Fanny Blake

'A lovely holiday read about female friendships past and present. Warm and engaging' Catherine Alliott One perfect villa, four old friends, and a holiday that will change everything... Amy, Linda, Kate and Jane were best friends at school. Now, years later, they have grown apart. When Amy discovers her husband has been stealing from her successful interiors business, and with a milestone birthday looming, she decides it is the time to reach out to her old friends once again. So, she decides to invite the other three to her beautiful villa in Mallorca for a reunion weekend. As the four friends gather, secrets are unearthed, old scores settled and new friendships forged. Will this holiday bring them together or tear them apart? And will each of them grasp their second chance for happiness...? 'A warm and uplifting read. I really enjoyed it' Rosanna Ley, author of The Lemon Tree Hotel 'A skilfully woven story of old friendships, secrets and lies set against the sun-soaked backdrop of Mallorca. The ideal summer read' Sarah Morgan, author of One Summer in Paris 'A fantastic read from one of our favourite authors' Bella 'An insightful look at female friendship with a beautiful sunny backdrop' Sunday Express 'A great summer read, with relatable characters, an engaging plot and a satisfying ending' WI Life

A Summer Reunion

Rose waits for her family to arrive at their villa in Tuscany when a casual glance at her husband's phone tips her world upside down. The text reads simply: 'Miss you. Love you. Come back soon.' Daniel has always been popular with women, she knows that. But until this moment she has had no cause for worry. Has something shifted within their marriage without her realising? As the family gathers for the summer break, Rose's faith in Daniel is shaken. How well does she really know him? She fears that, after decades of marriage and children, the man who lies beside her at night is lying in other ways too. Then events take a tragic turn. Wise, wry and richly entertaining, The Secrets Women Keep celebrates the passionate, emotional lives women lead as wives, mothers and grandmothers.

The Secrets Women Keep

Traveling to India after ending a loveless marriage, Lou befriends fellow solitary traveler Ali, a serial mistress who also wants to start over after one too many heartbreaks and with whom Lou discovers unexpected commonalities. By the author of What Women Want. 25,000 first printing.

A Novel

Women of a Dangerous Age

'A glorious jaunt around Italy with characters I didn't want to leave' CLARE MACKINTOSH A compelling novel about friendship, family secrets and second chances, set against the backdrop of southern Italy. Sandy is in her fifties, and at a crossroads in her life: she's a teacher and respected by her pupils, but she feels she is being sidelined in favour of younger colleagues. So when her mother dies, leaving her a sealed envelope addressed to an unknown woman living in Naples, Sandy decides to head to Italy to resolve the mystery by delivering the letter herself. She books herself on to a small sightseeing trip from Rome to Naples and the Amalfi Coast, hoping to meet some like-minded people along the way. Who is the mysterious woman she is searching for? And will Sandy find friendship, or even love, along the way...? Your favourite authors love An Italian Summer: 'I adored An Italian Summer... Fanny not only writes beautifully about relationships, but the descriptions of Rome and Naples are so ravishing, that you not only marvel at the scenery but also taste the delectable food and feel the hot sun on your back. A most beguiling read' JILLY COOPER 'Intelligent, grown-up and cheering, Fanny has cornered the market in "real" stories told well' FERN BRITTON 'A lovely, absorbing read, gently told, but with a intriguingly dark edge' HILARY BOYD 'Likeable and realistic characters in a glorious Italian setting, this is the perfect summer read' MAEVE HARAN 'I loved this book. Fanny Blake excels at exploring the intricate detail of relationships' SARAH MORGAN 'As themes of friendship and love intertwine with mystery, the plot reels you in until you have no choice but to devour every word. 5 stars' Heat 'Fanny Blake's writing is absorbing, intelligent and an absolute joy to read... Building to an unexpected and clever twist, this heart-warming and compelling novel is the perfect summer read' Daily Express

