Sometimes friendship is the only thing that keeps you afloat ...When Karen's husband drowns off the postcard-perfect Queensland coast, five women realise they are no longer happy to simply tread water in the shallow end of the local pool - and life. Karen wants distraction from the grief that threatens to overwhelm her - and she needs to feel that she could save a drowning swimmer if she had to. Charlie, a divorced mother of two young boys, needs to get fit - and get back into the swim of dating.Then there's Cate, the goddess of the swimming pool, newly married to a much older man; Laura, the dependable local GP everyone turns to for advice; and Wendy, the brisk and capable leading light of the P&C. And all of them have secrets ... Trading aquarobics for triathlon training, they cheer each other on to success, both in and out of the water. As their strokes improve, their friendship deepens and along the way they share tears, laughter and changing-room confidences. Views: 71
Sequel to the acclaimed Changing Patterns and Pattern of Shadows. It's 1969 and Mary Schormann is living quietly in Wales with her ex-POW husband, Peter, and her teenage twins, Richard and Victoria. Her niece, Linda Booth, is a nurse - following in Mary's footsteps - and works in the maternity ward of her local hospital in Lancashire. At the end of a long night shift, a bullying new father visits the maternity ward and brings back Linda's darkest nightmares, her terror of being locked in. Who is this man, and why does he scare her so? There are secrets dating back to the war that still haunt the family, and finding out what lies at their root might be the only way Linda can escape their murderous consequences. Views: 70
From a winning voice in fiction — the author of My Favorite Mistake and Exes and Ohs — comes a romantic comedy that will have you in stitches. She's late for her life... Becca Davis has always played it safe — denying her passion for fashion design in a dead-end job and letting her pragmatic boyfriend (mastermind of the "Kevin Bradley Ten-Year Plan") make the tough decisions in life. Stunned into saying yes when Mr. Predictable springs a surprise proposal on her, Becca realizes that she's running out of time to turn her life around. She's only got one more chance to chase her dreams and no one — not her control freak fiancé, not her dramaholic sisters, not her overprotective parents — will talk her out of it. He's right on time. Terrified but determined, Becca breaks off her engagement, moves in with her sister in Los Angeles, and prepares to take the fashion world by... Views: 70
One night with consequences... A week in Bali was accountant Zoe Summers's dream vacation. But when the tropical island paradise is hit by an earthquake, she's trapped--alongside Mitch Bailey, sports star and blast from her past High on the thrill of survival, they seek comfort in each other's arms... It was only supposed to be one night, but Zoe soon discovers an unexpected souvenir--she's pregnant Now Zoe and Mitch will have to ask themselves...can one night lead to parenthood and a lifetime of love? Views: 70
"Music plays. Dad appears. I walk with him, eyes fastened to the floor. When I look up, something is very wrong. There are three grooms."This is the story of Quinn--born Prudence Quinn O'Malley--a confused young Manhattan attorney who loses her father on that tragic September morning that changed everything. Now, at an existential crossroads in her life, Quinn must confront impossible questions about commitment and career, love and loss. Her idealistic beau desperately wants a wedding, and whisks her away to Paris just to propose. But then Quinn has a dream featuring judges and handcuffs and Nietzsche and Britney . . . and far too many grooms. Suddenly, her future isn't so clear. Quinn's world has become a minefield of men--some living, some gone, and traversing it safely is going to take a lot more than numerous glasses of pinot grigio.Life After Yes is a blisteringly honest, thoroughly modern tale of life and love in... Views: 70
Everything's going right for Sandra Berlin.She is living in Manhattan, climbing the editorial ladder at ultra-chic fashion magazine Jolie!, and she's just become engaged to Bucky Ross, her high-school sweetheart. Bucky's her knight in shining WASP armor, a successful ad executive and a descendant of Betsy Ross, and their future promises a life of comfortable suburban bliss: the Tudor mansion, the beautiful children, the country club.And then, three weeks later, at a party at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Sandy meets Bucky's other fiancée.Who tells her about Bucky's third fiancée.Which begins Sandy's journey through the unfamiliar world of heartbreak and betrayal--and the most excruciating blind dates in the history of singledom. As she tries to piece her life back together, she relies on the common sense and compassion of her best friend, Paul--a rising young film agent, gorgeous, gay, and moneyed--to keep her sane. But even... Views: 70
The new witty and warm novel from the Sunday Times best-selling author and TV presenter, Fern Britton. Secrets. Sisters. The summer that changed everything . . . Life in the Cornish village of Pendruggan isn't always picture perfect. Penny Leighton has never told anyone why she's estranged from her mother and sister. For years she's kept her family secrets locked away in her heart, but they've been quietly eating away at her. When an unwelcome visitor blows in, Penny is brought face to face with the past. And a postcard, tucked away in a long-hidden case, holds the truth that could change everything. Young Ella has come back to the place where she spent a happy childhood with her grandmother. Now she's here to search for everything missing in her life. Taken under Penny's broken wing for the summer, the safe haven of Pendruggan feels like the place for a fresh start. Soon, however, Ella starts to wonder if perhaps her real legacy doesn't lie in the past at all. Views: 69
In the quirky Southern town of Cherico, Mississippi, a new library means an exciting new chapter for librarian Maura Beth McShay—and for the friends and book lovers known as the Cherry Cola Book Club... The construction of Cherico's cutting-edge library has been an epic struggle worthy of War and Peace. But the Grand Opening Ceremony is scheduled at last—for the Fourth of July no less—featuring lakeside fireworks and a concert by country singer Waddell Mack. Maura Beth has even devised a cooking contest among area chefs and aspiring Julia Childs to crown the Queen of the Cookbooks. Yet even Maura Beth's careful plotting can't prevent some glitches... Between a furniture fiasco that requires some creative problem-solving, and front-desk clerk Renette's major crush on Waddell Mack, there's equal parts drama and comic relief. Once the ribbon has been cut and the delicious recipes are judged, the Queen of the Cookbooks will take her... Views: 69
Fae Heath wants to be on TV, but not just any show. She wants to be on Ghost UK. She intends to win the contest to find the next presenter. Tall, slim and blonde and access to a haunted Welsh Castle on Halloween – how can she fail? Views: 69
For fans of J. Courtney Sullivan, Meg Wolitzer, Claire Messud, and Emma Straub, a gorgeous and absorbing novel of a trio of confused souls struggling to find themselves and the way forward in their lives, set against the spectacular backdrop of contemporary New York City.Set in the most magical parts of Manhattan—the Upper West Side, Central Park, Greenwich Village—The Ramblers explores the lives of three lost souls, bound together by friendship and family. During the course of one fateful Thanksgiving week, a time when emotions run high and being with family can be a mixed blessing, Rowley's sharply defined characters explore the moments when decisions are deliberately made, choices accepted, and pasts reconciled.Clio Marsh, whose bird-watching walks through Central Park are mentioned in New York Magazine, is taking her first tentative steps towards a relationship while also looking back to the secrets of her broken childhood. Her best friend, Smith... Views: 68
