How can he carry on without the woman he's loved since they were children themselves?Pearl's comfortable life was turned upside down with the death of her beloved husband. She has three children depending on her and cannot afford the mortgage. Her best friend Mattie shows her the listing in the newspaper: "Looking for a Spinster or Widow of good character who can cook and keep house and be a good mother to the children. Your children would be welcome, too." Have her prayers been answered?

    It’s a good thing she loves her big, imperfectly perfect family, because she’s the one who washes their pants, de-fleas the dog and runs her own business. A hearty meal is the one thing that brings the Carliles together – but over the course of a year, the various courses also pull them apart.Around the table sits an eight-year-old militant feminist, a pair of teenage accidental parents, and a cantankerous OAP. Fern’s husband needs an extra seat for his spectacular midlife crisis.Will Fern’s marriage be over by the time coffee is served? Perhaps she’ll give in and have the hot new dish that looks so tempting. Decisions, decisions . . .

    Pearl Guthrie marries Bill thirty times without consummation. Tragedy is destiny in these lawless territories.

     Eloise is too busy juggling the chaos of three kids, an ever present ex-husband and a demanding boss to even remember the last time dating crossed her mind. But as soft snow falls silently all around, romance twinkles with the flakes. After being single for so long, Eloise suddenly has a lot of choices. Too many choices. Will anyone be worthy of melting the guard around her heart to let love in? A fun-filled, festive read for fans of Christie Barlow, Fiona Gibson and Colleen Coleman

    It's a tumble-down wreck in the middle of nowhere - more in need of a demolition expert than a decorator. Still, Claire's not one to shirk a challenge. Much to the amusement of her hunky new neighbour, Aidan, she decides to renovate the cottage herself. After all, problem-solving, trouble-shooting - it's what Claire does best. She's used to planning events for thousands of people. She can sort out one little cottage ...Can't she?

    Though initially employed as a maid, Mary soon becomes the daughter the couple were never able to have. With Britain at war, unable to remain idle, Mary finds employment in the local steel works but when her fiancé Tom Downing is killed in action Mary is convinced it is retribution for their night of sin during Tom's Christmas leave. However, Mary grows to love Jack Holmes, a local miner. They marry and move into a humble terrace house with little but their love to keep them going. As the years pass Mary is determined to achieve success for herself and her family. She sets up her own dressmaking business and it seems as if she has finally found peace of mind. But the business starts to dominate her life until tragedy once more threatens to destroy all she most cherishes...

    A reasonable scientist is transformed - through the agency of science itself - into the living embodiment of unreason. Like the vampire and the werewolf, the sundered personae of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde have worked their way into our collective unconscious, expressing both our ambivalence with science and our deepest questions about what is knowable in human nature.

    While Matt is planning his lavish wedding to his model fiancée, James has vowed to have nothing to do with women ever again. So, when Great Aunt Milly dies and leaves her one-million pound share portfolio to whichever of the boys first marries and has a child, it's assumed the fortune will go to Matt. But add to the mix a sex-mad German, a gorgeous photographer, a matchmaking mother, and one very pampered pooch, and things don't run quite as smoothly as Matt would like ...

    

     Returning to the village where she grew up, Scarlett starts to put down new roots, working as a teacher at the primary school and throwing herself into rural life. When she’s not sorting out playground wars between competitive parents, making carrot costumes for Harvest Festival, or trying to avoid her mother’s well-intentioned but disastrous attempts at match-making, life is pretty good. All that changes after a series of anonymous phone calls and messages start to arrive, and Scarlett finds her comfortable new life under threat. When her husband, Luke, makes a sudden reappearance in Little Knollside, she hopes she can finally put the past, and the sinister threats she’s been getting, behind her. But when a terrible accident leaves Ava’s life hanging in the balance, and it seems that new boyfriend, Cam, is the only person Scarlett can trust, her past comes back to haunt her in a way she could never have imagined. Formerly published as ‘You, Me And The Class of 2003’ in February 2019.

