Carole Matthews drops in for a chat

Hurrah! The paperback of Loves Me, Loves Me Not is going to be on the shelves and not a moment too soon. February is just the perfect month for curling up on the sofa, preferably under a fluffy blanky, with a mug of hot chocolate and a great book.

And, believe me, this collection of short stories is a cracker. Once you start, you won’t want to put it down. You’ll be begging for five inches of snow again just so you can stay tucked up in the house to read. Just joking!


I’ve already dipped into the stories and particularly enjoyed the one by Joanna Trollope - who never disappoints - and Elizabeth Chadwick whose tale is a masterclass in short story telling. The art of the short story is much under-rated and I love the way you just get a little snippet of someone’s life and are always left wanting more. It’s also lovely to see all these terrific romance writers snuggled between the covers together.

Aren’t we lucky to have such fabulous proliferation of romance writers in this country? Romance is dead? Pshish. Don’t you believe it. As far as I’m concerned it’s alive and well and thousands of discerning readers agree. When everything else is doom and gloom, isn’t it lovely to escape into the arms of a wonderful, romantic hero? Works for me everytime! Even if you’ve started the year on a money diet (the thought of giving up chocolate and wine has long gone) paperbacks are still such incredible value. For the price of a bottle of plonk you can have hours of entertainment – and you’ll also be able to remember what you did the next day. So go out and buy Loves Me, Loves Me Not – you know you want to!

Carole