A complex and truly timeless emotion, love – whether passion or heartbreak, infatuation or flirtation – has provoked some of the greatest names in literature to write verses of outstanding beauty. Part of the Macmillan Collector’s Library; a series of stunning pocket-sized classics. These beautiful books make perfect gifts or a treat for any book lover. This edition features an introduction by bestselling author, and Romantic Novelists’ Association prize-winner, Joanna Trollope. There has always been love, and we have been writing poetry about it for over 4,000 years. From John Donne and William Shakespeare to Emily Dickinson and Christina Rossetti, the very best classic love poetry is collected in this elegant anthology, Poems for Love. That we still read and enjoy these heartfelt poems today is a testament both to their individual genius and to the enduring power of love.

'Nobody writes about family tensions better than Joanna Trollope' Good Housekeeping

An Unsuitable Match, by number one bestselling author Joanna Trollope, is an uplifting story of love, family and second chances.

‘Why on earth, after all you’ve been through, all you’ve survived, all you’ve achieved, why do you want to get married?’

Rose Woodrowe has just got engaged to Tyler Masson – a wonderful, sensitive man who is head-over-heels in love with her. The only problem? This isn’t the first time for either of them, and their five grown-up children have strong opinions on the matter . . .

Who to listen to? Who to please? Rose and Tyler are determined to get it right this time, but in trying to make everyone happy, can they ever be happy themselves?

Sunday Times number one bestseller Joanna Trollope explores the issues at the heart of a modern family with her trademark wit and warmth, in Mum & Dad.

‘What a mess, she thought now . . . what a bloody, unholy mess the whole family has got itself into.’

It’s been twenty-five years since Gus and Monica left England to start a new life in Spain, building a vineyard and wine business from the ground up. However, when Gus suffers a stroke and their idyllic Mediterranean life is thrown into upheaval, it’s left to their three grown-up children in London to step in . . .

Sebastian is busy running his company with his wife, Anna, who’s never quite seen eye-to-eye with her mother-in-law.

Katie, a successful solicitor in the City, is distracted by the problems with her long-term partner, Nic, and the secretive lives of their three daughters.

And Jake, ever the easy-going optimist, is determined to convince his new wife, Bella, that moving to Spain with their eighteen-month-old would be a good idea.

As the children descend on the vineyard, it becomes clear that each has their own idea of how best to handle their mum and dad, as well as the family business. But as long-simmering resentments rise to the surface and tensions reach breaking point, can the family ties prove strong enough to keep them together?

She glanced at her phone again. There were appeals from the girls, from her colleagues, a text from Steve reading with uncharacteristic imperiousness, 'Call me.' She couldn't. She couldn't call anyone ...She leaned forward, gripping the edge of the bench, and stared at the ground. God, she thought, am I losing my mind? Is this what happens when you lose your job?

The day Stacey Grant loses her job feels like the last day of her life. Or at least, the only life she'd ever known. For who was she if not a City high-flyer, Senior Partner at one of the top private equity firms in London? As Stacey starts to reconcile her old life with the new - one without professional achievements or meetings, but instead, long days at home with her dog and ailing mother, waiting for her successful husband to come home - she at least has The Girls to fall back on. Beth, Melissa and Gaby.

The girls, now women, had been best friends from the early days of university right through their working lives, and for all the happiness and heartbreaks in between. But these career women all have personal problems of their own, and when Stacey's redundancy forces a betrayal to emerge that was supposed to remain secret, their long cherished friendships will be pushed to their limits ...

