A job as a house/dog-sitter – albeit in a minus one-star leaky cottage in windswept Shelly Beach – seems the perfect opportunity to relax and regroup. But Gina hasn't counted on the locals, and soon finds herself reluctantly convening the writers' group, babysitting, baking, seal-watching, bicycling . . . and perhaps even falling in love.With a cast of unforgettable characters, The Shelly Beach Writers' Group is an irresistible story of reinvention.

    [Penguin Readers Level 6]

    He is nineteen years old, and his return will have dramatic consequences not just for his family, but for the whole community. A decade earlier, his father's homecoming has a very different effect. The war is over and Gilbert has been demobilized. He reverts easily to suburban life—cocktails at six-thirty, church on Sundays—but his wife and young son resist the stuffy routine. Lewis and his mother escape to the woods for picnics, just as they did in wartime days. Nobody is surprised that Gilbert's wife counters convention, but they are all shocked when, after one of their jaunts, Lewis comes back without her. Not far away, Kit Carmichael keeps watch. She has always understood more than most, not least from what she is dealt by her own father's hand. Lewis's grief and burgeoning rage are all too plain, and Kit makes a private vow to help. But in her attempts to set them both free, she fails to foresee the painful and horrifying secrets that must first be forced into the open. In this brilliant debut, Sadie Jones tells the story of a boy who refuses to accept the polite lies of a tightly knit community that rejects love in favor of appearances. Written with nail-biting suspense and cinematic pacing, The Outcast is an emotionally powerful evocation of postwar provincial English society and a remarkably uplifting testament to the redemptive powers of love and understanding.

    And when her husband says he wants to start a family, she begins to panic. Is this all that life has to offer from now on? Popping out babies and growing old gracefully? She wants a life crammed with glamour and spontaneous adventure, not one full of dirty nappies and night feeds. When Ally makes a silly birthday wish for a new, exciting life, her wish is granted. But when Ally is presented with the freedom and opportunities she craves, she soon realises this new life isn’t all it’s cracked up to be and that there really is no place like home.

    Both of them are loners, damaged by tragedy in their lives, both sceptical about love. But they have a connection that can't be broken, which takes them from their separate lives to Norfolk, where they both end up at the same time, bound together by a family event that neither of them knew the other was connected with.Romantic, elegiac, absorbing and quixotic, this love story for difficult people is a testament to the power of attraction. It's about the sea and land, about the past and how it shapes our futures, about how we find the right person to be with - a truly universal story.

    Their one thought is to get to Dublin, to university and to freedom...On their first day at University College, Dublin, the inseparable pair are thrown together with fellow students Nan Mahon, beautiful but selfish, and handsome Jack Foley. But trouble is brewing for Benny and Eve's new circle of friends, and before long, they find passion, tragedy - and the independence they yearned for.

    She's ready for the next step but a proposal seems to be as far away as ever.Polly is devoted to her family. But after her parents' bitter divorce, she's wary of marriage - even after sharing twenty years and one son with Fraser.Single mother Dana longs for companionship, despite her dedication to raising her son Luke. Finding the right person to bring into their lives feels impossible - until a unique way to select a potential Mr Right comes along.With 29th February fast approaching, will they each take the chance this Leap Year to take control of their fates?

    When Ella and her husband move to a small town in France, Ella hopes to brush up on her French, qualify to practice as a midwife, and start a family of her own. Village life turns out to be less idyllic than she expected, however, and a peculiar dream of the color blue propels her on a quest to uncover her family’s French ancestry. As the novel unfolds—alternating between Ella’s story and that of Isabelle du Moulin four hundred years earlier—a common thread emerges that unexpectedly links the two women. Part detective story, part historical fiction, The Virgin Blue is a novel of passion and intrigue that compels readers to the very last page.

