UNCOVERED INTERVIEWS: Sherill Turner

Sherill Turner is a New York-based actress and author who has just released her debut novel Him Downstairs - a romantic comedy in which Lucy has to get over boyfriend Tom - but it's not easy when he lives in the flat below! Sherill joins us this week for the Q&A, to tell us more about the novel, her writing life and projects.

Tell us about your latest novel in 15 words or less.
Him Downstairs is about the hilarity and heartbreak of navigating modern-day life and love.

What inspired you to write Him Downstairs?
Some hilariously disastrous dates! I also wanted to explore how dating in our 30s is different these days. So many people are separated or divorced now, have children to consider, are balancing one or two mortgages – there are so many other factors that contribute to if a relationship works.

Where do you do most of your writing?
Coffee shops are great (especially if there’s cake!). Libraries are my favourite. I moved to New York last year and am obsessed with the gorgeous Stephen A. Schwarzman library. I always say this, but the reading rooms are like a Harry Potter set!

What is your favourite book?
To Kill a Mockingbird. I read it in school and although I’d always loved reading as a child, this was the first book that made me realize how a story can take you to a totally different place, but you still recognize yourself in the people there.

Which part of Him Downstairs did you enjoy writing the most?
I think the Singles Night episode. I had so much fun with Lucy’s friendship with Caz and Becs and taking them on a girls’ night out was a blast to write! Plus, I did actually go on this "interesting" dating experience!

Who is your favourite literary heroine?
Oh, do I have to pick just one? Moll Flanders – what a resourceful woman and a riot to read! Elizabeth Bennet, of course! She’s so fabulous and flawed, which makes her more relatable.

Do you have any tips for readers who are looking to become published writers?
Him Downstairs is my first novel and I deliberated for a long time before self-publishing it. I’m glad I waited because I got to keep making it better. Am also glad to have published the eBook version myself, it’s very empowering. We need stories that are entertaining, that are relatable and inspiring more than ever, so whether you go the traditional publishing route or self-publish, your work has value.

Are you working on anything else at the moment and if so, can you tell us?
I’ve just written a couple of comedy sketches for a friend who is putting together a TV anthology show.  I'm in the editing process for a short film. It’s a comedy that I co-wrote and produced with a partner in the U.K. and is my film directing debut. Am also narrating the audiobook of Him Downstairs and wondering why on earth I made one of the characters Welsh! It’s a wonderfully creative and busy time and I'm consuming a lot of tea and cake!

Thanks, Sherill!

You can find out more about Sherill Turner and her books at her website, or by following her on Twitter.

Him Downstairs by Sherill Turner

How do you get over someone who lives under you?

Life for Lucy Jenkins is going OK … ish. Yes, she’s thirty-three, single, and has had to work as a waitress and children’s party entertainer since her social worker salary suffered from budget cuts, but she stays positive and manages to pay the mortgage on her flat. Her home is her sanctuary – until Tom moves in downstairs. Lucy and Tom quickly fall in love and into a serious relationship, which is complicated by Tom’s recent separation from his wife, who he has two young sons with.

Lucy is heartbroken when Tom breaks up with her, saying that something has to give in his busy life. Encouraged/coerced/badgered by her friends into getting ‘back on that horse’, Lucy finds herself at a tacky Singles Night; dating Danny, a Justin Timberlake impersonator; and attempting a rendezvous with her ‘special friend’. Lucy’s quest to move on from Tom would be a whole lot easier if she didn’t have to hear everything he does.

After all, how on earth do you get over someone when you can hear them peeing?

BOOK NEWS: Take part in the virtual launch for Bridges by Maria Murnane

Bridges by Maria Murnane - the bestselling author of the Waverly Bryson series - is out next month, and fans are celebrating with a virtual launch! Join in with the launch on May 15 here.

Bridges: A Daphne White Novel

It’s a piece of news Daphne never expected to hear: Her globe-trotting friend Skylar, who vowed never to get married, is engaged! Time to celebrate in Manhattan—Skylar’s treat, of course. After years scaling the corporate ladder, she can more than afford it. 

Daphne arrives in NYC with news of her own—the novel she’s finally finished appears to be going nowhere but the trash bin of every publishing house around. She’s devastated but plans to keep her disappointment under wraps, something that becomes trickier when she sees Skylar’s spectacular apartment. Could her life have been like this if she’d chosen a different path? 

