“I simply slung my rucksack on my shoulder and climbed into the car – and into the life – of perfect strangers…”<\/span><\/i><\/b><\/h3>\n[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”2px|||||” global_module=”1321″ saved_tabs=”all” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ background_position=”top_left” custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.jane-bailey.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Stay-by-Jane-Bailey.jpg” alt=”Stay by Jane Bailey” title_text=”Stay by Jane Bailey” url=”@ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF9saW5rX3VybF9wYWdlIiwic2V0dGluZ3MiOnsicG9zdF9pZCI6IjYzNCJ9fQ==@” url_new_window=”on” show_bottom_space=”off” align=”center” align_tablet=”center” align_phone=”” align_last_edited=”on|desktop” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _dynamic_attributes=”url” animation_style=”slide” animation_direction=”left” animation_duration=”500ms” animation_intensity_slide=”10%” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_toggle title=”MORE” open_toggle_text_color=”#f2f105″ open_toggle_background_color=”#FFFFFF” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” title_text_color=”#f2f105″ background_color=”#175073″ width=”800px” module_alignment=”center” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
“I simply slung my rucksack on my shoulder and climbed into the car – and into the life – of perfect strangers…”<\/em><\/p>\nIt was meant to be\u00a0Caitlin’s<\/strong>\u00a0perfect summer, but betrayed by her best friend and her boyfriend, she finds herself hitchhiking home alone, heartbroken, and penniless.<\/p>\nWhen a smiling family pulls up on the roadside to help her on her way, she’s relieved – they seem so friendly, safe. And when they offer her a warm bed in their isolated house for the night, she’s grateful not to have to travel back alone in the dark. In any case, she’s in no rush to get home, where\u00a0a grave secret is lying in wait to blow her family apart.<\/strong><\/p>\nOne night soon turns into two, and then three. The increasingly spellbinding couple wants her to stay, and why shouldn’t she? Their children need a tutor, and the longer she can avoid home, the better. But then an older member of the household warns her to leave immediately. And when her phone suddenly goes missing,\u00a0when\u00a0she realises that this perfect family is a perfect lie, it might not be so easy for her to leave…<\/strong><\/p>\n[\/et_pb_toggle][et_pb_button button_url=”https:\/\/geni.us\/STAYPB” url_new_window=”on” button_text=”PRE-ORDER” button_alignment=”center” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_button=”on” button_text_size=”30px” background_layout=”dark” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_button][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_5,1_5,1_5,1_5,1_5″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”23px||26px|||” global_module=”1322″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_5″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
\n\u2018A beautifully-written thriller that will really get under your skin.\u2019<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Mark Edwards<\/strong><\/p>\n[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_5″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
\n\u2018From a quietly sinister start this story escalates rapidly; so tense, so creepy! The very definition of a page turner. I loved it.\u2019<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Jackie Kabler<\/strong><\/p>\n[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_5″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
\n\u2018Such a unique and suspenseful piece of drama, masterfully done.\u2019<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Mel Golding<\/strong><\/p>\n[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_5″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
\n\u2018A creeping sense of dread from the first page, intoxicating.\u2019<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Amanda Reynolds<\/strong><\/p>\n[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_5″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
\n\u2018Unbearably dark and chilling. I couldn\u2019t put it down\u2019<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Shalini Boland<\/strong><\/p>\n[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_5,1_5,1_5,1_5,1_5″ use_custom_gutter=”on” gutter_width=”2″ make_equal=”on” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.jane-bailey.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Sorry-isnt-good-enough-1.jpg” alt=”Sorry isn’t good enough” title_text=”Sorry isn’t good enough” force_fullwidth=”on” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_toggle title=”SYNOPSIS & REVIEWS” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
“Sorry Isn’t Good Enough” Published March 2022<\/em>
<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/a>It is 1966, and things are changing in the close-knit Napier Road. Stephanie is 9 years old, and she has plans:<\/p>\n1. Get Jesus to heal her wonky foot
2. Escape her spiteful friend Dawn
3. Persuade her mum to love her<\/p>\n
But everything changes when Stephanie strikes up a relationship with Mr Man, who always seems pleased to see her. When Dawn goes missing in the woods during the World Cup final, no one appears to know what happened to her – but more than one of them is lying.<\/p>\n
May 1997. Stephanie has spent her life trying to bury the events of that terrible summer. But when a man starts following her on the train home from London, she realises the dark truth of what happened may have finally caught up with her…<\/p>\n
ORDER FROM AMAZON<\/a><\/h3>\nBook reviews<\/h1>\n
