Us Three

***THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER*** 'A touching celebration of the beauty and endurance of female friendship. There is nothing mightier. Fact.' DAWN FRENCH The new novel from Ruth Jones, co-creator of Gavin & Stacey and author of the smash-hit, number one bestselling debut, Never Greener. Friends forever is a difficult promise to keep... Meet Lana, Judith and Catrin. Best friends since primary school when they swore an oath on a Curly Wurly wrapper that they would always be there for each other, come what may. After the trip of a lifetime, the three girls are closer than ever. But an unexpected turn of events shakes the foundation of their friendship to its core, leaving their future in doubt - there's simply too much to forgive, let alone forget. An innocent childhood promise they once made now seems impossible to keep . . . Packed with all the heart and empathy that made Ruth's name as a screenwriter and now author, Us Three is a funny, moving and uplifting novel about life's complications, the power of friendship and how it defines us all. Prepare to meet characters you'll feel you've known all your life - prepare to meet Us Three. ***** Praise for Us Three: 'A warm, smart, uplifting tale of true friendship.' BETH O'LEARY 'This novel oozes warmth and honesty. A big-hearted book that provides a cast of characters you'll lose your heart to.' ADELE PARKS 'I loved this brilliantly gripping depiction of the complexities of female friendship over the years. Love, betrayal, comedy and loss - Us Three has it all.' FIONA NEILL ***** Readers love Us Three: 'I love the way Ruth Jones writes. The relationship between the 3 friends is perfect and a wonderful book to read about friendship' 'I absolutely loved this so much. There were moments that made me cry and other moments that made me laugh.' 'Best book of the year so far. To sum it up I'd say "it was bloody lush"' ****RUTH'S BRILLIANT NEW NOVEL LOVE UNTOLD IS COMING SOON AND AVAILABLE TO PRE-ORDER NOW****

The marriage of George Jones and Tammy Wynette was hailed as a union made in honky-tonk heaven. And when little Tamala Georgette Jones was born in 1970, she was considered country music’s heir apparent. For the first four years of her life, Georgette had two adoring parents who showed her off at every opportunity, and between her parents, grandparents, older sisters, and cheering fans, Georgette’s feet seldom hit the ground. But as in every fairy tale, dark forces were just around the corner. Her parents fought, and George drank. George and Tammy divorced when Georgette was four, and it would be years before she understood just what that meant. The Three of Us is an honest and heartfelt look into the life of a broken family living in the glare of the public spotlight. Like so many of her generation, Georgette had to make sense of loving two parents who couldn’t love each other. With never-before-told stories about George and Tammy, it recounts Tammy’s descent into prescription pill addiction, her dependence on her fifth husband, George Richey, and her untimely death at the age of fifty-five. Georgette opens up about her broken relationship with her father and what it took for them to come back together. Lastly, Georgette discusses the ups and downs of her adult life: failed marriages, illness, an arrest, and now, an unexpected but thrilling career as a musician. The Three of Us is a story of both extreme privilege and great trials, of larger-than-life people with larger-than-life problems. Rich in country music history, it contains twists and turns, highs and lows, but in the end, it stands as an intensely moving tale of love, loss, heartbreak, and what it means to be a family.

Just Us Three is based on a true story about the unbreakable bond between a puppy named Mickey and his mommy, Cici. Mickey has had knee troubles since he was a baby and assumed that he would have to keep this a secret in order to be picked from the pet farm. As a lovely girl approaches the farm to take a puppy home, Mickey did all he could to hide his problem to be picked from the rest. Little did he know, Cici had her eye on him all along. Strong-willed, he continued to push himself every day, but leaped too high and injured his weak little knee. Trying to distract the veterinarian from telling Cici his condition, Mickey soon realizes that Cici chose him knowing he had a weak knee as she, too, has a similar foe. Mickey learns that affection and love are greater than any indisposition and that people will love you despite your weaknesses. This story is meant to encourage kindness and compassion while embracing others in all their differences and loving each of our own.

Roommates--Petula, Rachel and Lisa-- are as different as North, South and West in the matters of everything from religion to hair. The battle that ensues in their dorm room, as well as, in their young minds, is a mix of Petula's Southern roots, that have never spread beyond her native Charleston or the black history that she is tired of hearing about from her storytelling father; Rachel's matter-of-fact attitude that says her god is her Native American culture of which her very strong-willed father is the dictator who no one, including her, can cross. Then there is Lisa who is rich, spoiled and self-absorbed, putting Petula and Rachel out to cook as she seeks to prove that Northern wealth and culture is the only god that should matter to anyone. But, what becomes of three men that happen into their lives influenced by a god neither of them know anything about? Oneness is the goal if only these three girls would put their hearts and heads together to conform Southern kinks behavior, Native American bone straight ideals and the chemically relaxed thoughts of Northern suburban influence, of one who denies her roots, into to one "braid" that has to honor One, and only One. Whose god will win?

