Search Results for: very good lives/

‘Fierce. Game-changing. Urgently necessary. Brilliant, brilliant and did I say brilliant?’ EMMA THOMPSON

‘Is it worth the hype? Absolutely’ LAURA PULLMAN, STYLE

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Actor, writer and hopeless romantic Rebecca Humphries had often been called crazy by her boyfriend. But when paparazzi caught him kissing his Strictly Come Dancing partner, she realised the only crazy thing was believing she didn’t deserve more.

A flood of support poured in on social media, but amongst the well-wishes was a simple question with an infinitely complex answer: ‘If he was so bad, why did you stay?’

Empowering, unflinching and full of humour, this book takes that question and owns it. Using her relationship history and experiences since the scandal during Strictly, Rebecca explores why good girls are drawn to darkness, whether pop culture glamourises toxicity, when a relationship ‘rough patch’ becomes the start of a destructive cycle, if women are conditioned for co-dependency, and – ultimately – how to reframe disaster into something magical.

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‘Pacy, vivid, compelling and very, VERY funny… it will help so many’ MARIAN KEYES
‘A fucking classic. Required reading for all women and men’ BRYONY GORDON
‘A funny, brave and honest book that will change lives. I have not stopped talking about it’ THE TIMES
‘So funny and heart-breaking. So stunningly written. ‘ SUSAN WOKOMA
‘A magical, magical book’ GLAMOUR
‘So thoughtful and moving and funny and sad and great, I love it so, so much. I resented having to put it down’ DAISY BUCHANAN
‘Her thought-provoking story should be required reading for anyone in a relationship’ DAILY MIRROR
‘This book isn’t an ice-cold revenge opus; it’s a diary of self-discovery, a celebration of friendship, resilience and finding one’s self-worth…is it worth the hype? Absolutely: I had to stop myself from reading it one grateful gulp’ LAURA PULLMAN, STYLE

‘Loved this book. Funny, quirky, unexpected’ Jojo Moyes
‘Very clever and great fun’ Kate Eberlen
‘Bridget Jones’ diary for the digital age’ Daily Record

Happiness for Humans is a joyful, romantic and very funny story, perfect for readers who loved The Rosie Project and Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine.

Do you believe in soulmates?

Aiden does. So when his colleague, Jen, is dumped unceremoniously by her dreadful boyfriend, Aiden decides to take matters – and Jen’s life – into his own hands.

Scouring the internet for a suitable partner for Jen, Aiden finds Tom. He’d be perfect for Jen apart from one minor detail: Tom lives in New York.

Luckily for Jen and Tom, Aiden’s not just an interfering colleague. In fact, Aiden isn’t exactly human – he’s a very complicated artificial intelligence.

As Jen and Tom’s romance grows, Aiden begins to take more and more risks to make sure that they can be together. But what will happen if they realise how they met…and that somebody else is pulling the strings?

‘This is Jane Austen’s Emma for the digital age’ – Keith Stuart, bestselling author of A Boy Made of Blocks

‘So funny, clever and timely. I loved it’ – Martha Kearney

‘This clever novel will appeal to David Nicholls fans. It’s witty and great fun’ – Daily Mail

‘This funny, madcap romp for the digital-age, featuring believably flawed characters (not all human), deserves to be a hit… like David Nicholls’ One Day or Graeme Simsion’s The Rosie Project, it should appeal to male and female readers.’ – Sunday Times

‘The most charming book I’ve read in ages’ – Image magazine

‘You’ll love this quirky, brilliantly funny love story… If you use Siri, Alexa or Google Assistant, prepare to have your heart warmed – and be a little bit scared!’ – Fabulous magazine

‘This screwball comedy is touching and hilarious’ – Sunday Mirror

‘One of the most uplifting and romantic novels I’ve read in a long time’ – Sarra Manning, Red magazine

‘Funny and clever’ – Good Housekeeping

Humans meets The Rosie Project . . . A real smiler of a book – Nina Pottell, Prima

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 tale‘ T.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

‘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

‘Finely judged writing like this comes from a place of instinct, and it marks Melrose out as someone to watch . . . Midwinter is a great success’ Melissa Harrison, Guardian

Father and Son, Landyn and Vale Midwinter, are Suffolk farmers, living together on land their family has worked for generations. But they are haunted there by a past they have long refused to confront: the death of Cecelia, beloved wife and mother, when Vale was just a child. Both men have carried her loss, unspoken.

