I’m lucky enough to have a gaggle of wonderful friends who’ve always believed I could do this. Eleanor, Emily, Hayley, Vanessa, Jess, Darren and Charlee – I love and thank you all.
To my first draft reader and dear pal, Sarah: thank you for your time, your encouragement and for always asking ‘But what happens NEXT?!’ when I sent you bits of this book via email. Your next Blue WKD is on me.
To Liz, my BFF: thank you for always being there for me, for having faith in me and for being proud of me. Without our friendship, there would be no Rachel and Anna. Without our shared London flat (which I seem to recall we lost the security deposit on?) these two best friends would never have had a home. Here’s to many more Wagamama lunches, skincare obsessions and big weekenders.
Thank you to my parents, my sister, my extended family and my in-laws. Your unshakable certainty that I would one day write a novel convinced even me in the end. You are all incredible, and I couldn’t have done it without you.
To my beautiful children: you amaze me in countless ways every day. I hope that when you’re old enough to read it, this story doesn’t embarrass you too much. I love and treasure you both.
And Dan. Eternal blessings on you for putting up with me over the past 18 years. I’m sure that when we met on that Tube platform, you’d never have thought you’d end up married to me – let alone jointly responsible for a houseful of dependent humans and animals. This just goes to show how careful you have to be when chatting up random women on public transport. Thank you for never doubting me, for listening to me rant on about my characters and their fictional world without complaint and for letting me soak up your sunny calm whenever I’m stressed. You’re the best partner I ever could have wished for. Thank you for being on our team. This book simply wouldn’t exist without you – and I can’t imagine how I would either.
About Laura Starkey
Laura was born in Warwickshire in 1982. She studied English & Related Literature at the University of York, then spent several years as a secondary school teacher before going on to work as a digital copywriter, editor and content designer. Despite her disbelief in real life ‘meet cutes’, Laura first encountered her husband on a Tube platform in London, in a plot twist worthy of any romcom (and she has read and watched a lot). She now lives in a small village in the West Midlands with her family, her book collection and a mini menagerie of pets. Laura is a graduate of the Faber Academy. Rachel Ryan’s Resolutions is her first novel.
About Embla Books
Embla Books is a digital-first publisher of standout commercial adult fiction. Passionate about storytelling, the team at Embla publish books that will make you ‘laugh, love, look over your shoulder and lose sleep’. Launched by Bonnier Books UK in 2021, the imprint is named after the first woman from the creation myth in Norse mythology, who was carved by the gods from a tree trunk found on the seashore – an image of the kind of creative work and crafting that writers do, and a symbol of how stories shape our lives.
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Rachel Ryan's Resolutions Page 37