Family & Relationships

'A wonderfully optimistic and original book ... No doubt it will be extremely reassuring for readers and everyone will find some nuggets that are helpful to them' Professor Susan Golombok

'Helpful to anyone interested in learning more about their own families. I highly recommend it' Dr Joshua Coleman

Family researcher Lucy Blake pulls apart our expectations about family and shows us how to embrace the messy, beautiful reality. 

What makes a good parent?

Can sibling relationships survive to adulthood?

Should love within a family really be unconditional?

Wherever, whenever and however you learnt about family, it's likely that you have unshakeable answers to these questions. In this revelatory new book, family researcher Lucy Blake shows that, whatever your assumptions are, they are almost certainly wrong and probably doing damage to your closest relationships.

Blake looks at how the expectations we have affect and even hinder our interactions with parents, siblings, relatives and our children. Drawing on her experience of interviewing hundreds of family members – of all backgrounds – she explores these unrealistic ideas, exposes the truth of what a family really is and explains how we can better understand and appreciate the one we have.

No Family Is Perfect is a fascinating examination of the messy and beautiful reality of family life, and a look at how we can change our beliefs about family for the better and maybe even enjoy Christmas.

“Provides a fresh context for exploring issues that engage us throughout our lives … No Family is Perfect will change how we think and write about families.” Terri Apter, author of Difficult Mothers and The Sister Knot

A modern mothering handbook – with none of the answers and all of the encouragement.

Everyone tells you that having children is life-changing (and we're not just talking about your new habit of binge-watching Bluey episodes), but you don't really believe them until you're there in the trenches, dealing with yet another toddler tantrum in the middle of the street, after realising you forgot to buy milk, all on four hours of (broken) sleep. Parenting is one of the hardest jobs in the world, and yet everyone assumes you should be enjoying it twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, which is funny because that pretty much describes your working hours. Oh, and did we mention that there are no toilet breaks, or holidays, or dare we say it... wages?

This book will be a handy companion as you deal with the ups and downs of motherhood. From making your way through those first few months of the newborn haze right through to sending them off into the world as (almost) proper adults, it contains a treasure trove of advice and words of wisdom from parents who have done it and got the (vomit-covered) T-shirt to prove it. While motherhood is undoubtedly special, it's not without it's challenges... and anyone who says otherwise is either a saint or has a really good nanny.

"Being a mom has made me so tired. And so happy." Tina Fey

"There's no way to be a perfect mother and a million ways to be a good one." Jill Churchill

A sentimental celebration of the power of a mother's love.

Brimming with messages of love, practical tips, inspiring quotes, heartfelt reflections and funny anecdotes, The Little Book of Mom is the ultimate ode to the highs and lows of motherhood. Mum, mom, mama, - whatever you call yours she'll love this little guide, designed to bring reassurance to mothers looking for a pocket of peace amongst the chaos.

We teach our children how to tie their shoelaces, how to read, how to ride a bike. We explain the weather and rainbows and why people have jobs. But when it comes to explaining the forceful, baffling, intense and marvellous emotions that we might experience, well, things become vague.

Nurturing your child's ‘emotional intelligence’, so they can understand and process their own emotions, is one of the most important things you can teach your child. But parents are often at a loss as to how best to do this. And your child’s big, complex emptions can also be somewhat scary.

In this book, clinical psychologist and family therapist Dr Anne Lane provides a compass through that haze of uncertain emotional parenting, to help parents teach their children the crucial life skills that create emotional intelligence. She equips you to understand your child’s emotions from pre-schooler through to pre-teen and, importantly, gives you the tools and advice you need to help THEM accept and understand these emotions.

As the conversation around children's mental health continues to grow, this is the book all parents need.

With jokes, quotes, to-do lists and even dad bod tips, this laugh-out-loud handsomely packaged gift is a hilarious celebration of the world’s most misunderstood and fragile species of man.

Their bellies may stretch their spandex beyond saving and their capes may only fly after an ominous-sounding fart, but – make no mistake – dads are superheroes. Well, half the time, at least. Because, let's not forget, when it comes to messing things up, dads are also incredibly self-sufficient. Ignored by moms everywhere and taken advantage by babies of all ages, being a dad is arguably the world's toughest job (after motherhood, of course). Overworked, underpaid and constantly in need of feeding, dads deserve just as much attention, validation and an equal share of the duvet as moms, and yet often have to settle for second best. From taxi-ing teenagers to funding fun, juggling jobs to half-baking house chores, dads simply are the best. Even at their hungover worst.  