Until now.

With the onset of a mauling winter, something between them snaps.

While Vale makes increasingly desperate decisions, Landyn retreats, finding solace in the land, his animals – and a vixen who haunts the farm and seems to bring with her both comfort and protection.

Tender and lyrical, alive to language and nature, Midwinter is a novel about guilt, blame, lost opportunities and, ultimately, it is a story about love and the lengths we will go to find our way home.

‘Melrose elegantly weaves narratives detailing the men’s internal tumult with lush descriptions of their natural surroundings . . . A moving story about the cruelty of chance, modern masculinity and the transformative power of the bonds between men’ Financial Times

‘I have rarely read a narrative voice as distinctive as Landyn’s, and the loving depiction of regional English working-class masculinity is unusual and timely . . . This is certainly not a light-hearted book, but it offers the true consolation of some very good writing’ Sarah Moss, TLS

‘A penetrating study of grief and guilt’ Daily Mail

‘Those who appreciate heroines with a good measure of spunk, sass and strong-arm savvy will find this a fun if fitful read.’ – Publishers Weekly

‘Mesmerizing . . . the ‘other-worldly’ atmosphere conjured up by Armstrong begins to seem strangely real. Armstrong is a talented and original writer whose inventiveness and sense of the bizarre is arresting.’ – The London Free Press

Eve Levine – half-demon, black witch and devoted mother – has been dead for three years. She has a great house, an interesting love life and can’t be killed again – which comes in handy when you’ve made as many enemies as Eve. Yes, the afterlife isn’t too bad – all she needs to do is find a way to communicate with her daughter Savannah and she’ll be happy.

But fate – or more exactly, the Fates – have other plans. Eve owes them a favour, and they’ve just called it in. An evil spirit called the Nix has escaped from hell. She feeds on chaos and death, and is very good at persuading people to kill for her. The Fates want Eve to hunt her down before she does any more damage, but the Nix is a dangerous enemy – previous hunters have been sent mad in the process.

As if that’s not problem enough, it turns out that the only way to stop her is with an angel’s sword. And Eve’s no angel . . .

A brilliant novel of suspense with a supernatural twist – packaged in the stunning new Kelley Armstrong series style.

Books by Kelley Armstrong:

Women of the Otherworld series
Bitten
Stolen
Dime Store Magic
Industrial Magic
Haunted
Broken
No Humans Involved
Personal Demon
Living with the Dead
Frost Bitten
Walking the Witch
Spellbound
Thirteen

Nadia Stafford
Exit Strategy
Made to be Broken
Wild Justice

Rockton
City of the Lost
A Darkness Absolute
This Fallen Prey
Watcher in the Woods
Alone in the Wild

Darkest Powers
The Summoning
The Awakening
The Reckoning

Otherworld Tales
Men of the Otherworld
Tales of the Otherworld
Otherworld Nights
Otherworld Secrets
Otherworld Chills

Darkness Rising
The Gathering
The Calling
The Rising

Cainsville
Omens
Visions
Deceptions
Betrayals
Rituals

*** Don’t miss the obsessively gripping new thriller from Vanessa Savage – The Night They Vanished is out now in ebook and available to pre-order in paperback ***

There’s a stranger in the house . . .
But what if the stranger is your husband?