The most uplifting and heartwarming holiday read

An Italian Summer

Beth is a woman in supreme control of all aspects of her life and family, with a stellar career and her house an oasis of calm. Her closest friend, Megan, is very different; somehow she swims through the chaos of her family with ease, the clutter on the stairs, the cat footprints on the kitchen work space. And while they could not be more different, Beth and Megan have a genuine friendship built on years of laugher, tears and true understanding of each other's strengths and weaknesses. Because that's what friends do, isn't it? But when Beth's daughter reveals a surprising secret, a wedge is driven between Beth and Megan. What begins as mild recrimination and misunderstanding develops into a full-blown row and then a simmering feud. As the two women square up to do battle in the London suburbs, there's everything to play for. All's fair in love and war... With her wisdom, insight and wicked humour, Fanny Blake shines a light on to female friendships, in this delicious tale of two so-called best friends.

With a Friend Like You

Two women, one man: code red for revenge... A brand new book specially written for Quick Reads Maggie is married with two grown-up children. Her 25-year-old marriage to Phil has lost its sparkle. Carla is widowed. She understands life is short so she lives it to the full. But is her new romance all that it seems? When the two women meet in the beauty salon, they soon find they have more in common than the colour of their nails. The discovery that they are sharing the same man is shocking. How will Phil be taught a lesson or two he won't forget?

Red for Revenge

Amanda Lamb

A Place in the Sun is one of Channel 4's most successful daytime programmes in which potential buyers are taken look at four very different properties in the location of their choice. These must be accessible and affordable - and in a warm climate

Buying Your Dream Home Abroad

A Place in the Sun

Lou is married to a man who no longer loves her. It's time to move on, to begin a new business venture and to start her life over. To celebrate her new-found freedom, she travels to India where, in front of the Taj Mahal, she befriends Ali after taking each other's photographs on 'that' bench.

Ultimate Escapes

‘Thoroughly enjoyable, with endearing, believable characters and long-held secrets’ Katie Fforde 'The perfect summer read' Ruth Hogan A family secret, a mysterious legacy, and a journey that will change everything… When Isla, a 65-year-old grandmother, is left nothing but an old painting in her mother’s will, while her sisters and aunt inherit the estate, she is devastated. Close to retirement, getting ready to live on her own terms, the last thing she expects at this time of her life is such turmoil. So, to find an explanation for her mother’s rejection, she embarks on a road-trip. But, right at the last moment, she’s forced to take her sullen – and, in her view, impossible – 14-year-old granddaughter Charlie with her. Cramped together in Isla’s car with her smelly old dog, these ill-assorted travelling companions set off to uncover some shattering and life-changing family truths at the same time as learning to love each other… The Long Way Home is set in the UK and 1950s Paris where the story really begins, spanning four generations of women and the secrets that get passed down through them. Praise for Fanny Blake and The Long Way Home: ‘Fanny Blake knows how to pinpoint what goes on in families. She is warm but never sentimental and her stories take a grip on the reader’ Elizabeth Buchan ‘No-one does family and friendship better than Fanny . . . Warm, funny, wise and relatable’ Veronica Henry ‘Loved it . . . a beautiful story of coming back to life in middle age, full of love, joy and hope’ Liz Fenwick ‘A hopeful, warm, generous-hearted novel about how love transcends difference’ Julie Cohen 'A warm, uplifting read' Rosanna Ley 'The plot reels you in until you have no choice but to devour every word' heat 'Absorbing, intelligent and an absolute joy to read' Daily Express 'A fantastic read from one of our favourite authors' Bella 'Fanny Blake is a master at leading us gently through the complexities of life' Woman & Home 'Blake writes fantastically about families and anyone who has ever despaired of a screen-addict teen will especially love this warm-hearted novel' Daily Mail 'Fanny Blake leads us gently and reassuringly through the complexities of everyday family life' Woman’s Weekly? ‘Just perfect – as a grandmother myself it made me smile’ Dinah Jefferies 'Seamlessly moving from past to the present, this is a heart-warming read' Heat 'A heart-warming story of the importance of family bonds' People’s Friend

the perfect staycation summer read

The Long Way Home

Perfect for fans of Elizabeth Buchan and Katie Fforde, this is a warm novel about women, relationships and why it’s never too late to change.