The book is about the author’s childhood during World War 2, his pursuit of a medical vocation, establishing a career in America, raising a family, and facing the challenges of the enterprise of life made possible by, in addition to his beloved wife, a third partner. The book includes accounts of life in an empty nest, milestone celebrations, tribulations, and divine interventions called Godwinks. It is a response to the primal need for humans to leave an account of their presence in this planet.

Winner of the J. R. Ackerley Award This is the story of three people: Julia Blackburn, her father Thomas and her mother Rosalie. Thomas was a poet and an alcoholic, who for many years was addicted to barbiturates; Rosalie, a painter, was sociable and flirtatious. After her parents were divorced, Julia's mother took in lodgers, always men, on the understanding that each should become her lover. When one of the lodgers started an affair with Julia, Rosalie was devastated; when he later committed suicide the relationship between mother and daughter was shattered irrevocably. Or so it seemed until the spring of 1999, when Rosalie, diagnosed with leukaemia, came to live with Julia for the last month of her life.

In Britain's darkest hour, an extraordinary community of women strives to protect the Home Front. When a plane crashes in the village, every one of their lives will change forever . . . PART FOUR in a brand new FOUR-PART serial from the creator of ITV's smash hit series, Home Fires. Can they prevail . . . While their men are at war the women of Great Paxford have fought hard to keep the home fires burning, but a new arrival threatens everything . . . Pat Simms has a secret she needs to keep, but the close scrutiny of her husband is near impossible to escape. Frances Barden has overcome every challenge these troubled times have thrown at her, but a new threat, one very close to home, has arisen. Steph Farrow made a vow, she promised to protect her farm and family while her husband was at war, but she never imagined this . . . Meanwhile, Teresa faces a tragedy she's powerless to stop. Even during the hardest times the women of the WI have prevailed, finding new love, happiness and purpose, but can they survive the enemy at their door? Don't miss any part of the story. Keep the Home Fires Burning - Part One: Spitfire Down! is available now. Search 9781785763588. The story's not over. An all-new novel is coming in 2018! To pre-order your copy now search 9781785764295. Perfect for fans of Call the Midwife, Granchester and Foyles War. If you adore the novels of Nadine Dorries, Diney Costello and Daisy Styles then this is an unmissable series for you.

THE NUMBER ONE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER, PICKED FOR THE ZOE BALL TV BOOK CLUB 'Ruth Jones is excellent on human nature and why we make the mistakes we do. I felt for every character. Unputdownable.' Jojo Moyes The past has a habit of tracking us down. And tripping us up. When Kate was twenty-two, she had an intense and passionate affair with a married man, Callum, which ended in heartbreak. Kate thought she'd never get over it. Seventeen years later, life has moved on - Kate, now a successful actress, is living in London, married to Matt and mother to little Tallulah. Meanwhile Callum and his wife Belinda are happy together, living in Edinburgh and watching their kids grow up. The past, it would seem, is well and truly behind them all. But then Kate meets Callum again. And they are faced with a choice: to walk away from each other . . . or to risk finding out what might have been. Second chances are a rare gift in life. But that doesn't mean they should always be taken . . . - In her unmissable debut, actress and screenwriter Ruth Jones shows us the dangers of trying to recapture that which was once lost and failing to realise the beauty of what we already have. Praise for Ruth Jones: 'I love books about gnarly, messy relationships and this one kept me gripped from the beginning. A great read.' Jane Fallon 'Heart-rending, provocative and astutely written, Never Greener is a love story about getting what you want and losing everything you need. Ruth's characters will stay with me for a long time.' Cathy Bramley 'Easy to read and full of laughter - and truth.' Daily Mail Readers have fallen in love with Never Greener: ***** 'Loved this book from start to finish.' ***** 'I fell in love with all the characters and could not put it down.' ***** 'Brilliantly written, laugh-out-loud hilarious yet tear-jerking.' ****RUTH'S BRILLIANT NEW NOVEL LOVE UNTOLD IS AVAILABLE TO PRE-ORDER NOW. COMING IN 2022****