\u201cIf Joanna Cannon and Ali Land had a book baby that was then adopted by Gillian Flynn and Sadie Jones, Sorry Isn\u2019t Good Enough<\/em> would be the result, and what a child it is. It\u2019s both a mystery and a coming-of-age novel that has so much book club potential, and I can\u2019t wait to work with Jane and publish this fantastic novel.\u201d<\/p>\n\u2014<\/b>Francesca Pathak, Orion Editor<\/strong><\/p>\n“Gripping and surprising, and at turns chilling and heartbreaking. Stephanie’s story will stay with me for a long time.” \u2014<\/b>Melanie Golding<\/strong> <\/strong><\/p>\n[\/et_pb_toggle][et_pb_button button_url=”https:\/\/www.amazon.co.uk\/Sorry-Isnt-Good-Enough-Bailey\/dp\/1398704954\/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1PTSNBLQFNOE2&keywords=sorry+isn%27t+good+enough+jane+bailey&qid=1686210366&sprefix=sorry+isn%27t+good+enoug%2Caps%2C201&sr=8-1″ url_new_window=”on” button_text=”BUY FROM AMAZON” button_alignment=”center” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” background_layout=”dark” custom_margin=”||38px|||” custom_css_main_element=”width: 100%;” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_button][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.jane-bailey.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/jane-bailey-lark-song-new-book-June-2018.jpg” alt=”Lark Song – June 2018″ force_fullwidth=”on” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_toggle title=”SYNOPSIS & REVIEWS” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
“Lark Song” Published June 2018<\/em>
<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/a>As a widowed mother of three, new love seems impossible for Freya\u2014until she meets Duncan, and suddenly she feels alive again. But there are secrets afflicting Freya\u2019s family, some more sinister than others, that could destroy their relationship before it has a chance to flourish.<\/p>\nWhile Freya\u2019s older children are less than welcoming, six-year-old Sophie helps Duncan find his place in the family\u2014but even Sophie harbours fears that threaten to overshadow any chance of a new start. The past is hard to leave behind when pictures of Freya\u2019s idolised late husband hang in every room, and the more Duncan tries to find the source of Sophie\u2019s anxiety, the more he is convinced that Reuben was not the perfect husband and father Freya remembers.<\/p>\n
Tormented by concern and his own insecurity, Duncan begins an obsessive investigation into the dead man\u2019s past. But when his good intentions lead him in too deep, he risks destroying everything he has built with Freya\u2014and the whole family\u2019s second chance at happiness.<\/p>\n
ORDER FROM AMAZON<\/a><\/h3>\nBook reviews<\/h1>\n
\u201cGently told, warm and engaging,\u00a0Lark Song<\/i>\u00a0charts the lives and private anxieties of an ordinary family as they try to overcome loss and accept they are allowed to be happy again.\u201d\u00a0\u2014Rachel Joyce, bestselling author of\u00a0The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
\u201cA captivating story, full of love, buried secrets, and a shocking betrayal. Unputdownable!\u201d\u00a0\u2014Sue Limb, writer and broadcaster<\/b><\/p>\n
\u201cJane Bailey combines lightness of touch with a deep well of emotional intelligence. This story\u2026is affecting, wise and lovely.\u201d\u00a0\u2014Kate Riordan, author of\u00a0The Heatwave<\/i><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
\u201cLark Song<\/i>\u00a0is a beguiling, heart-tugging novel that comes complete with some of the most convincingly written child characters I\u2019ve encountered in grown-up fiction.\u201d\u00a0\u2014Caroline Sanderson, editor at The Bookseller<\/b><\/p>\n
“Lark Song is a love story with a dark betrayal at its heart that is nevertheless funny, tender, thoughtful and romantic\u2026with characters and a plot reminiscent of Daphne Du Maurier\u2019s Rebecca in a very up-to-date setting. I loved this book.” \u2014<\/b><\/em>Karen Byrom<\/strong><\/p>\n[\/et_pb_toggle][et_pb_button button_url=”https:\/\/www.amazon.co.uk\/Lark-Song-Jane-Bailey\/dp\/1477805125\/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1528270747&sr=8-1&keywords=lark+song%22%20rel=%22attachment%20wp-att-1092%22″ url_new_window=”on” button_text=”BUY FROM AMAZON” button_alignment=”center” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” background_layout=”dark” custom_margin=”||38px|||” custom_css_main_element=”width: 100%;” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_button][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.jane-bailey.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/What-Was-Rescued_frontcover.jpg” alt=”What Was Rescued – August 2017″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_toggle title=”SYNOPSIS & REVIEWS” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
“What Was Rescued”<\/em>
<\/strong><\/h2>\nIn the autumn of 1940, four children meet on a train. Behind them is London, under heavy aerial attack; ahead of them is a ship bound for the safety of Canada. Arthur has promised not to let his little brother, Philip, out of his sight. Pippa and Dora are on their own: polar opposites, yet bound together by the adventure of a lifetime.<\/p>\n
But disaster strikes mid-Atlantic, and in the chaos one of the children makes a choice that will determine the course of all four lives.<\/p>\n
As they grow into adulthood \u2013 forging their futures and falling in love \u2013 the survivors continue to reflect on the events of that night. It\u2019s not just what was lost that darkens their lives: what was rescued casts a long shadow, too. One of them has a terrible secret, and thinks it went down with the ship. That secret could shatter what happiness they\u2019ve managed to find.<\/p>\n
