Showing results by author "Carole Matthews"

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.

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.

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.

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.

What if you had always dreamed of something more? Waving goodbye to the chip shop, Nell McNamara starts up a new business making her own line of must-have handbags, which are soon flying off the shelves. It seems Nell's dreams are finally coming true, but her success doesn't come without a price. Before too long, Nell has to ask herself if it's really possible to have it all….

Cassie Smith has been out of work for a while but she has an idea. Drawing on her love of Christmas, she begins charging for small things: wrapping presents; writing cards; tree-decorating. She's soon in huge demand and Cassie's business, Calling Mrs Christmas, is born. Carter Randall wants to make Christmas special for his children, so he enlists Cassie's help, and his lavish requests start taking up all her time. Thank goodness she can rely on her loving partner Jim to handle the rest of her clients.

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....

After splitting up with her cheating ex-husband, Ruby Brown is ready for a change. She's single again for the first time in years, and she's going to dive into this brave new world with a smile on her face and a spring in her step. The last thing she's looking for is another serious relationship. Mason Soames represents everything Ruby wants right now: he's charming, handsome, and perfect for some no-strings-attached fun, and yet Ruby can't help feel that something is missing.

Can the imperfect family really have the perfect Christmas? Juliet Joyce adores Christmas. She loves the presents, the tree, the turkey, the tinsel, everything. Already the festive spirit is upon her, which is just as well as this Christmas things are starting to get out of hand. Her son, Tom, is out of work and bringing home a slew of unsuitable partners; pregnant daughter Chloe and her little boy have moved back in; Juliet's father, Frank, is getting over heartbreak of his own; and Rita, her eccentric mother, is behaving more erratically each day.

The ladies of The Chocolate Lovers' Club should be gearing up for the wedding of the year, but life keeps getting in the way.... Lucy is worried about her financial situation, and it keeps distracting her. Should she accept an offer of help from an untrustworthy source? Nadia may have a real chance at finding love, but other areas of her life aren't so rosy. Something needs to change - but what? Autumn can't wait to meet someone she hasn't seen in a very long time.

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?

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.

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....

Juliet Joyce has been happily married for 25 years. But with two children who treat the house like a hotel, a mother sho’s just moved in and a father who’s announced he’s gay, Juliet and her husband Rick have little time for romance. Enter Steven Aubrey – last seen 26 years ago, when he jilted juliet on their wedding day. He ignites a passion in her that she thought was long gone. But will Steven sweep her off her feet or can Rick rekindle that loving feeling that’ve lost. There’s only one way to find out…

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. Why is Chelsea’s devoted husband 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? There and then, they decide it’s time to turn things around. To go all out for what they want, to start living again. The question is: have they left it too late?

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?

Ali Kingston is happily married with three children. She isn't the type to have her head turned - but then it isn't every day that a gorgeous younger man falls at her feet. When Ed, Ali's husband, finds out that she's spent time with another man, he's sure there's more to it than just a minor indiscretion - so in a moment of madness, he kicks Ali out of the house. Their family and friends do all they can to help Ali and Ed reconcile, but nothing seems to work. And then fate intervenes....

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.

Christmas is just around the corner, but the women of The Chocolate Lovers' Club have more to worry about than present shopping.... Lucy loves running Chocolate Heaven, but she hasn't spent time with her boyfriend, Aiden, in weeks. And then her ex-fiance turns up, and things become even more complicated. Nadia hasn't let herself get close to a man in a long time, yet she can't help feeling drawn to Jacob.

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....