Carole Matthews Books in Order

Burned out and heartsore, Jodie Jackson retreats to her brother’s houseboat off the Isle of Wight, craving solitude. Instead she finds meddling cleaner Marilyn, noisy sculptor Ned next door and a tight-knit harbour community that slowly helps her decide whether to patch up her old life or start again.

Christmas at Hope Farm means nativity rehearsals with uncooperative animals, a glitter-obsessed Santa and money worries Molly Baker can barely ignore. As she plans an open day and dreams of a cosy family holiday with Shelby and Lucas, surprises threaten the fragile new life she’s worked so hard to build.

On Hope Farm, Molly Baker runs an alternative school for troubled kids alongside a motley crew of animals, from grumpy sheep to diva alpacas. When polished actor Shelby Dacre enrols his difficult son Lucas, Molly’s routines—and guarded heart—are upended by the possibility of both chaos and unexpected happiness.

Newly single Ruby Brown is determined to enjoy life, from working in a lively pub to following Take That with her best friend. Flirty boss’s son Mason offers carefree fun, while scuba instructor Joe comes with kids and baggage; Ruby must decide what kind of love she really wants.

Single mum Christie Chapman juggles a long commute, a secretarial job and raising teenage son Finn, finding solace in late-night crafting sessions. When a major company offers to licence her designs—and its charismatic boss takes an interest—Christie dares to dream, until a family crisis makes her question every choice.

Having left her beloved garden cake shop to live on canal boat The Dreamcatcher with Danny, Fay expects idyllic days and starry nights. Baking on board proves tougher than planned, and a call from home draws her back to the tearoom, forcing her to weigh romance against rootedness.

Fay Merryweather thought swapping her riverside tearoom for life aboard canal boat The Dreamcatcher with Danny would be pure romance. But a call from home pulls her back to the Cake Shop in the Garden at Christmas, where old responsibilities and new crises test how far love can stretch.

As the Chocolate Lovers’ Club prepares for a long-awaited wedding, fresh dramas threaten their happy endings. Money worries, new romances, family surprises and frightening health news test Lucy, Nadia, Autumn and Chantal—but with enough honesty, courage and chocolate, they’re determined to fight for their futures.

With Christmas approaching, the Chocolate Lovers’ Club should be celebrating, but life at café Chocolate Heaven is anything but simple. Lucy’s overworking and neglecting Aidan, Nadia is torn between old and new love, Chantal’s marriage feels fragile and Autumn is grieving—until friendship offers them a way through.

Fay Merryweather runs a tranquil canal-side cake shop and cares for her demanding mother, putting everyone’s needs before her own. When free-spirited boater Danny Wilde moors at the end of her garden, he tempts her to imagine a different life—and forces her to choose between duty and desire.

Single mum Louise Young works hard at a faceless corporation, dodging the advances of her handsy boss while raising her daughter. At the glamorous office Christmas party, new romance, poisonous office politics and dangerous secrets collide, forcing Louise to decide what she’s prepared to risk for a better future.

Fleeing an abusive marriage, Ayesha boards a coach with her young daughter and nowhere to go. They’re offered shelter in reclusive ex-pop star Hayden’s rambling house, where a grumpy pensioner and a big-hearted dancer help them build an improvised family worth fighting for.

Beth and Michael have spent years working hard to give their children the best of everything. On a rare beach holiday, an unexpected health scare forces Beth to see her family—and the messy, ordinary life they share—as the greatest gift she could have.

Out-of-work Cassie Smith turns her love of the festive season into a business, organising everything from trees to parties as “Calling Mrs Christmas”. A life-changing job for millionaire Carter Randall—complete with a trip to Lapland—makes her choose between tempting luxury and the steady love waiting at home.

Best friends Grace, Ella and Flick escape to Ella’s clifftop cottage in South Wales for a restorative week of sea air, wine and late-night confessions. But with Grace’s distant husband, Flick’s reckless charm and newcomer Noah stirring things up, their holiday exposes fractures that could change everything.

Last Christmas, Hannah’s life was full of love and promise; this year she’s newly single, lonely and struggling to feel festive at all. A touch of Christmas magic offers her one more chance to believe in romance—and to discover what she really wants from the future.

Christmas-mad Juliet Joyce is determined to create the perfect festive season, even with an unemployed son, heavily pregnant daughter, eccentric parents and a marriage that’s feeling the strain. As crises pile up, she fights to keep her chaotic family together and her home filled with love.

This collection brings together three short festive stories, where lonely Maria receives mysterious romantic notes, heartbroken Tara’s ruined Christmas takes an unexpected turn and a wife quietly plots to revive a fading marriage. Each tale offers a quick, cosy hit of hope, humour and holiday spirit.

