The month’s BEST BOOKS

LITERARY EDITOR Sarra Manning PICKS YOUR NEW FAVOURITE READS

A Love Song For Ricki Wilde by Tia Williams (Quercus, £18.99, out 6th February)

This magical and steamy romcom also has a fascinating dual timeline delving into the Black history of the Jazz Age. In the present day, Ricki escapes her stuffy, socialite Atlanta family and opens the florist shop of her dreams in trendy Harlem. But when she meets the mysterious Ezra, Ricki discovers that their love story is literally written in the stars.

Nuclear Family by Kate Davies (The Borough Press, £16.99, out 15th February)

I loved this very modern and moving comedy of manners about donor conception, love in all its many forms and what it means to be a family. Lena thinks that DNA testing kits are the perfect present for her dad, Tom, and twin sister, Alison, but she is very wrong. What happens next changes each of their lives in the most unexpected of ways.

The Murder After The Night Before by Katy Brent (HQ, £9.99, out 1st February)

After a drunken night out, magazine writer Molly goes viral for all the wrong reasons. Just when she thinks the day couldn’t get any worse, she finds the body of her best friend in the bathtub. With her reputation and life in tatters, Molly is determined to find Posey’s killer, even if it lands her in more trouble. A whip-smart whodunnit, this will keep you guessing.

The Painter’s Daughters by Emily Howes (Phoenix, £20, out 29th February)

This richly detailed historical novel from an exciting debut writer beautifully tells the story of the daughters of society painter Thomas Gainsborough. They should be destined for great things, but Molly’s worsening mental health and Peggy’s attempts to protect her sister at the risk of her own happiness have disastrous consequences for the whole family.

Green Dot by Madeleine

Gray (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, £18.99, out 1st February)

Hera, the hot-mess heroine of this wildly funny debut novel, is a character who leaps off the page. When she falls in love with Arthur, an older colleague at her soulless office job, Hera finally feels her life has real meaning. But her friends are not convinced and as Arthur drops bombshell after bombshell, Hera slips further into chaos. Fans of Fleabag will adore Green Dot.