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Search Results for: very good lives/

Showing 25-48 of 241 results for very good lives/

Sleepwalk

Sleepwalk

Contributors

Dan Chaon

Price and format

Price
£20
Format
Hardcover
‘A thrilling and often hilarious road trip across America in the very near future, told by a winning and murderous narrator’ Gillian Flynn, author of Gone Girl

Sleepwalk’s hero, Will Bear, is a man with so many aliases that he simply thinks of himself as the Barely Blur. At fifty years old, he’s been living off the grid for over half his life. A good-natured henchman with a complicated and lonely past and a passion for LSD microdosing, he spends his time hopscotching across state lines in his beloved camper van, running sometimes shady often dangerous errands for a powerful and ruthless operation he’s never troubled himself to learn too much about.

Out of the blue, one of Will’s many burner phones heralds a call from a twenty-year-old woman claiming to be his biological daughter. She says she’s the product of one of his long-ago sperm donations; he’s half certain she’s AI. She needs his help. She’s entrenched in a widespread and nefarious plot involving Will’s employers, and for Will to continue to have any contact with her increasingly fuzzes the line between the people he is working for and the people he’s running from.

With his signature blend of haunting emotional realism and fast-paced intrigue, Dan Chaon populates his fractured America with characters who ring all too true. Sleepwalk examines where we’ve been and where we’re going and the connections that bind us, no matter how far we travel to dodge them or how cleverly we hide.

‘Dan Chaon has given us one of the most intriguing, original, and fully-realized characters in recent memory; that he’s the center of an absolute page-turner is the icing on the cake. Sleepwalk is riveting, propulsive, chilling, and (no shocker) pure genius’ Rebecca Makkai, author of The Great Believers
A Walk in the Dark

A Walk in the Dark

Contributors

Jane Godwin

Price and format

Price
£9.99
Format
Paperback
A gripping and suspenseful rite-of-passage novel about five teenagers and one night that will change them all, from award-winning author Jane Godwin.

‘A brilliantly woven tale, deliciously tense from first page to last. This is classic unputdownable Godwin’ DAVINA BELL

‘It’s just a walk in the dark. What is there to worry about?’

That’s what the head teacher, Johan, says. And so the Year Nines from Otway Community School set out on an overnight hike, with no adults.

But doesn’t Johan know that a storm is coming?

When five teenagers head in to the forest that late afternoon, none of them is aware what the night will bring. Each will have to draw on their particular strengths to survive. Each will have to face the unknown, battling the elements, events beyond their control, and their own demons. It’s a night that will change everything.

Set in the rainforest of Victoria’s Otway Ranges, A Walk in the Dark is about friendship, trust, identity and family, consent and boundaries, wrapped in a compulsively readable, suspense-filled adventure.

Five head into the forest, but will all five make it out?

‘Quality storytelling . . . gripping’ The Australian Women’s Weekly
‘Unique and intriguing’ Better Reading
Fantastically tense in places, A Walk in the Dark is a great read for all kids ages 11 plus’ Readings
‘Suspenseful and exciting . . . Extremely engaging . . . highly relatable and real. This novel has everything to keep the audience enthralled. No reader will be able to put the book down until the very end’ ReadPlus
‘This is deft, intuitive writing, deeply sympathetic, non-judgemental, canny. Jane Godwin understands what it is to be a child or young person, what matters to them at different ages and stages. Importantly, she values these concerns, treats them with due respect and creates stories in which her book people mature and blossom through the overcoming of self-doubt and their fear of the new and unknown. Good lessons for adults there, too’ Living Arts Canberra
An Island Wedding

An Island Wedding

Contributors

Jenny Colgan

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Price
£8.99
Format
Paperback
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‘I loved this novel and every single one of its characters. Supremely heartfelt, hilarious and heartrending – it’s an absolute triumph.’ Sophie Kinsella

Discover Jenny Colgan’s best novel yet…


Olivia and Anthony are planning A Very Extravagant Wedding at the newest hotel on the tiny Scottish island of Mure. They’re flying in chefs, musicians and something called a living flower wall… and no one is even allowed to think the word bridezilla.

Flora is trying – and failing – not to let Olivia and Anthony’s wedding distract her from planning her own big day with Joel. But the couple have wildly different ideas about how to celebrate and somehow, just when their relationship should be plain sailing, everything is suddenly very hard indeed.

And then there’s Lorna and Saif. The local headmistress and the GP desperately keeping their relationship a secret to protect his sons. But while they’re looking out for the boys, who’s looking out for them?

Three couples. One midsummer’s night. Can everyone get their happy ever after?

*


Why readers ADORE Jenny Colgan…


‘Jenny Colgan has a way of writing that makes me melt inside’

‘Her books are so good I want to start over as soon as I have finished’
‘There’s something so engaging about her characters and plots’
‘Her books are like a big, warm blanket’
‘Her stories are just so fabulous’
‘She brings her settings and characters so vividly to life’
‘The woman is just magic’
Not That Kind of Ever After

Not That Kind of Ever After

Contributors

Luci Adams

Price and format

Price
£9.99
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Paperback
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‘Utterly hilarious . . . a stellar debut that’s sure to charm readers’ KATE BROMLEY

‘[A] raucously entertaining debut novel’ The Times
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Gloriously fun, romantic and feel-good, discover a 21st century London fairytale with an unforgettable twist


Once upon a time, in a flatshare south of the river, there lived an aspiring author named Bella Marble. Above all things, above her wish to be a writer, above absolutely anything and everything, Bella wants to find love.But one fateful week changes everything…

When her best friend moves in with the most boring ogre in history and her perfectly paired parents tell her their own love story is coming to an end, Bella’s illusions of finding ‘the one’ shatters.

