A Q&A WITH SUSANNE MCCARTHY

How did it feel to return to Sturcombe Bay? If you could spend the perfect day there, what would it look like?

I live in South Devon, and walk my dog every day on a beach just like the one in Sturcombe. The town is a kind of half-remembered ideal from childhood which probably never existed. Returning there for each of the books in the series feels like coming home, meeting all the characters that have accumulated over the series. A perfect day there would definitely include ice cream and afternoon tea with scones on the terrace of the Carleton.

Why do you think readers love a single dad romance so much?

I think single dads in a romance gives you a chance to show layers of their character that you might not otherwise see.

What scene was the most fun to write?

Any scene with Arthur is fun to write, but I think the most fun was the scene where Connor shows up at Izzy’s. Connor’s comical half-child, half-adult manner, and Izzy knowing she shouldn’t laugh.

Describe Izzy and Dan in three words.

Shouldn’t work – did.

What book are you currently reading?

Becoming, Michelle Obama’s autobiography.