FICTION

'Hotter than the rest of your TBR' Cosmo'Pure, steamy fun, and the perfect summer read' Ali Hazelwood, author of The Love Hypothesis'A fun, stay-up-late-to-finish read!' Abby Jimenez, author of Just for the SummerReaders love Summer in the City...'All I have to say is WOW' *****'I absolutely adored this book' *****'I'm in love with Parker Warren' *****'This will surely be a favourite of 2025' *****'I cannot recommend this book enough' *****From the New York Times bestselling author of the Lightlark Saga, this is Alex Aster's debut romance novel.Twenty-seven-year-old screenwriter, Elle, has the chance of a lifetime to write a big-budget movie set in New York City. The only problem? She's had writer's block for months, and her screenplay is due by the end of the summer.Desperate for inspiration, Elle returns to NYC the city she hates and tries to throw herself into her writing. But then she meets her new neighbour- Parker Warren. He's the city's favourite handsome tech billionaire and he's also the guy Elle hooked up with in a stairwell two years ago. When seeing him again turns into a night of hate-fuelled writing, Elle realises Parker might just be her twisted muse. So, when Parker needs to fake a steady relationship during his company's precarious acquisition and Elle needs to research a list of classic date spots in the city for her screenplay, they suddenly find they might just be exactly what each other needs. Summers always end, and so will this agreement.It's all pretend.Until it isn't.If you like...Billionaire Forced proximity Neighbours Fake dating Enemies-to-lovers Slow burn Spice...you'll love Summer in the CitySummer in the City ranked no. 10 on the Sunday Times bestseller chart and no. 2 on the New York Times bestseller chart week ending 29/01/25.

The Cia Book Club  'Entertaining and vivid… This is a gripping account of an intriguing and little-known Cold War moment' OBSERVER 'Reads like a thriller' THE SUN The astonishing story of the ten million books that were smuggled across the Iron Curtain during the Cold War. For almost five decades after the Second World War, Europe was divided by the longest and most heavily guarded border on earth. The Iron Curtain, a near-impenetrable barrier of wire and wall, tank traps, minefields, watchtowers and men with dogs, stretched for 4,300 miles from the Arctic to the Black Sea. No physical combat would take place along this frontier: the risk of nuclear annihilation was too high for that. Instead, the conflict would be fought in the psychological sphere. It was a battle for hearts, minds and intellects. No one understood this more clearly than George Minden, the head of a covert intelligence operation known as the ‘CIA books programme’, which aimed to win the Cold War with literature. From its Manhattan headquarters, Minden’s global CIA ‘book club’ would infiltrate millions of banned titles into the Eastern Bloc, written by a vast and eclectic list of authors, including Hannah Arendt and Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, George Orwell and Agatha Christie. Volumes were smuggled on trucks and aboard yachts, dropped from balloons, and hidden in the luggage of hundreds of thousands of individual travellers. Once inside Soviet bloc, each book would circulate secretly among dozens of like-minded readers, quietly turning them into dissidents. Latterly, underground print shops began to reproduce the books, too. By the late 1980s, illicit literature in Poland was so pervasive that the system of communist censorship broke down, and the Iron Curtain soon followed. Charlie English tells this true story of spycraft, smuggling and secret printing operations for the first time, highlighting the work of a handful of extraordinary people who risked their lives to stand up to the intellectual strait-jacket Stalin created. People like Miroslaw Chojecki, an underground Polish publisher who endured beatings, force-feeding and exile in service of this mission. And Minden, the CIA’s mastermind, didn’t waver in his belief that truth, culture, and diversity of thought could help free the ‘captive nations’ of Eastern Europe. This is a story about the power of the printed word as a means of resistance and liberation. Books, it shows, can set you free.

A moving story about two very different sisters, and a love letter to childhood, growing up, and the power of imagination—from the bestselling author ofEveryone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead and Interesting Facts About Space. Sigrid hates working at the Dollar Pal. Having always resisted the idea of “growing up” and the trappings of adulthood, she did not graduate high school, preferring to roam the streets of her small town with her best friend, Greta, the only person in the world who ever understood her. Sigrid was never close with her older sister, Margit, who is baffled and frustrated by Sigrid’s inability to conform to the expectations of polite society. Sigrid’s detachment veils a deeper turmoil and sensitivity. She’s haunted by the pains of her past—both distant, like when she pretended her parents were swamp monsters when they shook the floorboards with their violent arguments, and more recent, as she grapples with losing Greta’s friendship amid the opioid epidemic ravaging their town. As Margit sets out to understand Sigrid and the secrets she has hidden, both sisters, in their own time and way, discover that reigniting their shared childhood imagination is the only way forward. What unfolds is an unforgettable story of two sisters finding their way back to each other, and a celebration of that transcendent, unshakable bond.

