Cover Reveal: Love on Thin Ice Series by Anne Kemp, Ellie Hall, Elsie Woods, Grace Worthington, Kate O’Keeffe, Melissa Baldwin, Whitney Dineen

(Love on Thin Ice, #1-7)
Publication date: 2024
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance

Synopsis (all individual blurbs are attached):

Love is on thin ice this fall in this seven-book closed-door hockey romcom series, featuring a charming small town with all the cozy autumn essentials. Tropes include: second chances, grumpy sunshine, best friend’s brother, friends to love, enemies to love, and more. From swoony heroes to sweet kisses, this feel-good collection of romantic comedies that stand alone but are interwoven in a shared story world are sure to warm your heart.

This 7-book series includes:
Breaking the Ice by Whitney Dineen  
The Rebound Play by Kate O’Keeffe
The Friend Faceoff by Grace Worthington
Love in Overtime by Melissa Baldwin
The Parent Playbook by Elsie Woods
Love at First Skate by Ellie Hall
In the Penalty Box by Anne Kemp

Breaking the Ice by Whitney Dineen

What do an entitled billionaire and small-town ice-skating coach have in common?

Ellie

My life is not turning out like I thought it would.

My mom’s arthritis has gotten so bad that I had to move in with her. I’m making ends meet by giving ice skating lessons at the arena in Maple Falls. I’d be in serious trouble had the Harts not given me that job.

Which makes it impossible to say no when they ask me to let Troy’s obnoxious billionaire brother stay in the cabin on my mom’s property during the charity hockey event they’re running.

Zach

First the tabloids call me out for being a cheapskate and then Yolanda Simms takes to national television to tell everyone what a vicious heartbreaker I am?

Yeah, my life has been better.

My brother thinks I can fix my bad press by coming to Maple Falls and donating big to his new charity endeavor. Too bad he didn’t mention the woman who owns the cottage I’ll be staying at hates me with a passion.

He also didn’t mention she’s everything I’ve ever looked for in a woman…

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The Rebound Play by Kate O’Keeffe

If you get a second chance at love with your hockey star ex, should you take it?

Keira

What do you do when your NHL superstar ex skates back into your small town? Drop to the ground and hide behind the bleachers, praying he doesn’t see you. That was the plan, anyway. But Lady Luck must be having an off day because Dan spots me, my hood over my eyes, pretending I’m not there.

Mature? No.

Necessary? Absolutely.

Humiliation washes over me, and the wall around my heart stands firm. Dan might be back, but I can’t afford to let him in again. Not after the heartbreak of losing him once before.

When he offers to coach my nephew, I reluctantly agree. Every smile he flashes at me, every kind word, threatens to crack my resolve. But I can’t go through that again. I have to protect my heart.

Dan

I want Keira back. End of story.

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The Friend Face Off by Grace Worthington

Getting involved with your brother’s best friend is risky enough. But when he's a hockey player? It's a whole new level of bad idea.

Emmy

As a ravenous reader, I’ve got a secret: I’m obsessed with hockey romances. 

But let me tell you, real life hockey players are nothing like my book boyfriends. 

So I threw down the gauntlet on BookTok. I challenged any single guy out there to prove me wrong. Can a real hockey player be as romantic as the ones in my favorite stories? 

Enter Dawson Hayes, a goalie with a point to prove and my brother’s best friend. He’s confident he can win me over and take me on the most romantic date of my life. 

But there’s a catch: for me to accept, I have to pretend that he’s my fake boyfriend. Now everyone in my small town thinks that Dawson and I are having a fall fling. Even if it’s a fling that can’t last. 

Worst of all, I’m starting to believe this fling is real. I’m falling for my brother’s best friend.

Dawson

The first time I met Emmy, her brother warned me to stay away. As hockey teammates, that made her totally off-limits.

But now I’m back in Emmy’s small town to play in a charity hockey match, and I can’t resist her dating challenge: to find out if any man can be more romantic than the book boyfriends she adores.

Emmy and I are both fiercely competitive, and I’m determined to win her over. 

When the moment of truth comes, the chemistry between us turns into something neither of us expected: a romantic face-off between friends who are insanely attracted to each other. 

Now, I’m out to prove to her that you should never judge a book by its cover—or a hockey player when it comes to love.

