THE STORY SO FAR
Forty-five-year-old Paige is stuck in a stale relationship with Alex. Ever since he persuaded her to give up the job she loved as a home carer, she has lost confidence. She still misses her favourite client, 90-year-old Louie Lovejoy, a feisty character who passed away a year before, and Louie’s beloved cat Dita, who went missing after Louie passed away. When Paige’s extrovert friend Orla suggests they both try a burlesque class, an initially self-conscious Paige is surprised by how much she enjoys herself. At the same time, The Book Haven, a recently opened second-hand bookshop, has been bought by Paige’s childhood sweetheart Russ. Despite not seeing each other for years, could old feelings be rekindled? Then an unexpected inheritance from Louie presents a potentially life-changing opportunity. Will Paige venture further out of her comfort zone?
It was Friday afternoon when Paige collected the keys to the bungalow she had unexpectedly inherited from Louie Lovejoy. As she walked back from the solicitor’s, her fingers cradling them in her pocket, she recalled her earlier heated conversation with Alex.
‘Of course you’re going to sell it, aren’t you? I mean, it’s a no-brainer,’ he’d said.
‘Am I?’
‘Come on, Paige. It’s been standing empty for over a year. It will be in a right state.’
‘I expect so,’ agreed Paige, remembering that when she used to care for Louie how the lively pensioner’s home already needed work.
‘Houses get renovated, you know,’ she’d pointed out to Alex. ‘Haven’t you watched Homes Under the Hammer?’
He’d grunted. ‘You’re hardly a seasoned property developer. Surely you
