And when he comes home from National Service to be a policeman, Marion, a newly qualified teacher, is determined to win him. Unable to acknowledge the signs that something is amiss, she plunges into marriage, sure that her love is enough for both of them...But Tom has another life, another equally overpowering claim on his affections. Patrick, a curator at the Brighton Museum, is also besotted with his policeman, and opens Tom's eyes to a world previously unknown to him. But in an age when those of 'minority status' were condemned by society and the law, it is safer for this policeman to marry his teacher. The two lovers must share him, until one of them breaks and three lives are destroyed.Unfolding through the dual narratives of Marion and Patrick, both writing about the man at the centre of their lives, this beautifully-told, painful, tragic story is revealed.It is a tale of wasted years, misguided love and thwarted hope, of how at a time when the country was on the verge of change so much was still impossible.Bethan Roberts has produced an intense and exquisitely raw yet tender novel, which proves her to be one of our most exciting young writers.

    But that’s before she sees the perfect child. There he sits in his stroller, angelic and beautiful, magnetic and serene– and he makes Jane question everything she has and everything she thought she wanted. Suddenly all she can see are babies and pregnant woman everywhere. Were there always so many of them? And while there was once a man in her life–her one true love, Sam, gone from this world too soon–there is no man now. Jane must make a choice: possibly become a bitter and childless old lady, letting her biological clock tick on ’till menopause, or tend the ache in her heart now, by becoming a single mother. As Jane struggles to make the most important decision of her life, friends and family offer no shortage of opinions. There’s Ray, her “hubstitute” and gay best friend who would be jealous of any kid who got Jane as a mom; Sheila, her sister, who went from zero to sixty when she eloped with Raoul–who had two young twin sons– and has mixed feelings about being a new mommy; her strict, Catholic father who can’ t imagine what level of hell Jane would banish herself to if she becomes a single mother; and the women of Families with Children from China who are preparing to adopt orphan daughters–without a man in sight. Just as she thinks she’s made up her mind, Jane discovers one small wrench in her plans: handsome, charming, funny Peter, who just happens to be (unhappily) married. . . . And Baby Makes Two is a heartbreakingly honest, wonderfully addictive, and funny novel about love and loss, family and friendship. Judy Sheehan, co-creator of the smash hit Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding, has perfectly captured the delights and dilemmas of the scariest job in the world: motherhood.From the Hardcover edition.

    He's set to wrestle and study creative writing at Columbia University in New York. These poems are a look into his early experiences with love and loss, an introspective coming of age tale told in verse.

    Her friends are spiraling, one in particular with dire consequences. If that’s not enough, Tegan’s job is threatened by a conman and a cop trying to recruit Tegan into a leadership role at the university.Whoever said college was the best years of your life never had to come out in a state determined to strip basic human rights from the LGBTQ community.Girl Love Happens: Season Three contains all six episodes of the continuing lesbian romance series infused with 1990s’ nostalgia. If you like tumultuous love stories, simmering chemistry, and a quirky and troubled cast of characters, then you’ll love T.B. Markinson’s smart, sexy series.

    All by women.When you were little, you had a nanny. A nanny only you could see.There are clumps of dark hair in the swimming pool. Curling around your toes, slowly tugging you down."The Love Simulator" shows your perfect life with 'The One'... which turns out to be your worst nightmare.DAUGHTERS OF DARKNESS brings you 46 tales of terror from the depths of the female mind. Pull up a chair and listen to the horrors of murderous femme fatales, fiercely protective mothers, and daughters who realize their childhood isn't quite what it seemed.Hundreds of backers on Kickstarter brought this anthology to life, through a successful campaign that raised several thousand dollars. Our authors have won awards, written bestsellers, and gained international popularity on the 13 million subscriber forum NoSleep.Daughters of Darkness is guaranteed give you nightmares you'll never forget. Read... if you dare!

    In Life of the Party, she weaves together her own coming of age with an investigation into our culture's romanticization of violence against women. In precise, searing language—at times blistering and riotous, at times soulful and exuberant—she explores the boundary between what is real and what is imagined in a life saturated with fear. How does one grow from a girl to a woman in a world wracked by violence? Where is the line between perpetrator and victim? What is the meaning of bravery? Visceral and haunting, this multifaceted collection illustrates that what happens to our bodies makes us who we are.

    After having her confidence unwound by her ex, she falls hard for a true gentleman. But once she realizes that her crush is her communications professor, her world is turned upside down.Haunted by dreams of the alluring Professor Hunter, Penny can't seem to dismiss her fantasies and the temptation to have him grows deeper. Will the excitement, danger, and mystery surrounding Professor Hunter bring her to her knees?ADDICTION (The Hunted Series Book 2)Temptation has quickly turned into addiction. Penny Taylor fell hard for the sexy, mysterious, exciting, and dangerous Professor Hunter. But scandalous affairs are meant to go down in flames. Now that he's not speaking to her, she feels numb. And what hurts the most is that he appears to be completely fine. As she struggles to accept that their relationship is really over, her best friend's crude advice is in the back of her mind- the best way to get over someone is to get under someone else.Will she be able to move on, or is her addiction to her alluring professor only just beginning?JAMES THE GRINCH (Exclusive Short Story)Penny and James are newly engaged. In a new city. With new friends. For Penny, all this change doesn't put a damper on the excitement she's had for Christmas ever since she was a child. And she's thrilled to combine her childhood traditions with James' for their first Christmas together. The only problem is that she's just learned that her new fiancé is a total Grinch.The stockings are hung, the lights are aglow, and the mistletoe is ready for kisses to be stolen beneath it. The only problem is that none of those decorations are in their apartment. For years, James has been celebrating an anti-Christmas with his friends. He's lost the Christmas spirit that he had when he was a child. And he doesn't seem to want to thaw his frozen heart.Penny decides that it's her new mission to make him believe again. And with extra love and a little sprinkle of Christmas magic, it might just be possible.CITY OF SIN (The Hunted Series Book 2.5)Nothing seems to be going Bee's way. She's been knocked down by her ex, her job, and the city in general. Could a blind date really be the start to the much needed change she's been hoping for?When Bee is already running late, a sexy stranger steals her cab. And once she finally arrives at the restaurant and finds out that he's her date, the night takes an unexpected turn. Maybe this sexy stranger is exactly what she's needed this whole time...Except Mason Caldwell is not a good man. A renowned playboy, heir to his family's fortune, and willing to do whatever it takes to make his dreams come true, he's not looking for a change. He's looking for vengeance. And a woman he barely knows is definitely not going to get in his way. But he can't stop thinking about her.Sometimes you don't know what you really want until it's right in front of you.