With the help of her very own knight in shining Armani, Bella ditches the fairytale and decides it’s time to write herself a brand new kind of happy ending. And while London may be fresh out of Princes, it’s got a surplus of frogs – and as Bella learns, kissing frogs can be extremely fun.
______________

Fresh, funny and intelligent, this book will make any woman who’s experienced dating in the 21st century laugh, wince and cry in recognition, and is perfect for fans of Sophie Kinsella, Mhairi Mcfarlane and Beth O’Leary.

Find out why everyone’s talking about NOT THAT KIND OF EVER AFTER . . .

‘A wickedly funny exploration of finding one’s own Happily Ever After. If you’ve ever gone searching for The Fairytale within the hellscape of modern dating, Not That Kind of Ever After is for you’ ALISON ROSE GREENBERG

A laugh-out-loud and totally swoon-worthy read that will keep you turning the pages’ JO WATSON

The Angels of Venice

The Angels of Venice

Contributors

Philip Gwynne Jones

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Price
£9.99
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Paperback
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‘An unputdownable thriller’ Gregory Dowling

‘It is no surprise to find that Philip Gwynne Jones lives in Venice… art and architecture interweave into a story that builds to an almost surreal climax’
Daily Mail

Gwynne Jones’s talent for evoking place and atmosphere is clear as ever’ Literary Review
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It’s the night of 12 November 2019. The worst flooding in 50 years hits the city of Venice. 85% of La Serenissima is underwater. Gale force winds roar across the lagoon and along the narrow streets. And the body of Dr Jennifer Whiteread- a young British art historian, specialising in the depiction of angels in Venetian painting – is found floating in a flooded antique bookshop on the Street of the Assassins.


As the local police struggle to restore order to a city on its knees, Nathan Sutherland – under pressure from the British Ambassador and distraught relatives – sets out into the dark and rain-swept streets in an attempt to discover the truth behind Whiteread’s death.

The trail leads to the “Markham Foundation”, a recent and welcome addition to the list of charities working to preserve the ancient city. Charming, handsome and very, very rich, Giles Markham is a well-known and popular figure in the highest Venetian social circles, and has the ear of both the Mayor and the Patriarch.

But a man with powerful friends may also have powerful enemies. And Nathan is about to learn that, in Venice at least, angels come in many forms – merciful, fallen and vengeful…
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Praise for Philip Gwynne Jones

‘Superb – always gripping, beautifully constructed and vivid’ Stephen Glover

Clever and great funThe Times

Sinister and shimmering, The Venetian Game is as haunting and darkly elegant as Venice itself’ L.S. Hilton, bestselling author of Maestra

‘The Venetian setting is vividly described… good, fluid writing makes for easy reading’ Literary Review

Un-put-downable . . . If you love Venice, you’ll love this because you’ll be transported there in an instant. If you’ve not been to Venice, read this book and then go. If you like intrigue, and a clever plot, you’ll love this book’ Amazon reviewer, 5*****

‘The lively, colourful narrative scuds along as briskly as a water taxi…you’ll enjoy the ride‘ Italia Magazine
Mobilising Hate

Mobilising Hate

Contributors

Martin Davidson

Price and format

Price
£22
Format
Hardcover
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‘Finally, eight decades on, there comes a convincing reason as to how an entire nation was able to swallow and then endorse the warped ideology of Hitler and the Nazis. Not only a brilliantly argued book, Mobilising Hate is also a grimly compelling and utterly absorbing examination of one of the most terrible events in world history. Martin Davidson’s meticulous and scholarly research and exquisite writing has provided us with one of the most important books ever written on the subject.’ JAMES HOLLAND

‘A highly readable thesis of how ordinary people were turned into monsters by the malevolent propaganda of Hitler and his henchmen … A very good book.’ SAUL DAVID, Telegraph

By 1942, it was an article of faith that what the Nazis called ‘The Jewish Question’ had only one answer: the mass extermination of an entire people. Six million European Jews were savagely murdered as a result of this perverted but profoundly held conviction.

In this radical new perspective on Hitler’s so-called ‘Final Solution’, Martin Davidson shows that the terrible fate of Europe’s Jews was not one Nazi policy amongst many, but the central preoccupation of the regime, one which they were determined to achieve and of which they were most chillingly proud.

How were so many people convinced that the Jews deserved such treatment – or were at least persuaded to shrug their shoulders and turn a blind eye? Why did they think Germany could only be reborn with their eradication? That Jewish suffering was not only necessary, but deserved? How were the moral standards of an entire nation so warped and perverted, that the Final Solution came to be regarded as a rational, thrilling, even sacred, element of Nazi state policy?

Mobilising Hate examines in detail how Nazi ideologues worked to frame and amplify anti-Jewish feeling in Germany. Davidson explores the origins of radical anti-Jewish polemic in the volcanic upheavals that swept over Germany in the months after the First World War. How it seeded a theory that claimed to explain the truth of the entirety of human history. How that theory would go on to pervert science; corrupt the law; rewrite history; taint art, music and literature; and turn the media into the servant of a brutal and pitiless regime with a single message to communicate: destroying Jews lives was the indispensable first step to making Germany – and indeed, Europe – great again.

Davidson goes on to track the way in which Nazi leaders moved from theory to practice, by accident and by design, skilfully dramatising the many twists and turns that would lead to Auschwitz and beyond, many of which are not generally included in conventional accounts.

