by Heidi Swain
‘Well, he’s welcome,’ I said, taking Will’s hand in mine, ‘and besides, more often than not, things don’t end up how they start, do they?’
It was getting late before everyone headed off. Amber and Jake were happily ensconced in their van and Jemma and Tom were in another. Will and I were planning to spend the night in the third and, having waved everyone off, we locked up the cottage and carried a bottle of Skylark Scrumpy, two glasses and a tired Minnie back down to the field. We toasted the future as the sun slipped below the horizon and, right on cue, Grace silently appeared, swooping low and intently studying her territory for some tasty morsel.
‘You do know that I’m in love with you, Lottie, don’t you?’ said Will, swallowing his last mouthful of cider and catching me completely by surprise. ‘I’ve loved you from the very first moment I saw you.’
‘What, naked and in dire straits?’ I questioned.
‘Absolutely,’ he grinned.
‘What was it that attracted you to me?’ I asked. ‘Was it the fact that I was naked or needed rescuing?’
‘Both,’ he said, ‘it was the perfect combination for me. I’ve always enjoyed playing the hero, although . . . ’
‘What?’
‘Well, from what I’ve learned about you since then, you’re more than capable of rescuing yourself, aren’t you?’
‘I suppose I am,’ I sighed, ‘except when electrics are involved, or thunderstorms.’
‘So I’m not completely redundant then?’ he said, looking down at me and making my insides melt.
‘Oh no,’ I told him, ‘absolutely not. This is one little cuckoo who is always going to need a companion to share her nest with.’
Curl up with Heidi Swain for cupcakes, crafting and love at The Cherry Tree Café.
Lizzie Dixon’s life feels as though it’s fallen apart. Instead of the marriage proposal she was hoping for from her boyfriend, she is unceremoniously dumped, and her job is about to go the same way. So, there’s only one option: to go back home to the village she grew up in and try to start again.
Her best friend Jemma is delighted Lizzie has come back home. She has just bought a little café and needs help in getting it ready for the grand opening. And Lizzie’s sewing skills are just what she needs.
With a new venture and a new home, things are looking much brighter for Lizzie. But can she get over her broken heart, and will an old flame reignite a love from long ago . . . ?
‘Fans of Jenny Colgan and Carole Matthews will enjoy this warm and gently funny story of reinvention, romance, and second chances – you’ll devour it in one sitting’
Katie Oliver, author of the bestselling ‘Marrying Mr Darcy’ series
Available now in paperback and eBook
Fall in love with country living this summer . . .
Amber is a city girl at heart. So when her boyfriend Jake Somerville suggests they move to the countryside to help out at his family farm, she doesn’t quite know how to react. But work has been hectic and she needs a break, so she decides to grasp the opportunity.
Dreaming of organic orchards, paddling in streams and frolicking in fields, Amber packs up her things and moves to Skylark Farm. But life is not quite how she imagined – it’s cold and dirty and the farm buildings are dilapidated and crumbling . . .
Even so, Amber is determined to make the best of it and throws herself into farm life. But can she really fit in here? And can she and Jake stay together when they are so different?
Summer at Skylark Farm
Available now in paperback and eBook
Christmas has arrived in the town of Wynbridge and it promises mince pies, mistletoe and a whole host of seasonal joy.
Ruby has finished with university and is heading home for the holidays. She takes on a stall at the local market, and sets about making it the best Christmas market stall ever. There’ll be bunting and mistletoe and maybe even a bit of mulled wine.
But with a new retail park just opened, the market is under threat. So together with all the other stallholders, Ruby devises a plan to make sure the market is the first port of call for everyone’s Christmas shopping needs.
The only thing standing in her way is her ex, Steve. It’s pretty hard to concentrate when he works on the stall opposite, especially when she realises that her feelings are still there . . .
This Christmas make time for some winter sparkle – and see who might be under the mistletoe this year . . .
Out now in paperback and eBook
The new Christmas bestseller from the author of Mince Pies and Mistletoe at the Christmas Market!
When Anna takes on the role of companion to the owner of Wynthorpe Hall, on the outskirts of Wynbridge, she has no idea that her life is set to change beyond all recognition.
A confirmed ‘bah humbug’ when it comes to Christmas, Anna is amazed to find herself quickly immersed in the eccentric household, and when youngest son Jamie unexpectedly arrives home it soon becomes obvious that her personal feelings are going all out to compromise her professional persona.
Jamie, struggling to come to terms with life back in the Fens, makes a pact with Anna – she has to teach him to fall back in love with Wynthorpe Hall, while he helps her fall back in love with Christmas. But will it all prove too much for Anna, or can the family of Wynthorpe Hall warm her heart once and for all . . . ?
Join Anna for a festive journey that is festooned with sleigh rides and silver bells and help her discover her happy ever after.
Coming this October in paperback and eBook
Acknowledgements
In typical Heidi Swain style these acknowledgements started life as a list – a long list of fabulous folk who have been instrumental in creating, crafting and eventually publishing this, my fourth novel.
At the very top, I made a note of the family – the boys who are still giving me the peace and space to get the words down and the girl who has scribbled on napkins, drunk tea and supplied inspiration (and character names) aplenty. The cat doesn’t get a look-in this time because, quite frankly, she hasn’t done a lot.
Next, I listed the publishing team – Clare, Emma, S-J, Jamie and Rich and everyone else at Team BATC. All of whom have encouraged, helped, believed and honed. I put a bright shiny star next to Pip Watkins’ name so I would remember to thank her especially for the stunning covers she has created and which encapsulate the very essence of the books. Thank you, Pip.
In quick succession after that came the hugely supportive bloggers, author chums and friends, and finally you wonderful readers, who buy the books, absorb the words and take the time to get in touch and tell me that you love Wynbridge every bit as much as I do. Every day, when I sit down to write, I remind myself how lucky I am to be in this position.
To my delight, this merry band of friends, who find themselves recognised and thanked on the final few pages, has rarely changed, and I am truly grateful for that. To be able to write the books I love, knowing there is such consistent support and friendship is a blessing and I thank you all.
And finally, one last thank you to Happy Days Retro Vacations in Suffolk for supplying quite simply the best research experience I’ve had so far. If you haven’t camped 60’s style, folks, you haven’t camped at all!
May your bookshelves, be they virtual or real, always be filled with fabulous fiction.
H x
Heidi Swain lives in Norfolk with her husband, two allegedly grown-up children and a mischievous black cat called Storm. She is passionate about gardening, the countryside and collects vintage paraphernalia. Coming Home to Cuckoo Cottage is her fourth novel.
You can follow Heidi on twitter @Heidi_Swain or visit her blog: http://www.heidiswain.blogspot.co.uk/
Also by Heidi Swain
The Cherry Tree Café
Summer at Skylark Farm
Mince Pies and Mistletoe at the Christmas Market
First published in Great Britain by Simon & Schuster UK Ltd, 2017
A CBS COMPANY
/> Copyright © Heidi-Jo Swain, 2017
This book is copyright under the Berne Convention.
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® and © 1997 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.
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A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Paperback ISBN: 978-1-4711-4728-9
eBook ISBN: 978-1-4711-4730-2
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either a product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual people living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
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Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Epilogue
The Cherry Tree Café Excerpt
Summer at Skylark Farm Excerpt
Acknowledgements