MADELINE

As a new decade begins, hopeless romantic and big dreamer Ellen is finally moving on from her hometown. In Galway she takes a job in a bookshop, and somewhere between the dusty bookshelves and the quiet afternoons, a bookseller called Ben finds a place in her heart. Fast forward, and the bright lights (and cosy flats) of London are calling Ellen's name. There she meets Leo, a charming, attentive City banker who's everything she's ever wanted. And wherever she goes, her heart beats in time with her childhood friend, Danny - though they never seem to be in the right place at the right time.

After a broken engagement, Cher decides to leave heartbreak behind by signing up for a holiday house swap. For the next few weeks, she’ll ditch sunny California to spend her first Hanukkah in New York City, a time of snow-covered sidewalks, festive store windows, hot cocoa, and...cute neighbors? As Cher is moving into her temporary new apartment, Eliot is moving his ex’s belongings out, and he soon finds himself offering to play tour guide. He’s nursing a broken heart too, and spending time showing the beautiful traveler around is exactly what he needs.

Emily Feeney has always loved the festive season, so when she invites some of her favourite people to Christmas dinner at her restaurant, she has an afternoon of delicious fare and seasonal fun in mind. But as the big day draws near, her plans start to look a bit uncertain. Her partner Bill is preoccupied by family worries, and both he and Emily have been skirting around a big unanswered question. When events finally force Emily to issue an ultimatum, Bill must choose between the two women he loves.

Ria lived on Tara Road in Dublin with her dashing husband, Danny, and their two children. She fully believed she was happily married, right up until the day Danny told her he was leaving her to be with his young, pregnant girlfriend. By a chance phone call, Ria meets Marilyn, a woman from New England unable to come to terms with her only son's death and now separated from her husband. The two women exchange houses for the summer with extraordinary consequences, each learning that the other has a deep secret that can never be revealed.