Mobilising Hate is driven by the first-hand accounts of many of those defined by the Nazi genocide; both its architects and perpetrators, as well as its targeted victims. Poignantly too, the book turns the spotlight on the whistle-blowers who saw, recorded and shared accounts of the horrors unfolding across the continent – only to be greeted time and time again, with guarded and non-committal hedging from Allied governments. Many people inside Germany, and across the world, knew, but, it seemed, very few felt they needed to care.

As our world once again grapples with the challenges of global mass resentment, economic insecurity and the growing desire to find people – entire populations – at whom to point the finger of blame, the issue of Hitler’s Final Solution and the thinking that gave birth to it have worrying new resonance. Rarely has the ‘warning from history’ been so acute, nor the refrain ‘never again’, been so heartfelt.

Above all, Mobilising Hate is the story of how the Nazis spawned a vision of ‘us’ and ‘them’, that taken to its logical conclusion, spelled a death sentence for millions. Hitler may have lacked an early masterplan for the mass extermination of Europe’s Jews, but it would be his zealously constructed policies and unflinching determination to see them through to the bitter end that would make it impossible for his Nazi Holocaust not to happen. That the Jews should face total extermination was Hitler’s biggest, proudest prophecy, and the one he moved mountains to make come true, no matter the cost.
Letting in the Light

Letting in the Light

Contributors

Charlotte Betts

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£9.99
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Paperback
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From the award-winning author of The Apothecary’s Daughter comes the next book in the Spindrift Trilogy – a beautifully evocative, family drama, perfect for fans of Santa Montefiore, Lucinda Riley and Elizabeth Jane Howard’s Cazalet Chronicles.

1914 Spindrift House, Cornwall

Edith Fairchild’s good-for-nothing husband, Benedict, deserted her when their children were babies. Now the children are almost adult, Edith and Pascal, her faithful lover of two decades, are planning to leave their beloved Spindrift artists’ community and finally be together.

But an explosive encounter between Benedict and Pascal forces old secrets into the light, causing rifts in the happiness and security of the community. Then an assassin’s bullet fired in faraway Sarajevo sets in motion a chain of events that changes everything.

Under the shadow of war, the community struggles to eke out a living. The younger generation enlist or volunteer to support the war effort, facing dangers that seemed unimaginable in the golden summer of 1914.

When it’s all over, will the Spindrift community survive an unexpected threat? And will Edith and Pascal ever be able to fulfil their dream?

Why do readers love Charlotte Betts?

‘Romantic, engaging and hugely satisfying’ Katie Fforde

‘A highly-recommended novel of love, tragedy and the power of art’ Daily Mail

Beautifully written, engaging and heart-warming’ Book Club Mumma

‘A highly compelling, engrossing read’ Discovering Diamonds

‘Evocative, enthralling and enjoyable’ Bookish Jottings

‘Poignant, compelling and extensively researched . . . I cannot wait to find out what happens next to these characters’ Sarah’s Vignettes

A delightful historical saga which is so beautifully woven together that from the very start I was enchanted’ Jaffa Reads Too

‘Rich in detail, full of passion this is a delightful and fascinating read’ Book Literati
A Very Nice Rejection Letter

A Very Nice Rejection Letter

Contributors

Chris Paling

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£9.99
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Paperback
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‘Like all good diarists Paling’s musings are funny, tender and uncensored’ Sunday Times

6 April 2007


Writing income for the year so far: minus £300


‘I feel that this might just be the year in which something happens. Then again it might not. But hope drives all writers on.’


It’s unlikely that you’ll know Chris Paling’s face or have heard his name. This is his diary of trying to make a living as a writer, through the typical career trajectory of what is deemed a ‘mid-list novelist’. Publishing rule 6: there is no such thing as a ‘low-list’ novelist.


In renumeration terms, writing is a career that often ends in disappointment and despair, and occasionally disgrace. Paling artfully explores what compels him and so many others to write – the battling joys and agonies of when that compulsion beds itself in one’s psyche, and a day without writing is a day wasted. A fascinating insight into the writing process, he tracks the need to write something new, or something old in a new way, something relevant, something that needs to be written when very little actually does, in search of that ever-elusive goal of being ‘in print’.


By turns moving, wry and brutally honest, A Very Nice Rejection Letter unveils the rewarding yet soul-baring life of a novelist. At its heart is a love letter to the art of writing but this delightful book is also a profound reflection on the forces that drive us all.
The Wolf

The Wolf

Contributors

J. R. Ward

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Price
£9.99
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Paperback
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‘Wickedly sexy’ Lisa Gardner

‘To die for’ Suzanne Brockmann

Return to the dark and sexy Black Dagger Brotherhood world in this second prison camp installment from #1 New York Times bestselling author J. R. Ward . . .


Rio Hernandez-Guerrero has been working undercover to bring down Caldwell’s worst drug lord, the elusive and sadistic Mozart. She knows she’s finally getting close to him when she’s ordered to negotiate a massive deal with a shadowy supplier. But what shows up at the meeting . . . is nothing she expects.

Betrayed by his clan, Lucan was locked up decades ago for the crime of being both wolven and vampire. Forced to engage in drug-dealing by the prison camp’s despot, he is not looking for anything more complicated in his cold and isolated life. But then a human woman, with a stare that tames him, crosses his path . . .

Rio captures a predator’s heart, but they both have secrets that threaten not only their fate as soulmates but their very lives. Will they find a way to win at the deadly game they’re both playing . . . or will their inner natures shatter their love?

