Ellie Wood – författare

Sometimes the best things in life happen when you dare to get out of your depth. Abby lives and works in the heart of the Lake District. She splits her time between bringing up her daughter, working in the Plum Pie Bakery – and dreaming of the time before her husband, Ben, left.Lori is on holiday from the States, hoping to find her way to the lake that she’s looked at for years in a picture on her wall back home.Rebecca is contemplating taking the plunge too. Despite her immaculate appearance Rebecca is keeping quiet about a childhood trauma which has left her scared of the water.Clarissa is the founder of The Wildwater Women. An all-year-round open-water swimming veteran, and with a fearsome manner, she knows the lakes like no one else and her boundless energy defies her years.Four women, all from very different lives, all with reason to step into the water and wash away their past. But will the friendship they build be enough to keep them afloat when they each must face their fears?

What’s the real recipe for happiness? An invitation to tuck in to a feast of friendship, food and finding your joy…Anna Carleton runs the best restaurant in Buttermere, Hesta. Her local food, seasonal recipes and the taste of the wild she offers brings diners from all over the world to this corner of Cumbria. But there’s a reason why Anna works every hour she can – and it’s time she faced it.Rose has spent her life farming the fells. It’s a hard life that’s not for everyone; Rose and her dad run the farm alone, and she can see they need to change if they’re to keep their home – even if change is hard to accept.Olivia knows people patronise her for being an ‘influencer’ – but she makes a living from her videos and beautiful pictures of her seemingly perfect life. As an online star, she’s used to getting things for free – but when real life threatens not to be so photogenic, she realises there are some things money or fame can’t buy.Will the rugged beauty of the Lakes and the delicious food it offers help bring them together, and maybe find the missing ingredients in their own lives?