When Lucy Fellowes is offered a dream house in the country she leaps at it. It's hard enough living in London on an uncertain income, but when you're widowed with two small boys it's even harder. And anyway, a rural retreat will bring her closer to Charlie, the only man in four years to make her heart beat faster. Perfect. Or it would be. If only he didn't belong to someone else.

Flora's been in love with her husband for 20 years. The trouble is, he's been married to someone else for the past 15. Now she's been invited to spend the summer in the shady lanes and sandy coves of Cornwall. It should be blissful. There's just one small snag: she'll be staying with her former mother-in-law, Belinda. And Flora discovers she's not the only one invited when her ex-husband shows up out of the blue, complete with his new wife. So now there are two small snags.

Shay Bastable is the woman in the middle. She is there for everyone else, holding them all together, looking out for them all. She is part of the sandwich generation - caring for her parents and her children - and she loves it that way. But Shay is so busy supporting everyone else, she hasn’t thought for a moment about herself. And when her family start to find their own ways in the world, she is finally able to look forward to some breathing space. But when her whole world collapses, who is left to her support her?

When Flora, James, and their two teenage daughters are offered the holiday of a lifetime in a chateau in the South of France in return for one simple good deed, they jump at the chance. But Flora didn't anticipate a mysterious guest and a whole heap of family baggage coming along too… Their dream holiday suddenly takes some very unexpected turns.

Separated in every way but distance, Sebastian resides in an outhouse across the lawn from his ex-wife Ella's ramshackle farmhouse. With a home crowded by hostile teenaged children and gender-confused chickens, Ella finds comfort in the company of the very charming gardener, Ludo. Then Sebastian decides to move on, catching Ella horribly unawares. How much longer can she hide from what really destroyed her marriage... and the secret she continues to keep?

Everyone's got one, an old boyfriend they never fell out of love with, they simply parted because the time wasn't right. And for 30-year-old Tessa, it's Patrick Cameron, the gorgeous, moody, rebellious boy she met at 17; the boy her vicar father thoroughly disapproved of; the boy who had left her to go to Italy to paint. And now he's back.

Dreamy, scatty, and impossibly romantic, Polly McLaren is a secretary in an advertising agency, but the day a stranger on a train catches her eye, her life changes for ever. This American Romeo, who's recognised her old school scarf, begs Polly to help him find his missing Juliet. Over an intoxicating dinner at the Savoy, Polly agrees to play Cupid and her investigations begin. The last thing she needs now, however, is trouble from the men in her life.

Cherry, Maggie and Rose are mother, daughter and granddaughter, each with their own hopes, dreams and even sorrows. They have always been close, so when, in a moment of impulse, Cherry buys a gorgeous but run-down pub in the village she grew up in, it soon becomes a family affair. All three women uproot themselves and move to Rushbrook, deep in the heart of Somerset, to take over The Swan and restore it to its former glory. Cherry is at the helm, Maggie is in charge of the kitchen, and Rose tends the picturesque garden that leads down to the river.

Sid wears her independence like armour. So when she strikes up a rare connection with unlucky-in-love Finn, they are both determined to prove that men and women can just be friends. Marin has the perfect home, attentive husband, two beloved children - and a secret addiction to designer clothes. She knows she has it all, so why can't she stop comparing herself to other women? Bea believes that we all have one love story - and she's had hers. Now her life centres around her son, Luke, and her support group of fierce single women. But there's something that she can't tell anyone.

Tess has downsized to a lively new town and is ready for 'me' time. But her Zen-like calm is tested by her boomerang offspring, who keep fluttering back to the nest (usually with a full bag of dirty washing) and by her elderly mother’s struggle to hold on to her independence. Tess is also surprised to discover that there are dark resentments simmering beneath the vintage charm of her new hometown and a spate of vandalism has exposed the rift between the townsfolk and new arrivals like Tess.

Delphine has worked hard for her success, and she knows she's got everything she wants. But not everyone agrees. Her opinionated family aren't convinced that living alone with no plans to 'settle down' could possibly make her truly happy, and no one appreciates it when she drops everything, day or night, whenever her boss Conrad calls. Yet Delphine wouldn't change a thing. And when Conrad makes her a surprise offer, it's clear that her hard work is going to pay off.

Josie, Nell and Lisa go back a long way - they were flatmates, soulmates and best mates back in their 20s when life was one long party. Five years later, things are different. Josie is married with kids in deepest suburbia, free-spirit Nell has travelled the world and Lisa is on the path to career glory (and the salary Premiership). A reunion weekend in London seems a great idea to Josie...until she discovers something which will change the course of her life forever.

When Patrick Sheppard suddenly and tragically dies, he leaves behind a family in pieces. Zoe has lost the love of her life. Ethan, Gabe and Beatrice have lost their larger-than-life dad. There’s a hole where Patrick should be, and none of them can see a way forward. For Patrick’s brother Dan, though: his mission is clear. He needs to help the Sheppards to find some sort of happy again, and he makes a promise to himself to try and come close to the man Patrick was.

Alice is living the life she always dreamed of: no ties, no constraints and no worries. An intrepid travel writer, her life is one of carefree adventure, full of spa days, dinner parties and self-indulgence. Virginia finally has everything she ever wanted. The loving husband, the beautiful daughter, and the successful career. Life hasn't always been easy, but she knows now that her family can weather any storm and come through it stronger. Best friends since university, Alice and Virginia are unlikely allies, but their bond deep.

Georgia and Lydia are so close they're practically sisters. So when Lydia starts an online business that struggles, Georgia wants to help her - but she also understands Lydia's not the kind to accept a handout. Setting up a fake Twitter account, Georgia hopes to give her friend some anonymous moral support by posing as a potential customer. But then Lydia starts confiding in her new internet buddy, and Georgia discovers she doesn't know her quite as well as she thought. Georgia knows she should reveal herself, but she's fascinated by this insight into her friend's true feelings.