What if there's more to your story than the life you've been living?

Book 1: The Light That Stayed

For when you're so burned out you've forgotten what light even looks like

Emma Blake's London advertising career isn't just demanding—it's devouring her. The panic attack that ends it comes as both devastation and relief. She retreats to Cornwall to remember how to breathe, but it's an unexpected invitation to Villa d'Oro in Tuscany that shows her what healing actually looks like.

Among olive groves and morning markets, cooking lessons with Giulia and restoration work with Marco, Emma begins to see clearly again. Not just through her camera lens, but in her life. And when she realizes she's been photographing the wrong things—proving herself instead of seeing beauty—everything shifts.

This is a story about creativity recovered, community discovered, and love that develops through small kindnesses rather than grand gestures. For anyone who's ever felt like they've lost themselves in the hustle.

"Like The Little Beach Street Bakery meets Under the Tuscan Sun—warm, wise, and exactly what I needed."
—Early reader

Read Chapter 1 to see how Emma got here → Chapter 1

If you loved The Light That Stayed, you might also enjoy:

• The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan

• One Day in December by Josie Silver

• The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary

• The Last Chance Library by Freya Sampson

Book 2: The Winter Promise

Sofia Castellano has spent three years proving she doesn't need anyone—running her grandmother's Tuscan villa alone, keeping guests happy, keeping expectations low, keeping her heart firmly protected after a divorce that taught her she was "too much" to love. Then British consultant David Hartley arrives in December with his spreadsheets and solutions, hired by the bank to save the villa Sofia's quietly losing. He sees everything she's tried to hide: the struggling finances, the unsustainable workload, the way she's built a beautiful life for others while forgetting to build one for herself. As winter settles over Villa d'Oro and Christmas approaches, Sofia faces an impossible choice: let David help and risk everything, or protect herself and lose the place she loves. But David isn't asking her to be smaller—he's asking to build something with her. A story about learning to accept help without losing yourself, choosing partnership over independence, and discovering that the right person doesn't make you less—they simply make room for all of you.

Book 3: The Vintage

Fiona MacLeish didn't choose to spend three weeks at a Tuscan villa—her adult children chose for her, worried that their capable, always-managing mother had forgotten how to actually live after her divorce. At fifty-two, Fiona has spent decades organizing other people's lives, first as a wife, then as a cultural events coordinator for Edinburgh's elite. She's excellent at managing. She's forgotten how to want. When she meets Alessandro Marconi at a Villa d'Oro wine tasting—a widowed vineyard owner still grieving his wife four years later—neither expects what happens next. Learning to prune vines alongside Alessandro, Fiona discovers that the work she thought would trap her might actually set her free. As harvest approaches and her return flight looms, she faces a choice that terrifies her: go back to the safe life she's built in Edinburgh, or stay and build something entirely new with a man who understands that the best things take time to grow. A story about discovering it's never too late to choose want over should, about patience and rootedness, and about finding home in the rhythm of seasons rather than the efficiency of schedules.

Start reading them now. The Light That Stayed 📖 Available now on Amazon - $9.99 paperback, $5.99 Kindle. 

Why These Stories?

I've worked globally across cultures for years, and I've watched brilliant women burn out. I've seen people lose themselves in the performance of successful lives. I've witnessed the moment when someone realizes the life they built doesn't fit them anymore—and the brave, terrifying choice to do something about it.

These stories are about that moment. About what comes next. About the places that give us permission to change, and the people who witness our transformation with kindness instead of judgment.

Villa d'Oro is real to me. I can taste Giulia's pasta, hear the fountain in the courtyard, smell the jasmine climbing through office windows. I hope it becomes real to you too.

Perfect For

You'll love these books if you're looking for:

• A story about burnout recovery and starting over

• Heartfelt romance set in Tuscany with gorgeous sense of place

• Character-driven women's fiction with emotional depth

• Books about artists or photographers rebuilding their creative lives

• Stories that blend travel, personal growth, and slow-burn romance

• Fiction that feels like Jenny Colgan meets Under the Tuscan Sun

About Siobhan

I write the books I needed when I was burned out and uncertain—stories about women who are brave enough to want more, patient enough to build it slowly, and honest enough to admit when they're lost.

If you're looking for authors similar to Jenny Colgan, Beth O'Leary, or Josie Silver—writers who create emotionally rich contemporary fiction about second chances—you'll find yourself at home here. I write for readers who love character-driven romance, beautiful settings that feel like characters themselves, and stories that acknowledge difficulty while believing in possibility.

Based in Sweden with family and a Welsh Springer Spaniel who believes all walks should include at least three detours for interesting smells. I drink too much coffee, believe in the restorative power of good bread, and think second chances get more beautiful after 40.

The Villa d'Oro series exists because I believe in the magic of places that let you be yourself. And in stories that give you permission to imagine a different life—not as fantasy, but as genuine possibility.

Thank you for being here. Thank you for reading. Thank you for believing that second chances are worth taking.

With warmth,
Siobhan