Shackleford Diaries

From the highly acclaimed author of The Shackleford Sisters, Beverley Watts, comes the first in a series of romantic comedies that will actually make you laugh out loud. Get ready for a hilarious and heart-warming adventure in Claiming Victory - Book One of The Shackleford Diaries. When Hollywood invades her sleepy seaside town, Victory Shackleford's quiet life becomes anything but ordinary... Thirty-two-year-old Victory Shackleford has mastered the art of playing it safe. Comfortable in her predictable routine in the picturesque riverside town of Dartmouth, she's content with her work, her dog, and keeping her eccentric, adventure-loving father out of trouble. That is, until she discovers he's rented out their historic home as the setting for Hollywood's biggest blockbuster of the year and her meticulously organized world crumbles overnight. Suddenly, Tory's sanctuary is swarming with film crews, chaos, and one devastatingly attractive leading man who's just been voted the sexiest man on the planet. While cameras roll and her meddling father orchestrates increasingly outrageous matchmaking schemes, Tory finds herself thrust into the spotlight she's spent years avoiding. But as the boundaries between her carefully controlled world and Hollywood's glittering chaos blur, Tory must decide: Will she retreat to her comfort zone, or finally step into the starring role of her own life? Perhaps her father's latest outrageous scheme might just lead to the most unexpected victory of all... Claiming Victory is a sparkling British romantic comedy that proves sometimes the best plot twists happen when you're not following the script. Perfect for fans of Sophie Kinsella, Beth O'Leary, and anyone who enjoys a heartwarming story of transformation, family bonds, and second chances at life and love. "A perfectly paced romantic comedy with characters that leap off the page-you'll be cheering for Victory from the very first chapter!"

Victory Shackleford thought winning Hollywood's golden boy was the hard part. She was wrong. Fresh off her fairy-tale romance with A-list actor Noah Westbrook, Tory discovers that life with the most famous man on earth comes with a price tag she never expected. Paparazzi camp outside her Dartmouth home, tabloids dissect her every outfit choice, and suddenly her perfectly imperfect life is front-page news. But when the media vultures uncover a secret that could not only land her madcap, irresponsible father in jail, but completely wreck Noah's acting career -Tory faces her most impossible choice yet. As scandal threatens to tear apart everything she holds dear, Tory must decide what victory really means. Because sometimes the biggest battles aren't fought in the spotlight-they're fought in the shadows of the heart. The stakes have never been higher, and not all fairy tales have a happy ending... Sweet Victory delivers all the hilarity, warmth, and emotional depth that made readers fall for the Shackleford family, with a romantic cliffhanger that will leave you breathless.

Planning a secret celebrity wedding should come with a warning label-especially when the bride is your best friend, and the groom is Hollywood royalty... It's not often that a fledgling career in Event Management kicks off with the wedding of a Hollywood superstar. Of course the fact that this particular Hollywood star is marrying her best friend might have had something to do with the fact that former art gallery owner, Kit Davies landed the job. That, and the fact that she was about to become homeless and penniless... But organizing her friend Victory's big fat Hollywood wedding in the small yachting haven of Dartmouth without alerting the media is not for the faint hearted, and Kit very quickly realizes that she's way out of her depth - especially as the bride to be has a secret of her own that is rapidly changing her disposition from a fairy tale Cinderella to a would-be Bridezilla. And then there are the ongoing machinations of Victory's father, who not only has his own agenda, but has decades of experience in the art of being slippery and evasive... Inviting Hollywood to Dartmouth might actually be the least of Kit's worries... All for Victorydelivers the perfect blend of wedding chaos, Hollywood glamour, and small-town charm that will have you laughing, crying, and cheering until the very last page.

The fourth instalment in the beloved Shackleford Diaries finds Kit Davies facing her biggest fear: Choosing between the life she's built and the love she never saw coming... Kit Davies has been dating the gorgeous Captain Jason Buchannan for six months. Six whole months of being wheeled out as his significant other at various Naval functions. While she's not convinced she has the makings of a future Officer's wife, things have been pretty good, and at least she hasn't caused a diplomatic incident - yet. Then one memorable evening, Jason drops a bombshell. His father's health is failing and he wants to retire from the Royal Navy, and relocate to his crumbling ancestral home in the wilds of Scotland. And he wants Kit to go with him. But Kit has too much unfinished business in Dartmouth to just up sticks and leave. She's worked hard to build up her Event Management business, then there's her best friend Tory who's just had a baby, and her Aunt Flo who to date still hasn't told Kit the whole truth about her father. When Hollywood superstar Noah Westbrook agrees to help finance Jason's plans to convert his pile of ruins into a luxury hotel, Kit begins to get desperate. How can she leave everything she's ever known for a man she's only known for six months? It's no secret that she has trust issues, not to mention a ridiculous fear of change. In fact, burying her head in the sand is probably her strongest talent... Decision time comes as Jason's father Hugo goes missing from hospital. It's no surprise to anyone that Tory's irresponsible father is at the bottom of it, but in deciding to drag his old friend on an impromptu road trip across the country, the meddling Admiral may finally have gone too far... Chasing Victory delivers all the swoon-worthy romance and laugh-out-loud moments that make British romantic comedies irresistible.

