Sophy Stevens is moving to Australia. Turning thirty has found her unexpectedly out of a job, out of a relationship, and just in need of Something Different – and Australia, where she can finally meet her grandparents and surprise them on their wedding anniversary, looks like the perfect answer . . . if she can save up the money for the plane ticket. So when her feckless, absent dad Johnno offers her a job at his vintage clothes shop in Primrose Hill, she can’t turn it down. It’ll only be for a few months, after all. But the Vintage Dress Shop turns out to be a treasure trove of gorgeous preloved clothes, from a 1930s cocktail gown to a never-worn 50s wedding dress, and despite the disapproval of the snooty manager, Phoebe, Sophy starts to fall in love with vintage fashion. And then there’s Charles Radley, the debonair gemstone specialist with exquisite tailoring, cheekbones sharp enough to cut glass, and enough charm to throw Sophy’s plans wildly off course. . . I am delighted to be
A story of friendship, possibilities and hope that maybe tomorrow will be brighter than today . . . Jamie Matson had once enjoyed a wonderful life working alongside her best friend, organising adventures for single-parent families, and her son Bo’s artistic flair a source of pride rather than concern. She hadn’t been prepared to lose her business, her home and her friend. Not all in one dreadful year. Jamie certainly hadn’t expected to find such hope and camaraderie in the queue at her local food bank. Thrown together with an unlikely and colourful group of people, their friendships flourish and, finding it easier to be objective about each other than about themselves, they decide that – when you’re all out of options – it’s okay to bend the rules a little and create your own. What a difference a year could make . . . It is not a secret I am a Penny Parkes fan. I have waited for this book with great anticipation and I was so very excited to read it. I'm glad to say it did not di