‘Kept us utterly spooked and utterly hooked’ HEAT
‘Claustrophobic and compelling’ GOOD HOUSEKEEPING
‘Unputdownable’ LAURA MARSHALL
‘A vivid portrait of buried tensions’ DAILY MAIL
‘An intense tale of deceit, treachery and loss’ THE SUN
‘Scary, pacy and compelling’ CLAIRE DOUGLAS
‘Creepy and atmospheric’ AMANDA JENNINGS

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For Sarah and Patrick, life has always been easy. Then they move to Patrick’s childhood home and everything changes.

Fifteen years ago, another family was murdered there. Patrick says they can make it perfect again, but their children are plagued by nightmares and Sarah swears someone is watching the house.

Worse still, the longer they live in their ‘dream’ home, the more different her loving husband becomes . . .

A chilling psychological thriller about dark family dysfunction and the secrets that haunt us, The Woman in the Dark will captivate fans of Shari Lapena, Louise Candlish and THE INNOCENT WIFE by Amy Lloyd.

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What readers are saying about THE WOMAN IN THE DARK:

‘I can honestly say that this book will be next years must read psychological thriller of 2019‘

‘A deeply disturbing psychological thriller which always stays on the right side of horror’

‘What a cracker of a book. Unputdownable and well written‘

‘I loved this book and stayed up half the night to finish it‘

‘A real page-turner . . . I thoroughly enjoyed it’

‘A dark and many layered book. Hooked from the very first page‘

Brilliant . . . a fantastic ending with a twist that I did not see coming

‘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.
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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

‘To die for’ SUZANNE BROCKMANN

‘Frighteningly addictive’ PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

‘Delicious, erotic, and thrilling’ NICOLE JORDAN
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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?
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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 way‘ Kobo reviewer

‘Each and every character is compelling’ Amazon reviewer

‘A must read’ Goodreads reviewer

Don’t miss out on the series that everyone can’t stop talking about!

‘Pure escapism – think Hunger Games meets Fifty Shades‘ – The Sun

‘We weren’t expecting to become obsessed with Rebecca Yarros’s Fourth Wing, but we very much are – and we’re not alone . . .’ – Sunday Times Style

‘I couldn’t put it down!’ – Millie Bobby Brown

‘The new publishing sensation’ – Daily Mail

‘This book contains an addictive, drug like essence that will make you relinquish all responsibility until the very last word. Do not say I didn’t warn you’ – Glamour

‘Yarros had me hooked from the first chapter’ – Mail on Sunday
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FRIENDS. ENEMIES. LOVERS . . .
EVERYONE HAS AN AGENDA

Violet Sorrengail expected to live a quiet life surrounded by books, until she was forced onto the world’s deadliest training ground. Now she must fight to join the army’s elite: dragon riders. But dragons don’t choose fragile riders, they incinerate them, and when your body breaks as easily as Violet’s does – death is only a heartbeat away.

EVERY NIGHT COULD BE YOUR LAST

Many cadets would kill Violet to better their own chances of success; the rest would kill her just because of her last name . . . including the ruthless Xaden Riorson, her family’s greatest enemy. With the odds stacked against her, Violet must use every edge her wits can give her just to see the next sunrise, because once you enter Basgiath War College, there are only two ways out:
GRADUATE OR DIE
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OVER ONE MILLION READERS HAVE ALREADY GIVEN FOURTH WING FIVE STARS. ARE YOU READY TO ENTER THE WORLD OF BASGIATH WAR COLLEGE?

‘If I can convince you to read one book I recommend it would be this one’

‘I didn’t sleep, I didn’t eat, and when I finished, I had the overwhelming urge to just start it all over again‘

‘This book is probably the best fantasy book I have ever read’

‘FIVE. FREAKING. STARS. There is no universe where I could give this book any less of a rating’

‘There are some stories you read and enjoy but every so often you come across one that just obliterates everything and takes over your entire being within a few pages and becomes your world and personality. Well, this is the one’

‘The world building in this was phenomenal. I lived, breathed and became a part of the college’

‘You know when you finish a book, and it leaves an ache in your chest because it was so good, and now it’s over? That’s exactly how I feel after finishing Fourth Wing’


OTHER BOOKS IN THE EMPYREAN SERIES:
– FOURTH WING
– IRON FLAME

*Rebecca Yarros’s Fourth Wing paperback was an instant number-one bestseller in the first week of April 2024.

