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Karen and Joe's young son Ben has a life-threatening illness, which requires him to have daily injections and blood transfusions. With no matches on the bone marrow donor list - and neither being compatible - their only hope is to have a designer baby through IVF and hope he or she will be Ben's perfect match. But tests reveal that Joe is not the father and ambitious Health Secretary Nick Bright, whose wife Stella has been trying for a baby for years, enters the picture. Perhaps not as moving a story as expected but still a worthy read about a marriage under strain amid political spin doctoring.
In Lisa Heidke's Lucy Springer Gets Even, actress Lucy is living through renovation hell when husband Max takes off to Bali with a mystery companion. Juggling chaotic building dramas, two bewildered children and her crazy best friend/agent Gloria, Lucy is determined to get her life back on an even keel. It's out in January.
Another new release due out in the new year is Heiresses, by London-based author Lulu Taylor - a hefty tale about three heiresses. Jemima's indulgent lifestyle knows no limits; Tara's one purpose in life is to be financially independent of her family; while Poppy doesn't want to lose the comforts their family money brings. Now with the legacy of their parents, an ailing perfume empire, left in their trust, will they be able to turn their passion into profit?
Doris and Ronnie are best friends who are now living on opposite sides of the country after grad school. Doris, a literature professor who's just ended a relationship and been transplanted to Atlanta, is testing the waters again through online dating. Aspiring novelist Ronnie is back in Los Angeles to tutor an obnoxious wealthy schoolboy and stop a bartending bimbo hitting on her boyfriend Earl. Doris and Ronnie are determined to find their true paths and prove that friends can head in opposite directions and still see eye to eye.
It has been six months since Lucy left her much older husband after he admitted that she was far from the only woman in his life. Then she gets the call to return to Archie's deathbed. With her hands on his little black book, she decides that all his other sweethearts should be here for the bad times too. And one by one, they show up for their final farewell. Some visitors stay longer, including Elspa, the former drug addict whose life he saved; and John, the son Artie always wanted. As time runs out, will Lucy be able to forgive him? Original premise with quirky characters.
Catch up with Paige Toon and find out which rock stars inspired her latest novel Johnny Be Good.
Kate McCabe's latest release, Forever Friends, tells the story of Maddy Pritchard, a young estate agent determined to make it in the competitive, male-dominated world of property. But while she may know everything about auctions, market values and negotiating, she is struggling when it comes to men - especially ones like her smooth client Greg. McCabe's other novels include The Beach Bar and The Book Club.
Your favourite authors rate their best read from this year's releases . . .
I'd like to nominate Nancy Martin's Murder Melts in Your Mouth. This book grabbed my attention from the opening sentence: "While yakking into her cell phone with her massage therapist, my sister Libby walked out into traffic and got herself hit by a Rolls-Royce." The accident is the epitome of the Blackbird sisters - classy, wacky and expensive. Libby would never be hit by a beer truck or a lowly Buick. Nora, Libby and Emma are three heiresses who've lost all their money. The books are seriously funny and I've followed their adventures through seven books. Nancy Martin's series started in paperback with How to Murder a Millionaire, but the Blackbird sisters were so popular Nancy's publisher tried the risky business of taking the Blackbird sisters into hardcover - and succeeded. The Blackbird Sister are the ultimate chick lit fun. They're by a woman, for women, with issues that entertain and enlighten us.
Elaine Viets is the author of the Dead-End Job series. Her seventh Dead-End Job mystery is Clubbed to Death, where Helen Hawthorne works at a snobby South Florida country club whose motto should be "Do You Know Who I Am?" Worse, Helen's ex-husband turns up and then disappears - and she's accused of murdering the man she hates.