The Friend Face Off is a brother’s best friend, closed door hockey romcom with fake dating, friends to lovers and You’ve Got Mail vibes.

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Love in Overtime by Melissa Baldwin

Playing hockey in Maple Falls was meant to be just a charity gig, but then my new publicist showed up, melting the ice—and my heart.

Cooper

I never anticipated being roped into a charity hockey game during the off-season. But here I am, heading to Maple Falls, all because my publicist decided to retire. Change was inevitable, but I didn't foresee it coming so soon.

Getting assigned a new publicist, Blair Radcliffe, didn't sit well with me at first. However, there's something about her – a fierce determination that's both intriguing and challenging. I wonder if she's ready for the whirlwind that is Cooper Montgomery. One thing's certain-- I can't afford to fall for my publicist.

Blair

I still can't believe I landed my dream job. The excitement is overwhelming, and I'm determined to carve out my path in the industry. But there's one obstacle standing in my way-- Cooper Montgomery, the seemingly uncooperative hockey star. Nevertheless, I'm ready to tackle the challenge head-on, and perhaps some time away in a quiet town like Maple Falls will work wonders.

What I didn't anticipate was developing a crush on my own client. It's the ultimate taboo in my profession, a mistake that could jeopardize everything I've worked for. I'm at a loss on how to navigate this newfound attraction, especially when it appears that Cooper might feel the same way. I’m not sure what to do next.

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The Parent Playbook by Elsie Woods

I don’t know when dad jokes and mismatched socks became my type, but that hockey dude skated into my life like a runaway puck… and I think I like it.

Angel

I know I should be thankful that my charity was selected by the Ice Breakers hockey team. It’ll make a huge difference in children’s lives all over the state.

There’s only one problem:

I hate hockey dudes.

I have to remind myself of that fact when Scotty MacFarland with his groan-worthy dad jokes slips into my life like he’s always been there.

No matter how hard I push back on that perfectly formed chest, Scotty remains strong, giving me the space I need. I’m beginning to think I don’t want to have so much space anymore.

But by the time I figure that out, it just might be too late. 

Scotty

The only thing I love more than hockey is my daughter.

It was a no-brainer for me to give up the ice when I became a single dad, and I didn’t look back. But when the call came to coach the Ice Breakers, the opportunity was too good to pass up, and I thought my girl would thrive with a fresh start in Maple Falls.

Turns out, the leaves weren’t the only thing falling in Maple Falls.

Angel Davis swooped into my life and pieces I didn’t know were missing started to fall into place. A devoted single mom, director of a children’s charity, and all-around spark of sassiness, she and I find an easy rhythm, despite her throwing a boot at my face.

But Lily comes first. And if I have to leave behind a future with Angel before it’s started in order to do what’s right, I will.

Though it seems fate has other ideas.

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Love at First Skate by Ellie Hall

They say love is messy. Turns out friendship is too, especially when you’re stranded in a cabin with your best friend and hearts are on thin ice.

Teddy

I’ve heard that men and women can’t be friends without it becoming something more. Harlow and I put that theory in the penalty box, thank you very much.

She laughs at my jokes, secretly admires my hockey butt, trusts me with her biggest fear (it’s safe with me). In turn, she knows everything about me. Well, almost.

There’s been a recent development. I’m gone for her. Down bad. Solid Crush. She lives rent free in my mind. I’ve caught feelings. This wouldn’t be a problem except, you know, the whole it shattering our friendship thing.

Harlow

You know those days you want to erase? It went like this: my boyfriend broke up with me (it was overdue), and then I broke up with my job while at a work conference (it was mind-numbing).

In an ironic twist, I won the raffle for a romantic getaway trip for two. Who else to bring other than my best friend who’ll gladly commiserate with me? He has a hockey event nearby, so it works out perfectly.

Until we’re stranded in the cozy cabin together. There’s a blaze of attraction. A friendship-changing kiss.

What now? Do we hit the reset button? Salvage what we had? Pretend it never happened? These are things I’d talk to my bestie about, but I can’t because I’m head over heels for him.

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Penalties and Proposals by Anne Kemp

It only takes one bad apple to ruin the bunch. When life hands me reformed hockey star Noah Beaumont, AGAIN, am I supposed to make cider or is there a sweeter surprise in store?

