When thirty-three-year-old food writer Evie Hart returns to the tiny village of Upper Trickle to inherit her great-aunt Vera’s crumbling B&B, she expects dust, grief and maybe a plumbing disaster or three.She does not expect to find her ex-acquaintance and longstanding nemesis Theo barefoot in the kitchen, already running the place like it’s his.According to Vera’s spectacularly unhelpful will, Evie and Theo must live and work together at The Crooked Kettle for three months if they want any claim to the house. No flouncing back to London. No firing the irritatingly competent chef. No murdering each other with decorative teacups.Fine. Evie can survive ninety days of forced proximity, one passive-aggressive tea at a time.But Trickle Valley has other plans.Between a tea library organised by trauma level, jam jars labelled with unsettling emotional accuracy, a gossip network faster than fibre broadband, and a goose called Honkhilda who clearly judges her life choices, Evie finds herself surrounded by the kind of chaos that feels suspiciously like… home.As the soft launch of the B&B spirals into village events, matchmaking from beyond the grave and late-night kitchen confessions, Evie has to decide: will she keep running from anything that might hurt, or risk staying where she might finally belong?Lemon Curd Lies & Feathery Alibis is a cosy, closed-door small-town romcom full of heart, humour and found family – perfect for fans of feel-good British romance, meddling neighbours and slow-burn chemistry with absolutely no goose-related fatalities.