Romeo and Juliet meets The Godfather in this electrifying YA mafia romance. When five mysterious and dangerously handsome Italian brothers suddenly move into town, Sophie’s summer break starts to get a lot more interesting… Irresistibly drawn to Nic, Sophie realises that his bad boy attitude in not an act – the Falcone family are in fact an infamous mafia clan. And when her own dark family secrets come to light, blood will spill and hearts will break… Praise for VENDETTA: ‘A grimy, tense, crime/gang thriller with a dynamic cast of characters; VENDETTA brings drama and realism to a dark story of grudges, revenge and passion.’ Alice Oseman, author of SOLITAIRE and HEARTSTOPPER ‘I stayed up until Late o’clock finishing VENDETTA… It’s AWESOME. Great fighting. Great kissing.’ C.J. Daugherty, author of the NIGHT SCHOOL series ‘A vibrant new twist on Romeo and Juliet. Full of energy and intrigue!’ Lucy Christopher, author of STOLEN ‘Fan-freaking-tastic … I honestly can’t say enough good things about it! I would read anything Cat Doyle writes after flying through VENDETTA!’ Victoria Scott, author of the FIRE & FLOOD series

‘Hilarious and heartbreaking’ MONICA ALI 'Deeply funny and knowing' MEG WOLITZER 'Witty, moving' ANN NAPOLITANO 'Poignant, funny and brilliantly told' POSY SIMMONDSAn often hilarious, surprisingly moving portrait of a long-married couple, seen through the eyes of their wickedly observant daughter – for fans of A Man Called Ove and The Royal Tenenbaums. Miranda’s parents live in a dilapidated house in rural France that they share with two llamas, eight ducks, five chickens, two cats, and a freezer full of food dating back to 1983. Miranda’s father is a retired professor of philosophy who never loses an argument. Her mother likes to bring conversation back to the War, although she was born after it ended. Married for fifty years, they are uncommonly set in their ways. Miranda plays the role of translator when she visits, communicating the desires or complaints of one parent to the other and then venting her frustration to her sister and her daughter. A wry, propulsive, exquisitely observed story of a singularly eccentric family and the sibling rivalry, generational divides, and long-buried secrets that shape them. This is an extraordinary debut novel from a seasoned playwright with a flair for dialogue and, in the end, immense empathy. ‘Hilarious and heartbreaking. Barnes’s dialogue is pitch-perfect, and her characters dance off the page and straight into your heart’ Monica Ali, author of Love Marriage ‘Camilla Barnes deftly deciphers the secret language of one family, often with deeply funny and knowing results. I loved spending time in the very specific, complicated and memorable world of this novel’ Meg Wolitzer, author of The Wife ‘I love nothing more than reading about eccentric families, and the family in The Usual Desire to Kill is just that. Miranda and her sister work to uncover the true story of their parents' marriage, only to have their brilliant, quirky mother and father deflect them at every turn. Barnes has written a witty, moving novel about characters who, even when they seem incapable of speaking honestly, are worth listening to nonetheless’ Ann Napolitano, author of Hello Beautiful ‘An account of two ageing, secretive, disputatious and thoroughly maddening parents – poignant, funny and brilliantly told through gritted teeth’ Posy Simmonds, author of Cassandra Darke

'No one writes Aussie rom-com like Anita Heiss.' Rachael Johns Matters of the heart have always made Annabelle run for the hills – literally. After a disastrous relationship effectively torched her personal and professional life in Sydney, Annabelle is back in Brisbane. She’s about to start her dream job launching and curating a First Nations gallery in the city, and this time, nothing is getting in the way of her important work. Certainly not romance, even if her new neighbour is really cute. Everything is going to plan until a birthday trip to the rodeo with her tiddas brings Annabelle up close and (very) personal with Dusty Davies, bona fide cowboy. Opposites may attract, but Annabelle’s not built for the rodeo life. Anyway, Dusty doesn’t take art and activism seriously like Annabelle does. It’s just a country fling ...Can a real-life cowboy convince Annabelle to compromise for love, or will he be just another man left in the dust?

