UNCOVERED PICKS: Five November Releases

A new month means new books, so here’s a selection of November’s just-published (and upcoming) novels…

A Girl's Best Friend by Lindsey Kelk
After the crazy six months she’s had, if there was a ‘clear history’ button for your life, Tess Brookes would be the first in line to press it.

When the opportunity arises to join her best friend, Amy, in New York for Christmas, Tess jumps at the chance. The only slight hitch is that Nick, the man who broke her heart, lives there. And Charlie, the man she turned down, has just started talking to her again. And she has just four days to take a photo for a competition that could save her career.

But aside from that, everything is going to be great: it’ll be the best Christmas ever. Won’t it?

House of Dreams by Fanny Blake
Only a weekend in Spain - what could possibly go wrong?

At their family hilltop villa, Lucy awaits the arrival of her brother and sister for their mother's annual birthday party. Although this time, their mother won't be there.

Struggling at Malaga airport with her fractious four year old, Jo has already lost her case and is dreading arriving without its precious contents.

For Tom, returning to Casa de Sueños stirs up all sorts of memories - then a beautiful face from his past appears...

My Big Fat Christmas Wedding by Samantha Tonge
Things don’t always run smoothly in the game of love…

Former hot shot city girl Pippa Pattinson loves her new life of rustic simplicity, running a quaint teashop on a sleepy Greek island with her hot fiancé, Niko. But it’s been a quick change to slow living – and you can’t blame a girl for wondering, ‘how did I get here?’

As her Christmas wedding approaches, a trip back to snowy England for her ex’s engagement party makes her wonder if those are wedding bells she’s hearing in her mind, or warning bells. She longs for the excitement of her old London life – the glamour, the regular pedicures. Can she really give that all up to be…a fishwife?

There’s nothing for it but to throw herself into bringing a little Christmas magic to the struggling village in the form of a Christmas fair. Somewhere in amidst the sparkly bauble cakes and stollen scones, she’s hoping she’ll come to the right decision about where she belongs…fingers crossed in time for the wedding…

A Night In With Marilyn Monroe by Lucy Holliday
The hilarious follow-up to A Night in With Audrey Hepburn from you favourite new author. Perfect for fans of Lucy Diamond and Sophie Kinsella.

After dating the hottest man on the planet, Dillon O’Hara, Libby Lomax has come back down to earth with a bump. Now she’s throwing herself into a new relationship and is determined to be a better friend to best pal, Ollie, as he launches his new restaurant.

Despite good intentions, Libby is hugely distracted when a newly reformed Dillon arrives back on the scene, more irresistible than ever. And when another unwelcome guest turns up on her battered sofa in the form of Marilyn Monroe, Libby would willingly bite her own arm off for a return to normality.

The Winter Wedding by Abby Clements
Hazel never set out to be a wedding planner. She was just helping her stressed sister Lila with cakes and décor for her big day. But when Lila and Ollie's summer ceremony is a runaway success, with guests raving about the food and styling at the pretty venue, word about Hazel's expertise soon spreads.  

But Hazel's clients expect the very best - she's promised lawyers Gemma and Eliot a snow-covered castle in the Scottish Highlands, and laidback couple Josh and Sarah a bohemian beach wedding in a Caribbean paradise. But as weather, in-laws and wilful brides conspire against her, can Hazel get two very different couples to walk up two very different aisles to say 'I do'? And will she find her own happy ending if she does?

EVENT: An evening at Orion Books with Cathy Kelly and Fanny Blake

Last week, I was invited to join two fantastic authors – Cathy Kelly and Fanny Blake – at a blogger event in London to celebrate the launch of Cathy's newly-released novel, Between Sisters. With Fanny's latest book, House of Dreams, published on November 5th, it was going to be one exciting evening, so I headed to the capital to join Cathy, Fanny, the lovely ladies from Orion and fellow book bloggers at Orion's fab new offices. (With a gorgeous view!)

After delicious wine and nibbles and gazing at not only the wonderful view but all of the glorious books on show, Cathy and Fanny sat down to talk more about Between Sisters. Granted, not only was it wonderful to meet these ladies - both brilliant authors that I admire - but also, it was intriguing to hear them talk about writing and answer our questions. As a writer too (and let's face it, I'm nosey), it's always interesting to hear how well-known, published authors approach the writing process.

Between Sisters tells the story of two siblings, Cassie and Coco, and their rather different lives. Having found out more about the characters at the event, I'm now extremely excited to read this novel. I was delighted to get a copy of this book (the cover is stunning) along with House of Dreams, and The Christmas We Met by Kate Lord Brown.

Between Sisters by Cathy Kelly
Meet the women of Delaney Square ...

Cassie has spent her married life doing everything right - making sure her children have the perfect life, being a devoted wife and a dutiful daughter-in-law. Although it's left her so exhausted that 'wine o'clock' comes a little earlier each afternoon...

Her sister Coco runs a vintage dress shop and has shied away from commitment over the years. Coco believes men complicate things, and she's got enough to contend with. Until a face from her past returns. Watching over them is grandmother Pearl, tucked away in her little house in Delaney Square. 

But something is keeping her awake at night. Was she right to do what she did all those years ago? 
And then there's Elsa, the polished face of daytime TV, who's battled demons of her own in the past and come out on top. Now Elsa faces one final fight - but it will require more bravery than anything which has come before. 

House of Dreams by Fanny Blake
In the hilltop villa with its spectacular views across rolling countryside to the straits of Gibraltar, Lucy anxiously awaits the arrival of her brother and sister. They're spending the weekend together to say farewell to Casa de Suenos, the house in the mountains of southern Spain where they grew up. 

Her sister, Jo, landing at the airport with her fractious four year old, dreads the prospect of this time with her family, fulfilling their mother's last instructions that they celebrate her birthday party together - only this time their mother won't be there. Tom, their brother, is filled with dread, remembering only the chaos of his bohemian upbringing and wanting nothing more than for their stay to go without a hitch. 

Then a beautiful face from his past appears at the villa...

Over one long, hot week weekend, past secrets will spill out, making the siblings question themselves, the choices they've made and where their future lies in this gorgeous new novel from Fanny Blake.