Contemporary Fiction

DON’T MISS THE STUNNING AND ROMANTIC NEW NOVEL FROM SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR VERONICA HENRY – PRE-ORDER THE SECRET BEACH NOW!

Escape to the country this Christmas in this delightful festive read from bestselling author Veronica Henry.

‘As fruity as a mince pie’ SUNDAY EXPRESS

Christmas is coming to Honeycote House and Lucy Liddiard is busy whipping up a feast of festive treats (all with an extra dash of brandy!) for her nearest and dearest.

She knows this year’s celebrations need to be extra special – their beloved Cotswolds brewery is struggling and Lucy is sure that the secret her husband Mickey is hiding isn’t a diamond necklace in her stocking…

As the scent of cinnamon fills the air and the glamorous guests start to arrive, Lucy suspects there might be a few more secrets waiting underneath the Christmas tree…

It’s certainly going to be a holiday to remember!

Irresistibly good fun and bursting with heart, A Country Christmas is the first book in the Honeycote series, followed by A Country Life and A Country Wedding.

** This book was originally published as ‘Honeycote’ **

Your favourite authors love Veronica Henry!

‘A blissful escape’ SARAH MORGAN
‘The most uplifting getaway’ LUCY DIAMOND
‘Veronica Henry writes like a dream’ JILL MANSELL
‘Irresistibly romantic. I adored it’ PHILLIPA ASHLEY
‘A delicious, dreamy, joy of a book’ LIBBY PAGE
‘The perfect weekend read’ FANNY BLAKE

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The perfect comfort read, brimming with humour and heart, from bestseller Veronica Henry.

A day they’ll remember forever…

It was supposed to be the perfect country wedding: gorgeous flowers in the village church, a marquee in the garden and a few carefully chosen guests.

But bride-to-be Mandy is already clashing with her mother, the groom is already getting cold feet and suddenly a very unexpected guest has arrived in the little Cotswolds village of Honeycote!

As the champagne is poured and the church bells start to ring out, one thing’s for sure – it’s going to be a day to remember…

Irresistibly good fun and bursting with heart, A Country Life is the second book in the Honeycote series, which includes A Country Life and A Country Wedding. It can be read on its own or as part of the series.

** This book was originally published as ‘Just a Family Affair’ **

Your favourite authors love Veronica Henry!

‘A blissful escape’ SARAH MORGAN
‘The most uplifting getaway’ LUCY DIAMOND
‘Veronica Henry writes like a dream’ JILL MANSELL
‘Irresistibly romantic. I adored it’ PHILLIPA ASHLEY
‘A delicious, dreamy, joy of a book’ LIBBY PAGE
‘The perfect weekend read’ FANNY BLAKE

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I shouldn’t have done it. I should have just swallowed my pride and gotten down on my knees. But people like him piss me off. People who have never had to work for anything but still have everything. So I decided to show him, publicly, that he has no power over me.

That was a mistake.

I have nothing. No money. No name. No connections.

He has everything. In this city, he is practically a god.

And now, he is coming for revenge.

Please note: This book is a standalone dark college bully romance, which means that it contains themes that are not to everyone’s liking. If you are uncertain, please check the content warnings before reading.

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Which one will break me?

I’m the weird girl on campus.
With an overbearing father, a criminal family, and my attendance at an isolated university in the mountains, no one ever had the chance to love me or leave me.

Until I catch the attention of four men, the enigmatic Vultures, a ruthless mafia group searching for a hidden fortune on campus, where my comfortable life takes a treacherous turn.

They’re cold-blooded killers, but nobody would know. Their disguise is that good.

The worst part is, I’m just as obsessed with the treasure as they are.

They’ve figured out they need me, and I’ve found myself torn between my own desires and the darkness that consumes them.

But as much as I’m drawn to them, losing my morals will turn into my biggest mistake.

Because the problem with Vultures?

They love picking at fresh meat.