Sunday Times number one bestseller Joanna Trollope explores the issues at the heart of a modern family with her trademark wit and warmth, in Mum & Dad. 'What a mess, she thought now . . . what a bloody, unholy mess the whole family has got itself into.' It's been twenty-five years since Gus and Monica left England to start a new life in Spain, building a vineyard and wine business from the ground up. However, when Gus suffers a stroke and their idyllic Mediterranean life is thrown into upheaval, it's left to their three grown-up children in London to step in . . . Sebastien is busy running his company with his wife, Anna, who's never quite seen eye-to-eye with her mother-in-law. Katie, a successful solicitor in the City, is distracted by the problems with her long-term partner, Nic, and the secretive lives of their three daughters. And Jake, ever the easy-going optimist, is determined to convince his new wife, Bella, that moving to Spain with their eighteen-month-old would be a good idea. As the children descend on the vineyard, it becomes clear that each has their own idea of how best to handle their mum and dad, as well as the family business. But as long-simmering resentments rise to the surface and tensions reach breaking point, can the family ties prove strong enough to keep them together? 'Trollope writes about family relationships with intelligence and clear-eyed sympathy' - The Times

An Unsuitable Match, by number one bestselling author Joanna Trollope, is an a uplifting story of love, family and second chances.`Why on earth, after all you've been through, all you've survived, all you've achieved, why do you want to get married?' Rose Woodrowe has just got engaged to Tyler Masson - a wonderful, sensitive man who is head-over-heels in love with her. The only problem? This isn't the first time for either of them, and their five grown-up children have strong opinions on the matter . . . Like Rose's daughter, Laura, who remembers her parents' painful divorce and doesn't want to see her mother hurt again. Or the twins, Emmy and Nat, who simply don't trust the man their mother has fallen for. Then there's Tyler's children: Seth, too busy with his San Francisco sourdough bakery to get to know his father's new partner; and Mallory, the aspiring actress, who is still wrestling with the issues of her own childhood. Who to listen to? Who to please? Rose and Tyler are determined to get it right this time, but in trying to make everyone happy, can they ever be happy themselves?

The beloved and bestselling novelist Joanna Trollope's contemporary reworking of Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility launches The Austen Project and is already one of the most talked about books of the year. When sisters Elinor and Marianne lose their father and their beloved home, Norland Park, all in a matter of weeks, the shock impacts them in very different ways. As young architect student Elinor holds the family together, Marianne resists the change they must endure with all of her might. Thrust into a tiny cottage in Devon, the two sisters are soon united by one thing, dilemmas of the heart. But where Marianne proclaims her love, Elinor holds her tongue. And in a world that turns on an axis of money, sex and power, what will prevail: following one's head or one's heart?

City of Friends is the number one bestselling twentieth novel from the highly acclaimed author, Joanna Trollope.

She glanced at her phone again. There were appeals from the girls, from her colleagues, a text from Steve reading with uncharacteristic imperiousness, 'Call me.' She couldn't. She couldn't call anyone . . . She leaned forward, gripping the edge of the bench, and stared at the ground. God, she thought, am I losing my mind? Is this what happens when you lose your job?

The day Stacey Grant loses her job feels like the last day of her life. Or at least, the only life she'd ever known. For who was she if not a City high-flyer, Senior Partner at one of the top private equity firms in London?

As Stacey starts to reconcile her old life with the new - one without professional achievements or meetings, but instead, long days at home with her dog and ailing mother, waiting for her successful husband to come home - she at least has The Girls to fall back on. Beth, Melissa and Gaby. The girls, now women, had been best friends from the early days of university right through their working lives, and for all the happiness and heartbreaks in between.

But these career women all have personal problems of their own, and when Stacey's redundancy forces a betrayal to emerge that was supposed to remain secret, their long cherished friendships will be pushed to their limits . . .

Family and business, husbands and wives, parents and children. It's always a balancing act... In this emotional and thought-provoking novel, multi-million copy bestselling author Joanna Trollope expertly weaves a study of familial relationships with a lightness of tone and real sense of compassion. Fans of Elizabeth Noble, Erica James and Amanda Prowse will not be disappointed. 'To be relished.' -- The Times 'Joanna Trollope's evocations of human relationships are, as ever, penetrating and engaging.' -- Daily Express 'A joy to read' -- ***** Reader review 'A great read, very engrossing and hard to put down' -- ***** Reader review 'A real page-turner' -- ***** Reader review 'Sublime' -- ***** Reader review ******************************************************************************************** WHEN EVERYTHING YOU'VE WORKED TO ACHIEVE SUDDENLY FEELS PRECARIOUS, YOU'LL DO WHAT IT TAKES TO KEEP IT STABLE... Four strong women. All working in a family business. But what happens when they begin to want different things? And what about the men - and the children - in their lives? Susie Moran has always been the breadwinner in her family. Her husband was the one who was there for their three girls. But now he wants something of his past back - the life he had before Susie's career took off, before they had children. And those children don't see their mother's business the way she has always seen it, thereby threatening the balance she has worked so hard to achieve. And then, amidst the simmering tensions, someone significant from the past, someone almost forgotten, turns up. The problems of the past, the present, and the future all become challenges to the stability of both family and work. Which relationships - if any - will survive?