That secret is about to surface.<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_toggle][et_pb_button button_url=”https:\/\/www.amazon.co.uk\/gp\/product\/1477823158\/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vamf_taft_p1_i0″ url_new_window=”on” button_text=”BUY FROM AMAZON” button_alignment=”center” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” background_layout=”dark” custom_margin=”||38px|||” custom_css_main_element=”width: 100%;” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_button][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.jane-bailey.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/51PQS8K00FL._SX328_BO1204203200_.jpg” alt=”Lark Song – June 2018″ title_text=”51PQS8K00FL._SX328_BO1,204,203,200_” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” border_width_all=”0px” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_toggle title=”SYNOPSIS & REVIEWS” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
“Tommy Glover’s Sketch of Heaven” (Robinson 2005) <\/em> <\/span><\/h2>\nSynopsis<\/h2>\n
In 1944 eight-year-old Kitty is placed as an evacuee in a Gloucestershire village with a cold, unhappy couple, Joyce and Jack Shepherd, who find her Cockney chirpiness repugnant. Neither of them approves of Kitty\u2019s friendship with Tommy Glover \u2013 an older boy from the boys\u2019 home \u2013 and they even seem to nurse a mysterious hatred of him. Kitty\u2019s relentless curiosity slowly transforms the strangely troubled marriage of Joyce and Jack. But when she exposes a terrible secret, the lives of nearly everyone in the village are changed forever.<\/p>\n
Advanced Praise<\/h2>\n
\u201cA vivid and involving story that reaches a truly page-turning climax. I liked both the rhythm and small details of village life\u2026This is a lovely novel.<\/em>\u201d Barbara Trapido<\/p>\n\u201cA gentle, poignant, achingly funny tale\u2026Jane Bailey has a rare talent for moving one profoundly without ever overplaying her cards.\u201d Serena Mackesy<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2026absorbing, compelling and intensely moving\u2026Studded with hilarious and unexpected turns of phrase.\u201d<\/em>Lesley Glaister<\/p>\n[\/et_pb_toggle][et_pb_button button_url=”https:\/\/www.amazon.co.uk\/Tommy-Glovers-Sketch-Heaven-ebook\/dp\/B0057G9S6E\/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1361800977&sr=8-2″ url_new_window=”on” button_text=”BUY FROM AMAZON” button_alignment=”center” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” background_layout=”dark” custom_margin=”||38px|||” custom_css_main_element=”width: 100%;” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_button][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.jane-bailey.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/419FVW9MZWL._SX334_BO1204203200_.jpg” alt=”Lark Song – June 2018″ title_text=”419FVW9MZWL._SX334_BO1,204,203,200_” force_fullwidth=”on” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_toggle title=”SYNOPSIS & REVIEWS” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
“Mad Joy” (Robinson 2006) <\/em> <\/span><\/h2>\nSynopsis<\/h2>\n
In the beginning a small girl runs into a wood, and two years later walks out of it and into the nearest house. Gracie, the childless spinster who finds her curled up on her armchair, takes her on as her own, seeing her as a feral gift of fate. Known as Joy in the Cotswold village that adopts her, there is endless speculation about her wild past and comical ways. In this moving and passionate tale, Joy grows into a young woman at the advent of World War II, and when she becomes romantically involved with a fighter pilot the extraordinary mystery of her past slowly unravels.<\/p>\n
Kindle Edition – available from Amazon – \u00a32.74<\/a><\/p>\nAdvanced Praise<\/h2>\n
“A vivid and involving story that reaches a truly page-turning climax. I liked both the rhythm and small details of village life\u2026This is a lovely novel.<\/em>” Barbara Trapido<\/p>\n[\/et_pb_toggle][et_pb_button button_url=”https:\/\/www.amazon.co.uk\/Mad-Joy-Jane-Bailey\/dp\/1472129059\/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1634883335&sr=8-1″ url_new_window=”on” button_text=”BUY FROM AMAZON” button_alignment=”center” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” background_layout=”dark” custom_margin=”||38px|||” custom_css_main_element=”width: 100%;” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_button][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ disabled_on=”on|on|on” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#f0efe7″ width=”100%” custom_padding=”20px||20px||false|false” disabled=”on” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Books” _builder_version=”4.16″ header_font_size=”40px” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
Previous books<\/h1>\n
[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_3,1_3,1_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” width=”77%” module_alignment=”center” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” border_width_all=”1px” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”33px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
EATS, CHEATS & LEAVES<\/h3>\n
[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.jane-bailey.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/jane-bailey-eats-cheats-and-leaves.jpg” alt=”Lark Song – June 2018″ title_text=”jane-bailey-eats-cheats-and-leaves” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_toggle title=”MORE” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” title_text_align=”center” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
Eats, Cheats and Leaves<\/h1>\nSynopsis<\/h2>\n
This light-hearted self-help book in comic verse is beautifully illustrated by illustrator Gemma Hastilow (of Horrible History<\/em>\u00a0fame). A stocking-filler for all women who have been betrayed at some time or another, and a bit of a lark.<\/p>\nReview<\/h2>\n
