Delivering stories that span generations, and offering warmth, wisdom and love on every page - if you treasured Maeve Binchy, read Patricia Scanlan.Luxurious, expensive Apartment 3B is for sale. Many want it, only one can buy it. Its owner, Liz Lacey, successful artist and darling of the jetset, is about to make dramatic changes in her life.Many of Dublin's elite come to view her apartment: sophisticated, cosmopolitan Lainey Conroy, globe-trotting media personality; Hugh Cassidy; gentle, determined Claire Moran who has triumphed over adversity; ambitious but tender-hearted Dominic Kent. And Cecily, sister-in-law to Lainey, who will stop at nothing in her plan for revenge …

In a beautiful southern Spanish town, where the sea sparkles and orange blossoms scent the air, the gates of a brand new apartment complex, La Joya deAndalucía, glide open to welcome the new owners. Anna and Austen MacDonald, an Irish couple, are preparing to enjoy their retirement to the full. But the demands of family cause problems they have never foreseen and shake their marriage to the core. Sally-Ann Connolly Cooper, a feisty Texan mother of two young teenagers, is reeling from her husband's infidelity. La Joya becomes a place of solace for Sally-Ann, in more ways than one. Eduardo Sanchez, a haughty Madrileño, has set out with single-minded determination to become El Presidente of the complex's management committee. But pride comes before a fall. Jutta Sauer Perez, a sophisticated German who aspires to own her very own apartment in La Joya, works hard to reach her goal. Then the...

The Number One bestselling phenomenon moves to Simon & Schuster with a heartwarming novel of mothers and daughters, secrets and liesOn a crystal clear Mediterranean day, Briony McAllister sits playing with her four-year-old daughter, Katie, while she waits for her mother, Valerie, to join them. Valerie has recently moved to a picturesque town in southern Spain to finally leave behind her turbulent past and find a peace that has always eluded her. Briony has no idea that in a few moments' time her relationship with her mother will change irrevocably.As Katie plays, Briony pulls from her bag an old photo album, found in a box in her mother's new home. As she begins to study the faded photos, a letter falls to the ground. It is addressed to her. My Darling Briony, it begins. As Briony reads the words with mounting shock, realisation dawns. Her mother lied to her about what happened with her beloved grandmother Tessa all those years ago - and denied Briony that most precious of relationships, the type of relationship Valerie now enjoys with Katie. The lives of three generations of women are set to change forever as the past is revisited and the truth unfolds through the undelivered letters Tessa wrote to Briony over the years. Secrets, lies, betrayals and sacrifices - the complex bonds between mothers, daughters and granddaughters are intricately explored as Patricia Scanlan takes us into the hearts and homes of a family at war.Now including an exclusive short story,'Life Begins at Forty'Praise for Patricia Scanlan: 'There can be little doubt that Patricia Scanlan is the prolific queen of contemporary Irish popular fiction.' Sunday Times; 'There is a heartbreaking authenticity in her observations.' Irish Times; 'The ultimate comfort read.' GlamourReview''There can be little doubt that Patricia Scanlan is the prolific queen of contemporary Irish popular fiction.'' (Sunday Times ) "There is a heartbreaking authenticity in her observations.'' (Irish Times ) ''The ultimate comfort read." (Glamour ) About the AuthorPatricia Scanlan is the author of Forgive and Forget, Happy Ever After, and Love and Marriage, all international bestsellers. She lives in Dublin.

Devlin's flair and ambition has made a success of the 'City Girl' health and leisure complex. Expansion is next on her agenda, But what of Luke Reilly, a man used to getting his own way? His interest is more than professional. Soon Devlin is forced to make a decision that will have a huge impact on her life.Caroline, still coming to terms with her husband's revelations, has to do some serious thinking. Can she face the future on her own or will she resort to the crutches of drugs and drink that have always carried her through?Maggie, torn between motherhood and career, finds her marriage under threat. Her husband's total lack of support enrages and frustrates her. After years of putting other people's needs before her own, Maggie has to decide if it's time to put herself first.

A story of false friendship and following one's heart - Melissa and Sophie have been friends all of their lives. Or that's what Sophie likes to think. Sophie is a giver; Melissa is a taker. Their friendship is put to the test on vacation in Spain. When the gorgeous Paulo appears on the scene, Melissa drops Sophie like a hot potato. Hurt and furious, Sophie thinks the trip is a disaster. But things change for Sophie when she lends a little help to an old man and a small girl. Melissa can only watch in a jealous rage as her quiet friend finally comes into her own. Part of successful Open Door series, originally designed to help adult literacy in Ireland. Original stories from best-selling authors and important new voices, never published in the States before now.

