Bernadette writes highly intelligent comic fiction, primarily but not exclusively, for women. With superb characterisation and ingenious plotting, her novels are effortlessley commercial without compromising on wit, wisdom and a deep, abiding sense of what it means to seek out love and romance.
Her first novel THE RELUCTANT LANDLADY was a best seller for Hodder, and optioned by Sony Films for a television series. Her second novel HANDBAGS AND HALOS, published in November 2005, was even more successful.
Her third novel DIAMONDS AND DAISIES was published in January 2007 and her fourth, LITTLE WHITE LIES, was published at the same time in 2008.
Now under contract to Little, Brown, Bernadette published her fifth and sixth novels, HOW TO LOSE A HUSBAND AND GAIN A LIFE and WHY DO WE HAVE TO LIVE WITH MEN?
Novel number seven will be published in 2012 and is entitled THE UNRAVELLING OF MAGGIE CARLILE.
If your boyfriend dies, St Valentine's Day is going to be a problem. If he dies on St Valentine's Day he's pretty well runied it forever. A year on Maggie Carlile can't bear to open the pink envelope that arrived after Simon dropped dead; she knows it contains a marriage proposal and that would break her already bruised heart.
Maggie doesn't miss just Simon; she misses herself, the lively, friendly, riotous girl she used to be. Maggie doesn't go to parties any more, she doesn't ride rollercoasters. And she doesn't knit.
Maggie used to be a passionate knitter, making little wooly items full of love for everybody in her life. Discovering a bag of all the bits and bobs she made for Simon kickstarts Maggie's recovery. She decideds to unravel each piece and re-knit it for somebody else. It's her way of saying 'I'm back!' It's her way of spreading the love she still feels for Simon around her friends and colleagues.
That the unravelling of each bobble hat, stripey jumper and willy warmer triggers memories (some sweet, some definitely not so) is a surprise, as is her unmistakeable attraction to and for her new boss. Dynamic, easy on the eye and accustomed to getting what he wants, Flynn is a sudden irresistible force in immovable object Maggie's life. Knitting for others involves Maggie in their lives. She begins to breathe again, and to
consider loving again. It's time to open the Valentine card and deal with Simon's posthumous proposal.
Except it's not a proposal. It's the worst news she could imagine.
