Page Links

Home      About      Reviews      Contact     
Showing posts with label fiona gibson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fiona gibson. Show all posts

22 March 2017

Upcoming Release: 'The Woman Who Met Her Match' by Fiona Gibson

What if your first love came back on the scene... 30 years later?

After yet another disaster, Lorrie is calling time on online dating. She might be single in her forties, but she’s got a good job, wonderful children and she’s happy. This, Lorrie decides, is going to have to be enough.

That is, until she receives a very unexpected request from France. Antoine Rousseau, who had once turned a lonely French exchange trip into a summer of romance, wants to see her – after thirty years.

But Lorrie is a responsible woman. She can’t exactly run off to Nice with the man who broke her teenage heart...can she?

I'm really excited to see Fiona Gibson is treating us to sparkling new novel next month! I've had the pleasure of reading several of Fiona's reads over the years and I always enjoy her stories. 'The Woman Who Met Her Match' sounds like another promising and enjoyable read and it's definitely a title I've added to my wish list. Hopefully I'll be able to get my hands on a copy as soon as possible, because I'm really excited to give this one a shot!

Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads

23 July 2016

Blog Tour: 'The Bookshop on Rosemary Lane' by Ellen Berry!

In the beginning…

Kitty Cartwright has always solved her problems in the kitchen. Her cookbooks are her life, and there isn’t an issue that ‘Cooking with Aspic’ can’t fix. Her only wish is that she had a book entitled ‘Rustling Up Dinner When Your Husband Has Left You’.

Forty years later…

On Rosemary Lane, Della Cartwright plans to open a very special little bookshop. Not knowing what to do with the hundreds of cookbooks her mother left her, she now wants to share their recipes with the world – and no amount of aspic will stand in her way.

But with her family convinced it’s a hare-brained scheme, Della starts to wonder if she’s made a terrible decision. One thing’s for sure: she’s about to find out…

We’re ending this week over here at Spoonful of Happy Endings in a great way, namely with the exciting blog tour for Ellen Berry’s ‘The Bookshop on Rosemary Lane’! The novel was released last week, on the 14th of July, and it’s one of this month’s releases I have been the most excited about picking up. As a big book fan, I love books about book shops, so the title of this new novel was already enough for me to want to read it (especially combined with the colourful cute cover!). I got lucky and was provided with a review copy and a spot on the tour, and I’m really excited to share my review with all of you today. Be sure to visit some of the other stops on the tour as well, you can find the links on the blog tour banner below!

Della Cartwright is in search of a new project in her life, something she can focus on now her daughter Sophie has left for college and her husband Mark seems to be anywhere but home. After the recent death of her mother, Della now finds herself with her mum’s large collection of cookbooks. From French cuisine to cooking for dummies, Della’s mother had cookbooks about absolutely everything and somehow Della can’t say goodbye to this part of her mother’s inheritance. When the opportunity arises, Della decides to start her very own bookshop, specializing in only books about food and cooking, sharing her mother’s recipes with the world. However, Della still has her everyday life to deal with as well, including the worries about Sophie and Mark’s strange behaviour. Will she be able to realise her bookshop ideas or is it all just a dream she should quickly set aside…?

‘The Bookshop on Rosemary Lane’ is a simply lovely read by Ellen Berry, who is actually author Fiona Gibson, who I personally know from novels such as ‘Take Mum Out’ and ‘As Good As It Gets?’. This story has Fiona’s familiar comfortable and well-written writing style and I thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish. Della, the main character, is at a crossroads in her life now her daughter Sophie is moving out to go to college and the relationship with her husband Mark seems to be going from bad to worse. I loved the background story of Della’s family and how her mother got into collecting cookbooks. The idea of starting a bookshop completely devoted to her mother’s collection is a wonderful one and I was really curious to read more about this.