‘A blackly funny twist on the Country House mystery, with bodies and wit galore’ John ConnollyAnd Then There Were None meets The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle.Ten strangers. An old dark house. A killer picking them off one by one. And a missing girl who's running out of time. . . Ten strangers wake up inside an old, locked house. They have no recollection of how they got there. In order to escape, they have to solve the disappearance of a young woman. But a killer also stalks the halls of the house, and soon the body count starts to rise. Who are these strangers? Why were they chosen? Why would someone want to kill them? And who – or what – is the Beast in the Cellar? Forget what you think you know.Because while you can trust yourself, can you really trust THE OTHER PEOPLE? ‘The Other People chilled me to the bone, made me laugh out loud - and everything in between. This devilishly clever mystery holds you captive from its explosive opening, right up to its shocking final pages. I never saw the twist coming, yet it made perfect sense. Brilliant!’ Alison Gaylin

A spicy small-town, brother’s best friend, sports romance “packed with sizzling tension, heat, and sweet, swoon-worthy moments” (Peyton Corinne, author of TikTok sensation Unsteady) between a college football coach and the one that got away that you’ll want to devour in one sitting. If he can prove he loved her then, and he loves her still, this time might be different. Ten years after one of the most heartbreaking nights of her life, Melody Woods is back in her small hometown of Oakwood Bay, broke, jaded, and unceremoniously dumped by her big-city boyfriend. To top it all off, her twin brother, Parker, is pushing her to take his spot on a camping trip with the one guy she’s spent a decade avoiding. For college football coach Zac Porter, his best friend’s twin sister, Melody, has always been off-limits. And after fumbling his chance ten years ago, a devastated Zac was sure he’d lost Melody for good. So, when Melody shows up at the campsite instead of Parker, Zac realizes that now is the time to prove to her that they were always meant to be, no matter how long it takes to make up for his teenage self’s mistake. Reeling from the truth of her last relationship, Melody plans to stay in town just long enough to get back on her feet. Then, she’s gone again. Meanwhile, Zac is facing an uphill battle to coach his team to its first winning game in years, to show Melody how she deserves to be loved, and to keep Parker from ever finding out. Maybe then, being with her will be more than just a dream.

The epic conclusion to Blood for Blood, the cinematic YA mafia romance trilogy. Sophie now lives a dangerous double life, pretending to be a regular teenager while training as a deadly assassin in secret. But the deceit can’t last for ever. Sophie’s heart belongs to a killer and she’s the prime target of a rival clan. Determined to seek revenge, she faces the ultimate decision: can she pay the price – can she be a Mafiosa? Praise for VENDETTA: ‘A grimy, tense, crime/gang thriller with a dynamic cast of characters; VENDETTA brings drama and realism to a dark story of grudges, revenge and passion.’ Alice Oseman, author of SOLITAIRE and HEARTSTOPPER ‘I stayed up until Late o’clock finishing VENDETTA… It’s AWESOME. Great fighting. Great kissing.’ C.J. Daugherty, author of the NIGHT SCHOOL series ‘A vibrant new twist on Romeo and Juliet. Full of energy and intrigue!’ Lucy Christopher, author of STOLEN ‘Fan-freaking-tastic … I honestly can’t say enough good things about it! I would read anything Cat Doyle writes after flying through VENDETTA!’ Victoria Scott, author of the FIRE & FLOOD series Praise for INFERNO: ‘It’s bloody brilliant, even better than VENDETTA if that’s possible … It’s exciting and violent and sexy and heartbreaking. Loved it!’ Louise O’Neill, author of IDOL and AFTER THE SILENCE ‘Darker, sexier and more dangerous than ever before …’ Melinda Salisbury, author of THE SIN EATER’S DAUGHTER ‘It’s the best, best, best YA romance-slash-Mafia action film that you could ever HOPE FOR … IT WAS SO GOOD. SO GOOD.’ Lauren James, author of THE QUIET AT THE END OF THE WORLD and THE NEXT TOGETHER series

