues the story started in A Blessing in Disguise...

Mixed Blessings

A wonderfully heart-warming novel guaranteed to stay with you for ever

Rosemary for Remembrance concludes the story of the Rising Girls, begun in A Scattering of Daisies, The Daffodils of Newent and Bluebell Windows. Fans of Rosamunde Pilcher, Maeve Binchy and Fiona Valpy will love this enthralling and engrossing saga from multi-million copy seller and Sunday Times bestselling author Susan Sallis, that expertly captures the lives and emotions of a family plunged into the trials and tribulations of World War Two. 
 
WHAT READERS ARE SAYING! 
'Excellent read, very enjoyable' - 5 STARS 
'Wonderful' - 5 STARS 
'I love her books and the way that she takes you right into the story...You can tell I am a big fan!' - 5 STARS 
'Susan Sallis is a legend' - 5 STARS 
'So well-written and un-put-downable, thanks for another amazing story' - 5 STARS 
 
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ON THE EVE OF WAR, WILL THE FAMILY PULL THROUGH? 
 
As the war breaks out, the Rising family - on the surface so united, so serene - tries to hold down the secrets of the past. 
 
March, the eldest, is separated from her son. 
 
Albert has run from all of them on discovering the truth about his birth and now he tries to drown his bitterness and anger in fighting the Luftwaffe in the skies over Britain. 
 
April's shy and gentle daughter, Davina, can never understand why Albert has left her without explanation, without saying goodbye. 
 
And Victor, the talented, ebullient soldier son of May, watches the two cousins - knowing their secret, loving them both, trusting that the strength of the family will pull them through. 
 
IT'S A BATTLE FOR SURVIVAL ON BOTH FRONTS.

Rosemary For Remembrance

(The Rising Family Book 4): the final instalment in the extraordinary West Country family saga by bestselling author Susan Sallis

Gertrude Wyndham had come to Providence as a young bride and had somehow fused an ill-knit family together and made the beautiful old house a place of refuge and healing. And then the war came. 
 
Her daughter Sybil never returned from France. Defying all convention she went to live with Henri Blanchard, twenty years older than herself, a man who, for years, had been in love with her mother. 
 
Ned Wyndham, the beloved son and heir of Providence, returned from the trenches a shell-shocked ghost locked into his own private hell. Only at Providence did he appear to return to some kind of tranquillity - and now it seemed as though the house must be sold, for the war had devastated the fortunes of the Wyndhams as well as Ned's sanity. 
 
It was Lucy who was to save their home. Frank Thornley, son of a wealthy Birmingham factory owner, desperately loved the third child of Providence. If she married him, the house and the family would be saved. And so Lucy, young, warm, vibrant, married Frank whom she did not love, and hoped that, in time, Providence would make everything come right for all of them.

The Bird Of Happiness

When Lavinia St Clyst married Julian Bossiney at St George's, Hanover Square, it was a marriage of convenience on both sides.Julian was linked at last to the real, the old aristocracy, and Lavinia, tolerated as a poor relation of the wealthy St Clyst family, could finally free herself from living on her uncle's charity and have a home of her own.It was at the fashionable wedding reception that - too late - she met the man she should have married - Jonathan Bossiney, her husband's brother. 
 
As she began her new life in the beautiful old stone house standing high on the Cornish cliffs, so she determined that the unspoken love between her and Jonathan would remain secret and unfulfilled.For her children, Tristram and Jennifer, things would be different.There would be no obstacles to their love.But as the years passed, so the family pattern was repeated, of lovers divided by class, by wealth, by the very passion and wildness of their Cornish blood.It was not until the third generation that at last the cruel divisions were healed, and Lavinia also found her abiding happiness.

The Snows Of Springtime

Val Wood

For Amelia and her brothers and sisters, the grim past which their mother Emily had endured seemed very far away. As pretty as a picture, and now learning to be a teacher in York, Amelia looked forward with pleasure to becoming acquainted with the young men clamouring to get to know her, and especially the two gentlemen who had come all the way from Australia to meet her family. Ralph Hawkins, bringing with him his friend Jack - a handsome half-aboriginal Australian who was determined to make a good living for himself - arrived in Hull looking for his roots. He found Amelia, whose tangled family history was inextricably bound up with his. 
 
Ralph Hawkins's whole world had been turned upside down when he learned that he had been adopted by the couple he had always called his parents. In his quest to find his real mother, he uncovered some cruel and unpleasant truths, before at last realising where his true destiny lay.

Going Home

Margaret Mayhew

Perfect for fans of Katie Flynn and Donna Douglas, a saga full of the heart-wrenching emotion and drama of World War II from bestselling author Margaret Mayhew. 
 
