Author:Katie Fforde
_______________
Katie Fforde's brilliant new book, A SPRINGTIME AFFAIR, is now available in paperback
She has only one chance to turn her life around...
Allie is bored with her job and starting to wonder whether she even likes her boyfriend, Ryan.
The high point in her day is passing a café on her walk home from work. It is the sort of place where she'd really like to work.
Then one day she sees as advert on the door: assistant wanted. But before she can land her dream job, Allie knows she must achieve two things:
1. Learn to cook
2. End her relationship with Ryan, especially as through the window of the café, she spies a waiter who looks much more like her type of man.
And when she learns that the café is in danger of closing, Allie knows she must do her very best to save the day ...
_______________
This is a short story, not a full-length novel.
_______________
'Modern-day Austen. Great fun' Red
'Warm, brilliant and full of love' Heat
'Deliciously enjoyable' Woman and Home
Wonderful characters and rapturously romantic
—— Katie FfordeGeorgette Heyer is unbeatable
—— India KnightMy favourite novelist
—— Harriet EvansAbout wonder, spectacle, as well as greed. The writing is exquisite
—— Elizabeth Macneal, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Doll Factory and Circus of WondersA reading experience as captivating as a tropical storm. Full-throated and mesmerizing
—— C. Pam Zhang, Booker-longlisted author of How Much of These Hills is GoldBighearted . . . Sentence by sensuous sentence, Roffey builds a verdant, complicated world that it is a pleasure to live inside . . . A fairy tale. But it is a ghost story too
—— New York TimesSensuous, beguiling . . . Roffey's tale convincingly transplants a mythical creature into a modern setting . . . Wondrous
—— Sunday TimesWonderfully written, with both soul and intense drama - it glistens almost, like the mermaid!
—— Diana Evans, author of Ordinary PeopleStunning . . . A mesmerising read
—— Nathan Filer, Costa-winning author of The Shock of the FallExtraordinary, beautifully written . . . We found it completely compelling . . . It feels like a classic in the making
—— Costa Judges, 2020Magical touches blend with precise realism in this bittersweet tale of a mermaid trying to put the sea behind her
—— ObserverArresting . . . Truly original . . . deftly weaving myth, feminism, humour
—— Daily MailHugely entertaining . . . A joy to read, brimming with memorable characters
—— BBC NewsThe tantalising story of a mermaid loved and feared in equal measure . . . A book for our time
—— Ingrid Persaud, author of Love After LoveA dark love story between a fisherman and a mermaid torn from the sea . . . Moving
—— IndependentA dark love story between a fisherman and a mermaid torn from the sea... Touching on themes of love, loss, family and friendship, as well as the negative impacts of jealousy, it's a moving novel
—— IndependentSensuous, beguiling but without whimsy, Roffey's tale convincingly transplants a mythical creature into a modern setting - a striking achievement...wondrous
—— Sunday TimesNot your standard mermaid. No comb and glass, no Lorelei hair. No catch and release...
—— Margaret AtwoodMagical touches blend with precise realism in this bittersweet tale of a mermaid trying to put the sea behind her... What makes the novel sing is how Roffey fleshes out these mythical goings-on with pin-sharp detail from the real world, as Aycayia, hidden away in David's bedroom, navigates the perils (and pleasures) of life on land
—— ObserverThe Mermaid of the Black Conch arrives bearing tragedy and beauty. Monique Roffey has created a new myth for an age of ruined oceans. She continues to be one of our most exciting new Caribbean voices
—— A.L. KennedyArresting... where can Aycayia [the mermaid] be most free, asks this truly original novel, deftly weaving myth, feminism, humour and social realism
—— Daily MailWith easy prose and the tantalising story of a mermaid loved and feared in equal measure, [Roffey] draws the reader in... A book for our time
—— Ingrid PersaudMonique Roffey is a writer of verve, vibrancy and compassion, and her work is always a joy to read
—— Sarah HallMonique Roffey has a sharp, original way of looking at the world... an arrestingly poetic story
—— The Times[Monique Roffey] is the most adventurous of writers and The Mermaid of Black Conch does not disappoint... this is a strange, haunting, original and memorable novel about Aycayia, a mermaid from deep history who is entrapped and taken out of the sea... This is a novel packed with layers of meaning around womanhood, alienation, masculinity, toxic attitudes towards women, and inter-female rivalry, as well as love, compassion and the search for home
—— Bernardine EvaristoMonique Roffey is a unique talent and most daring and versatile of writers. I never know what to expect and I'm never disappointed
—— Bernardine EvaristoThe Mermaid of Black Conch is wonderfully written, with both soul and intense drama - it glistens almost, like the mermaid! I love its all-round charisma and also its great compassion for both humanity and the natural world
—— Diana EvansAn extraordinary, beautifully written, captivating, visceral book - full of mythic energy and unforgettable characters, including some tremendously transgressive women... It is utterly original - unlike anything we've ever read - and feels like a classic in the making from a writer at the height of her powers. It's a book that will take you to the furthest reaches of your imagination - we found it completely compelling
—— Costa Judges, 2020A fiercely modern mermaid story... Roffey subverts the fairtyale... The narrative is interspersed with poetry, journal entries, recollections and passages that give insight into various characters' perspectives; this entertaining novel, like Aycayia [the mermaid], is itself a shape-shifting curiosity.
—— The TimesI would definitely recommend The Mermaid of Black Conch...a bittersweet love story between a beautiful young woman cursed to live as a mermaid and a fisherman... a joy to read, brimming with memorable characters and vivid descriptions... a hugely entertaining and thought-provoking novel
—— Rebecca Jones , BBC NewsRoffey doesn't limit herself to simple romance, but delves into themes of corruption, prejudice, ecology and more
—— Rihannon Thomas , Radio TimesMagical
—— Maggie O'Farrell , Sunday TimesThe novel is a unique Caribbean fable that takes the familiar story of a mermaid abruptly thrust onshore and brings it to a new place. It reads like the work of a novelist in command of her material and focused on using a mythic 'then' to speak to now
—— Malachi McIntosh, Fiction Chair, OCM Bocas Prize 2021A lyrical love story about a mermaid and a fisherman, but equally, transformation and ancient ways. It's exquisite
—— Sophie Dahl[A] beautiful book... Roffey's writing is lyrical and filled with magic, but there is plenty of bittersweet realism to ground it
—— Sophie Dahl , Daily MailA very beautiful, haunting book
—— Stage