From the author ofย The Littlest Libraryโa heartwarming novel about a widowed childrenโs book author who moves into a cottage in the English countryside and finds herself face-to-face with the handsome and brooding blacksmith who lives next door.
In her books she can write โhappily ever afterโโ but real life?ย Thatโs another matter...
For childrenโs book author Imogen, an idyllic life in the English countryside seems like the perfect fit for her and her husband. But when tragedy strikes, Imogen is left widowed, and finds herself moving into Storybook Cottage alone with only her monstrously narcissistic cat for company.
After discovering she is pregnant, Imogen grows determined to embrace a new start in Middlemass, with its duckpond, cricket matches and village fรชtes. The only thing Imogen canโt seem to shake is her neighborโa brooding, artisan blacksmith named Gabrielโwho she canโt quite decide is friend or foe. That is until she realizes, thanks to an arcane clause in her deeds, that Gabrielโ not just an artist, but lord of the local manor houseโ has the power to take her home and leave her completely broke.
Devastatingly, he seems keen to do exactly that. Yet, Imogen finds herself drawn to him nonetheless. And in her darkest hour, Gabriel may just be the bright spot to save Imogen in more ways than one.
Poppy Alexander is the author of The Littlest Library, Storybook Ending, and 25 Days โTil Christmas. She wrote her first book when she was five. There was a long gap in her writing career while she was at school, and after studying classical music at university, she decided the world of music was better off without her and took up public relations, campaigning, political lobbying, and a bit of journalism instead. She takes an anthropological interest in family, friends, and life in her West Sussex village (think The Archers crossed with Twin Peaks), where she lives with her husband, children, and various other pets.