This volume presents the texts of two Old Testament books, Ruth and Esther, two of the very few biblical stories to focus on women. Ruth in particular has attracted much attention from feminist scholars, though it reinforces age-old notions of male dominance. With an introduction by Joanna Trollope.

There has always been love, and we have been writing poetry about it for over 4,000 years. A complex and truly timeless emotion, love – whether passion or heartbreak, infatuation or flirtation – has provoked some of the greatest names in literature to write verse of outstanding beauty.

From John Donne and William Shakespeare to Emily Dickinson and Christina Rossetti, the very best classic love poetry is collected in this elegant Macmillan Collector’s Library anthology. That we still read and enjoy these heartfelt poems today is a testament both to their individual genius, and to the enduring power of love.

Poems for Love features an introduction by bestselling author, and Romantic Novelist Association prize-winner, Joanna Trollope.

Designed to appeal to the booklover, the Macmillan Collector's Library is a series of beautiful gift editions of much loved classic titles. Macmillan Collector's Library are books to love and treasure.

Fans of Elizabeth Noble, Erica James and Amanda Prowse will love this absorbing, emotionally charged and beautifully written novel from multi-million copy bestselling author Joanna Trollope. Our lives are not always as rock-solid as we think... 'Inventive, surprising and fascinating' - The Times 'A page-turner that feels like sinking into a warm, deep bath. With Trollope you are always in safe hands. Highly recommended' -- Sunday Express 'Trollope is shrewdly observant of human interaction' -- Daily Telegraph 'Fascinating' -- ***** Reader review 'Absolutely gripping' -- ***** Reader review 'I could hardly bear to put it down' -- ***** Reader review 'Another unputdownable book from Joanna Trollope' -- ***** Reader review ****************************************************************** SOME SECRETS ARE TOO BIG TO STAY HIDDEN... Chrissie had always believed that her husband Richie was the one. With their three daughters, a lovely house and a fulfilling career, things couldn't be much better. And even if he hadn't given her the one thing she really wanted, she knew he loved her. But suddenly Richie is no longer there and, without him, Chrissie's carefully constructed life comes tumbling down and the secrets start to come out. As the practicalities of Richie's will must be sorted out, Chrissie must tell her daughters of their father's other family, a wife and son he had abandoned years before and sworn never to see again. And now, it is finally time for the two families to face each other...

'Nobody writes about family tensions better than Joanna Trollope' Good Housekeeping An Unsuitable Match, by number one bestselling author Joanna Trollope, is an a uplifting story of love, family and second chances. 'Why on earth, after all you've been through, all you've survived, all you've achieved, why do you want to get married?' Rose Woodrowe has just got engaged to Tyler Masson - a wonderful, sensitive man who is head-over-heels in love with her. The only problem? This isn't the first time for either of them, and their five grown-up children have strong opinions on the matter . . . Like Rose's daughter, Laura, who remembers her parents' painful divorce and doesn't want to see her mother hurt again. Or the twins, Emmy and Nat, who simply don't trust the man their mother has fallen for. Then there's Tyler's children: Seth, too busy with his San Francisco sourdough bakery to get to know his father's new partner; and Mallory, the aspiring actress, who is still wrestling with the issues of her own childhood. Who to listen to? Who to please? Rose and Tyler are determined to get it right this time, but in trying to make everyone happy, can they ever be happy themselves?

