Showing results by author "Carole Matthews" in All Categories

When twins Annie and Lauren attend their older sister Chelsea's 40th birthday party at the Dorchester Hotel, they wonder why their lives are so different. Chelsea's husband is twirling her round the dance floor, while Annie's husband has gone fishing and Lauren's lover is at home with his wife and children.

When Rose escapes from London and her handsome and charming ex-lover, she has no idea her occupation as an aromatherapist will cause such a scandal in her new country village. All she wants is a bit of peace and quiet, but her new neighbours soon ensure that her life is more chaotic than ever before. But that may be because Rose is falling in love....

Emma and Leo have been together forever, but their relationship seems to have lost its sparkle. When Leo turns up to Emma's 30th birthday dinner unforgivably late and extremely drunk, she can't help wishing for someone to wave a magic wand and turn Leo into a reliable and considerate boyfriend. Then Leo's path crosses with a decidedly unusual girl called Isobel, and as he falls under her spell, Emma sees him change before her very eyes. Soon she regrets wishing for a new Leo at all.

Jodie Jackson is leaving her London life, her career and her husband behind. She'd like a chance to turn back the clocks, but she'll settle for some peace and quiet on her brother Bill's houseboat. But from the moment Jodie steps aboard her new home, it's clear she'll struggle to keep herself to herself. If it isn't Marilyn, who cleans for Bill and is under strict instructions to look after Jodie, then it's Ned, the noisy sculptor on the next-door houseboat. Ned's wood carving is hard on the ears, but it's made up for by the fact that he's rather easy on the eyes.

Grace has been best friends with Ella and Flick forever. The late-night chats, shared heartaches, and good times have created a bond that has stood the test of time. When Ella invites them to stay for a week in her cottage in South Wales, Grace jumps at the chance to see her old friends. She also hopes that the change of scenery will help her reconnect with her distant husband. Then Flick arrives; loveable, bubbly, incorrigible Flick, accompanied by the handsome and charming Noah. This is going to be one week which will change all their lives forever...

Teri has dated more men than she's had low-calorie, low-fat dinners, and she still hasn't found Mr Right. She's found other men, though: Mr Lazy, Mr Greedy, Mr Completely Selfish, Mr Looking-for-Mother-Substitute and Mr Pervert. But no Mr Right. That is until she's literally knocked off her feet by Jamie Duncan as they rush to catch the same train from Euston station: the 18.07 from platform eight. It's not long before love blossoms and commuting takes on a whole new meaning.

Juliet Joyce has been happily married to Rick for 25 years. But with two children who treat the house like a hotel, a mother who's moved in with them and a father who's announced a radical life change, Juliet and Rick have little time for themselves, let alone romance.

For Lucy Lombard, there's nothing that chocolate can't cure. From heartache to headaches, it's the one thing she knows that she can rely on - and she's not alone. Fellow chocolate addicts Autumn, Nadia and Chantal share her passion, and together they form a select group known as The Chocolate Lovers' Club. Whenever there's a crisis, they meet in their sanctuary, a café called Chocolate Heaven. And with a cheating boyfriend, a flirtatious boss, a gambling husband and a loveless marriage, there's always plenty to discuss....

In the dead of night, Ayesha takes her daughter, Sabina, and slips quietly from her home, leaving behind a life of full of pain. Boarding a coach to London, all Ayesha wants is a fresh start. Hayden, a former popstar, has kept himself hidden away for years. He's only opened up his home to two people - Crystal, a professional dancer with a heart of gold, and Joy, an ill-tempered retiree with a soft spot for waifs and strays.

Fern has the voice of an angel, but as an underpaid barmaid and pub singer, she's going nowhere fast. Then she enters the TV talent show Fame Game, and this could be her big break. But then, things are never that simple. Evan David's exquisite tones have enthralled opera buffs throughout the world. Everyone around him panders to his every need, but what he really needs now is a break - from everything. Two worlds collide when Fern becomes Evan's assistant, and neither is prepared for the dramatic effect they have on each other.