Find out why readers are OBSESSED with the Black Dagger Brotherhood…

It’s not easy to find a new twist on the vampire myth, but Ward succeeds beautifully. This dark and compelling world is filled with enticing romance as well as perilous adventure. With myriad possibilities to choose from, the Black Dagger Brotherhood series promises tons of thrills and chills’ Romantic Times

Insanely good! . . . Intensely romantic and straight up flipping steamy, violent and gruesome, heartbreaking and deep. Her addictive writing tells a story like none other’ Goodreads reviewer

‘I can’t get enough of these sexy, tough, intriguing vampires’ Amazon reviewer

Emotional by epic proportions’ Kobo reviewer

The Black Dagger Brotherhood is a twisting, often surprising, but always awesome read’ Amazon reviewer

‘A must read’ Goodreads reviewer

The story had me captivated the whole wayKobo reviewer

Each and every character is compelling’ Amazon reviewer
Twice Shy

Twice Shy

Contributors

Sarah Hogle

Price and format

Price
£9.99
Format
Paperback
‘This book is the perfect dose of sweet, hilarious joy. . . We are in love’ bestselling author Christina Lauren

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If you dream something hard enough, it might just come true . . .

Maybell Parrish lives with her head in the clouds, which is the sensible choice because her fantasy life is wonderful. She runs a cosy coffee shop, surrounded by friendly colleagues and delicious baked goods, and is together with the man of her dreams – the one she’s now certain doesn’t exist. In real life, she works in a thankless job surrounded by screaming children, blocked toilets and work frenemies who pity her, whilst trying not to think too hard about her absent mother and doing her best to deal with debilitating panic attacks. So, when Maybell inherits a stately old manor from her eccentric Great Aunt Violet, it’s as though a piece of her dreams has finally come true . . .

But when she arrives at her new home, nothing is as she’d hoped. Not only is the magical manor she remembers falling apart, but Great Aunt Violet had plans. Enter Wesley Koehler, the handsome-yet-surly groundskeeper. Wesley turns out to be the co-inheritor of the property – and seems determined to avoid speaking to Maybell completely, which is just fine with Maybell. Yet, as the pair begin to tackle Violet’s long list of demands, it becomes clear that Wesley’s brooding exterior hides a shy, kind nature that has also found the real world a difficult place to be – in fact, could it be that Wesley and Maybell are better matched than even Maybell could ever have dreamed?

Perfect for fans of Helen Hoang’s The Love Quotient and Sally Thorne’s The Hating Game, TWICE SHY is laugh-out-loud funny, painfully relatable, and bitingly smart.

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Praise for You Deserve Each Other:

‘Sarah Hogle is a master of comedic dialogue and sexual tension’ Kristin Rockaway

‘Anyone who has ever been in a relationship will recognize a part of themselves in this book’ Lyssa Kay Adams

‘An honest depiction of how dishonesty in a relationship can be its undoing. You Deserve Each Other is a sharp and witty look at how relationships take work to succeed, and how being true to yourself and each other is at the very core of a romantic connection’ Samantha Young

You Deserve Each Other is one of my favorite books of the year’ Jennifer L. Armentrout

‘Laugh-out-loud funny and a love story with incredible heart. I absolutely loved You Deserve Each OtherKatie McGarry

‘A snarky heroine, wickedly funny banter and a cast of quirky characters make this a laugh-out-loud read’ Maisey Yates, New York Times-bestselling author of Secrets from a Happy Marriage

‘[A] hilarious debut romance…[that] rewards readers with laugh-out-loud moments and a satisfyingly sweet and redeeming ending’ Booklist
A Bite of the Apple

A Bite of the Apple

Contributors

Lennie Goodings, Lennie Goodings

Price and format

Price
£19.99
Format
Audiobook Downloadable
‘The moment I got my job at Virago in 1978 I knew it would be a long time before I would leave. I certainly wouldn’t have had the brazen hope then-only twenty-five and very recently new to Britain-that I would ever become the Publisher, but I did know that I had found my home: where books, ideas, politics, imagination, feminism, and business was the air we breathed . . .’

A Bite of the Apple is part-memoir, part history of Virago, and part thoughts on over forty years of feminist publishing. This is the story of how the authors and staff who, driven by passion, conviction and excitement, have made Virago Press one of the most important and influential English-language publishers in the world. Lennie Goodings has been with the iconic press founded by Carmen Callil almost since the start. First a publicist and then for over twenty years, publisher and editor, she has worked with extraordinary authors: Margaret Atwood, Marilynne Robinson, Sarah Waters, Linda Grant, Natasha Walter, Naomi Wolf and Maya Angelou among many others.

Virago has been a life-changer for Lennie Goodings – but certainly not only for her. Following the chronology of the press and the enormous breadth of the Virago titles published over these years, she sets her story in the context of feminism, and segues into thoughts on editing, post-feminism, reading, breaking boundaries, and the Virago Modern Classics. Virago lives within the tension between idealism and pragmatism; between sisterhood and celebrity; between watching feminism wax and wane at the same time as knowing so many of the battles are still to be won. This book is about how it felt to be there.

A Bite of the Apple is a celebration of writing, of publishing, and of reading.
The Power of Tranquility in a Very Noisy World

The Power of Tranquility in a Very Noisy World

Contributors

Bernie Krause

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£12.99
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Hardcover
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The artificial noise in our lives is a debris field of arbitrary and often harmful signals. Our lives are riddled with sound: heavy-footed neighbours, an ambulance screeching nearby, white noise from the television. Unsurprisingly, the noisy environment in which we live has an immense impact on our concentration, alertness, and feelings of anxiety.

To help us manage the rubble that hinders our mind and well-being, Bernie Krause whisks us through the practical steps that each one of us can take to reduce the unhealthy noise in your life and realize the healing powers of certain acoustic encounters. Along the way, we explore the difference between harmful noise and the signals that make us feel good, between noise as a stressor and soundscapes that serve to boost our emotional and physiological health and stimulate our productivity.

