Recommendations based on "Then and Always"

‘Feisty and fabulous. Love it. Love Tracy Bloom!’ Milly Johnson‘Pure Joy!’ Katie Fforde‘Love this – just the pick me up I needed!’ Jo Thomas'Guaranteed to put a smile on your face.' Debbie Johnson‘It's laugh out loud!’ Adele ParksCathy Collins is a mum on a mission – to change her life.When her husband drops a midlife-crisis bombshell,Cathy decides it’s time to take control.No more laundry, teenage tantrums or housework.After years of putting herself last, she’s going to be first for a change.Cathy Collins is carving a new path, and nothing is going to get in her way…From No.1 bestselling author Tracy Bloom, The Wife Who Got a Lifeperfectly captures the joyous chaos of family life.Readers love The Wife Who Got a Life!‘This is the literary equivalent of meeting your closest girlfriends for a coffee and a gossip… So, so, so funny, I genuinely laughed out loud for the majority of this blooming marvellous, inspirational diary’, Amazon reviewer, 5 stars‘I absolutely loved this book. No doubt about it… at least a 6 out of 5!’ Amazon reviewer, 5 stars‘Peppered with fantastically humorous episodes, as well as much more serious issues, The Wife Who Got a Life is a brilliant read, and the cast of characters are a joy too’ Amazon reviewer, 5 stars‘It wasn’t long before I was so engrossed in it that I couldn’t put it down… I loved this book’ Amazon reviewer, 5 stars‘This book is funny, totally relatable and made me laugh out loud, shed a tear in parts as well as the “yes I can identify with that” moments.’ Amazon reviewer, 5 stars‘A five star read that I absolutely loved.’‘Tracy Bloom has the lightest of touches with the deepest of understanding.’ Amazon reviewer, 5 stars‘Where has [Tracy Bloom] been all my life, another author to add to my growing list of authors to keep an eye out for.’ Amazon reviewer, 5 stars‘I really loved this book, so funny and life affirming.’ Amazon reviewer, 5 stars‘Very funny, with a few tears, thoroughly recommended.’ Amazon reviewer, 5 stars‘Hilarious, touching and really laugh out loud!!’ Amazon reviewer, 5 stars‘A fab read which you don't want to put down.’ Amazon reviewer, 5 stars‘Just like catching up with a good friend that you want to catch up with.’ Amazon reviewer, 5 stars‘What a fantastic story! I absolutely loved the characters but especially Cathy – I empathised and rooted for her all through the book.’ Amazon reviewer, 5 stars‘What is utterly brilliant about this book is that the story is real… the things that happen are the things that happen to all of us. Like arguing with siblings (in your head) and facing the reality of ageing parents.’ Amazon reviewer, 5 stars‘Great story not least because it made me realize I’m not alone.’ Amazon reviewer, 5 stars

An unmissable novel of love, disaster, heartbreak, and unexpected happy endings, by the bestselling British author of Maybe One Day. “When I was twenty-six years old my world was literally turned upside down and inside out, like a coat pocket being excavated for loose change. It was terrible, and frightening, and it taught me a lot of things I never wanted to know.” Elena Godwin has scrimped and saved for a relaxing dream holiday in Mexico with her handsome but laddish boyfriend Harry. Life has felt a bit less exciting than she’d imagined her twenties would be, and she's hoping the trip will add some sizzle. But on a gorgeous summer evening an earthquake strikes—shattering their peaceful vacation. The trauma changes Elena’s life forever. Ten years later, Elena still can't forget the face of the stranger she met that night—the man who may have saved her life. When they’re suddenly and unexpectedly thrown back together again, Elena starts to uncover the truth around that fateful night, and question whether she should have lived her life differently in the years afterwards. What if it’s not too late?

Shortlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction!"Brilliantly faceted and extremely funny. . . . While I was reading it, I was making a list of all the people I wanted to send it to, until I realized that I wanted to send it to everyone I know." — Ann PatchettThe internationally bestselling sensation, a compulsively readable novel—spiky, sharp, intriguingly dark, and tender—that Emma Straub has named one of her favorite books of the yearMartha Friel just turned forty. Once, she worked at Vogue and planned to write a novel. Now, she creates internet content. She used to live in a pied-à-terre in Paris. Now she lives in a gated community in Oxford, the only person she knows without a PhD, a baby or both, in a house she hates but cannot bear to leave. But she must leave, now that her husband Patrick—the kind who cooks, throws her birthday parties, who loves her and has only ever wanted her to be happy—has just moved out.Because there’s something wrong with Martha, and has been for a long time. When she was seventeen, a little bomb went off in her brain and she was never the same. But countless doctors, endless therapy, every kind of drug later, she still doesn’t know what’s wrong, why she spends days unable to get out of bed or alienates both strangers and her loved ones with casually cruel remarks.And she has nowhere to go except her childhood home: a bohemian (dilapidated) townhouse in a romantic (rundown) part of London—to live with her mother, a minorly important sculptor (and major drinker) and her father, a famous poet (though unpublished) and try to survive without the devoted, potty-mouthed sister who made all the chaos bearable back then, and is now too busy or too fed up to deal with her.But maybe, by starting over, Martha will get to write a better ending for herself—and she’ll find out that she’s not quite finished after all.

Meredith Maggs hasn't left her house in 1,214 days. But she insists she isn't alone.She has her cat, Fred. Her friend Sadie visits when she can. There's her online support group, StrengthInNumbers. She has her jigsaws, favourite recipes, her beloved Emily Dickinson, the internet, the Tesco delivery man and her treacherous memories for company.But something's about to change.First, new friends Tom and Celeste burst into her life, followed by an estranged sister she hasn't spoken to in years, and suddenly her carefully curated home is no longer a safe place to hide.Whether Meredith likes it or not, the world is coming to her door...

Clover Brooks has forgotten how to live. It might be because she spends her time caring for people in their final days, working as a death doula in New York City.Or it might be because she has a regret of her own - one she can't bring herself to let go of.But then she meets Claudia: a feisty old woman who has one last wish . . .As Clover begins a new adventure, will she remember how to live her own big, beautiful life?A big-hearted story about figuring out what you want from life - and then finding the courage to go after it. Perfect for fans of Sally Page, Ruth Hogan and Clare Pooley.-----Readers are loving The Collected Regrets of Clover ... 'A beautiful, uplifting novel about unexpected friendship, a decades-old love story, and finding the courage to live your best life' LUCY DIAMOND'I fell in love with Clover, longed for her world to open up and cheered when she finally realised that comfort zones are designed to be stepped out of' JILL MANSELL'Charming, delightful and quietly powerful . . . this will warm your heart and change your life' VERONICA HENRY'Beautiful, poignant and the literary antidote to when life feels a little stationary' JESSICA GEORGE'A tender, charming delight, perfect for anyone who loved The Authenticity Project or Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine' KJ DELL'ANTONIA'This book will be one that I remember for a long time' RUTH HOGAN'Warm, profound, and expertly told, The Collected Regrets of Clover explores how befriending death can help enrich our lives. This is one of those special books that will leave a handprint on your heart' EMMA BRODIE'Heartfelt and delightful . . . You will turn the last page with a fresh zest for life and absolutely no regrets' ANNABEL MONAGHAN'An evocative, bustling setting, an intriguing cast of characters and a brave, caring heroine make this a book to read and read again' CELIA ANDERSON'Poignant and big-hearted, [this] is the kind of book that reminds you how to live, and is one to usher into the hands of everyone you know' i News

A kid walks into your bookstore and… Guess what? He’s your son. The one you put up for adoption eighteen years ago. The one you never told anyone about. Surprise!   And a huge surprise it is.   It’s a huge surprise to his adoptive mother, Monica, who thought she had a close relationship with Matthew, her nearly adult son. But apparently, he felt the need to secretly arrange a vacation to Cape Cod for the summer so he could meet his birth mother…without a word to either her or his dad.   It’s also a surprise— to say the least—to Harlow, the woman who secretly placed her baby for adoption so many years ago. She’s spent the years since then building a quiet life. She runs a bookstore with her grandfather, hangs out with her four younger siblings and is more or less happily single, though she can’t help gravitating toward Grady Byrne, her old friend from high school. He’s moved back to town, four-year-old daughter in tow, no wife in the picture. But she’s always figured her life had to be child-free, so that complicates things.   When Matthew walks into Harlow’s store, she faints. Monica panics. And all their assumptions—about what being a parent really means—explode. This summer will be full of more surprises as both their families are redefined…and as both women learn that for them, there’s no limit to a mother’s love.

