Our Favourite Heartwarming Fiction

by Allen Levi

€12.99

THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING PHENOMENON ‘For anything to be truly good, there must be love in it. Nothing is what it is supposed to be if love is not at the core.’ One morning, a stranger arrives in the town of Golden. No one knows who he is or where he came from. His name is Theo and he has arrived there by chance, or has he? He visits the local coffeehouse, where ninety-two pencil portraits hang on the walls, portraits by a local artist of the people of Golden. He begins purchasing them, one at a time, and putting them back in the hands of their ‘rightful owners’. With each exchange, a story is told, a friendship born, and a life altered. A story of seeing and being seen, Theo of Golden is a novel about the power of creative generosity, the importance of wonder to a purposeful life, and the invisible threads of kindness that bind us to one another. Readers love Theo of Golden: ‘Heart-wrenching’ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ‘I have read many books in my life - this is without doubt one of the greatest’ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ‘The most beautiful book I have ever read’ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ‘Destined to become a classic’ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ‘I have never cried so many times reading a book’ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ‘Salve for the soul’ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Ideal for readers who: Love uplifting contemporary fiction rooted in community Are intrigued by a stranger whose arrival quietly changes an entire town Enjoy small-town settings, where lives and histories are deeply intertwined Prefer gentle, hopeful reading with warmth, wisdom and emotional lift

by Kathryn Stockett

€15.99

Smart, funny, and driven by unforgettable characters... a must-read' Bonnie Garmus, author of Lessons in Chemistry You give a girl a taste of fresh air and then you take it away - she 'll grow fierce and wild to get it back. Oxford, Mississippi, 1933. Eleven-year-old Meg Lefleur has learned the hard way to rely on no one. Ever since her beloved mother failed to come home last Christmas Eve, she's been one of the 'unadoptable' girls at the town's orphanage, where she fights each day to keep her wits sharp and her spirit unbowed. When she meets Birdie, a young woman who has come to Oxford determined to remind her socialite sister of the impoverished family she left behind, for the first time in a long while it seems someone else might care about Meg's future. But as the Depression tightens its grip, Birdie begins to suspect her sister's charmed life may be founded on a tapestry of lies. Then, Birdie encounters Charlie, a woman haunted by loss who has been pushed to the brink with nothing left to lose. Drawn together by circumstance, they find unexpected kinship among a disreputable, determined band of women. But in a town steeped in hypocrisy, even the smallest act of defiance can have dangerous consequences... Bold, heartwarming, and riotously funny, The Calamity Club is an unforgettable story of resilience and friendship, and a sisterhood of underestimated women who risk everything to take back control of their fates. 'With exquisite storytelling and unforgettable characters, The Calamity Club is a joyful, heartbreaking, heartwarming read. I loved it so much' Jennie Godfrey, author of The List of Suspicious Things 'As witty, bold, and transportive as it is heartbreaking and compassionate, The Calamity Club is storytelling at its finest. Stockett's masterfully drawn characters are simply unforgettable' Shelley Read, author of the international bestseller Go as a River PRAISE FOR THE HELP 'Daring, vitally important and very courageous, I loved and admired The Help. Fantastic' MARIAN KEYES 'Outstanding, immensely funny, very compelling, brilliant' Daily Telegraph 'A laugh-out-loud, vociferously angry must-read' Marie Claire 'Touching, disgraceful, funny. Highly recommended' Daily Mail Ideal for readers who: Explore immersive historical fiction built around female solidarity, lifelong friendship and quiet defiance. Follow compelling young outsiders and found families navigating rigid social hypocrisy. Want to step into Depression-era Mississippi, exploring sharp class divides and orphanage life. Appreciate warm, witty and sometimes riotously funny storytelling balanced with genuine emotional grit.

by Matt Haig

€16.99

When your life flashes before your eyes, where would you stop? No one can change the past, but the Midnight Train can take you there. The chance to re-live the moments that meant most. To see what kind of person you really were. For Wilbur his best days were with Maggie, the love of his life. On his honeymoon in Venice. Before he gave it all away. He wishes he could go back and live differently. But to do so risks everything... A magical, time-travelling love story, from the world of The Midnight Library. Ideal for readers who: Gravitate toward time-travel stories where regret matters more than spectacle. Need a love story that revisits Venice, memory and the cost of second chances. Gravitate toward speculative fiction with a tender emotional question at its centre. Have ever wondered which moment they would return to if time briefly opened.