When Stephanie discovers a suspicious message on her husband James' mobile, she tracks down the female caller and finds that he has been living a double life. He spends the early part of the week living with his girlfriend Katie in a rural town while he runs his vet practice, then the rest of the week in London with Stephanie and their son Finn. Stephanie convinces a shocked Katie not to tell James what they have uncovered - instead they join forces to make his life hell first. But then one starts taking the revenge a bit too far and James' life really starts falling apart. It'll keep you reading to find out whether revenge is indeed sweet but I would have preferred a bigger showdown or twist at the end.
Audrey, Wait!, by Robin Benman, sees Californian high school student Audrey Cuttler dump her self-absorbed boyfriend Evan. He then writes a break-up song Audrey, Wait! which sees his band rocket up the Billboard charts. And now Audrey can't hang out with her best friend Victoria or get with her new crush James without being mobbed by screaming fans and paparazzi. All she wants is for her life to go back to normal.
Darcy comes from a long line of acting royalty but is doing badly paid Shakespeare when finally The Call comes from LA. This is her chance for fame on a movie with a hot-shot director and a hunky co-star. Belle was an in-demand Hollywood actress until her last film flopped. So she'll do anything to get back to the big time. Sam's a model agent on the lookout for the next big thing. She finds it on a London street but her discovery doesn't want to be a model. Nanny Emma is offered the dream job of looking after a celebrity baby. But are her nightmares just about to begin?
It seems even when you have millions, it's still hard to love thy neighbours. After society matriarch Louise Houghton dies, a new couple move into her three-floor apartment at the prestigious Manhattan address One Fifth Avenue. Paul and Annalisa Rice have made their fortune through his mathematical genius. He's now a ruthless hedge fund manager while she's reluctantly given up her glittering law career to cruise the social circuit. Their neighbours include gossip columnist Enid and her nephew Philip, a Pulitzer Prize-winning writer. Philip's former lover, Hollywood actress Schiffer Diamond, has just returned to town for a TV series but his new research assistant Lola is a girl on the make and has him firmly in her sights. Then there's media executive Mindy, whose position as head of the building's board allows her to poke her nose into everyone's affairs. She lives with her as-yet unsuccessful author husband James and their computer-savvy teenager Sam. Throw in a stolen treasure mystery, some bitchy bloggers and plenty of neighbourly feuds - and you have a tale that showcases all seven deadly sins.
Jennifer Elliott's first novel in her Amery Lakes series, Vodka Four, focuses on one of five friends. Heather knows all the love cliches by heart, such as love will hit you when you least expect it. Too many failed relationships have taught her to rely only on herself and those closest to her, such as her friends, Rory, Cat, Lily and Hera. A girls' night out leads Heather to live up to her party nickname in college, Vodka Four, and sees her hook up with a familiar face. It's out in December, with the sequel, A Thousand Yellow Daisies, about Rory, out next year. Elliott, from Winconsin, also has another book out next year - this time the first in a trilogy about three women who work as newspaper stringers, called God's Good Girls.
Melanie Rose's Love Struck is based on her first self-published novel Being Lauren from 2005 and will be published by AVON in January. Jessica is struck by lightning. When she wakes up in hospital she finds she's become Lauren - an older, married woman with four demanding children. Later that night, Jessica wakes up again - as herself. She quickly works out that only when Lauren sleeps does she become Jessica again. As she digs deeper into Lauren's life, she unearths some secrets that may tear the family apart.
In Susy McPhee's Husband and Lies, Alison is dying and wants her best friend, Fran, to find her husband a new wife. So Fran reluctantly logs on to an internet dating site, where she comes across the profile of Footloose, who looks exactly like her husband, Max. So posing as Sassy, Fran sends a reply and sets out to date her own husband. McPhee's next book The Runaway Wife, about a woman who thinks she doesn't want to live anymore after her world falls apart, is out next year.