‘Be whisked away in this sunny, heartwarming read’ Woman’s Own ‘I adored it’ Milly Johnson ‘Enchanting and wonderfully romantic’ Cathy Bramley ‘I adored it. The perfect summer read!’ Lesley Pearse Grace Quinn loves her job at Cohen’s Convenient Storage Company, finding occasional treasure in the forgotten units that customers have abandoned. Her inquisitive nature is piqued when a valuable art collection and a bundle of letters and diaries are found that date back to the 1930s. Delving deeper, Grace uncovers the story of a young English woman, Connie Levine, who follows her heart to Italy at the end of the Second World war. The contents also offer up the hope of a new beginning for Grace, battling a broken heart and caring for her controlling mother. Embarking on her own voyage of discovery, Grace’s search takes her to a powder pink villa on the cliff tops overlooking the Italian Riviera, but will she unravel the family secrets and betrayals that Connie tried so hard to overcome, and find love for herself?

Can they open their hearts to new beginnings? Summer in Cornwall is the perfect time for a fresh start... Seven years ago, Marina Hudson’s husband was lost at sea. She vowed to love him forever – but when kind-hearted Lachlan arrives in Porthmellow, should she deny herself another chance at happiness? Tiff Trescott was living life to the full as a journalist in London – until her boyfriend’s betrayal brought it all crashing down. Fleeing to her cousin Marina’s cottage, Tiff feels like a fish out of water. And when brooding local Dirk wins a day with her in a charity auction, she’s thrown headfirst into Cornish life. This summer promises new beginnings for both Tiff and Marina. But are they too good to be true? Escape to Cornwall with this emotional, uplifting read from the bestselling author, perfect for fans of Sarah Morgan, Sue Moorcroft and Heidi Swain. **Originally published in 2020** Authors LOVE A Perfect Cornish Escape! ‘Wonderful. A love story with a mystery at its heart, it will make you laugh, cry and yearn for Cornwall. I loved it!’ Miranda Dickinson ‘A slice of Cornish sunshine. Gorgeously romantic, with plenty of twists to keep me turning the pages. Absolutely loved it’ Holly Martin ‘Escapist and uplifting’ Woman & Home

Pre-order this spellbinding time-slip romance, perfect for fans of Taylor Jenkins Reid and Paige Toon. *** Can they find each other in every lifetime after...? Claudia is searching for her past. Suffocating in the glamour of Hollywood, A-list star Claudia Baxter is desperate for an escape. But when she arrives at the Yorkshire estate of Doverley for her next project - an epic romance set in the throes of war - Claudia is astonished to find herself slipping into the story, into the life of her heroine, into time... Iris can't unsee her future. Radio operative Iris Winterton sits in the grounds of Doverley on a moonless night, watching planes depart for Europe. Her stare is fixed on one plane in particular - inside is the man she has loved since childhood. But Iris already knows that this time he's not going to come back, and she will be the reason why. Together, can they complete their story? Pulled together by the past and the future, Claudia and Iris begin to unravel the threads of their connection. But in doing so, will they discover a secret bigger than they could ever imagine...? Readers are falling for Every Lifetime After: 'Beautiful and unique ... it drew me right in' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

What would you do with a second chance at life? Sarah Talbot thought she’d never see another birthday. But against all odds, she beat the illness that could have killed her, reopened her bedding shop, Cloud Nine, and vowed to make the most of a fresh start that few are given. With Thanksgiving approaching, Sarah charters a small plane to take her to Elk Island, a remote spot off the rugged Maine coast where she spent some of her happiest days and where she hopes to reunite with the two most important people in her life. She arrives on the island with pilot Will Burke, a kindred spirit with whom Sarah forges a bond that will give them the courage to confront the past and have faith in the future…no matter how uncertain. Once Sarah thought happy endings occurred only in books; now she believes they can happen for anyone. And as she and Will grow closer, and something unexpectedly real blossoms between them, she has him believing it, too. But is believing it enough? Is even love enough? Can real life be lived on cloud nine? In this stunning novel, New York Times bestselling author Luanne Rice tells a story you will cherish, peopled with indelible characters whose challenges are your own.