A Rather Charming Invitation (2010)

In the third novel in the Rather series, Penny and Jeremy are planning their wedding but are making really slow progress with the final plans. When Penny's young French cousin, Honorine, shows up on their London doorstep out of the blue, she informs them that her parents have invited them to their home in France for a small reception in celebration of their wedding. While in France, Penny's generous relations offer Penny and Jeremy the use of a beautiful wedding tapestry for the couple to be married in front of. The tapestry has perplexing but lovely images that Penny finds intriguing, since her background is in historical research. In the weeks leading up to the wedding, Penny and Jeremy have to make the difficult decision of where to have their wedding. Penny's relatives want the wedding to be in France, while Jeremy's family want it in England. When they finally have a breakthrough, they head to their villa in France to sell the idea to the family and in doing so need to bring the tapestry to the villa to showcase the full effect of their ideas. However, something goes awry and the tapestry goes missing. This leads Penny, Jeremy and Honorine on a chase to track down the tapestry and find out its true origins. What they find just may get them into hot water with a certain famous billionaire and they'll have to tread very carefully in order to get the tapestry back in one piece. Can Penny and Jeremy recover the beloved family heirloom in time? Or is its absence a bad omen, warning them to call off the wedding? Written in such an fascinating way, with characters that will both charm and entertain, it is a book that you don't want to miss. (AS)

A Rather Curious Engagement (2008)

This is the second book in the Rather series, which follows Penny Nichols and her boyfriend, Jeremy, on another tantalising adventure. Penny seems to have it all after inheriting her aunt Penelope's London flat, classic car and other treasures. Jeremy has also gotten quite a nice amount in his inheritance and together they decide to make one large purchase. After some deliberation, they decide that this item is going to be an antique yacht. Trouble follows suit as Penny and Jeremy discover a feud that goes back centuries and involves the theft of a very unique and utterly priceless item. People seem to think that their new yacht holds the hidden treasure that everyone is talking about. From gigolos to salesmen, no one seems to be immune to following or harassing Penny and Jeremy - some even going to the extreme of stealing the yacht. Getting themselves embroiled in yet another mystery that needs solving, Penny and Jeremy embark on a series of thrilling adventures that will lead them to a discovery so huge that it was thought to have been one big myth. Clearly written with a mix of everything that one could want in a good novel, this is a book that you'll enjoy right until the end. (AS)

A Rather Lovely Inheritance (2007)

The first in the Rather series, this is a wonderful book chronicling the story of Penny Nichols (yes, that's her real name!). Penny is a charming, sassy and smart character that you'll root for even when you know she's going to get herself in trouble. Penny, a historical filmmaker, is whisked away to London after her great-aunt Penelope's death. To her surprise, Penny is left quite a bit of her great-aunt's items. All is not perfect in Penny's world however, as she soon realises that her wacky cousin, Rollo, may not be the nice guy he seems to be. Rollo is after her inheritance but Penny doesn't know why - he has been left his own share of things, seemingly more valuable than anything Penny was left. Eventually, with the help of her other cousin Jeremy (who may or may not be an actual blood relation and who Penny may or may not be falling for), Penny finds that there is something else more valuable hidden somewhere within her inheritance that Rollo desperately wants and he will go to any lengths to obtain it. With breathtaking settings in France's Cote d'Azur, Italy and London, Penny and Jeremy's quest to find the mysterious item is suspenseful and filled with excitement, leading them to one of the biggest historical discoveries of current time. Creatively written, it contains a nice mix of romance, mystery and humour. (AS)

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