The critically acclaimed author of The House at the End of Hope Street combines love, mystery, and magic with her first foray into bewitching fantasy with a dark edge evocative of V.E. Schwab and Neil Gaiman.Once upon a time, a demon who desired earthly domination fathered an army of dark daughters to help him corrupt humanity . . . As children, Goldie, Liyana, Scarlet, and Bea dreamed of a strange otherworld: a nightscape of mists and fog, perpetually falling leaves and hungry ivy, lit by an unwavering moon. Here, in this shadowland of Everwhere, the four girls, half-sisters connected by blood and magic, began to nurture their elemental powers together. But at thirteen, the sisters were ripped from Everwhere and separated. Now, five years later, they search for one another and yearn to rediscover their unique and supernatural strengths. Goldie (earth) manipulates plants and gives life. Liyana (water) controls rivers and rain. Scarlet (fire) has...

May Fitzgerald suddenly has everything she's ever wanted. After years of feeling fat and frumpy and looking for love in all the wrong places, she finally has the life and man of her dreams. It all should be so perfect - she had followed her inner voice and it led her to the magical life she had dreamt of. But as her new life as a successful author starts to take off, May's old demons start to creep back to haunt her. Her insecurities begin to kick in and she starts to fall for the praise and glitter of fame. Her behaviour pushes her boyfriend to the edge and looks set to destroy their relationship. Can she turn it all around and prove that it really is possible to have it all? This is a story about making choices and not losing yourself, but most importantly, this is a story about following your dreams!

For fans of Alice Hoffman, Sarah Addison Allen, and Adriana Trigiani, The Dress Shop of Dreams is a captivating novel of enduring hopes, second chances, and the life-changing magic of true love.Since her parents' mysterious deaths many years ago, scientist Cora Sparks has spent her days in the safety of her university lab or at her grandmother Etta's dress shop. Tucked away on a winding Cambridge street, Etta's charming tiny store appears quite ordinary to passersby, but the colorfully vibrant racks of beaded silks, delicate laces, and jewel-toned velvets hold bewitching secrets: With just a few stitches from Etta's needle, these gorgeous gowns have the power to free a woman's deepest desires.Etta's dearest wish is to work her magic on her granddaughter. Cora's studious, unromantic eye has overlooked Walt, the shy bookseller who has been in love with her forever. Determined not to allow Cora to miss her chance at happiness, Etta sews a tiny stitch...

Jude is the owner of a rather special antiques shop in Cambridge. She finds all of the joy in her life matching people with the special something that they are missing, a talisman that will help bring them just what their heart most desires. Although Jude's life is certainly not overflowing with the love she would wish for ... when she 'inherits' a niece that she never knew existed, doubling her meagre family overnight, life is set to get a lot less empty and a lot more interesting.Viola is on a quest for perfection and the top job of Head Chef at one of Cambridge's most prestigious restaurants to the exclusion of all else. When her path continues to cross that of widower and food historian Mathieu, she starts to see that there's a lot to life beyond the kitchen that she's been missing out on.

For fans of Alice Hoffman, Sarah Addison Allen, and Adriana Trigiani, The Witches of Cambridge reveals an astonishing world where the heart’s deepest secrets give way to the magic of life-changing love. **Be careful what you wish for. If you’re a witch, you might just get it. Amandine Bisset has always had the power to feel the emotions of those around her. It’s a secret she can share only with her friends—all professors, all witches—when they gather for the Cambridge University Society of Literature and Witchcraft. Amandine treasures these meetings but lately senses the ties among her colleagues beginning to unravel. If only she had her student Noa’s power to hear the innermost thoughts of others, she might know how to patch things up. Unfortunately, Noa regards her gift as a curse. So when a seductive artist claims he can cure her, Noa jumps at the chance, no matter the cost. Noa’s not the only witch who’s in over her head. Mathematics professor Kat has a serious case of unrequited love but refuses to cast spells to win anyone’s heart. Kat’s sister, Cosima, is not above using magic to get what she wants, sprinkling pastries in her bakery with equal parts sugar and enchantment. But when Cosima sets her sights on Kat’s crush, she conjures up a dangerous love triangle. As romance and longing swirl through every picturesque side street, the witches of Cambridge find their lives unexpectedly upended and changed in ways sometimes extraordinary, sometimes heartbreaking, but always enchanting. Praise for Menna van Praag’s The Dress Shop of Dreams “Reminiscent of Love Actually and P.S. I Love You . . .* recommended to readers who want to be charmed by the possibilities of love.”—LibraryReads (Top Ten Pick) Find your next book club pick, read special features, and more. Join the Random House Reader’s Circle. **Review Praise for Menna van Praag’s The Dress Shop of Dreams “Reminiscent of Love Actually and P.S. I Love You* . . . recommended to readers who want to be charmed by the possibilities of love.”—LibraryReads *(Top Ten Pick) About the Author Menna van Praag was born in Cambridge, England, and studied modern history at Oxford University. Her first work of fiction, Men, Money, and Chocolate—an autobiographical tale about a waitress who aspires to be a writer—has been translated into twenty-six languages. Her first novel, The House at the End of Hope Street, was inspired by an idea van Praag had to set up a house for female artists to give them a year to fulfill their artistic ambitions. She is also the author of The Dress Shop of Dreams. 