I have to say I was a bit disappointed that the main topic of the novel wasn’t necessarily the bookshop, as I had expected mainly because of the title of the book. The story focuses more on Della and everything that’s going on in her life, which was also really interesting, but I just had to adjust my expectations a bit. I was really looking forward to reading how Della would help her customers, but I read somewhere that this is actually the first part of a trilogy, so fingers crossed we still have that to look forward to! Overall, ‘The Bookshop on Rosemary Lane’ is a charming, thoroughly enjoyable and captivating read; perfect for fans of Trisha Ashley, and a novel I can recommend to any chick lit/women’s fiction fans out there to pick up this summer!  
Rating:9/10
 
For more information about this book: Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads

Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

29 January 2015

Blog Tour: 'As Good As It Gets?' by Fiona Gibson (2015)

“Midlife crisis? WHAT midlife crisis?!”

Charlotte Bristow is worried about her husband Will. Their fourteen years of marriage have been rather lovely so far, but things have been a bit odd lately.

With their stunning 16-year-old daughter Rosie newly signed to a top modelling agency and Will recently out of a job, Charlotte can’t help but notice that things are changing in their household.

As Will dusts down his old leather trousers and starts partying with their new, fun neighbours, Charlotte begins to wonder what on earth is going on.

So when Fraser, Charlotte’s ex – and father of Rosie – suddenly arrives back on the scene, Charlotte starts to wonder what might have been…

Today I am really excited and honoured to kick off the blog tour for one of Avon's latest book releases, 'As Good As It Gets?' by Fiona Gibson! I was introduced to Fiona Gibson's writing last year when I got the chance to read and review her novel 'Take Mum Out'; a read which I really enjoyed (click here to read my review). I straight away loved Fiona's writing style and I already looked forward to her next release. So, I was incredibly excited when I was contacted about the blog tour for 'As Good As It Gets?' and I already had a good feeling I would end up thoroughly enjoying this new Fiona Gibson read!

Charlotte Bristow has been married to her lovely husband Will for fourteen years and together they form quite the family unit with Charlotte's 16-year-old daughter Rosie and their 11-year-old son Ollie. However, the relationship between Charlotte and Will isn't what it used to be: all the excitement and passion seems to have disappeared as soon as the diapers and household chaos appeared. Charlotte wants to make things better between them, but life just keeps getting in the way. From the new neighbours that move in across the road, Will's search for a new job, Rosie's wish to become a model, and the sudden e-mail from Rosie's biological father and Charlotte's first love Fraser... Charlotte has enough on her plate, and as everything is taking over her life she starts to wonder how on earth she and Will can become wife and husband again instead of just housemates? 

I love Fiona Gibson. Her stories never fail to put a smile on my face and as soon as I start reading one of her novels I simply don't want it to end, and the same definitely goes for 'As Good As It Gets?'. The main character, Charlotte, is simply wonderful; she's incredibly easy to warm to and a realistic portrayal of a modern-day wife and mum, dealing with all kinds of issues and troubles which is something many female readers will be able to relate to. I also really liked all of the other characters such as Ollie and Rosie, Charlotte's children, her husband Will who is struggling to find a new job, the new neighbours and Charlotte's colleagues at work. The novel follows one main storyline which consists of numerous separate parts (including Rosie's modelling career, the new neighbours moving in across the road, and Charlotte being contacted by her first love Fraser); I loved reading about all these different things and it constantly had me captivated and intrigued.

Fiona Gibson is one of those authors who can write about families and all the issues and laughter that come with it in an incredibly realistic and thoroughly enjoyable way. The book made me laugh out loud multiple times, and Fiona Gibson's writing style is just incredibly comfortable and easy to read. This resulted in me racing through the pages, while at the same time I just didn't want the story to end and be forced to leave the Bristow family. I don't think there's anything else left for me to say except that everyone (especially chick lit fans) should pick up this book, because it's a fantastic read. 'As Good As It Gets?' is a stunning, warm-hearted, funny, wonderful read about family which I couldn't get enough of; a true joy to read!
Rating:10/10
 
For more information about this book: Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads

Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

2 January 2015

January 2015 releases! (Part 2)

Yesterday I posted a list of some of the exciting new releases that are coming up this month. January is filled with great books which provides all of us book lovers with a wonderful start to the new year. Today, I have the second part of the releases that will be coming out this month to share with all of you, so be sure to scroll down and check out which ones you'll want to add to your TBR-list! 

