Contemporary Fiction Books

The Promise charts the crash and burn of a white South African family, living on a farm outside Pretoria. The Swarts are gathering for Ma's funeral. The younger generation, Anton and Amor, detest everything the family stand for - not least the failed promise to the Black woman who has worked for them her whole life. After years of service, Salome was promised her own house, her own land... yet somehow, as each decade passes, that promise remains unfulfilled. The narrator's eye shifts and blinks: moving fluidly between characters, flying into their dreams; deliciously lethal in its observation. And as the country moves from old deep divisions to its new so-called fairer society, the lost promise of more than just one family hovers behind the novel's title. In this story of a diminished family, sharp and tender emotional truths hit home. Confident, deft and quietly powerful, The Promise is literary fiction at its finest. Product Information: • ISBN: 9781784744069 • Author: Damon Galgut • Publisher: Chatto & Windus • Format: Hardback • Pages: 304 • Dimensions: 22.3 x 14.4 x 3 cm

Aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. But when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now? Summoned to Evelyn's luxurious apartment, Monique listens in fascination as the actress tells her story. From making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the '80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way, Evelyn unspools a tale of ruthless ambition, unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love. Monique begins to feel a very real connection to the legendary star, but as Evelyn's story near its conclusion, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique's own in tragic and irreversible ways. Product Information: • ISBN: 9781398515697 • Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid • Publisher: Washington Square Press • Format: Paperback • Pages: 400 • Dimensions: 19.9 x 12.9 x 2.4 cm

Lucy Hutton and Joshua Templeman sit across from each other every day . . . and they hate each other. Not dislike. Not begrudgingly tolerate. HATE. Lucy can't understand Joshua's joyless, uptight approach to his job and refusal to smile. Joshua is clearly baffled by Lucy's overly bright clothes, quirkiness, and desire to be liked. Now they're up for the same promotion and Lucy, usually a determined people-pleaser, has had enough: it's time to take him down. But as the tension between Lucy and Joshua reaches its boiling point, it's clear that the real battle has only just begun . . . Product Information: • ISBN: 9780349414263 • Author: Sally Thorne • Publisher: Piatkus • Format: Paperback • Pages: 384 • Dimensions: 19.8 x 12.6 x 2.6cm

Jess is a numbers genius, but when it comes to love she's had to accept there is no magic formula. Juggling a career with raising her daughter, it's not surprising that her love life is. . . non-existent. When yet another date ends in disaster, she's prepared to give up on love for good. But then she hears about a buzzy new matchmaking company that claims to find you the One using a DNA equation. Suddenly, love doesn't seem quite so far out of reach . . . Until her test shows an unheard-of 98% compatibility with the company's founder, Dr River Pena. Jess already knows Dr Pena, and this man is 100% not her soulmate. Yet as the pair are dragged from one event to the next as the ultimate 'Diamond' pairing, Jess begins to realise that there might be more to the scientist - and to the science behind a soulmate - than she thought. Product Information: • ISBN: 9780349426891 • Author: Christina Lauren • Publisher: Piatkus • Format: Paperback • Pages: 368 • Dimensions: 19.6 x 12.4 x 2.8cm

Tiffy Moore needs a cheap flat, and fast. Leon Twomey works nights and needs cash. Their friends think they're crazy, but it's the perfect solution: Leon occupies the one-bed flat while Tiffy's at work in the day, and she has the run of the place the rest of the time. But with obsessive ex-boyfriends, demanding clients at work, wrongly imprisoned brothers and, of course, the fact that they still haven't met yet, they're about to discover that if you want the perfect home you need to throw the rulebook out the window... Product Information: • ISBN: 9781787474413 • Author: Beth O'Leary • Publisher: Quercus • Format: Paperback • Pages: 432 • Dimensions: 19.6 x 12.8 x 2.4cm

