A Summerstoke Affair


Book Description

In the village of Summerstoke, as autumn beckons, it seems the fireworks party is not the only thing set to go with a bang.Juliet Peters, soap star, publicity junkie and all-round flirt, and Isabelle Garnett, ex-artist, neglected housewife and mother of two, seem to have nothing in common. But when both women end up trying to build a new life in the country, they soon discover there are no such things as secrets in village life.Their husbands seem to be on a collision course too. One, the new MP returned to the rural vale he grew up; the other the local newspaper editor ever on the lookout for scandal, and the story that could help him make it big. Add to the mix a wild-child teenager, a reformed rogue, a social-climbing couple who'll stop at nothing and four old ladies with a manor house and an ear for gossip, and you've got a recipe for trouble.As the days grow colder, passions only grow warmer. Before the year is out Juliet, Isabelle and their new neighbours must discover if their heart really is in the country, and in the right hands. Packed with intrigue, humour and spirit, Caroline Kington's delightful novel serves up an affair to remember.




A Summerstoke Affair


Book Description

A TALE OF PASSION, POWER AND DIRTY PARSNIPS 'A light and humorous look at village life.' – The Herald As autumn beckons for the village of Summerstoke, it seems the fireworks party is not the only thing set to go with a bang. Juliet Peters – soap star, publicity junkie and all-round flirt – and Isabelle Garnett – ex-artist, neglected housewife and mother of two – seem to have nothing in common. But when both women try to build new lives in the country, they soon discover that in a small village there are no such things as secrets. Their husbands seem to be a collision course, too. One, the new MP returned to the rural vale where he grew up; the other the local paper editor ever on the lookout for scandal, and the story that could help him make it big. Add to the mix a wild-child teenager, a reformed rogue, a social-climbing couple who'll stop at nothing, and four old ladies with a manor house and an ear for gossip, and you've got a recipe for trouble. As the days grow colder, passions only grow warmer. Before the year is out Juliet, Isabelle, and their new neighbours must discover if their hearts really are in the country, and in the right hands. Packed with intrigue, humour and spirit, Caroline Kington's delightful novel serves up an affair to remember. A Summerstoke Affair is the second in the bestselling Summerstoke Trilogy.




Tangled Summer


Book Description

In the West Country village of Summerstoke, the family at Marsh Farm are too preoccupied with living their lives to notice the farm sliding into ruin.Charlie Tucker dreams of victory in a motocross race, little sister Alison is determined to dispense with her virginity before the end of the summer, and their brother Stephen is hopelessly in love with the local am-dram star. Meanwhile mother Jenny dreams of escaping to Weston-super-Mare in the arms of the local vet.Up on the hill in Summerstoke House, unscrupulous Hugh and Veronica Lester watch with undisguised pleasure. If they can get the Tuckers turfed off the land, their dreams of owning a bigger stud farm will become a reality.And at Summerstoke Manor, in the heart of the village, the three elderly Miss Merfields and their ancient nanny have nothing better to do than pull strings and watch.




Spring Mischief


Book Description

The third delightful rural romantic comedy set in the fictional West Country village of Summerstoke follows the fortunes of the Tucker family as they struggle to make ends meet in an increasingly challenging world. Their arch-enemies, the Lesters, are pressing them to sell their dairy farm; the Tucker brothers are at one another's throats over their wildly differing approaches to modern farming; love—or at least lust—is in the air; and just to complicate matters further, a TV crew has arrived in Summerstoke to film a romantic comedy series. The stage is set for all kinds of mayhem and machinations, as the Aga saga meets A Midsummer Night's Dream.




Noise Damage


Book Description

The tale that follows is not another clichéd collection of rock'n'roll debaucheries (sorry) nor is it another tired fable of triumph over adversity (you're welcome).It's the story of a half-deaf kid from a tiny, remote village in South Wales who was hailed as a genius by the UK's biggest radio station and headhunted by major record labels, only for the music industry to collapse. It crashed hard, taking with it an entire generation of talented artists who would never now get their shot. CNN called it &‘music's lost decade'.Along the way, there are goodies, baddies, gun-toting label execs, life-saving surgeons, therapy, true love, loyalty, hope, breakdowns, suicidal managers, betrayal, drummers and way too many hangovers. James Kennedy shows that the best lessons are to be learned from good losers. It really is all about the journey.Part memoir, part exposé of the music world's murky underbelly, Noise Damage is emotional, painfully honest, funny, informative and ridiculous. It's also a celebration of the life-changing magic of music.




