Catherine Alliott writes the best weekend reads. Easy but so enjoyable. In The Pink House, Hugh’s parents, owners of said house, have divorced, and neither wants to stay in the family home. So it’s up to Hugh and his wife, Emma, to move in, and take over all that comes with it, including Hugh’s sister who lives in the garden cottage, and a mother-in-law from hell. Art exhibitions in the barn, their son’s glorious wedding, estranged family arriving unexpectedly …. all goes along swimmingly until Emma runs into Rory … the one that got away! A few twists to keep things exciting … such a great read. Michael Joseph
After the mysterious death of her sister, Tess is grief-stricken, lonely … and broke. She’s forced to B and B Rosie’s old room to pay the bills. With strangers in her home, Tess discovers a distraction: Their possessions. Tempted into the room while they’re out, she goes through her guests’ things, imagining the stories they hold. When handsome and inscrutable Arran takes the room, Tess finds his diary. The entries are about an unnamed woman. Crush or obsession? Slowly, his writing takes a darker tone, and Tess can’t stop reading. But in her compulsion to uncover the truth, there’s something Tess fails to notice. The Guest Room by Tasha Sylva is a taunt, clever read. Welbeck
Summer is coming to a close on Long Island, and Alex is no longer welcome. One misstep at a dinner party and the older man she’s been staying with dismisses her with a ride to the train station and a ticket back to the city. But with few resources, and a gift for navigating the desires of others, Alex stays on the island, drifting through the gated driveways and sun-blasted dunes of a rarefied world, trailing destruction in her wake. Taunt and sensual, Emma Cline’s The Guest captures the latent heat and potential danger of a summer that could go either way for a young woman teetering on the edge. Penguin
Add some sparkle to your book club with Perdeberg’s Lighthearted Sparkling Rosé. If you’re the glass half full (although, in this case, we’d prefer it poured to the brim, please) type of person … who finds joy in the simplest of experiences … take note of dewdrops, wildflowers, butterflies packaging … you’re going to love the Perdeberg Cellar’s Lighthearted range of lower in alcohol wines, which now includes this lively Lighthearted Sparkling Rosé. It’s low in alcohol, so perfect for the health-conscious wine enthusiasts, looking to enjoy the odd glass of bubbly (or two). Brimming with aromas of fresh cherries, candy floss, and berries, and with hints of sweet watermelon and berries, it’s lovely on its own when celebrating with friends, or with a sweet and sour pork dish or as an accompaniment to a berry-infused dessert. Fun, floral and refreshing. R100 a bottle from perdeberg.co.za, or at your local wine store.
Cassandra is a creature of habit. She likes what she likes. Museums, jumpsuits, her boyfriend. And strongly dislikes what she doesn’t. Mess, change, her boss drinking out of her mug. Her life runs in a pleasing, predictable order. Until now. She’s just been dumped. She’s just been fired. And her local café has run out of banana muffins. But then she discovers she can go back and change the past. So she should be able to find a way to fix the life she accidentally obliterated. The Cassandra Complex by Holly Smale. One woman. One bad day. Endless chances to put things right. Penguin
Sex. Suspense. A remote, isolated villa. A snow storm. Alex gets more than she signed up for when she’s selected to be one of five invited to a month-long writing retreat at the estate of a controversial high priestess of feminist horror. She, along with her former best friend and current rival, are offered the chance to win a life-changing, seven-figure publishing deal … if they manage to complete an entire novel from scratch. You get a faint idea of the outcome as the first of the five women disappear … but that doesn’t stop The Writing Retreat being a great debut novel by Julia Bartz. Magpie Books
Imagine. The perfect couple. They go together like bread and butter. Gin and tonic. Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds. Except, now they don’t. They broke up six months ago. And they still haven’t told anyone. Which is how they end up sharing a bedroom at the cottage that has been their yearly getaway with their best friends for the past decade. A place where everyone leaves behind their lives, drink far too much wine and soak up the sea air with their favourite people. Only this year, they’re lying through their teeth. They’re going to have to fake it. And hey … it’s a flawless plan – if you look at it through a pair of sunscreen-smeared sunglasses. Fabulous characters, off-the-charts chemistry, Emily Henry’s Happy Place is a wonderful feel-good read. Penguin Books
And there’s more …
Sara Linton. Will Trent. Do you honestly need to know anything more? The two, along with Will’s partner Faith Mitchell, are investigating new and cold cases that fall horribly close to home. Have never missed a Karin Slaughter book. Never will. After That Night is out now. GO GET IT! (Trigger warning: rape). Harper Collins
In Lucy Clarke’s The Hike, four friends hike out into the beautiful Norwegian wild … all big skies and mountain peaks and impressive forests. But a woman was murdered there … and waiting on the trail is someone who’s determined to keep the secret buried. Atmospheric and edgy. Harper Collins
