As ever, I owe an enormous amount to my wonderful agent Gaia Banks – on this occasion for guiding me through the perils and pitfalls of writing a sequel and for her crucial insight and input as first reader, not to mention her seemingly limitless encouragement. My thanks also go to Alba Arnau at Sheil Land Associates for her most excellent support behind the scenes. Thank you both.
I am, of course, greatly indebted to the lovely Emily Bedford, Senior Commissioning Editor at Canelo, not just for believing in me enough to commission a second book about Charley and Pam, but also for being open to exploring new directions for the characters. I can’t thank her enough for guiding my debut women’s fiction books to publication. It’s been a hoot.
I absolutely love Sarah Whittaker’s cover illustration, which is not just perfect for this book, but also fits so well with the signature of her cover of the previous book.
I am especially grateful to the talented Jennie Ayres for her sharp yet sympathetic copy editing and her excellent edits, comments and suggestions. She also has my apologies for stealing so many of her suggested changes outright!
I’d also like to thank everyone at Canelo on the production team, in particular Micaela Cavaletto and Nicole Abel, and everyone else involved in creating or promoting both books. I’m truly grateful.
Finally, my love and thanks to my four offspring who continue to enthusiastically crack open the fizz to celebrate every milestone in my writing journey.