Jemma Forte - 'When I Met You' (15th January)

Marianne Baker is happy. Sort of. She’s worked at the same job for years (nearly 15, but who’s counting), she lives at home with her mum (who is driving her crazy) and sleeps in a single bed (yep, her love life is stalled). Playing the violin is her only real passion – but nobody like her does that for a living. Then one night everything changes. 

The father who abandoned Marianne over twenty years ago turns up on her doorstep, with a dark secret that changes her life forever. Suddenly Marianne’s safe, comfortable world is shattered. If her father isn’t the man she thought he was, then who is he? And, more to the point, who is she? It’s time to find out who the real Marianne Baker is. 

Why so excited? --> I'm not familiar with Jemma Forte's work, but I really like the sound of her upcoming release 'When I Met You.' The book has a really nice cover as well, so I'm looking forward to checking out this author's work!

Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads
 


Jill Mansell - 'Three Amazing Things About You' (15th January)

Hallie has a secret. She's in love. He's perfect for her; he's even single. But he's out of bounds. And her friends aren't going to help her because what they do know is that Hallie hasn't got long to live.

Flo has a dilemma. She really likes Zander. But his scary sister won't be even faintly amused if she thinks Zander and Flo are becoming friends - let alone anything more...

Tasha has a problem. Her new boyfriend is the adventurous type. And she's afraid one of his adventures will go badly wrong.

THREE AMAZING THINGS ABOUT YOU begins as Hallie goes on a journey. She's about to get a new heart. But whose heart is it?

Why so excited? --> A new Jill Mansell novel! What more do I need to say?!
 


Katie Oliver - 'And the Bride Wore Prada' (23rd January) 

She’s dated Mr Darcy…now, it’s time for Gemma to prepare to say ‘I do’! And the Bride Wore Prada is the sensational first book in Katie Oliver’s long-awaited Marrying Mr Darcy series, the follow-up to her best-selling Dating Mr Darcy trilogy.

Also by Katie Oliver:

Prada and Prejudice
Love and Liability
Mansfield Lark
and, coming soon: Love, Lies and Louboutins!

Why so excited? --> I have no idea why, but so far I haven't read any of Katie Oliver's works while her Mr. Darcy series sounds like the perfect read for me! I'm definitely planning on picking up some of Katie Oliver's works this year and can't wait to check out this one as well! 
 


Liza Palmer - 'Girl Before a Mirror' (27th January) 

An account executive in a Mad Men world, Anna Wyatt is at a crossroads. Recently divorced, she’s done a lot of emotional housecleaning, including a self-imposed dating sabbatical. But now that she’s turned forty, she’s struggling to figure out what her life needs. Brainstorming to win over an important new client, she discovers a self-help book—Be the Heroine, Find Your Hero—that offers her unexpected insights and leads her to a most unlikely place: a romance writers’ conference. If she can sign the Romance Cover Model of the Year Pageant winner for her campaign—and meet the author who has inspired her to take control of her life—she’ll win the account. 

For Anna, taking control means taking chances, including getting to know Sasha, her pretty young colleague on the project, and indulging in a steamy elevator ride with Lincoln Mallory, a dashing financial consultant she meets in the hotel. When the conference ends, Anna and Lincoln must decide if their intense connection is strong enough to survive outside the romantic fantasy they’ve created. Yet Lincoln is only one of Anna’s dilemmas. Now that her campaign is off the ground, others in the office want to steal her success, and her alcoholic brother, Ferdie, is spiraling out of control. 

To have the life she wants-to be happy without guilt, to be accepted for herself, to love and to be loved, to just be—she has to put herself first, accept her imperfections, embrace her passions, and finally be the heroine of her own story.

Why so excited? --> I think this is definitely one of the most intruiging releases coming up this January. I really love the cover of this book and the blurb sounds really promising.
 


Sara Addison Allen - 'First Frost' (29th January)

Autumn has finally arrived in the small town of Bascom, North Carolina, heralded by a strange old man appearing with a beaten-up suitcase. He has stories to tell, stories that could change the lives of the Waverley women forever. But the Waverleys have enough trouble on their hands. 