READERS ARE LOVING THE CREW! 
 
"I could not put the book down" - 5 STARS 
"Loved this book" - 5 STARS 
"Excellent! Highly recommended! Wonderful WWII story. Great character development." - 5 STARS 
"This book really has you never wanting to put it down until the end." - 5 STARS 
 
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THE HEROIC STORY OF SEVEN MEN...AND THE WOMEN WHO LOVED THEM. 
 
A crew of seven men in one Lancaster bomber: one American, one Scot, one foppish aristocrat, one Aussie, one aged London cockney, one semi blind mid-upper gunner and one seventeen year old who has lied to get into the air force. 
 
Initially they fail to get on or work together - almost crashing on their first landing. Yet, as they begin their first real gut-dropping bombing raids over Germany and despite their mixed backgrounds, they begin to develop as a real crew, depending on each other. 
 
Off the airfield, the women who love them pray every night for their safe return. 
 
A wonderful emotive, gripping, heart-wrenching novel of men, and women, at their best.

The Crew

A perfectly heart-warming, moving and uplifting wartime drama that will capture your heart

In ' A Little Light Flirtation', when a husband and wife on holiday quarrel one morning, everyone in the hotel hears. But what they don't hear are the thoughts running through her head. A walk around the sights of this foreign city could open up all sorts of possibilities... 
 
In 'A Question of Choice', Kate hasn't had the smoothest ride in life. She had a miscarriage when she was three months' pregnant, and lost her partner of three years with it. When she returns to the UK from New York she is shocked to discover there is a rift between her and her friends who are happily settled with families. But Kate knows deep down that her life's direction is merely a question of choice. 
 
In 'Flight of Fancy', for Joe, the mundanity of prison life is lifted by two things - his pet budgie, Beauty, and visits from his wife Miriam. He counts down the days until the end of sentence - dreaming of returning home and trying to remember how different life is there. But his homecoming won't be quite what he expects... 
 
Part of the Storycuts series, these three short stories were previously published in the collection Summer Promise and Other Stories.

A Little Light Flirtation/A Question of Choice/Flight of Fancy (Storycuts)

In 'A Matter of Time', Martin has inherited a house from his late aunt in New York, and his girlfriend Linda has moved over there with him. She finds herself feeling very lost, though, and wondering why she is there. She loves Martin, but will her new surroundings ever feel like home? 
 
In 'A New Beginning', Primrose is becoming bored of the tedium of farm life. She knows she will miss it - the farm and its surrounding hills and river have been her home for the past twenty-four years. But she is convinced that the bright lights and buzz of London is what she needs now for her new start in life. But a new friendship in the Yorkshire Dales forces her to reconsider whether a new beginning really means moving away. 
 
Part of the Storycuts series, these two short stories were previously published in the collection Summer Promise and Other Stories.

A Matter of Time/A New Beginning (Storycuts)

Jilly Cooper

Frustrated secretary Esther is desperate for a change. She's been in the same job for years, working for dear Mr Pethrie, and has been waiting patiently for the love of her life, gorgeous professor Julian, to finally divorce his wife. So when the prospect of a fabulous job abroad comes along, Esther leaps at the chance. There's just one problem - she needs to start immediately. To avoid hurting the feelings of Mr Pethrie, who has been so kind to her all these years, she tells him that she is actually leaving her job in order to get married after a whirlwind romance. Julian is nowhere to be seen, so the job of fake fiancé falls to her trusty childhood friend Nico. But what started out as just one little lie soon spirals out of control... 
 
Part of the Storycuts series, this short story was previously published in the collection Lisa &amp; Co.

A Pressing Engagement (Storycuts)

In 'A Summer Remembered', as Laura is busy with the Christmas preparations, while looking after her children Richard and Millie, she can't help but wish she were back on their summer holiday in Normandy. When her husband presents her with her Christmas gift - a holiday to a destination of her choice, money no object - it is still Normandy she yearns for...but what secret is she hiding from her husband? 
 
In 'Be Your Age, Dear', Chloe Patterson is lucky enough to not only have a daughter and a granddaughter around her, but also her own mother. But she battles with the dilemma of how she is perceived as a grandmother - and how she should be behaving as such - and how she really feels about herself deep down. Sometimes it seems that the older women in the family are the most free-willed and keen to have fun, and the younger seem the most responsible. As a local newspaper asks to write a feature on the four generations of women, tensions come to a head as these women finally realize who they really are... 
 
Part of the Storycuts series, these two short stories were previously published in the collection Summer Promises and Other Stories.

