by Lucy Diamond
Tomorrow this would all be over, she thought with a pang of sadness; they would put away the buckets and spades and beach paraphernalia for another year, and pack their cars, ready to disentangle their lives from one another again, and head their separate ways home. Together, they’d been great, though, this bunch of women around her. Together, they’d all played a part in a very unusual few weeks, helping and supporting each other, rescuing each other, even, when the going got tough.
She and Freya had already arranged a night out in London together for a few weeks’ time. She and Olivia were planning to visit Kew for a day trip one Sunday at the end of the month. And last night, she and Molly had Skyped Simon and arranged for her to go and stay with him, Anne-Marie and the new baby for a couple of days over the October half-term. It was the right thing to do and Molly had seemed lighter and more cheerful ever since. A girl needed her dad sometimes. Even if he was a Pritt Stick, as Dexter would say.
It was left to Teddy, of course, to have the last word. ‘Are we ever going to have the cake?’ he asked pleadingly, and everyone laughed, breaking the spell. And then Freya was bustling around with plates, and Katie was helping, and everyone was congratulating Gloria on her exemplary baking skills.
The nostalgic end-of-holiday moment Harriet had been experiencing was lost – but that was all right, she thought with a grin. Because she knew already that life as one of the Tarrant family meant many more special moments yet to come. Maybe there would be further bumps in the road for her and Robert. Maybe the tyres might come right off at times. But they’d never know without giving it a go. Right now, she felt it was worth a try.
Heavenly Devon
Although Silver Sands and Ennisbridge are fictional (sadly), some of the other places mentioned in this book are real, and well worth a visit if you’re planning a trip to Devon.
Bigbury-on-Sea and Burgh Island. Set in an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the beach at Bigbury-on-Sea has been awarded a Blue Flag and is absolutely lovely – golden sand and shallow water. There are rockpools to explore as well as wind-surfing and kite-surfing hire facilities right on the beach, plus a lovely cafe if you feel peckish.
At low tide, you can walk across a causeway to Burgh Island where you’ll find a beautiful Art Deco hotel favoured by Agatha Christie and Noel Coward back in the day. The afternoon tea is meant to be good (as are the cocktails …). If the tide is up, you can ride across there on a lovely old-fashioned sea tractor instead, like the Castledines do in the book.
Coleton Fishacre. This is the house the Castledines go to, where they all roll down the hill together. It’s a National Trust property from the 1920s – a gorgeous Arts and Crafts style house with great views and 24-acre gardens.
Dartmouth Castle (or Darkness Castle as my friend’s little girl used to call it). A fab fourteenth-century fortress with stunning views over the Dart estuary from the battlements. You can get a boat over from the town quay (look out for the mermaid statue!) and, as Olivia says, there is a shop selling wooden swords and dirks that any children with you might want to spend pocket money on.
Dartmoor. Put on your walking boots and go for a hike. The landscape is absolutely stunning, there are great pubs to be discovered and the wild ponies are extremely sweet. If you enjoyed We Bought A Zoo, the actual zoo is on the edge of Dartmoor, and is a good day out, too. And if you fancy a canoeing trip, like the Tarrants, there are several activity centres where you can canoe or kayak, or build your own raft …
I realize I have only scratched the surface here when it comes to great places to explore in Devon. There are hundreds of others! Feel free to alert me to your favourites on my Facebook page:
www.facebook.com/LucyDiamondAuthor.
Happy holidays!
It’s New Year’s Eve, and Gemma and Spencer Bailey are throwing a house party. There’s music, dancing, champagne and all their best friends under one roof. It’s going to be a night to remember.
Also at the party is Caitlin, who has returned to the village to pack up her much-missed mum’s house and to figure out what to do with her life; and Saffron, a PR executive who’s keeping a secret which no amount of spin can change. The three women bond over Gemma’s dodgy cocktails and fortune cookies, and vow to make this year their best one yet.
But as the following months unfold, Gemma, Saffron and Caitlin find themselves tested to their limits by shocking new developments. Family, love, work, home – all the things they’ve taken for granted – are thrown into disarray. Under pressure, they are each forced to rethink their lives and start over. But dare they take a chance on something new?
Praise for The Year of Taking Chances
‘Well-written, full of humour and filled with a reminder about what it means to be kind’ Closer
Summer at Shell Cottage
Lucy Diamond lives in Bath with her husband and their three children. Summer at Shell Cottage is her tenth novel. When she isn’t slaving away on a new book (ahem) you can find her on Twitter @LDiamondAuthor or Facebook at facebook.com/LucyDiamondAuthor
BY THE SAME AUTHOR
Novels
Any Way You Want Me
Over You
Hens Reunited
Sweet Temptation
The Beach Café
Summer with my Sister
Me and Mr Jones
One Night in Italy
The Year of Taking Chances
Ebook novellas
Christmas at the Beach Café
Christmas Gifts at the Beach Café
First published 2015 by Pan Books
This electronic edition published 2015 by Pan Books
an imprint of Pan Macmillan
20 New Wharf Road, London N1 9RR
Associated companies throughout the world
www.panmacmillan.com
ISBN 978-1-4472-5781-3
Copyright © Lucy Diamond 2015
Cover illustration by Kate Forrester
The right of Lucy Diamond to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
Pan Macmillan does not have any control over, or any responsibility for, any author or third party websites referred to in or on this book.
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A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
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