AustLit

'It's 1980, and Kathryn Rowland is young and ambitious. She has precise plans drawn out for her future and no one -- not demanding parents, nor romantic entanglements -- is going to get in her way.

'But then she meets Jack Gallagher. As one of the top fashion photographers in the country Jack knows all about ambition, but he's become bored with the picture-perfect women who surround him and he finds himself enchanted by independent Kate.

'So how did they end up, almost a decade later, estranged, still nursing long held pain and regret? How did Jack find her, and what does he want with her son? As family secrets are revealed, and lies -- so many lies -- unravel, a tragedy brings them once again into each other's orbit.

'Set against the backdrop of Sydney in the 1980s, the fashion houses of Paris, strife-torn Ethiopia, and all the way back to a house overlooking the beach on the picturesque south coast, Jack and Kate is a captivating tale of first love and second chances told with Dianne Blacklock's trademark warmth and humour.'   (Publication summary)

'Everything seems to be going perfectly in Madeleine's life – she's a successful publicist in a book publishing house, and through work has met the love of her life, children's author Henry Darrow, who she's convinced is the loveliest man on earth.

'Things haven't always been so perfect for Madeleine, though. When her father died suddenly, it hit her hard; at the same time she struggled with the demands of her lifestyle and felt as though her life was spinning out of control. Until she met Henry.

'Now they are set to marry and live happily ever after when their best man arrives in town – handsome, charming and ever attentive, Aiden is a welcome visitor. But his presence soon causes ripples in the happy couple's world, as he brings secrets with him – and starts to unravel some of Madeleine's.

'As the big day draws closer, Madeleine starts to question her commitment to Henry: Is he really the one she wants to spend the rest of her life with?' (Publisher's blurb)

'Taste was such an evocative sense; Andie had closed her eyes, with the scone melting in her mouth, and been transported back to her grandmother's kitchen... Nourishment is nurture. That's what Andie learned from her grandmother and what she's always believed about cooking. But somehow, since marrying Ross, she's allowed her love of food to take a back seat and given up her dream of becoming a chef.

'Lately she's been craving more. And when her marriage falls apart, she's determined to find herself again and take back control of her destiny.

'The first step is taking a job in the kitchen of renowned chef Dominic Gerou. The brooding Englishman is more than Andie bargains for, but the new Andie is ready for anything, even a bad-tempered chef who makes it clear he won't tolerate mistakes.

'In this beautiful new novel, Dianne Blacklock takes us on a sumptuous journey of the heart as Andie uncovers the secret ingredient for her new life, and shows that no matter how many false starts you may have, if you hold on to your passion and your dreams, anything is possible.' (From the publisher's website.)

'The Beckett sisters - Ellen, Emma, Elizabeth and Evie - all need to shake things up.

'Emma has been planning her dream wedding even since she was a little girl, and as soon as her boyfriend Blake finally proposes, she presumes that it can only be smooth sailing from then on.

'Liz is a well respected and successful doctor and she expects her affair with a married colleague to turn into something more serious as soon as her partner can leave his wife. But that does seem to be taking a long time...

'Evie and Craig are married with three children, but have lost their way. When Craig suggests a way to spice up their relationship, Evie is horrified - must she go through with Craig's plans in order to save her marriage?

'And Ellen, the eldest sister and the anchor of the family, is dealing with a marriage breakdown and getting back into the dating game. But she wonders if she'll ever be able to let go and open her heart to love again.

'There's never a perfect time for life-changing decisions - just the right time.' (From the publisher's website.)

'Jo had learned the hard way that life was not mystical, or magical; it was hard and grey and cold most of the time. Much better to see it for what it is than to be perennially disappointed.

'With a hefty new mortgage, a frustrating career as a newspaper columnist and a flailing relationship with a married co-worker, Jo Liddell is resigned to living a less-than-perfect life.

'That is, until she crosses paths with Joe Bannister - a celebrated foreign correspondent returning home to care for his dying father. Against all her natural instincts, Jo finds herself falling for Joe, and with his help begins to realise that she might deserve to be happy after all.

'But when she decides to take the plunge and give love a chance, the results are catastrophic. And so Jo must fight hard for everything she never believed in - success, self-acceptance, and above all, real love.' (Publisher's blurb)

'Helen always tries to be a good person. She recycles, obeys the water restrictions - she is even polite to telemarketers. As a mother, wife, daughter and nurse, Helen is used to putting everyone's needs before her own. But it only takes one momentary lapse of concentration to shatter her life forever.

'Gemma lives an impulsive life and has never done anything by halves. Now her recklessness has left her pregnant, alone and estranged from her family, with her once-promising advertising career in tatters.

'So when Gemma barges unceremoniously into Helen's life, things will never be the same again for either of them. Two very different women who have one thing in common - their lives have fallen short of their expectations. But is fate offering them a second chance?' (Publisher's blurb)

'The lives of three different people--Mac, whose perfect marriage is falling apart under the strain of infertility; bookstore owner Georgie, dealing with a deadbeat roommate and no romantic prospects; and Liam, a new customer whom Georgie believes might be the perfect man--collide in an unexpected way with unforeseen repercussions for all of them.'

(Source: bookseller's website).