Willa

I never wanted to see Noah Beaumont again. EVER. When I kicked him off my set after he showed up intoxicated, his PR team tried to blacklist me. I made it over that hurdle, made a name for myself, and I’m heading to Maple Falls to cover a charity ice hockey team that’s making headlines...only to find out I have to work with HIM.

But this Noah seems different. He’s reformed and seems to be determined to show me he’s changed. Can I trust him, or will he be the same disaster I remember?

Noah

I’ve spent years trying to make amends for my past mistakes, questioning if I still belong in the world of hockey or if it's time to step back, be ‘normal’. But seeing Willa again brings everything into sharp focus. She’s the woman who’s haunted my thoughts since the day I met her.

Now, she’s here in Maple Falls, and I’m determined to prove I’m not the same man she remembers. I want her to see the real me, the man I’ve worked so hard to become. Can I convince her to give me a second chance?

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Spotlight: Laughing is Forever by Jason Stocks

Poetry

Date Published: March 22, 2024

Publisher: MindStir Media

Laughing is Forever is my second book. And while it’s gritty, rhythmic, dark and dangerous it’s also fun, quirky, and inquisitive. Topics range from growing up in the Deep South to questioning the mainstream narrative of how it all . . . came to be. I want people who don’t read much and who hate poetry (the largest demographic) to give this collection a chance and fall in love with books by reading something that they can relate to and/or be awed by. Laughing is Forever is a standalone book, a brand-new beast, but follows in the footsteps of Blameforest in the sense that it’s reinventing what poetry can be. And hopefully inspiring folks to take risks with their own work and stand out from the maddening crowd.

Buy on Amazon Kindle | Paperback | Bookshop.org

About the Author

Jason Stocks is a writer and teacher living in south Florida. Before becoming a teacher, he worked in a chicken house, washed dishes, bagged groceries, waited tables, and sold cars. His first full-length poetry collection--Blameforest--was published in 2021 and was recently named a finalist in the 2024 American Legacy Book Awards for contemporary poetry. When not writing, he enjoys reading vintage YA horror, riding his Haro cruiser, and spending time with the family.

Connect:

Website: https://www.youtube.com/@Sunnyvalereject24

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100007481328530

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jason_stocks/

Spotlight: Made For You by Jenna Satterthwaite

Publication Date: July 2, 2024

Publisher: MIRA Books

Hi. My name is Julia. I’m a Synth. And I’m here to find love…

Synthetic woman Julia Walden was designed for one reason: to compete on The Proposal and claim the heart of bachelor Josh LaSala. Her casting is controversial, but Julia seems to get her fairy-tale ending when Josh gets down on one knee.

Fast-forward fifteen months, and Julia and Josh are married and raising their baby in small-town Indiana. But with haters around every corner, Julia’s life is a far cry from the domestic bliss she imagined. Then her splintering world shatters: Josh goes missing, and she becomes the prime suspect in his murder.

With no one left she can trust, Julia takes the investigation into her own hands. But the explosive truths she uncovers will drive her to her breaking point—and isn’t that where a person’s true nature is revealed? That is…if Julia truly is a person.

Told via dual timelines, Jenna Satterthwaite’s twist-filled debut deftly explores the exhilarating point where artificial intelligence, reality TV, and bone-chilling murder mystery meet.

Excerpt

THEN

“Can you hear me?” A male face peers into mine. Midthirties, glasses, expressive eyebrows. Andy. Kind.

“Yes,” I say. There’s an overwhelming barrage of hot sensation, then click, it all evens out—light, sound, the air on my skin—settling like embers, then cooling.

I breathe in, feel my chest balloon, breathe out. Lift my hands to face level and flex my fingers, mapping how the smooth pale skin with its smattering of freckles shifts and ripples over my knuckle ridges.

I’m sitting. Dressed in what seems to be an evening gown. I register how tight the skirt is around my thighs. How beautifully the blue sequins catch in the ice-white light from above. Palms down, I skim the fabric, tickling the pads of my fingers as the sequins catch, lift, fall. It’s like wearing a party. I like it.

“Do you know who you are?” says Andy.

I look up and feel myself smile. He’s in baggy jeans, a gray T-shirt with a buffalo plaid shirt open over top and a pen hooked on the breast pocket. A dark five-o’clock shadow travels down his neck. His look screams sleepless nights.