‘This witty and wise consolation in verse should be made available on prescription for every wronged woman. It dispenses oodles of sisterly succour, and lashings of healing humour.’ <\/strong>Caroline Sanderson, reviewer for\u00a0<\/span>The Bookseller.<\/em><\/p>\nDirect from Publishers:<\/h2>\n
Direct from Publishers – paperback \u00a36.99 plus postage
Direct from Publishers – hardback \u00a39.99 plus postage<\/a>
Kindle Edition – available from Amazon – \u00a31.96<\/a><\/p>\n[\/et_pb_toggle][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” border_width_all=”1px” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”33px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
AN ANGEL IN WAITING<\/h3>\n
[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.jane-bailey.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/jane-bailey-an-angel-in-waiting.jpg” alt=”Lark Song – June 2018″ title_text=”jane-bailey-an-angel-in-waiting” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_toggle title=”MORE” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” title_text_align=”center” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
An Angel in Waiting (Headline Review)<\/em> <\/span><\/h1>\nSynopsis<\/h2>\n
When Tina Morrison is unexpectedly widowed during a spot of DIY, her dreams of the future collapse. Her house is a wreck, her stepdaughter is convinced a popstar is living in the garden shed and her mother-in-law is two spanners short of a toolbox. Worst of all, her desperate longing for a child looks certain to be unfulfilled. But there are ways and means\u2026 even if it seems that everyone, including Tina\u2019s boss at the Did-It-Myself DIY superstore, insists on standing between her and a baby. There is, after all, a young man in the garden shed whose true identity is about to astonish them all.<\/p>\n
Review<\/h2>\n
“In this quirky tale of loss and DIY, Jane Bailey has knocked up one of the freshest, funniest novels of the year…”<\/em> Daily Mail<\/p>\n[\/et_pb_toggle][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” border_width_all=”1px” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”33px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
PROMISING<\/h3>\n
[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.jane-bailey.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/jane-bailey-promising.jpg” alt=”Lark Song – June 2018″ title_text=”jane-bailey-promising” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_toggle title=”MORE” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” title_text_align=”center” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
Promising (Headline Review)<\/em> <\/span><\/h1>\nSynopsis<\/h2>\n
Eve Swanbrook is the new young art teacher at a boys\u2019 boarding school. Kieron Oakey and his friend Willy are competing to lose their virginity by the end of the summer term, but when Kieron\u2019s interest becomes centred on Miss Swanbrook, he seems to be out of the running. With the help of a wayward neighbour and an atheistic priest, Eve attempts to meet the challenge of a very male English institution. But while the school is congratulating itself on going mixed (it has a few girls in the sixth form to ward off financial disaster) both masters and pupils remain bewildered by the opposite sex. Then lust turns to love, and as mysteries unravel in this flagging public school, nothing is quite as it seems, where the familiar seems odd and the odd strangely familiar.<\/p>\n
Review<\/h2>\n
“Sometimes first novels are painfully autobiographical. What a thrill therefore to be captivated by the fictional life dreamt up by Jane Bailey in her debut novel. Eve Swanbrook is a young art teacher who attempts to meet the challenges of working in a male boarding school that has recently gone co-ed \u2013 not least the crush one of the students, Kieron Oakey, develops for her. Jane Bailey uses short, sharp observations coupled with an original outlook on life to great effect. The older woman\/younger boy romance is comically charted and is a joy to read.”<\/em> Daily Mail<\/p>\n[\/et_pb_toggle][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Books Coming 17 August 2023 “I simply slung my rucksack on my shoulder and climbed into the car – and into the life – of perfect strangers…””I simply slung my rucksack on my shoulder and climbed into the car – and into the life – of perfect strangers…” It was meant to be\u00a0Caitlin’s\u00a0perfect summer, but […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"
![\"What](\"http:\/\/www.jane-bailey.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/What-Was-Rescued_frontcover-683x1024.jpg\")
New Book \"What Was Rescued\" Published 1 August 2017
<\/strong><\/p>In the autumn of 1940, four children meet on a train. Behind them is London, under heavy aerial attack; ahead of them is a ship bound for the safety of Canada. Arthur has promised not to let his little brother, Philip, out of his sight. Pippa and Dora are on their own: polar opposites, yet bound together by the adventure of a lifetime.<\/p>
But disaster strikes mid-Atlantic, and in the chaos one of the children makes a choice that will determine the course of all four lives.<\/p>
As they grow into adulthood \u2013 forging their futures and falling in love \u2013 the survivors continue to reflect on the events of that night. It\u2019s not just what was lost that darkens their lives: what was rescued casts a long shadow, too. One of them has a terrible secret, and thinks it went down with the ship. That secret could shatter what happiness they\u2019ve managed to find.<\/p>
That secret is about to surface.<\/p>
\u00a0<\/p>
\u00a0![\"jane-bailey-eats-cheats-and-leaves\"](\"http:\/\/ormond.footholds.net\/~twicehos\/jane-bailey.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/jane-bailey-eats-cheats-and-leaves.jpg\")
