{"title":"Leah Mclaren","description":"\u003cp\u003eDelve into the captivating worlds created by Leah McLaren, where sharp wit meets heartfelt storytelling. Perfect for readers who enjoy insightful contemporary fiction with a touch of humour and poignant observations on modern life.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"where-you-end-and-i-begin-book-leah-mclaren-9781529373691","title":"Where You End and I Begin","description":"When eight-year-old Leah's parents get divorced, her mother, Cessie, flees her conventional life as a suburban housewife in search of a glamorous big city career in journalism. In the chaotic years that follow Cessie lurches from one apartment, job and toxic romance to the next, with her adoring daughter in tow. Cessie describes her parenting style as 'benign neglect' and their family motto 'Commitment sucks the life right out of you' is tacked up on every rental fridge.   In the aftermath of a disturbing sexual experience at a pool party, Leah finds herself crippled with anxiety. When she confides in her mother, Cessie makes an astonishing disclosure in turn, one that alters everything: from the age of twelve to fifteen she was in a clandestine relationship with her middle-aged, married riding instructor. The damage inflicted by the 'Horseman', Cessie explains, is the reason for all her regrettable life choices - marriage, divorce and even motherhood itself.   Both women spend the ensuing decades haunted by the spectre of the Horseman, until they decide to investigate what became of him - an ill-conceived quest that will test the bonds of love and redefine their relationship forever.  Written with unflinching candour and wit, Where You End and I Begin explores the dark reverberations of victim narratives and the power of filial love.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49515281416465,"sku":"GOR012397450","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":49741086490897,"sku":"NGR9781529373691","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ LIKE_NEW \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":53534292443409,"sku":"GOR012521908","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1529373697.jpg?v=1750717957"},{"product_id":"better-man-book-leah-mclaren-9781782396345","title":"A Better Man","description":"Maya wants Nick to be less of a workaholic, to come home earlier, to spend some time with his children.   Nick wants a divorce.  With his mind made up, Nick is determined to leave. But it comes as a shock to realize how much it will cost him to walk away. As a stay-at-home mum, Maya is entitled to everything.  Then an unlikely solution presents itself: Nick needs to act like a better man. If he plays the part of a good husband and father, Maya will become happier and more self-sufficient - and Nick's pay-out to her will be far cheaper.   But as Nick pretends to be a better man he becomes one. He remembers why he fell in love with Maya, and what a great couple they can be. Everything seems to be back on track. Until Maya finds out exactly what Nick had been planning...","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49633928413457,"sku":"GOR006745782","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1782396349.jpg?v=1758966500"},{"product_id":"better-man-book-leah-mclaren-9781455532513","title":"A Better Man","description":"\u003cdiv\u003eWhat if the only way you could get out of your marriage was to become the perfect husband?\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Nick and Maya Wakefield's relationship has been in crisis since Maya left her high-powered legal career to stay home with their now 3-year-old twins. Today she feels invisible, anxious, and under-appreciated, and Nick has checked out of family life. Sex is a distant memory and the love is gone.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e A workaholic and a consummate flirt, Nick has decided he wants out. But he balks when their old friend, a divorce attorney, shows him that as sole breadwinner, he stands to lose the most. Together, he and his friend hatch a plan: Nick will act like an ideal husband and father in order to ease the pain of leaving and make out better in court. So he encourages Maya to go back to work, spends time with the kids, and even takes her on a vacation without them. But with his cynical ruse comes a surprising change of heart. Nick is astonished to find his actual emotions match his act and now his marriage is truly on the mend. That is, until Maya finds out, and Nick's world falls to pieces. 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In the chaotic years that follow, Cecily lurches from one apartment, job and toxic romance to the next. In a home without rules or emotional boundaries, Leah and Cecily become confidants--a state of enmeshment that suits them both. Their bond is loving but also marked by casual indifference. Cecily's self-described parenting style of \"benign neglect\" is a hilarious party joke, but for her daughter it's reality.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn Leah's first year of high school, Cecily makes a disclosure that will forever alter their relationship: From 12 to 15, Cecily confides, she was the lover of her 45-year-old married pony club instructor. The trauma of the \"Horseman,\" she explains, is the reason for all her ill-conceived life choices, including marriage and motherhood itself which she now bitterly regrets.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFor years after, into adulthood, Leah is haunted by the specter of the Horseman. He is the nameless darkness she observes in Cecily and worse yet, recognizes in herself. Eventually she sets out to discover truth of what became of her mother's rapist. Leah believes she will find solace in the facts, but first she must grasp a deeper truth: That this story--her story--is not the Horseman's after all.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eA riveting and devastating portrait of mother and daughter, \u003ci\u003eWhere You End and I Begin\u003c\/i\u003e explores the way intergenerational trauma is shared between women and how acts of harm can be confused with acts of love.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis raw and honest memoir pulls no punches, excavating the painful truths that define Leah and Cecily's unforgettable story.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cul\u003e \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eMother-Daughter Enmeshment:\u003c\/b\u003e In a home without rules or boundaries, Leah and her mother Cecily become confidants, forging a bond that is as loving as it is destructive.\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eA Legacy of Trauma:\u003c\/b\u003e Cecily's shocking confession about the \"Horseman\"--her childhood abuser--redefines their relationship and reveals the painful source of her life choices.\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eA Daughter's Investigation:\u003c\/b\u003e Haunted by her mother's past, Leah sets out to uncover the truth about the man who hurt her, only to discover that the real story is her own.\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eUnflinching Honesty:\u003c\/b\u003e A searing, literary exploration of memory, motherhood, and the complex ways love and harm become entangled across generations.\u003c\/li\u003e \u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50343720091921,"sku":"CIN0063037181G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50580137672977,"sku":"CIN0063037181VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0063037181.jpg?v=1751004633"},{"product_id":"continuity-girl-book-leah-mclaren-9780446699594","title":"The Continuity Girl","description":"Meredith Moore is the perfect continuity girl. 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