Julie Highmore

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BOOKS BY THIS AUTHOR


Title: Pure Fiction: Description:
Book chronicles the personal relationshops of the people who join a library reading circle. As the reading circle draws its members into an unlikely community, the plots become increasingly dramatic and their lives grow ever more entwined ....

Title: Sleeping Around: Description:
Robin is shocked but thrilled when Hannah arrives on his Oxford doorstep with a two year old and a suitcase, and announces that Freddie is his son. Her husband, Marcus was less happy to learn about Hannah's fling with Robin, but several months on, he's longing to spend some time with the little boy he thought was his. So, he takes on a house-sit a few streets away. Jo, over the road, is intrigued by the newcomer, and quickly finds an excuse to learn more, but Hannah is also wondering if Marcus is the one, after all... From the Inside Flap Robin is shocked but thrilled when Hannah arrives on his Oxford doorstep with a two year old and a suitcase, and announces that Freddie is his son. Her husband Marcus was less happy to learn about Hannah’s fling with Robin, but several months on he’s longing to spend some time with the little boy he thought was his. So he takes on a house-sit a few streets away. Jo, over the road, is intrigued by the newcomer, and quickly finds an excuse to learn more, but Hannah is also wondering if Marcus is the one, after all... ‘Highmore excels in taking a witty and somewhat wry look at relationships, and in SLEEPING AROUND families in all their forms take centre stage, with added spice coming from their histrionics, fanciable housesitters, and flights to France’ Publishing News Praise for Julie Highmore: ‘So enjoyable... It’s a lovely read’ Catherine Alliott ‘Funny, original and dazzlingly assured’ Jill Mansell ‘Pacy and witty…as fresh, crisp and delicious as a new organic carrot’ Express About the Author Julie Highmore was born in Surrey. She has worked as a reader for OUP Children's Books, copy-edited academic work and taught English. She lives in Oxford and has three grown-up children. Julie's previous novels, PLAY IT AGAIN?, PURE FICTION and COUNTRY LOVING, have been warmly acclaimed: 'Sparkling' Wendy Holden 'Compulsive reading' Express 'A hilarious and honest look at everyday life' Sun 'A real feel-good read, full of funny scenes and one-liners, [a] seductive story of love, music and family life' Publishing News

