Godmother

There's nothing tying her down . . . but maybe that's the problem.

Back from a five-week escape from her obsessive former boss (read: job over, phone number changed, doorman notified), Tessa King returns to London rested and ready to reclaim her life. She has endless possibilities, and a full social calendar with wonderful friends and godchildren who adore her.

But as Tessa begins to look at all their lives, she questions whether having a family can actually guarantee happiness: Helen and Neil, parents to twin boys, are in a seemingly perfect marriage, though it hides dark and twisted secrets. Single mother Billy struggles to make ends meet and can't get over a man who doesn't want her. Happily married Francesca and Nick endeavor to guide their headstrong teenage son. Claudia and Al have everything they need to create the perfect loving family--except a baby. And then there's Ben: best friend, loyal confidant, willing drinking partner, and Tessa's everything--but also Sasha's husband.

Heartwarming, dark, funny, and almost too true to bear, Carrie Adams's extraordinary debut novel speaks to anyone who has wondered about the next step. It reminds us that the challenge in life is to find a direction that is truly our own, and that some fairy tales just aren't fair.

“A lively fusion of chick lit and mummy lit . . . great.” Marie Claire (UK)

“Book clubs rejoice! Weve got a winner! ...brilliant, funny, and human ...I loved it.” Adriana Trigiani, New York Times bestselling author of the Big Stone Gap series and Lucia, Lucia

“Carrie Adams eschews the traditional happy-ever-after in this witty and realistic take on modern life.” In Style UK

“A punchily written page-turner.” Good Housekeeping, UK

Heartwarming, dark, funny, and almost too true to bear, Adams's extraordinary novel speaks to all women who've wondered about the competing attractions of being single and getting hitched for life. Are marriage and children the happy-ever-after many claim, or is everything just fine the way it is?

Nothing scares Tessa King more than the thought she will never have children. It doesn't matter how good her life is, and it is, it never feels good enough. She has four godchildren and dozens of friends, yet love eludes her. She knows how good a mother she could be, if only she had the chance. And then one terrible day she does, and Tessa learns firsthand that life on the other side of that white picket fence is more complicated than she ever could have imagined.

Heartwarming, funny, and genuine, The Godmother speaks to anyone who has wondered about the next step and reminds us that happily-ever-after is just the beginning of the story.

Carrie Adams is the author of The Godmother, which is being adapted for film. She lives in London with her husband and three children.