Briefly Young

‘Kerry Downes grabbed hold of my heart’ Kate Kemp

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April has worked hard for everything in her life. She’s studied relentlessly to get the grades to go to university, and contorted herself to be exactly the person everyone else wants her to be.

Ever since he was a kid, Jessie has known he’ll take over the family business. But what used to feel like purpose is starting to feel suffocating. All he wants is a chance to choose his own path.

When Jessie and his mum appear, unexpectedly, asking to stay for the summer, April can’t help but envy the beautiful boy who seems to have the whole world at his fingertips and take it for granted.

Over the hazy weeks together, April and Jessie find they have more in common than they could have imagined, and forge a deep connection neither of them expected. But by the time August ends, an unimaginable tragedy has occurred and the two will never be the same again.

Reviews

Praise for Kerry Downes

‘Spending time with the characters – in their hope, uncertainty and banter – was like being amongst friends’ Gabrielle Griffiths

‘A heartfelt kaleidoscope of female friendship’ Roxy Dunn

‘A must-read full of heart’ Stephanie Steel

‘A touching, true-to-life story of friendship, the tensions and pressures of your thirties, and proper Northern representation’ Sarah Handyside

‘Sharp and observant, warm and touching’ Bonnie Burke-Patel

‘Fun and heart-achingly relatable, with characters so well drawn you’ll forget this isn’t your group of friends’ Natalie Gregory

About the author

Kerry Downes grew up in East Yorkshire and has spent the last decade in south London, working as an NHS specialist audiologist. She lives in Brighton with her husband and two children.