What Daphne doesn’t know is she’s not the only one with a secret. Skylar and their friend KC are also holding something back, but what? As the trip unfolds, the truth about each woman emerges, along with tears. 

And laughter. And love. 

The fun-loving trio readers fell for in Wait for the Rain is together once more. Here's to the power of friendship!

COMING SOON: Flora's War by Audrey Reimann

Flora's War by historical fiction author Audrey Reimann is due for release on May 18th. In the novel, orphan Flora heads to the wealthy family of the sailor she loves to find help for her and her baby...

Dare she risk her reputation?

When the orphaned Flora MacDonald escapes from a harsh reform school she falls - literally - into the arms of Andrew Stewart, a handsome sailor on shore leave. But their blossoming love is interrupted by the outbreak of the Second World War.

With Andrew away fighting, Flora finds herself in an impossible situation: alone and pregnant. Out of desperation, she travels to Andrew's country estate, but she doesn't know how kindly his well-to-do family will welcome her in. Will she find a home where she can raise a child?

UNCOVERED PICKS: Five new releases for May!

It's the start of a new month which, of course, means some fab new books! This month sees the release of new novels from Sian O'Gorman, Sue Watson and more, and so as the monthly tradition goes, here's the Uncovered selection of five!

Always and Forever by Sian O'Gorman
How can you find yourself again, when you can't face what you've lost?

Joanna Woulfe is looking to get her life back on track after her husband John leaves their family home. Once a high-flying PR Director, Jo now looks after her son Harry and seeks support only from her mother Marietta and her best friend Nicole. But Nicole's own marriage is facing its greatest ever crisis, and Marietta, too, is distracted by the reappearance of an old flame, ex-Showband-singer and lothario Patrick Realta.

Soon Jo enrols with a colourful local amateur dramatics group and begins a flirtation with the handsome young Ronan Forest. But is she really ready to move on from her old life – and from her years of marriage to John? And what was it that happened three years ago that sent the couple into free-fall?

Before long Jo will realise that is only by looking back that she will ever truly be able to move forward...

The Other Us by Fiona Harper
If you could turn back time, would you choose a different life?

Forty-something Maggie is facing some hard truths. Her only child has flown the nest for university and, without her daughter in the house, she’s realising her life, and her marriage to Dan, is more than a little stale.

When she spots an announcement on Facebook about a uni reunion, she can’t help wondering what happened to Jude Hanson. The same night Dan proposed, Jude asked Maggie to run away with him, and she starts to wonder how different her life might have been if she’d broken Dan’s heart and taken Jude up on his offer.

Wondering turns into fantasising, and then one morning fantasising turns into reality. Maggie wakes up and discovers she’s back in 1992 and twenty-one again. Is she brave enough to choose the future she really wants, and if she is, will the grass be any greener on the other side of the fence?

Two men. Two very different possible futures. But is there only once chance at happiness?

The Garden of Small Beginnings by Abbi Waxman
One moment Lili is arguing with Dan, her husband, the next he is killed in a terrible car accident right outside their family home.

Three years later and Lili has managed to resume her day-to-day life as a mother of two girls and a successful textbook illustrator. But despite her outward appearance, she feels an aching loss. 

However, when she is commissioned to illustrate a series of horticultural books, Lili is forced to take gardening class and the wilted roots of her life finally start to blossom. The class provides Lili with a new network of friends - friends with their own heartaches and problems - and, maybe, another chance at love...

Just for the Holidays by Sue Moorcroft
In theory, nothing could be better than a summer spent basking in the French sun. That is, until you add in three teenagers, two love interests, one divorcing couple, and a very unexpected pregnancy.

Admittedly, this isn’t exactly the relaxing holiday Leah Beaumont was hoping for – but it’s the one she’s got. With her sister Michele’s family falling apart at the seams, it’s up to Leah to pick up the pieces and try to hold them all together.

But with a handsome helicopter pilot staying next door, Leah can’t help but think she might have a few distractions of her own to deal with...

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
Eleanor Oliphant leads a simple life. She wears the same clothes to work every day, eats the same meal deal for lunch every day and buys the same two bottles of vodka to drink every weekend.

Eleanor Oliphant is happy. Nothing is missing from her carefully timetabled life. Except, sometimes, everything.

One simple act of kindness is about to shatter the walls Eleanor has built around herself. Now she must learn how to navigate the world that everyone else seems to take for granted – while searching for the courage to face the dark corners she’s avoided all her life.