    A small-town lesbian romance about accepting who you truly are In the small town of Donovan Grove, Anna Gunn’s life is organized just the way she likes it: work from home, walks with her dog, Friday night drinks at the bar.But Anna’s strict routine is challenged when the local bookstore is taken over by city slicker, Zoe Perez.Will Anna let Zoe into her life, despite the major disruption she will have to tolerate?And can Zoe look past Anna’s eccentricity and embrace her unconventional behavior? Find out in this slow-burn lesbian romance that will touch you deeply. This trilogy bundles the novellas Two Hearts Alone, Two Hearts Together & Two Hearts Forever. What readers are saying about the Two Hearts Trilogy: “This book made me forget about everything but the marvellous feeling it left.” “The burn is building and I love that it’s slow!” “Gentle, humorous at times, and very kind.” “Zoe and Anna make me smile.” “Heartfelt romance with a difference.” “Beautifully written and as true to life as you can get.”

    Sterling just happens to be very good at it.Vainglorious vampire Sterling is forced to trade his big city hedonism for a trip to a sleepy mountain town, where mangled dead bodies have been discovered. Soon he’s entangled with snooty vampire nobles, territorial werewolves, and a society of law-enforcing sorcerers.The locals aren’t so bad, like the luscious young lady at the fruit shop, or the hunky electrician whose smile sends out sparks. But they’re distractions from the hunt for the mountain murderer. And then there’s the eerie enigma: why are all these corpses missing their faces?

    No one seems to notice her - not really. Heck, she often doesn’t notice herself, except for her monthly scrutiny in the mirror to check on her body’s steady slide towards middle age.But when her ancient, practical estate car is consigned to the scrap heap, Candice falls in love with a cute, purple convertible, and from that moment on her life begins to take on a whole new meaning. Strangers wave at her and people stop to talk, and suddenly she isn’t invisible any longer.Life seems to be looking up, especially when she meets silver fox and handy-man, Paul. There’s just one fly in the ointment, one thing that has her second-guessing herself.Is it the car that Paul sees - or is it her?

    But the more Jean investigates, the more her life becomes strangely (and not unpleasantly) intertwined with that of the Tilburys: Gretchen is now a friend, and her quirky and charming daughter Margaret a sort of surrogate child. And Jean doesn't mean to fall in love with Gretchen's husband, Howard, but Howard surprises her with his dry wit, his intelligence and his kindness — and when she does fall, she falls hard.But he is married, and to her friend — who is also the subject of the story she is researching for the newspaper, a story that increasingly seems to be causing dark ripples across all their lives. And yet Jean cannot bring herself to discard the chance of finally having a taste of happiness...But there will be a price to pay, and it will be unbearable.

    As warm and intelligent as it is ribald and cunning, this collection of Thom Gunn's is his richest yet.

    On the surface, she is a woman with an enviable life. But since the birth of her second child, Inez has been plagued by a depression that’s been deepened by her husband’s philandering. Now, at forty, the violinist is obsessed with thoughts of suicide. Sylvia Bran, a waitress and music store pianist, also has an obsession. Enraptured by the beautiful violinist, Sylvia contrives a way to get to know Inez. At once seductive and solicitous, Sylvia awakens Inez from the suffocating grip of her career, the demands of motherhood, and the tensions of her unhappy marriage. The two women become lovers, embarking on a dance of passion and betrayal that soon spins out of control.A novel of risk, passion, and surrender, Beautiful Inez is alive with the music that draws Inez and Sylvia together. Set against the vivid backdrop of San Francisco in the early 1960s, it is an unexpected journey into the lives of two masterfully drawn, unforgettable women. Includes a new essay and a Q + A with the author.

    North Morgan's third novel moves beyond the confines of fiction to examine how homosexuality's acceptance into society has created a new breed of demons for a generation of men born as outsiders yet living at the forefront of popular culture. Heartbreaking but never far from humour, Love Notes to Men Who Don't Read confirms Morgan's place as the leading interpreter of gay culture on either side of the Atlantic.

    Eliot Prize 2021.The female body is a political space. C+nto enters the private lives of characters from the butch counterculture, telling the inside story of the protests these women led to reclaim their bodies as their own - for self-expression and against hatred. History, magic, rebellion, party and sermon vibrate through Joelle Taylor's cantos, which celebrate these underground communities throughout the '90s.