Today I’m delighted to feature author Helen J Rolfe. Helen writes contemporary women’s fiction and enjoys weaving stories about family, friendship, secrets, and community. Characters often face challenges and must fight to overcome them, but above all, Helen’s stories always have a happy ending.

Location is a big part of the adventure in Helen’s books and she enjoys setting stories in different cities and countries around the world. So far, locations have included Melbourne, Sydney, New York, Connecticut, Bath and the Cotswolds.

Helen also writes for Orion Books under the name Helen Rolfe.

Over to Helen:

Which five pieces of music/songs would you include in the soundtrack to your life and why?

Madonna – Holiday – This always reminds me of the colourful eighties, dressing in bright colours, and fun summer days as a tween!

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The Pogues – Fairytale of New York – When I was old enough to go to the pubs that lined King Street in Great Yarmouth we’d go from pub to pub on Christmas Eve and this song always reminds me of those days, singing at the tops of our voices, not a care in the world, and everyone really in the festive spirit!

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ABBA – Take a Chance on Me – This one brings back wonderful summer memories from when I lived in Bournemouth after finishing university there. Me and a friend used to get in the car on a Sunday, have ABBA tunes blasting on the stereo, no maps required, and just drive anywhere through the countryside and find a random pub to stop at for food.

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Dido – Life for Rent – This song reminds me of when I first arrived in Australia and didn’t know anyone at all. I was quite homesick and it took me a while to fall in love with the country and begin to feel at home. Whenever I hear this song I sing along but it makes me a little bit melancholy because I remember how lonely I was for a time.

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Pachelbel’s Canon – We had a string quartet at our wedding and this piece will always be incredibly special. I still love it just as much as I did back then.  

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What five things (apart from family and friends) would you find it hard to live without.

Yoga – I really would find it hard not to have yoga in my life. I do yoga three times a week at least and it’s such a release for the body and the mind. Highly recommended!

Walking – My job as an author involves being at a desk so escaping into the fresh air would be hard to live without. And walking near water is one of my favourite things to do – we have a canal not too far away which is nice, but my favourite type of walk would be near the ocean.

Reading – Over the last year books have been more important than ever. Fiction is such a wonderful escape and I love it when I can relate to a character, when they are having a similar life experience. Without reading in my life there would be such a void!

Television – I have a few favourite shows and seem to veer towards the American shows like Chicago Fire, Chicago PD and Chicago Med, Grey’s Anatomy, 9-1-1. I love immersing myself in other characters’ lives.

Travel – not going anywhere has been really hard during the pandemic. I know it seems such a frivolous thing to have to worry about, and I’m well aware that travel is a luxury, but getting away from it all and seeing new places, experiencing new things, gives me such a mental boost. And it doesn’t have to be expensive travel – just away from the usual routine if only for a day is enough. My first day into London after a year was the best feeling ever!

Give five pieces of advice to your younger self?

Always follow your dreams

It’s ok to change your mind

Never feel guilty for laughing! It’s one of the best things 😊

It’s quality not quantity that matters when it comes to friends

Try not to care so much about what other people think

Tell us five things that most people don’t know about you

I hate coffee!

If I change the volume on the television or on the car stereo I have to have it on an even number. Don’t ask why, I just do!

I can’t stand peanut butter and if you’ve eaten it you can bet I’ll smell you within a ten metre radius

The phrase ‘nom nom’ makes me shudder

(this one is embarrassing!) Up until my early twenties I thought that when a parking sign read ‘Return prohibited within one hour’ that you weren’t allowed to come back to your car for an hour…

Tell us five things you’d still like to do or achieve.

Keep being happy!

Spend more time with family and friends

Write more books and continue to find readers who enjoy them

See more of Europe

Return to Australia

Thanks for joining me today Helen, fabulous music choices if I may say so – always happy to see ABBA and Pachelbel’s Canon is one of my favourite classical pieces. I think we’re all with you on not being able to live without reading and after the past 18 months, I suspect even more people are realising how much difference travel makes to our lives. I had to laugh at your parking sign confession, though in reality it’s easy to see why you might think that, it must cause non-native English speakers a real problem. Now that travel is opening up again I hope that means you’ll get to see more of Europe and hopefully plan a return to Australia. Whatever the future holds, here’s to spending more time with family and friends and being happy!