Inspired by Chinese myths of ancient dragon gods and threads of fate, Katrina Kwan’s dazzling fantasy debut is a propulsive adventure perfect for fans of Sue Lynn Tan and Hannah Whitten. At the spry young age of twenty-five, Sai has led a quiet life, keeping the family teahouse up and running—even if that means ignoring the past-due notices—and taking care of his ailing mother. But he has a not-so-secret gift that he’s parlayed into a side career: he was born with the ability to see the red threads of fate between soulmates, which lends itself nicely to matchmaking. Sai has thus far been content not to follow his own thread, the only one he’s ever seen that’s gray and fraying. But Sai’s ordinary existence is about to be turned upside-down by a pair of shining dragon scales. When his mother’s doctor sells them to him, claiming them as a miracle cure, Sai is pretty sure he’s being scammed. When the medicine actually works—and the terrifying, ruthless emperor catches wind—Sai is thrust into the search for a dragon long thought extinct that will lead him into the throes of a brewing war and deep into foreign lands, facing down challenges both magical and mortal on an unexpected adventure. And for the very first time, as his own thread of fate begins to move, he may be able to solve the mystery of his Fated One at the other end of the line.

The gripping second instalment in Blood for Blood, the heart-racing YA mafia romance trilogy. Sophie is determined to piece her life back together, but it’s not easy to untangle herself from the dangerous Falcone brothers… Nic won’t give up on their love, and it’s Luca’s knife she clutches for comfort. It’s not long before Sophie finds herself torn between two warring mafia dynasties. With her heart drawn in one direction and her blood in another, she’s in deeper than ever… Praise for VENDETTA: ‘A grimy, tense, crime/gang thriller with a dynamic cast of characters; VENDETTA brings drama and realism to a dark story of grudges, revenge and passion.’ Alice Oseman, author of SOLITAIRE and HEARTSTOPPER ‘I stayed up until Late o’clock finishing VENDETTA… It’s AWESOME. Great fighting. Great kissing.’ C.J. Daugherty, author of the NIGHT SCHOOL series ‘A vibrant new twist on Romeo and Juliet. Full of energy and intrigue!’ Lucy Christopher, author of STOLEN ‘Fan-freaking-tastic … I honestly can’t say enough good things about it! I would read anything Cat Doyle writes after flying through VENDETTA!’ Victoria Scott, author of the FIRE & FLOOD series Praise for INFERNO: ‘It’s bloody brilliant, even better than VENDETTA if that’s possible … It’s exciting and violent and sexy and heartbreaking. Loved it!’ Louise O’Neill, author of IDOL and AFTER THE SILENCE ‘Darker, sexier and more dangerous than ever before …’ Melinda Salisbury, author of THE SIN EATER’S DAUGHTER ‘It’s the best, best, best YA romance-slash-Mafia action film that you could ever HOPE FOR … IT WAS SO GOOD. SO GOOD.’ Lauren James, author of THE QUIET AT THE END OF THE WORLD and THE NEXT TOGETHER series

Based on the true story of Tasma Walton’s ancestor, a powerful, heart-wrenching novel about maternal love that endures against pitiless odds. Kidnapped by sealers and enslaved far from her homeland, Nannertgarrook has a spirit that refuses to bow … From her idyllic life in sea country in Nerrm (Port Phillip Bay, Victoria), Nannertgarrook is abducted and taken to a slave market, leaving behind a husband, daughter and son. Pregnant when seized, she soon gives birth to another son, whom she raises with the children of her fellow captives. Nannertgarrook is separated not only from her Boonwurrung family, but from her birthright – the ceremonies she once was so joyously part of, the majestic whales who are her totem, the land and sky and sea country and its creatures. All these things she loves as deeply as she does her blood kin. But now, as her reality becomes profoundly different, she must keep that family and her old life alive in her mind. Their rich, pulsating elements sing to us through her beautiful voice, even while Nannertgarrook herself is subjected to the worst of humanity. This sweeping novel asks us to consider who, in colonial history, were the real savages, and what it truly means to be civilised.

'Edgy, gripping and full of menace' Hannah Richell An abandoned resort seems the perfect place to hide, but is Barren Cape a refuge or a trap? Former housemates Mac and Erika are homeless. Well, Erika is fine, she just has to live with her parents until she can find another rental. Mac's situation is much worse – family isn't an option and she's surfing the couches of her increasingly exasperated friends. Driving around one lonely afternoon, Mac discovers Barren Cape. Once destined to be a luxury escape, now it's just wire fence and gray cement. It's stark, but quiet. There's no harm in staying a little while… From the bestselling author of The Rush comes a spine-chilling thriller about what happens when people are pushed to the edge and forced to make unthinkable choices. ‘Taut, terrifying and timely’ B.M. Carroll ‘Prak’s books keep you reading long into the night’ Vikki Petraitis

The fifth book in Lynda's brilliant Detective Jack Warr crime series.