‘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.

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‘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

‘I loved it . . . There’s nothing out there like All The Lonely People – it’s uniquely brilliant, bold and not afraid to shout about what’s wrong with the world, while still showing how subtle changes and hope can save lives. Original, shocking, eye-opening and thoroughly enjoyable’ Simon P Clark, author of Eren

Everyone tells Kat that her online personality – confident, funny, opinionated – isn’t her true self. Kat knows otherwise. The internet is her only way to cope with a bad day, chat with friends who get all her references, make someone laugh. But when she becomes the target of an alt-right trolling campaign, she feels she has no option but to Escape, Delete, Disappear.

With her social media shut down, her website erased, her entire online identity void, Kat feels she has cut away her very core: without her virtual self, who is she?

She brought it on herself. Or so Wesley keeps telling himself as he dismantles Kat’s world. It’s different, seeing one of his victims in real life and not inside a computer screen – but he’s in too far to back out now.

As soon as Kat disappears from the online world, her physical body begins to fade and while everybody else forgets that she exists, Wesley realises he is the only one left who remembers her. Overcome by remorse for what he has done, Wesley resolves to stop her disappearing completely. It might just be the only way to save himself.

All the Lonely People is a timely story about online culture – both good and bad – that explores the experience of loneliness in a connected world, and the power of kindness and empathy over hatred.

One cover. 360 different colours. Which one will you get?

‘A powerful and disturbing new take on an original classic’ Tim Bowler, author of Carnegie Medal-winner River Boy

‘I loved this book . . . Pacy, gripping, intriguing [and] poignant’ Alice Oseman, author of Solitaire and Radio Silence


Young people on the Midwich Estate don’t have much hope for their futures. Keisha has lived there her whole life, and has been working hard to escape it; others have just accepted their lot.

But change is coming . . .

One night, everyone inside Midwich Tower falls mysteriously unconscious in one inexplicable ‘Nightout’. No one can explain what happened during those lost hours, but soon afterwards Keisha and three other girls find they’re pregnant – and the babies are growing at an alarming rate.

As the news spreads around the tower, its residents turns against them and the situation spirals toward violence. Keisha’s life unravels as she realises that the pregnancy may not have just ruined her hopes for the future: she might be mother to the end of the world.

The Fallen Children is a story of violation, of judgment and of young people who must fight to defy what is expected of them.

The Fallen Children has one cover design but 360 different colourways. Each one is numbered from 1 to 360 on the spine. The colour you receive will be completely random.

‘THE FALLEN CHILDREN is ATTACK THE BLOCK meets VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED and feels like the London I know. It’s very cool’ – Juno Dawson

‘An ingenious twist on a classic. Surprisingly tender and moving, completely convincing and gripping’ – Kiran Millwood Hargrave

‘Read THE FALLEN CHILDREN if you’d like less middle-class kidlit, allegorical commentary on society and teens, and dead good books’ – Non Pratt

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

‘Luminous’ SEBASTIAN BARRY

‘Incandescent characters and mellifluous prose’ LISA CAREY

‘Reminiscent of Edith Wharton at her very best’ LIZ NUGENT
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The true story of a woman ahead of her time . . .

In 1887, Isabel Bilton is the eldest of three daughters of a middle-class military family, growing up in a small garrison town. By 1891 she is the Countess of Clancarty, dubbed “the peasant countess” by the press, and a member of the Irish aristocracy. Becoming Belle is the story of the four years in between, of Belle’s rapid ascent and the people that tried to tear her down.