Helen’s Books

(NB This post features Affiliate links from which I earn a small commission on qualifying purchases)

Writing as Helen J Rolfe

Heritage Cove Series

Coming Home to Heritage Cove (1)

Welcome to Heritage Cove, the little village by the sea brimming with character, community and friendship, and the perfect place to fall in love this summer…

Melissa rushes back to Heritage Cove when Barney, the man who’s been like a father figure to her since she was a little girl, ends up in hospital. After an absence of five years, her return isn’t going to be easy, especially when she bumps into Harvey, the love of her life and the man she’s never been able to forget.

For reasons he couldn’t explain at the time, Harvey changed his mind about going with Melissa to start afresh as they’d planned, and life moved on for the both of them. But with Melissa back in the village and determined to stick around to help Barney, they can’t avoid each other forever. Melissa knows she let so many people down by staying away for so long, but she and Harvey blame each other for what happened and neither of them is willing to admit to being in the wrong.

When Barney insists on cancelling the Wedding Dress Ball, the charity fundraiser he holds every year in the stunning barn on his property, Melissa and Harvey realise they’re going to have to pull together. Otherwise the man they once knew might be gone forever. And when they unearth a secret Barney has never shared with anyone, they go in search of answers to not only ensure the ball runs this summer, but to bring back the Barney they know and love.

Back in the cove after all this time, Melissa gets to see the life she left behind and it’s time to deal with what it was that drove her away in the first place.

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Christmas at the Little Waffle Shack (2)

Heritage Cove is in full swing for the festive season and as the temperature dips, who will be lucky in love this Christmas?

It’s December in Heritage Cove and along with the village Christmas tree, frosty mornings and the promise of the most wonderful time of the year, the new waffle shack is about to open. And its owner isn’t a stranger to the Cove, because after all this time, Daniel is back to make amends with his brother Harvey – as well as a few other locals he might have offended along the way.

Fairly new to the village, local blacksmith Lucy has kept up the pretence of being with her ex for the sake of his gran but she’s fed up with all the lies. Determined to come clean and live the life she wants to live, she’s devastated to find that her attraction to Daniel is tainted by the fact he’s hiding a few things of his own. And his secrets are ones she isn’t sure she’ll ever be able to get past.

Heritage Cove is full of friendship and community; it’s a welcoming place people visit and never want to leave. But will it work its magic for Daniel and Lucy?

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Summer Serendipity at the Twist and Turn Bakery (3)

It’s summer in Heritage Cove, the picturesque village by the sea. Join some of your favourite characters and welcome new faces in this uplifting, romantic read brimming with character, community and friendship…

The Heritage Bakery is finally getting the makeover it deserves, with sisters Jade and Celeste modernising the place and putting their own stamp on it while retaining all the charm of days gone by. But Jade has far more planned than a brand-new kitchen and fancy cake designs. She’s ready for an even bigger change in her life. It’s almost time to take the next step and she knows just what to do to make that happen.

Etna owns the village tea rooms and when she hears that local man Harvey is looking for a labourer to help him renovate the bakery after being let down at the last minute, she suggests to her nephew Linc that it may just be the change he needs to get his head straight. Linc arrives in the Cove willing to give it a go and he works hard, but what he hadn’t envisaged was anything bordering on a romance – not with his track record or what he’s involved in right now.

When a tall, dark, handsome stranger appears in the village and turns Jade’s world upside down, will it be enough to make her abandon her plan before she even sets the wheels in motion? And has Linc missed his chance to tell her how he really feels?

It’s almost time for the wedding of the year for one of the village favourites and the annual Wedding Dress Ball. But when the sun begins to set, will anyone else be lucky in love?

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New York Ever After Series

Christmas at the Little Knitting Box

Christmas is coming and New York is in full swing for the snowy season. But at The Little Knitting Box in the West Village, things are about to change …

The Little Knitting Box has been in Cleo’s family for nearly four decades, and since she arrived fresh off the plane from the Cotswolds four years ago, Cleo has been doing a stellar job of running the store. But instead of an early Christmas card in the mail this year, she gets a letter that tips her world on its axis.

Dylan has had a tumultuous few years. His marriage broke down, his mother passed away and he’s been trying to pick up the pieces as a stay-at-home dad. All he wants this Christmas is to give his kids the home and stability they need. But when he meets Cleo at a party one night, he begins to see it’s not always so easy to move on and pick up the pieces, especially when his ex seems determined to win him back.