A Summer Remembered/Be Your Age, Dear (Storycuts)

In 'A Time to Remember', Kate can hardly contain her excitement when she finds out her daughter has gone into labour: she is going to be a grandmother! As the time passes whilst they wait for news of the new arrival, Kate finds herself reminiscing of her relationship with her own grandmother, and how time has flown. 
 
In 'Model of Beauty', Jilly has been enjoying her painting classes. She has been mocking the ample-sized model who has been sitting for them lately, but the tables are turned when the teacher decides they are all to paint each other - and Jilly becomes the model herself. Will she think her portrait a true likeness? And what will come of having someone pay such close attention to her? 
 
In 'View from Beacon Hill', Alison enjoys her time on Beacon Hill. It is where she has the space to consider her life, and the choices she has made and has yet to make. Eight and a half months pregnant, with only days to go until her due date, her life is about to change forever. But might she change her mind about the decisions she has made? 
 
Part of the Storycuts series, these three short stories were previously published in the collection Summer Promises and Other Stories.

A Time to Remember/Model of Beauty/View from Beacon Hill (Storycuts)

In 'A Trip to the Park', Cassie is excited to arrive in New York, but disappointed when her fiance's job takes him away from her on her first weekend in the city. He makes her promise she'll stay in the apartment where she'll be safe, but she can't resist a little walk around Central Park - she is here to see the sights, after all. There she meets Dan, who manages to persuade her that he should show her the sights of the city. She knows Richard would be cross, but what harm could come of it? 
 
In 'Come Home With Me', when Genevieve meets Nicholas, she can't believe her luck. Everything about their relationship seems just perfect. But when the time comes to introduce him to her family, she is sure that will be the end of them. Her family are so completely mad - there's no way he'll want anything to do with her after that! Or perhaps she shouldn't be so quick to assume what he is thinking... 
 
Part of the Storycuts series, these two short stories were previously published in the collection Summer Promise and Other Stories.

A Trip to the Park/Come Home with Me (Storycuts)

Endlessly taking clothes to the laundrette, cooking and cleaning is all going to be worth it to be Mrs Colin Lang. Until a disastrous night out with Colin's work colleagues, and an encounter with a scruffy-yet-sexy artist at the laundrette, leads a very dutiful girlfriend to go delightfully astray. 
 
Part of the Storycuts series, this short story was previously published in the collection Lisa &amp; Co.

An Uplifting Evening (Storycuts)

In 'And May the Best Girl Win', plain little Kathleen Burgess has brown hair, an average figure, and a neat face. So it's probably for the best that she's decided to stay out of the ferocious rivalry between the gorgeous blonde Fiona and elegantly dark Susan, over their new boss Charles Townsend. Kathleen plans to keep her head down and get on with her work, but then it appears that Charles is trying to get rid of her. What on earth is going on? 
 
In 'Johnnie Casanova', at a friend's party, Richard falls desperately in love with the gorgeously naïve Gemma. He is determined to treat her honourably. It's a pity the same can't be said for Richard's flatmate, the rakeishly sexy Johnnie, who also has his eye on Gemma. Gemma is dazzled by the attention, and quickly becomes besotted with Johnnie. So, Richard loves Gemma, Gemma loves Johnnie - and no one can quite work out exactly what Johnnie's intentions are. 
 
Part of the Storycuts series, these tow short stories were previously published in the collection Lisa &amp; Co.

And May The Best Girl Win/Johnnie Casanova (Storycuts)

In 'Channel Crossing', holidays can provide a huge relief from the daily grind...a fresh experience, new surroundings. Such a relief, in fact, that for many people it can signal the start of a new life, in a foreign country. But is the grass always greener on the other side? 
 
In 'Roundabout', it is Miriam's wedding day, which she thought would be a no-fuss affair. But she has her chief and only bridesmaid, Joan, bustling around, insisting she have flowers, and fussing about the arrangements for the day. However, it is also Joan who is there to reassure Miriam when she has her last-minute doubts - because the bond between these two women runs far deeper than that of bride and bridesmaid. 
 
In 'The Meeting', Meg moved around a lot during her childhood, so meeting up with the rest of her family has always been a big event. But with a ten-year gap between meetings, the numbers dwindle, and the family are faced with the difficult decision of whether they should meet again. 
 
Part of the Storycuts series, these three short stories were previously published in the collection Summer Promise and Other Stories.

Channel Crossing/Roundabout/The Meeting (Storycuts)

Two fabulous Christmas short stories by the inimitable Jilly Cooper! 
 