Reimagined by a novelist at the height of her powers, Belle is an unforgettable woman. Set against an absorbing portrait of Victorian London, hers is a timeless rags-to-riches story a la Becky Sharpe.
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Praise for BECOMING BELLE

‘Nuala O’Connor has the thrilling ability to step back nimbly and enter the deep dance of time. This is a hidden history laid luminously before us of an exultant Anglo-Irish woman navigating the dark shoals and the bright fields of a life’ SEBASTIAN BARRY, award-winning author of The Secret Scripture and Days Without End

‘Becoming Belle is so mesmerizing you will be distraught when it ends.O’Connor has resurrected a fiery, inexorable woman who rewrites the script on a stage supposedly ruled by men. Sensual, witty, daring, and unapologetically forward.‘ Lisa Carey, author of The Stolen Child

‘Belle’s determination to live her life on her own terms and in defiance of her times makes her a fascinating subject‘ Irish Central

‘Masterful storytelling! I was putty in Nuala O’Connor’s hands. She made the unsinkable Belle Bilton and her down-to-earth sister Flo real to me, and brought 1880’s London to my living room. Encore! Encore!’ Lynn Cullen, bestselling author of Mrs. Poe

‘A glorious novel in which Belle Bilton and 19th century London are brought roaring to life with exquisite period detail’ Hazel Gaynor, New York Times bestselling author of A Memory of Violets

‘Thoroughly engrossing and entertaining read’ Liz Nugent

‘Thrillingly dramatic and achingly moving and profoundly resonant into this present era’ Robert Olen Butler, author of A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain

‘O’Connor gently unfolds Belle’s tale in a manner that is compelling and disarming. The ambience may be Victorian elegance but the sheer honesty of O’Connor’s writing is sensual, authentic and earthy. A delight!’ Rose Servitova, author of The Longbourn Letters

In 2008, American journalist Jere Van Dyk was kidnapped and held for 45 days. At the time, he had no idea who his kidnappers were. They demanded a ransom and the release of three of their comrades from Guantanamo, yet they hinted at their ties to Pakistan and to the Haqqani network, a uniquely powerful group that now holds the balance of power in large parts of Afghanistan and the tribal areas of Pakistan. After his release, Van Dyk wrote a book about his capture and what it took to survive in this most hostile of circumstances. Yet he never answered the fundamental questions that his kidnapping raised: Why was he taken? Why was he released? And who saved his life?

Every kidnapping is a labyrinth in which the certainties of good and bad, light and dark are merged in the quiet dialogues and secret handshakes that accompany a release or a brutal fatality. In The Trade, Jere Van Dyk uses the sinuous path of his own kidnapping to explain the recent rise in the taking of Western hostages across the greater Middle East. He discovers that he was probably not taken by the anonymous “Taliban,” as he thought, but by the very people who helped arrange his trip and then bargained for his release. It was not a matter of chance: CBS, Van Dyk’s employer at the time, launched a secret rescue and, he learned later, paid an undisclosed ransom to a tribal chief who controlled the area in which he was kidnapped and who delivered him and his guide safely to a US Army base.

In 2013, Van Dyk returned to the Middle East to unravel the links among jihadist groups, specifically that of the Haqqani network. His investigation finally paid off in 2015, when Van Dyk was taken to a discreet room in a guesthouse in Islamabad where he met Ibrahim Haqqani, part of the leadership of the Haqqani network who has been seen by very few outsiders since 9/11. There, Van Dyk learned of the Haqqanis’ links to Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, the ISI, and the CIA and their involvement in the kidnapping of Bowe Bergdahl and many others.

Back in the United States, Van Dyk saw the other side of the kidnapping labyrinth as he became involved with other former hostages and the families of recent kidnapping victims murdered by the Islamic State. Van Dyk’s investigation shows how America’s foreign policy strategy, the terrible cynicism of the kidnappers, and a world of shadowy interlocutors who play both sides of many bargains combine to create a brutal business out of the exchange of individual human lives for vast sums of money.