After eighteen months of dust, rubble, and one impossibly gorgeous but bad-tempered ex-naval captain, Kit's engagement to Jason Buchanan should have been pure celebration. Victory Shackleford has been married to Hollywood heartthrob Noah Westbrook for nearly two years, and despite all media predictions of doom, she has never been so happy. Of course, her best friend Kit's relocation to Scotland did come as a bit of a blow, but being married to an A list actor has its perks, and ease of travel is definitely one of them... Kit Davies has spent the last eighteen months helping the bad tempered, gorgeous ex-naval captain Jason Buchannan renovate his family pile up in the wilds of Scotland. Considering the chaos they're in, nobody is more surprised than Kit when, out of the blue, Jason suddenly pops the question. Even more surprising is her lack of hesitation in saying yes. The only complication is the housekeeper's niece Nicole, who for some reason is still hanging around like a bad smell. When her best friend Tory suggests holding an engagement party in Dartmouth, Kit thinks she's in for a relaxing break, away from all the dust and rubble, not to mention the redhaired pain in the arse. Unfortunately she's reckoned without Tory's interfering father... ...On discovering the Scot has unexpectedly proposed to his daughter's best friend, Admiral Shackleford is of the firm opinion that Nicole has finally outstayed her welcome at Bloodstone Tower. What's more, he's determined to dig up enough dirt on the redhaired baggage to send her packing. But this time, finally, the Admiral might have opened one can of worms too many... Lasting Victory combines wedding bells with buried secrets in a laugh-out-loud adventure that fans of British romantic comedies won't be able to put down.

The sixth adventure in the beloved Shackleford saga introduces Teddy Shackleford-a disgraced investigator whose biggest case might just be solving her own life. Teddy Shackleford's career is over, her reputation is in ruins, and her only refuge is the uncle she holds responsible for it all... Fresh from her spectacular dismissal from the National Crime Agency, Teddy arrives in Dartmouth expecting nothing more than a summer of hiding from the wreckage of her life. But when an eccentric aristocrat recruits her to unravel a centuries-old mystery involving missing titles and stolen inheritances, she can't resist the chance to prove she's still the brilliant detective everyone thinks she isn't. Enter Sebastian Sinclair, Fourteenth Duke of Blackmore-charming, enigmatic, and absolutely off-limits. As Teddy dives deeper into aristocratic secrets and family scandals, she finds herself caught between solving the case of a lifetime and falling for a man who could either save her future or destroy what's left of her heart. 'A Shackleford Victory' is a delightful contemporary romantic comedy that will have you laughing and cheering for Teddy as she navigates previously uncharted waters of friends, family and unexpected love.

Teddy Shackleford has finally found happiness in Dartmouth-love, family, and a fresh start. Naturally, that's when her past decides to explode spectacularly... Since coming to Dartmouth, Teddy Shackleford has been happier than she's ever been. Not only is she surrounded by family and friends, but she's also been dating Sebastian Sinclair, the fourteenth Duke of Blackmore for over a year. Of course, she doesn't imagine for a second that her relationship with an actual peer of the realm will be forever, but she's determined to enjoy it while it lasts. However, when a story about her absent mother's unusual profession is unexpectedly splashed over all the national newspapers, she's faced with the fact that the end might come a little quicker than she'd hoped... The fact that Teddy hasn't seen or heard from her mother in years is irrelevant as far as the tabloids are concerned and the colourful accounts become ever more far-fetched. Advised to simply lay low until the gossips move on to the next story, she's stunned to learn that her mother has agreed to give an actual interview to one of the newspapers. But sheer embarrassment is the least of her problems, since unbeknown to the world, Agnes Shackleford has links with the Japanese Mafia. Teddy has no idea where her mother is, but it turns out, she's not the only one looking... Final Victory delivers everything fans love about the Shacklefords - impossible odds, unbreakable bonds, and a love story worth fighting for. Don't miss the stunning conclusion to the series that has captured so many hearts - this is the victory you've been waiting for.