Broken Beauty is book 1 of a duet, concluding with Loyal Vows. The duet can be read on its own, but be warned – its twisted path intersects with the captivating world of Cruel Promise, Tempest’s standalone story.

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It’s also been said that when a dude is a jerk to a girl, it’s because, deep down, he wants her. I’m calling bullshit on all of it.

Tate Tracy is about to find out that I’m not the nice boy anymore. Nor am I a forgiving person. She might have been my best friend for eighteen years, but now, she’s no one. And if I have to remind her of that, I will. Even if we’re going to be stuck living in an apartment … together.

The trouble is, I’ve only ever had one weakness in life.

And it’s Tate Tracy.

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Fast-forward to my junior year at Brooks University, and I’ve got one shot to make it to the pros. It’s now or never. Because if I don’t? Hello, medical school. Good-bye, skates.

The season gets even harder when the hockey team is forced to work with the dance team for a fundraiser, and I’m paired with the daughter of my family’s sworn enemy. As much as I hate to admit it, Sutton Savage is hard not to notice with her dark hair, big blue eyes, and angelic face to go along with those mouthy lips. Soon, it’s damn near impossible for me to hate her. And before I know it, I’m striking up a deal with her for her to be my girlfriend.

My fake girlfriend.

Since we were kids, I’ve found Sutton to be an entitled brat, someone I couldn’t stand, but suddenly, I’m looking at her differently. And when no one is around, I still want to kiss her … and I realize things are becoming a lot more complicated than I ever imagined they would.

Romeo and Juliet were forbidden to be together, and look how well that turned out for them. The thing is, I’m beginning to see Sutton is worth drinking the poison for.

She might not be the one I’ve always wanted. But now, she’s the only one I see.

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In a competition of win or lose, love was the one game they never saw coming.

Nate
As a star football player at Las Vegas University, I’m used to getting what I want on and off the field.

But when I meet Kayla Sanchez, everything changes.

She’s passionate with a fire in her eyes and a commitment to help others.
She’s also stubborn, opinionated and sexy AF. Despite our rivalry, there’s an undeniable chemistry between us and with each steamy exchange, I want her more.

Kayla
I’ve always stood up for what I believe in, even if it means going against the popular crowd. So, when the school threatens to shut down the student food pantry to build a new center for the football team, I fight back.

That’s when I meet Nate Cooper, the charismatic football jock and campus heartthrob, who couldn’t be more different from me.

Our disagreements are fiery and intense, and so are the sparks. I swore I’d never trust a man, but I can’t ignore the way Nate makes me feel.

Torn between my beliefs and desires, can I resist sleeping with the enemy?

College Fling is an enemies to lovers, new adult, college sports romance written in dual POV. It’s the first book in the Las Vegas U contemporary romance series and can be read as a standalone. This book contains a mix of sports, spice and heart and is intended for readers 18+

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For Aiden Crawford, being the captain of the college hockey team has its perks, except when a reckless mistake by his team threatens to jeopardize their entire season. Consequently, his coach nominates him as the subject of a research paper. It’s the last thing he wants to do, especially since the girl leading the project looks like she could wield his skates as a weapon.

Summer can’t stand his blasé approach to life, and Aiden doesn’t understand her uptight, scheduled one. They are off to a rocky start, and provoking each other is what they do best, but defeat isn’t something either of them is willing to accept.

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I threw caution to the wind and my v-card at the one man I can’t stand. What did that get me? Pregnant.

Now, we’re both screwed. Mr. Superstar wants the punt bunnies off his back. I want my parents off mine. To do that, he proposes a fake relationship. But I know the truth… Spending time with him can only lead to trouble.

After all, neither of us has an answer to the biggest problem of all.

How fake can it stay when he’s the father of the child I’m carrying?

** Cruel Start sets the stage for the duet and should be read before Cruel Hate.

Cruel Hate is an enemies-to-lovers, fake relationship, new adult, sports and bully romance with pregnancy and plenty of angst. This book contains mature content that some readers may find disturbing. This duet follows the prequel, Cruel Start. It is not a standalone and does end in a cliffhanger that continues with a ton of heat and a HEA in Cruel Love.