    

    Ellie and her twin daughters, Marie and Jessica, each have decisions to make as they forge new futures and let go of their past. They all know that the choices they make will impact on the whole family. Set in a beautiful Cotswold town these stories follow three contemporary women as they find their own way in life, maintain family bonds, and come to terms with change, endings and new beginnings. The Vintage Tea Room books contained in this collection: The Vintage Tea Room: end of an era and new beginnings When Ellie decides to sell the tea room she didn’t bank on her twin daughters showing up with ideas of their own. Ellie has been running the tea room for more than twenty years. Her daughters have both left home - Jessica is married and expecting her first child and Marie has built a successful career. She is ready for change and to leave the past behind however, her daughters are not. They still want the security of having their family home as a base to return to and yet seem reluctant to help with the day to day tasks of running the business. To complicate matters further Ellie meets Michael. She was not looking to meet a man but life occasionally throws in a few surprises. Maybe now is the right time to change more than just her work. Set in the beautiful Cotswold town of Cirencester the first book in the Vintage Tea Room series is a story of a mother ready to move on and forge a new future for herself and of her daughters who are not yet ready to let go of their past. If you enjoy reading about contemporary women finding their own way in life you will love this story of a family coming to terms with both endings and beginnings. The Vintage Tea Room 2: room for a small one Jessica is determined to put her stamp on the tea room by baking and offering a range of Artisan breads. She plans to launch the new menu before the arrival of her first baby – in less than one month. Jessica and Edward have recently taken over the tea room. Jessica soon realises that the customers love everything her mum has created – they do not want change - however, she wants to add something of her own. She decides that, despite having limited experience of baking, she is going to make bread. When her initial attempts do not turn out well it looks like she may have to rethink her plans. Even though Jessica has not yet prepared for the arrival of the baby she is convinced she still has plenty of time to get her new venture off the ground. Babies, however, have a habit of foiling even the best laid plans. The second book in the Vintage Tea Room series is a story of a young woman’s determination, with the help and support of her family, to make a success of her new business. The Vintage Tea Room 3: changing times and new opportunities Marie has a decision to make – take the job in Copenhagen and move away from her family or give up on her dream of being at the top of the advertising industry. When Marie arrives back in Cirencester for her mother’s wedding she can’t wait to share the news of her new job with her twin sister, Jessica. To Marie’s surprise Jessica is less than enthusiastic and gives her reason to wonder if now is the right time for such a move. Marie does not want to burden her mum with news of her job or the reason she is having second thoughts. She confides in Adam, the temporary chef at the tea room. Despite being unsympathetic he may have the solution to her problem.

    

    She left Queensbay, determined to leave her past behind. Now, after a mysterious inheritance she's back in town. And she's determined to make a new home for herself. Jake Owen's never forgotten his time with Colleen. It might have been ten years ago, but no one - no woman - has ever quite measured up. But he was - and is - a small town guy. And he wasn't good enough for her then. But can he show her that small town doesn't mean small time? Will he convince her that a small town guy holds the key to her heart - and her happiness? Find out if Jake Owen can win over Colleen McShane in book 6 of Drea Stein's Queensbay series.

    Embarking on a trip to the sunny beaches of Florida to care for her aging and eccentric aunt, Lydia wrestles with her own demons as she tries to build better relationships with her gossiping aunt and her troubled daughter.But when she stumbles upon the handsome and alluring Richard, she’s forced to question everything she knows about love. Richard is perfect in every way… but the thought of abandoning her husband, no matter how chaotic their marriage has become, gives her doubts.Can Lydia make the impossible choice between her shattered past and her hopes for a stable future? And can she find her dream romance on the sunny beaches of Miami?This heartwarming and wholesome romance collection will take you away on a beautiful trip to a beach where true love is possible and anyone can build a new life. With a host of eclectic characters and a gorgeous setting, the Miami Beach Series is one you won’t soon forget. Scroll up and grab your copy today!This is Book 5 of 5 in the series.