<\/td> Eats, Cheats and Leaves<\/h1>Synopsis<\/h2>
This light-hearted self-help book in comic verse is beautifully illustrated by illustrator Gemma Hastilow (of Horrible History<\/em>\u00a0fame). A stocking-filler for all women who have been betrayed at some time or another, and a bit of a lark.<\/p>Review<\/h2>
'This witty and wise consolation in verse should be made available on prescription for every wronged woman. It dispenses oodles of sisterly succour, and lashings of healing humour.' <\/strong>Caroline Sanderson, reviewer for\u00a0<\/span>The Bookseller.<\/em><\/p>Direct from Publishers - paperback \u00a36.99 plus postage
Direct from Publishers - hardback \u00a39.99 plus postage<\/a>
Kindle Edition - available from Amazon - \u00a31.96<\/a><\/p>Direct from Publishers:<\/h2>
It was meant to be\u00a0Caitlin’s<\/strong>\u00a0perfect summer, but betrayed by her best friend and her boyfriend, she finds herself hitchhiking home alone, heartbroken, and penniless.<\/p>\n When a smiling family pulls up on the roadside to help her on her way, she’s relieved – they seem so friendly, safe. And when they offer her a warm bed in their isolated house for the night, she’s grateful not to have to travel back alone in the dark. In any case, she’s in no rush to get home, where\u00a0a grave secret is lying in wait to blow her family apart.<\/strong><\/p>\n One night soon turns into two, and then three. The increasingly spellbinding couple wants her to stay, and why shouldn’t she? Their children need a tutor, and the longer she can avoid home, the better. But then an older member of the household warns her to leave immediately. And when her phone suddenly goes missing,\u00a0when\u00a0she realises that this perfect family is a perfect lie, it might not be so easy for her to leave…<\/strong><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_toggle][et_pb_button button_url=”https:\/\/geni.us\/STAYPB” url_new_window=”on” button_text=”PRE-ORDER” button_alignment=”center” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_button=”on” button_text_size=”30px” background_layout=”dark” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_button][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_5,1_5,1_5,1_5,1_5″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”23px||26px|||” global_module=”1322″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_5″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n \u2018A beautifully-written thriller that will really get under your skin.\u2019<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Mark Edwards<\/strong><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_5″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n \u2018From a quietly sinister start this story escalates rapidly; so tense, so creepy! The very definition of a page turner. I loved it.\u2019<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Jackie Kabler<\/strong><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_5″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n \u2018Such a unique and suspenseful piece of drama, masterfully done.\u2019<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Mel Golding<\/strong><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_5″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n \u2018A creeping sense of dread from the first page, intoxicating.\u2019<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Amanda Reynolds<\/strong><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_5″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n \u2018Unbearably dark and chilling. I couldn\u2019t put it down\u2019<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Shalini Boland<\/strong><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_5,1_5,1_5,1_5,1_5″ use_custom_gutter=”on” gutter_width=”2″ make_equal=”on” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.jane-bailey.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Sorry-isnt-good-enough-1.jpg” alt=”Sorry isn’t good enough” title_text=”Sorry isn’t good enough” force_fullwidth=”on” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_toggle title=”SYNOPSIS & REVIEWS” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n <\/a>It is 1966, and things are changing in the close-knit Napier Road. Stephanie is 9 years old, and she has plans:<\/p>\n 1. Get Jesus to heal her wonky foot But everything changes when Stephanie strikes up a relationship with Mr Man, who always seems pleased to see her. When Dawn goes missing in the woods during the World Cup final, no one appears to know what happened to her – but more than one of them is lying.<\/p>\n May 1997. Stephanie has spent her life trying to bury the events of that terrible summer. But when a man starts following her on the train home from London, she realises the dark truth of what happened may have finally caught up with her…<\/p>\n \u201cIf Joanna Cannon and Ali Land had a book baby that was then adopted by Gillian Flynn and Sadie Jones, Sorry Isn\u2019t Good Enough<\/em> would be the result, and what a child it is. It\u2019s both a mystery and a coming-of-age novel that has so much book club potential, and I can\u2019t wait to work with Jane and publish this fantastic novel.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2014<\/b>Francesca Pathak, Orion Editor<\/strong><\/p>\n “Gripping and surprising, and at turns chilling and heartbreaking. Stephanie’s story will stay with me for a long time.” \u2014<\/b>Melanie Golding<\/strong> <\/strong><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_toggle][et_pb_button button_url=”https:\/\/www.amazon.co.uk\/Sorry-Isnt-Good-Enough-Bailey\/dp\/1398704954\/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1PTSNBLQFNOE2&keywords=sorry+isn%27t+good+enough+jane+bailey&qid=1686210366&sprefix=sorry+isn%27t+good+enoug%2Caps%2C201&sr=8-1″ url_new_window=”on” button_text=”BUY FROM AMAZON” button_alignment=”center” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” background_layout=”dark” custom_margin=”||38px|||” custom_css_main_element=”width: 100%;” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_button][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.jane-bailey.