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It’s my last summer before college, and my life is on the rails. Work, family drama, and a life that’s almost too much.

When I get the chance to escape… The thrill of cliff diving at the cove is perfect. Just like the hottest man I’ve ever run into. Literally. When the fire between us ignites into a night of passion, it’s best to leave it in the past where it belongs.

The moment the plus sign shows up on the stick, all my risk-taking days are over. And the father? He’s the biggest risk I could imagine. Especially when he finds out he’s about to be a daddy.

Cruel Start is an enemies-to-lovers, new adult bully romance with pregnancy and plenty of angst, and the prequel to Aspen and Phoenix’s duet Cruel Hate and Cruel Love.

This book contains mature content that some readers may find disturbing. It is not a standalone and does end in a cliffhanger that continues with Cruel Hate.

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In a crumbling office block, another woman has a different sort of ghost to confront. Iris runs her own business but strange things keep happening. Her phone rings and there’s no one there. Somebody taps at her door. In the basement, something unpleasant is lurking…

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The hellgate is opening and magic is coming back. We’re not ready.

I don’t want to be a witch. Magic means trouble, every time. I just want to be a regular, mundane professor.

But then that freaky cat shows up, and now magic is bursting out all over campus. Roses are on a murderous rampage, the library is throwing books at me, and the students are having orgies under the willow tree (well, that might not be due to magic).

I need to close the hellgate that’s spewing wild magic all over the university before it triggers the magical apocalypse. And I need to do it fast, because Satan might be coming to campus, which…wouldn’t be great.

But I’m a little distracted – okay, a lot distracted – by the new English professor, the one who watches me like he knows something about me. Something I don’t know.

See what I mean? Magic means trouble.

If you like Debbie Cassidy and KF Breene, then you’ll love this slow-burn paranormal fantasy with smart characters, a little bit of steam, and a lot of chaos. College will never be the same again.

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Fiction Land

From multimillion bestselling Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Amazon and Audible author RR Haywood, creator of the worldwide bestselling Extracted, and The Code trilogies, the phenomenal Undead Series, and the heart-pounding thriller DELIO PHASE ONE, comes Fiction Land, a laugh-out-loud blockbuster adventure

“Imagine John Wick wakes up in a city full of characters from novels – That’s Fiction Land”

“Brilliant, original, and very funny”

“Haywood writes on another level”

A delivery driver finds himself inside a world occupied by characters from unfinished novels and must accept he is not real. But the world around him doesn’t feel right, and when he starts asking questions, the authorities soon take extreme measures to stop him finding the truth about Fiction Land.

Not many men get to start over.
John Croker did and left his old life behind – until crooks stole his delivery van, but no van means no pay, which means his niece doesn’t get the life-saving operation she needs, and so in desperation, John uses the skills of his former life one last time. While everything he thought he knew starts to unravel.

**Also an outstanding audio production narrated by GOT star, Gethin Anthony. Find it on Audible.**

Find out more about the author at rrhaywood.com

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From multimillion bestselling Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Amazon and Audible author RR Haywood, creator of the worldwide bestselling Extracted, and The Code trilogies, the phenomenal Undead Series, and the heart-pounding thriller DELIO PHASE ONE, comes Fiction Land, a laugh-out-loud blockbuster adventure.

Imagine John Wick wakes up in a city full of characters from novels – That’s Fiction Land

A delivery driver finds himself inside a world occupied by characters from unfinished novels and must accept he is not real. But the world around him doesn’t feel right, and when he starts asking questions, the authorities soon take extreme measures to stop him finding the truth about Fiction Land.

Not many men get to start over.
John Croker did and left his old life behind – until crooks stole his delivery van, but no van means no pay, which means his niece doesn’t get the life-saving operation she needs, and so in desperation, John uses the skills of his former life one last time. While everything he thought he knew starts to unravel.

