'Stop trying to be brave all the time, Rachel. Fear is a necessary part of being alive. Sometimes we have to let it show. We have to own up to it or it drives us mad.'

Rachel Elliot is single and attractive, a director of a successful advertising agency, with a handsome lover, close friends, and a clutch of beloved godchildren. But as her fortieth birthday approaches, so does a whispering fear that she might have missed the point...

Almost imperceptibly over the years her friends and contemporaries have settled down and started families. Rather less subtly her parents have been urging Rachel to do the same. Managing a shocking incident at work is soon taking up all her energies and she adores her godchildren. So, is a child of her own what she really wants? Or is motherhood just what everyone else wants for her? If she picks the wrong path, there will be no turning back...

Join Amanda Brookfield as she revisits and refreshes her novel, The Godmother, and rediscover how she got her well-deserved reputation for writing about women's lives with humour and honesty. Includes a brand-new foreword from the author.

Praise for Amanda Brookfield:

'An engaging, emotionally-charged and intriguing story' Michelle Gorman

No one gets to the heart of human relationships quite so perceptively as Brookfield.' The Mirror

'Unputdownable. Perceptive. Poignant. I loved it.' bestselling author Patricia Scanlan on Before I Knew You

'If Joanna Trollope is the queen of the Aga Saga, then Amanda Brookfield must be a strong contender for princess.' Oxford Times

What readers are saying about Amanda Brookfield:

'I felt so involved in this story that I found myself thinking about it a lot during the day. A fantastic read. Gripping, moving, characters you care about, highly recommend.'

'Packed with suspense, (I actually held my breath during some of the scenes) and full of relatable characters, this book will draw you in from the first page. Highly recommend.'

'The tension builds on every page, the characters, as always with this author's books, are drawn beautifully. I couldn't put it down and am looking forward greatly to Amanda Brookfield's next offering hopefully before too long!'

'Brookfield is undoubtedly one of Britain's foremost chroniclers of human relationships. It goes without saying that this novel is another page turner - guaranteed to make you read the last 50 pages before sleep, even though you know you have an early start in the morning - but it is much, much more.'