Attraction at first sight can be messy... When Tate Collins finds airline pilot Miles Archer passed out in front of her apartment door, it is definitely not love at first sight. They wouldn't even go so far as to consider themselves friends. But what they do have is an undeniable mutual attraction. He doesn't want love and she doesn't have time for a relationship, but their chemistry cannot be ignored. Once their desires are out in the open, they realize they have the perfect set-up, as long as Tate can stick to two rules: Never ask about the past and don't expect a future. Tate is determined that she can handle it, but when she realises that she can't, will she be able to say no to her sexy pilot when he lives just next door? Product Information: • ISBN: 9781471136726 • Author: Colleen Hoover • Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK • Format: Paperback • Pages: 352 • Dimensions: 19.81 x 13 x 2.21 cm

When Addie La Rue makes a pact with the devil, she trades her soul for immortality. But there's always a price - the devil takes away her place in the world, cursing her to be forgotten by everyone. Addie flees her tiny home town in 18th-Century France, beginning a journey that takes her across the world, learning to live a life where no one remembers her and everything she owns is lost and broken. Existing only as a muse for artists throughout history, she learns to fall in love anew every single day. Her only companion on this journey is her dark devil with hypnotic green eyes, who visits her each year on the anniversary of their deal. Alone in the world, Addie has no choice but to confront him, to understand him, maybe to beat him. Until one day, in a second hand bookshop in Manhattan, Addie meets someone who remembers her. Suddenly thrust back into a real, normal life, Addie realises she can't escape her fate forever. Product Information: • ISBN: 9781785652509 • Author: V. E. Schwab • Publisher: Titan Books • Format: Hardback • Pages: 560 • Dimensions: 20.3 x 13.9 x 4.5 cm

Take a trip across the Irish sea for comfort food, cosy cottage nights and a heartwarming romance… Talented lawyer Hannah Campbell wants a change in her workaholic Manchester life – so she books herself a place at the world-renowned Killorgally Cookery School in County Kerry. But on her first night In Ireland, sampling the delights of Dublin, Hannah can’t resist falling for the charms of handsome stranger Conor. It’s only when Hannah arrives at her postcard-pretty home at Killorgally for the next six weeks that she discovers what happens in Dublin doesn’t quite stay in Dublin… Nestled amongst rolling green hills and breathtaking countryside, the cookery school throws Hannah and Conor together again–for better or worse. Product Information: • ISBN: 9780008393113 • Author: Julie Caplin • Publisher: One More Chapter • Format: Paperback • Pages: 416 • Dimensions: 19.8 x 12.9 x 2.6 cm

Connell and Marianne grow up in the same small town in the west of Ireland, but the similarities end there. In school, Connell is popular and well-liked, while Marianne is a loner. But when the two strike up a conversation - awkward but electrifying - something life-changing begins. Normal People is a story of mutual fascination, friendship and love. It takes us from that first conversation to the years beyond, in the company of two people who try to stay apart but find they can't. 'The literary phenomenon of the decade.' - Guardian. Product Information: ISBN: 9780571334650 Author: Sally Rooney Publisher: Faber & Faber Format: Paperback Pages: 288 Dimensions: 19.8 x 12.9 x 1.7cm

For years, rumors of the 'Marsh Girl' have haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet town on the North Carolina coast. So in late 1969, when handsome Chase Andrews is found dead, the locals immediately suspect Kya Clark, the so-called Marsh Girl. But Kya is not what they say. Sensitive and intelligent, she has survived for years alone in the marsh that she calls home, finding friends in the gulls and lessons in the sand. Then the time comes when she yearns to be touched and loved. When two young men from town become intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a new life - until the unthinkable happens. Product Information: • ISBN: 9781472154668 • Author: Delia Owens • Publisher: Corsair • Format: Paperback • Pages: 384 • Dimensions: 19.4 x 12.8 x 2.4cm

