Growing up, we all fantasise about meeting our hero or heroine and living happily ever after. Falling in love is easy – isn’t it?
Well, yes. Falling in love is easy. For some it’s immediate, for others it’s a slow but enjoyable burn. We’re blissfully happy in our new relationship. This is THE ONE. After all, every joke we tell is hilarious, every meal we share is delicious and every moment together is incredible. Surely we can now settle back and enjoy the happily ever after?
Reality has different ideas. Every love story is interrupted, and although it’s painful to experience it, when reading romantic fiction it’s necessary. What a boring book it would be if we read about the perfect relationship. No arguments. No disappointment. No imperfections. It's normal for things to go wrong sometimes and when we're reading we want a storyline to be realistic. Our protagonist needs to grow and overcome obstacles standing in her/his way of happiness. Perhaps their love is unrequited. Maybe they’ve been betrayed. At some time in a love story, a couple will be challenged.
I’ve borrowed my theme from Shakespeare for my #ChocLitFestival contribution. In A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Lysander reminds Hermia that, “The course of true love never did run smooth.”
My three books include secrets, lies, love and goodbyes – and despite these unwanted hurdles, I believe love is worth fighting for.
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One woman’s struggle to fight back against the enemy in order to protect the ones she loves.
When Arlette Blaise sees a German plane fly over the family farm in 1940, she’s comforted by the fact that the occupying forces are far away in the north of the country. Surely the war will not reach her family in the idyllic French countryside near to the small town of Oradour-sur-Glane?
But then Saul Epstein, a young Jewish man driven from his home by the Nazis, arrives at the farm and Arlette begins to realise that her peaceful existence might be gone for good …“
"A truly fantastic read, this has it all - romance, tragedy, historical authenticity and beautiful writing. Arlette’s Story must be read as it was quite literally ‘unputdownable!’”
When you open up your home and your heart …
Rowan Forrester has it all – the happy marriage, the adorable dog, the good friends, the promising business and even the dream home after she and her husband Tom win a stunning but slightly dilapidated Georgian townhouse in Clapham at auction.
But in the blink of an eye, Rowan’s picture-perfect life comes crashing down around her and she is faced with the prospect of having to start again.
To make ends meet she begins a search for housemates, and in doing so opens the door to new friends and new beginnings. But could she be opening the door to new heartbreak too?
“This book is outstanding. I finished it in 24hours, and was totally gripped by it. There were many threads to this story, but they all intertwined and co-existed beautifully.”
Three isn’t always a magic number…
There are three reasons Tess Fenton should be happy. One, her job at the Blue Olive deli might be dull, but at least she gets to work with her best friend. Two, she lives in a cosy cottage in the pretty village of Halston. Three, she’s in love with her boyfriend, Blake.
Isn’t she?
Because, despite their history, Blake continues to be the puzzle piece in Tess’s life that doesn’t quite fit. And when she meets intriguing local artist Daniel Cavanagh, it soon becomes apparent that, for Tess, love isn’t as easy as one, two, three …
"I devoured this book in one sitting and found it impossible to put down."