Fans of Erica James, Elizabeth Noble and Amanda Prowse will love this enthralling novel from the pen of multi-million copy bestselling author Joanna Trollope. With her customary acute observation and expert characterisation, Trollope makes her readers not only identify with her characters but also become deeply attached to them. You will not be able to put this book down! 'Trollope, as ever, can be relied upon to deliver a good read' -- Mail on Sunday 'An entertaining novel' -- Independent on Sunday 'Hits a right and ringing note and keeps hitting it' -- Independent 'Excellent gripping to the end' -- ***** Reader review 'This, for me, was a "can't put down" type of book!!' -- ***** Reader review 'Best Trollope book I have read so far!' -- ***** Reader review 'Pure pleasure' -- ***** Reader review ****************************************************************************************************** THEY WOULDN'T LET ANYTHING - OR ANYONE - GET IN THE WAY OF THEIR FRIENDSHIP, WOULD THEY? Friday nights, the best night of the week, the night they all looked forward to more than they cared to admit - talking, drinking, laughing and crying together. They were six female friends, different in age and circumstances, but with one common need: the warmth and support of their Friday nights. It was a time to share secrets and fears, triumphs and tragedies and, above all, to feel safe in the company of women friends. But things never stay the same forever, especially when a man is introduced into the mix...

When Gillon comes back to her native Charleston, she has a young Englishman in tow. He has accompanied her on a lark, planning to take pictures. But he soon falls in love with the sights of South Carolina, with Gillon's family-and perhaps, with Gillon herself...From the acclaimed author of Marrying the Mistress, this is an unforgettable novel about feeling like a fish out of water-and finding those with whom we can breathe more easily.

More than twenty years ago, a young American named Carolyn came to the Meredith family farm, marrying Robin Meredith and settling—never quite comfortably—into rural English life. Now Caro has died, leaving behind a husband who has long slept in a separate bedroom and an angry adopted daughter. But another young woman is about to arrive. Her name is Zoe, and unlike Caro, she finds something compelling in the Meredith's strenuous, earthbound lifestyle—and in Robin...

Gina and Laurence have been the best of friends since childhood—but they’ve never been in love. For marriage, they chose others: Fergus, who gave Gina a lovely daughter and a life of elegance and wealth; and Hilary, who helped Laurence build a cozy, successful hotel, and who counts Gina as one of her dearest friends as well. But when one of these marriages ends, the result is a shift that sends tremors through three generations and two families—as friends become lovers, lovers become enemies, enemies become allies…and another marriage hangs in the balance. Joanna Trollope is the sort of author who “makes her readers want to drop everything in order to keep on reading” (Publishers Weekly)—and The Best of Friends proves her consummate skill once again.

“Just as one has forgotten the intense pleasure of reading Trollope, along comes another flawless novel.” —Library Journal (starred review)

“A pleasure to read.” —The Washington Post

“Despite its title, Marrying the Mistress is no mere sexy romp detailing the lurid details of a juicy affair. Instead, Joanna Trollope offers a domestic drama that gives us an insider’s view of what happens to a family when the respected head of the household—60-year-old judge Guy Stockdale—announces he is leaving his wife of 40 years to marry his much younger mistress, Merrion. From his teenage grandson who thinks it’s cool that Gramps can still snag a hot young babe to his feisty daughter-in-law who sets up a secret meeting to check out the Other Woman, this is a nuanced tale that manages to be both familiar and surprising. What makes the situation complex—and the book beach-bag worthy—is that Merrion is far from the stereotypical villain/slut/husband stealer. She is intelligent, independent, successful and impossible not to like. Reading Marrying the Mistress is like spying on the neighbors that everyone on the street is gossiping about—without the guilt.” —Salon.com

“A modern-day Austen.” —Library Journal (starred review)

“Masterful storyelling and memorable characters…a wise and gently truthful take on a highly charged subject.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“This novel should easily vault onto the bestseller lists.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“[Marrying the Mistress] must be the popular British writer’s most daring novel, as well as one of her most interesting…bracing and original…Trollope at her most challenging and thought-provoking.” —The Cleveland Plain Dealer

