Toni was incredibly flattered when distinguished, razor-shrp surgeon Theodore French showed more than a professional interest in her. But after several years of marriage, she realises that his cold disciplinarian stance is more than skin deep.
Dana De Lacey, bestselling romance novelist, has the world at her feet. The words on the page flow easily and a new book deal beckons. But Dana's self-confidence and success depend on one person: her gorgeous husband, Gus. When Gus leaves her, she is devastated. The words fail to come. The alcohol flows too freely. She cannot sleep. When her estranged brother, Ed, arrives out of the blue, memories which she had buried begin to surface, which inspire Dana at last to write from the heart. Which Dana was it that Gus walked out on - the glamorous party girl, whose romantic novels always have a happy ending? Or someone with a different name, whose life tells a very different story?
Following the premature death of her parents, 19-year-old Dee Hewson puts her college plans on hold to go travelling with her boyfriend, Neil. All goes well until they reach Las Vegas, where Neil develops a dangerous addiction to gambling. After two years of their rootless, nomadic existence, Dee awakes to find Neil gone, along with her credit cards, the diamond ring he'd bought her in San Francisco and her father's watch. Devastated, Dee returns to the family home in Dublin to pick up the pieces of her old life. Still in shock at what happened, the discovery that she's also pregnant is the icing on the cake. But baby Sam turns out to be the one positive thing to come out of Dee's relationship with Neil. After trying and failing at a number of part-time jobs, Dee discovers a talent for cooking and eventually sets up her own catering business, finally daring to find love again with the steadfast Conor Fitzgerald. But the publicity generated by her success has an unwelcome side-effect: the return of the feckless Neil. Amazed and delighted to discover he's a father, Neil wants to be a part of Sam's life. Dee feels she has no choice but to agree. Surely having his dad in his life can only be a good thing for Sam. Or can it?
When it happens his is not the only life shaken up. Pamela, his ambitious wife, had her life all mapped out but its thrown into chaos when her husbands illness stirs things up and lead him to question his life and their future. Gina Barrett finally gets the promotion she’s dreamed about. Life would be perfect if only she could find a man who understood the meaning of the word ‘commitment’. Susie Clarke can’t believe it when she lands the perfect job – its just unfortunate that she’s also nineteen and pregnant and the father is just a distant memory. Shaken & Stirred – can their lives ever settle again?
Marianne has worked hard to get where she is today. Brought up in care, she's always been determined to make sure her children have what she so badly craved: a secure and loving home. But then comes the phone call that will change everything: her husband, Dominic, has been found dead. But as Marianne listens to the news, she realises that not everything adds up: Dom had said he was at work, and yet he died at a restaurant. And what's more, his mobile phone has disappeared. As she and the police delve deeper into the circumstances surrounding Dominic's death, they discover a web of lies which conceal a shady double life. And those lies now threaten to tear apart everything that Marianne has worked so hard for. Now, as Marianne stares down at her husband's coffin, little does she realise that the worst is yet to come...
Recently married to Dermot and tipped as Ireland's hottest new designer, Celine Moore is relaxed, happy and looking forward to an exciting future. Why then just five years later, is she barely able to hold her head up high in her local Dublin neighbourhood, at odds with her father and sister-in-law and accepting a job in a second hand clothes shop? Celine's life changed the night Dermot failed to return from work. The shock of Dermot's violent end destroys all her happiness and ambition. Aching loneliness and anger take their place, and without thinking through the consequences, Celine embarks on an affair with a married man. Desperate to put some distance between herself and the local gossips, a new start in a new place and a new job seems like the perfect opportunity to start again. But it's not long before she realizes that however much you try to run away, your past has a habit of catching up with you dramatically in the end...
An irresistible collection of short stories, some hilarious, some heartbreaking, from the most popular contemporary Irish women writers. Poignant, hilarious, heartwarming in turn, this anthology includes never-before-published short stories by some of the best-known and best-loved Irish writers, including Maeve Binchy, Marian Keyes, Cathy Kelly, Julie Parsons, Deirdre Purcell, Joan O'Neill, Morag Prunty, Colette Caddle and many more. It also includes stories by up-and-coming Irish stars like Annie Sparrow, Catherine Barry and Marisa Mackle. While some stories will have you laughing out loud, others will have you reaching for your hanky: but they all display their own peculiar brand of Irish charm. And it's all in a very good cause: 1 pound from every copy sold will go to Barnardo's children's charity, and the Irish charity, The Society of St Vincent de Paul, which aims to alleviate poverty throughout the world.
When the opportunity arises to buy her boss out Stephanie jumps at it. So when her boyfriend lands a job in Arizona, and wants her to go with him, she is clear about where her loyalties lie. But ghosts from the past have influenced her decision.
A heartwarming and beautifully written novel about lost love from a bestselling Irish author.
