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Now Mike Collins has one last shot to turn the most awkward first meeting ever into the love story of a lifetime.
It wasn't the first spark Mike had in mind, but fate had messier plans.
At twenty-two, Mike is a plumber's apprentice with a secret passion for words. Romance? Not really his thing. Until a vibrant eighties tribute night in a small Scottish town lands him--quite literally--at the feet of the captivating Bella, leaving her shoes in need of urgent attention after an unfortunate mishap.
Awkward? Absolutely. Forgettable? Not a chance.
Bella is smart, free-spirited, and just as obsessed with obscure words as Mike. Soon they're trading cheesy pop anthems, ridiculous vocabulary games, and more banter than a Scrabble board can handle. It feels like a match made in Heaven (17) until Bella drops the bombshell: she's about to leave for a life-changing backpacking trip across Australia.
Can a romance born from a perfectly imperfect beginning survive thousands of miles?
The Lexicon of Love is a charming standalone romantic comedy by Audrey Davis, perfect for fans of quirky first sparks, opposites attract chemistry, and long-distance love with a twist. If you adore heartfelt coming-of-age romance, messy family drama, and the kind of awkward first encounter you'll never forget, this is your next favourite read.
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.