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Six months ago, I was the heiress to a soup empire worth millions. Now, I’m standing in a giant dumpster.
Bella Whittington’s caviar-and-Cristal life comes crashing down when she walks in on her fiancé and best friend tangled up in page 34 of the Kama Sutra, limbs everywhere. But her plan to dull the pain with Daddy’s credit card is totalled by the news that they’ve lost the family business. Suddenly Bella’s both single and completely broke.
Shivering in her dingy new studio apartment after a traumatic incident with a homemade turmeric face mask (Hello Tangerina Jolie!), Bella realises she must pull up her Gucci socks and get a job, fast. But Dan, the gorgeous grumpy owner of the local soup kitchen, hates the Whittingtons, so a teensy lie about her surname gets Bella through the door, and set loose on the stove… Minestrone with a side of melted spatula, anyone?
When Bella’s ex returns with a golden ticket back to her glitzy old life, should she accept? Because that would mean no more box wine and frozen pizza nights with Dan. No more singalongs to the crackly kitchen radio. No more my-heart-is-as-melted-as-that-spatula moments when he finally cracks a reluctant smile… But if Dan finds out the truth about who she really is, will she even have the choice?
An absolutely hilarious, feel-good rom com that will have you snorting with laughter. The new must-read for fans of Sophie Kinsella, Lindsey Kelk and Schitt’s Creek!
Lucy Clark has just bought a house with her worst enemy.
From the moment Lucy – Miss ‘my self-worth comes from setting myself impossible standards of perfection’ – meets Zack – Mr ‘I’m your infuriatingly laidback yet impossibly ripped new yoga teacher’ – it’s hate at first sight.
So when Zack puts in a competing offer to buy her childhood home, there’s no way she’s backing down. After losing her business and her best friend in one great margarita-themed disaster, there’s no way she’s losing her beloved house. Except there’s one tiny problem – she can’t actually afford it.
When Zack suggests they buy the house together, inspiration strikes. Lucy will wear him down, with a never-ending supply of lists and rules, until he’s begging for escape. That’s until Zack arrives, with his non-existent sleepwear and a ridiculously sincere appreciation for the simple things. Suddenly, Lucy finds herself re-evaluating her own warped priorities.
Will living with the enemy end up with Lucy losing her sanity? Or is it true what they say – that there’s a thin line between love and hate?
An absolutely page-turning, laugh-out-loud rom com, perfect for fans of The Hating Game and The Spanish Love Deception.
“Commissioning Editor at Bookouture, Emily Gowers, acquired World All Language and film and TV rights for two hilarious romantic comedies from Clare Coombes of The Liverpool Literary Agency. Danielle’s debut is a riotous fish-out-of-water comedy in which Bella goes from Prada to nada when her family’s soup empire goes bust.”
“I asked the universe for something to fill the Schitt’s Creek-sized hole in my life, and Danielle delivered! This book had me doubled over with laughter, and left me wishing Bella was real so that we could be friends. The next best thing though is to introduce her – and Danielle’s writing – to the world, and I feel so lucky to be doing this!”
“From the first read, I knew this book was special. There was a lot of interest but I'm so happy we've found the perfect home for it at Bookouture. Danielle has such an amazing writing style and comic timing. Readers are going to love Arabella's journey of self-discovery (and the world of soup, which is such a hilarious and unique framing for this whole story). For our first women's fiction signing and book deal in this genre to be set in Liverpool (and the first rom-com we know of based in the Toxteth part of the city), is just incredible and we're so proud of Danielle."
"Signing with Bookouture has been my real life ‘pinch me, am I dreaming?’ moment! I’m thrilled to launch my debut novel with such a brilliant editor and dynamic publisher, it truly is a dream come true. The Bookouture team’s expertise and insight has already blown me away, and I’m absolutely delighted to be working with Emily, who shares my passion for uplifting romcoms and fabulous Northern settings. This is only the first chapter and I’m already so excited for the journey!"