Katy Carter is a sucker for romance... A fun, feel-good, modern rom-com about one woman's search for her hero. Katy Carter knows she's no domestic goddess: she's scatterbrained, she needs a fire extinguisher at the ready when she's cooking, and she daily falls off the diet wagon. But that doesn't stop her fantasising about a hero to call her own. And Katy thinks she's found him in fiancé James, a charming, high-flying city banker. So why, then, does Katy find herself scribbling steamy historical romances every spare moment she gets, and daydreaming about becoming a published author when she ought to be paying attention in staff meetings? As her wedding day looms, Katy determines to become a wife James can be proud of, and employs the help of her best friend Oliver to impress his colleagues and his family. But despite best laid plans, the pair set off a hilarious train of events that leads Katy on a crazy journey through celebrity, chaos, makeovers and, finally, into the arms of her hero...
Does a bride-to-be ever know for certain that she's chosen the right man? Ellie Andrews is finally getting married. Or she will be if she drinks enough champagne to pluck up the courage for her trip down the aisle. The problem is that after months spent bickering over menus and table placements, Ellie's never felt more distant from the man she's supposed to be spending the rest of her life with. As last minute nerves take hold, a night of soul-searching sees Ellie reflecting back on old flames in a bid to reassure herself she's making the right decision. There's Rupert - adoring but dull; Jay - the teenage crush; Marcus - sexy but toxic; and Xander - a true friend. But as the sun rises and the ceremony looms ever closer, Ellie is still unsure if she's doing the right thing. Then an unexpected encounter turns her world upside down. Should she take a chance? Or should she stick with the choices she's made? As Ellie makes her way to the church, only one question remains: who will be waiting for her at the altar?
Does a bride-to-be ever know for certain that she's chosen the right man? 'You won't put it down' CLOSER 'Ellie Andrews Has Second Thoughts is breathlessly wonderful from start to finish, with characters you'll adore and a story you won't want to end' Miranda Dickinson 'I absolutely loved Ellie. Seriously loved her, and that's what Ruth Saberton does best, she gives us a heroine to root for' CHICKLIT REVIEWS Ellie Andrews is finally getting married. Or she will be if she drinks enough champagne to pluck up the courage for her trip down the aisle. The problem is that after months spent bickering over menus and table placements, Ellie's never felt more distant from the man she's supposed to be spending the rest of her life with. As last minute nerves take hold, a night of soul-searching sees Ellie reflecting back on old flames in a bid to reassure herself she's making the right decision. There's Rupert - adoring but dull; Jay - the teenage crush; Marcus - sexy but toxic; and Xander - a true friend. But as the sun rises and the ceremony looms ever closer, Ellie is still unsure if she's doing the right thing. Then an unexpected encounter turns her world upside down. Should she take a chance? Or should she stick with the choices she's made? As Ellie makes her way to the church, only one question remains: who will be waiting for her at the altar?
A city girl through and through - how will she cope with country life? 'Amber is a gorgeous character to spend time with, and it's a real treat to find a genuinely funny, uplifting book' Fiona Walker Amber Scott loves her city life - a terrific job working on a glossy magazine, and a fiancé, Ed, she's known since Uni. Even if Ed doesn't take her job seriously (as a solicitor, he doesn't have much time for women's magazines!), it is Amber's dream job. So Ed's news that he has taken a job in the West Country turns Amber's world upside down. The new life in Cornwall does not get off to the best start. The huge house Ed was so keen on is, well, huge - what is Amber going to do with four acres? And do M&S make Aga-ready meals? And when a handsome, if surly, man leads the local hunt over her land, it's more than Amber can stand. So how is it that, before long Amber is friends with the local eccentric Lady of the Manor, making love potions at her mother's recommendation - and answering the door naked to strangers...?
Betrayed and broken-hearted, suddenly single and in debt, can Andi Evans find the strength to start again? A summer working in the pretty Cornish town of Rock seems the perfect solution. Andi's sister, Angel is determined to find a man who can keep her in style. Actress Gemma hopes a summer in Cornwall solves some of her problems as well. Arriving in idyllic Cornwall, all three girls are hoping for a holiday to remember. But will this be for the right reasons? Or, as emotions run higher than the tide, will the summer escape turn their lives upside down?
Claire Kann's If It Makes You Happy is a coming-of-age novel about a young girl learning to embrace her cultural and sexuality identity. Winnie is living her best fat girl life and is on her way to the best place on earth. No, not Disneyland--her Granny’s diner, Goldeen’s, in the small town of Misty Haven. While there, she works in her fabulous 50’s inspired uniform, twirling around the diner floor and earning an obscene amount of tips. With her family and ungirlfriend at her side, she has everything she needs for one last perfect summer before starting college in the fall. ...until she becomes Misty Haven’s Summer Queen in a highly anticipated matchmaking tradition that she wants absolutely nothing to do with. Newly crowned, Winnie is forced to take center stage in photoshoots and a never-ending list of community royal engagements. Almost immediately, she discovers that she’s deathly afraid of it all: the spotlight, the obligations, and the way her Merry Haven Summer King, wears his heart, humor, and honesty on his sleeve. Stripped of Goldeen’s protective bubble, to salvage her summer Winnie must conquer her fears, defy expectations, and be the best Winnie she knows she can be—regardless of what anyone else thinks of her.