We all know sex sells - and books on hookers, strippers and call girls are certainly popular at the moment. Rosalind Wyllie's Everything You Ever Wanted focuses on two women, Tiggy and Scarlett, who work at a Mayfair stripper club over the summer of 1991. The women couldn't be more different according to the synopsis: "Tiggy's stuck in a rut - trapped in a half life as a stripper at a Mayfair club, surviving on dope and vodka, and desperate for her married lover to leave his wife. Scarlett is different - she's more confident, stunningly beautiful, and willing to do absolutely anything to get exactly what she wants." The setting was inspired by Wyllie's brief experience working as a waitress at a similar club.
Ivy League graduate Anna Taggert isn't interested in joining the rest of her classmates in high-earning careers in law and investment banking. Instead she has a passion for teaching. She scores a position as seventh grade English teacher at an elite private school in Manhattan but her creative lesson plans don't seem to win favour with the principal or the parents. With her pay check barely covering the rent on her fifth-floor walk-up apartment, Anna soon uncovers the secret of one of her designer-clad colleagues, Randi - she works as a tutor, earning about $250 an hour to do the student's homework. Anna's moral objections soon fade as she enters the tutoring pool and finds her shopping sprees are improving her standing at the school. An eye-opening read for those wanting another insider expose of Manhattan's elite.
Your favourite authors rate their best read from this year's releases . . .
My favourite 2008 release would have to be This Charming Man by Marian Keyes. It's her ninth novel I think and it shows - it's just incredibly accomplished writing. The book tells the story of four women; stylist Lola, journalist Grace, Grace's married, troubled sister Marnie and Alicia, who is soon to be married to Irish politician Paddy de Courcy - who is the link between all four women.
The theme of the book is domestic violence and it's quite dark in places but the brilliant thing about Marian Keyes is that the book is also funny without ever once trivialising her subject matter. She's one of the very few authors who makes me laugh out loud. One of the things that I loved about it was her ability to move from one voice to another - there are four main female characters in the novel and she quickly establishes their stories and then moves between them as the novel progresses. Done badly this could result in a lot of confusion for the reader and a straggly, overly complex plot. But Marian does it so deftly that, even though it's an enormous book, I never once lost interest - quite the opposite - I couldn't stop reading.
Melanie La'Brooy is the author of the bestselling novels Love Struck, The Wish List and Serendipity. Her latest The Babymoon has just been released. She is also a regular contributor to the Melbourne newspaper The Age.
Ballroom dancing champion Angelica has returned to her hometown and sets up a dancing class in the old town hall. Town planner Katie and stay-at-home dad Ross sign up as part of their marriage counselling while Katie's friend Jo and husband Greg are happy to come along for the ride. Lauren and her clumsy-footed fiance Chris want to learn a wedding dance; while Lauren's parents Bridget and Frank are old hands on the dancefloor. Trina and Chloe just want to meet some men. As secrets start to spill and their lives go into a spin, is it true that guilty feet have got no rhythm? Who will still be dancing together at the end?
When Tilly Cole quits her London job for a fresh start, she arrives in a small town where there's rampant rivalry for the most desirable men. Tilly has no intention of joining in until she meets Jack. But there are shocking rumours about his wicked reputation. Tilly doesn't want to be just another notch on anyone's bedpost. But is she running away from the love of her life?
Lucy Dawson's debut His Other Lover delved into the mind of a paranoid girlfriend. Now with her 2009 release, What My Best Friend Did, she's taking a look at female friendships. Here's the synopsis: "When Alice meets Gretchen for the first time, it feels a bit like falling in love. Life's got a bit boringly grown-up of late: weekends at weddings and baby-showers, celebrating friends' transitions to a life she isn't quite up for yet, and, at home, a sweet-and-stable boyfriend she suspects she's outgrown. Gretchen Bartholomew, with her air of impulsiveness and intuitive style, is that rarest of things: a proper, new friend who knows how to have fun. Even the added complication of Gretchen's gorgeous brother, Bailey, might actually be just what Alice needs. Before she knows what's hit her, Alice's brilliant new best friend is turning her world upside down. But Gretchen has a dark secret, which - like a grenade ticking in her hand - won't stay hidden for ever. The explosion may teach them both more than they ever wanted to know about how female friendships can go wrong."