“Of course,” I say. Everything is simply there, no effort, natural as breathing. “I’m Julia Walden.”

“Do you know where you are? What year it is?”

“We’re in LA. It’s January 2022 and Biden is President.” I tilt my head. “We’re in the middle of a pandemic.”

“Do you know what’s about to happen?”

I register, out of the corner of my eye, a boom mic operator to our deep left, but keep my attention on Andy.

“I’m about to compete on The Proposal.”

“God,” breathes Andy, putting a fist to his chest like my answers are slaying him. “You—you’re—” He crooks a finger at his lips.

“Here?” I suggest with a light laugh. Now I’m rubbing my arms, the rough skin at my elbows, allowing my hands to touch my own face, then wander up to my hair, long and loose. I fish it around my shoulder. It’s a fiery, sun-gleam red. I love it. I love everything about being Julia Walden.

“Real,” says Andy when he’s recovered his speech. “Working. Amazing. I kind of want to hug you?”

“You don’t have to ask.” I stand in my high heels, taller than Andy by nearly a head. His glasses collide with my shoulder as applause bursts around us. After a second, he hooks my hands in his and pulls back, eyes moist.

“Wow, Julia. Just wow.”

I scan our surroundings as flashes pop. We’re in a warehouse. To the right, large machines quietly rest. I note hydraulics, robotic arms, big sheets of pale, rubbery material. Skin, I realize, and my own skin seems to respond, tiny goose bumps racing up my arms.

It’s not a bad feeling, exactly. Just…unpleasant, like touching something wet that you thought would be dry.

To my left, a film crew makes a crescent shape. One hefty man shoulders an equally hefty camera, trained on me. I know without being told they’re here from The Proposal.

It’s a little strange to be having this intimate moment with Andy while everyone watches. Then again…that’s about to be my life. Fully on camera.

Andy claps his hands. “So. Ready to meet Josh?”

“I was born ready,” I say with a laugh. My eyes flicker up to the answering sound of laughter from the film crew. But while I did mean to be funny, I also mean it.

Andy pulls out a cell phone. “This is yours. Let’s break it in.” He leans into me and we smile for our first selfie.

“Should we post it to Insta?” he says. “Your handle just went live—we had to wait until the other contestants’ phones were taken away. Oh, and we can’t mention you’re on The Proposal yet—” But I reach for the phone.

“I got it.” My fingers navigate the screen easily. Also, wow— how does @TheRealJuliaWalden already have close to a million followers…and counting? I caption the picture the journey be-gins!!!, noting the tug of resistance within me as I put the phone down. I guess part of me wanted to watch the reactions roll in. Immediately I wall up this thought. I’m not here for everyone. Just one man.

Andy has pulled out a blue pen while I’ve been messing with the phone, and is nervously gnawing on the clicker end. Weirdly, I want to reassure him, It’ll be okay. You’ll see.

“Julia!” the producer calls out. “Could you introduce your-self? For our viewers?”

I look at the camera’s cold eye across the distance and imagine that I’m looking into the face of a friend who can’t wait to see me. I smile.

“Sure! I’m a Synth. My name is Julia. And I’m here to find love.

Excerpted from Made for You by Jenna Satterthwaite © 2024 by Jenna Satterthwaite used with permission by MIRA/HarperCollins.

Buy on Amazon Kindle | Audible | Paperback | Bookshop.org

About the Author

Born in the Midwest, Jenna Satterthwaite grew up in Spain, lived briefly in France, and is now happily settled in Chicago with her husband and three kids. Jenna studied classical guitar, English Lit and French, and once upon a time was a singer-songwriter in folk band Thornfield. She loves sushi, reading in her natural habitat (aka her bed), and women taking back their power. Made For You is her debut novel.

Connect:

Author Website

X: https://x.com/JennaSchmenna 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jenna.satterthwaite.author/ 

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/jenna.satterthwaite.author/ 

Goodreads

Spotlight: Boyfriend of the Hour by Nicole French

AVAILABLE IN KINDLE UNLIMITED

He's a grumpy billionaire in need of a fake girlfriend.

She's a spicy heroine just desperate enough to do it.

Nathan Hunt needs a girlfriend—specifically a fake one.