Title: Country Loving: Description:
Life slows down alarmingly from the moment Ruby Grant and Oliver move into Troy Cottage. Free at last from her two grown-up yet persistently dependent children, Ruby plans to start writing her novel - until her daughter, Poppy, turns up with boyfriend and dog in tow, announces she's pregnant and moves into Ruby's office. Then Josh needs somewhere to do his washing, and her father wants to stay...Despite this, Ruby finds village life surprisingly seductive, especially when she meets Hamish, the handsome journalist who is eager to help with her investigations for the parish magazine. There's surely no harm in a little crush - but can Ruby avoid the hazards of country loving? About the Author Julie Highmore was born in Surrey. She has worked as a reader for OUP Children's Books, copy-edited academic work and taught English. She lives in Oxfordshire and has three independent grown-up children. This is her first novel. Excerpted from Country Loving by Julie Highmore. Copyright © 2003. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. Chapter One ‘Oh yes, and a nice bottle of wine,’ I tell Oliver. ‘Right,’ he says, jotting it down. ‘OK, that’s pitta bread, humous, Earl Grey, Guardian, olives and a bottle of wine. Australian Cabernet?’ ‘Definitely.’ He folds the list and tucks it in his shirt pocket. ‘Ready?’ Our first Upper Muckhill outing. Very exciting. ‘Settled in to old Bert’s place then?’ asks a petite, grey-haired passer-by, who looks as though she might weigh less than her two bags of food. She stops and puts her shopping down. ‘Jean,’ she says with several puffs and a quick nod of the head. ‘Jean Crowbar.’ (Or something.) Friendly locals, hooray. ‘I’m Ruby Grant,’ I tell her with a big smile. She nods and puffs again and I can’t help thinking she’d be better of without that cable-knit cardigan on such a day. ‘And this is Oliver Jeff–’ ‘Jeffries,’ she says. ‘Yes, I know. Second husband. Architect. You work from home.’ Oliver’s jaw drops. ‘And my shoe size?’ She looks down at his feet. ‘Meg – that’s Ted’s wife – thought you’d be a ten or eleven. Only we was sorting through Bert’s things, God rest his soul, and wondered if you could make use of his shoes. Big like you, he was.’ Oliver stares wide-eyed at the woman and I hook my arm through his. ‘We’d better get to the shop,’ I say, steering us away. ‘Nice meeting you, Jean.’ ‘Ted’s out of lard, if you was wanting any,’ she calls out. ‘Had a bit of a run on it, he says.’ ‘Right.’ ‘Got a lovely bit of tongue in today though.’ ‘Oh, good.’We’re outside the shop and Oliver shakes the hand that’s been thrust at him. ‘Veronica Weatherall, parish councillor,’ announces its owner – late-fifties, rigid blonde hair, all done up in Tory blue – ‘You must be Oliver.’ She turns to me. ‘And Ruby, I believe. I hear you’ve got two grown-up children. You barely look old enough, my dear.’ For some reason it doesn’t feel like a compliment. ‘Joshua and Polly, isn’t it?’ ‘It’s Poppy, actually.’ ‘Mm, unusual name. And what do they do, your children?’ Well mostly they mind their own business I’m thinking, as I scratch around for a better word than ‘unemployed’. ‘They’re both in the leisure industry,’ chips in Oliver. ‘Ah yes, very worthwhile. We’re hoping to get a little sports centre going in the infants’ school annexe. Volleyball for the seventy plus, that sort of thing.’ She opens a large clip-top handbag and pulls out a spiral notepad. ‘While I’ve got you here, can I put you both down for bus-shelter litter duty? You’ll find we all tend to muck in in Muckhill.’ She unscrews her fountain pen top and looks up at our horrified faces. ‘Shall we say every other Tuesday?’In the dark and chilly village shop, Oliver and I try not to quietly weep. After scouring the shelves in vain we eventually take a bottle of Liebfraumilch, two cod-in-butter-sauces and a tabloid to the till, where Ted introduces himself but we feel we needn’t bother. ‘Got yourselves a bargain there,’ he says, huge bushy eyebrows bobbing up and down below a completely bald head. It’s like all his hair one day decided to relocate. We look quizzically at our purchases. ‘Old Bert Roberts’ place,’ he adds. ‘Ah right, Troy Cottage,’ I say with what I hope isn’t too smug an expression. It certainly was a good price. We are, however, beginning to find out why. ‘Wanted to buy it myself but what with business being a bit slow...’ he says as he scans our items.I look around the shop and wonder why that could be. ‘That’s eight pound forty-three, if you please.’ ‘You what?’ exclaims Oliver, taking the items back out of their carrier bag. ‘Look, two tiny portions of endangered fish, a bottle of undrinkable plonk and a fascist rag. Let’s face it, Ted, you should be paying us.’ Ted, momentarily stunned, then bursts into a hearty laugh. ‘Bit of a wit, are we?’Back home, after Oliver and I have stoically worked our way through dinner, I take my new journal upstairs and sit on the bed, pen in mouth, first snow-white empty page propped on my thighs. Nice thing about the village, I write, is average age roughly sixty-eight. So much better than living next to second-year university students who look as though someone should still be crossing them over the road, and who make you feel old and boring when you ask them to clear front garden rubbish due to rat sighting. I’m guessing no one in Upper Muckhill will play hip hop till the police hammer on their door, either.

Title: Play It Again: Description:
In the wilds of Norfolk, Dylan is mending his broken heart by rebuilding his house. Next door, Ellie gazes longingly over the fence, while her mother Fliss contemplates a school reunion. Should she risk an encounter with her first crush? Meanwhile Dylan's once-famous father Alex, arriving a little late in his son's life, is also recalling the perils of first love - but will Marie return Alex's renewed affection? Can an old rock star recapture the magic of his first hit? About the Author Julie Highmore was born in Surrey. She has worked as a reader for OUP Children's Books, copy-edited academic work and taught English. She lives in Oxfordshire and has three grown-up children.