Poorna Bell was sold the fairytale of life. That love wins the day. That marriage is the rescue to an otherwise unhappy existence. That children are the natural progression of any relationship. But really, is it? Are we actually being honest with ourselves about the expectations we have set for ourselves? Are we able to distinguish between what we really need from life, from everything that we have been conditioned to want? Because the current rhetoric doesn't prepare you for the reality of life. In 2015 Poorna Bell became a widow after her husband Rob took his own life on a winter's night, having battled depression and addiction. Her situation was unusual when compared to a lot of people, but she was left figuring out exactly the same things. Will she ever be happy? Will she find love again? Who will rescue her from her sadness? Two years on and Poorna is rebuilding her life. And it is from this place – as she works towards choosing what she does...

'It is a joy to read a debut that has such heart, humour, and pathos' Taylor Jenkins Reid'The book of the summer' Stylist'A witty, thought-provoking read' Woman and Home_______________________________________________Bel Kumar wakes up in hospital surprised and confused.Surprised to be told she had a near-fatal accident outside work. And confused as to why her ex-boyfriend is by her bedside.Bel's HR record still lists her ex as her next of kin, but she can't think of a less appropriate person to nurse her back to health.But who can she turn to in a crisis? Over-invested parents? A sister whose life has turned out perfectly? Friends she exchanges dating woes with over cocktails?If this experience has taught Bel anything, it's that she should reconnect with the most important people from her past. But that's going to be easier said than done because Bel has never been good at asking for help.And she's...

'I will read anything Poorna Bell writes!' Taylor Jenkins Reid'Gorgeous, affirming, an exploration of why and how we nurture' Pandora Sykes____________________________It might not be the stuff of dreams, but Padma and Wallace have spent ten years building a relationship that feels . . . fine. Until Wallace gives Padma an ultimatum about starting a family she's not sure she even wants.Padma's fifteen-year-old niece Myra is reaching her own crisis point. When she falls in with the wrong crowd and her life ends up in danger, it's the final straw for her parents.Now Padma will spend the summer with her niece - in a ramshackle, ivy-clad house on the Kent clifftops - running a DIY rehab of sorts.Will this be a pressure too far for her and Wallace? And how will she spend six weeks with a niece who, thanks to her sister, she barely knows?It's the last place they want to be.But this could just be the summer that changes everything . ....

'A candid, warm, sad, surprisingly funny, raw, brave, bittersweet book.' – Matt Haig 'Chase the Rainbow is a game-changing book. Poorna Bell's moving account of the pressures on modern men could be a life-saver. This is a brave and bold work that will inspire us all to talk openly and honestly about depression once and for all. Everyone should read this book.' – Arianna Huffington An honest yet uplifting account of a woman's life affected (but not defined) by the suicide of her husband and the deadly paradox of modern-day masculinity. Punk rocker, bird nerd and book lover Rob Bell had a full, happy life. He had a loving wife, a big-bottomed dog named Daisy and a career as a respected science journalist. But beneath the carefully cultivated air of machoism and the need to help other people, he struggled with mental health and a drug addiction that began as a means to self-medicate his illness. In 2015, he ended his...