For those wanting a movie tie-in edition of Sophie Kinsella's Confessions of a Shopaholic, with stars Isla Fisher as Rebecca Bloomwood on the cover, the book will be released at the end of December - ahead of the movie's premiere in February.
Irish author Colette Caddle's ninth novel Between the Sheets is about bestselling romance novelist Dana De Lacey who goes to pieces when her husband, Gus, leaves her. As the words fail to flow and the alcohol flows too freely, she alienates all those around her. Then her estranged brother, Ed, arrives to take care of her out of the blue, and memories of her difficult childhood begin to surface, which inspires Dana at last to write from the heart.
British journalist Linda Green follows up her successful debut novel I Did a Bad Thing with 10 Reasons Not to Fall in Love. Jo Gilroy is done with love after her partner Richard walked out on their son's first birthday. Richard, who is Jo's boss at a TV news station, is now not only dating the weather girl - he's also demoted Jo to covering the fluffy "And finally" stories at the end of the news. But will Dan, a mysterious balloon sculptor, come to her rescue? It's out in January.
Your favourite authors rate their best read from this year's releases . . .
My pick of the year so far is The Gap Year for Grown-ups by Annie Sanders (actually two writers, Annie Ashworth and Meg Sanders). Their novels always have a lovely mix of flesh-and-blood characters, humour and intriguing titles. In this one, heroine Sarah has had enough of domestic life, which seems less blissful by the day. So she heads for France, where romance and adventure are on the cards . . .
The real strength of this book for me was Sarah's journey - the feelings that there must be more to life than being taken for granted as a housekeeper and mum will be shared by so many readers. I loved the French scenes and I was carried along by Sarah's triumphs and trials. But does she make the right decision in the end? I'm still not sure myself but I like a book that keeps you thinking after you turn the last page.
But there's also stiff competition ahead before the end of the year: I am counting the days till the release of Wally Lamb's The Hour I First Believed, and to Anthony Capella's The Various Flavours of Coffee - both coming in November.
Kate Harrison is the author of five novels - the latest, The Secret Shopper's Revenge, is out in hardback right now. She blogs about fiction and the writing life at chicklitworkinprogress.blogspot.com.
Cornelius Hedge is not happy about driving the friend of a colleague's wife through France. How on earth is he expected to make small talk with this woman? Especially after she bursts into tears when he introduces himself. But by the time they've reached their destination, Cornelius has grown increasingly fond of Katrina. But former lovers and difficult teenagers all seem to conspire to thwart their budding romance. Plus Katrina and Cornelius are both hiding secrets from their past.
In Saving Grace, by Dublin author Ciara Geraghty, insurance assessor Grace O'Brien is feeling mighty guilty when she wakes up not only with a hangover, but with geeky new colleague Bernard in her bed. How could she do that to her gorgeous boyfriend Shane, who stood by her when her brother Patrick died? Then things get a little more complicated as her sister's wedding nears and she meets her flatmate's new man.
An affair is never just between two people. In this case, Ella and William have been secretly seeing each other for eight years. Ella, a paediatrician, is married to Jackson and is happy with her decision not to have children. William is not-so-happily married to artist Beth who suffers from manic depression. Their 17-year-old daughter Cate is seeing Dan, who actually has his eye on Beth. When Jackson dies, it suddenly changes the dynamics. These characters and their connections are intriguing enough to keep you turning the pages. But showing the different perspectives of the main players sometimes meant scenes were replayed a tad too much.
Tess Stimson's next book, The Cradle Snatcher, tells the story of Clare who is married to a younger man. When she gives birth to twins, she hires nanny Jenna and so the rivalry begins. It's out in January.
