LIFE SKILLS

In one fell swoop, Julia Fairfax leaves her career, breaks her engagement, and takes a job as a cook on a floating hotel traveling the waterways of England. Though Julia expects hard work, she figures her new life has to be simpler than her old yuppie lifestyle. What she doesn't realize is that her new boss expects the two of them to handle everything. And she never imagined she'd see Fergus aboard. Since Julia and Fergus were kids, Julia's meddling mother has said Fergus is perfect for Julia - and now he's gone and made himself indispensable. Even so, Julia's life is much simpler - that is, until she pushes her ex-fiancé into the canal, makes unforgettably passionate love with Fergus, and ends up pregnant. Then, just as Julia plans to perfect her skills for single motherhood, Fergus decides to work on his own as an involved father-to-be. Life Skills is a side-splittingly funny story, told with a light touch that makes you feel like you're sharing confidences with old friends.

THYME OUT

For years, things have run quite smoothly for Perdita and her organic gardening business. So what if her hair needs a complete overhaul, her sweater has more holes than Swiss cheese, and there's no hope of a boyfriend on the horizon? The last thing Perdita wants is a meddlesome man in her life-but she's about to get one, in the form of her completely infuriating ex-husband, Lucas.

Lucas in disagreeable, curt, arrogant, and smolderingly gorgeous. He's also the new chef at Grantly House, Perdita's number-one customer. Worse, Mr. Grantly has the insane idea of starting a television cooking show that will put Lucas and Perdita together as "The Gourmet and the Gardener."

Now, things are heating up in the kitchen--and elsewhere. With the bright lights blazing and old feelings stirring the pot, it could be a recipe for disaster...or absolute delight.

WILD DESIGNS

Althea lives in a too large a house with worrisome mortgage payments, has a bossy younger sister and an irksome ex-husband. She always manages to muddle through no matter what, but everything changes when she loses her job.

Althea decides to seek solace in a borrowed greenhouse and to develop her passion for gardening. When she wins the opportunity to design a garden at the Chelsea Flower Show with the unexpected help of the gorgeous architect Patrick Donahugh, it looks as though Althea may have unearthed a new man as well as a new career...