What on Earth Can Go Wrong


Book Description

Richard Fenning has spent three decades advising multinational companies on volatile geopolitics and severe security crises. He was CEO of the British firm Control Risks for 14 years. His career coincided with the glory years of globalization, the rise of China, the tumult of the Middle East wars, a new vicious form of terrorism, the transforming impact of digital technology, and America's retreat from leadership. Offering him a rare insight into what happens when people and organizations come under enormous stress, it dispelled any illusions that the world is ordered, predictable, or fair. But amid the chaos and upheaval, he also found humanity and humor. In a whirlwind tour that takes us from the battlefields of Iraq to the back streets of Bogotà, from the steamy Niger delta to the chill of Putin's Moscow, he looks back with wit and insight on the people and places he has got to know, while also offering some timely thoughts about the relationship between risk and danger in a terrifyingly changeable world.




Sour Grapes


Book Description

'Dan Rhodes is a true original' – Hilary Mantel When the sleepy English village of Green Bottom hosts its first literary festival, the good, the bad and the ugly of the book world descend upon its leafy lanes. But the villagers are not prepared for the peculiar habits, petty rivalries and unspeakable desires of the authors. And they are certainly not equipped to deal with Wilberforce Selfram, the ghoul-faced, ageing enfant terrible who wreaks havoc wherever he goes. Sour Grapes is a hilarious satire on the literary world which takes no prisoners as it skewers authors, agents, publishers and reviewers alike.




Spring Mischief


Book Description

A TALE OF STARGAZING, SKULDUGGERY AND STAGESTRUCK SADDLEBACKS 'Fascinating and funny and moving.' – Stephanie Cole The third delightful rural romantic comedy set in the fictional West Country village of Summerstoke follows the fortunes of the Tucker family as they struggle to make ends meet in an increasingly challenging world. Their arch-enemies, the Lesters, are pressing them to sell their dairy farm; the Tucker brothers are at one another's throats over their wildly differing approaches to modern farming; love – or at least lust – is in the air; and just to complicate matters further, a TV crew has arrived in Summerstoke to film a romantic comedy series. Their arch-enemies, the Lesters, are pressing them to sell their dairy farm; the Tucker brothers are at one another's throats over their wildly differing approaches to modern farming; love – or at least lust – is in the air; and just to complicate matters further, a TV crew has arrived in Summerstoke to film a romantic comedy series. The stage is set for all kinds of mayhem and machinations, as the Aga saga meets A Midsummer Night's Dream. Spring Mischief is the final book in the bestselling Summerstoke Trilogy.




All Will Be Well


Book Description

Taking a unique approach to self-help, this guide demonstrates how conveying love and compassion to others—whether communicated through a simple smile or by holding a dying soul—can act as antidotes to the often painful human condition. Revealing the small steps that can be taken to improve the attitudes of others and therefore create happiness for the self, this handbook presents a collection of encouraging stories illustrating the strength of the human spirit. Emphasizing that all people have within them the ability to make a difference, this emboldened exploration argues for this power to be acted upon, thereby ensuring a dependable sense of well-being amidst the turmoil of today.




Frigid Women


Book Description

"Men like to conquer, fight, or subdue the Arctic, while we had a different attitude. We felt that we had to go along with what we were faced with. . . . We tried to have the Arctic on our side instead of confronting it." In 1997 a group of 20 women set out to become the world's first all-female expedition to the North Pole, hoping to raise awareness and support for sufferers of cancer and other illnesses. Sue Riches, recently recovering from a mastectomy, and her daughter Victoria were among them, and this is their inspirational story of personal accomplishment.