But anyway, back to the little blue box which Annie was holding tightly in her hand . . .
She was reminding herself that at Tiffany they also sold Elsa Peretti pendants in sterling silver, chunky silver rings, decorative gold bracelets . . . but then the box was too small for a bracelet. Could it be earrings?
This might just be a
present
, which would be lovely. Very, very sweet. No doubt about it. This might not be the great, romantic gesture which . . . did she want? Did she not want?
'Mum!' Lana urged her with a nudge. 'Come on! Open it!'
'Yes!' Owen agreed
Annie stole a glance at Ed. His steady gaze was on her and there was a smile of expectant happiness on his face.
If
this was a proposal ring . . . was it going to be a fabulous diamond or something much more modest? Looking from Ed to the box and from the box back to Ed, Annie suddenly realized that no matter how many times she'd told herself before that she was only going to settle Svetlana-style for the real deal, the mega engagement ring, she knew just looking at Ed that no matter what was inside, she was going to love it.
Because she loved him.
She really did. Maybe not as much as she'd once loved her husband. Not yet. But there was plenty of time for that. They had their whole grown-up lives ahead of them.
So she pulled off the ribbon and lifted open the lid.
'Oh! Oh babes,' she said, eyes shining and with a smile that lit up her face. 'Oh, Ed! That is absolutely perfect! Perfect!'
THE END
Yes, I know, it's that kissy, kissy, luvvie darling moment at the back of the book, but how else do I let everyone know how
wonderful
they are?
I am always so grateful for the kind advice and input of my wise agent, Darley Anderson, and for the support of the lovely people who work with him: Maddie, Zoe and Ella.
A very special thank you to my new editor Sarah Turner. It has been a pleasure to work on LNS with you. You've nipped and tucked my story with charming brilliance! As has copy guru Judith Welsh. Annie's latest adventures would not be as sparkling without you both.
I feel very lucky to have such a fantastic team behind
Late Night Shopping
. The covers, the website, the adverts, the sales pitch: all genius! Thank you so much for all your hard work on my behalf, I really do appreciate it hugely.
And finally, my home side: a ginormous thank you to Thomas, Sam and Claudie for putting up with all the stressy deadline weeks and to my Mum and Dad for their very hands-on help. Big hugs to my special scribbling amis, Shari Low and Lennox Morrison, and not forgetting the Wednesday night vino and kino club!
by Carmen Reid
Meet Annie Valentine: stylish, savvy,
multi-tasker extraordinaire.
As a personal shopper in a swanky London fashion emporium, Annie can re-style and re-invent her clients from head to toe. In fact, this super-skilled dresser can be relied on to solve everyone's problems . . . except her own.
Although she's busy being a single mum to stroppy teen Lana and painfully shy Owen, there's a gap in Annie's wardrobe, sorry, life, for a new man. But finding the perfect partner is turning out to be so much trickier than finding the perfect pair of shoes.
Can she source a genuine classic? A lifelong investment? Will she end up with someone from the sale rail, who'll have to be returned? Or maybe, just maybe, there'll be someone new in this season who could be the one . . .
A fabulous read. A sexy read. A Carmen Reid.
'If you love shopping as much as you love a great read, try this. Wonderful!'
Katie Fforde
9780552154819
A fabulous read. A sexy read. A Carmen Reid:
Bella Browning is attractive, successful and ambitious. She works hard, plays hard but deep down she knows there's something missing . . . a baby.
When Bella falls pregnant, her husband Don is terrified by the prospect, but Bella's a top Management Consultant turning around multi-million pound corporations . . . she can handle this! Can't she?
'An entertaining and insightful tale of a 21st century working motherhood with a bittersweet edge'
Cosmopolitan
9780552155816
Meet Eve: 4 kids, 1 hectic job, 2 complicated exes and a lot on her mind.
Like, is sex with the vet better than no sex at all?
Is she too old to shop at Topshop or dye her hair pink?
Are violets the new geraniums?
What the hell is in the fridge for supper?
And, most important of all, has she let the love of her life get away too easily?
'Full of love, hope and a dash of sadness.
A great summer read'
Sunday Mirror
9780552155809
A fabulous read. A sexy read. A Carmen Reid:
Five years of gruelling IVF still haven't brought Pamela and Dave the baby they long for. Their marriage is now so rocky, they need hiking boots just to negotiate dinner.
So they probably shouldn't be moving out of London to run an organic strawberry farm. Especially as out there in the countryside is devastatingly handsome farmer, Lachlan Murray.
Just how far is Pamela prepared to go for a baby?
'Carmen Reid's previous bestsellers were only a delicious taste of how brilliantly she can tell a story'
Daily Record
9780552155830
There aren't enough hours in the day for Jo, overworked newspaper reporter, mother of two, and newly divorced after ten years of marriage.
She's close to cracking the biggest scoop of her career – if she knocks on the right doors and asks the right questions then a real exclusive could be hers . . .
But how will Jo meet her deadlines when her distractions include two needy daughters, a pompous ex-husband, his new 'girlfriend' and the romantic intentions of a scruffy but delicious young super-chef?
'Cleverer than the average and much more entertaining too'
Heat
9780552155823
And for teenage readers:
New Girl
By Carmen Reid
Ohmigod
! Gina's mum has finally flipped and is sending her to Scotland to some crusty old
boarding school
called St Jude's – just because Gina spent all her money on clothes and got a few bad grades! It's so
unfair
!
Now the Californian mall-rat has to swap her sophisticated life of pool parties and wellgroomed boys for . . . hockey
in the rain
, school dinners and stuffy housemistresses. And what's with her three kooky dorm-buddies . . . could they ever be her
friends
? And just how does a St Jude's girl get out to meet the gorgeous guys invited to the school's summer ball?
978 0 552 55706 1