Nell McNamara adores her boyfriend Olly and their little girl, but longs for more than shifts in the chip shop. A makeover project sparks her talent for design, leading to a handbag business that takes off—and threatens the very family life she’s working so hard to improve.

Thirty-something hairdresser Janie Johnson is stuck in a rut until her ex announces his wedding and she impulsively books a solo safari holiday to Africa. There she falls for Dominic, a charismatic Maasai guide, and has to decide if a long-distance love can survive real life—and Christmas back home.

Lily and Laurence Lamont-Jones lose their luxurious home, possessions and status almost overnight when his job disappears. Forced onto a rough estate with their children, they must adapt to close quarters, new neighbours and real money worries—and discover that happiness isn’t always tied to a bank balance.

Watching their glamorous sister celebrate her fortieth at the Dorchester, twins Annie and Lauren wonder where their own lives went wrong. They make a pact to change everything over the coming year, but new jobs, risky romances and old habits make reinvention far messier than they imagined.

When workaholic Will Ashurst suddenly collapses, he uproots his family from city life to a crumbling house on the Yorkshire moors, complete with unruly livestock. After tragedy strikes, his wife Amy is left to hold everything together and decide which dreams are really worth chasing.

After twenty-five years of marriage, Juliet Joyce and husband Rick are more housemates than lovers, overwhelmed by grown children, aging parents and everyday chaos. The unexpected return of Steven, the fiancé who once jilted her, rekindles old passion and forces Juliet to reassess what lasting love looks like.

Emma thinks long-term boyfriend Leo will always be the same charming but unreliable musician—until a disastrous birthday and a wish for change bring ethereal Isobel into his life. As Leo transforms, Emma must decide whether to fight for him or finally put herself first.

Single mum Sally Freeman is determined to improve life for her son and their rundown Liverpool estate. When wealthy, charming Spencer Knight offers a glamorous escape, she’s tempted—but her feckless ex Johnny and fierce loyalty to home make choosing between head and heart complicated.

Success hasn’t simplified life for the Chocolate Lovers’ Club. Lucy’s relationship with Aidan is wobbling, Autumn is hiding her new boyfriend, Nadia fears her husband hasn’t really quit gambling and Chantal’s marriage is on the line. Once again, only friendship—and chocolate—can get them through.

Chocolate addict Lucy Lombard relies on emergency trips to café Chocolate Heaven to survive her cheating boyfriend and awful boss. There, friends Autumn, Nadia and Chantal share crises, calories and secrets, discovering that true comfort comes from loyalty, laughter and generous slabs of chocolate.

Pub singer and barmaid Fern Kendal dreams of something bigger, so she auditions for TV talent show Fame Game. Paired as personal assistant to world-famous tenor Evan David, she’s plunged into a world of ego, glamour and unexpected chemistry that tests her ambitions and her heart.

The last place Anna Terry expects to meet someone is the waiting room of her divorce lawyer, but fellow client Nick Diamond changes that. Between her two kids, his chaotic car business and interfering exes, their fledgling romance becomes as messy as it is promising.

When Jake announces their relationship isn’t working, Lyssa’s world caves in. Instead of begging him back, she escapes on a trekking trip in Nepal, where high peaks and new friendships make her question whether going home to Jake is really what she wants.

Sadie Nelson swaps grey London for sun-soaked Los Angeles when charming Hollywood producer Gil McGann whisks her away. There she’s also drawn to witty actor Tavis Jones, leaving her torn between two imperfect men and learning that life in the spotlight is anything but simple.

Emily Miller’s life implodes when her ex posts compromising photos of her online, costing her her job, her home and her privacy. With her best friend’s dubious karma cures and a tempting new man complicating everything, Emily has to rebuild her reputation—and her heart—from scratch.

Ali Kingston’s comfortable marriage and three kids feel secure—until a flirtatious encounter with a younger street artist turns into far more than the “minor indiscretion” she imagined. As lies multiply, Ali risks losing everything and has to confront what she truly wants from love.

Newly divorced Josie Flynn flies to New York determined to talk her cousin out of marrying the wrong man. En route she meets easygoing journalist Matt Jarvis, sparking missed connections, meddling exes and wedding-week chaos that might just offer Josie her own second chance.

Kate Lewis is a dutiful wife and mother whose biggest daily drama is the ironing pile. A week-long T’ai Chi course at a country retreat—and the arrival of compelling Ben Mahler—forces her to question whether the safe life she built is really enough.

After discovering the man she loves is very much married, aromatherapist Rose Stevens flees to a sleepy country village to start over. Among lavender fields, nosy neighbours and a dangerously attractive builder, she’s soon at the centre of gossip, temptation and fresh scandal.

Commuter Teri Carter thinks romance is behind her until a chaotic dash for the evening train ends with her literally falling into Jamie Duncan’s arms. Their journeys become intoxicating—until she learns he’s married and must choose between desire and her conscience.