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/jane-bailey-lark-song-new-book-June-2018.jpg” alt=”Lark Song – June 2018″ force_fullwidth=”on” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_toggle title=”SYNOPSIS & REVIEWS” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n <\/a>As a widowed mother of three, new love seems impossible for Freya\u2014until she meets Duncan, and suddenly she feels alive again. But there are secrets afflicting Freya\u2019s family, some more sinister than others, that could destroy their relationship before it has a chance to flourish.<\/p>\n While Freya\u2019s older children are less than welcoming, six-year-old Sophie helps Duncan find his place in the family\u2014but even Sophie harbours fears that threaten to overshadow any chance of a new start. The past is hard to leave behind when pictures of Freya\u2019s idolised late husband hang in every room, and the more Duncan tries to find the source of Sophie\u2019s anxiety, the more he is convinced that Reuben was not the perfect husband and father Freya remembers.<\/p>\n Tormented by concern and his own insecurity, Duncan begins an obsessive investigation into the dead man\u2019s past. But when his good intentions lead him in too deep, he risks destroying everything he has built with Freya\u2014and the whole family\u2019s second chance at happiness.<\/p>\n \u201cGently told, warm and engaging,\u00a0Lark Song<\/i>\u00a0charts the lives and private anxieties of an ordinary family as they try to overcome loss and accept they are allowed to be happy again.\u201d\u00a0\u2014Rachel Joyce, bestselling author of\u00a0The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n \u201cA captivating story, full of love, buried secrets, and a shocking betrayal. Unputdownable!\u201d\u00a0\u2014Sue Limb, writer and broadcaster<\/b><\/p>\n \u201cJane Bailey combines lightness of touch with a deep well of emotional intelligence. This story\u2026is affecting, wise and lovely.\u201d\u00a0\u2014Kate Riordan, author of\u00a0The Heatwave<\/i><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n \u201cLark Song<\/i>\u00a0is a beguiling, heart-tugging novel that comes complete with some of the most convincingly written child characters I\u2019ve encountered in grown-up fiction.\u201d\u00a0\u2014Caroline Sanderson, editor at The Bookseller<\/b><\/p>\n “Lark Song is a love story with a dark betrayal at its heart that is nevertheless funny, tender, thoughtful and romantic\u2026with characters and a plot reminiscent of Daphne Du Maurier\u2019s Rebecca in a very up-to-date setting. I loved this book.” \u2014<\/b><\/em>Karen Byrom<\/strong><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_toggle][et_pb_button button_url=”https:\/\/www.amazon.co.uk\/Lark-Song-Jane-Bailey\/dp\/1477805125\/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1528270747&sr=8-1&keywords=lark+song%22%20rel=%22attachment%20wp-att-1092%22″ url_new_window=”on” button_text=”BUY FROM AMAZON” button_alignment=”center” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” background_layout=”dark” custom_margin=”||38px|||” custom_css_main_element=”width: 100%;” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_button][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.jane-bailey.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/What-Was-Rescued_frontcover.jpg” alt=”What Was Rescued – August 2017″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_toggle title=”SYNOPSIS & REVIEWS” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n In the autumn of 1940, four children meet on a train. Behind them is London, under heavy aerial attack; ahead of them is a ship bound for the safety of Canada. Arthur has promised not to let his little brother, Philip, out of his sight. Pippa and Dora are on their own: polar opposites, yet bound together by the adventure of a lifetime.<\/p>\n But disaster strikes mid-Atlantic, and in the chaos one of the children makes a choice that will determine the course of all four lives.<\/p>\n As they grow into adulthood \u2013 forging their futures and falling in love \u2013 the survivors continue to reflect on the events of that night. It\u2019s not just what was lost that darkens their lives: what was rescued casts a long shadow, too. One of them has a terrible secret, and thinks it went down with the ship. That secret could shatter what happiness they\u2019ve managed to find.<\/p>\n That secret is about to surface.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_toggle][et_pb_button button_url=”https:\/\/www.amazon.co.uk\/gp\/product\/1477823158\/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vamf_taft_p1_i0″ url_new_window=”on” button_text=”BUY FROM AMAZON” button_alignment=”center” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” background_layout=”dark” custom_margin=”||38px|||” custom_css_main_element=”width: 100%;” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_button][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.jane-bailey.