In 'Christmas Stocking', unlucky-in-love Caroline is facing possibly the most miserable Christmas of her life. She can't quite see how she'll cope with the season of goodwill to all men - particularly holed up on the edge of the Yorkshire Moors with her boisterous family. And things get a whole lot more complicated when her brother arrives with a deliciously dishevelled friend in tow, Jamie . . . 
 
In 'Sister to the Bride' Helen finds herself in the wedding from hell. The groom's family are constantly sneering at her, her bridesmaid's dress is frightful, and she just can't shake off the unwanted attentions of ginger chinless wonder Tubby Langley. But then Helen meets the devastating David. Dare she risk her fragile heart once again?

Christmas Stocking/Sister To The Bride (Storycuts)

In 'Festival at Rowdean', Melanie has spent an exciting year abroad nannying for a family with two children, so her return home seems something of an anticlimax. Everything now seems so dull in her home village of Rowdean. She is mortified when the village committee then insist she be involved in the organisation of a village festival. But could this be just the thing to bring her home town back to life for her? 
 
In 'A Very Special Painting Class', among her other part-time jobs, Lisa works as a model for a painting class. Sitting completely still for long periods of time can be uncomfortable, but the money helps her to keep her flat and bring up her daughter Janie. But as one of the students begins to notice Lisa's features, could an unlikely friendship form? 
 
Part of the Storycuts series, these two short stories were previously published in the collection Summer Promise and Other Stories.

Festival at Rowdean/A Very Special Painting Class (Storycuts)

In 'Forsaking All Others', Julia Nicholson is blissfully happy. She's married to the wonderful David, they have a gorgeous home and a ginger kitten called Kitchen, and she wouldn't change a thing. Until a chance encounter with the devastatingly attractive film director, Richard de Lisle, shows her what she never knew she was missing. 
 
In 'Temporary Set-Back', for Jenny, the only good thing about working at fusty publishers Mildew &amp; Rambridge is the delectable editor Rupert Rambridge. Jenny is desperate for him to notice her - if only he'd pay her a fraction of the attention that handsome but sleazy Mr Curtis does. The chance to temp for Mr Rambridge's usual secretary might just see her daydreams become reality - but does she really know the type of man she's dealing with? 
 
Part of the Storycuts series, these two short stories were previously published in the collection Lisa &amp; Co.

Forsaking All Others/Temporary Set-Back (Storycuts)

Kate is right in the middle of last-minute marriage preparations. In just two weeks time, she will be wed to Hugh, a high-flying barrister, who is perfect for her - well, at least according to her parents. With the wedding so close, and so many influential friends of Hugh's to consider, it's no wonder Kate's nerves are a little strung out. And when Hugh suggests a weekend away, Kate's idea of getting a bit of peace and quiet is swiftly shattered when she realises they are heading to the boat belonging to Jonty and Muriel - two of Hugh's most braying and exuberant friends. But things get ever worse when there is a terrible surprise waiting for Kate on the boat, in the shape of an unexpected guest: an artist called Tod, who is a devastatingly painful blast from Kate's past. He has a stunning new girlfriend in tow, and Kate is forced to confront the reality of the life she has built for herself - and the memory of the girl she used to be. Is it too late for her to discover what she truly wants? 
 
Part of the Storycuts series, this short story was previously published in the collection Lisa &amp; Co.

Kate’s Wedding (Storycuts)

In 'Leave it to Mavis', Mavis has been helping to make the arrangements for her daughter Julie's wedding - most importantly, booking the village hall for the reception. But when busybody Edith Prosser comes to visit, it seems that the wedding plans may not be running quite as smoothly as everyone had thought... 
 
In 'Night Flight', Ruth can't sleep. Her husband should be in the bed next to her, but he's been out a lot recently, during the small hours of the morning. As Eddie travels home, he can't wait to get into bed - he can barely keep his eyes open. But he finds no one in the house, just a note from Ruth. 
 
In 'Wedding Shoes', Penny is thrilled to be the only bridesmaid at her best friend's wedding. But when she finds the perfect shoes for her outfit, there is only one size left - half a size too small. Surely she can squeeze into them if she tries? Little does she know the events that will unfold because of her shoes... 
 
Part of the Storycuts series, these three short stories were previously published in the collection Summer Promise and Other Stories.

Leave it to Mavis/Night Flight/Wedding Shoes (Storycuts)

In 'Lisa', Paul Buchanan is used to women falling at his feet. So when he meets dowdy little Lisa Aitken at his publisher's office, he is surprised when she appears immune to his charms. Piqued, he tries again. And again. And again, until she finally relents and lets him take her out. Pretty soon, there's something about the mysterious Lisa that has Paul hooked. But why is she so cagey about where she goes every weekend? What is the secret that Lisa is hiding so desperately? 
 
