Cirrus@Austlit

'Chantelle is a successful lawyer who has achieved all of her goals, and yet still feels as if there is something missing in her life. Is it a dog? she often wonders.

'Adopting a canine companion leads her to a chance meeting with Branson and his nephew Ethan. Branson is a cosmetic surgeon, who seeks to adopt the young Ethan after his parents were killed in a car accident.

'In stark contrast to her successes, there is an undercurrent of darkness to Chantelle's life, and a terrible secret that plagues her memory like an unwelcome shadow, until a blossoming romance with Branson eventually helps her to overcome her deepest phobias and fears.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Unable to bear children, lacking confidence, and out of work, Maude nurses her mother through a terminal illness until her tragic passing. With her mother gone, Maude is forced to seek employment. Biting the bullet, she applies for a job she is sure she won’t get. However, when she is accepted as the successful applicant, her confidence grows, opening up new horizons and allowing her to realise her true potential. Discovering a mysterious key in her mother’s home, Maude is taken on a journey she could never have anticipated, with a revelation that leaves her both shocked and elated.' (Publication summary)