Yes, the shy, grumpy twin of Henry Cavill who sits at the end of my bar needs to convince his absurdly rich family that he's capable of a normal social life.

And he's willing to pay a professional to fill that role.

Who happens to be me.

It helps that I'm just desperate enough to need the cash and not ask any questions.

I'm the obvious choice: Joni Zola, former dancer and forever flirt.

Never too serious. Always a good time.

On its surface, the plan is simple.

First, tell everyone we're roommates.

Then move on to lovers.

His family will leave him alone, and I'll have a free place to stay and a full bank account.

Easy, right?

But as our scheme progresses, the lines blur.

Soon casual PDA turns into sharing a bed at night.

On the outside, Nathan Hunt is just my next boyfriend of the hour.

But what if secretly, I might want him forever?

If we can keep things professional, this just might work.

I can forget that kiss if he can.

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About the Author

Nicole French is a USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance. She's also a hopeless romantic, Springsteen fanatic, and total bookworm. When not writing, she is hanging out with her family, playing soccer with the rest of the thirty-plus crowd in Seattle, or going on dates with her husband. In her spare time, she likes to go running or practice the piano, but never seems to do either one of these things as much as she should.

Keep up with Nicole French and receive your FREE copy of one of her books when you subscribe to her newsletter: https://www.nicolefrenchromance.com/

For more information on Nicole and her books visit here

Connect with Nicole French: https://www.nicolefrenchromance.com/links 

Spotlight: Beyond Summerland by Jenny Lecoat

Publication Date: July 2, 2024

Publisher: Harlequin Trade Publishing / Graydon House

Beatriz Williams meets Laura Spence-Ash in this fast-paced and tension-filled novel about secrets and betrayal in a small community recovering from war, and the two young women at the center of a volatile mystery.

In June of 1945, Jersey is in the midst of change as the German occupation of the Channel Islands comes to an end. However, demands for punishment are rising for those suspected of collaborating with the Nazis. Neighbor turns against neighbor as distrust flourishes and accusations fly, especially towards women who had romantic relationships with the German soldiers.

When Jean Parris learns that her father, who died in a German prison, was reported to the Nazis by an anonymous woman, her rage hits a boiling point. The suspect, Hazel Le Tourneur, denies the accusation but has a motive for wanting Jean's father gone. Then, when Hazel catches Jean secretly meeting with a German soldier, the women form an unexpected bond in the face of ruinous consequences. With tension running high and secrets at every turn, the truth behind the accusations may be more complicated than anyone could imagine.

Excerpt

1

Jersey, Channel Islands

June 1945

Excitement billowed down the street. It poured out of every doorway and crackled in the air, tickling the back of people’s necks, beckoning everyone into this thrilling, historic morning. And what a morning! Yesterday’s storm had vanished north over the English Channel, leaving bright sunshine and a powder blue sky. Now the whole of St Helier was waiting, rinsed and gleaming, impatient with anticipation. A stiff southwesterly gusted through the streets of the town, carrying on it the faint murmur of a distant, chattering crowd, and standing on her front path to breathe it all in, Jean felt a surge of genuine optimism. She ran her fingers through her mousy hair to revive its sagging shape, tugged at her jacket to make sure that the moth hole in her blouse was hidden, then called back into the house:

“Mum! Hurry up, or we’ll get stuck at the back.”

Violet Parris shuffled out, her ancient leather handbag perched carefully on her arm. Jean watched as she turned, methodically, to lock the Chubb. It was a habit that recent years had ingrained, and with pilfering still rife around the parish, it made sense to be cautious, though everyone missed the days of open front doors. “Things will settle down by Christmas,” people kept saying. And perhaps they would. Jean took in the pallid face beneath the battered felt hat and considered what a frail, brittle figure her mother cut these days, the anxious, darting eyes and slight stoop of constant burden more pronounced in sunlight than in the gloom of the house. Certainly, most people would have guessed her to be older than forty-six. But then, Jean supposed, every living soul on this island had aged a lifetime in the last five years. She felt a sudden urge to reach out and hug her mum tightly but, knowing Violet would balk at such a display, offered her arm instead.