In 'Political Asylum', Virginia has landed on her feet with her first flat in London: a fabulous pad near the House of Commons, with her best friend Jenny, and with the handsomest man in the Cabinet, Anthony Hudson, as their neighbour. The only fly in the ointment is Virginia's boyfriend William, whose affections towards her seem to be cooling somewhat. Things get a little more interesting when Virginia finds herself locked out of her flat in the pouring rain - and who should come to her rescue but Anthony... 
 
Part of the Storycuts series, these two short stories were precviously published in the collection Lisa &amp; Co.

Lisa/Political Asylum (Storycuts)

In 'Meet the New Caroline Pritchard', Caroline Pritchard thinks her boyfriend Richard is going off her. And she's addicted to makeover shows on the television - imagine if that could happen to her! That would surely solve everything. And then her dream comes true - she is selected by a magazine for a makeover. As she is having her set of 'Before' photographs taken, she is secretly glad Richard is away. Although she doubts he is where he said he would be, this gives her the chance to have her makeover completed! Hairstyles, facials, and many beauty treatments later, Caroline is a new woman - ready to present herself to Richard. But will he like the new Caroline? And more importantly, will she still like him? 
 
In 'The Centre of Attraction', Mel Salter is peacefully painting in the town square when his landscape is ruined by the arrival of Bertha Conway. She introduces herself and orders sangria. Mel is all the more irritated when Bertha returns the following day with her needlework - at siesta time, when he usually relies on the plaza to be empty as the locals rest for a few hours of the afternoon. But then Mel catches sight of her work, and is astounded by its beauty. And soon finds that the source of his irritation may not be that much of a nuisance after all... 
 
Part of the Storycuts series, these two short stories were previously published in the collection Summer Promise and Other Stories.

Meet the New Caroline Pritchard/The Centre of Attraction (Storycuts)

In 'Summer Promise', Linda, recently divorced and in need of a break, decides to take her two children on a fortnight's holiday in France, renting a house from a friend of a friend. However when she arrives at the house, she finds a man already there, claiming to be the owner. It emerges that this man, Graham, is the ex-husband of the woman who suggested the idea to Linda, and that she had forgotten to inform her that the situation had changed and that Graham now owns the house outright. He makes it clear to Linda that they can't possibly stay there as he is busy with work and it would be an inconvenience. But as Linda frantically tries to find a hotel, her youngest child James falls ill with chicken pox. Graham relents, and agrees to let them stay in the house, packing his bags to move out for two weeks. But as he is leaving, they both realise that perhaps this situation could work out for both of them after all... 
 
In 'A Gull Named Helen', when little Daniel clams up following the death of his grandmother, everyone thinks a school trip to the seaside will be just what he needs. In the lighthouse where they are staying, Daniel is offered the little room right at the very top of the tower, while the other children must sleep in the basement. Watching from his bedroom window, Daniel becomes mesmerised by the seagulls circling overhead. As he spends the next few days feeding them scraps of bread, he forms a bond with one bird in particular, who he decides is called Helen - the same name as his grandmother. But little does he know that what he learns from these birds could help him for years to come. 
 
In 'Children on the Shore', Claire Foster has been used to living her own life, her own way. Her daughter lives abroad with her own family. Claire was widowed years ago. So when she takes a temporary job as a secretary at a hospital, she is startled to find herself beginning a relationship with one of the doctors. Meanwhile, her daughter begins writing to her frequently, begging her to move closer to them so that she can be a part of her grandchildren's lives. And then she is offered a new job, working for an author, which would reduce her free time dramatically. Which path - if any - should she choose? 
 
Part of the Storycuts series, these three short stories were previously published in the collection 'Summer Promise and Other Stories'.

Summer Promise/A Gull Named Helen/Children on the Shore (Storycuts)

A Private Thriller

A series of children's modern classic novels by renowned 20th century children's writers. All the titles in this series have the A Puffin Book logo, contemporary-style covers, and child-friendly endnotes.

A Puffin Book

A Ripley Novel

A Slice of the Moon

A Victorian Mystery

A Walk in...

A Women’s Murder Club Thriller

A chef Paul Delamare Mystery

Aberrations

Across the Universe

Actiphons

Adelia Aguilar

Adrian Mole

Adventures in Time

Aftermath

Against War

Age of X

Agent 21

Agent Z

Detective Aidan Waits is a troubled junior detective haunted by his past. Facing an uncertain future, and disconnected from his history, DC Waits and his partner, Detective Inspector Peter 'Sutty' Sutcliffe work on Manchester's streets to uncover the city's worst criminals among the grime of the underworld.

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