Little Book of Dad is a celebration of dad-hood, daddy-ing and all the dad-based shenanigans that comes with it. The bitesize fun book is the perfect impulse gift for exhausted dads of all strange shapes, sizes and smells, which, last time we looked, was all of them.

Originally published in 1891, this hilarious (and informative) collection is a treasure trove of essential advice any man or woman, or couple, would be foolish to ignore.

From advice about how to find the perfect partner…

• Don't marry a villain.
• Don't marry a duke, or anyone who travels on his title.
• If money is your object, the older and uglier he is, the better.
• Avoid slovenly dressed girls or heedless men.

…to advice about how to wed…

• Don't propose on a wash-day, in the rain, at breakfast or in a tunnel.
• Marry at home or at church, in good form, without display.

…as well as general words of wisdom…

…Hildreth's Advice for Marriage is a delightful collection that is as relevant today as it was 100 years ago.

The most inspiring, beautiful and thought-provoking reflections and declarations of love, all in one place.

From Shakespeare's sonnets to the rom coms of modern-day cinema, Enlightenment philosophy to the latest Nicholas Sparks novel, one could say that no other topic has inspired such beauty - in art, literature, poetry or music - than that of love.

In The Little Book of Love the words of civil rights activists sit alongside those of movie stars, world leaders and the philosophers of Ancient Greece. In its pages you will find some hard-won lovers' wisdom, a whole host of poignant and inspiring reflections on love, as well as some of the most famous, endearing and enduring declarations of love ever spoken.

"Love is not love Which alters when it alteration finds, Or bends with the remover to remove: O no! it is an ever-fixed mark That looks on tempests and is never shaken …" William Shakespeare, "Sonnet 116"

"With the whole world crumbling, we pick this time to fall in love." Ilsa Lund, Casablanca (1942)

When life seems a little lonely, turn to this collection of inspirational quotes to establish stronger friendships in your life.

Filled with wisdom from some of the world's most well-known minds, the Pocket Book of Friendship offers thoughts and advice to restore, reset, and revive your day-to-day life.

'The best part about having true friends is that you can go months without seeing them and they'll still be there for you and act as if you'd never left!' - Ariana Grande

'I don't feel very much like Pooh today,' said Pooh. 'There there,' said Piglet. 'I'll bring you tea and honey until you do' - Piglet (A.A. Milne)

• How many people are walking through the world convinced that they have to settle?
• How many people are being treated badly because they think they don't tick desirable boxes?
• What would happen if you didn't limit yourself by seeing yourself as a bunch of labels, and instead saw yourself as a catch?
• How fun would it be to be single without questioning your loveability, to date without taking rejection personally, and to have sex without hating your body?

Nearly every question life coach and queen of boundaries Michelle Elman is asked relates to one subject: dating.

Including unravelling myths about single life, changing your dating mindset, dealing with ghosting, text etiquette and taking relationships offline, The Selfish Romantic will teach you how to empower your love life like never before.

Combining Michelle's expertise in boundaries and body positivity, this is your guide to navigating the modern dating landscape.

Achieve maximum relationship awesomeness with this fun, fill-in scrapbook!

Funny, practical, and totally unique, The Love Scrapbook helps you assess and celebrate your relationship! Log your important milestones, complete argument scorecards, figure out which romcom best describes your life, design your own heart-shaped sweets, and take the Meatloaf Test (just what would you do for love?). Whether your relationship is brand new or super comfy, you’ll love these, silly, cheeky, and sometimes sensual activities for couples.

Trying to find love online? This dating guide for the digital age mixes humor, frank advice, and practical information, plus a healthy touch of irreverence. 

Aimed at 20- to 30-something females, Meeting Your Match details the different "personalities" of the various sites and explains how to create a compelling profile, interpret others' profiles, write messages, spot time-wasters and weirdoes, and stay safe. Real-life case studies show what leads to success . . . and disaster.