Quiet Claire Waverley has started a successful new venture, Waverley's Candies, but it's nothing like she thought it would be, and it's slowly taking over her life. Claire's wild sister Sydney, still trying to leave her past behind, is about to combust with her desire for another new beginning. And Sydney's fifteen-year-old daughter Bay has given her heart away to the wrong boy and can't get it back. 

Why so excited? --> I love both the cover and the sound of Sarah Addison Allen's new release! I really enjoy stories about families and the Waverley women have already managed to intrigue me by just reading the blurb. Can't wait to read this book!
 


Melissa Pimentel - 'Age, Sex, Location' (29th January)

An American living in London, Lauren is intelligent, beautiful and loves to party. So why can't she convince a man she isn't after something more serious than scrambled eggs and goodbye in the morning?

Determined to snare some regular male affection, she embarks on a project: each month she will follow the rules of a different dating guide - from refusing to pay the bill to chatting up every man in her path - and will switch seamlessly to the next book at the end of each month. 

Lauren's love life is about to get scientific...

Why so excited? --> This novel is described as 'Bridget Jones' Diary' for the HBO 'Girls' generation. I have to admit I am not a fan of the TV show 'Girls', but I really enjoyed 'Bridget Jones' Diary' and am definitely quite curious to give Melissa Pimentel's new release a try!
 


Fiona Gibson - 'As Good As It Gets?' (29th January)

“Midlife crisis? WHAT midlife crisis?!”

Charlotte Bristow is worried about her husband Will. Their fourteen years of marriage have been rather lovely so far, but things have been a bit odd lately.

With their stunning 16-year-old daughter Rosie newly signed to a top modelling agency and Will recently out of a job, Charlotte can’t help but notice that things are changing in their household.

As Will dusts down his old leather trousers and starts partying with their new, fun neighbours, Charlotte begins to wonder what on earth is going on.

So when Fraser, Charlotte’s ex – and father of Rosie – suddenly arrives back on the scene, Charlotte starts to wonder what might have been…

Why so excited? --> Fiona Gibson's novels never disappoint which is why I'm really looking forward to finally getting my hands on a copy of her upcoming release 'As Good As It Gets?'. I have high hopes for this one!
 


Nikki Moore - 'Valentine's on Primrose Hill' (29th January)

The third short story in the fun & flirty #LoveLondon series from exciting new chick lit author Nikki Moore!

For Georgiana Dunn, life changed forever in the devastating moment that the lorry hit her car.

Scarred and scared, she's not left the house in months.Then her mum buys her a puppy, forcing her to face the world again, walking on London's beautiful Primrose Hill. But that doesn't mean she's looking forward to Valentine's Day.

Leo devotes himself to working with children with special educational needs. In fact, he does very little else, and his friends are always telling him to get a (love) life. So when they challenge him to find a date for Valentine's Day, and he meets a lovely but lost girl who looks like she could use a friend, he thinks he's found the perfect solution.

But life has a way of being less than perfect … Will he be left standing on his own on the most romantic day of the year?

Why so excited? --> For those of you who love chick lit and haven't heard of Nikki Moore's #LoveLondon series should definitely check it out. The series is set in different locations in London, has lovely book covers, and just looks like a brilliant series. Can't wait to also read this part!   
 


Fleur Smithwick - 'How to Make a Friend' (29th January)

As a lonely child, Alice found comfort the same way so many others do - she invented a friend. Sam was always there when she needed him, until one day...he wasn't.

Now, Alice's life almost resembles something happy, normal. She has a handful of close friends and a career as a photographer. But when a tragic accident shatters the world Alice has constructed, the sense of isolation that haunted her in childhood returns. And with it, so does Sam.

To Alice, he looks and feels like a real person, but how can that be so? And who will decide when it's time for him to leave again?

Why so excited? --> I really like the sound of this novel; it sounds incredibly promising and intriguing, and I really look forward to discovering what Fleur Smithwick has done with this story.

16 March 2014

Blog Tour: 'Take Mum Out' by Fiona Gibson (2014)


Three blind dates
Two teenage boys messing up her plans
And one man who'll melt Alice's heart.