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/51PQS8K00FL._SX328_BO1204203200_.jpg” alt=”Lark Song – June 2018″ title_text=”51PQS8K00FL._SX328_BO1,204,203,200_” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” border_width_all=”0px” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_toggle title=”SYNOPSIS & REVIEWS” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n In 1944 eight-year-old Kitty is placed as an evacuee in a Gloucestershire village with a cold, unhappy couple, Joyce and Jack Shepherd, who find her Cockney chirpiness repugnant. Neither of them approves of Kitty\u2019s friendship with Tommy Glover \u2013 an older boy from the boys\u2019 home \u2013 and they even seem to nurse a mysterious hatred of him. Kitty\u2019s relentless curiosity slowly transforms the strangely troubled marriage of Joyce and Jack. But when she exposes a terrible secret, the lives of nearly everyone in the village are changed forever.<\/p>\n \u201cA vivid and involving story that reaches a truly page-turning climax. I liked both the rhythm and small details of village life\u2026This is a lovely novel.<\/em>\u201d Barbara Trapido<\/p>\n \u201cA gentle, poignant, achingly funny tale\u2026Jane Bailey has a rare talent for moving one profoundly without ever overplaying her cards.\u201d Serena Mackesy<\/p>\n \u201c\u2026absorbing, compelling and intensely moving\u2026Studded with hilarious and unexpected turns of phrase.\u201d<\/em>Lesley Glaister<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_toggle][et_pb_button button_url=”https:\/\/www.amazon.co.uk\/Tommy-Glovers-Sketch-Heaven-ebook\/dp\/B0057G9S6E\/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1361800977&sr=8-2″ url_new_window=”on” button_text=”BUY FROM AMAZON” button_alignment=”center” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” background_layout=”dark” custom_margin=”||38px|||” custom_css_main_element=”width: 100%;” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_button][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.jane-bailey.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/419FVW9MZWL._SX334_BO1204203200_.jpg” alt=”Lark Song – June 2018″ title_text=”419FVW9MZWL._SX334_BO1,204,203,200_” force_fullwidth=”on” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_toggle title=”SYNOPSIS & REVIEWS” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n In the beginning a small girl runs into a wood, and two years later walks out of it and into the nearest house. Gracie, the childless spinster who finds her curled up on her armchair, takes her on as her own, seeing her as a feral gift of fate. Known as Joy in the Cotswold village that adopts her, there is endless speculation about her wild past and comical ways. In this moving and passionate tale, Joy grows into a young woman at the advent of World War II, and when she becomes romantically involved with a fighter pilot the extraordinary mystery of her past slowly unravels.<\/p>\n Kindle Edition – available from Amazon – \u00a32.74<\/a><\/p>\n “A vivid and involving story that reaches a truly page-turning climax. I liked both the rhythm and small details of village life\u2026This is a lovely novel.<\/em>” Barbara Trapido<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_toggle][et_pb_button button_url=”https:\/\/www.amazon.co.uk\/Mad-Joy-Jane-Bailey\/dp\/1472129059\/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1634883335&sr=8-1″ url_new_window=”on” button_text=”BUY FROM AMAZON” button_alignment=”center” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” background_layout=”dark” custom_margin=”||38px|||” custom_css_main_element=”width: 100%;” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_button][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ disabled_on=”on|on|on” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#f0efe7″ width=”100%” custom_padding=”20px||20px||false|false” disabled=”on” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Books” _builder_version=”4.16″ header_font_size=”40px” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_3,1_3,1_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” width=”77%” module_alignment=”center” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” border_width_all=”1px” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”33px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.jane-bailey.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/jane-bailey-eats-cheats-and-leaves.jpg” alt=”Lark Song – June 2018″ title_text=”jane-bailey-eats-cheats-and-leaves” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_toggle title=”MORE” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” title_text_align=”center” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n This light-hearted self-help book in comic verse is beautifully illustrated by illustrator Gemma Hastilow (of Horrible History<\/em>\u00a0fame). A stocking-filler for all women who have been betrayed at some time or another, and a bit of a lark.<\/p>\n ‘This witty and wise consolation in verse should be made available on prescription for every wronged woman. It dispenses oodles of sisterly succour, and lashings of healing humour.’ <\/strong>Caroline Sanderson, reviewer for\u00a0<\/span>The Bookseller.<\/em><\/p>\n Direct from Publishers – paperback \u00a36.99 plus postage [\/et_pb_toggle][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” border_width_all=”1px” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”33px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.jane-bailey.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/jane-bailey-an-angel-in-waiting.jpg” alt=”Lark Song – June 2018″ title_text=”jane-bailey-an-angel-in-waiting” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_toggle title=”MORE” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” title_text_align=”center” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n When Tina Morrison is unexpectedly widowed during a spot of DIY, her dreams of the future collapse. Her house is a wreck, her stepdaughter is convinced a popstar is living in the garden shed and her mother-in-law is two spanners short of a toolbox. Worst of all, her desperate longing for a child looks certain to be unfulfilled. But there are ways and means\u2026 even if it seems that everyone, including Tina\u2019s boss at the Did-It-Myself DIY superstore, insists on standing between her and a baby. There is, after all, a young man in the garden shed whose true identity is about to astonish them all.