Josie Flynn is in New York for the wedding of her American cousin Martha. Having just been through a messy divorce, she isn't really in the wedding spirit, especially when she thinks Martha is about to marry the wrong man - and Josie isn't afraid to tell her so. Which is all very noble until Josie meets Matt Jarvis and appears to be about to fall for the wrong man herself. Add to that the return of her ex-husband, an old flame and a dubious boy band, and it looks like it's going to be quite the wedding....

When Jake tells Lyssa it's not working, she knows he's not talking about the toaster. Her immediate reaction is to sob into her pillow and wait for Jake to come to his senses. But slowly Lyssa begins to understand that's not an option. In a bid to escape, she embarks on a trekking holiday in Nepal. Lyssa needs to get away - it never occurred to her that she might fall in love.... When it's time to go home - back to reality and a very sheepish Jake - Lyssa is faced with the hardest choice of her life.

Molly Baker is living her best life. Thirty-eight years old, she lives on the 25-acre Hope Farm in Buckinghamshire, surrounded by (mostly) four-legged friends and rolling hills. An ex-teacher, Molly runs the farm as an alternative education for kids who have special needs or behavioural issues. It's full on, but she wouldn't have it any other way. So when the well-groomed Shelby Dacre turns up at Hope Farm asking to enrol his son Lucas, Molly isn't fazed. But Lucas is distant, and soon Molly realises he might be more of a handful than she anticipated.

When Emily's boyfriend posts compromising photos of her on the Internet, her life goes into sharp decline. Emily is about to lose everything - including the man she thought she loved. Her best friend, Cara, is determined to mend Emily's broken heart, and she believes that a little magic is all that's required. But will Cara cast the right spell to get Emily out of her current position? Or will it go horribly wrong when they both fall in love with the same man?

Survival tips for times of stress: 1. Take deep breaths. 2. Count to 10. 3. Eat chocolate. Lucy thought she had got her happily ever after with the gorgeous Aidan, but things aren't turning out the way she had hoped they would. But she's not the only one with problems - Autumn's new boyfriend has yet to meet her parents; Nadia's husband has sworn he's given up gambling, but she's finding that hard to believe; and Chantal is doing all she can to save her marriage. It's clear that these girls are going to need a lot of chocolate.

Fay Merryweather runs her cake shop from her beautiful garden. She whips up airy sponges and scrumptious scones while her customers enjoy the lovely blossoms and gorgeous blooms. Looking after the cake shop, the garden, and her cantankerous mother means Fay is always busy, but she accepts her responsibilities because if she doesn't do all this, who will? Then Danny Wilde walks into her life and makes Fay question every decision she's ever made.

Lily and Laurence had it all: the money, the car, a beautiful home in the Buckinghamshire countryside. Then Laurence loses his job, and everything disappears. With nowhere to turn, Lily and Laurence are forced to take their two young children and move to a flea-ridden council house on a notoriously rough estate. As they try to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives, Lily constantly dreams of returning to her old luxurious life. Will her dream come true, or will she learn that money doesn't always buy happiness?

Louise Young is a devoted single mother whose only priority is providing for her daughter, Mia. Louise has a good job in a huge international corporation and she's grateful for it. The only problem is her boss who can't keep his hands to himself, but Louise can handle him. What she really doesn't have time for is romance - until she meets the company's rising star, Josh Wallace. Louise usually says no to evenings out but she's decided to let her hair down tonight.

Christmas is fast approaching at the new Hope Farm and Bev has convinced a reluctant Molly to organise an open day to raise some much needed funds ahead of the New Year. Their nativity tableau has everything they need: anti-social sheep, alpacas munching the Baby Jesus doll and a hairdresser dressed up as Santa Claus. But on Hope Farm it's going to take more than mulled wine and Christmas lights to get everyone in the festive spirit.

Indulge in this lovely, cake-filled novel of romance and friendship. Christmas Cakes and Mistletoe Nights is Carole Matthews at her heart-warming best! Fay and Danny are madly in love, and it's all Fay's ever dreamed of. But she left everything - including the delightful cake shop she used to run - to be with Danny on his cosy canal boat, The Dreamcatcher. And as she soon finds out, making delicious cakes on the water isn't always smooth sailing!