Change can be good. Change can be bad. But surely any change is better than… fine?

UNCOVERED INTERVIEWS: Lilac Mills

Happy Friday all! Today, the lovely Lilac Mills is kicking off the weekend with an interview. Her new novel, Under the Cherry Tree, will be released next month and is a feel-good romance about dog groomer Jenni (and her loyal friend...)

Tell us about your latest novel in 15 words or less.
Under the Cherry Tree is a tale of love and hope, waggy tails, and cold noses.

What inspired you to write Under the Cherry Tree?
My gorgeous little Westie died last year, and I felt I wanted more than a grave to remember her by. This seemed such a fitting tribute, and many of the characteristics of Millie in the book came from my own little dog.

Where do you do most of your writing?
Anywhere I can! Whenever I've got a spare five minutes, no matter where I am, I'll write. I always carry a writing pad and a pen with me.

What is your favourite book?
Wuthering Heights - it's so dark and twisted, and a far cry from the chick lit I tend to read now. I read it when I was a teenager, and it's stuck with me ever since.

What part of Under the Cherry Tree did you enjoy writing the most?
Spoiler alert here! Millie's death scene. It actually made me cry when I was writing it, and each time I revisit it, I cry again.

Who is your favourite literary heroine?
Georgina from the Famous Five books. I first read a Famous Five story when I was 11 and I really wanted to be her. She was sassy, tomboyish and not a typical girl. She made me realise that females don't have to be stereotypical, as they were often portrayed in those days.

Do you have any tips for readers who are looking to become published writers?
First you've got to write and keep writing until you finish your manuscript, and that's easier said than done. It takes determination and perseverance to write a novel. So basically, what I'm saying is, don't give up. If you want it badly enough you'll find a way to complete it and get it out there.

Are you working on anything else at the moment and if so, can you tell us?
I've started on a new novel (which I hope to be out by the end of the summer), called Elephant and Pinky Moon. It's about a young woman who is older than her years, and her grandmother, who most assuredly isn't!

Thanks, Lilac!

You can find out more about Lilac Mills by visiting her website, Twitter and Facebook.

Under the Cherry Tree by Lilac Mills

My dog didn't like men. Actually that was a lie – she didn't like the men I chose. The only ones who rocked her world had been my father (who was no longer with us), Ross (who was gay), and the butcher on the high street (for obvious reasons).” 

When Jenni Meadows has the opportunity to expand her dog-grooming business she takes it, and when a nice man appears on her horizon but fails to make any sparks fly, she decides she has enough on her plate with her business without adding a boyfriend into the mix.

Besides, Millie doesn’t like him and when her dog doesn’t like a man, Jenni knows all about it. So why does Millie take a very strange liking to the new vet, especially since he has a taciturn expression, wears a wedding ring, and wields a needle?

Under the Cherry Tree is a tale of love and hope, waggy tails, and cold noses.

BOOK NEWS: Crimes Against a Book Club by Kathy Cooperman

Here's a debut novel I'm super excited about! Crimes Against a Book Club by Kathy Cooperman is out in May. In it, two successful yet struggling best friends hatch a plot to scam the wealthy women of their book club...

Best friends Annie and Sarah need cash—fast. Sarah, a beautiful, successful lawyer, wants nothing more than to have a baby. But balancing IVF treatments with a grueling eighty-hour workweek is no walk in the park. Meanwhile, Annie, a Harvard-grad chemist recently transplanted to Southern California, is cutting coupons to afford her young autistic son’s expensive therapy.

Desperate, the two friends come up with a brilliant plan: they’ll combine Sarah’s looks and Annie’s brains to sell a “luxury” antiaging face cream to the wealthy, fading beauties in Annie’s La Jolla book club. The scheme seems innocent enough, until Annie decides to add a special—and oh-so-illegal—ingredient that could bring their whole operation crashing to the ground.

Hilarious, intelligent, and warm, Crimes Against a Book Club is a delightful look at the lengths women will go to fend for their families and for one another.

NEW RELEASES: The Island Escape by Kerry Fisher

New novel The Island Escape, in which one woman is about to change her life due to her best friend's divorce, is released on May 21st. The summery read, by Kerry Fisher (author of After the Lie and The School Gate Survival Guide) is perfect for fans of Veronica Henry and Erica James.

Octavia Shelton thought she’d have a different life. One where she travelled the world with an exotic husband and free-spirited children in tow.

