The Village Shop for Lonely Hearts


Book Description

A feel-good story of new beginnings set in a gorgeous country village. 'A lovely story of finding yourself and discovering what home means. I couldn’t stop turning the pages. Loved it.' Jessica Redland After losing her job in New York, Amber Green isn’t looking forward to visiting her godmother in the sleepy village of Cranbridge. With its empty lanes and rundown shops, it’s hardly a place to mend her lonely heart. But when Amber discovers that Cranbridge Stores, owned by her godmother Cathy and son Josh, is under threat of financial ruin, she realises that her skills as a window dresser might just be able to help save the struggling shop. When disaster strikes, Amber and Josh must unite to save both the shop and the village from flooding. Can Cranbridge Stores become the heart of the village once more? And as the village begins to come back to life, perhaps Amber will discover a reason to stay... A feel-good read perfect for fans of Katie Fforde and Milly Johnson Readers love The Village Shop for Lonely Hearts: 'Glorious escapism. Uplifting, heartwarming and joyful, Alison Sherlock writes with a warmth and lightness of touch' Kerry Fisher 'The story is lovely. All characters were facing challenges and trying to cope with change. They were good, honorable, relatable, and I was immediately invested in their happiness' ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Reader Review 'A great feel good read, great characters, good storyline and set in a fabulous location. Loved it' ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Reader Review 'I love Alison Sherlock's writing style, her way with words and just lovely stories. A wonderful story to read curled up by a fire!' ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Reader Review 'This is a solid 5 out of 5 starts for me and a book I will happily reread in the future to revisit these characters. I could not stop smiling when I finished this book' ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Reader Review 'This was such a lovely read to snuggle up with over the weekend. The characters and setting were adorable and I really didn't want the story to end' ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Reader Review




Miss Lonelyhearts & The Day of the Locust (New Edition)


Book Description

"A primer for Big Bad City disillusionment, unsparing in its portrayal of New York's debilitating entropy."—The Village Voice. With a new introduction by Jonathan Lethem. First published in 1933, Miss Lonelyhearts remains one of the most shocking works of 20th century American literature, as unnerving as a glob of black bile vomited up at a church social: empty, blasphemous, and horrific. Set in New York during the Depression and probably West's most powerful work, Miss Lonelyhearts concerns a nameless man assigned to produce a newspaper advice column — but as time passes he begins to break under the endless misery of those who write in, begging him for advice. Unable to find answers, and with his shaky Christianity ridiculed to razor-edged shards by his poisonous editor, he tumbles into alcoholism and a madness fueled by his own spiritual emptiness. During his years in Hollywood West wrote The Day of the Locust, a study of the fragility of illusion. Many critics consider it with F. Scott Fitzgerald's unfinished masterpiece The Last Tycoon (1941) among the best novels written about Hollywood. Set in Hollywood during the Depression, the narrator, Tod Hackett, comes to California in the hope of a career as a painter for movie backdrops but soon joins the disenchanted second-rate actors, technicians, laborers and other characters living on the fringes of the movie industry. Tod tries to seduce Faye Greener; she is seventeen. Her protector is an old man named Homer Simpson. Tod finds work on a film called prophetically “The Burning of Los Angeles,” and the dark comic tale ends in an apocalyptic mob riot outside a Hollywood premiere, as the system runs out of control.




The Village Inn of Secret Dreams


Book Description

Brand NEW from the bestselling author of The Village Shop For Lonely Hearts. After escaping her parents’ unhappy marriage to sleepy Cranbridge a long time ago, Belle Clarke dreams of staying at The Black Swan Inn forever. But with the rundown Inn threatened with closure, Belle may be forced to leave, unless a buyer can be found ... quickly. So, when her oldest friend Pete Kennedy returns from working abroad with a plan to save the Inn, Belle should be overjoyed. The trouble is, Pete has some rather radical ideas for the renovation which Belle disagrees with. But when a snow storm hits, Belle and Pete are forced to put aside their differences and work together to help the village. Can Belle realise her dreams to stay in Cranbridge and can Pete ever stop running from his past? As they try to save The Black Swan Inn, secrets are revealed and just maybe they’ll finally find out how they really feel about each other. Praise for Alison Sherlock: 'Glorious escapism. Uplifting, heartwarming and joyful, Alison Sherlock writes with a warmth and lightness of touch' Kerry Fisher 'A lovely story of finding yourself and discovering what home means. I couldn’t stop turning the pages. Loved it.' Jessica Redland




Lost Dogs and Lonely Hearts


Book Description

An irresistible novel about women, men, and the dogs that own them. Thirty-nine year old Rachel is having a really bad year. After losing her job and breaking up with her boyfriend, Rachel has inherited her late aunt's house, her beloved border collie, and a crowded rescue kennel, despite the fact that she knows almost nothing about dogs. Still, considering her limited options, she gamely takes up the challenge of running the kennel. And as Rachel starts finding new homes for the abandoned strays, it turns out that it might not just be the dogs that need rescuing.