“Entertaining…great beach reading.” —USA Today

“A novel rich in accurate, piercing detail of domestic life and populated with strongly developed, realistic characters…absorbing and excellent.” —Booklist

“Splendidly nuanced.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“A great beach or vacation read.” —The Baltimore Sun

“Trollope again displays her extraordinary gift for representing the intricacies of familial relationships and the vicissitudes of domestic life…None of the themes here—betrayal and anger, the lovers’ age difference, the grasping mother, the daughter-in-law’s resentment—are terribly unusual, but Trollope’s proven ability to present them intelligently, as moral and emotional tangles faced by thinking, interesting people, satisfyingly combines the universally recognizable and the intellectually engaging.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Essential.” —Library Journal (starred review)

The Logans were an enchanting and admirable couple. Archie had snatched Liza from her own engagement party to someone else, wooed her, swept her off to his father in Scotland, and finally married her. Now bedded firmly into country life-three children, Archie the village doctor, Liza a teacher, everything comfortable, funny, affectionate,—they awaited the arrival of Archie's father, the brilliant Sir Andrew Logan, a widower for over thirty years.

When his city-clean Rover stopped in the drive, Sir Andrew was not alone. Beside him was a golden lady in caramel suede, a warm, witty, desirable widow whom everyone—except Archie—adored at once. Archie saw his father's mistress as the worm in the bud of his perfect life—a life that was to be wrenched apart before he and Liza could re-create their world.

Can a mother ever hand over her son to another woman? In this emotional and thought-provoking novel, multi-million copy bestselling author Joanna Trollope expertly weaves a study of familial relationships with a lightness of tone and real sense of compassion. Fans of Elizabeth Noble, Erica James and Amanda Prowse will love it! 'Trollope writes about family life with wit, intelligence and verve' - Guardian 'Wonderfully observed and readable' - THE TIMES 'Infallibly elegant...Look more closely and something as grim as Greek tragedy is played out around the cosy family dining table' - Daily Telegraph 'I found it hard to put this book down' -- ***** Reader review 'A brilliant book' -- ***** Reader review 'Always an enjoyable read - Joanna Trollope is the mistress of family emotions' -- ***** Reader review 'I read it last week and have started to re-read it immediately.' -- ***** Reader review ************************************************************************************** DAUGHTERS-IN-LAW : THE NUMBER ONE BESTSELLER When you've dedicated your life to your children, what happens when they grow up? Rachel loves being at the centre of her large family. She has devoted herself fiercely to bringing up her three sons, but at their childhood home on the wide, bird-haunted coast of Suffolk, Rachel finds that her control begins to slip away. Other women - her daughters-in-law - are usurping her position. They have become more important to her boys than she is. A crisis brings these subtle rifts to the surface. Can there be a way forward, if they are to survive as a family?

Lose yourself in this absorbing and touching novel about change and the challenge to accept it from multi-million copy bestselling author Joanna Trollope. Beautifully written with exquisitely drawn characters and demonstrating a superb ability to understand people and relationships, it is perfect for readers of Elizabeth Noble, Erica James and Amanda Prowse. 'A beautifully drawn portrait of Cathedral life' -- Sunday Express 'A modern Barchester Chronicle' -- Sunday Telegraph 'Richly satisfying' -- Evening Standard 'Another wonderful book, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Joanna Trollope never disappoints' -- ***** Reader review 'Another tour de force by Trollope' -- ***** Reader review 'One of those stories that stay with you' -- ***** Reader review *********************************************************************************** ONLY A MIRACLE CAN UNITE A CONGREGATION IN TURMOIL... In the gentle precinct of Aldminster Cathedral, crisis looms. The urbane and worldly Dean wants nothing so much as to restore and beautify his beloved Cathedral - even if it means sacrificing the Choir School to pay for it. Alexander Troy, Headmaster of the school, a conscientious man, is determined that nothing and no-one - certainly not the overbearing Dean - should destroy the Choir. As the rift widens to take on immense dimensions, many others find themselves caught in the schism - Leo Beckford, brilliant but wayward organist, repelling the adoration of the Dean's dreadful daughter; the gentle, left-wing Bishop, trying to soothe the angry protagonists; Sally Ashworth, mother of the leading chorister, fighting loneliness and an erring and absent husband... Each frail and human dilemma takes its part in the greater turmoil of Chapter and Close and the final battle for the survival of the Choir.