Instead she’s married to safe, reliable Jonathan, and her life now consists of packed lunches, school runs and mountains of dirty washing. She’s not unhappy. It’s just that she can barely recognise herself.

So as Octavia watches her best friend’s marriage break up, it gets her thinking. What if life could be different? What if she could escape and rediscover the person she used to be? Escape back to the island she visited years ago? And what if the man she used to love was there waiting for her?

NEW RELEASES: The Girls by Lisa Jewell

The Girls is the new novel from bestselling author Lisa Jewell (Before I Met You, After The Party). Published last year, the novel is now available in paperback. It’s a gripping story set in London which asks the question, just who can you trust?

Dark secrets, a devastating mystery and the games people play: the gripping new novel from the best-selling author of The House We Grew Up In and The Third Wife. You live on a picturesque communal garden square, an oasis in urban London where your children run free, in and out of other people's houses. You've known your neighbours for years and you trust them. Implicitly. You think your children are safe. But are they really? Midsummer night: a thirteen-year-old girl is found unconscious in a dark corner of the garden square. What really happened to her? And who is responsible? Utterly believable characters, a gripping story and a dark secret buried at its core: this is Lisa Jewell at her heart-stopping best.

NEW RELEASE: Mothers and Daughters by Minna Howard

Mothers and Daughters by Minna Howard is one of the exciting new releases from Aria. It follows newly-widowed Alice, who has to navigate a life full of new changes, and some secrets, too.

Alice finds herself suddenly widowed in her early forties, leaving her with an empty house and a lonely heart. 

Laura and Evie, her twenty-something daughters announce their separate and unexpected news, which ploughs Alice straight out of grieving and into the prospect planning a wedding and becoming a reluctant – yet glamorous – granny, to not one, but three grandchildren.

Frank, an old family friend returns to give his godchild Laura away at her wedding. 

A whole host of secrets unfold that rock the family's foundations and set Alice free to finally begin a new, exciting chapter of her life with no regrets. 

NEW RELEASES: The Nearness of You by Sareeta Domingo

The Nearness of You by Sareeta Domingo is released today (review coming soon!) What would you do if the person you love was in love with your best friend?

Falling in love isn't a choice.

Since the moment they met, Ryan and Taylor have shared an unspoken bond. Taylor's drawn to Ryan more strongly than she thought possible and for some reason only he seems able to lift her out of the darkness in her past. 

But Ryan is with Marcy - her best friend. 

Marcy stood by Taylor when everything else had fallen apart, and Taylor refuses to risk their friendship now. Somehow she needs to resist what she's feeling. Yet, when Marcy leaves for a few weeks just as Ryan moves in to their shared flat, the tension grows to unbearable proportions. As the line between right and wrong becomes blurred, Taylor will have to decide whether she can - or should - turn away from what might be the love of her life.

Evocative, moving and heartrendingly romantic, this is a story about real life, true love and the power of friendship.

COMING SOON: Danger, Sweetheart by MaryJanice Davidson

Having been a fan of MaryJanice Davidson's books for quite some time (I was hooked on her Undead series a few years back!), it was great to hear the news of her upcoming novel, Danger, Sweetheart. MaryJanice is back with a romantic tale about a rich party boy and a small-town farm girl. Danger, Sweetheart will be released on May 10th.

This city boy's about to get a taste of country life...

Blake Tarbell has a town to save. Rich, carefree, and used to the Vegas party lifestyle, Blake is thrown for a curve when his former cocktail-waitress mother pleads he go back to her roots to save the town she grew up in. Blake's used to using money to solve his problems, but when he arrives in Sweetheart, North Dakota, this city boy has to trade in his high-priced shoes for a pair of cowboy boots - and he's about to get a little help from the loveliest lady in town...

Natalie Lane's got no time for newbies. The prettiest gal to ever put on a pair of work gloves, there's nothing she can't do to keep a farm up and running. But when a handsome city-slicker rolls into town with nothing but bad farmer's instincts and good intentions, Natalie's heartstrings are pulled. She's about to teach him a thing or two about how to survive in Sweetheart. And he's about to teach her a thing or two about love.

