The Beachside Series

Snow is falling and there’s romance in the air. Curl up for a cosy Christmas by the fire at Seaview Cottage…When thirty-year-old Lily Ambrose’s latest relationship ends in disaster, she remembers happy childhood holidays in the seaside town of Shipley and decides it’s the perfect place for a fresh start.But when Lily arrives, the town’s spirits are as low as her own: the local celebrity due to turn on the Christmas lights has gone on a cruise instead. Keen to prove herself, she calls in a favour and secures gorgeous reality star Ollie.Lily’s neighbours are initially thrilled, but Ollie is as uncontrollable as he is good-looking. He can’t remember the town’s name, calls the Christmas decorations tacky, and manages to offend everyone. And whilst handsome but stubborn cameraman Craig tries to help, even he can’t stop Ollie’s madcap plans to stage a romance with Lily…Will Lily be able to keep Ollie under control and bring the Christmas cheer back to Shipley – and find herself a real kiss under the mistletoe?Perfect for fans of Phillipa Ashley, Cathy Bramley and Debbie Johnson.‘Had me properly laughing… A light hearted, fun, easy to read story that will have you giggling, while also wishing your own house has far more Christmas lights!’ Rachel’s Random Reads, 5 stars‘Karen Clarke has such a knack for writing hilariously funny one-liners. I have lost track whilst reading this how many times I’ve laughed out loud… This is a fabulous book!!' Stardust Book Reviews, 5 stars‘Perfect to get you in the Christmas spirit!’ Read.Sleep.KnitAfter giving up her job as a library assistant, Karen now writes full-time. She’s had over 300 stories published in women’s magazines in the UK and abroad, and has written three paranormal romantic comedies, published by Little, Brown/Corsair.

When Marnie Appleton inherited a sweet shop from her grandfather she was determined to do his legacy proud. The shop has been a much-loved feature of the little seaside town of Shipley for years, but now Marnie needs to bring it up to date, and she’s recruited gorgeous new assistant Josh to help.Marnie gets busy redecorating the shop and choosing delicious new sweets to stock, but things are never that simple: new neighbour Isobel, a fame-hungry blogger, is on a crusade against sugar, and she’ll go to any lengths to secure bad publicity for Marnie’s shop.Marnie fights back with homemade sugar-free treats, but with her best friend Beth heavily pregnant, her grandmother Celia recovering from an operation, and her very recently ex-boyfriend Alex returning to Shipley with a new love, Marnie has a lot on her plate.And then there’s Josh, with whom Marnie is struggling to keep her relationship strictly professional… Will both the sweet shop and love flourish?A deliciously heartwarming read about family, friends and handmade coconut ice. Perfect for fans of Cressida McLaughlin, Emily Henry, and Tilly Tennant.What people are saying about The Beachside Sweet Shop:‘I do love a book that can make me giggle after just a few pages. As well as being funny, the storyline had a homely feel to it, reading it made me feel comfortable, relaxed and welcome…It’s amazing how much drama one little sweet shop can create! I was captivated, and sometimes surprised, by the goings on in the little village shop…a bright read that left a smile on my face and my taste buds in need of some sweet treats.’ 5* V Family Fun‘I smiled all of the way through this gorgeous heart-warming read. A lot of the sweets reminded me of my childhood. The fictional Seaside town of Shipley sounds gorgeous, I almost packed my bags and started looking on TripAdvisor for a place to stay. The characters and storyline are just everything I adore in a book. I can honestly say that I felt quite sad to be saying farewell to everyone at the end.’ 5* The Reading Shed‘Brilliant! Such a beautiful, heart warming story! Loved every word! So well written. A magical, feel good tale. Loved, loved, loved. Highly recommend it to everyone.’ Renita D’Silva‘Had me chortling away…really funny…A fabulous candy cane of a read. I absolutely loved it.’ 5* Short Book and Scribe‘Light-hearted and witty...Kept me glued to the pages.’ 4* On My Bookshelf‘I feared I would short circuit my Kindle with tears from laughing.’ 5* Books from Dusk til Dawn‘Fantastically funny…an entertaining read.’ Jo’s Book Journey‘A sweet and charming read.’ 4* Pretty Little Book Reviews‘This book was a great read, so easy to dive into and get lost…Highly recommend it…dive in and forget the world around you.’ 4* Trish B’s Blog‘Such a sweet book (sorry, couldn’t resist)… A really cute, sweet (sorry, I did it again) read. Thoroughly enjoyed it.’ 5* Lilac Mills‘A delightful British love story.’ For the Love of Books‘I do love a book that can make me giggle after just a few pages. As well as being funny, the storyline had a homely feel to it, reading it made me feel comfortable, relaxed and welcome…It’s amazing how much drama one little sweet shop can create! I was captivated, and sometimes surprised, by the goings on in the little village shop…a bright read that left a smile on my face and my taste buds in need of some sweet treats.’ 5* V Family Fun‘I smiled all of the way through this gorgeous heart-warming read. A lot of the sweets reminded me of my childhood. The fictional Seaside town of Shipley sounds gorgeous, I almost packed my bags and started looking on TripAdvisor for a place to stay. The characters and storyline are just everything I adore in a book. I can honestly say that I felt quite sad to be saying farewell to everyone at the end.’ 5* The Reading Shed‘Light-hearted and witty...Kept me glued to the pages.’ 4* On My Bookshelf‘Funny, heart-warming and entertaining.’ 4* Where the Reader Grows‘Light, quick moving and engagin

‘I really fell for this storyline hook, line and sinker… a beautiful, touching storyline which will have you feeling fuzzy from your head to your toes, and possibly your shoulders and knees in between.’ The Writing Garnet Carrie Dashwood fled Dorset ten years ago when her best friend Megan stole her love, local heart-throb Tom. Now she’s back to help run her aunt Ruby’s flower stall in idyllic Shipley. Trying to persuade herself that her feelings for Tom are in the past, Carrie plans to avoid him and Megan completely. But it’s not to be, because Ruby’s Blooms are arranging the flowers for Megan and Tom’s wedding. Soon Carrie’s crawling under the stall to hide and accidentally inventing an imaginary boyfriend. But with the stall’s finances in jeopardy and Ruby needing her niece more than ever, Carrie has to keep her emotions in check. With bouquets to arrange, family secrets to uncover, and Tom unavoidably a part of her life again, can Carrie keep her cool, save the stall, and find her very own happy ever after? A heartening and uplifting read about lost love and true friendship. Perfect for fans of Cressida McLaughlin, Cathy Bramley, and Polly Babbington. ‘The author has a way of just bringing her novels and the characters to life. They are such fabulous feel good books… This is a series that will have fans falling over themselves to get their hands on a copy. It really is that good.’ By the Letter Book Reviews, 5 stars ‘What a lovely, evocative story!... Wow! A beautiful story of lost love and coming of age and new beginnings. Written with heart. Loved it! Cannot wait for more by this author.’ Renita D’Silva, 5 stars ‘What a complete and utter joy… I found myself chortling away… Charming and feel-good and I loved every minute of it.’ Short Book and Scribes, 5 stars. After giving up her job as a library assistant, Karen now writes full-time. She’s had over 300 stories published in women’s magazines in the UK and abroad. She lives in Buckinghamshire with her husband and three grown-up children. The Beachside collection has sold over 75,000 copies