By following his suggestions you’ll discover what a wide variety of sound signatures represent; which ones you like, which ones you don’t, and why. Thoroughly researched and accessibly crafted, THE POWER OF TRANQUILITY IN A VERY NOISY WORLD will show you how to gain control over your sonic experiences and live a more tranquil and enduring life.
Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend

Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend

Contributors

Jenny Colgan

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£8.99
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Paperback
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‘A sheer delight from start to finish’ Sophie Kinsella

How does an It Girl survive when she loses everything . . .?

PRAISE FOR JENNY COLGAN
An evocative, sweet treat’ Jojo Moyes
‘Gorgeous, glorious, uplifting’ Marian Keyes
‘Irresistible’ Jill Mansell
‘Just lovely’ Katie Fforde
‘Naturally funny, warm-hearted’ Lisa Jewell

___________________________________

Sophie Chesterton is a girl about town – she knows all the right people, goes to all the right parties, and wears all the right clothes. But deep down she suspects that her superficial friends and lifestyle don’t amount to very much. Her father is desperate for her to make her own way in the world, and when after one shocking evening her life is turned upside down, she suddenly has no choice.

Scraping a living as a ‘glamour’ photographer’s assistant, living in a hovel on the Old Kent Road with four smelly boys, eating baked beans from the can, Sophie is desperate to get her life back. But does a girl really need diamonds to be happy?
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Why readers ADORE Jenny Colgan

‘Jenny Colgan has a way of writing that makes me melt inside’

‘Her books are so good I want to start over as soon as I have finished’
‘There’s something so engaging about her characters and plots’
‘Her stories are just so fabulous’
‘She brings her settings and characters so vividly to life’
‘The woman is just magic’
Brixton Hill

Brixton Hill

Contributors

Lottie Moggach

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£8.99
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Brixton Hill shares the confident sheen of its predecessors and offers [Moggach’s] most accomplished plot yet . . . And, like all the best storytellers, Moggach knows how to choreograph an ending’ – the Observer

As Rob reaches the end of a seven year stretch inside, he winds up in an open prison in Brixton. Each morning, he exits the prison gates and begins the short walk to a local charity shop, where he spends the day in the backroom sorting through other people’s discarded belongings. All he needs to do is keep his nose out of trouble and in just a few months’ time, he’ll be out for good.

One morning in the bustle of commuters on Brixton Hill, Rob notices a well-dressed woman trip over. He helps her up and they exchange a few words before parting ways, but she’s made a lasting impression on him. From that day on, Rob keeps an eye out for her – and always seems to get lucky with a sighting. Despite coming from very different worlds, the pair slowly become acquainted and Rob gets increasingly desperate to hide his current residence from her.

But who exactly is this woman who seems to have a growing interest in him? Rob must be very careful – one false step and it could set him back years . . .

Brixton Hill is a teasing study of desperate lives delivered in a series of charged encounters on the streets of south London. Nail-biting in its execution, award-winning author Lottie Moggach ratchets up the tension, taking us behind the prison walls and into a world in which no one is quite who they seem.

——————————————————————-

Brixton Hill is brilliant. So utterly gripping and clever and heartbreaking. The details of the prison and the sense of being poised-over-the-abyss are acutely conjured and yet never overload the nail-biting nature of the story’ Sabine Durrant

‘[A] compelling, twisty-turny look at a prisoner coming to the end of his sentence’ The Sun (Fabulous Magazine)


‘Gripping and full of twists and turns’ Daily Mail (review of the Radio 4 production)


‘I was soon pulled right into the novel’s tight, twisting plot that never relaxes its hold. The prison scenes are extraordinarily well drawn, as are the characters, and in particular the main protagonist’s fear of been pulled into a situation which could jeopardize his desperately-sought release’ CJ Sansom
Mismatch

Mismatch

Contributors

Ronald Giphart, Mark van Vugt

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£9.99
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Our brains evolved to solve the survival problems of our Stone Age ancestors, so when faced with modern day situations that are less extreme, they often encounter a mismatch. Our primitive brains put us on the wrong foot by responding to stimuli that – in prehistoric times – would have prompted behaviour that was beneficial. If you’ve ever felt an anxious fight or flight response to a presenting at a board meeting, equivalent to facing imminent death by sabre-toothed tiger, then you have experienced a mismatch.

Mismatch is about the clash between our biology and our culture. It is about the dramatic contrast between the first few million years of human history – when humans lived as hunters and gatherers in small-scale societies – and the past twelve thousand years following the agricultural revolution which have led us to comfortable lives in a very different social structure. Has this rapid transition been good for us? How do we, using our primitive minds, try to survive in a modern information society that radically changes every ten years or so?

Ronald Giphart and Mark van Vugt show that humans have changed their environment so drastically that the chances for mismatch have significantly increased, and these conflicts can have profound consequences.
Reviewed through mismatch glasses, social, societal, and technological trends can be better understood, ranging from the popularity of Facebook and internet porn, to the desire for cosmetic surgery, to our attitudes towards refugees.

Mismatches can also affect our physical and psychological well-being, in terms of our attitudes to happiness, physical exercise, choosing good leaders, or finding ways to feel better at home or work.

Finally, Mismatch gives us an insight into politics and policy which could enable governments, institutions and businesses to create an environment better suited to human nature, its potential and its constraints.

