A Desirable Residence: A Novel of Love and Real Estate,New

Product Description From the author of the sensational bestselling Sophie Kinsella novels and the New York Times bestsellers The Wedding Girl and Sleeping Arrangements, comes a wicked comedy of adultery, angst, and modern marriage The asking price for this house includes a stunning renovation of hearts and dreams....Liz and Jonathan Chambers were stuck with two mortgages, mounting debts, and a miserable adolescent daughter. Then realtor Marcus Witherstone came into their livesand it seemed he would solve all their problems. He knew the perfect tenants from London who would rent their old house: a glamorous PR girl, Ginny, and her almostfamous husband, Piers. But soon Liz is lost in blissful dreams of Marcus, Jonathan is left to run their business, and neither of them has time to notice that their teenage daughter is developing an unhealthy passion for the tenants, Piers and Ginny. Everyone is tangled up with everyone else, and in the most awkward possible way. As events close in, they all begin to realize that some deceptions are just a bit too close to home. A Desirable Residence is sure to continue the phenomenal success of the Sophie Kinsella/Madeleine Wickham franchise. Review Enjoyable listening. AudioFile magazine'Madeleine Wickham, aka Sophie Kinsella, first published this chicklit black comedy in 1998, but only now has it found a voice in Katherine Kellgren...Frightful types and good eggs alike are given their own voices, and the whole thing is generously wicked fun.' The Washington Post on The Gatecrasher, Named one of Top Audio Books of '09Wickham is in stellar form in her latestA wellexecuted and unexpected ending caps the dizzying action and demonstrates why Wickham is so deservedly on her genre's Alist.Publishers Weekly on The Gatecrasher About the Author MADELEINE WICKHAM is the author of several bestselling novels, including The Wedding Girl, Sleeping Arrangements, and The Gatecrasher. As SOPHIE KINSELLA, she has written a number of bestsellers, including the Shopaholic series. Excerpt. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. A DESIRABLE RESIDENCE (Chapter One)There wasn't much point, Liz told herself, in getting upset. It wasn't his fault, poor man. The estate agent had finished talking, and was looking at her concernedly, expecting a response. To gain time, she glanced out of the sash window of the office, the panes bright with the sun and raindrops of a confused September's day. There was a little courtyard garden outside, walled, with a white wroughtiron bench and tubs of flowers. It must be nice in the summer, she thought, forgetting that this still was, to all intents and purposes, the summer. Her mind always worked at least half a term ahead.'Mrs Chambers ... ?''Oh yes, sorry,' said Liz, and turned back. 'I was listening.' She smiled at the estate agent. He didn't smile back.'I did warn your husband at the time the property went on the market,' he said, 'that this might happen. I advised a price rather lower than your asking price.''I know you did,' agreed Liz. She wondered why he felt it necessary to remind her. Was he feeling defensive? Did he experience a need to justify himself; explain why their house had been on the market for ten months with his agency and had failed to sell? She studied his young, wellshaven face for signs of Itoldyouso; ifyou'dlistenedtome ...But his face was serious. Concerned. He was probably, she thought, not the sort of person who would countenance recriminations. He was simply pointing out the facts.'And now,' he was saying, 'you must make a decision. You have, as I see it, two realistic options.' And a few unrealistic ones? Liz wanted to ask, but instead she looked intelligently at him, leaning forward slightly in her chair to show she was interested. She was beginning to feel rather hot; the sun was beating brightly through the panes of glass onto her cheeks. As usual, she had completely misjudged the