Poles Apart by Polly Courtney looks into how a young Polish immigrant settles into life in London. Marta is an ambitious graduate from the outskirts of Warsaw who moves to London in search of fresh challenges. But she finds her qualifications aren't recognised, her living expenses are sky-high and she faces prejudices in both her work and personal life. Courtney based the story on a friend's experiences. Her first novel, Golden Handcuffs, follows two high-flyers through their first year in the city.
If you get accidentally mixed up between Rowan Coleman's Accidental titles, you may be pleased to hear The Accidental Wife is getting a new name for this month's release of the US edition. In Another Mother's Life, Alison is moving back to her hometown with her family after eloping 15 years ago with James, her best friend's boyfriend. She is wondering if that decision led her away from the life she was meant to lead. For the best friend Catherine, nearly divorced with two children, she is also wondering how her life could have been if the betrayal never happened.
Meanwhile, Rowan Coleman continues the story of Sophie Mills who took on her late best friend's two daughters in The Accidental Mother. The Accidental Family, due out early next year, sees Sophie in Cornwall, after moving there to be with the girls and their father Louis. But adjusting to life in the countryside isn't quite as easy as the city girl imagined. The hardest thing of all is to make that final commitment to actually move in with Louis, the man she thinks she loves.
Ruby has just got engaged to fellow school teacher Tom when her twin sister Stella announces she is pregnant after a one-night stand. So Ruby joins her on a road trip to find the guy - believed to be a lawyer from Las Vegas called Jake. The trip will also give Ruby a chance to consider whether she is really ready to marry Tom. Her sister, a professional face reader, thinks he's boring and her sexy colleague Nick (her McDreamy) has just confessed he has feelings for her. And does Ruby think the relationship will stand up to all 15 questions couples should ask before marrying?
Fans of Maggie Alderson rejoice - another novel is about to hit our shelves this month. In How to Break Your Own Heart, Amelia Bradlow has a handsome husband, a beautiful home, good looks and a glamorous job. But she doesn't have a baby - and husband Ed just isn't interested in parenthood. As she approaches 37 and they buy a cottage in the country, Amelia is faced with a life-changing decision, aided and abetted by her new friend Kiki. Should she stay in her marriage or not?
Your favourite authors rate their best read from this year's releases . . .
In The Fruit of My Lipstick, by Shelley Adina, high school student Gillian Chang is brilliant and talented. And the boy she likes is also brilliant and studying to win a spot on the Physics Olympiad, and aiming for a PhD in Physics at Stanford. So when he's suddenly interested in her, she's over the moon . . . except that being with him is starting to make her hide who she really is in order to be the girlfriend he wants her to be. Her friends are concerned. Why does a girl have to decide between her friends or her boyfriend? This was a fun book because it's a perfect beach read - light, funny, with a subtle message that doesn't beat you over the head. Gillian is as smart as I wish I was, and as disciplined as I know I'll never be, but it's entertaining to follow her through her dating mishaps and eventually discover her own identity as a young woman of integrity. This book is a Christian YA novel, but the religious aspects are very light and seamlessly woven into the characters and story. It's a great choice for mothers who want something entertaining but 'safe' for their teen and pre-teen daughters.
Camy Tang writes romance with a kick of wasabi. The first three books in her series, Sushi for One?, Only Uni and Single Sashimi are out now. Find out more at her website www.camytang.com.
Dorothy Howell's debut mystery novel, Handbags and Homicide, introduces Haley Randolph, the kind of girl who'd kill for a Kate Spade handbag. On forced leave from her real accounting job and with maxed-out credit cards, she takes a holiday job at Holt's department store. When she finds the assistant manager dead in a stockroom, she is the number one suspect. So Haley starts investigating the murder to help clear her name. The sequel, Purses and Poison, is out in 2009. Howell lives in California and also writes historical romance titles under the name Judith Stacy.
