London, 1944. The air raid sirens are blaring, the bombers are hovering. England has been at war with Germany for four years, and there's no sign of peace coming. Dot Gallagher, newly arrived from Liverpool to offer her services as a nurse, hurries from her Red Cross hostel to the tube station to join the crowds of people taking shelter. A group of GIs have started dancing around a wind-up gramophone, and it doesn't take long for Dot to join them. As she jives along with one of the American soldiers, he tells her about Rainbow Corner, a social club in Piccadilly for US troops. There is always a demand for dance hostesses there, women who know how to jitterbug and rock'n'roll, to dance with the soldiers. Would Dot like to apply? As Dot discovers, Rainbow Corner is like no other place, an oasis in London where, once inside, the constraints of wartime Britain disappear. There is no rationing, all luxuries are available, including a constant stream of donuts, chewing gum and cola. There are restaurants and cafes, boxing matches and movies, and, much to Dot's delight, a huge dance hall. Rather like an Embassy, Rainbow Corner is essentially a plot of America in central London. It is there that Dot becomes firm friends with many of the other hostesses, and in particular with Lilly, who works for the Colonel. Meet Me at Rainbow Corner follows the lives of Dot, Lilly and their friends, as they dance the nights away, fall in and out of love, and navigate the horrors of war. Lilly goes on a secret mission with her Colonel to France, and Dot becomes pregnant and returns to Liverpool. When the war is over, they are re-united, having travelled by boat to the US with countless other war brides to meet their repatriated fiancés again. Along the way, they uncover a case of inside espionage and learn the true meaning of love. Praise for Meet Me At Rainbow Corner: 'Utterly charming and engrossing' - Joanna Lumley 'Hugely enjoyable and meticulously researched... A must for anyone who likes wartime novels with a difference' - Rosie Goodwin 'From the first to the last page, I was captivated by this brilliant novel, and simply didn't want it to end' - Jenny Ashcroft 'A beautiful book about friendship, romance and courage set against a background of war and peril. I loved it' - Sue Cleaver 'Thoroughly enjoyable! A meticulously researched and deeply evocative snapshot of the experiences of a group of feisty and determined women, who became GI Brides in World War 2' - Fiona Valpy

__________________ 'Anything written by Celia Imrie is guaranteed to put a smile on our faces and her latest book is no exception' - Good Housekeeping 'A dashing roller coaster. She is extraordinary' - Joanna Lumley 'A very witty woman. Hugely entertaining' - Julian Fellowes __________________ The deliciously witty, irresistible new novel from the top ten Sunday Times bestselling author of Not Quite Nice follows the exploits of two women on an Atlantic cruise ship. The phone hasn't rung for months. Suzy Marshall is discovering that work can be sluggish for an actress over sixty – even for the former star of a 1980s TV series. So when she's offered the plum role of Lady Bracknell in The Importance of Being Earnest in Zurich, it seems like a godsend. Until, that is, the play is abruptly cancelled in suspicious circumstances, and Suzy is forced to take a job on a cruise ship to get home. Meanwhile Amanda Herbert finds herself homeless in rainy Clapham. Her flat purchase has fallen through, and her children are absorbed in their own dramas. Then she spots an advertisement for an Atlantic cruise, and realises a few weeks on-board would tide her over – and save her money – until the crisis is solved. As the two women set sail on a new adventure, neither can possibly predict the strange characters and dodgy dealings they will encounter – nor the unexpected rewards they will reap. Vividly evoking the old-world glamour of a cruise ship – and the complex politics of its staff quarters – Sail Away is at once a hilarious romp and a thrilling tale of intrigue, from the acclaimed pen of Celia Imrie.

The novel follows three generations of the Brangwen family, particularly focusing on the sexual dynamics of, and relations between, the characters. The Rainbow was prosecuted in an obscenity trial in late 1915, as a result of which all copies were seized and burnt. After this ban it was unavailable in Britain for 11 years, although editions were available in the USA.