They set off at a pace that Jean calculated her mother could maintain for the half-mile walk. The street was filled with the sound of garden gates clanging as women shooed husbands and children onto the pavement, reknotting ties and smoothing errant hairs before scuttling toward the town center. One or two of them carried folded Union Jacks ready to unfurl at the crucial moment, and Jean felt a pang of envy; their own flag had been used for kindling back in the winter, and no replacements could be bought now. But then, it would be inappropriate for the family to appear in any way frivolous. Jersey was a small island. People liked to talk.

By the time they reached the end of Bath Street, the roads were already thick with people heading for the Royal Square. At the corner of the covered market on Halkett Place, two streams of moving bodies became a human river, pushing the two of them along like paper boats, and Jean wished again that they had set off earlier. As a woman behind stumbled slightly, forcing them both forward, she felt her mother’s fingers tighten on her arm; quickly, Jean tugged her away from the melee toward a quiet side street and leaned her mother against the concrete wall, supplying a handkerchief, which Violet immediately dabbed across her forehead.

“All right?”

Violet shook her head. “So many people. Why didn’t we go down the Albert Pier, see the SS Jamaica coming in, or find a place along the Esplanade?” Jean, who had suggested these exact choices last night, merely took the dampened handkerchief back and tucked it into her sleeve. As she did so, her eyes fell on the shop front, a small bakery set halfway down the turning. The display window had been boarded up to replace the shattered glass, but evidently the vandals had returned for a second visit, because now a huge swastika was painted on the plywood in black pitch. She glanced at her mother and saw that she too had become transfixed by it.

Violet jerked her chin a little. “Collaborators.” Jean nodded. What had the proprietors done to earn such a reputation? Had they served German soldiers their bread? Fraternized with them? She imagined the angry faces of men rushing toward the shop in the dead of night, bricks and rocks in their hands. What had happened to this island in such a few short weeks?

Liberation Day, less than a month earlier, had been the most significant, emotional event that any islander, young or old, had ever experienced. The most longed-for day in their history had come at last, and, with the arrival of a British task force in the harbor and the official surrender of the German military, five brutal years of Nazi occupation had finally come to an end. So long and arduous had the Occupation been—Jean was a schoolgirl of just fourteen when it began—that for the first week of freedom she had found the transformation impossible to take in. To be able to leave the house without curfew…to speak fearlessly on the street without fear of spies or listen to the BBC news on a neighbor’s radio! But best of all was the joy of eating a proper meal again, as the British army unloaded crate after crate of supplies, and the Red Cross ship Vega brought more relief parcels. Given the near starvation of the previous year, extravagances such as tinned meat, lard for cooking, sugar and tea had moved them to tears of relief as they unpacked their box. The taste of raspberry jam, spooned straight from the jar in a moment of pure elation, would stay with her forever.

Yet those early days had also brought bewilderment. After years of inertia, with entire months punctuated by nothing but the tedious struggle for food and fuel, Liberation brought a tornado of welcome but exhausting developments. They had dutifully exchanged their reichsmarks for sterling at the local bank and watched the mines being cleared from the beaches; they had read public announcements that the non-native islanders deported by the Germans in the autumn of 1942 had been flown back to England, and that their return was imminent. They had even received, at long last, a letter from Jean’s older brother, Harry, released from service and now back home with his own family in Chelmsford. Horrified at the long-belated news of his father’s arrest, Harry spoke of his frustration at being cut off from all island information for so long but, to Jean’s delight, promised that he would visit as soon as regular transport services resumed. Encouraged by a sense of returning normality, she and her mother would sit at the kitchen table of an evening, cutting out every significant article from the Evening Post and pasting them all into a scrapbook for posterity. And as they pasted, in a whispered voice too soft for the fickle fates to hear, Jean would dare to speak of the coming weeks and the news from the continent that even now might be on its way. Violet would nod and smile, but rarely responded. Hope, Jean calculated, was too heavy a burden for this exhausted woman in the final length of a horrendous journey; better for Jean to button her lip and direct her own dreams into the rhythmic movements of her pasting brush.