Death in Daytime is the first in a series of soap opera mysteries from The Young and the Restless actress Eileen Davidson. Alexis Peterson has starred in the nation's top soap opera for almost 20 years. But her career takes a nose-dive when Marcy is hired as the head writer. Alexis stole her boyfriend years ago and now Marcy is ready to take her revenge. So when Marcy turns up dead, bludgeoned with her Emmy, no one is surprised that Alexis is the prime suspect. Davidson first appeared as Ashley Abbott on The Young and the Restless in the early 80s.
Alex Dorenfield dies after being hit by a MINI Cooper while walking her dog Peaches. Arriving at the pearly gates, she is soon reunited with her beloved grandparents and uncle; moves into her dream home with a wardrobe full of designer clothes; and falls for her cute next-door neighbour Adam. But her guardian angel reveals there is a catch - in order to stay in seventh heaven (the highest level) she must prove she was living a fulfilling life by writing an essay about her 10 best days. Alex is an intriguing character who despite being an only 'miracle' child from a wealthy family had to work hard to find her place in the world. This sends the timely reminder that being surrounded by people you love is what really matters in life.
Tearjerker alert! Massachusetts-based author Juliette Fay's first novel, Shelter Me, is about young mother-of-two Janie who is grief-stricken after losing her husband. Four months after Robby's death, builder Tug arrives on her doorstep to build a porch that her husband had planned as a surprise. Slowly Janie is lifted out of her misery by friends and family, including her outlandish aunt, a pushy neighbour, her muffin-bearing cousin and the parish priest. And as Tug begins to tug at her heart, Janie realises it may be possible to fall in love again. It's out in January.
It's time to go Bolly as we take a look at some of the titles being offered by some of the best Indian chick lit authors.
It may be a sign of our recession-bound times but Sarah Strohmeyer may be striking the right chord with her 2009 release The Penny Pinchers Club. It's about a woman who stays with her husband to save up for their divorce but then finds their finances are even worse off than she thought.
Eve is in the middle of Thanksgiving dinner when she overhears her husband Jonathan on the phone. It appears he's developed a close relationship with a woman over the past year. Although Jonathon says an affair must involve sexual intimacy, Eve still feels devastated by the emotional connection he's sharing with Laney. Can their marriage survive?
In Enchanting Alice, by Anne Dunlop, Jane's life in an Irish farmhouse with husband Michael and his family was never going to work. So one day she pulls on her wellies and keeps walking until she reaches a town. When she goes to a rock concert, she catches the eye of the sexy lead singer and he invites her up on the stage to dance. Soon Jane's little dull world is about to turn upside down.
Meg Stiles is on her way from London to LA, to act as British rock star Johnny Jefferson's personal assistant. Even though she prefers Kylie and had to Google her new boss, Meg finds - like the rest of the female population - she is unable to resist the gorgeous musician tatts and all (Robbie Williams, anyone?). Trouble is despite his actress girlfriend, Johnny can't resist the trappings of his sex, drugs and rock'n'roll lifestyle. As Meg hits red carpet events and band showcases courtesy of Johnny, she hangs out with his friend from home Christian, who is writing his biography. Is she going to be able to resist mixing business with pleasure? A pure escapist story for all those who have ever dreamt of a poster boy falling into their arms. For fans of Toon's first book, Lucy in the Sky, watch out for the brief mention of Lucy and Nathan (Meg's ex-boyfriend Tom is Lucy's stepbrother).
In Rosie Wilde's Life's Too Short to Frost a Cupcake, Alice is offered a dream job in America - coaxing the reclusive, recovering alcoholic singer-songwriter Wyatt Brown into recording a new album. So Alice heads off to rural Ohio where she mistakes the music legend for a hired hand. Planning on taking the next plane home, somehow she ends up instead fitting right into the small town, including taking part in a cupcake frosting competition.