by Matt Haig

€9.49

THE NUMBER ONE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER WINNER OF GOODREADS CHOICE AWARD FOR FICTION 'An uplifting, poignant novel about regret, hope and second chances' David Nicholls 'A wonderful story' Zoe Ball, BBC Radio 2 Nora's life has been going from bad to worse. Then at the stroke of midnight on her last day on earth she finds herself transported to a library. There she is given the chance to undo her regrets and try out each of the other lives she might have lived. Which raises the ultimate question: with infinite choices, what is the best way to live? Ideal for readers who: Reach for deeply uplifting literary fiction that tackles themes of personal regret, hope and choice. Follow fascinating alternate lives that test what true fulfilment and happiness really mean. Step inside Nora’s mystical Midnight Library to explore paths of regret and endless possibility. Value highly accessible, hopeful contemporary stories packed with a strong philosophical resonance.

by Virginia Evans

€10.00

Discover the word-of-mouth bestselling phenomenon that thousands of readers are calling their favourite book of the year! THE #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR A BBC RADIO 2 BOOK CLUB PICK SHORTLISTED FOR THE GOODREADS READERS' CHOICE AWARDS 'A warm, funny gem of a novel' LAURA HACKETT, THE TIMES 'Masterful . . . I was delighted and moved' NEW YORK TIMES 'I can't praise it enough. It's an absolute triumph' CLARE CHAMBERS 'Tremendous' FREDRIK BACKMAN 'Shows us what a glorious thing growing older can be' FLORENCE KNAPP 'The year's breakout novel no one saw coming' WALL STREET JOURNAL Every morning, Sybil Van Antwerp sits down to write letters - to her brother, to her best friend, to the president of the university who will not allow her to attend a class she desperately wants to take, to her favourite authors to tell them what she thinks of their latest books, and to one person to whom she writes often yet never sends the letter. Because at seventy-three, Sybil has used her correspondence - witty and wise - to make sense of the world. But beyond the page, she has spent the last thirty years keeping the people who love her at arms' length... Until letters from someone in her past force her to examine one of the most painful periods of her life. Now, Sybil must send the letter she has been writing for all these years - and find forgiveness within herself in order to move on. Sybil Van Antwerp's life of letters might be 'a very small thing', but she also might be one of the most memorable characters you will ever read. *Over 90,000 five-star reviews on Goodreads* Ideal for readers who: Gravitate towards literary fiction beautifully shaped by letters, personal memory and long-awaited forgiveness. Connect deeply with older protagonists reckoning with their past while slowly reconnecting with the world. Enjoy noticing how elegant correspondence, classic books and late-life transformations reshape a character's universe. Prefer warm, intelligent, character-led novels that deliver plenty of wit alongside gentle emotional weight.

by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

€10.99

The cosy, heartwarming first book in the multi-million copy bestselling series. * *Pre-order Before I knew I loved you, the new book in the series, now!** * **Pre-order Before I knew I loved you, the new book in the series, now!** What would you do if you could travel back in time? More importantly, who would you want to meet, maybe for one last time? Toshikazu Kawaguchi's Before the Coffee Gets Cold, translated from Japanese, explores this age-old question... In a cosy back alley in Tokyo, there is a cafe which has been serving carefully brewed coffee for more than one hundred years. But this coffee shop offers its customers a unique experience: the chance to travel back in time. Prepare to meet four visitors, each of whom is hoping to make use of the cafe's time-travelling offer in order to: - confront the man who left them - receive a letter from their husband whose memory has been taken by Alzheimer's - see their sister one last time - meet the daughter they never got the chance to know. But the journey into the past does not come without risks: customers must sit in a particular seat. They cannot leave the cafe. And finally, they must return to the present before the coffee gets cold... 'This book broke my heart, took the pieces, and put them back together in a messy and beautiful way... ' - well.read.woman on Instagram Continue the beautifully moving storytelling with Tales from the Cafe, Before Your Memory Fades, Before We Say Goodbye and Before We Forget Kindness. Ideal for readers who: Respond to gentle speculative fiction about time, regret and second chances. Appreciate strict time-travel rules within an intimate Tokyo café. Are moved by stories about what people wish they had said. Prefer reflective novels where small choices carry emotional weight.