'You need to get back in the saddle…' Alice despises that phrase. She's fine being single – with two slothful teenage boys and a meringue business to run, she has enough on her plate without negotiating the troublesome world of modern dating.

However, Alice's three best friends have other ideas. Each one will present her with an utterly delicious, eligible man – all Alice has to do is pick her favourite.

Today I’m really excited to be a part of the blog tour for Fiona Gibson’s latest release, ‘Take Mum Out’! I received an early review copy of the book and was really looking forward to reading it, because I hadn’t read any of Fiona Gibson’s work before. I don’t really know why, especially because I loved the covers for ‘Pedigree Mum’ and ‘The Great Escape’ and I think I even have copies of both of these books in my book collection somewhere. However, I love discovering new authors and the fact that I would be part of this blog tour provided me with the chance to really sit down with Fiona’s new book and discover her writing! 

It has been six years since Alice Sweet’s divorce from her now ex-husband Tom and she is content with her life, even though it does not include any new romance. Alice is occupied with her part-time job as a school secretary, her own meringue business ‘Sugar Mummy’, and taking care of her two teenage sons Logan and Fergus; there’s hardly any time left to find Mr. Right! However, Alice’s three best friends decide it is time for her to start dating again, no matter what she tells herself; she needs to get back in the saddle. Each of her friends will set Alice up with a single man of their choice, which results in a string of dates with various handsome men. Suddenly, Alice is reminded of the fact that she is much more than a mum, but is the right guy out there for her and will she have the time to combine it all?

I was definitely pleasantly surprised by this novel. The past couple of months I’ve read numerous novels about mums trying to figure out their lives, and while ‘Take Mum Out’ doesn’t have a too intricate or original plot, the execution of it is simply wonderful. The main character in the book, Alice, is incredibly likeable and I loved being able to join her on her journey towards finding a man that is right for her while dealing with her two teenage sons , her part-time job and her own yummy meringue business at the same time. The fact that she has quite a lot going on in her life resulted in many entertaining and laugh-out-loud situations, and I can honestly say there wasn’t even a second to get bored while reading this novel. Next to Alice, there’s a great cast of secondary characters, including the various men Alice goes on a date with (such as dentist Stephen and 10-years-younger Giles who has a specific love for older women) and her two teenage sons, Logan and Fergus, who are portrayed incredibly realistically and I found it difficult not to warm to them!

Fiona Gibson has a great and particularly witty writing style which makes this book a true pleasure to read. It was really easy to get into the story and it managed to keep me entertained from beginning to end. I can imagine most of the scenes in the novel might be quite relatable to other mothers out there, but even if you’re not a mum (yet), this novel is a real treat. ‘Take Mum Out’ is a truly delightful, down-to-earth and warm read; I’m so glad I was introduced to Fiona Gibson’s writing and I definitely look forward to reading more of her work in the future!  

Rating:
 9,5
/10

For more information about this book: Amazon UK / Amazon US / Goodreads

Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

27 February 2014

March 2014 releases!

The month of March has already arrived, which means Spring is getting closer! I'm already hearing birds singing the occasional song when I'm making my way to work every morning and the sun is showing its lovely bright face more and more... Hopefully, March will have some lovely Spring days in store for us, but if not, no worries, because there will be plenty of fabulous book releases to keep you occupied, whether that means sitting inside with a comfy blanket on the couch or perhaps outside with the first rays of Spring sunshine on your face!

Amy Hatvany - 'Safe With Me' (4th of March)

The screech of tires brought Hannah Scott’s world as she knew it to a devastating end. Even a year after she signed the papers to donate her daughter’s organs, Hannah is still reeling with grief when she unexpectedly stumbles into the life of the Bell family, whose child, Maddie, survived only because hers had died. Mesmerized by this fragile connection to her own daughter and afraid to reveal who she actually is, Hannah develops a surprising friendship with Maddie’s mother, Olivia.

The Bells, however, have problems of their own. Once on the verge of leaving her wealthy but abusive husband, Olivia now finds herself bound to him as never before in the wake of the successful transplant that saved their fifteen-year-old daughter’s life. Meanwhile Maddie, tired of the limits her poor health puts upon her and fearful of her father’s increasing rage, regularly escapes into the one place where she can be anyone she wants: the Internet. But when she is finally healthy enough to return to school, the real world proves to be just as complicated as the isolated bubble she had been so eager to escape.





