Rising to the Occasion - Softcover

Linda Taylor

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0099406160 ISBN 13: 9780099406167

Publisher: Arrow Books Ltd, 2001

Synopsis

Cathy finds out that she has a grandfather and goes to Oxford to meet him. He turns out to be a grumpy old cricket-mad curmudgeon. His lodger assures her there's more to life and tries to seduce her. Then the devastatingly sexy Nick arrives on the scene.

About this title

Review:

"Original, light-hearted and funny." -" Ireland on Sunday "No wine bars, no designer labels, no distraught singletons here - just a thumping good story!" - "Reader's Review

From the Author:

A story of discovery, revelation and realisation...
Cathy loves her job, her tiny house in run-down East London, and her boyfriend (if only they could see a bit more of each other) but she's about to be hit by a bombshell. Adopted from birth, she finds out she has a 'real' grandfather, and he wants to meet her. Nick, meanwhile, is living a bachelor's existence in Birmingham, avidly following the fortunes of the England cricket team, and living life as it comes. In Oxford, Barbara has been the life-time companion of Frank, Cathy's grandfather, but her steady existence is about to be rocked. As Frank's bewildering demands unfold, Cathy begins to feel that her grandfather has arrived in her life like the wicked fairy lowered into a pantomime on a wire. Thanks to him, everything is going wrong. But does Frank have fine motives for his conduct, and will he redeem himself? Why is he sending Cathy off to experience the excitement of the Ashes test matches, where England and Australia battle it out on the cricket field? And why does Nick always end up in the seat next to her? The challenges facing each of the characters are daunting. Can any of them - including Frank's beloved England team - rise to the occasion?

Rising to the Occasion is my fourth novel - and I had enormous fun writing it. Cathy's work in East London, where she's involved in the regeneration of the Docklands area, was greatly inspired by my sister's work - so thank you for your insights, Julie! If you've read any of my previous novels, you'll know that I don't do trendy characters or locations, but try to write about people who seem very real to me. I love putting contrasting people together in a story, of differing ages, backgrounds and opinions, and seeing how they get on. In Rising to the Occasion, I hope you'll find tension, conflict, fun and warmth in the characters' actions, as they find out more about each other, and themselves. A huge bonus for me in writing this book has been that I have grown to love cricket in recent years - and was able to place a thrilling Ashes series, played out in the historic test grounds of England, as a backdrop to the story. Cathy's developing relationship with her grandfather was very satisfying to explore, and the exhilaration and despondency she experiences on her way to realising where her heart really lies will, I hope very much, keep you entertained.

About this edition

• Publisher: Arrow Books Ltd
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 0099406160
• ISBN 13: 9780099406167
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 526