by Takuya Asakura

€9.49

For fans of Before the Coffee Gets Cold, What You Are Looking for Is In the Library, and Days at the Morisaki Bookshop comes an enchanting novel that will linger in your heart long after the last page is turned. As the last petal falls, the final page is turned. Welcome to The Cherry Blossom Bookshop, a haven for book lovers that only appears during the fleeting cherry blossom season. Nestled amidst the bloom of delicate petals, you'll find a sanctuary for those burdened by regrets and past sorrows. Here, Sakura, the mysterious young owner, and her wise calico cat, Kobako, patiently await the arrival of souls in need of solace and healing. Told over four seasons, each visitor to the bookshop holds a book that bridges their past and present, guiding them towards understanding and acceptance. Within the antique charm of the shop and the soothing aroma of freshly brewed coffee, Sakura and Kobako help their guests confront their lingering sadness through the power of stories, enabling them to move forward with renewed hope.

by Shelby Van Pelt

€10.99

**THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER** OVER 1.5 MILLION COPIES SOLD WORLDWIDE BBC RADIO 2 BOOK CLUB PICK OVER 60,000 5 STAR REVIEWS GOOD HOUSEKEEPING BEST BOOKS OF 2022 GLAMOUR BEST BOOKS OF 2022 'Remarkably Bright Creatures [is] an ultimately feel-good but deceptively sensitive debut. . . . Memorable and tender.' - Washington Post 'Full of heart and humour . . . I loved it.' Ruth Hogan 'Will stay with you for a long time.' Anstey Harris 'I defy you to put it down once you've started' Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney After Tova Sullivan's husband died, she began working the night cleaner shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium. Ever since her eighteen-year-old son, Erik, mysteriously vanished on a boat over thirty years ago keeping busy has helped her cope. One night she meets Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living at the aquarium who sees everything, but wouldn't dream of lifting one of his eight arms for his human captors - until he forms a remarkable friendship with Tova. Ever the detective, Marcellus deduces what happened the night Tova's son disappeared. And now Marcellus must use every trick his old body can muster to unearth the truth for her before it's too late... Shelby Van Pelt's debut novel is a reminder that sometimes taking a hard look at the past can help uncover a future that once felt impossible. 'You won't be able to put it down because when you're not reading this book you'll be hugging it.' Jamie Ford 'Truly original and touching' Helen Hoang READER REVIEWS 'I couldn't put it down' 'Marvelous, heartwarming, brilliant' 'I enjoyed every second' 'I was gripped from the first page' 'Read it, there's no way you won't fall in love with Marcellus the octopus!' 'Goodness me, what a unique and wonderful book.'

by Ann Patchett

€14.99

FROM THE INTERNATIONALLY BESTSELLING, PRIZE-WINNING AUTHOR OF THE DUTCH HOUSE AND TOM LAKE 'One of the most beloved authors of her generation' SUNDAY TIMES When Daphne notices an older gentleman following her around the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, she doesn’t expect it to be Eddie – her former stepfather. Married to her mother for a short time when Daphne was nine, she hasn’t seen Eddie for many years; not since the fateful event that changed the direction of both their lives. Meeting again now, Daphne and Eddie feel that time has fallen away. Their earlier relationship was brief but had a profound impact on both of them. Together, they consider not only their past, but the joys of the present and their commitment to face the future together. A moving, luminous story about how family, memory and love endures, Whistler paints an intimate portrait of how the feeling of being known by one other person, even for a short period of time, can change everything. Ideal for readers who: Read Ann Patchett for quiet emotional intelligence and luminous family stories. Want a New York museum reunion that reopens a brief but formative stepfamily bond. Enjoy fiction about memory, being known and the relationships that alter a life. Appreciate graceful, intimate stories where small meetings carry lifelong weight.