When the snow starts to fall in New York City, both Cleo and Dylan realise life is rarely so black and white and both of them have choices to make. Will Dylan follow his heart or his head? And will Cleo ever allow herself to be a part of another family when her own fell apart at the seams?

Full of snow, love and the true meaning of Christmas, this novel will have you hooked until the final page.

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Snowflakes and Mistletoe at the Inglenook Inn

It’s the most wonderful time of the year…but is it the time to fall in love?

As the flames on the log fire flicker and the snowflakes swirl above the New York streets, maybe this Christmas could be the one that changes everything…

When Darcy returns to Manhattan, she’s put in charge of the Inglenook Inn, a cosy boutique hotel in the heart of Greenwich Village. The Inn needs a boost in bookings if it’s to survive the competition, so Darcy is convinced that hosting Christmas this year is the answer. What she doesn’t expect is to meet a face from the past, which can only spell trouble.

Myles left England behind and took a job in New York. It’s a step forwards in his career, and has the added bonus of being nowhere near his family. He’s also hoping to avoid Christmas, the worst time of the year. But when his company puts him up at the Inglenook Inn and he recognises Darcy, it isn’t long before they clash.

When disaster strikes, can Myles and Darcy put their differences aside to make Christmas at the Inglenook Inn a success?

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Wedding Bells on Madison Avenue

Do only fools rush in?

When Myles and Darcy first met there were fireworks and ever since then it’s been a rollercoaster love affair that swept both of them off their feet.

Myles is determined to do things differently from his own parents but he’s hard wired to give his career on Wall Street his all, so will taking his foot off the pedal ever be an option?

Darcy has established herself as a fine hotelier in the city where she co-manages The Inglenook Inn in the heart of Greenwich Village. She strongly values her independence, but is it time she made room in her life for something else?

Fierce ambition drew Myles and Darcy together, but will it be the thing that drives them apart?

With close friends Cleo and Dylan by their side, it’s time for Myles and Darcy to make their way through life’s dramas, but it isn’t only the nearly-weds with doubts in their minds. When life begins to crumble around Dylan and Cleo, they too must try to work through their fears and uncertainty.

Busy lives, a crisis, and what looks like a wedding that’s never going to happen, call on the strong bonds of friendship and a belief in Happy Ever Afters for love to bloom this summer on the streets of New York city.

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Christmas Miracles at the Little Log Cabin

A snow-covered log cabin surrounded by Christmas trees brings plenty of surprises for Holly … do you believe in Christmas miracles?

Holly is looking for a change and even though not everyone agrees with her career choices, she’s determined there’s more to this life than the long hours she works as an editor in New York City. What she doesn’t expect is to meet Mitch, a recluse who’s hiding more than she realises.

Mitch spends his days hidden away in a little log cabin in the woods out in Inglenook Falls where he owns a Christmas tree farm. He speaks to people only when and if it’s necessary, so when Holly falls into his life, he’s not sure how to react. All he knows is that something needs to change if he ever wants to get his life back on track.

Along with friends Cleo and Darcy, Holly is determined to bring joy back to Mitch’s life, but will he appreciate their interference? And when a business proposition throws everything up in the air, will it do more harm than good and ruin lives forever?

Both Holly and Mitch must learn that on the surface people aren’t always what they seem…but if you dig a little deeper, they can take you by surprise.

Curl up this Christmas for plenty of snowflakes, roaring log fires, a marriage proposal, unlikely friendships and second chances as we return to the much-loved New York Ever After series.

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Christmas Promises at the Garland Street Markets

Christmas is the perfect time to fall in love…

The snow is beginning to fall, the chestnuts are roasting and the mulled cider is ready to serve at the Garland Street markets this holiday season.

When Amelia arrives in Manhattan to help Cleo at her knitting stall, and Nathan comes to New York for a holiday with his daughter, both soon realise they won’t be getting quite the peaceful escape they’d imagined.

Amelia is used to putting other people first and this year is no exception. With surly nephew Kyle in tow, she has her work cut out trying to get both him and his mum to work through their problems before it’s too late.

Single dad Nathan wants to give his daughter, Scarlett, the world after he failed so dismally once before. But in trying to give her everything, and terrified she’ll make the same mistakes as he did, will he push her too far and lose her forever?

Cleo’s fiancé Dylan is pressuring her to set a date for the wedding, but with her stepdaughter Ruby against the idea and creating mayhem wherever she can, Cleo doubts she’ll ever manage to start planning what should be the best day of their lives.

