Under normal circumstances, bohemian, skint Izzie Stock would never have met Maddy Hoare, a Gucci–clad, Beemer–driving urbanite. Their backgrounds and values appear to be a million miles apart. Then, due to their respective husbands' careers, both women are dumped into the English countryside, fish out of water with five young children between them. They are thrown together at a ghastly ladies' lunch and quickly find they have two things in common – an absolute hatred for the petty–mindedness of their neighbours and a longing for the mucky London streets and residents' parking permits they've left behind. When tragedy hits and Maddy's world collapses, the two women decide it's time to shake things up. A chance discovery of Maddy's leads to the launch of a natural cosmetics company from Maddy's kitchen. The friends' subsequent success has implications far beyond their wildest imaginings...
Three women rent a holiday house in Cornwall for the summer. Each brings with her children, baggage (in every sense) and expectations. Imogen, who organised the holiday, is frighteningly capable and a bit of a control freak. With three children in whom she's invested her hopes and ambitions, she's well–informed and has an opinion on everything.
Sophie has been Imogen's friend, since boarding school. They don't see as much of each other anymore, and a good thing too, because her child rearing style – though well–intentioned – is haphazard to say the least.
And then there's Jo, an acquaintance of Sophie's roped in at the last minute when the first choice of housemate pulled out. A prickly, overworked, East London GP and single mother, she's very easy going with her son, and appears to be the polar opposite to Imogen...
From the outset, there's friction, and it can only get worse when the husbands join them. Oh dear – it all seemed such a good idea back in January...
Meet two women with two totally different approaches to the festive season.
It's only September but with Christmas cards in the shops already, Beth has performance anxiety. Not surprising when she works full time but has agreed to lay on the annual Christmas Eve bash in their quaint village – the pièce de resistance of her new husband's late wife – not to mention having to host Christmas for his difficult offspring. To Beth, the Christmas lights are looking more like the headlamps of an oncoming train.
At the ailing lifestyle magazine Carol edits, they were dealing with Christmas back in July. She's also tied up trying to find a scoop to save her job so she can be excused from failing to notice the impending festive rush. Panicked and wracked with guilt, she determines to make it a picture perfect time for her little boy and, opting for convenience, books a lovely–sounding cottage in a quaint village...
Even the best laid plans have a habit of unravelling – and no plan at all is a recipe for disaster – especially when their two Christmasses collide. Or does it have the makings of the best Christmas ever?
From the authors of GOODBYE, JIMMY CHOO comes a sparkling comedy that explores every woman's secret desire – to have a 'her indoors' to do the chores.
'What you need,' said Saffron, pouring Alex another glass of wine, 'is someone to take away your worries, someone you can rely on, someone to deal with all the boring details.' 'But I've got a bloke already,' protested Alex. 'No, no!' replied Saffron. 'I mean, what you need is a wife.'
Alex is a high–flying marketing manager in a multinational sportswear company, where the motto is 'Play for Your Life'. The pressure to perform is huge, the competition is playing dirty and she can't let anything – not even family – get in the way. Things come to a head when she discovers her Spanish cleaner has been using the flat to turn tricks in the afternoons, and in her bed! Then her mother has a fall and needs some full–time care. With so much to juggle, Alex realises that she can't manage without some serious domestic assistance and places an urgent ad in the local paper. In Ella, Alex believes she has found the perfect 'wife' – enthusiastic and terrifically capable – but Ella isn't quite what she appears and soon everyone is in on the secret. Except Alex...
After twenty years of comfortable marriage, and with the kids finally
off her hands, Sarah Lewis realises she has filled the washing machine
once too often. Surely there must be more to life than this? Sarah
wants an adventure, a wild, unpredictable adventure. But her husband -
good old reliable David - is very happy with the status quo. Besides,
he's got his old car to tinker with, when he eventually gets round to
it. What sarah needs is a gap year for grown ups - and she wants to do
it alone. Confident the grass must be greener elsewhere, she heads for
France leaving behind a devastated and resentful David, faced with an
empty house and a freezer full of meals-for-one. But is life really
better on the other side of the fence? With a gorgeous French man
demanding her company and a renewed /joie de vivre/, Sarah certainly
seems to think so. But then a catastrophe threatens to de-rail much
more than Sarah's little adventure. Pretty soon she begins to wonder
whether gap years are for grown ups after all....
You can read more about Annie Sanders' novels on the
Orion Books website