Jane Linfoot - 'The Right Side of Mr. Wrong' (6th of March)

One-off, moving on sex, wasn’t meant to be this hot…

When determined singleton Shea Summers is persuaded to become the “wife” of the Lord of Edgerton Manor, the last thing she wants to do is play house with a stranger.

Brooding playboy Brando Marshall is far from happy when Shea turns up at his sprawling estate with production crew in tow. Surely she’s just another woman after his wallet? And if she’s looking for Mr Right, she’s definitely hitting on the wrong guy. Then again, after catching an unscheduled glimpse of her knickers, perhaps Brando needs to teach this “gold-digger” a lesson!

She’s seizing the moment, he’s breaking the rules, and when bad boys can be so much fun, who can resist getting on the right side of Mr. Wrong…



Zoe Miller - 'A Husband's Confession' (6th of March)

Some marriages work out to plan; others are torn to shreds...

When Ali met Max in the summer of 1990, he turned her empty life around and filled it with love. Now, years on, Ali's greatest fear is that their happiness and hard-won success might be taken away. But just as Max's star is rising, unsettling incidents at their artisan bakery in Dublin's creative quarter threaten to damage its reputation and their dream.
Finn and Jo were running away from heartache when they met in Australia over twenty years ago. They married on a beach after a whirlwind romance and came back to Ireland to start afresh. But now Finn is in shock after the demise of his gritty role in a popular television crime drama, and Jo fears for him and their marriage.
When an accident one Saturday night has devastating consequences for both families, both Jo and Ali find out that there is no going back to the sparkle and excitement of those early years, and the future depends on the strength of their love and courage. 

 



Katie Fforde - 'The Perfect Match' (13th of March)

Three years ago Bella Castle left her home town nursing a broken heart over Dominic Thane, the man she fell in love with but couldn't have .

Now she's made a new life for herself in the country, working as an estate agent.

Bella loves her job and she loves her boyfriend Nevil. But recently he's been preoccupied, and she's starting to question if his future hopes and dreams are a perfect match for hers.

And when Dominic turns up unexpectedly in search of his dream house, she begins to wonder if home is really where the heart is. But she's over him, isn't she?
 



Claire Dyer - 'The Perfect Affair' (13th of March)

What happens if you fall in love with the wrong person?

Rose knows only too well the exhilaration and devastation of loving a married man. So she watches with a keen eye as Eve - her closest companion, the granddaughter she never had - meets Myles, the new tenant in her downstairs flat.

Quietly and softly and against the backdrop of their own unsatisfactory marriages, Myles and Eve fall in love and, as they try to have the perfect affair like Rose did before them, they come to learn about the pain of lost opportunities, to decide whether it is ever better to follow your head or your heart, to know what it is to be torn between love and duty.

 
 



Nic Tatano - 'The Adventures of Jillian Spectre' (13th of March)

Welcome to the Mystic Quarter...

Jillian Spectre knows what happens after you die.

Because the seventeen-year-old mystic seer can see the future of her clients even after they've passed on. And that's not even her coolest power...

She can be in two places at once. Problem is, her heart can only be in one.

Supernatural abilities aside, she's a typical high school senior torn between two guys. But that gets put on the back burner when she discovers the father she had long assumed was dead is actually alive, with unique powers of his own. He's a technopath, with the ability to interface his mind with technology. And he's got a plan to take down society.

Unless Jillian can stop him.
 



Jenny Colgan - 'Little Beach Street Bakery' (13th of March)

Polly Waterford is recovering from a toxic relationship. Unable to afford their townhouse, she has to move miles away from everyone, to the sleepy little seaside resort of Polbearne, where she lives alone above an abandoned shop.

And so Polly takes out her frustrations on her favourite hobby: making bread. But what was previously a weekend diversion suddenly becomes far more important as she pours her emotions into kneading and pounding the dough, and each loaf becomes better and better. With nuts and seeds, olives and chorizo, with local honey (courtesy of local bee keeper, Huckle), and with reserves of determination and creativity Polly never knew she had, she bakes and bakes and bakes . . . And people start to hear about it.