This book is about converting mismatches into matches. The better your life is matched to how your mind operates, the greater your chances of leading a happy, healthy and productive life.
Grace is Gone

Grace is Gone

Contributors

Emily Elgar

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£9.99
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Paperback
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A heart-stopping new psychological thriller from international bestseller, Emily Elgar, inspired by a shocking true-life story

Grips to the very last page a tense, twisted taleT.M. Logan, bestselling author of THE HOLIDAY

‘I was completely hooked’ Heidi Perks, bestselling author of NOW YOU SEE HER

*****

Meg and her daughter Grace are the most beloved family in Ashford, the lynchpin that holds the community together.

So when Meg is found brutally murdered and her daughter missing, the town is rocked by the crime. Not least because Grace has been sick for years – and may only have days to live.

Who would murder a mother who sacrificed everything, and take a teenager away from the medication that could save her life? Everyone is searching for an answer, but sometimes the truth can kill you . . .

*****

Read what everyone is saying about Grace Is Gone:

Addictive reading, definitely a page turner’ Goodreads reviewer, five stars

A genuine page-turner based on real events, and the twists keep coming . . . Would thoroughly recommend this to anyone who likes a good thriller and most of the important characters are women!! So a definite plus’ NetGalley reviewer, five stars

‘This book was a real hoot . . . There was a lot of joy discovering along the way all the ways the author subverts and flushes out the banality of real life. I was sad when it was over‘ NetGalley reviewer, five stars
Just the Two of Us

Just the Two of Us

Contributors

Jo Wilde

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Price
£8.99
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Paperback
‘An uplifting love story that could not be more timely’
Eva Woods

‘Must read’
Bella

‘It hooked me from the start
Sue Moorcroft

‘I absolutely loved it’
Ella Dove

‘So relatable, so emotional, so good’
Tracy Bloom

*

What happens after Happy Ever After?

After thirty-four years of marriage, Julie and Michael’s grand romance has . . . fizzled. More like housemates than husband and wife, Julie wonders whether it’s time to give up on their love story, once and for all.

A lockdown – just the two of them – seems like it might be the final straw.

But, when stripped of all distraction and forced to meet eyes across the dinner table every night, unexpected sparks begin to fly . . .

Can Julie and Michael ever find a way back to who they used to be?

Or could this be the start of a whole new love story?

*

A joyful and uplifting romance about second chances and rediscovering love when you least expect it. The perfect feel-good read that will make you laugh, make you cry and lift your spirits.

Readers are falling in LOVE with Just the Two of Us . . .

Utterly brilliant . . . It made me laugh out loud and also moved me to tears, will definitely recommend this book to everyone I know

Absolutely loved this story – couldn’t put it down!

A super novel . . . Amusing in places, sad in others, this really is the novel to read now

I was completely immersed in the story from the start!

Made me smile, laugh and root for the characters . . . the perfect read for the current times’

A wonderful love story! Funny, moving and feel-good . . . had me laughing out loud

Feel good story in unprecedented times!’

Very enjoyable . . . A lovely romance plot

I was hooked from the start

Highly relatable, heartwarming and emotionally charged

‘A heartwarming story during a really unusual time of our lives’

Emotional and at times sad, there is also plenty of humour to lift you through. Definitely recommended’
Murder on the Downs

Murder on the Downs

Contributors

Julie Wassmer

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£8.99
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‘While Oxford had Morse, Whitstable, famous for its oysters, has Pearl’ Daily Mail

Murder on the Downs is the seventh book in Julie Wassmer’s popular crime series – now a major Acorn TV drama, Whitstable Pearl, starring Kerry Godliman as private detective and restaurateur, Pearl Nolan.

A controversial new property development is planned in Whitstable which will encroach upon the green open space of the downs, to the dismay of Whitstable residents who view this as the thin end of the wedge with regard to local wildlife conservation.

A campaign springs into life, spearheaded by a friend of Pearl’s family, Martha Laker. A committed environmentalist, Martha is no stranger to controversy herself. She has also managed to divide opinion across town, with the locals viewing her as their fearless champion while establishment figures seeing only an interfering agitator.

Tensions escalate between the developers and Whitstable residents, straining Pearl’s close relationship with London-born police officer, DCI Mike McGuire, who harbours concerns that the local campaign will spiral out of control. Pearl’s loyalties are torn, but the protest duly goes ahead – and newspaper headlines claim a moral victory for the residents in this David and Goliath battle.

But the victory is short lived when Pearl discovers a dead body on the downs…

Praise for Julie Wassmer’s Whitstable Pearl Mysteries…

‘While Oxford had Morse, Whitstable, famous for its oysters, has Pearl . . . True to the tradition of classic crime, [Julie Wassmer] weaves a strong story into a setting that has more to offer than murder and mayhem’ Daily Mail

‘As light as a Mary Berry Victoria sponge, this Middle-England romp is packed with vivid characters’ Myles McWeeney, Irish Independent

‘All of the thrills without any of the gore’ The Sun

‘This is a quality title…a very entertaining read’ The Puzzle Doctor

‘My new favourite author in the genre’ George Galloway

‘A wonderful way to explore Whitstable . . . if you love cosy mysteries, then get acquainted with Pearl (and her mum and her cats!) and enjoy a trip to Whitstable through the eyes of this very convincing author’ Trip Fiction

‘Proves she’s mistress of her craft’ John McGhie, author of White Highlands

‘Thoroughly enjoyable with a host of wonderful characters – I adore Dolly! – and evocative descriptions of Whitstable. Perfect for foodies too. Pearl is great and the ongoing will they/won’t they love story with McGuire is compelling. Comforting, cosy and entertaining with excellent Agatha Christie-style reveals. I love these books!’ Jane Wenham-Jones, author of Mum in the Middle

‘If you enjoy cosy crime fiction and you still haven’t picked this series, then you are missing out’ Alba in Bookland

