The lover

'No one gets to the heart of human relationships quite so perceptively as Brookfield.' *The Mirror * After twenty years of contentedly playing the role of home-maker and mother, Frances Copeland's life is shattered by the sudden death of her husband.

With no career to fall back on and her son and daughter leaving home, the solitude of bereavement hits particularly hard. When new love beckons, in the form of a handsome young man fifteen years her junior, Frances is torn.

She longs to open her heart again but does not dare to trust her feelings.

Turning to her closest friends for help, she is met by a wall of judgemental attitudes and envy. Distracted by the predicament, her fragile confidence wavering, she fails to observe the crises spiralling out of control in the lives of her two children.

A sudden tragic accident brings her to her senses, but it may already be too late.

Not even the strongest love cannot sit around for ever. Praise for Amanda Brookfield:'An engaging, emotionally-charged and intriguing story' Michelle Gorman'No one gets to the heart of human relationships quite so perceptively as Brookfield.' The Mirror'Unputdownable.

Perceptive. Poignant. I loved it.' bestselling author Patricia Scanlan on Before I Knew You'If Joanna Trollope is the queen of the Aga Saga, then Amanda Brookfield must be a strong contender for princess.' Oxford TimesWhat readers are saying about Amanda Brookfield:'I felt so involved in this story that I found myself thinking about it a lot during the day.

A fantastic read. Gripping, moving, characters you care about, highly recommend.''Packed with suspense, (I actually held my breath during some of the scenes) and full of relatable characters, this book will draw you in from the first page.

Highly recommend.''The tension builds on every page, the characters, as always with this author's books, are drawn beautifully.

I couldn't put it down and am looking forward greatly to Amanda Brookfield's next offering hopefully before too long!''Brookfield is undoubtedly one of Britain's foremost chroniclers of human relationships.

It goes without saying that this novel is another page turner - guaranteed to make you read the last 50 pages before sleep, even though you know you have an early start in the morning - but it is much, much more.'