UNCOVERED PICKS: Five May Releases

Uncovered is back from a short break, and to kick off the new month, here’s a selection of five new novels released in May…

How to Find Love in a Bookshop by Veronica Henry
Nightingale Books, nestled on the high street in the idyllic Cotswold town of Peasebrook, is a dream come true for booklovers. But owner Emilia Nightingale is struggling to keep the shop open. The temptation to sell up is proving enormous - but what about the promise she made to her father? Not to mention the loyalty she owes to her customers. Sarah Basildon, owner of stately pile Peasebrook Manor, has used the book shop as an escape from all her problems in the past few years. But is there more to her visits than meets the eye? Since messing up his marriage, Jackson asks Emilia for advice on books to read to the son he misses so much. But Jackson has a secret, and is not all he seems...

And there's Thomasina, painfully shy, who runs a pop-up restaurant from her tiny cottage. She has a huge crush on a man she met and then lost in the cookery section, somewhere between Auguste Escoffier and Marco Pierre White. Can she find the courage to admit her true feelings? How to Find Love in a Book Shop is the delightful story of Emilia's fight to keep her book shop alive, the customers whose lives she has touched - and the books they all love.

The Santiago Sisters by Victoria Fox
Bound by blood. Separated by scandal. Growing up on a ranch in Patagonia, twins Calida and Terisita Santiago have never known a world without each other. Introverted Calida can't imagine life anywhere else but feisty Terisita dreams of fame and fortune. World-famous English actress Simone Geddes believes that her profile would benefit from a PR boost and has decided to adopt. A potential family has been identified in Argentina and Simone and her team are en route to a meeting when her driver takes a wrong turn and she ends up at the Santiago ranch. There she becomes enchanted by the beautiful 14 year old Terisita and makes an offer to Julia, the sisters' mother who has struggled to cope since the death of her husband. Without either twin knowing the truth, Terisita is whisked to a life of luxury in London with Simone. 

Soon her old life in Argentina is nothing but a distant memory and all she feels is hatred towards the sister who she believes abandoned her. Meanwhile Calida tries to understand how her beloved sister could have turned her back on them and left without a word. As the years pass, where the sisters were once connected by love, now it is a shared hatred that fuels them as each one vows revenge...

The Santiago Sisters is a story of the love, loyalty and betrayal which run through the lives of the rich and famous.

Summer at Rose Island by Holly Martin
Darcy Davenport is ready for a fresh start. Determined to leave a string of disastrous jobs and relationships behind her, she can’t wait to explore White Cliff Bay and meet the locals. 

When Darcy swims in the crystal clear waters of the bay, she discovers the charming Rose Island Lighthouse. But it’s not just the beautiful building that she finds so intriguing… 

Riley Eddison doesn’t want change. Desperate to escape the memories of his past, he lives a life of solitude in the lighthouse. Yet he can’t help but notice the gorgeous woman who swims out to his island one day. 

Darcy is drawn to the mysterious and sexy Riley, but when it seems the town is trying to demolish his home, she soon finds herself having to pick sides. 

She’s fallen in love with White Cliff Bay. But is that all Darcy’s fallen for?

The Summer Escape by Lily Graham
Amongst the beautiful olive groves and sea-front tavernas, summer has arrived on the sun-drenched island of Crete. 

After losing the love of her life, Ria’s life has been on hold. So when her boss becomes completely unbearable she makes the snap decision to run away to the Greek island of Crete, armed only with her passport. 

When Ria finds herself working for eccentric novelist Caroline, she meets handsome vineyard owner Tom. He’s charming, mysterious and Ria starts to wonder if it’s not just the beautiful Greek island that she’s falling for. 

But as Ria gets to know Tom better, she uncovers a tangled web of secrets. What is he hiding? Ria has some secrets of her own. Can she open up to Tom and learn to live again? 

This is Now by Ciara Geraghty
An ordinary day. An ordinary bank. An ordinary street in an ordinary town. Nothing ever happens, until, one day, a shocking robbery turns life upside down for five people: 

Cillian, a police detective,
Martha, the woman he thought was the love of his life,
Tobias, who came to Ireland after WWII and now lies in a coma, shot in the bank robbery,
Roman, the young Polish teenager who is suspected of pulling the trigger
and his mother Rosa, the cleaner, who dreamed of a better life for herself and her son...
...and things will never be ordinary again.

BOOK NEWS: The Assistants by Camille Perri

Finding out about next year's releases is exciting, especially when new books by debut authors are on the list. The Assistants is the first novel of Camille Perri, in which a bored executive assistant is faced with the opportunity to solve her financial problems - even if it does mean stealing from her boss. The Assistants is due to be published in May 2016.

