A Rural Affair

Newly widowed woman seeks fresh start and village scandals. Lycra wearing cyclists need not apply. Poppy Shilling may have fantasized about her boring husband slipping on ice on his way to get the paper or contracting malaria from a mosquito bite, but she never imagined Phil would leave her so suddenly. When a freak cycling accident takes out her Lycra-wearing husband, Poppy can't help but feel relieved rather than distraught. But when a mysterious visitor arrives after the funeral bearing secrets about her husband, Poppy quickly learns that Phil was not exactly the man she thought he was—and she might not be the woman she thought she was, either. International bestselling author Catherine Alliott crafts an endearing and quirky "what if" story that will make your heart sing as you follow Poppy on her unforgettable journey. Praise for Catherine Alliott: "Compulsively readable and highly entertaining." —Daily Mail "Possibly my favorite writer." —Marian Keyes ''A rip–roaring read." —Sun "Catherine Alliott has got it, that addictive blend of wit, frivolity, and madcap romance." —Time Out

Desperate. Destitute. But no longer alone. She’s stayed hidden for six years. What harm could it do to attend her best friend’s wedding miles away from home? But the handsome actuary is the last person she expected to find on the dance floor. He knows who she is and the encounter causes an unwelcome reality check. She must protect her son. Emma made a promise, to hide and stay hidden. From him. But the old chemistry is still there. Just his smile is enough to plunge her back into confusion. So, she does the thing that worked last time. She runs. The journey home to her dismal house in the poorest sector of the city is fraught with danger. Even the taxi driver is too afraid to venture onto the housing estate. Emma is now trapped in a prison of her own making, fearful of a knock on the front door. She knows it’s coming. She knows he’s coming. This time, she has nowhere left to run. And the one who helped her last time is no longer taking her calls. Readers say, “This was impossible to put down.” Keywords related to this novel: english small town romance, british mystery series, british mystery novels, british murder mysteries books, british murder mysteries, british espionage novels, british crime series, british authors mysteries, british mysteries, british romantic suspense, forbidden romance books, forbidden romance, forbidden family bonding, forbidden desires, forbidden attraction, forbidden love, forbidden stepbrother, secret baby for the soldier, secret baby romance, secret baby romance books, injured veteran romance, espionage fiction,

A Delicious Recipe for Domestic Disaster: Take one small town where everyone thinks they know everyone else's business. Add three households: MP Mike Andrews, his wife Gill and two young children; Church of Scotland minister Tom Graham, his wife Ali, two teenage daughters and an afterthought; Sixty-something local businessman Jack Caldwell, and his childless wife Phyllis. Mix in several large dollops of scandal, some secrets and a tragedy. Turn up the heat and bring to the boil. Season with one eccentric old lady - Minty Oliver - and serve with the tabloid press and a big helping of local gossip.

Down-home charm and romance on the ranch. A Little Bit Country Stranded on the side of a country road with a broken-down car, Rorie Campbell is grateful when horse rancher Clay Franklin comes to her rescue. Stuck in the quirky small town, Rorie gets to know Clay, and she quickly starts to fall for the gruff, tough cowboy. Can a city girl make it work with a country man? Clay certainly thinks so. But their situation is…complicated. Clay and Rorie will have to sort out their feelings if they're going to be together. Country Bride Kate Logan is understandably devastated when her former fiancé marries someone else instead. At the wedding, after one glass of champagne, she spontaneously—foolishly—proposes to her longtime friend Luke Rivers. And Luke agrees. The rancher is a man of his word, and though Kate thinks they're making a mistake, he will not renege on his promise. Not only does he refuse to break the engagement, he insists that Kate actually loves him—and he’ll prove it. "Romantic, warm, and a breeze to read." —Kirkus Reviews on Cottage by the Sea

