The Cypress Maze By Fiona Valpy
Tuscany, 1943. Stranded in war-ravaged Italy, Beatrice’s dream of an escapist year teaching English is shattered. Granted shelter at the Villa delle Colombe, she seeks refuge in Francesca and Edoardo’s beautiful walled garden, hidden from the outside world, with an elaborate cypress maze at its heart.
But Beatrice is not the only one seeking an escape here. Francesca has brought children to the safety of the house, as well as other adults, all of them seeking sanctuary on the estate with its mysterious maze. As the war closes in, the residents are forced to witness—and do—unthinkable things…
2015. Tess arrives at the villa raw from the agonising loss of her husband. Beatrice, now custodian, guides her to the solace of its gardens, where Tess begins to heal. But all hope of peace is shattered by the arrival of Marco, the estate’s absent owner, who wants nothing more than to hand it over to developers.
Distraught, Beatrice realises she must finally reveal the villa’s painful past if she wants to save it. As the extraordinary story unfolds, Tess realises that Villa delle Colombe is not just a refuge, but a beacon of hope in the darkest of times. Can she convince Marco to give it a new lease of life—and find a way back to happiness herself?
The Woman Who Ran For The Hills By Carmen Reid
Jennifer McAndrew thinks she’s living her best life in London – wonderful man, great job, happily child-free. Except the ‘wonderful man’ turns out to have a secret that ruins everything…
Shocked and devastated, Jen doesn’t know what to do. So, she packs her bags and runs for the hills – away from her problems, all the way to her childhood home in Scotland and the safety of her dad.
But her dad is a changed man. Busy with his girlfriend, golf and G&Ts, he doesn’t have time for Jen’s worries. And she can’t see her sister, Isla, who she fell out with years ago.
So, Jen rekindles friendships with her old school pals, Alison and Rory. They’re juggling work and young families, but still find time to take her out and set her up with some terrible dates.
The more time she spends with Rory and his daughters, the more Jen thinks there could be something big missing from her life. But could she ever go back to small town life? And can she forgive what happened in the past? Should a good friend become something more?
The biggest question for Jen is – will she try to solve her problems, or will she cut and run for the hills again?
Kiss Me By Samantha Chase
Saying “I Do” to her boss seemed like a harmless solution to a potentially harmful problem.
But the only problem now is that she wants the marriage to be real.
When Marissa Barrett finds herself in a dangerous situation with her family, she needs help. Fast. Normally the queen of problem solving, this is one instance where she just can’t seem to find a solution on her own. All she wanted from her boss was help finding an attorney. But before she knows exactly how it’s happened, they’re standing in front of a justice of the peace.
Patrick Donovan would do anything to help Marissa. After all, she’s been helping him run his business for years. He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t wildly attracted to her, but there was no way he would ever act on it. Plus, with his meddling family looking to see him settle down, the last thing he needed was any kind of romantic relationship. But when Marissa turns to him for help, suddenly he sees a way to do it that benefits them both.
One year of marriage. That was the agreement.
But everything’s negotiable, right?
My Sanctuary 