     Filled with Lindy's trademark wit, humour and the usual zany cast of characters, Thin Girls Don’t Eat Cake is MORE than a girl meets boy story. It’s a tale of love, loss and growth mixed with a dash of laughter and a bowl full of frosting. Enjoy Sophie Kinsella, Trisha Ashley and Jill Mansell? Looking for a fun, beach read? A holiday read? THIN GIRLS DON’T EAT CAKE is all that and more… You'll want to grab a cupcake, make a coffee ant get ready to curl up with this wonderfully humorous romantic read. Everyone wants love and no-one more than Olivia Merrifield. After being dumped because her bottom looks like an unpeeled orange, discovering she’s heavy enough to appear on The Biggest Loser and mistaken for a pregnant woman, Olivia Merrifield is understandably depressed. So depressed, that the only way she can console herself is with a bag of peppermint slices. Since finishing her degree, the road has become rocky for Olivia. Her longing for a baby has led to an unhealthy relationship with cake. Her inability to choose a boyfriend who’s not married, weird or a player has given her self-esteem a swift kick to the kerb. Moving back to her hometown of Merrifield hasn’t helped either. Her friends are playing happy families and her mother is on her case — when she’s not joining a Kama Sutra yoga class or taking a younger lover, that is. Deciding it’s time to make over her life, Olivia embarks on a diet regime. She meets the gorgeous Cole Anderson, a former property renovator who’s recently moved to town and is causing quite a stir every time he bends over. But between grieving the death of his daughter, setting up a business and avoiding the bevy of reporters who want to document his every move, Cole hasn’t had a lot of time to get life back on an even keel. He’s merely existing until Olivia comes along. Cole likes Olivia and Olivia definitely likes Cole. He’s hot, sensible and a natural with babies. If only he didn’t own that cupcake shop across the road….

    But after witnessing yet another acquaintance's triumphant nuptials, she's hit an all-time low. So what's a gal to do? Forget about finding Mr. Right and keep an eye out for Mr. Maybe. Cheryl is over her commitment-phobic boyfriend. What this chic, African-American gal wants is a husband-even if she has to break every rule of the personals ads page to get him. Linda doesn't need a man. She likes her office super-organized and her dates to be female. Now, she's found the lesbian Latin lover of her dreams--or so she thinks. Before you can say "loser", Gina, Cheryl, and Linda are up to their earrings in a series of romantic and professional mishaps that prove when the going gets tough, the tough turn to blond highlights, margaritas...and girlfriends! Wickedly witty debut novelist Patrick Sanchez introduces a memorable trio of urban twentysomething females who are searching for the perfect job, the perfect apartment, the perfect man--or woman--all the while asking themselves and each other ... What's A Nice Girl Like You Doing With A Life Like This?

    A small town librarian lives a quiet life without much excitement. One day, she mutters an idle wish and, while standing in her house, is struck by lightning. But instead of ending her life, this cataclysmic event sparks it into a new beginning.She goes in search of Lazarus Jones, a fellow survivor who was struck dead, then simply got up and walked away. Perhaps this stranger who has seen death face to face can teach her to live without fear. When she finds him, he is her opposite, a burning man whose breath can boil water and whose touch scorches. As an obsessive love affair begins between them, both are forced to hide their most dangerous secrets—what turned one to ice and the other to fire.A magical story of passion, loss, and renewal, The Ice Queen is Alice Hoffman at her electrifying best.

    He took a deep breath, inhaling as he did so the sweet scent from the lilies, which were arranged extravagantly in front of him. 'Ladies and gents, I promise to try and keep this short and sweet…' When Billy asked his best mate Ed to be his best man, Ed knew he would have to make a speech and he was dreading it. But he also knew how important it was to Billy - and to his soul mate and wife-to-be, Amelia. So Ed is determined to do them proud. But little does he know that it will be the most important speech he will ever make, and his toast - 'To Billy and Amelia - together forever' - will mean more than he ever thought. A beautiful short story to remind you of the importance of love.

    Used book in good condition, above image is a rerpresentative one

    That’s until, in a moment of mad romance, they find themselves engaged. Pippa knows she’s no bridezilla – and she’s definitely not expecting Nick to get swept off his feet by plans for floral centrepieces, vintage cake-stands and colour coordinated everything. Then Nick’s mum gets involved, secrets from Pippa’s past threaten to surface, and planning their perfect day begins to tear Nick and Pippa apart. This eagerly anticipated second novel from Sophie Ranald is a funny and poignant romantic romp. If you love Tracy Bloom, Mhairi McFarlane and Sophie Kinsella, then say “I do” to A Groom with a View.

    When she was a gullible teenager, she believed boyfriend Seth to be a modern-day brooding Heathcliff. Fourteen years later, when Seth has proved to be more like Homer Simpson, Cara vows never to fall in love again, and turns her back on romance for good. Leaving Seth behind, Cara secures a job as nanny at Moreland Hall on the Yorkshire Moors, but is shocked to discover her new employer is none other than the tall, dark, and disturbingly handsome Mr Rochester. Her resolve to be more level-headed is soon tested when strange things begin to happen at Moreland Hall. Why is Mr Rochester's mother hidden away upstairs? What are the strange noises she hears from the attic? Why is the housekeeper so reluctant to leave her on her own? And where is Mr Rochester's mysterious wife? As events unfold, Cara knows she must keep a cool head, curb her imagination – and resist Mr Rochester at all costs. After all, one Brontë hero in a lifetime is more than enough for any woman. Two would be downright greedy. Wouldn't it?