Welcome to Barleybridge, a small village nestled in the Dorset hills of England, where sheep graze on the nearby slopes and everybody knows their neighbors. Young, inexperienced, and somewhat shy, Kate Howard arrives in this idyllic setting to embark on a new adventure and begin a job as a receptionist at the Barleybridge Veterinary Hospital. The busy practice sees creatures large and small, from pets to farm animals, and the staff she meets there is friendly and welcoming. As Kate learns the ins and outs of her job (from who to never let through on the phone to which dogs—and owners—need to be kept away from each other), handsome Australian vet Scott Spencer takes an interest in her and encourages Kate to pursue her dreams to become a vet herself. His advice is solid, and his charm is intoxicating, but Kate is well aware that she is hardly the only woman to fall under the dashing doctor’s spell. Add to this the pressure of her longtime but rather dull boyfriend, Adam, who is not at all happy about her newfound aspirations to return to school, and Kate has some decisions to make, decisions that are growing more complex at every turn. Tender, funny, and full of warmth and simple joys, A Country Affair is the perfect introduction to a delightful place and its witty and lovable inhabitants. Watch for the next two novels in Rebecca Shaw’s Barleybridge series coming soon. You will want to return to Barleybridge again and again.

A Breakout NEW YORK TIMES Bestseller A USA Today Bestseller An Indie National Bestseller “Outstanding . . . The days when you had to choose between a great story and a great piece of writing? Gone.” —Esquire “The story unfolds brilliantly, always surprisingly . . . The magic of his prose equals the horror of Johnston’s story; each somehow enhances the other . . . Read this astonishing novel.” —The Washington Post “Tim Johnston’s high-wire literary thriller . . . will leave you gasping.” —Vanity Fair “A riveting literary thriller of the can’t-stop-turning-the-page, stay-up-all-night variety.” —Alice LaPlante, author of A Circle of Wives The Rocky Mountains have cast their spell over the Courtlands, a young family from the plains taking a last summer vacation before their daughter begins college. For eighteen-year-old Caitlin, the mountains loom as the ultimate test of her runner’s heart, while her parents hope that so much beauty, so much grandeur, will somehow repair a damaged marriage. But when Caitlin and her younger brother, Sean, go out for an early morning run and only Sean returns, the mountains become as terrifying as they are majestic, as suddenly this family find themselves living the kind of nightmare they’ve only read about in headlines or seen on TV. As their world comes undone, the Courtlands are drawn into a vortex of dread and recrimination. Why weren’t they more careful? What has happened to their daughter? Is she alive? Will they ever know? Caitlin’s disappearance, all the more devastating for its mystery, is the beginning of the family’s harrowing journey down increasingly divergent and solitary paths until all that continues to bind them together are the questions they can never bring themselves to ask: At what point does a family stop searching? At what point will a girl stop fighting for her life? Written with a precision that captures every emotion, every moment of fear, as each member of the family searches for answers, Descent is a perfectly crafted thriller that races like an avalanche toward its heart-pounding conclusion, and heralds the arrival of a master storyteller.

'Leaves you with a smile on your face and hope in your heart' MILLY JOHNSON Escape this summer with the page-turning new novel from the Sunday Times bestselling author 'A fantastic, compelling story . . . The feelings on the page are tangible' 5***** READER REVIEW 'Packed with fantastic characters, uncomfortable truths, and flashes of pure comedy. Who could ask for more?' JILL MANSELL ________ From the outside, anyone would think that Lucy Palmer has it all: loving children, a dashing husband and a gorgeous home. But when her marriage to Michael comes to an abrupt and unexpected end, her life is turned upside down in a flash. As the truth of her marriage threatens to surface, Lucy seizes the opportunity to swap her house in London - and the stories it hides - for a rural escape to her parents' farmhouse in the Chilterns. But Lucy gets more than she bargained for when she moves back to her childhood home, especially when it throws her into the path of an old flame. Coming face-to-face with her mistakes, Lucy is forced to confront the secrets she's been keeping from herself and those she loves. Is she ready to let someone in? Or will she leave the door to her past firmly closed . . . ________ 'Emotional and engaging, I was completely absorbed' Sarah Morgan 'Compelling' Heidi Swain 'I enjoyed every minute and couldn't put it down' 5***** Reader Review 'Emotional and affecting, this is an absorbing read' Sun 'Catherine Alliott is back with another warm, escapist read . . . wonderfully written' Woman's Weekly 'Engrossing . . . sparkles with wit' Best Praise for Catherine Alliott: 'A huge treat. Hilarious yet poignant' Sophie Kinsella 'Warm, witty and wise' Daily Mail 'Her writing is both intelligent and sparkling' Marian Keyes 'Hilarious and full of surprises' Daily Telegraph