On Christmas Eve, beneath a blanket of stars, will anyone be able to get their Happy Ever After?

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Moonlight and Mistletoe at the Christmas Wedding

It’s Christmas in New York and a time for Happy Ever Afters as well as new beginnings…

It’s Thanksgiving and friends are gathered at the Inglenook Inn in New York City to celebrate together.

Cleo and Dylan finally have all their preparations in place for a perfect Christmas Eve wedding, but will it go according to plan?

Kaisha is not only Cleo’s employee but a good friend too, and she’d do anything for the woman she sees as more of a sister than her own. She would never hurt Cleo or let anyone else ruin things for her friend, so Kaisha has put her own long-term dreams on hold and for now she’s determined to see to it that Cleo’s wedding to Dylan goes without a hitch.

Finn hasn’t been in touch with Dylan for years but he couldn’t ignore the request to be his best man, and so he’s back in Manhattan. But so are his parents, and there’s enough animosity, anger and underlying grief to power the entire city. The only family member Finn respects is his grandad – he’d do anything for him, even if it means spending time with his parents.

Kaisha’s first impressions of Finn are that he’s brash, unreliable and someone to avoid, but when he gets a job at the Inglenook Falls Christmas tree farm and they find themselves as roommates, will he surpass her expectations? Or, will he let everybody down at the last minute and prove Kaisha right?

Finally Cleo and Dylan are on their way to a long-awaited Happy Ever After. But when wedding plans fall apart, they may just end up getting a day they’ll never forget.

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Magnolia Creek Series

What Rosie Found Next (1)

Can we find love when we least expect it…?

A shaky upbringing has left Rosie Stevens craving safety and security. She thinks she knows exactly what she needs to make her life complete – the stable job and perfect house-sit she’s just found in Magnolia Creek. The only thing she wants now is for her long-term boyfriend, Adam, to leave his overseas job and come home for good.

Owen Harrison is notoriously nomadic, and he roars into town on his Ducati for one reason and one reason only – to search his parents’ house while they’re away to find out what they’ve been hiding from him his entire life. When he meets Rosie, who refuses to quit the house-sit in his parents’ home, sparks fly between the pair.

Secrets are unearthed, promises are broken, friendships are put to the test and when Rosie really needs a hero, will Owen be the one who can save her?

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The Chocolatier’s Secret (2)

Will one mistake ruin everything?

Andrew Bennett has an idyllic life in Magnolia Creek, Australia. He runs a chocolate business he adores, is married to Gemma, the love of his life, and has a close relationship with his father, Louis. But when Andrew receives a message from his high school sweetheart, it sends his world into a spiral, and the relationships he holds dear will never be the same again.

Molly Ramsey is looking for answers. After her last attempt, she believes the only way to get them this time is to face her past head-on. But to do this, she has to fly to the other side of the world – and she’s afraid of flying. Her search for answers lands her in an emotional tangle, not only with her past but also with a man very much in her present.

Family is everything to Gemma Bennett and she longs to have a house full of kids, but it just isn’t happening. And when Andrew’s past makes an explosive impact on the family, Gemma must decide whether she can accept the truth and open her heart in a way she never thought possible.

In this story of love, family ties and forgiveness, will past mistakes be the obstacle to a Happy Ever After?

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The Magnolia Girls

Fall in love with Magnolia Creek, the small town that draws you in and refuses to let you go …

Carrie has it all: a stellar career, a gorgeous heart-surgeon boyfriend, and an apartment in the city. But when something happens that forces her to question her ability to do her job, the only way she can see through the mess is to get far away from everything.

Carrie is thrust into a very different life in Magnolia Creek. She’s knee-deep in renovations at her house at the top of the hill; she’s sharing time and space with her ex, Owen; and newcomer, Noah, gets under her skin from day one. Meanwhile, her boyfriend, Lachlan, is doing everything he can to convince her she belongs back in the city with him doing the job she’s worked so hard to establish.

Carrie never had time for anything apart from work but in Magnolia Creek it isn’t long before she strikes up a lasting friendship with Rosie, Gemma and Bella, and when a face from the past turns up offering forgiveness, Carrie realises that everyone needs a little bit of love and friendship in their lives.

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Standalones

Handle Me with Care

Does true love come along more than once in a lifetime?

Maddie doesn’t think so. She lost the love of her life, and hasn’t allowed anyone to get close since. But when she delivers an inappropriate cake to a one-hundredth birthday party by mistake, she meets Evan and starts to believe in second chances.