Tina Fontana is the hapless but brazen thirty-year-old executive assistant to Robert Barlow, the all-powerful and commanding CEO of Titan Corp., a multinational media conglomerate. She’s excellent at her job and beloved by her famous boss—but after six years of making his reservations for restaurants she’d never get into on her own and pouring his drinks from bottles that cost more than her rent, she’s bored, broke, and just a bit over it all.

When a technical error with Robert’s travel-and-expenses report presents Tina with the opportunity to pay off the entire balance of her student loan debt with what would essentially be pocket change for her boss, she struggles with the decision: She’s always played by the rules. But it’s such a relatively small amount of money for the Titan Corporation—and for her it would be a life-changer...

The Assistants speaks directly to a new generation of women who feel stuck and unable to get ahead playing by the rules. It will appeal to all of those who have ever asked themselves, “How is it that after all these years, we are still assistants?”

UNCOVERED INTERVIEWS: Lynsey James

Just the Way You Are was published by UK Carina in May, and author Lynsey James has stopped by to share her inspiration behind the book, in which Ava falls for a mysterious letter-writer that she's never met...

Tell us about your latest novel in 15 words or less.
Ava Clements’ secret admirer starts writing to her again and that’s when things get complicated!

What inspired you to write Just The Way You Are?
I was writing a completely different story and ended up using the love letter element, just in a different way. It caught my imagination and the plot for Just the Way You Are kind of popped up and said hello! I started writing it that night; five drafts and a lot of tears later, here we are!

Where do you do most of your writing?
I do it either on the couch while I snack, cuddle my dog and binge-watch a boxset (Desperate Housewives is the current favourite) or in bed where I do much the same thing.

What is your favourite book?
I Remember You by Harriet Evans. It’s a beautiful story about love and loss, set in a beautiful English village called Langford. If I could live anywhere from a book it would be there. Or Hogwarts.

Which part of Just The Way You Are did you enjoy writing the most?
I enjoyed writing the love letters from Mr Writer to Ava the most. They were really different to the rest of the book and it let me really get into his head.

Who is your favourite literary heroine?
I love Rosie Duncan from Fairytale of New York by Miranda Dickinson. She’s really positive and makes things happen to her instead of waiting for her happy ending to come to her.

Do you have any tips for readers who are looking to become published writers?
I’d say the most important things are to never give up and to write. If you do those two things, it will happen for you one day. I didn’t believe dreams ever came true until mine did. It can happen!

Are you working on anything else at the moment and if so, can you tell us?
I’ve just finished writing my second novel The Broken Hearts Book Club, which will be out on 21st August. Now I’m dreaming up ideas for books 3 and 4!

Thanks, Lynsey!

About Lynsey

Lynsey James was born in Fife in 1991 and has been telling people how to spell her name ever since. She's an incurable bookworm who loves nothing more than getting lost in a good story with memorable characters. She started writing when she was really young and credits her lovely Grandad- and possibly a bump on the head from a Mr Frosty machine- with her love of telling stories. She used to write her own episodes of Friends and act them out in front of her family (in fact she's sure she put Ross and Rachel together first!)

A careers adviser at school once told Lynsey writing wasn't a "good option" and for a few years, she believed her. She tried a little bit of everything, including make-up artistry, teaching and doing admin for a chocolate fountain company. The free chocolate was brilliant. When Lynsey left her job a couple of years ago, she started writing full-time while she looked for another one. As soon as she started working on her story, Lynsey fell in love and decided to finally pursue her dream. She haven't looked back since.

When Lynsey's not writing, eating cake or drinking tea, she's daydreaming about the day Dylan O'Brien FINALLY realises they're meant to be together. It'll happen one day…

Just the Way You Are by Lynsey James

How do you start writing a letter to someone, six years after breaking their heart? 

Ava is unlucky in love as well as in life. The new office bitch has landed the dating column Ava wanted, and she can't remember the last time she had a second date. It's a good thing she has best friends Max and Gwen to pick up the pieces. 

Deep down, Ava knows the reason why one date never turns into two – she's in love with someone else. Someone she's never even met. 

It all started six years ago, with a letter from a secret admirer, Mr Writer... but then they suddenly stopped and Ava was heartbroken. 

Now the letters have started again and Ava knows it could mean winning back the dating column at work. This time she's determined to unmask Mr Writer... and find out once and for all if he's Mr Right or Mr Very Definitely Wrong!