Sometimes, bread really is life . . . And Polly is about to reclaim hers.
 



Fiona Gibson - 'Take Mum Out' (13th of March)

Three blind dates
Two teenage boys messing up her plans
And one man who'll melt Alice's heart.

'You need to get back in the saddle…' Alice despises that phrase. She's fine being single – with two slothful teenage boys and a meringue business to run, she has enough on her plate without negotiating the troublesome world of modern dating.

However, Alice's three best friends have other ideas. Each one will present her with an utterly delicious, eligible man – all Alice has to do is pick her favourite.
 





Elizabeth Maxwell - 'Happily Ever After' (18th of March)

At forty-six, Sadie Fuller's life isn't exactly romantic. A divorced, overweight, somewhat sexually frustrated mother of an eleven-year-old, she lives in the suburbs, shops the big box stores, makes small talk with her small-minded neighbors, and generally leads a quiet life. But while her daughter is at school, or when Sadie is up late at night, she writes erotic fiction under the name KT Briggs.

Then, during a routine shopping trip, Sadie runs into someone familiar...too familiar, in fact. She encounters an incredibly handsome man exactly like the one in her imagination--and her latest novel. Is Aidan Hathaway really one of her characters? And if so, what is he doing in Target? As Sadie tries to negotiate this strange new world, her eyes begin to open to romantic possibilities in places she never dreamed of looking...places where Happily Ever After might not be so far-fetched after all.
 



Susan Rieger - 'The Divorce Papers' (18th of March)

Twenty-nine-year-old Sophie Diehl is happy toiling away as a criminal law associate at an old line New England firm where she very much appreciates that most of her clients are behind bars. Everyone at Traynor, Hand knows she abhors face-to-face contact, but one weekend, with all the big partners away, Sophie must handle the intake interview for the daughter of the firm’s most important client. After eighteen years of marriage, Mayflower descendant Mia Meiklejohn Durkheim has just been served divorce papers in a humiliating scene at the popular local restaurant, Golightly’s. She is locked and loaded to fight her eminent and ambitious husband, Dr. Daniel Durkheim, Chief of the Department of Pediatric Oncology, for custody of their ten-year-old daughter Jane—and she also burns to take him down a peg. Sophie warns Mia that she’s never handled a divorce case before, but Mia can’t be put off. As she so disarmingly puts it: It’s her first divorce, too.
  



Jane Fallon - 'Skeletons' (27th of March)

Jen has discovered a secret.

It's not hers to share, but is it hers to keep?

If she tells her husband Jason, he might get over the shock but will he forgive her for telling the truth? She might drive a wedge through their marriage.

If she tells someone else in Jason's family - the family she's come to love more than her own - she'd not only tear them apart but could also find herself on the outside: she's never really been one of them, after all.

But if she keeps this dirty little secret to herself, how long can she pretend nothing is wrong? How long can she live a lie?

Jen knows the truth - but is she ready for the consequences?
  



Isabel Wolff - 'Ghostwritten' (27th of March)

A childhood mistake. A lifetime of regrets.

Jenni is a ‘ghost’: she writes the lives of other people. It’s a job that suits her well: still haunted by a childhood tragedy, she finds it easier to take refuge in the memories of others rather than dwell on her own.

Jenni has an exciting new commission, and is delighted to start working on the memoirs of a Dutchwoman, Klara. As a child in the Second World War, Klara was interned in a camp on Java during the Japanese occupation – she has an extraordinary story of survival to tell.

But as Jenni and Klara begin to get to know each other, Jenni begins to do much more than shed light on a neglected part of history. She is being forced to examine her own devastating memories, too. But with Klara’s help, perhaps this is finally the moment where she will be able to lay the ghosts of her own past to rest?