**Also an outstanding audio production narrated by GOT star, Gethin Anthony. Find it on Audible.**

Find out more about the author at rrhaywood.com

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All three books in the phenomenally bestselling Fifty Shades trilogy, now a series of major films.

Fifty Shades of Grey
When literature student Anastasia Steele interviews successful entrepreneur Christian Grey, she finds him very attractive and deeply intimidating. Unworldly and innocent, Ana is shocked to find she wants this man, and excited when she realises that Christian wants her too. As they embark on a passionate love affair, Ana discovers more about her own desires, as well as the dark secrets Christian keeps hidden away from public view…

Fifty Shades Darker
Daunted by the dark secrets of the tormented young entrepreneur Christian Grey, Ana Steele has broken off their relationship. But when Christian proposes a new arrangement, she cannot resist. Soon she is learning more about the harrowing past of her damaged, driven and demanding lover than she ever thought possible…

Fifty Shades Freed
Anastasia Steele always knew that loving Christian Grey would not be easy, and being together poses challenges neither of them had anticipated. But, finally together, they have love, passion, intimacy, wealth, and a world of infinite possibilities. But just when it seems that they really do have it all, tragedy and fate combine to make Ana’s worst nightmares come true…

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A swanky new gym has opened in leafy south-west London. Four women bond over push-ups and Pilates and become firm friends.

Percy likes sorting out other people’s problems, but her own life is a shambles, with a terrible secret addiction. Can she kick it and win back the love of her husband?

Patrice, wealthy but damaged, wants another baby, but husband Jonty isn’t interested in sex. Is it her imagination, or is he getting too close to the husband of one of her new friends?

Carmen is living dangerously, determined to get pregnant by her cold, treacherous boyfriend. She doesn’t see what is under her nose until it’s nearly too late.

Suzanne adores her sexy second husband, but is she neglecting him for her job? And has she realised what is happening to her teenage daughter?

New best friends. Their friendship is about to be tested to the limit.

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Stuck in this beige prison of photocopiers and keyboards, I think nothing can cheer me up.

Then I see him. The man working on the scaffolding outside, sweating and laughing and bossing everyone around. The man in charge. The man with big muscles and scarred hands.

He notices me too. Stares at me too, until suddenly we’re playing our own private game, with only the glass keeping us apart.

Don’t look away. Don’t blink. Let the rest of the world melt away.

And when we finally get a stolen moment alone? Don’t waste a single second…

I Spy is a short and steamy instalove novella, starring a blue collar hero and the girl he desperately wants to claim.

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‘One of the best football books I’ve ever read.’ John Motson on Provided You Don’t Kiss Me

‘Some people believe football is a matter of life and death. I am very disappointed by that attitude. I can assure you it’s much more important than that’ – Bill Shankly

What Shankly said isn’t even half-true. In fact, it’s bollocks. Football isn’t the be-all and end-all of everything. If nothing else, I know that much.

As a player, Thom Callaghan was defined by the winning goal he scored in an FA Cup final. The goal wasn’t the blessing he imagined it would be. His whole career was defined by that brief moment of glory.

With his playing days over, Callaghan, still a local hero, is tempted back to his old club as caretaker manager. His task to rescue it from relegation. He’s got the job solely on the recommendation of his former boss and mentor Frank Mallory, now desperately ill and responsible for the team’s precipitous decline.

Callaghan is pitched into the Premier League during the last months of the 1996-1997 season, where – among reputations more gilded than his own – he finds himself pitted against the likes of Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United, chasing their fourth title in five years, and also one of the newest recruits to the English game, Arsene Wenger.

Can Callaghan save his club from what seems the inevitability of the drop? Does Mallory – eccentric, inspirational and manipulative – even want him to succeed? What if the prize of a personal triumph isn’t worth it in the end?

Injury Time is the first novel from the multiple award-winning sportswriter Duncan Hamilton.