Evan is serially single, yet when he meets Maddie he feels an instant connection, so much so that he makes a shocking confession on their first date. And it changes everything. Was it a mistake to be so honest?

With the odds stacked against them both, finding love won’t be easy. But sometimes, a Happy Ever After could be worth fighting for.

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The Friendship Tree

Beneath the beautiful blue skies of Brewer Creek, Tamara Harding can’t wait to start over. But what happens when her past catches up with her and she begins to fall for someone she shouldn’t?

Tamara left London behind and has joined family ten thousand miles away, where they live and run a veterinary practice. She soon becomes the coordinator for an old-fashioned Friendship Tree – a chart telling people who they can call on in times of trouble – and as she settles in to the small community she begins to realise that not everyone is who they seem.

Jake is the direct competitor for the family business and a man with a dark secret. As Tamara’s suspicions grow about what he’s up to and she fights with secrets of her own, she soon realises that the Friendship Tree does a lot more than organise fundraising events and working bees…it has the power to unite an entire town.

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In a Manhattan Minute

It’s the most wonderful time of the year… but when the temperature dips, can Manhattan work its magic?

Jack exists in a world that has seen its fair share of tragedy, but also success and the wealth that comes with it. One snowy night, he crosses paths with Evie, a homeless girl, and it changes everything.

Three years on, Evie’s life is very different. She’s the assistant to a prestigious wedding gown designer, she’s settled in Manhattan, has her own apartment and friendships she holds dear. But the past is lurking in the background, threatening to spoil everything, and it’s catching up with her.

Kent has kept a family secret for two decades, a secret he never wanted to share with his son, Jack. And even though she doesn’t realise it yet, his life is inextricably tangled with Nicole’s, the woman who was his housekeeper for thirteen years and the woman who helped Evie turn her life around.

It’s Christmas and a time for forgiveness, love and Happy Ever Afters. And when the snow starts to fall, the truth could finally bring everyone the gift of happiness they’re looking for.

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The Summer of New Beginnings

They say trouble comes in threes…

Headstrong and organised, Mia is a single mum who wants to fix the world – but the one thing she can’t fix is her family. Responsible older brother Will has fled Primrose Bay, unable to forgive and forget after the ultimate betrayal. And Jasmine, no longer the wayward baby sister, is determined to prove to her brother and sister that she’s just as capable as they are.

Together in the bay after years apart and a separation spanning three continents, it doesn’t take long for the siblings to clash when Mia calls everyone together in a family crisis. And with jealousy and resentment simmering between them, as well as faces from the past and new loves, the family ties could end up being severed forever.

Sometimes we need to lose ourselves in order to find each other again…

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You, Me and Everything In Between

Against all odds, a Happy Ever After might be worth fighting for…

Lydia and Theo face the unthinkable when a knock at the door changes everything.

As Lydia begins to pick up the pieces, not every part of the puzzle fits together as neatly as it did before, and as she discovers the truth about the man she loves, she finds herself stuck in limbo. She’s faced with an impossible choice. She has a history with Theo, the man she thought she’d spend the rest of her life with, but has too much happened to be able to forgive and forget?

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Christmas at Snowdrop Cottage

Full of sparkling festive magic, Little Woodville is all set for Christmas…

Belle Nightingale hasn’t celebrated Christmas properly since she lost touch with her Gran and left the tiny village in the Cotswolds behind two decades ago. But back in Little Woodville to sell up and move on to start a new business venture with her boyfriend, Belle finds herself wondering whether her own dreams have been pushed aside in her quest to please everyone else.

The cosy cottage, nostalgia and her tenant Sebastian’s ties to her own family, bring a lot of emotions to the surface for Belle, particularly when she begins to form a bond with Sebastian who isn’t the old man she was expecting, but a tall, dark and ridiculously handsome man her age and with a very kind heart.

When the snow blankets the tiny village and Belle comes up against a community that pulls together to look after their own, she begins to discover the true meaning of Christmas and wonders whether it’s time to confront the past in a last attempt to bring her family back together.

Grab a hot chocolate and escape to the quaint Cotswold village and the thatched cottage where the perfect recipe for Christmas may just contain a whole lot of love, friendship and kindness. And it may just be everything Belle is looking for.