This focuses on one of the friends from the 2007 novel Not Meeting Mr Right. Peta Tully may have found her Mr Right in architect James but she's really not interested in the whole marriage and kids package. So when she's offered a 12-month contract in Melbourne with the art, sports and indigenous affairs department, the wannabe minister for cultural affairs jumps on a plane and heads to Sydney, leaving James behind. Soon Peta is breaking Melbourne's all-black fashion law and trying out the city's cultural smorgasbord, from art galleries and cool bars to an Aussie Rules football match. But with so many straight - and interested - men on offer, like policeman Mike, will her vow of celibacy remain intact? Peta is such a self-centred, big-chip-on-her-shoulder character that you certainly wouldn't shed a tear if she stepped under a tram. And she also had this cringe-worthy habit of eating international cuisine and then astral-travelling/dreaming of getting raunchy in that country. Peta as an international spokeswoman for sharing Aboriginal activism through chick lit - just so Ms Wrong.
Your favourite authors rate their best read from this year's releases . . .
Return of the Stardust Cowgirl by Marsha Moyer is a bittersweet end to the Lucy Hatch series that began in 2002 with The Second Coming of Lucy Hatch. If you love stories set in small towns, troubled romance and intelligent, electrifying prose, then check out Marsha's books because she delivers the goods. In this final book, Lucy Hatch struggles to keep her family together and watches her colorful hometown of Mooney, Texas, get swallowed up by the larger, almost identifical planned communities. Lucy is now an older and not necessarily wiser woman. If anything, she's learning as she goes along, which made her such a poignant chick lit heroine. Speaking personally, I feel that Lucy and I have grown up together. We both experienced the wild rush of first love - Ash Farrell is a man that will make any reader a little weak in the knees - and the uncertainty of motherhood. I'm really going to miss her but I look forward to whatever magic Marsha Moyer will conjure for us next.
Mary Castillo is the author of Switchcraft, which was hailed by reviewers as 'a love letter to women'. Her novels include In Between Men and Hot Tamara. She has contributed short stories to the anthologies, Names I Call My Sister and Friday Night Chicas. She welcomes readers to her website, www.marycastillo.com and her blog, Chica Lit, where she features authors, artists and chefs.
Isabel Bookbinder tells everyone she is assistant arts editor at the Saturday Mercury - even though her most responsible job is measuring how many column inches the big stories take up each week. But her real ambition in life is to be a best-selling novelist. She's got the swanky notebook, she's worked out the marketing plan for her bonkbuster, she's beginning to get her Look sorted - now all she needs is to actually sit down and write the story. When Isabel inadvertently triggers a political sex scandal, the paparazzi - and possibly MI5 operatives - are on her tail. Coming to her rescue is children's author Katriona de Montfort, who takes her on as her assistant. But it seems that Isabel's life story is about to get even more fanciful. Sadly only a try-hard in the Shopaholic/Bridget Jones mould.
From Louisa McCormack, the author of Six Weeks to Toxic, comes The Catch about a 40-year-old Toronto-based TV producer who is quite happy being single. Forced on hiatus from her job on Marry Me or Else! - the show that tries to pair off self-confessed spinsters with men - Minnie figures it's time for a change. So she moves to a tiny fishing village, where she gets to know the locals, including fisherman Joe, the village's most eligible bachelor.
In What Rhymes with Bastard?, Linda Robertson and husband Jack leave London for the dot-com boom in San Francisco. But her plans for a new life didn't include unemployment, odd roommates or Jack's attempt to sleep with as many women as he can get his hands on. As he tells her about every liaison, Linda begins penning some songs and assembles a cabaret band.
Beauty therapist Dayna is in hospital, about to give birth. Her best friend Emily is there with her candles and whale song CDs but the father is conspicuous by his absence. And so the book journeys into Dayna's boyfriends past to determine who the father is. First up is Simon, her first love who can't stop at one woman. Then there's Chris, a serious university student who wants to be a rock star, and rough-and-tumble Archie with his own particular views of the world. Mark seems the perfect boyfriend - but there has to be a catch and then there's her boss' son Cristian, who wants to settle down. With the author's trademark humour and loads of hilarious cultural references, this is the polar opposite of rubbish. Oh - and one of the truths about one of the boyfriends turns out to rate among the funniest passages I've ever read. Sequel please.
