Seriously, why do guys on dating apps think I want a picture of what’s in their pants? I could open an art gallery with the collection I’ve got. Zoe really doesn’t want to die alone and surrounded by cats. But it’s not looking good: she’s had sex precisely twice in the last year, and her feline friend isn’t the kind of male company she wants in bed.

Jo Campbell is perfectly content in a perfectly structured life. Nothing ever changes in Jo’s life and she likes it that way. Or at least, she tells herself she does. Most of the time, she manages to push down the tiny voice that tells her to chase her dream and maybe, just maybe, open her battered and bruised heart up to love. But to chase her dreams she needs to take chances that are way out of her comfort zone and learn to not put other people’s happiness above her own. Most of all she has to learn to trust her heart, which may just be the biggest challenge of all.

Lydia and Theo face the unthinkable when a knock at the door changes everything. As Lydia begins to pick up the pieces, not every part of the puzzle fits together as neatly as it did before, and as she discovers the truth about the man she loves, she finds herself stuck in limbo. Lydia is faced with an impossible choice.

Maddie doesn’t think so. She lost the love of her life and hasn't allowed anyone to get close since. But when she delivers an inappropriate cake to a 100th birthday party by mistake, she meets Evan and starts to believe in second chances. Evan is serially single, yet when he meets Maddie, he feels an instant connection - so much so that he makes a shocking confession on their first date. And it changes everything. Was it a mistake to be so honest? 

What do mascara wands and gardening shears have in common? Absolutely nothing! At least that’s what wannabe beauty influencer Sophie Timney thinks when her friend Polly suggests involving her brother Marcus in Sophie’s makeup tutorials. She needs more views, Marcus needs promotion for his gardening business - in Polly’s mind joining forces will help them both. Sophie isn’t so sure. Because Marcus Bowman has a habit of getting under her skin in a way that no exfoliating face scrub ever could. 

When I got pregnant, Will and I didn’t have a clue what we were signing up for. It turns out that there’s loads we weren’t warned about. But even if I feel like I’m waiting for my motherhood powers to come in the post, at least I’ve got Will. Our old life - festivals, sambuca shots, an actual sex life - might be a distant memory, but we can get through anything together, can’t we? At least that’s what I thought until, one day, Will walked out on us.... If I’m on my own (apart from Siri, obviously) can I do this whole parenting thing? 

Sylvia lives alone, dedicating herself to her job at the local university. On weekends, she helps out at a local hedgehog sanctuary because it gives her something to talk about on Mondays - and it makes people think she's nicer than she is. Only Sylvia has a secret: she's been in love with her boss, Professor Lomax, for over a decade now, and she's sure he's just waiting for the right time to leave his wife. Meanwhile she stores every crumb of his affection and covertly makes trouble for anyone she feels gets in his way.

No-one is ever happy to see Grace Salmon. As a funeral arranger, she’s responsible for steering strangers through the hardest day of their lives. It’s not a task many would want - but for Grace, giving people the chance to say a proper goodbye to the ones they love is the most important job in the world. From the flowers in the church to the drinks served at the wake, Grace knows it’s the personal touches that count - and it’s amazing what you can find out about someone from their grieving relatives...or their Facebook page.

As a published novelist, Lila Rose has been writing about fictional weddings all her life. But disaster strikes on her own big day when she hears her philandering fiancé, Daniel, whispering sweet nothings to someone else. With her dream day shattered, all Lila wants to do is run and hide, so she decides to fly solo on her own honeymoon. When Daniel arrives in the resort with his new squeeze, Lila strikes up a ‘showmance’ with hot new movie star Freddie Bianchi. Freddie is perfect for the part, and Lila soon relaxes into her leading lady role.  

Peach is excited to hear that her sister, Di, is getting married. Of course, she would have preferred her little sister to be engaged to someone she's known longer than a week - and the fact that his name is Charles doesn't bode well - but who is she to judge? After all, her own love life is non-existent, and who doesn't love a destination wedding? 

Daisy Kirk is a sucker for a love story, which is why she opened up her gift shop - because there’s nothing that makes Daisy happier than when she’s helped someone find the perfect Christmas gift for their loved one. And she does not just sell 'soppy presents and frilly pants', as her brother’s best friend, Eli, is fond of suggesting. But whilst Daisy is helping others with their love lives, hers is nonexistent. But when unusual circumstances take Daisy and Eli on a road trip from London to rural Wales, will she finally get the happily ever after to her own Christmas love story?

Rosie Jones has been dumped by every boyfriend she’s ever had - most recently by Dinosaur Dave, live on TV, during the ‘phone-a-friend’ segment of a quiz show. After the footage goes viral Rosie receives a bunch of flowers with a message: I love you, I should have never let you go, I want you back x But who sent them?

Leaving London and her ex-husband, Luc, behind, Katie and her 14-year-old daughter, Poppy, move into their very own, very ramshackle cottage near the village of Christmas Steepleton on the Dorset coast. Harvest Cottage has been unloved for many years, so the job of bringing it back to life is a slow and expensive one. So, with funds running low, Katie jumps at the chance when a film company asks to use the cottage as a location. But even as things are looking up, as harvest time passes and autumn chill starts to bite, the prospect of a cold winter in the country is daunting. 

Christmas has always meant something special to Merry - even without a family of her own. This year, her heart might be broken but her new candle business is booming. The last thing she needs is another project - but when her hometown's annual event needs some fresh festive inspiration, Merry can't resist. Cole loves a project too - though it's usually of the bricks and mortar variety. As a single dad, his Christmas wish is to see his kids again, so getting the new house finished for when they're all together is the perfect distraction. 

When a long-term relationship ended, her best friend’s scheme to get Lottie back in the swing of things seemed like a good idea. She’s kept her promise to Jess to see it through but, as a lover of the quiet life, Lottie couldn’t be happier to say hello to a brand new year – The Year of Saying No! Unfortunately, the one thing she still seems unable to say no to is the crush she has on her best client and now friend, Army veteran Seb Marshall. But she’s working on it, and with rescue dog Humphrey at her side, she knows that she’ll manage just fine.