When love flies out the window married life can be hell…With an unplanned baby on the way, a newly-wed daughter whose marriage is already in trouble, a teenager who won't eat and doesn't think there's anything wrong with her, and hiding secrets from each other, Barry and Aimee are on a rocky road.When love flies in the window ex-wives can cause a lot of trouble.And Marianna is going to cause as much trouble as she possibly can to make sure that her former husband is not going to waltz down the aisle with his new love.Families in crisis, passion, tragedy, and the healing powers of love - Patricia Scanlan's brilliant and heartwarming new novel re-introduces us to the characters in Forgive and Forget and Happy Ever After, and brings their story to a triumphant conclusion.

Delivering stories that span generations, and offering warmth, wisdom and love on every page - if you treasured Maeve Binchy, read Patricia ScanlanThree very different women face heartache, upheaval and reinvention in this romantic drama, which praises the power of friendship to pull you through when life gets tough. At 21, Devlin is seduced by the suave, sophisticated Colin Cantrell-King, an older married man and her boss. But this affair will leave her with some tough decisions to make. Caroline is afraid of being left on the shelf so jumps at the chance to marry the cool, detached and very attractive Richard. But, why does he never return her ardour with equal passion? Married mother Maggie feels trapped in a loveless marriage until she discovers her husband's infidelity. What will she do with her new-found sense of liberation?

There's nothing like a good wedding to start an argument! And that's exactly what will happen if Connie Adams, mother of the bride, can't smooth things over between daughter Debbie and her dad.He's determined to bring his new wife and their teenage daughter to the big day, but Debbie would rather walk up the aisle of a supermarket than have them there. And Debbie has other things to focus on - her boss is making her life hell and she's starting to suspect her fiance is getting cold feet ...

From international bestselling author Patricia Scanlan comes a charming tale of best friends, family, and weddings.Jessica and Carol, two childhood friends, are both engaged to be married. Secretly afraid her fiancé is going to chicken out, Carol is insisting on a double wedding. Jessica is appalled at the idea: she doesn't want to share the happiest day of her life. But how can she break the news to Carol? On top of that, Carol's parents are separated and constantly fighting. Neither wants the other to be there. And Nadine, Carol's younger sister, is wild and disruptive and drinks like a fish—hardly the ideal wedding guest. Can Jessica and Carol's friendship survive a Double Wedding?

When everyone expects you to fall apart, do the unexpected: Get a Life.After years of being the perfect wife and mother, Francesca Kirwan realizes one dreary fall day that her life is a sad cliché when she catches her husband, Mark, with another woman. With her safe, predictable life turned upside down and an uncertain future ahead of her, Francesca has only two choices: sink or swim. So Francesca decides to get a life . . . a life of her own making. But first she has to deal with the obstacles in her way -- her husband's ambitious young girlfriend who intends to get exactly what she wants; her teenage sons' mixed reactions to the changes in the family; Mark's own reluctance to accept the consequences of his actions; and sexy journalist Ralph Casson, who shows more than a professional interest in Francesca. Then Francesca decides to throw a party, and that's when the fun really starts . . . .From Publishers WeeklyCrowd-pleasing Irish import Francesca's Party is the latest from Patricia Scanlan (City Girl; Finishing Touches). When Francesca Kirwan drops her husband, Mark, off at the airport, he forgets his cell phone; she goes to return it, only to find him kissing svelte young Nikki. The narrative moves back and forth between spineless Mark and spunky Francesca, focusing on the latter, who gradually begins to find solace in her independence and eventually strength and happiness. Family members, like Francesca's unsympathetic mother and devoted teenaged sons, provide as much friction as support. The dialogue is crisp and intelligent, and there are plenty of amusing scenes, including a showdown between Francesca and "cheeky little tart" Nikki, that will have readers cheering for the modest heroine. Scanlan shows that living well is indeed the best revenge. Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. From Library JournalFrancesca Kirwan, who at 40 has been married for 22 years, is firmly entrenched in her role as mother and housewife. Her sons are both grown, but she still takes care of her crotchety father-in-law and self-centered, investment banker husband, Mark. Then her life suddenly and drastically changes when she catches Mark kissing Nikki, a sexy younger woman. Francesca soon learns that Mark and Nikki have been having an affair for some time, so she kicks Mark out, and he moves in with Nikki. Although Nikki would like to get married, her relationship with Mark never evolves that far. Though reminiscent of Elizabeth Berg's Open House, this book is different in that readers get the perspective each of the main characters. Readers are therefore aware of Nikki's manipulation and are not surprised when Mark wants Francesca back. The titular party comes near the end when it's clear Francesca has taken a situation that seemed disastrous and turned it into an opportunity for growth. A former librarian, Scanlan lives in Dublin, where this book takes place; she is the author of eight previous novels (City Lives, Apartment 3B). Fans of women's fiction and authors like Maeve Binchy will enjoy. For most public libraries. Karen Core, Enoch Pratt Free Lib., BaltimoreCopyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.