<\/p>\n “In this quirky tale of loss and DIY, Jane Bailey has knocked up one of the freshest, funniest novels of the year…”<\/em> Daily Mail<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_toggle][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” border_width_all=”1px” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”33px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.jane-bailey.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/jane-bailey-promising.jpg” alt=”Lark Song – June 2018″ title_text=”jane-bailey-promising” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_toggle title=”MORE” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” title_text_align=”center” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Eve Swanbrook is the new young art teacher at a boys\u2019 boarding school. Kieron Oakey and his friend Willy are competing to lose their virginity by the end of the summer term, but when Kieron\u2019s interest becomes centred on Miss Swanbrook, he seems to be out of the running. With the help of a wayward neighbour and an atheistic priest, Eve attempts to meet the challenge of a very male English institution. But while the school is congratulating itself on going mixed (it has a few girls in the sixth form to ward off financial disaster) both masters and pupils remain bewildered by the opposite sex. Then lust turns to love, and as mysteries unravel in this flagging public school, nothing is quite as it seems, where the familiar seems odd and the odd strangely familiar.<\/p>\n “Sometimes first novels are painfully autobiographical. What a thrill therefore to be captivated by the fictional life dreamt up by Jane Bailey in her debut novel. Eve Swanbrook is a young art teacher who attempts to meet the challenges of working in a male boarding school that has recently gone co-ed \u2013 not least the crush one of the students, Kieron Oakey, develops for her. Jane Bailey uses short, sharp observations coupled with an original outlook on life to great effect. The older woman\/younger boy romance is comically charted and is a joy to read.”<\/em> Daily Mail<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_toggle][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Books Coming 17 August 2023 “I simply slung my rucksack on my shoulder and climbed into the car – and into the life – of perfect strangers…””I simply slung my rucksack on my shoulder and climbed into the car – and into the life – of perfect strangers…” It was meant to be\u00a0Caitlin’s\u00a0perfect summer, but […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":" In the autumn of 1940, four children meet on a train. Behind them is London, under heavy aerial attack; ahead of them is a ship bound for the safety of Canada. Arthur has promised not to let his little brother, Philip, out of his sight. Pippa and Dora are on their own: polar opposites, yet bound together by the adventure of a lifetime.<\/p> But disaster strikes mid-Atlantic, and in the chaos one of the children makes a choice that will determine the course of all four lives.<\/p> As they grow into adulthood \u2013 forging their futures and falling in love \u2013 the survivors continue to reflect on the events of that night. It\u2019s not just what was lost that darkens their lives: what was rescued casts a long shadow, too. One of them has a terrible secret, and thinks it went down with the ship. That secret could shatter what happiness they\u2019ve managed to find.<\/p> That secret is about to surface.<\/p> \u00a0<\/p> This light-hearted self-help book in comic verse is beautifully illustrated by illustrator Gemma Hastilow (of Horrible History<\/em>\u00a0fame). A stocking-filler for all women who have been betrayed at some time or another, and a bit of a lark.<\/p> 'This witty and wise consolation in verse should be made available on prescription for every wronged woman. It dispenses oodles of sisterly succour, and lashings of healing humour.' <\/strong>Caroline Sanderson, reviewer for\u00a0<\/span>The Bookseller.<\/em><\/p> Direct from Publishers - paperback \u00a36.99 plus postage\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
“Sorry Isn’t Good Enough” Published March 2022<\/em>
<\/strong><\/h2>\n
2. Escape her spiteful friend Dawn
3. Persuade her mum to love her<\/p>\nORDER FROM AMAZON<\/a><\/h3>\n
Book reviews<\/h1>\n
“Lark Song” Published June 2018<\/em>
<\/strong><\/h2>\nORDER FROM AMAZON<\/a><\/h3>\n
Book reviews<\/h1>\n
“What Was Rescued”<\/em>
<\/strong><\/h2>\n“Tommy Glover’s Sketch of Heaven” (Robinson 2005) <\/em> <\/span><\/h2>\n
Synopsis<\/h2>\n
Advanced Praise<\/h2>\n
“Mad Joy” (Robinson 2006) <\/em> <\/span><\/h2>\n
Synopsis<\/h2>\n
Advanced Praise<\/h2>\n
Previous books<\/h1>\n
EATS, CHEATS & LEAVES<\/h3>\n
Eats, Cheats and Leaves<\/h1>\n
Synopsis<\/h2>\n
Review<\/h2>\n
Direct from Publishers:<\/h2>\n
Direct from Publishers – hardback \u00a39.99 plus postage<\/a>
Kindle Edition – available from Amazon – \u00a31.96<\/a><\/p>\nAN ANGEL IN WAITING<\/h3>\n
An Angel in Waiting (Headline Review)<\/em> <\/span><\/h1>\n
Synopsis<\/h2>\n
Review<\/h2>\n
PROMISING<\/h3>\n
Promising (Headline Review)<\/em> <\/span><\/h1>\n
Synopsis<\/h2>\n
Review<\/h2>\n
New Book \"What Was Rescued\" Published 1 August 2017
<\/strong><\/p>\u00a0 <\/td>Eats, Cheats and Leaves<\/h1>
Synopsis<\/h2>
Review<\/h2>
Direct from Publishers - hardback \u00a39.99 plus postage<\/a>
Kindle Edition - available from Amazon - \u00a31.96<\/a><\/p>Direct from Publishers:<\/h2>