‘Jordan is a kind of Australian Marian Keyes, combining overdrive pace and throwaway humour with a razor intelligence and a deft, illuminating touch on darker subjects and themes . . . A sharp-eyed, engaging, endearing and ultimately optimistic story’ Sydney Morning Herald

‘Taps into the humour and pathos of ordinary life in a way that has you nodding with recognition . . . while at the same time laughing out loud’ PIP WILLIAMS

‘I just loved this very smart, very funny and at times moving novel’ SOPHIE CUNNINGHAM

One perfect life. One disastrous week. The brand-new novel from bestselling, acclaimed and beloved author Toni Jordan

As the eldest child in a single-parent family, Kylie’s always had more important things on her mind than smiling for random strangers. Controlling her job, her home, her romantic life and – most importantly – her family takes all her concentration. She’s always succeeded, though, because that’s just who Kylie is.

When her fiercely independent mother breaks an ankle and needs help, it’s up to Kylie, as usual, to fix things. She reluctantly packs her bags and moves in, but back in her childhood home, things start to unravel. Could it be that Kylie’s carefully curated life is not so perfect after all?

Prettier if She Smiled More will make you laugh and make you cry. Is it ever too late to start over?

‘Hilarious . . . A funny take on menopause, caring for an ageing parent, perfectionism and midlife crises told with Toni’s signature observational humour and wit on ordinary life’ Woman’s Day

‘A magic mix of domestic drama, self-doubt, self-discovery and learning to laugh in the face of mayhem . . . A sensitive, amusing read’ Adelaide Advertiser

‘A funny and smart family drama’ Weekend Australian

‘Fabulous’ Who Weekly

‘Such a clever book . . . The author has used both quiet wry humour and laugh aloud moments to speak about the nature of family and of love . . . Prettier if She Smiled More is a life manual for us all’ Living Arts Canberra

‘Pitch perfect with just the right amount of humour . . . Jordan brings all her well-honed creative skills to the fore with this delightful tale’ Good Reading

Praise for Dinner with the Schnabels:

‘I loved every page of this funny, warm, delightful novel!’ LIANE MORIARTY

‘Told with great humour and pathos. It is a tonic and a delight’ PIP WILLIAMS

‘A smart, funny novel about love, marriage and family’ Weekend Australian

‘A contemporary comic masterpiece. Practically every page boasts lines redolent of humour, wit and sarcasm that will make you snigger if not laugh out loud’ ArtsHub

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

‘A horny romp that makes you think, laugh, and feel. O’Connell is one of my favourite writers’ MONICA HEISEY, author of Really Good, Actually

‘A very funny novel about falling for a fantasy and finding love for one’s own self’ MELISSA BRODER, author of The Pisces

‘Funny, horny, heartbreaking’ CAROLINE O’DONOGHUE, author of Promising Young Women

____________________

Eliott is a TV writer with a perfect-penised boyfriend. He’s living the dream.

But behind the glossy veneer he’s been papering over cracks, and they’re starting to show. He’s creatively stifled, he’s drinking a little too often and his cerebral palsy makes him feel like gay Shrek.

When River walks in, Elliott’s life is turned upside down in the best way. River is funny, charming and makes him feel seen. But maybe that’s part of the deal when you hire a sex worker.

Eliott is lost and he needs someone, anyone, to point him in the right direction. After all, it’s a long limp towards redemption.

A hilarious, sexy, ground-breaking debut novel about the intersection of queerness and disability, and discovering who you really are.

____________________

What readers are saying about Just By Looking at Him

‘Darkly funny and poignant’

‘Such a fresh take . . . I was gripped from the first page’

‘Brutally honest, funny and poignant look at modern life through the lens of disability’

‘This book is honest, hilarious, and raw . . . I loved literally every character’

‘The author has such a strong voice and has created in Eliot a character that I will not soon forget . . . I found myself laughing out loud’

‘Reads like your favorite whip- smart sitcom everyone looks forward to at the end of the day’

‘One of the funniest books I have ever read’