Readers of Elizabeth Noble, Erica James and Amanda Prowse will devour this gripping novel about love and marriage - and the ties that bind us - from multi-million copy bestselling author Joanna Trollope. With the flawless depiction of rural, middle-class life and her incredibly astute characterisation, she effortlessly demonstrates how seductive and cosy the apparent safety of money, conformity and marriage can be - but also how fragile.... 'A story of seduction - not only sexual seduction but the irresistible appeal of money, beautiful objects, charming manners...excellent' - The Sunday Times 'A richly textured and immensely readable novel' - The Sunday Times 'Could not put this book down' - ***** Reader review 'A must read' - ***** Reader review 'An outstanding study of human relationships and conflicting loyalties' - ***** Reader review **************************************************************** WOULD YOU TAKE A CHANCE AND SET SOMETHING IN MOTION THAT COULD CHANGE EVERYTHING? The Grey House is the final piece in the jigsaw of Alice Jordan's perfect life. It seems to be the ultimate achievement of her outwardly happy marriage - a loyal, if dull husband, three children, two cars and now the house. So why does she feel as if something is missing? As Alice and her family settle themselves into village life, the something missing becomes something huge and then breaks, scandalizing the village and opening up old wounds. But because of it, Alice begins to feel that there is hope and humour and understanding and compassion in the new life she must build for herself.

For eight-year-old Rufus life has become complicated. His parents, Josie and Tom, have divorced and are setting off on separate paths. But now, other people have had to become involved, like his mother's new husband Matthew and his father's new friend Elizabeth. What's even worse is that there are other children too, Matthew's three teenagers, who have been conditioned by their mother Nadine to hate his mother Josie. Matthew's children come to their father for weekends and make it clear how much they loathe Josie. Rufus secretly prefers to be with his father, in his peaceful flat in Bath, where he realises that he doesn't actually hate the idea of a stepmother, if she is peaceful and sane like Elizabeth. But where other people's children are concerned, neat solutions seldom occur ...

Let multi-million copy bestselling author Joanna Trollope draw you into this perceptive and prescient novel that will keep you gripped. She has a real skill in creating credible characters - and delving into our deepest thoughts and emotions. Perfect for readers of Elizabeth Noble, Erica James and Amanda Prowse, this is a novel that will stay with you for a long time... 'Trollope at her best' -- Spectator 'Undeniably warmhearted and socially topical...above all a novel filled with good advice' -- Observer 'Truly, I couldn't put it down. I'm telling you, Trollope is a significant chronicler' -- Daily Mail 'Trollope has a keen ear for the yelps of distress, as lives are sliced in half by shabby betrayal... A book that is as enjoyable as it is thoughtful' -- The Times 'An absorbing read' -- ***** Reader review 'Great story, very touching but - a wonderful read' -- ***** Reader review 'An excellent book which I couldn't put down' -- ***** Reader review 'Joanna Trollope never fails in her story telling' -- ***** Reader review **************************************************************************** DOES 'FRIENDS' EVER REALLY MEAN JUST 'FRIENDS'? Gina and Laurence have been the best of friends ever since they were teenagers. Love has never been a factor. Now, Gina is married to the exquisitely tasteful Fergus and lives in stylish perfection in a huge house; Laurence is married to down-to-earth Hilary and lives in the Bee House, a home and hotel. When, with elegant disdain, Fergus announces that he is leaving Gina and their teenage daughter, Gina's misery ricochets through the two homes and she turns for emotional support to Laurence, her dearest friend. And as Laurence gives comfort, so his own marriage and the stability of his children edges towards destruction ...