Not all the recent news was good. Among the celebratory headlines and the public announcements had been other, troubling pieces. Dreadful photographs of murderous Nazi camps where untold numbers had died. Accounts of local “jerrybags”—island women who slept with German soldiers—chased through the streets by marauding gangs who shaved their heads and stripped them naked. Reports of the island’s insurmountable debts. And one terrifying front-page report of a local father and son, deported eighteen months earlier, who had both perished during their incarceration. After reading these, Jean would retire to her bed and lie awake for hours in the grip of a dark, low-level panic, until falling into a fitful sleep just as the sun rose. She told no one about this, especially not her mother. She could not pinpoint the exact moment when she had assumed the maternal role in their relationship, and suspected it had crept up on them over many months. But Jean now knew instinctively that her mother’s shaking fingers indicated that Jean would need to peel the vegetables for dinner, or that Violet’s single, hot tear on her book’s page in the quiet of the evening required a hot drink and an early night. There would be time enough for her own feelings, Jean told herself, when this nightmare came to an end, which it surely would soon. So today, despite the sight of the boarded-up bakery and the unsettling feelings it brought, Jean squeezed out a comforting smile and placed a hand on her mother’s arm.

“We can just go home now, if you want.” Jean thought of their still, gray kitchen at the rear of the still, gray house and dreaded her mother’s nod. But Violet just gave a little frown.

“No, we’ve come this far. Come on.”

The Royal Square was, as expected, heaving with people.

Men, women and children were squashed together like blades of grass and stewards had placed barriers across the middle of the square to contain the crowd. Jean dragged her mother through the jostling bodies and, instructing Violet to hang on to the back of her jacket and not let go, began to slither her way through the crush, making the most of any tiny gap. She smiled helplessly at any gentleman in her path until he retreated, and threw apologetic backward looks when she trod on someone’s foot or dislodged their hat, until they found themselves only two heads back from the barrier just as the official cars pulled into the square. A huge cheer tore through the crowd, and by standing on her tiptoes and craning her neck Jean managed to find a sliver of a clear view.

The cars lined up outside the library. A young, uniformed Tommy opened the door of the shining black Ford. And suddenly there they were. Right there on the pavement in front of the States of Jersey government buildings, not thirty feet away, all the way from Buckingham Palace—the King and Queen! Jean gazed at King George, resplendent in his uniform, as he was greeted by low-bowing Crown officials. The Queen, magnificent in a feathered tam hat and draped decorously in a fox fur, accepted a huge bouquet of Jersey carnations, waving graciously. The cheers around the square were thunderous now, with snatches of patriotic songs breaking out here and there. Jean looked at her mother and saw her own excitement reflected back. But at that moment a woman next to them wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and grinned at Violet.

“Isn’t it marvelous? I can’t believe it!’

Jean felt her mother’s body stiffen beside her as she dredged up a suitable courtesy. “Yes, wonderful.”

“It’s over, really over! We can start living again!”

Jean watched Violet’s mouth turn to a grim line of sandbagged wretchedness. By the time her bottom lip began to tremble, Jean knew it was over—public tears were a humiliation that could not be tolerated, and the window of fake composure was closing fast. With one last reluctant look at the royal couple, Jean put her arm around her mother’s waist and pushed out through the crowd until they were both back on the high street, breathless and unsteady. In the doorway of a shop, shielding her from passersby, Jean again offered her handkerchief, and this time Violet pressed it across her face as she sobbed into it for several moments, emanating tiny stuttering sounds like a wounded animal. Eventually the shaking eased, and she took a deep breath.

“Sorry. It was just what that woman said.”

Jean rubbed her arm. “I know. But it can’t be long now. For all we know Dad’s already on his way home. Could be out there on a boat right this minute.”

Violet nodded and managed a small wet smile. Jean, working hard to hide her disappointment at missing this once-in-a-lifetime spectacle, again offered her arm, and the two of them began the slow walk back to the house, Jean’s mind whirring. Was it right to offer such optimism? No one knew if her father was actually on his way home. It was fifteen months since he’d stepped onto that German prison boat, headed God knows where. Twelve months since his last letter. And not a word from the authorities since Liberation. She told herself they had no choice but to believe, but one thing was certain—the Occupation was far from over. Not for them.

Excerpted from Beyond Summerland by Jenny Lecoat. Copyright © 2024 by Jenny Lecoat. Published by Graydon House Books, an imprint of HarperCollins.