‘Julie Wassmer really knows how to tell a story’ Victoria Best, Shiny New Books

‘Good, solid whodunits, without gruesome details or gratuitous violence, Murder on Sea may be just your cup of tea’ Bec Stafford

‘Come to Whitstable without actually coming to Whitstable. A good read!’ Anthony Jemmett

Praise for the TV series

‘Scandi noir meets the English seaside in Whitstable Pearl, a murder mystery series based on Julie Wassmer’s novels…’ Drama Quarterly

‘…explores all the murder and debauchery in the seemingly perfect English seaside town of Whitstable…’ Washington Post

‘…you never know what might turn up, either on the menu or alongside an oyster boat.’ Wall Street Journal

‘Single mum turned amateur detective in a gripping new family drama…’ We Love TV

‘Quirky and enjoyable…’ TV Satellite
A Duke by Any Other Name

A Duke by Any Other Name

Contributors

Grace Burrowes

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£9.99
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‘Grace Burrowes is terrific!’ Julia Quinn, Sunday Times bestselling author of the Bridgerton series

A difficult duke, a determined lady and too many secrets . . .

Nathaniel, Duke of Rothhaven, lives in seclusion, leaving his property only to gallop his demon-black steed across the moors by moonlight. Exasperated mamas invoke his name to frighten small children, though Nathaniel is truly a decent man – maybe too decent for his own good. That’s precisely why he must turn away the beguiling woman demanding his help.

Lady Althea Wentworth has little patience for dukes, reclusive or otherwise, but she needs Rothhaven’s backing to gain entrance into Polite Society. She’s asked him nicely, she’s called on him politely, all to no avail – until her prize hogs just happen to plunder the ducal orchard. He longs for privacy. She’s vowed to never endure another ball as a wallflower. Yet as the two grow closer, it soon becomes clear they might both be pretending to be something they’re not.

Find out why readers LOVE Grace Burrowes

‘Grace Burrowes is a romance treasure’ Tessa Dare

‘Smart, sexy, and oh-so romantic’ Mary Balogh

‘Wonderfully funny, moving romance, not to be missed!’ Eloisa James

‘If you’re not reading Grace Burrowes you’re missing the very best in today’s Regency Romance!’ Elizabeth Hoyt
The Age of Witches

The Age of Witches

Contributors

Louisa Morgan

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£9.99
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‘THOROUGHLY ENTHRALLING’ Booklist

A young witch must choose between love and loyalty, power and ambition, in this magical novel set in Gilded Age New York and London.


In 1692, Bridget Bishop was hanged as a witch. Two hundred years later, her legacy lives on in the scions of two very different lines: one dedicated to using their powers to heal and help women in need; the other, determined to grasp power for themselves.

This clash will play out in the fate of Annis, a young woman in Gilded Age New York who finds herself a pawn in the family struggle for supremacy. She’ll need to claim her own power to save herself – and resist succumbing to the darkness that threatens to overcome them all.

‘A must-read for those who like magic, love, and a little bit of feel-good feminism in their historical fiction’ Library Journal

‘An Austen-esque romance, a heart-racing mystery full of dangerous twists and an anxiety-inducing yet enthralling family feud, Louisa Morgan’s The Age of Witches is anything but a traditional tale of good versus evil’ BookPage

‘Morgan’s beautifully conjured tale of three women, social mores, and the sanctity of self-determination is thoroughly enthralling’ Booklist

‘[A] robust tale of matriarchal magic in a lushly depicted Gilded Age New York . . . Readers will root for these powerful women as they struggle to overcome the social limitations of their time, whether through magic or force of personality’ Publishers Weekly

‘This is a book about witches, told from their perspective. As such, it’s a lyrically and lovely written triumph about independent, unusual women’ Book Riot


Novels by Louisa Morgan:
A Secret History of Witches
The Witch’s Kind
The Age of Witches
Strangers at the Gate

Strangers at the Gate

Contributors

Catriona McPherson

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£9.99
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Paperback
Who do you turn to, when everyone’s a stranger and you stop believing what your own eyes see?

Finnie Doyle and Paddy Lamb are leaving city life in Edinburgh behind them and moving to the little town of Simmerton. Paddy has landed a partnership in a local solicitors and Finnie’s snagged a job as a church deacon. Their rented cottage is quaint; their new colleagues are charming, and they can’t believe their luck.

But witnessing the bloody aftermath of a brutal murder changes everything. They’ve each been keeping secrets about their pasts. And they both know their precious new start won’t survive a scandal. Together, for the best of reasons, they make the worst decision of their lives.

And that’s only the beginning. The deep, deep valley where Simmerton sits is unlike anywhere Finn and Paddy have been before. They are not the only ones hiding in its shadow and very soon they’ve lost control of the game they decided to play…

Praise for Catriona McPherson:

‘An unnerving and suspenseful novelKarin Slaughter

‘Just the right mixture of spookiness and mysteryJames Oswald

A gripping thrillerIan Rankin

‘A Gothic feast of a novel, this is a country house book with a difference: contemporary, punchy and disturbing, but using the tricks and twists of the best of ChristieAnn Cleeves

‘Go To My Grave is both a classic ‘country house mystery’ and a thriller. Atmospheric, with mind-bending twists, a narrator who may or may not be reliable, and an ending that will take your breath away and leave you astonished’ Louise Penny

. . . drew me in from the very first page, and I stayed up late reading it because I couldn’t wait to find out what happened next. That’s the definition of a good book’ Charlaine Harris, #1 New York Times bestselling author

A tale that shivers with suspenseThe New York Times
Blood Truth

Blood Truth

Contributors

J. R. Ward

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£9.99
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‘To die for’ SUZANNE BROCKMANN

‘Frighteningly addictive’ PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

‘Delicious, erotic, and thrilling’ NICOLE JORDAN
_____________________

As a trainee in the Black Dagger Brotherhood’s program, Boone has triumphed as a soldier and now fights side by side with the Brothers. Following his sire’s unexpected death, he is taken off rotation against his protests-and he finds himself working with Butch O’Neal, former homicide cop, to catch a serial killer: Someone is targeting females of the species at a live action role play club. When the Brotherhood is called in to help, Boone insists on being a part of the effort-and the last thing he expects is to meet an enticing, mysterious female . . . who changes his life forever.