"In Cornwall, on the eve of the First World War, aspiring poet Kit Rivers has a bright future ahead. As the Lord of the Manor's heir, Kit knows his duty is to the family estate but when he falls passionately in love Kit is determined not to let his parents' bitter opposition spoil an idyllic summer. Yet before the golden days even have a chance to fade into autumn war comes to change Kit's world forever. One century later, widowed Chloe Pencarrow exchanges London for the solitude of a Cornish cliff top house. Haunted by memories, Chloe's interest in an obscure war poet, Kit Rivers, proves a welcome distraction and leads her to piece together a forgotten history. Faced with more questions than answers, her own life soon becomes entwined with Kit's through love, loss, and the darkest of secrets..."--Cover p.4.
What if when you died, no one would ever know you were all that stood between man and the enemy?When Jonathan Tibbs awakes in a puddle of his own blood, there isn't a scratch on him to explain it. In the weeks to follow, he comes to find he's been drafted for a war with a violent otherworldly species. A war that only he can remember. Now, the man Jonathan imagined himself becoming is no longer the man who can endure his future. The first installment in this science fiction action adventure series, The Never Hero is a gritty and honest look at the psychological journey of a man forced to forge himself into a weapon. Abandoned with little guidance, and at the mercy of a bargain struck far outside his reach, Jonathan races to unlock the means to surmount the odds, and understand the mystery behind a conflict raging outside of time and memory.In the end, the real question is what Jonathan is willing to become to save a planet that will never see his sacrifice.
Albert Facey’s story is the story of Australia.Born in 1894, and first sent to work at the age of eight, Facey lived the rough frontier life of a labourer and farmer and jackaroo, becoming lost and then rescued by Indigenous trackers, then gaining a hard-won literacy, surviving Gallipoli, raising a family through the Depression, losing a son in the Second World War, and meeting his beloved Evelyn with whom he shared nearly sixty years of marriage.Despite enduring unimaginable hardships, Facey always saw his life as a fortunate one.A true classic of Australian literature, Facey’s simply penned story offers a unique window onto the history of Australian life through the greater part of the twentieth century – the extraordinary journey of an ordinary man.
In these dark, witty short stories, Katy Wimhurst creates off-kilter worlds which illuminate our own. Here, knitting might cancel Armageddon. A winged being yearns to be an archaeologist. Readers are sucked into a post-apocalyptic London where the different rains are named after former politicians. An enchanted garden grows in a rented flat. Magical realism meets dystopia, with a refreshing twist. Advance Praise: 'An iridescent, compelling collection. Darkly magical in all the right ways.' - Irenosen Okojie, author of Nudibranch and Speak Gigantular 'Tales of the unexpected... a refreshing and humorous collection illuminating the author's vast imagination and gift for merging people, place and politics in well crafted stories. Wimhurst's cultural allusions and social commentary might make you laugh or glance sideways, but there are always sparks of human hope amongst the dystopian debris. One ticket here please, open return.' - Emma Kittle-Pey, author of Gold Adornments and Fat Maggie. 'These are fresh and exciting pieces, and I loved the sense of these unsettling off-kilter worlds, reminiscent of M John Harrison's You Should Come With Me Now (Comma Press). I think readers will enjoy the author's skilful balance of wit and playfulness with dark and frightening things; magical realism with a melancholy and often chilling twist.' - Anna Vaught, author of Saving Lucia and Famished. 'Katy Wimhurst finds hope in dystopias; colour in the bleakest of worlds. Her art is in combining charming whimsy with weighty social issues and, in the balance, delighting and surprising her reader. Her rich imagination and fresh, clean writing is, at all times, a pleasure.' - Petra McQueen, founder of The Writers' Company 'Katy Wimhurst's stories are enchanting. They appear beguilingly simple yet contain layers of meaning and mystery. Although often comical, each story has a hidden steel core - an environmental message that we need to cherish our planet and be compassionate to one another. She specialises in dystopias - in societies overwhelmed by the threats we fear - but even here the endings sound a positive note. We remain enchanted.' - Dorothy Schwarz, author of Behind a Glass Wall and Simple Stories about Women. Extract: Ticket to Nowhere "Destination?" asked the woman in the railway ticket office. She had pink blotchy skin and dark bags under her eyes. "Nowhere," I said. "Single or return?" "Can I get an open return for the next train?" "Not during peak hours." I sighed. "Okay, single then." I had no idea how long I would be in Nowhere, but had taken a few days off work, anyway. "That'll be £35." "For a one-way ticket to Nowhere? That's a complete rip-off!" "Take it or leave it," the woman said flatly. "Nowhere's the cheapest destination on offer. I can do Elsewhere for £44 or Somewhere for £52. We have a special offer to Everywhere for £99, which includes free vouchers for a Nirvana milk-shake and Armageddon hamburger." "I need a ticket to Nowhere." I opened my purse and handed over the money. "When does the next train leave?" "In five minutes from platform three." I took the ticket, picked up my suitcase, and followed the signs to platform three. Pacing resolutely, I was conscious of the click-click of my high heeled boots on the floor. It was dark outside apart from the dim lamps that lit the platform at intervals. A lonely half-moon was hovering high above, and I turned up the collar of my woollen overcoat.