BOOK NEWS: Always the Bridesmaid by Lindsey Kelk

Fans of Lindsey Kelk's hilarious romantic 'I Heart' series will be thrilled to know that Lindsey's new novel will be published next month. Always the Bridesmaid will be released in May, in which perpertual bridesmaid Maddie finds herself juggling her own life with those of her friends...

Everyone loves a bridesmaid - except Maddie, who’s perpetually asked to be one.

Everyone loves a wedding - except Maddie’s best friend, who’s getting divorced.

And everyone loves the way Maddie’s so happy behind the scenes - except Maddie herself.

One best friend is in wedding countdown while the other heads for marriage meltdown. And as Maddie juggles her best chance at promotion in years with bridezilla texts and late-night counselling sessions, she starts to wonder – is it time to stop being the bridesmaid?

BOOK NEWS: The Chateau on the Lake by Charlotte Betts

The beautiful new historical novel by Charlotte Betts, The Chateau on the Lake, will be released in early May, is set in the time of the French Revolution and follows teacher Madeleine who travels to France in search of her family.

1792. As a teacher at her parents' Academy for Young Ladies in the heart of London, Madeleine Moreau has lived her life sheltered from the outside world. But on the night of a dazzling Masquerade, tragedy strikes and she is left alone in the world. Desperate to find the family she never knew, Madeleine impulsively travels to France in search of them. But with war around the corner, and fearing for Madeleine's safety, the enigmatic Comte Etienne d'Aubery offers her protection at his home, Chateau Mirabelle. Chateau Mirabelle enchants Madeleine with its startling beauty, but it is a place of dark and haunting secrets. As the Revolution gathers momentum and the passions of the populace are enflamed, Madeleine must take control of her own destiny and unravel events of the past in order to secure a chance of future happiness. The Chateau on the Lake is an enthralling historical novel set during the time of the French Revolution; rich, evocative and immersive. If you love Philippa Gregory and Joanne Harris, you will adore Charlotte Betts.

BOOK REVIEW: The List by Joanna Bolouri

Joanna Bolouri’s novel The List hit the shelves today, and it’s a debut I've been particularly excited about. So when I was sent a copy for review, it made my day. New novelists are always intriguing and it seems as though Joanna is definitely going to be even more of a success.

The List focuses on twenty-something Phoebe, whose love life comes to an abrupt end when she catches her boyfriend in bed with another woman. A year later, Phoebe is still reluctantly single and at a loss for bedroom fun, and so with the help of best friend Lucy, she comes up with a way of ending her single days – the list.

Phoebe devises a list of ten things she would like to do in the bedroom, from her own basic desires to the downright kinky. With the intention of a year-long mission for fulfillment without the commitment, she sets out to tick every item off the list, starting with her rather handsome colleague…

The list is an adventure in itself, sending Phoebe on a variety of new, strange and, sometimes, amusing situations, such as arranging a threesome to having sex in the outdoors. First she has to gain the confidence to begin her various ‘tasks’, and of course, find willing participants…

The List is a new kind of read; an even mixture of amusing, light chick-lit and erotica which works exceptionally well. I enjoyed this new concept despite not being a fan of erotic fiction at all – Phoebe is a very real character with her own insecurities, own goals and a work life that I felt I could relate to, which made the novel feel very genuine and even more amusing at times. I liked that it’s fast-paced, fun and not overly-serious, and I wanted to see how Pheobe’s character grew throughout the book. Granted, the ending did feel quite rushed, but it’s still a fantastic read.

The List is a wonderful debut, and I’m looking forward to reading more from Joanna Bolouri in future!

Rating: 4/5

BOOK NEWS: You're the One That I Want by Giovanna Fletcher

Billy and Me author Giovanna Fletcher will be back on the shelves in May with her new novel, You're The One That I Want, in which bride-to-be Maddy thinks she may be making a big mistake...

Maddy, dressed in white, stands at the back of the church. At the end of the aisle is Rob - the man she's about to marry. Next to Rob is Ben - best man and the best friend any two people ever had.

And that's the problem.

Because if it wasn't Rob waiting for her at the altar, there's a strong chance it would be Ben. Loyal and sensitive Ben has always kept his feelings to himself, but if he turned round and told Maddy she was making a mistake, would she listen? And would he be right?

Best friends since childhood, Maddy, Ben and Rob thought their bond was unbreakable. But love changes everything. Maddy has a choice to make but will she choose wisely? Her heart, and the hearts of the two best men she knows, depend on it...