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They hurt me, abuse me, use me…

I signed up for it. Literally. I agreed to the contract that made me the Lords’ Lady, a position that requires me to do whatever they want, but only as protection from someone worse. I agreed to be in their beds, on my knees, and punished should I disobey.

I just wasn’t expecting punishment like this.

Killian is two-hundred-and-twenty pounds of muscle, brutal physicality, and pure spite. He thinks I don’t know that he watches me when I sleep.

Tristian is fair-haired and charming to anyone who doesn’t know better. To me, he’s the man who seeks to control me, with his cold eyes and possessiveness.

Rath is the dark-eyed tempest who took me into his bed. Even having been subjected to his barbed tongue, he’s the first man to ever make me feel safe.

I hadn’t realized how much they’ve worn me down and made me feel complacent, but it turns out they’ve messed with my head just as much as they abused my body. Despite the awful things they’ve done to me, they actually made me feel special. Cared for. Protected.

And then I found out it was all a lie.

The way Tristian cares, Killian’s vigilant eyes, and worst of all, my contented moments in Rath’s bed, were all part of a game.

A game to see who can use me best.

A game they’ve been playing since day one.

And now?

It’s a game I’m going to win.

WARNING: This book is a DARK/BULLY romance. It contains graphic content of abuse and assault that some readers may be particularly sensitive to. If you have triggers or are even remotely unsure, please heed the note at the beginning of this book.

The Royals of Forsyth University is a three book, reverse harem series by Best Selling Authors, Angel Lawson & Samantha Rue.

Lords of Pain
Lords of Wrath
Lords of Mercy

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‘Your world is about to be rocked.’ Elena Armas, author of The Spanish Love Deception

‘Hopelessly, brilliantly, wonderfully romantic. I loved it even more than The Love Hypothesis,and I didn’t think that was possible’ Cressida McLaughlin

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis comes a new STEMinist rom-com in which a scientist is forced to work on a project with her nemesis – with explosive results.

Bee Königswasser lives by a simple code: What would Marie Curie do? If NASA offered her the lead on a neuroengineering project – a literal dream come true – Marie would accept without hesitation. Duh. But the mother of modern physics never had to co-lead with Levi Ward.

Sure, Levi is attractive in a tall, dark, and piercing-eyes kind of way. But Levi made his feelings toward Bee very clear in grad school – archenemies work best employed in their own galaxies far, far away.

But when her equipment starts to go missing and the staff ignore her, Bee could swear she sees Levi softening into an ally, backing her plays, seconding her ideas… devouring her with those eyes. The possibilities have all her neurons firing.

But when it comes time to actually make a move and put her heart on the line, there’s only one question that matters: What will Bee Königswasser do?

‘Ali Hazelwood proves that science is sexy as hell, and that love can ‘STEM’ from the most unlikely places. She’s my newest must-buy author.’ Jodi Picoult

‘I cannot get enough of her brand of brainy romance! Writing with an emotionally brilliant and witty pen, Hazelwood is an absolute romance powerhouse.’ Christina Lauren, author of The Unhoneymooners

‘Gloriously nerdy and sexy, with on-point commentary about women in STEM.’ Helen Hoang, author of The Heart Principle

‘Proves that STEM can be sexy!’ Red

What the five star reviews are saying about The Love Hypothesis:
‘Did I read this in 24 hours? Yes.’
‘Funny. Snarky. Intelligent. Real.’
‘If you’re even slightly thinking about getting this book to read, just go a head and do it’
‘Adam is just *swoon*’
‘Ali Hazelwood has made herself an auto-buy author’
‘It was just… perfect.’
‘A heroine you will instantly fall in love with’

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I wake up in the hospital with no memory of the past year. The last thing I remember? JP Wolfe, my brooding billionaire boss, threatening to fire me in front of the entire tech team.

But now, as I return to work, fumbling with amnesia, something’s changed. Wolfe’s intense gaze lingers on me, making my heart race and my cheeks flush.

