books in order

Lynne Barrett-Lee Books In Order

Novels

  1. Julia Gets a Life (2000)
  2. Virtual Strangers (2001)
  3. Baby You Can Drive My Car (2002)
  4. One Day, Someday (2002)
  5. Straight on Till Morning (2004)
  6. Barefoot in the Dark (2006)
  7. Out on a Limb (2007)
  8. The Moon Under Water (2012)
  9. Wild About Harry (2014)
  10. Able Seacat Simon (2016)

Collections

  1. Summertime, Summertime (2014)

Novellas

  1. Secrets (2006)

Non fiction

  1. Never Say Die (2009)
  2. I Won’t Forgive What You Did (2010)
  3. Giant George (2011)
  4. The Baby Laundry for Unmarried Mothers (2013)
  5. Novel (2013)
  6. Telling Tales (2014)
  7. Unravelled (2014)
  8. Mum’s Way (2021)

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Lynne Barrett-Lee Books Overview

Julia Gets a Life

When Julia’s husband has an affair with local siren Rhiannon de Laney, she feels as if her world is falling apart. Once the arguments have abated, and her husband has moved out, Julia realises she’s well and truly on her own, a single parent with two teenage children, a bad haircut and no idea of what to do or where to go next. Gradually, however, Julia begins to recognise the benefits of being single: it’s the chance to meet new people and make new friends, change her hairstyle, throw out her old clothes, experiment with a new image, resurrect her photography career, travel the country with a boy band and, in short, rediscover herself outside the context of loyal wife and dutiful mother. She also rediscovers the joys of dating. After a few false starts, she finds herself learning more about the talents, musical and otherwise, of the lead singer of Britain’s most famous band. Julia’s certainly got herself a life you wonder whether it is the kind of existence she wants to live permanently, or whether her ailing marriage is worth saving. Light hearted, humorous and at times surprising, Julia’s battles with this age old dilemma prove instantly recognisable yet highly entertaining, with a twist in the tale that may surprise or perplex.

Straight on Till Morning

‘It was then that it struck me, with terrifying clarity. I was going to die. I was going to die at any moment. I was going to die, moreover, in a pair of tartan pyjamas and a grubby black cardigan. For whatever was attached to the headlights in front of me was actually driving on my side of the road…
‘ So begins Sally Matthews’ date with destiny. She doesn’t actually believe in destiny, of course she’s way too busy looking after her husband, arranging her step daughter’s wedding, and humouring her mum on a mission which currently involves Tony Blair. No surprise, then, that she’s out late at night, with nothing but a dog and a cricket bat for company. In short, Sally hasn’t time for a near death experience. However handsome the man who’s about to run her off the road…

Barefoot in the Dark

This title is a modern twist on ‘Cinderella’. Radio Wales DJ Jack Valentine finds a lost trainer on a station platform. With echoes of Cinderella, he appeals on his show for its owner, Hope Shepherd, to come forward. Hope handles publicity for a Cardiff based charity, Heartbeat. Encouraged by colleagues to secure Jack Valentine to raise the profile of an upcoming fun run, she reluctantly heads for the studios. The attraction between Hope and Jack is immediate but, bruised and battered by their recent divorces, they are reluctant to risk romance again.

Never Say Die

On a Saturday morning in May 1980, Melanie Bowen, a pretty fifteen year old, ran down the stairs of her parents’ home in Port Talbot, grabbed her leather jacket and crash helmet, yelled a goodbye, and then walked out of the front door into the sunshine for what was to be the last time in her life. Never Say Die is the true story of what followed. Since the motorcycle crash that left her paralyzed from the chest down, Melanie’s life has been one of extremes. On the down side, she has endured 5 horrific months of despair and indignity in rehabilitation, undergone a colostomy at 23, been in another serious car crash, suffered syringomyelia and the terrifying prospect of full quadriplegia, been diagnosed with breast cancer and had broken several bones. On the plus side, however, she’s won medals in athletics for Wales, been humbled and inspired by Falklands veterans at RAF Chessington, raised thousands for charity, become a major disability poster girl in America, dabbled with the film world and been screen tested for a movie, met the Queen, and set up her own rehabilitation charity, whose patrons include the acclaimed actor Michael Sheen, Dame Tanni Grey Thompson, and former Welsh Rugby captain, Gwyn Jones. She has also, against all the odds, found lasting happiness, fallen in love, and married the surgeon who 25 years earlier told her she would never walk again.

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