The Other Half
Two families, one marriage, and a tangle of secrets that’s about to come undone
My seventh series following the misadventures of two families, set in a variety of locations including East Yorkshire, the Yorkshire Dales, the Scottish Highlands, and the Norfolk Broads. This is a standalone prequel series to Tuppenny Bridge.
A STANDALONE PREQUEL SERIES TO TUPPENNY BRIDGE
Meet the Fletchers and the Kingstons – two families united by marriage, with nothing in common. Or so they think.
Over the course of two years, the lives of the two families will intertwine. New relationships will be forged, and old ones shattered, as they endure a life swap, a bucket and spade seaside holiday on the East Yorkshire coast, Christmas in the Highlands, and - for some of them at least - a new start in the Yorkshire Dales.
These stories are full-length novels but should be read in order for your best reading experience, as each book follows on from the previous one.
COMPLETED SERIES
Book 1 ~ How the Other Half Lives
It's time to find out how the other half lives.
Elizabeth and Rafferty Kingston have it all: a stunning house on the Norfolk Broads, more money than they could ever spend, and three beautiful children.
Sally and Jason Fletcher, meanwhile, battle for every penny, and Sally's grown used to Jason working overtime to make ends meet, while she serves behind the bar in the local pub.
When Arlo Kingston married Billie Fletcher, the two families were united, but they have nothing in common. Or so it seems. Then Ellis Kingston, Arlo's younger brother and wannabe film director, decides to make a life swap documentary featuring the two families.
Reluctantly, Sally and Elizabeth swap homes and families for a week, but they could never have predicted what happens next. Beneath the surface, it seems neither family is all it appears to be, and rich or poor, there's no protection when it comes to matters of the heart.
At the end of this experiment, will the Kingstons and the Fletchers be able to return to their normal lives? Or has seeing how the other half lives changed them forever?
Book 2 ~ How the Other Half Lies
The Kingstons and the Fletchers are going on holiday. Unfortunately, they're all going together.
Billie and Arlo want to get their families together to make an announcement. Against their better judgment, the Kingstons and the Fletchers agree to spend a week together on the East Yorkshire coast, in Billie's gran's "luxury holiday accommodation".
With both families in a state of upheaval, it hardly promises to be a relaxing break, and sure enough tensions are soon running high – not helped when the Kingstons discover the "luxury accommodation" is really a caravan on the Sunny Smiles Holiday Park in Burlington-on-Sea.
Sally's battling her emotions, Mona's waging war on Jason, Elizabeth's contemplating her future, Rafferty's reeling from a recent discovery, and Wilf's fearing the worst. And that's before Billie and Arlo make their shocking announcement…
As the holiday draws to a close, will either family ever be the same again?
Book 3 ~ How the Other Half Loses
What could be better than a traditional family Christmas? For the Fletchers and the Kingstons, just about anything…
Christmas in the Scottish Highlands. It sounds idyllic, but if not for Billie and Arlo, neither family would choose to spend the most wonderful time of the year with the other. With the Kingstons playing host, despite serious misgivings, the scene is set for a final family get-together. But beneath the festive glitter there's a distinct lack of Christmas spirit.
Billie's having serious doubts about her future, while Jason's in a race against time. Rafferty, meanwhile, is nursing a huge secret, Elizabeth is terrified hers is about to be revealed, and the only chestnuts Mona wants to see roasting on an open fire are Jason's.
Then Oscar arrives on the doorstep, freezing cold and lost. He's seeking refuge and, despite Mona's dire warnings that he could be a serial killer, the families welcome him in. Little do they know that Oscar's arrival will be the spark that lights the touchpaper, and the lives of the Kingstons and the Fletchers are about to be changed forever.
Book 4 ~ How the Other Half Loves
One year on it's time to catch up with the Fletchers and the Kingstons, and it’s Christmas in Tuppenny Bridge!
When you’re in the friend zone is there ever a way out? Sally Fletcher is making a life for herself in Tuppenny Bridge. She’s found new friends and is working hard in her job as bar manager at The White Hart Inn, owned by her daughter’s father-in-law, Rafferty Kingston. She’s determined to make the pub a success to repay Rafferty for his kindness, after he offered her the chance of a fresh start when her marriage broke down. Sally and Rafferty are good friends, but when Sally’s forced to revisit the life she left behind, she wonders if their friendship will survive Christmas, as unexpected guests arrive at The White Hart Inn.
Rafferty’s fully aware that Sally sees him only as a friend, but that doesn’t stop him wishing they could be more. When her ex-husband, Jason, comes to stay in Tuppenny Bridge, along with their daughter, Summer, and Sally’s mother, Mona, he’s very much afraid that the wishes he’s made will never come true. Summer's battling her desire to stay in the Dales, Jason's battling his conscience, and Mona's battling Jason. For Sally and Rafferty it seems their good turn has done nothing but put them under added pressure, and there's a very real danger that their cosy life together will fall apart for good.
As the snow falls and the Christmas bells ring out over Tuppenny Bridge, both Sally and Rafferty must gather their courage and face their demons before it’s too late. When this festive season is over, will they move forward into the future together, or will it be a bleak midwinter at The White Hart Inn?