Chapters (79)
- COVER
- About the Author
- Also by Jo Thomas
- DEDICATION
- ONE
- TWO
- THREE
- FOUR
- FIVE
- SIX
- SEVEN
- EIGHT
- NINE
- TEN
- ELEVEN
- TWELVE
- THIRTEEN
- FOURTEEN
- FIFTEEN
- SIXTEEN
- SEVENTEEN
- EIGHTEEN
- NINETEEN
- TWENTY
- TWENTY-ONE
- TWENTY-TWO
- TWENTY-THREE
- TWENTY-FOUR
- TWENTY-FIVE
- TWENTY-SIX
- TWENTY-SEVEN
- TWENTY-EIGHT
- TWENTY-NINE
- THIRTY
- THIRTY-ONE
- THIRTY-TWO
- THIRTY-THREE
- THIRTY-FOUR
- THIRTY-FIVE
- THIRTY-SIX
- THIRTY-SEVEN
- THIRTY-EIGHT
- THIRTY-NINE
- FORTY
- FORTY-ONE
- FORTY-TWO
- FORTY-THREE
- FORTY-FOUR
- FORTY-FIVE
- FORTY-SIX
- FORTY-SEVEN
- FORTY-EIGHT
- FORTY-NINE
- FIFTY
- FIFTY-ONE
- FIFTY-TWO
- FIFTY-THREE
- FIFTY-FOUR
- FIFTY-FIVE
- FIFTY-SIX
- FIFTY-SEVEN
- FIFTY-EIGHT
- FIFTY-NINE
- SIXTY
- SIXTY-ONE
- SIXTY-TWO
- Epilogue
- Acknowledgements
- RECIPES
- Lavender shortbread
- Apricot jam sponge cake
- Lavender lamb
- READ MORE
- Prologue
- ONE
- TWO
- THREE
- FOUR
- THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING
‘Lucia.’ He nods as if we’re practically strangers. ‘Good to see you again,’ he says formally, as if we’re old friends. Then he steps forward, leaning in to kiss me, but I move back. We’re not strangers and we’re definitely not old friends.
‘Giac!’ My heart is racing. I’m breathing again, but shallowly. The mid-morning sun is getting high in the sky now, making me hot, and I’m shielding my eyes, trying to focus on his silhouette. I feel really hot now. I wasn’t expecting this, not at all. He’s the last person I’d expected to see standing on my grandparents’ balcony. ‘What are you doing here?’ My heart is thundering while my head pounds and feels light at the same time. Why now, after all this time? Why come here now?
‘Um … we have a guest on their way. Now’s not a good time,’ I say uncomfortably. ‘Nonno and Nonna have someone very important coming to talk business with them.’
He looks at me, then between me and Nonno.
‘About that,’ says Nonno, studying the floor.
‘I’ve come to speak with your grandparents,’ Giacomo says, Nonno and Nonna looking suitably sheepish. ‘Haven’t they told you?’ Nonna’s eyes flick from me to Giacomo. Nonno attempts a tentative smile. ‘About me looking at taking over the restaurant?’ he says.
My knees give a little.
‘We thought it would be a surprise.’ Nonna forces a smile.
‘It’s certainly that.’ I grab a glass of water from the table and down it in one.
Love escaping with Jo Thomas?
This winter, cosy up with her brand-new novel, Finding Love at the Christmas Market
As a single mum, care-home caterer Connie has thrown herself into online dating - or she had until one dating disaster too many. Now she's hesitant...hurt in the past and with her son to consider, she won’t rush into anything. Then one of Connie's elderly patients sets her up on a date at a beautiful German Christmas market – with the promise she’ll take a mini-bus load of pensioners with her...
Amongst the twinkling lights and smell of warm gingerbread in the old market square, Connie heads off on her date with a check-list of potential partner must-haves. Baker Henrich ticks all the boxes, proving to be reliable, thoughtful and keen. But when Connie meets Henrich's rival William, she starts to wonder if ticking boxes is the answer.
Will Connie find the love of her life this Christmas, and if so - who will it be?
Praise for Jo Thomas:
'Magically romantic...best read in front of a crackling log fire' Milly Johnson
'The characters went straight to my heart' Katie Fforde
'A sparkling, heartwarming hug of a story' Miranda Dickinson
'Like the very best kind of holiday' Lucy Diamond
THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING
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