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Writing as Helen Rolfe

Kindness Club on Mapleberry Lane

Comprises the 4 novellas (all available individually via Amazon)

• 1. A Summer Surprise
• 2. An Autumn Promise
• 3. A Winter Wish
• 4. A Christmas Gift

The smallest things can make the biggest difference…

Veronica Beecham’s cottage is the neatest house on Mapleberry Lane. A place for everything, and everything in its place – that’s her motto. But within her wisteria-covered walls, Veronica has a secret: she’s hardly left her perfect home in years.

Then her teenage granddaughter, Audrey, arrives on the doorstep, and Veronica’s orderly life is turned upside down. Shy and lonely, Audrey is struggling to find her place in the world. As a bond begins to form between the two women, Audrey develops a plan to give her gran the courage to reconnect with the community – they’ll form a kindness club, with one generous action a day to help someone in the village, and perhaps help each other at the same time.

As their small acts of kindness begins to ripple outwards, both Veronica and Audrey find that with each passing day, they feel a little braver. There’s just one task left before the end of the year: to make Veronica’s own secret wish come true…

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The Little Cottage in Lantern Square

Comprises the 4 novellas all available separately (via Amazon)

• 1. Summer Nights in Lantern Square
• 2. Falling Leaves in Lantern Square
• 3. Christmas in Lantern Square
• 4. Snowfall in Lantern Square

Step into the magic of Lantern Square…

Hannah went from high flyer in the city to business owner and has never looked back. In the cosy Cotswold village of Butterbury she runs Tied up with String, sending handmade gifts and care packages across the miles, as well as delivering them to people she thinks need them the most.

But when her ex best-friend Georgia turns up and wants in on the action, will Hannah be willing to forgive and forget? With her business in jeopardy she needs to maintain the reputation she’s established, and discover who she can trust…

Meanwhile, a mysterious care package lands on her own doorstep at Lantern Cottage. Who is trying to win her heart – and will she ever be willing to give it away?

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Little Cafe at the End of the Pier Series

Comprises the 5 novellas all available separately (via Amazon)

• 1. Valentine’s Day at …
• 2. Spring at …
• 3. Summer at …
• 4. Autumn at
• 5. Christmas at …

When Jo’s beloved grandparents ask for her help in running their little café at the end of the pier in Salthaven-on-Sea she jumps at the chance.

The café is a hub for many people: the single dad who brings his little boy in on a Saturday morning; the lady who sits alone and stares out to sea; the woman who pops in after her morning run.

Jo soon realises that each of her customers is looking for love – and she knows just the way to find it for them. She goes about setting each of them up on blind dates – each date is held in the café, with a special menu she has designed for the occasion.

But Jo has never found love herself. She always held her grandparents’ marriage up as her ideal and she hasn’t found anything close to that. But could it be that love is right under her nose…?

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Standalones

The Little Village Library

It takes a village…

Cloverdale is known for its winding roads, undulating hills and colourful cottages, and now for its Library of Shared Things: a place where locals can borrow anything they might need, from badminton sets to waffle makers. A place where the community can come together.

Jennifer has devoted all her energy into launching the Library. When her sister Isla moves home, and single dad Adam agrees to run a mending workshop at the Library, new friendships start to blossom. But what is Isla hiding, and can Adam ever mend his broken past?

Then Adam’s daughter makes a startling discovery, and the people at the Library of Shared Things must pull together to help one family overcome its biggest challenge of all . . .

A heartwarming story about the kindness we can find when we least expect it, and the places we learn to call home.

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Christmas at the Village Sewing Shop (coming November – available to pre-order)

Return to the little village of Butterbury for the new heartwarming festive read from the author of The Little Village Library…

Can three sisters stitch their family back together?

Loretta has run the little sewing shop in Butterbury for years, while bringing up her three headstrong daughters. Her own grandmother taught her how to quilt, and Loretta always found time to sit with Daisy, Ginny and Fern, pulling together scraps of material – and their hopes and dreams – into a beautiful whole.

But this Christmas the family is coming apart at the seams: Fern feels like she’s failing at motherhood and marriage; Ginny’s passion for her job as a midwife is fading, Daisy is keeping two very different secrets – and most of all, Loretta seems to be hiding something from her daughters…

As they come together to create a beautiful new festive quilt, memories are stirred, the bonds between sisters healed, and new friendships woven. But when Loretta reveals the real reason she’s gathered them all back to the sewing shop, can the sisters mend the quilt, and their family, in time for Christmas?