‘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

Most of us never think about how we get from one place to another. For most people, putting one foot in front of the other requires no thought at all. Yet the fact that we and other species are able to do so is one of the great triumphs of evolution. To truly understand how life evolved on Earth, it is crucial to understand movement. Restless Creatures makes the bold new argument that the true story of evolution is the story of locomotion, from the first stirrings of bacteria to the amazing feats of Olympic athletes. By retracing the four-billion-year history of locomotion, evolutionary biologist Matt Wilkinson shows how the physical challenges of moving from place to place,when coupled with the implacable logic of natural selection,offer a uniquely powerful means of illuminating the living world. Whales and dolphins look like fish because they have been moulded by the constraints of underwater locomotion. The unbending physical needs of flight have brought bats, birds, and pterodactyls to strikingly similar anatomies. Movement explains why we have opposable thumbs, why moving can make us feel good, how fish fins became limbs, and even why,classic fiction notwithstanding,there are no flying monkeys nor animals with wheels. Even plants aren’t immune from locomotion’s long reach: their seeds, pollen, and very form are all determined by their aptitude to disperse. From sprinting cheetah to spinning maple fruit, soaring albatross to burrowing worm, crawling amoeba to running human,all are the way they are because of how they move. There is a famous saying: nothing in biology makes sense unless in the light of evolution.” As Wilkinson makes clear: little makes sense unless in the light of locomotion. A powerful yet accessible work of evolutionary biology, Restless Creatures is the essential guide for understanding how life on Earth was shaped by the simple need to move from point A to point B.

‘What a read!’ MARIAN KEYES
‘Deeply moving and very funny…I loved it’ LOUISE O’NEILL
‘The funniest book you’ll read this year’ LAUREN BRAVO

Katherine lives by the rules, ticks all the boxes and prepares for the worst, even while she hopes for the best.

Then the worst actually happens and, as she tries to navigate life as a young widow, it turns out she was not prepared at all.

Nothing scares Katherine more than stopping, but everyone insists she needs to take some time for herself. Head to a wellness retreat, they said. Enjoy some me-time, they said…

Except this retreat isn’t the pity party she was hoping for. Instead of massages, she has erotic meditation, and instead of spa treatments she has scream therapy.

Katherine has never lost control in her life. In fact, she’s fairly certain that if she starts screaming she might never stop.

But she’s about to let go, and everyone had better stand back…

Hilarious, heartbreaking and honest, this is a story about learning how to stop playing it safe in a world that feels so dangerous – and showing up to the party, even when it feels impossible.

***

‘Pity Party is perfection’ LINDSEY KELK
‘Unbelievably good’ LUCY VINE
‘Thought-provoking, charming, cathartic and hilariously vivid’ SARAH KNIGHT
‘Gloriously readable…I tore through it!’ MARINA O’LOUGHLIN
‘Crackling with energy, humour, warmth, and quirk’ JENNY MUSTARD
‘Every line in this book is a wonder’ CAROLINE CORCORAN
‘Wonderfully funny. Her best book yet’ NINA STIBBE
‘Original, moving and totally addictive’ ROXY BOURDILLON
‘Smart, sexy, and will grab hold of your heart’ JADE BEER
‘Moving, funny and wise all at once’ KATE RIORDAN
‘Daisy Buchanan makes me laugh out loud’ KATHERINE HEINY
‘Nobody writes about the messiness of life like Daisy’ JULIE OWEN MOYLAN

‘When Tom Holt’s on form, the world seems a much cheerier place’ – SFX

‘Frantically wacky and wilfully confusing … gratifyingly clever and very amusing’ – MAIL ON SUNDAY

Once upon a time (or last Thursday, as it’s known in this matrix) everything was fine: Humpty Dumpty sat on his wall, Jack and Jill went about their lawful business, the Big Bad Wolf did what big bad wolves do, and the wicked queen plotted murder most foul.

But the humans hacked, cried havoc, shut down the wicked queen’s system (mirrors 3.1) and corrupted her database – and suddenly everything was not fine at all. But at least we know that they’ll all live happily ever after. Don’t we?