Ever since her sister was murdered at the club, Helaine has been committed to finding the killer, no matter the danger she faces. When she crosses paths with Boone, she doesn’t know whether to trust him or not-and then she has no choice. As she herself becomes a target, and someone close to the Brotherhood is identified as the prime suspect, the two must work to together to solve the mystery…before it’s too late. Will a madman come between the lovers or will true love and goodness triumph over a very mortal evil?
_____________________

Find out why readers are OBSESSED with the Black Dagger Brotherhood…

‘Intriguing, adrenaline-pumping’ BOOKLIST

Insanely good! . . . Intensely romantic and straight up flipping steamy, violent and gruesome, heartbreaking and deep. Her addictive writing tells a story like none other’ Goodreads reviewer

‘I can’t get enough of these sexy, tough, intriguing vampires’ Amazon reviewer

Emotional by epic proportions’ Kobo reviewer

The Black Dagger Brotherhood is a twisting, often surprising, but always awesome read’ Amazon reviewer

The story had me captivated the whole wayKobo reviewer

Each and every character is compelling’ Amazon reviewer

‘A must read’ Goodreads reviewer
The Shaping of Us

The Shaping of Us

Contributors

Lily Bernheimer

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£10.99
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“You are going to be transported by what Bernheimer has to say. You’ll make different decisions and figure out how your brain is working and what should be prioritized in your life” Jo Good, BBC London

What makes everyday spaces work, how do they shape us, and what do they say about us?

The spaces we live in – whether public areas, housing, offices, hospitals, or cities – mediate community, creativity, and our very identity, making us who we are. Using insights from environmental psychology, design, and architecture, The Shaping of Us reveals the often imperceptible ways in which our surroundings influence our behaviour.

Wide-ranging and global examples cover the differences between personalities and nationalities, explore grass-roots and mainstream efforts to build environments promoting well-being, and look ahead to what will become of us if we don’t listen closely to what we know is good for us.

You will learn whether you are a natural ‘prospector’ or ‘refuger’ in the office environment, what roundabouts and stoplights say about British and American culture, whether you are guilty of NIMBYism or being drawn to ‘ruin porn’, and how the half-house may be a common sight in the near future.

The environments we inhabit define our identities – from the earliest moments of our evolution to the worlds we build around ourselves.
Blood Queen

Blood Queen

Contributors

Joanna Courtney

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£9.99
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Paperback
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Cold. Ruthless. Deadly. The myth of Lady Macbeth looms large. But behind the villainous portrait stands a real woman. This is her story . . .

Scotland, 1020 AD. King Malcolm II lies on his deathbed, and the most powerful families make a violent claim for the Scottish throne . . .

On the eve of her sixteenth birthday, a flushed and nervous Cora MacDuff waits to marry her sweetheart, Macbeth. But her dreams are stolen from her, and the night she was hoping for turns into a brutal slaughter.
In order to reclaim the life she was promised, Cora must learn to use every weapon at her disposal – even those she loves . . .

The beginning of a brand new Historical fiction series by the bestselling author of the Queens of Conquest series, her new trilogy unearths the real women behind Shakespeare’s most infamous queens . . . If you love Elizabeth Chadwick and Anne O’Brien you will adore Joanna Courtney

What readers are saying about Joanna Courtney:


‘I was hooked from the very first page and didn’t want to put it down. Joanna Courtney is a new talent in the world of historical fiction and one that I would highly recommend. I look forward to reading more by this fantastic author’ Bookbabblers

‘A strong sense of atmosphere and place and time. I really got into the story, in fact I was so gripped by it at one point that I missed my bus. It was a really good, exciting, read. I cannot wait to read the next two books.’ Michelle Birkby, author of The House at Baker Street

‘Amazing’ (Miranda Dickinson)

‘Courtney’s novel breathes new life into this complex character,…A thrilling introduction to Courtney’s new trilogy on Shakespearean queens.’ – The Lady

‘A glorious, rich, epic story of love, friendship and sacrifice which will sweep you up and transport you to another time. I absolutely loved this and can’t wait for the next book in the series’ (Rachael Lucas, author of Sealed With A Kiss and Coming Up Roses)

‘An absorbing and emotional debut novel’ (Candis magazine)

‘A thrilling and atmospheric read with strong female characters’ (MyWeekly)

‘A beautifully written multi layered tale with a tremendously authentic sense of place and time . . . an epic feel . . . highly recommended’ (LizLovesBooks)

‘The story reaches a heart-rending climax. A must read. I loved it’ (Freda Lightfoot, author of The Amber Keeper)

‘With lovely writing and a terrific sense of narrative drive, Joanna Courtney portrays an era of change through a story about a long forgotten Queen. In The Chosen Queen, Edyth is a heroine who inhabits a convincingly re-created historical world, peopled with personalities whose lives leap from the page. Superb! (Carol McGrath, author of The Daughters of Hastings trilogy)

An outstanding opening to this new series set to rival historical fiction heavyweights like Philippa Gregory and Susanna Dunn (Lisareadsbooks)
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