I’m just your average tech girl with a serious comic book addiction while he’s the infamously cold, ruthless co-founder of a hotel empire. And let’s not overlook that he’s the kind of smoldering hot that makes you forget your own name.

There’s no way a man like him could be harboring secret feelings for someone like me… is there?

As I scramble to rebuild my lost memories, I realize Wolfe is hiding secrets he doesn’t want me to uncover. What happened during my missing year? And why is Wolfe determined to stop me from finding out?

Manhattan State of Mind is a dual-point-of-view, standalone, romantic comedy with spice, banter, and a happily ever after.

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Enter Tyler Caldwell. A beast on the field and off, cocky as heck, and often wearing T-shirts with sayings like “God’s Gift to Womankind,” Tyler is most definitely not boyfriend material.

After a make-out session with Tyler leaves Zooey entirely unsatisfied, she is determined never to see him again. But her schedule lands her in not one but two of his classes, and it doesn’t take long before Tyler and Zooey have reached an arrangement for Tyler to teach Zooey exactly what she wants to know―and a whole lot more she never bargained for. Can Zooey surrender her body to this bad boy without giving him her heart, too?

Misadventures is a romantic series of spicy standalone novels, each written or co-written by some of the best names in romance. The stories are scandalous, refreshing, and, of course, incredibly sexy. They’re the perfect bedside read, a ‘quick blush’ for the reader who loves a page-turning romance.

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A new term. A wicked spell. An end to innocence and lies.

University never looked so good. Karisa caused a stir with her wandless magic and survived a shadow mage attack. With a magical lacrosse championship and a winter ball to celebrate, there’s a growing sense of camaraderie at Takoda.

But not everyone is keen to embrace Karisa’s secret quest.

Garrett Huxley is a wizard with an attitude—and the reputation to match. He’s got her in a daze, and she never knows what to expect from him. But Garrett is the key to unlocking the most stubborn of the guilds. Karisa must learn to place her trust in him and what she feels in her heart, whatever the cost.

The Shadow Master is closing in, and his spies are everywhere. There’s only thing Karisa fears more than Donovan Tempest. The Artemis Curse may have finally found her, and the consequences could be devastating.

Moon Cursed is the second book in the 5-part story, The Artemis Curse. Parts one through to four ends on a cliffhanger, with the fifth book concluding the tale. Part Three, Moon Set, will be available later in 2023.

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Rupert Campbell-Black takes centre stage once more, this time in the cut-throat world of flat racing.

Rupert is consumed by one obsession: that Love Rat, his adored grey horse, be proclaimed champion stallion. He longs to trounce Roberto’s Revenge, the stallion owned by his detested rival Cosmo Rannaldini, which means abandoning his racing empire at Penscombe and his darling wife Taggie, and chasing winners in the richest races worldwide, from Dubai to Los Angeles to Melbourne.

Luckily, the fort at home is held by Rupert’s assistant Gav, a genius with horses, fancied by every stable lass, but damaged by alcoholism and a vile wife. When Gala, a grieving but ravishing Zimbabwean widow moves to Penscombe as carer for Rupert’s wayward father, it is not just Gav who is attracted to her: a returning Rupert finds himself dangerously tempted.

Gala adores horses, and when she switches to working in the yard, her carer’s job is taken by a devastatingly handsome South African man who claims to be gay but seems far keener on caring for the angelic Taggie. And as increasingly sinister acts of sabotage strike at Penscombe, the game of musical loose boxes gathers apace . . .

———————————–

‘Packed with warmth, wit, and unforgettable characters, this is an utterly joyous read’ Daily Express
‘Pure, unadulterated joy’ Sophie Kinsella
‘It’s Cooper doing what she does best … it’s a thoroughly enjoyable roll in the hay’ The Times
‘Witty and wonderful, as always’ Trisha Ashley
‘This endlessly fun humdinger of a novel is an absolute riot’ Heat

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