As opulent and ambiguous as the author herself

Sackville-West wrote without fuss or anxiety. Her fluency could be relied on to provide imaginative security, and she wanted readers - of The Edwardians, Family History, All Passion Spent - to feel that too

A close-up portrait of the excessive lifestyle of the aristocracy in a country estate... living out the tension between playing your given part in society — staying true to the rules and culture you were born into — and becoming an independent person, a tension that also defines "Downton Abbey," both upstairs and down.

Exposes the shallowness of the elite in society at the beginning of the twentieth century… I found this novel a real pleasure to read… Sackville-West describes some of the monstrous characters with great humour… The tone is witty and perceptive and it is obvious she has a deep insider knowledge of the life she is criticizing… The Edwardians was apparently an instant success on publication and I think today it would certainly appeal to fans of Downton Abbey or books like The Forsyte Saga. Book groups would find plenty to discuss about both the social history and the outrageous characters in the novel.

Each time I had to put it down I couldn't wait to get back to it

Haunting in every sense. An absorbing novel that finds its eloquence in what is left unsaid and its most vivid imagery in what has been lost, possibly for ever

Matar suffuses Nuri's education in love and loss with an erotic frisson and fragile grace that lend the book an inner radiance

Submerged grief gives this fine novel the mythic inexorability of Greek tragedy

Sensually written, there is an extravagant feel even to the simplest sentence. From start to finish that exquisitely profound quality of uncertainty is the most wrenching aspect of all

Frank, refreshing...such a satisfying read

Pages devoured: 216. Embarrassing laugh-out-loud moments on public transport: numerous. Overall thoughts on latest Bridget Jones book: V.v.v. gd. Helen Fielding reminds us once again that she’s the queen of encapsulating the female experience in all its messy, funny and emotional glory… Short, pacy and perfect.

There’s delight to be had in sharing her happy ending.

With a deft wit, Fielding lampoons 21st century life but amongst the humour there are some serious points about the way in which we judge ourselves and others…[Fielding] is certainly back to her witty best.

A gloriously funny, touching story of baby-deadline panic, maternal bliss, and every kind of chaos.

The Bridget we were all clamouring to see.

More than enough chuckles to keep you turning the page.

A clever premise, wittily delivered in upbeat, wisecracking style. Lauren's encounters provide a colourful snapshot of modern men and dating mores, while her breezy promiscuity makes Bridget Jones look positively nun-like. All good, dirty fun - and there's a great twist to how she gets her guy in the end. American Pimentel writes lyrically of her adopted city, and her insights into the British are as spot-on as they are hilarious

Witty, frank and candid, this book takes the reader on a hilarious tour through the world of modern dating

Frank, refreshing . . . such a satisfying read

Praise for The Vacationers

Now this is what I call good holiday reading. Straub writes beautifully and amusingly . . . hard to beat for sheer charm and gentle wit

Emma Straub puts the fun back in dysfunction

There's nothing more addictive than a darkly funny dysfunctional domestic drama. Straub's novel-set during a fraught family vacation in Mallorca-is pretty much the perfect beach read

Charming and absorbing, this is a novel that demands to be read in long, satisfying gulps

Emma Straub is a magician, full of brilliance and surprise

A gorgeous and witty storyteller

Witty and big-hearted . . . leaves you smiling for days

For those unable to jet off to a Spanish island this summer, reading The Vacationers may be the next-best thing. . . . [A] gorgeously written novel . . . When I turned the last page, I felt as I often do when a vacation is over: grateful for the trip and mourning its end

Delicious . . . richly riveting . . . The Vacationers offers all the delights of a fluffy, read-it-with-sunglasses-on-the-beach read, made substantial by the exceptional wit, insight, intelligence and talents of its author

I loved The Vacationers; funny and poignant and beautifully observed

Straub's novel is cast from the same mould as the likes of Liza Klaussmann's Tigers in Red Weather and Maggie Shipstead's Seating Arrangements . . . The Vacationers is a holiday read in every way with a gently witty narrative that slips down as easily as a beachside cocktail

Emma Straub is a gorgeous and witty storyteller

Intimate, epic, beautifully observed

Witty and big-hearted ... leaves you smiling for days

Charming and absorbing

Funny, poignant and beautifully observed