A magical debut about an enchanted house that offers refuge to women in their time of needDistraught that her academic career has stalled, Alba is walking through her hometown of Cambridge, England, when she finds herself in front of a house she’s never seen before, 11 Hope Street. A beautiful older woman named Peggy greets her and invites her to stay, on the house’s usual conditions: she has ninety-nine nights to turn her life around. With nothing left to lose, Alba takes a chance and moves in.She soon discovers that this is no ordinary house. Past residents have included Virginia Woolf and Dorothy Parker, who, after receiving the assistance they needed, hung around to help newcomers—literally, in talking portraits on the wall. As she escapes into this new world, Alba begins a journey that will heal her wounds—and maybe even save her life.Filled with a colorful and unforgettable cast of literary figures, The House at the End of Hope Street is a charming, whimsical novel of hope and feminine wisdom that is sure to appeal to fans of Jasper Fforde and especially Sarah Addison Allen.Review"Beguiling and bright, van Praag’s . . . novel delights with deft writing and charming characters."—Kirkus"Van Praag’s writing is bright and hopeful, while rich characters combined with an enchanting blend of the real and the mystical make this tribute to individuality a delightful and engaging read. Fans of Jasper Fforde, Gloria Naylor, or Sarah Addison Allen will especially appreciate this story as a celebration of feminine strength and accomplished women through the ages."—Booklist (starred review)“Van Praag’s fairytale first novel features a house that can change one’s life. . . . Fans of Alice Hoffman and Sarah Addison Allen should like.”—Library Journal“Absolutely delightful . . . . Fans of Sarah Addison Allen will thoroughly enjoy this story from start to finish. Well-drawn fictional characters, sprinkled with famous female characters from the past, combine to tell a tale of life, love, and discovering your deepest desires.”—RT Book Reviews (top pick, 4.5 stars)“This fresh, whimsical book is as full of heart as the house at its heart is full of fascinating women. We should all have such friends and such a refuge!”—Marisa de los Santos, bestselling author of Falling Together and Love Walked In“Menna van Praag has created a magical book about an enchanted house and the notable women who inhabit it, both living and dead. Richly atmospheric, literary, and textured, The House at the End of Hope Street casts an enthralling spell, giving both characters and readers not only what they most want, but what they ultimately need.”—Brunonia Barry, bestselling author of The Lace Reader and The Map of True Places“An enchanting novel . . . Fans of Sarah Addison Allen will be delighted to discover the house at the end of Hope Street, a magical place where ninety-nine days is just long enough to change a life.”—Erica Bauermeister, bestselling author of The School of Essential Ingredients and The Lost Art of Mixing“I entered The House at the End of Hope Street and was enchanted—literally under the spell—of Menna van Praag's tender, playful, beautiful writing.  It fulfills my book lover's dream of an English literary landscape, in the most surprising and magical way.”—Luanne Rice, bestselling author of Little Night“This exceptional novel enchanted me from the first beautiful page. If only I could stay a spell myself at the house at the end of Hope Street.”—Melissa Senate, bestselling author of The Love Goddess’ Cooking School“The House at the End of Hope Street is a sunrise of a novel, so fresh and lovely, whimsical and original that it will enchant and surprise even the most jaded of readers.”—Barbara O’Neal, author of The Garden of Happy Endings“The story offers a wonderful mix of all-too-real problems in a fantastical setting. And who couldn’t use a Hope Street at some point in her life?”—Juliette Fay, author of Deep Down True and The Shortest Way HomeAbout the AuthorMenna van Praag is a freelance writer, journalist, and Oxford graduate. She is the author of Men, Money and Chocolate. She lives in Cambridge, England, with her husband and son.