Debra Ginsberg follows up her debut novel Blind Submission with The Grift about a fake psychic who suddenly acquires real fortune-telling abilities. Coerced into the psychic business by her junkie mother, Marina earns her living using her intuition to fool clients. But after a move to California she finds she is foretelling the future with unnerving accuracy. Then she predicts a murder exactly as it happens and becomes the sole suspect.
Dianne Blacklock's new release Crossing Paths is about newspaper columnist Jo Liddell. With a hefty new mortgage and a troubled relationship with a married co-worker, she is resigned to living a less-than-perfect life. That is, until she crosses paths with Joe, a foreign correspondent returning home to care for his dying father. But when she decides to take the plunge and give love a chance, the results are catastrophic.
Kate Jacobs takes us back to the Walker & Daughter knitting store five years after the death of owner Georgia Walker, in her latest release, Knit Two. Georgia's daughter Dakota is now a college student and runs the store with the help of the members of the Friday Night Knitting Club. Catherine is finding love after divorce; Darwin has just had twins; Lucie is caring for her mother and child; and Anita is planning to marry Marty over the objections of her grown children.
Your favourite authors rate their best read this year . . .
In My Sister's Shoes by the Irish author Sinead Moriarty is a very funny, but also very heart-warming novel - I enjoyed it enormously. It's the story of two Irish sisters: Kate, who's moved away from her family home in Dublin to pursue her career and her dreams in London; and Fiona, who's stayed close to the family, and is married with twin five-year-old boys. The sisters' lifestyles couldn't be more different. Kate's hectic London life means that her visits home to Dublin are far less frequent than her family would like. She knows next to nothing about her little nephews. But when Fiona has a desperate crisis, and calls on Kate to help, what can she do? Catapulted against her wishes back to the family life she so cheerfully abandoned, she steps in valiantly to take over, looking after Fiona's home, difficult husband and mischievous children. It's a challenging and scary life change for her - with often hilarious and sometimes tear-jerking results. I loved the characterisation in this book: the likeable heroine, warmly drawn family, and especially the crazy brother who's a frustrated rap-artiste! And of course, there's a nice bit of romance thrown in for good measure!
Olivia Ryan is an author from Essex, England, who likes to write about the real-life situations we all experience. Her first three books are a trilogy - although they're completely different stories, with different characters, they are all set around the time of a wedding, and all build on the various stories and secrets of the characters being revealed against the emotional background of the events. Tales From a Hen Weekend was published in July 2007. Tales From a Wedding Day was published in September 2008. And Tales From a Honeymoon will be scheduled for publication in July 2009. To find out more, look at www.oliviaryan.com.
Canadian freelance writer Daria Salamon's first book, The Prairie Bridesmaid, is about a 30-something Winnipeg teacher who is ending a 10-year relationship with possessive boyfriend Adam. While he is away on assignment in Europe, Anna's best friends mount a ditch-the-loser intervention. She is also facing the peach bridesmaid dress from hell for her friend's wedding and her sister takes off to Iran with her boyfriend. To cope with it all, Anna keeps nightly counsel with her backyard squirrel, starts therapy sessions and gets advice from her blind, gun-toting Ukrainian grandmother who lives on a prairie farm.
Hot off the presses is this poster for the Confessions of a Shopaholic movie starring Isla Fisher as Becky Bloomwood and Hugh Dancy as Luke Brandon. The movie, based on Sophie Kinsella's popular series, is in cinemas next February.
In The Secret Diary of a Sex Addict, by Amber Stephens, Shelley Matthews is married to her job as a journalist at a glossy magazine and hasn't had sex for over a year. But then she is sent on an undercover assignment - as a sex addict. Attending therapy sessions, Shelley meets a whole host of characters including Cian, the lead singer of hot new band; Rose, a former porn star; and Cliff and Cheryl, a swinging couple.