"The breadth of Mackintosh's creative output was considerable, ranging from interior decoration schemes and designs for furniture, textiles and posters, through watercolours and pencil drawings to vast public architecture projects ... [This book} looks at all aspects of his style, with a detailed commentary on 120 of his works"--Book jacket.

Essential Charles Rennie Mackintosh

With A Friend Like You

A heartwarming and witty novel about female friendships and how they will outlast any man from the author of The Secrets Women Keep

What Women Want

AN ITALIAN SUMMER is a novel about friendship, family secrets and second chances, set against the backdrop of southern Italy. Sandy is in her fifties, and at a crossroads in her life: she's a teacher and respected by her pupils, but she feels she is being sidelined in favour of younger colleagues. So when her mother dies, leaving her a sealed envelope addressed to an unknown woman living in Naples, Sandy decides to head to Italy to resolve the mystery by delivering the letter herself. She books herself on to a small sightseeing trip from Rome to Naples and the Amalfi Coast, hoping to meet some like-minded people along the way. Who is the mysterious woman she is searching for? And will Sandy find friendship, or even love, along the way...? Your favourite authors love Fanny Blake: 'Fanny Blake has the gift of creating wonderful page turners from very domestic situations; and then making them warm and funny as well' Penny Vincenzi 'I love the way Fanny Blake proves that women just become more and more fascinating' Adele Parks 'I love that she writes about women our age, and the painful and wise truths we know' Marian Keyes 'Warm, funny, wise and relatable. A perfect summer read' Veronica Henry

A Fresh Start

Matt Haig

Andy McNab

Rowan Coleman

Veronica Henry

Jenny Colgan

Elizabeth Buchan

Philippa Gregory

Richard Madeley

John O’Farrell

Original stories from Fanny Blake, Elizabeth Buchan, Rowan Coleman, Jenny Colgan, Philippa Gregory, Matt Haig, Veronica Henry, Andy McNab, Richard Madeley and John O'Farrell - with special anniversary recipes from The Hairy Bikers. A young woman with memories of D-Day and a life both dangerous and exciting A father and son with a shared birthday and deeply held secrets A single mum taxi driver, whose envy for the rich couple on their way to the Ritz soon changes The unlikely marriage, born in the depths of war The Tudor wife receives the ghostly message, 'Never marry a dangerous man' An agoraphobic widower, unable to visit his wife's grave The Elvis impersonator who finds hope for a new romance with Marilyn Monroe The ex soldiers burdened with the consequences of one bad decision The long-held memories of a wartime tragedy The anniversary supper which changed the world... THE ANNIVERSARY - a collection of the very best short fiction around.

The Anniversary

Wunderbar entspannte Familienferien sollen es werden: Rose und Daniel verbringen wie so oft zwei Wochen mit den erwachsenen Kindern in ihrem Haus in der Toskana. Als auch noch Roses beste Freundin Eve mit ihrem Mann eintrifft, scheint die Sommeridylle perfekt. Alles geht seinen friedlichen Gang, Rose freut sich auf Pasta und Rotwein auf der Terrasse, Daniel zieht ein paar Bahnen im Pool – als eine harmlose SMS auf einmal alles durcheinanderwirbelt. Die Worte »Miss you. Love you. Come back soon«, die Rose auf dem Handy ihres Mannes sieht, erschüttern ihren Glauben an ihre glückliche Ehe zutiefst. Kann es sein, dass Daniel eine Affäre hat? Bestürzt sucht Rose Rat bei Eve, aber die braucht eigentlich selbst Unterstützung, denn nicht nur ihre berufliche Zukunft, auch ihre Ehe steht auf dem Spiel. Zu allem Überfluss spitzt sich der Dauerkonflikt zwischen Daniel und den beiden Töchtern dramatisch zu. Dann geschieht das Unfassbare – und der entspannte Urlaub wird zum Alptraum. Packend und mit feinem Humor erzählt Fanny Blake wie eine Familie sich komplett neu erfinden muss und wie ihr das am Ende gelingt.

Fanny Blake

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