  



Emma Hannigan - 'The Summer Guest' (27th of March)

Lexi and her husband Sam have put their heart and soul into renovating No. 3 Cashel Square. Lexi's mother thinks it's high time they had a baby, but Lexi's thriving art gallery keeps her more than busy. Plus her headstrong niece Amelie seems to have practically moved in. And then, just as summer arrives, a mysterious stranger knocks on the door. Kathleen Williams has come from America, longing to see the house in Cashel Square where she was born, over sixty years ago. Kathleen's visit is tinged with sadness but she finds comfort and laughter with Lexie and Amelie. Soon the three women are sharing their hearts, tears and secrets, little knowing their unexpected friendship will touch them all in more ways than they can imagine... 
   



Jane Costello - 'The Time of Our Lives' (27th of March)

Three best friends. One five-star hotel. Will it be the holiday of a lifetime ...? 

Imogen and her friends Meredith and Nicola have had their fill of budget holidays, cattle-class flights and 6 a.m. offensives for a space by the pool. So when Meredith wins a VIP holiday at Barcelona's hippest new hotel, they plan to sip champagne with the jet set, party with the glitterati and switch off in unapologetic luxury. But when the worst crisis of her working life erupts back home, Imogen has to juggle her BlackBerry with a Manhattan, while soothing a hysterical boss and hunting down an AWOL assistant. 

Between a robbery, a run-in with hotel security staff and an encounter on a nudist beach that they'd all rather forget, the friends stumble from one disaster to the next. At least Imogen has a distraction in the form of the gorgeous guy who's always in the right place at the very worst time. Until, that is, his motives start to arouse a few suspicions ...
  



Rebecca Chance - 'Bad Brides' (27th of March)

Good brides promise to obey. Bad brides wouldn't dream of it… 

Milly Gamble is an up-and-coming actress, and the perfect English flower child. At 23, she's always been cast as the innocent heroine. But looks can deceive. Calculating and fiercely ambitious, Milly is determined to be the most famous star in England. And how better to achieve her goal than by dating Tarquin Ormond, lead singer of the biggest folk band of the moment? Tarquin is madly in love with Milly; Milly is only in love with herself. 

Brianna Jade is an all-American pageant girl. The daughter of Tamra Maloney, a stunning billionairess, Brianna is a sweet, pretty girl who is more than happy to go along with her mother's ambitious plans for her. Now Tamra's brought her to the UK and hooked her up with an Earl. He has a crumbling stately home and needs a rich wife to help restore it to its former glory. Tamra is as ambitious and determined as Brianna is sweet and innocent - is this more a case of mother-in-law-zilla than bridezilla? 

Both Milly and Brianna's upcoming weddings will be huge, lavish events that garner national press. But with the cover of the biggest magazine in the country to be won, things are about to get very dirty…




Mary Hogan - 'Two Sisters' (27th of March)

One family, two sisters, a lifetime of secrets . . .

The third child in a family that wanted only two, Muriel Sullivant has always been an outsider. Short, dark-haired and round, she worships her beautiful blonde sister, Pia, and envies the close bond she shares with their mother, Lidia. Growing up in their shadow, Muriel believes that if she keeps all their secrets—and she knows plenty, outsiders always do—they will love her, too.

But that was a long time ago. Now an adult, Muriel has accepted the disappointments in her life. With her fourth-floor walk-up apartment and entry-level New York City job, she never will measure up to Pia and her wealthy husband, their daughter, and their suburban Connecticut dream home. Muriel would like nothing better than to avoid her judgmental family altogether. One thing she does quite well.

Until the day Pia shows up to visit and share devastating news that Muriel knows she cannot tell—a secret that will force her to come to terms with the past and help her see her life and her family in unexpected new ways.
  



Lucy Clarke - 'A Single Breath' (27th of March)

The deeper the water, the darker the secrets

There were so many times I thought about telling you the truth, Eva. What stopped me was always the same thing…

When Eva’s husband Jackson tragically drowns, she longs to meet his estranged family. The journey takes her to Jackson’s brother’s doorstep on a remote Tasmanian island. As strange details about her husband’s past begin to emerge, memories of the man she married start slipping through her fingers like sand, as everything she ever knew and loved about him is thrown into question. Now she’s no longer sure whether it was Jackson she fell in love with – or someone else entirely…

The truth is, it was all a lie ...