Jill Steeples - It's Now Or Never

‘For Jen Faraday - Not to be opened, in any circumstances, until April 2016’

When smooth-talking Alex Fellows tells Jen Faraday he can predict her future – and leaves a note with the bartender for her to collect in one year’s time – she thinks it’s just a line. After all, how can a man she’s known for only one night see what her future holds? Or maybe it’s not too hard. Recently her life has been a series of things she hasn’t done. She didn’t go to college – family trouble. She didn’t get married – dumped. And she hasn’t yet handed in her notice at work – too scared! If she had to predict her own future, would it be ‘More of the same’?

Or maybe not. After all, she’s just had a passionate one-night stand with a man who is rich and ridiculously good-looking and totally not her type. That was unexpected. And she is going to resign from her job… Things are already changing. Whatever that prediction says – and how Jen wishes she knew – perhaps this year is the year she takes control of her destiny!

Also by Jill Steeples

Desperately Seeking Heaven

Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off

Hopelessly Devoted to You

Praise for JILL STEEPLES

‘ Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off by Jill Steeples is a well written and easy to like book. If you are looking for a chick lit with a twist then give this one a read.’ Harlequin Junkie

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‘So gripping, vivid, enjoyable and fascinating!!!’ Sky’s Book Corner on Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off

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‘It was a thoroughly enjoyable read that kept you wanting more.’ A Book and Tea on Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off

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‘Jill is a great writer, she knows how to tell a story. I can’t wait to read more of Jill Steeples.’ Dreaming with Open Eyes

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‘If I had to sum this book up in three words, they would be Romantic, Marvellous and Amazing.’ 23reviewstreet on Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off *

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‘A truly magical novel’ – Chick Lit Reviews and News on Desperately Seeking Heaven

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‘A very cute book! It was fun, funny, and endearing and also heart-wrenching at times.’ Book Binge on Desperately Seeking Heaven

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‘A cute and easy read’ This Chick Reads on Desperately Seeking Heaven

*Amazon reader reviews

It’s Now or Never

Jill Steeples

Copyright

HQ

An imprint of HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.

1 London Bridge Street

London SE1 9GF

First published in Great Britain by HQ in 2015

Copyright © Jill Steeples 2015

Jill Steeples asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.

E-book Edition © June 2015 ISBN: 9781474035545

Version date: 2018-07-23

JILL STEEPLESlives in a small market town in Bedfordshire with her husband and two children.

From an early age she fell in love with the fabulously funny romances of Jilly Cooper, and vowed, one day, she would have a go at writing one of her own.

Jill loves writing short stories, particularly those with a twist in the tail, and her work has appeared in popular women’s magazines around the world and in a number of charity anthologies.

It’s Now or Never is her fourth novel.

To all my lovely readers and friends who have read and enjoyed my books, a very big thank you! Your support is appreciated much more than you can ever know.

A special thank you to my brilliant editor, Victoria Oundjian, for her infinite patience and guidance, and to the rest of the fabulous HQ Digital team for all their hard work and dedication.

Finally, and always, a big thank you to my lovely family for their continued understanding, love and support in the face of extreme hardship - no socks, no food and no attention - love you all! xx

For my mum

Contents

Cover

Blurb

Book List

Praise

Title Page

Copyright

Author Bio

Acknowledgement

Dedication

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Endpages

About the Publisher

Prologue

I suppose I was curious about that damned letter. Who wouldn’t be? It was addressed to me, after all, and it was meant to hold all the secrets to my dazzling future. In that situation I’d defy anyone not to want to know what was held within that envelope. Part of me saw it as an elaborate joke and I wondered if that was what the funny gorgeous stranger had intended, but there was also a small part of me that couldn’t help thinking that he might know something I didn’t. Wouldn’t that be cool? To think my whole life was known to someone else but not to me?

The thing was, I’d managed to catch a few tantalising snippets which had only stirred my interest more, but as I’d craned my head to read further, the ‘all-knowing one’ had pulled an arm around the sheet of paper as he wrote, blocking my view to what he was furiously scribbling down.

You think that’s mad?

pretty momentous

mind-blowing to say the least.

secrets … hidden

Forever.

… not only me involved

stalkerish

at my side

tomorrow …

Stalkerish? What the hell! And tomorrow? Well today was tomorrow, if you get my drift, and that letter had my name written all over it – so where was the problem?

In the late morning chill of an April morning, the wine bar looked far less salubrious than it had the previous evening. There was an air of neglect and disappointment about the place as though it was carefully nurturing its own hangover, a bit like me, but I wasn’t worried about that. There was only one thing on my mind and that was getting my hands on that letter.

Through the tinted windows, my hands held up to the glass, I saw a young woman in black trousers, black top and white apron behind the bar, wiping down tops and polishing glasses. I took the opportunity, pushing through the door with my shoulder.

‘Sorry, we’re not actually open yet.’ The woman turned, glancing at her watch. ‘If you could come back in half an hour we should be ready for you.’