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A warm, witty romantic comedy about an expat wife starting over in Switzerland, where a suspect marriage, a struggling best friend and a mountain of culture shock collide. Feel-good British women's fiction with humour, heartbreak and hope.
New Country. New Language. New Doubts About Her Marriage.
Switzerland. The land of cheese, chocolate and … cheating husbands?
Not every man in the country is doing the dirty on his wife. And Dom would never cheat on Charlotte. Would he?
A glittery card and a string of furtive phone calls have cast a shadow over their ten-year marriage. It's hard enough navigating twisty Alpine roads and a foreign language without doubting the man she moved here for.
Add in worries about her best friend Ruth and a bumpy encounter with an arrogant German, and Charlotte is far from convinced the expat life is for her.
Can she embrace her new world, or are some mountains simply too high to climb?
Lost In Translation is a standalone romantic comedy, for readers who love expat fresh starts, marriage-in-trouble drama, Alpine settings and friendships that hold firm. Perfect for fans of Carole Matthews, Holly Martin and Emily Harvale.
'One of the most brilliant books I've read recently and giving it five stars doesn't seem enough! Perfect in every single way.' aquintillionwords book blog
'Heartbreaking, maddening, terrifying, compelling and lovely.' Bookly Matters book blog
This book was fantastic! I couldn't put it down… I always knew Switzerland was beautiful but while reading Lost In Translation I could see the snow-capped mountains and feel the chilly air without ever having been there.' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
'I read this in one sitting, largely because I was taken in by the story. It's easy to read and the story just flows beautifully.' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
I highly recommend this read as it is the right amount of fun, laughs, Swiss culture and romance.' Jena C. Henry, author
This story is not only romantic but also funny and with a profound meaning and impact on the reader… if you read this story you will love it!' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
'The female characters are relatable and the relationships dynamics believable.' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
Her first foray into the hard-nosed newspaper world was as a junior reporter in Dumfriesshire. Duties included interviewing farmers about the prize-winning heifers to reporting on family tragedies. She persuaded her editor to let her launch an entertainment column which meant meeting the odd celebrity – or just the downright odd. From there, she moved to the loftier rank of senior reporter back in her home patch. Slightly more money, fewer farm animals but a higher crime rate. As Taggart would say: 'There's been a murrrrder!'
After a stint in London on a video magazine – yes, she is that old – Audrey moved to Singapore with her fiancé. She tried valiantly to embrace the stinking heat, humidity and lack of jobs, although she did work briefly on a magazine which was banned by the government for 'artistic' use of naked men's bottoms.
Next on her adventures was a land Down Under where her main focus was raising Cost Centre One (aka firstborn) and coming to terms with the imminent arrival of Number Two. Still, she loved the Aussie way of life – BBQs, beaches and bring your own booze to restaurants – so it came as a blow when OH announced a move back to the UK. Not a job between us, the climate a possible deal breaker and an Exorcist-style vomiting infant on the flight home didn't bode well …
Always a survivor, Audrey sought out similar-minded friends (i.e. slightly bonkers), got the children into a good school and thought about taking up writing again. Sadly, thinking about it was as far as she got, unless you count shopping lists. Then, hubby drops another bombshell. Switzerland. As in – it's packing time again. Off to the land of cheese, chocolate, scarily efficient trains and a couple of teeny, tiny issues. Like driving on the 'wrong' side of the road and speaking a foreign language (French). The former was conquered fairly quickly (we'll skip over the wall demolition in week two), the latter remains an ongoing battle of the hopeful against the hopeless. At least she provides amusement for the local workforce.
It wasn't until 2016 that Audrey rediscovered her writing mojo with an on line Writing Fiction course. From there, her first novel – A Clean Sweep – was born, although it took a bit longer than nine months from conception. A short, darker prequel – A Clean Break – followed, and in November 2017 she published the first in a novella trilogy, The Haunting of Hattie Hastings Part One. Parts Two and Three followed, and were combined into a standalone novel which received incredible reviews. Audrey's third novel - A Wish For Jinnie - was published in June 2020, and her fourth – Lost In Translation – in January 2021. A sequel to A Wish For Jinnie – A Wish For Jo – was published in June 2022. The final part of the Cranley Wish trilogy will be published in early 2023.