A secret from her past threatens the new life she has built… Fiona Norwood, the new rector’s wife, has caused quite a stir in the close-knit parish community of Aberthwaite. With her glossy blonde hair, fashionable clothes and lavish use of make-up, she is not what the rural Yorkshire community expected, and her ideas to modernise the parish do not go down well with some of the more traditional members of the congregation. Fiona is at the centre of the gossip and rumour in the community and it is only a matter of time before someone discovers the secret she’s been hiding in her past, something she hasn’t even told her new husband. The revelations and heartache that ensue have unforeseen consequences for more than one member of the parish. Product Information: • ISBN: 9781800327214 • Author: Margaret Thornton • Publisher: Canelo • Format: Paperback • Pages: 336 • Dimensions: 19.8 x 12.9 x 2 cm

Leaving London and her ex-husband Luc behind, Katie and her 14-year-old daughter Poppy move into their very own, very ramshackle cottage near the village of Christmas Steepleton on the Dorset coast. Harvest Cottage has been unloved for many years, so the job of bringing it back to life is a slow and expensive one. So, with funds running low, Katie jumps at the chance when a film company asks to use the cottage as a location. But even as things are looking up, as harvest time passes and autumn chill starts to bite, the prospect of a cold winter in the country is daunting. Some light relief comes from new friend Gabriel, so different from Katie’s exuberant but arrogant ex Luc. Will their friendship blossom into something more romantic, or will the reality of a tough country winter send her and Poppy scurrying back to the comforts of town? Product Information: • ISBN:  9781800485631 • Author: Jane Lovering • Publisher: Boldwood Books • Format: Paperback • Pages: 264 • Dimensions: 19.8 x 12.9 x 1.52cm

Surely everyone deserves a second chance? Ex-fireman and edible flower farmer Shay McGillen has plenty of reasons not to give Sarah Pickering even one chance when she turns up in his small Yorkshire village. After all, she is only there to try and convince him and his fellow villagers to sell up so her company can build a bypass. If Sarah thinks she can make Shay give up his farmhouse and his business, she has another thing coming! But when an unexpected blizzard leaves Sarah stranded in Shay's home, he soon realises that they are far more alike than he could have ever imagined - and perhaps both of them deserve a second chance... Product Information: • ISBN: 9781781894606 • Author: Gina Hollands • Publisher: Choc Lit Publishing • Format: Paperback • Pages: 288 • Dimensions: 19.7 x 12.8 x 1.7 cm

Would you marry a stranger to live the life of your dreams? August Anderson needs somewhere to live. Dumped by her boyfriend who would rather be alone than move in with her, she has almost given up on happiness. Until she notices that the beautiful Georgian townhouse she's long admired (ahem, *obsessed over*) is looking for a new tenant, and suddenly it seems like things might be looking up . . . There's just one catch - the traditional, buttoned-up landlord is only willing to rent to a stable, married couple and August, quite frankly, is neither. Competition for the house is fierce and August knows she'll have to come up with a plan or risk losing her last shot at her happy ending. Enter Flynn, the handsome, charming and somewhat unsuspecting gentleman who August accidentally spills her coffee over. Flynn is new to the area and is looking for somewhere to live, and August thinks she knows just the place, but only if he's willing to tell a little white lie . . . Product Information: • ISBN: 9780751574500 • Author: Isla Gordon • Publisher: Sphere • Format: Paperback • Pages: 464 • Dimensions: 19.6 x 12.6 x 3.6cm

She already has your looks. Now she wants your life... Beautiful twin sisters Iris and Summer are startlingly alike, but beneath the surface lies a darkness that sets them apart. Cynical and insecure, Iris has long been envious of open-hearted Summer's seemingly never-ending good fortune, including her perfect husband Adam. Called to Thailand to help sail the beloved family yacht to the Seychelles, Iris nurtures her own secret hopes for what might happen on the journey. But when she unexpectedly finds herself alone in the middle of the Indian Ocean, everything changes. Now is her chance to take what she's always wanted - the idyllic life she's coveted from afar. But just how far will she go to get the life she's dreamed about? And how far will she go to ensure no one discovers the truth? Product Information: • ISBN: 9781838951955 • Author: Rose Carlyle • Publisher: Corvus • Format: Paperback • Pages: 368 • Dimensions: 19.8 x 12.9 x 2.2 cm