Computers and fairy tales collide to hilarious effect in the latest sparkling cocktail of mayhem, wit and wonder from the master of comic fantasy.

Books by Tom Holt:

Walled Orchard Series
Goatsong
The Walled Orchard

J.W. Wells & Co. Series
The Portable Door
In Your Dreams
Earth, Air, Fire and Custard
You Don’t Have to Be Evil to Work Here, But It Helps
The Better Mousetrap
May Contain Traces of Magic
Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Sausages

YouSpace Series
Doughnut
When It’s A Jar
The Outsorcerer’s Apprentice
The Good, the Bad and the Smug

Novels
Expecting Someone Taller
Who’s Afraid of Beowulf
Flying Dutch
Ye Gods!
Overtime
Here Comes the Sun
Grailblazers
Faust Among Equals
Odds and Gods
Djinn Rummy
My Hero
Paint your Dragon
Open Sesame
Wish you Were Here
Alexander at World’s End
Only Human
Snow White and the Seven Samurai
Olympiad
Valhalla
Nothing But Blue Skies
Falling Sideways
Little People
Song for Nero
Meadowland
Barking
Blonde Bombshell
The Management Style of the Supreme Beings
An Orc on the Wild Side

‘Revelatory and accessible’ Sunday Post

‘[Dr Carmichael] has studied nutrition, hormone balancing and aesthetic medicine, and his passion, on which he lectures globally, is healthy ageing. His approach in his fascinating new book, Younger for Longer, is scientific and holistic’ The Times

‘Be good to yourself . . . [Younger for Longer] features wisdom on nutrition, sleep, mood regulation and, most importantly, hormonal health for men and women’ Scotsman

‘I have not stopped learning on my Low-Carb, Healthy Fat journey. Younger for Longer continues that process for me with an incredibly well-referenced text. It’s refreshing to see the balance of nutrition and lifestyle discussed in such an informed and robust manner’ Gary Fettke, orthopaedic surgeon, health activist and author

‘Younger for Longer tells you exactly what you need in order to live an extended, healthy life. It’s very 80/20 and one of the best books I’ve read in ages’ Richard Koch, author of million-seller The 80/20 Principle

‘Fascinating. Packed with the most incredible information about health’ Radio Today, South Africa

‘Offers valuable, honest and solid medical insights into how you can age better. It is, without doubt, one of the best books I have read in my many years as a health activist’
Longevity magazine

Targeted at the general reader, the goal of this book is to show readers how to live a healthy life free from the debilitating effects of ageing, helping them to stay mentally alert and physically active, and making sure they get the most out of all of their years. It reveals practical steps to slow the ageing process and stay healthy – in short, how to stay younger for longer. With research showing that obesity, nutrition and lifestyle illnesses can hamper our body’s response to Covid-19, such advice has become even more crucial in reducing Covid-19 risk factors.

The key is to aim for optimal health. However, foucsing on one factor alone will not get us there. Our sleep, our mood, what we eat, our detoxification system and our hormones are just some of the factors that interact in amazing ways to make us who we are; they are also at the very heart of the ageing process.

This book shows how these different strands combine in ways that can be positive or negative, and explains why this interaction depends far more on the lifestyle we choose than on the genes we inherit. In that way it gives the reader a unique and comprehensive understanding of their body and tells them how, with this knowledge, they can optimise their health.

The topics range from nutrition, toxins, men’s health and women’s health to understanding why our skin, brain and liver age – and how to undo the damage and stave off ageing. But the book’s main focus underlying all of this is hormones: the chemicals that tell different parts of our body what to do. Our hormone levels vary throughout our life, but if they are supported correctly, they can keep us youthful and vital into our final years.

Finding health then is not about ‘seven ways to detox’ or ‘the five best vitamins’. The body is far more complex than that and, in an approach aimed specifically at the layperson, Younger for Longer traces the exciting path of how the body works to help the reader create the best person they can be for the rest of their life.