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About the Author

Jenny Lecoat was born in Jersey, Channel Islands, where her parents were raised under German Occupation and were involved in resistance activity. Lecoat moved to England at 18, where, after earning a drama degree, she spent a decade on the alternative comedy circuit as a feminist stand-up. She also wrote for newspapers and women's magazines (Cosmopolitan, Observer), worked as a TV and radio presenter, before focusing on screenwriting from sitcom to sketch shows. A love of history and factual stories and a return to her island roots brought about her feature film Another Mother's Son (2017). She is married to television writer Gary Lawson and now lives in East Sussex. Her debut novel, The Girl from the Channel Islands, was an immediate New York Times bestseller.

Connect:

Author website: https://www.jennylecoat.com/  

GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20096261.Jenny_Lecoat?from_search=true&from_srp=true  

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JennyLecoat

Spotlight: Surviving Suicidal Ideation by Gina Cavalier and Amelia Kelley

A guide to help those who experience suicidal ideation heal and find peace.

Surviving Suicidal Ideation embarks on a profound journey through the underlying causes, stages, and powerful emotions that shape the experience of having suicidal thoughts. More importantly, it provides proven tools, exercises, and steps to curtail and heal this preventable condition. With sensitivity and clarity, Dr. Amelia Kelley and Gina Cavalier explore the interconnectedness of addiction, mental health, and trauma.

Using a unique combination of analytic and spiritual practices, mindfulness, cutting-edge brain therapy, and compassionate support, this book offers therapies and self-help techniques with corresponding exercises; hand-inked illustrations by Cavalier; a foreword by Thomas Moore, New York Times bestselling author of Care of the Soul; and an extensive list of resources.

As a public speaker, Cavalier focuses on memoir-style storytelling about living with suicidal ideation. Together, the authors present holistic approaches to suicide prevention and debunk prevalent myths. They also go beyond individual healing, emphasizing the importance of community and relationships. Ultimately, Surviving Suicidal Ideation provides a nonjudgmental guide that enables the reader to develop self-compassion and work toward a positive future filled with hope and resilience.

Buy on Amazon Kindle | Paperback | Bookshop.org

About the Author

Gina Cavalier is an author and illustrator, inspirational speaker, spiritual seeker, intuitive healer, and founder and host of The Liberated Healer Podcast™. Cavalier is a media veteran, former entertainment studio executive, and technology enthusiast. Cavalier’s speaking career started at the Warner Bros. studio lot, where she founded and co-chaired a business resource group with thousands of members and produced insightful events.

For more than fifteen years, Cavalier has embarked on a fascinating healing journey that has helped her heal her suicidal ideation. She has co-authored and illustrated a book with Dr. Amelia Kelley for the Swedenborg Foundation titled Surviving Suicidal Ideation: From Therapy to Spirituality and the Lived Experience. She also wrote the illustrated book How I Became Santa Claus and penned and produced several television and film projects. She is a founding member of the first-ever Suicidal Ideation Anonymous Group, a non-profit that provides resources to those who need assistance. For booking information, please email gina@theliberatedhearler.com and visit our website at www.theliberatedhealer.com.

Dr. Amelia Kelley is a trauma-informed therapist, author, co-host of The Sensitivity Doctor's Podcast, researcher, and certified meditation and yoga instructor. Her specialties include art therapy, internal family systems (IFS), EMDR, and brainspotting. Her work focuses on women’s issues, empowering survivors of abuse and relationship trauma, highly sensitive persons, motivation, healthy living, and adult ADHD.

She is a psychology professor at Yorkville University and a nationally recognized relationship expert featured on SiriusXM Doctor Radio’s The Psychiatry Show as well as NPR’s The Measure of Everyday Life. Her private practice is part of the Traumatic Stress Research Consortium at the Kinsey Institute. She is the author of Powered by ADHD, Gaslighting Recovery for Women: The Complete Guide to Recognizing Manipulation and Achieving Freedom from Emotional Abuse, coauthor of What I Wish I Knew: Surviving and Thriving After an Abusive Relationship, Surviving Suicidal Ideation: From Therapy to Spirituality and the Lived Experience, and a contributing author for Psychology Today as well as Highly Sensitive Refuge, the world’s largest blog for HSPs. Her work has been featured in Teen Vogue, Yahoo News, Lifehacker, and Insider. You can find out more about her work at ameliakelley.com. Follow her on Instagram @drameliakelley.