Emma Carstairs is a Shadowhunter – the best in her generation. Together with her best friend and parabatai Julian Blackthorn, she patrols the streets of Los Angeles, where faeries – the most powerful of supernatural creatures – teeter on the edge of open war with Shadowhunters. But when bodies of murdered humans and faeries continue to turn up, Emma and Julian must strike an uneasy alliance with their supposed enemies in order to find the killer. Meanwhile, an extremist faction of Shadowhunters called the Cohort will do anything to seize power and turn Shadowhunters against Downworlders once and for all. Emma, Julian, and their friends must embark on a series of quests into the realms of Faerie and beyond in order to save the Shadow World as they know it – even as a deadly and ancient curse threatens to destroy them and everyone they love. . . Included in this title: • Lady Midnight • Lord of Shadows • Queen of Air and Darkness Product Information: • ISBN: 9781471192692 • Author: Cassandra Clare • Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children’s UK • Format: Paperback • Dimensions: 20 x 14.2 x 13.1cm

On September 5th, a little after midnight, Death-Cast calls Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio to give them some bad news: they’re going to die today.  Mateo and Rufus are total strangers, but, for different reasons, they’re both looking to make a new friend on their End Day. The good news: there’s an app for that.  It’s called the Last Friend, and through it, Rufus and Mateo are about to meet up for one last great adventure - to live a lifetime in a single day. Product Information: • ISBN: 9781471166204 • Author: Adam Silvera • Publisher: Simon & Schuster • Format: Paperback • Pages: 384 • Dimensions: 19.8 x 13 x 2.3 cm

Will their new-found freedom come at a price? It’s 1970 and Debbie Hargreaves is heading to college in Leeds, where she’ll be sharing with three girls she’s never met before. Although they’re all from very different backgrounds, Debbie soon becomes firm friends with shy Lisa, outspoken Karen and cool, self-assured Fran. At the same time, Fiona is struggling to cope with four young children and her duties as a rector’s wife. The arrival of a new childminder should be the answer to her prayers, but Glenda’s open flirting with Fiona’s husband soon sets tongues wagging. Is Fiona’s marriage really under threat? Debbie loves her newfound independence and the male attention she attracts, but in enjoying her new freedom is she neglecting her family and friends, and forgetting her roots? Product Information: • ISBN: 9781800327191 • Author: Margaret Thornton • Publisher: Canelo • Format: Paperback • Pages: 336 • Dimensions: 19.8 x 12.9 x 2 cm

1999. Carly Cooper is 30, single, and after coming close to saying ‘I do’ to six different men, she’s wondering if she accidentally said ‘goodbye’ to Mr Right. So, Carly quits her job, her flat, her whole life and sets off on a quest to track down all the men she's ever loved. But there is a problem. Her ex-boyfriends are scattered all over the world and Carly lives in an era before the Internet and Smartphones. Her Mr Right must be out there, but can she find him? And what if he’s moved on from the ex-girlfriend who said goodbye? Product Information: • ISBN: 9781802803655 • Author: Shari Low • Publisher: Boldwood Books • Format: Paperback • Pages: 360 • Dimensions: 19.8 x 12.9 x 2.08 cm

Is the past sometimes best left alone? Fiona Norwood is happily married, with a small daughter and another baby on the way. Her life should be complete. But she has a secret in her past, and a part of her cannot forget the baby girl she was forced to give up for adoption when she was seventeen. Meanwhile, Debbie Hargreaves has known ever since she was a little girl that she was adopted. Her parents are kind and loving and she has a happy home life, but there is a part of her that is desperate to find out about her birth mother. Debbie’s search will awaken powerful and long-buried emotions, and life for Debbie, Fiona and their friends and relatives will never be quite the same again… Product Information: • ISBN: 9781800327207 • Author: Margaret Thornton • Publisher: Canelo • Format: Paperback • Pages: 320 • Dimensions: 19.8 x 12.9 x 1.9 cm