The Village of Lost and Found


Book Description

From the bestselling author of The Village Shop For Lonely Hearts. Scandal-hit party girl Lucy Conway needs to leave London fast, so she packs her bags and escapes to the sleepy village of Cranbridge to take care of her beloved Uncle Frank. But the country village isn’t quite as idyllic as she remembers. To make matters worse, her Uncle’s pride and joy, The Cranbridge Times, is close to going out of business. Editor-at-large Tom Addison is having a crisis of confidence and needs help if the newspaper is going to survive. With time on her hands, can Lucy work some magic and together save the family newspaper? Over a long, hot summer, friendships are made and hearts begin to heal. And, with the help of a stray dog, perhaps Lucy and Tom can find their very own new beginning... Praise for Alison Sherlock: 'Glorious escapism. Uplifting, heartwarming and joyful, Alison Sherlock writes with a warmth and lightness of touch' - Kerry Fisher 'A lovely story of finding yourself and discovering what home means. I couldn’t stop turning the pages. Loved it.' Jessica Redland




The Desperate Bride's Diet Club


Book Description

Violet Saunders is astounded when her boyfriend gets down on one knee and proposes. But at size 18-20, the thought of finding a wedding dress fills her with horror. What she needs is a miracle wedding day diet. So when a leaflet advertising a new diet club - New You! - that drops through her letterbox, it seems like her prayers have been answered. But the club is run by the terrifying Trudie, who secretly despises her fat clients, while pretending to encourage them. Things go from bad to worse; everyone just gets fatter on the horrible New You! drink shakes. At work, Violet's half-Italian boss - a man with a lively sense of humour - looks on in amazement and finally persuades her to take a break from New You! and lunch with him at his family's delicatessen. Inspired, she persuades her fellow dieters to form a new club, with secret weigh-ins at her house - while pretending to Trudie, of whom they are all petrified, that it is the New You! diet which is transforming them. Fabulous Italian recipes gradually begin to work their magic, but can Violet the duckling really become Violet the swan in time for her wedding?




Meet You in the Middle


Book Description

What happens when the person you find most impossible becomes impossible to resist? The Hating Game meets The West Wing in this hilarious across-the-aisle romantic comedy debut about America’s least likely couple. There's just one thing standing between liberal Senate staffer Kate Adams and passage of the landmark legislation she's been fighting for all year: Ben Mackenzie, intimidating gatekeeper for one of DC's most powerful conservative senators. After Kate and Ben lock horns in a meet-not-so-cute, they vow to take each other down—by any means necessary. Their ensuing power struggle gives new meaning to the term office politics: prank mail, spying, bets gone awry—nothing’s off limits in their battle of wills. She thinks he’s arrogant (and doesn't deserve those gorgeous green eyes). He thinks she's too quick to judge (and irresistibly distracting). But as their endless game of one-upmanship becomes Kate's favorite part of the day, she starts to wonder if her feelings for Ben are closer to attraction than animosity...and maybe their sparring is flirting. When Kate realizes there's more to Ben than meets the eye, she's forced to confront her biggest fear: In her sworn enemy, she may have found her perfect match. Perfect for fans of Sally Thorne and Jasmine Guillory, Meet You in the Middle is a modern, heartfelt and hopeful romance that hilariously explores what happens when you fall in love with your political polar opposite.




The Last Chance Library


Book Description

A Good Morning America Buzz Pick A Library Reads Pick June Jones emerges from her shell to fight for her beloved local library, and through the efforts and support of an eclectic group of library patrons, she discovers life-changing friendships along the way. Lonely librarian June Jones has never left the sleepy English village where she grew up. Shy and reclusive, the thirty-year-old would rather spend her time buried in books than venture out into the world. But when her library is threatened with closure, June is forced to emerge from behind the shelves to save the heart of her community and the place that holds the dearest memories of her mother. Joining a band of eccentric yet dedicated locals in a campaign to keep the library, June opens herself up to other people for the first time since her mother died. It just so happens that her old school friend Alex Chen is back in town and willing to lend a helping hand. The kindhearted lawyer's feelings for her are obvious to everyone but June, who won't believe that anyone could ever care for her in that way. To save the place and the books that mean so much to her, June must finally make some changes to her life. For once, she's determined not to go down without a fight. And maybe, in fighting for her cherished library, June can save herself, too.




Miss Lonelyhearts


Book Description

Two classic short stories, one about a male reporter who writes an advice column, and the other, about people who have migrated to California in expectation of health and ease.




ReInhabiting the Village


Book Description

ReInhabiting the Village: CoCreating our Future is a 352-page graphically rich, full-color, soft-cover book showcasing the work of 12 Visionary Artists and over 60 Contributing Authors featuring Voices from the Village sharing their experience, best practices, strategies, and resources to empower communities through practical wisdom and inspiring perspectives. These contributors of diverse backgrounds include Artists, Economists, Permaculture Experts, Facilitators, Educators, Visionaries, Natural Builders, Event Producers, Healers, Indigenous Elders and Thought Leaders, Ecologists, Technology Developers, and Community Organizers. Explore ReInhabiting the Village through the lens of 12 themes, each with an associated color and sigil. Chapter topics include Heart of Community, Health and Healing, Art and Culture, Learning and Education, Regional Resilience, Inhabiting the UrbanVillage, Community Land Projects, Holistic Event Production, Living Economy, Media & Storytelling, Appropriate Technology, and Whole Systems Design. Each chapter contains introductions from author Jamaica Stevens, a breadth of articles from contributors, author biographies, visionary art, community photography, informational graphics, inspirational quotes and project features. In closing, the book offers References, Credits, Contributors and a Glossary.