Do We Really Have to Do This? (The Next Chapter Collection)

Contemporary women's fiction about a hopeful magazine writer sent to profile a wealthy recluse who wants no part of it, and a chance encounter that unsettles them both. Heartfelt and clean, exploring bereavement, guarded hearts, unlikely friendship and the nerve to open up. She still believes in happy endings. He gave up on them long ago. But one impossible assignment might rewrite both their stories. Iris Cooke writes the kind of feel-good stories people adore—heartwarming, uplifting, and always full of hope. But when she’s assigned to profile Jack Jones, a guarded millionaire with a cold reputation and no time for sentiment, she’s forced to choose between protecting her own outlook… or writing the truth. Jack doesn’t want a profile. And he definitely doesn’t want Iris poking around his life with her notebooks, her questions, and her relentless optimism. But when a chance meeting with a grieving, old woman named Peggy draws them both into something bigger, the walls they’ve built start to shift. As old grief resurfaces and his carefully controlled public image starts to crumble, Jack and Iris are pushed far outside their comfort zones—into a place where connection feels risky, attraction catches them off guard, and honesty demands more courage than either of them expected. Do We Really Have To Do This? is the first novel in the Strawberry Village series. It’s a heartfelt story of grief, guarded hearts, and the quiet courage it takes to risk something real. Praise for Do We Really Have To Do This: ★★★★★ “This is my favourite Ellie Barker book so far.” ★★★★★ “I love the characters—the book made me laugh and cry.” ★★★★★ “I really felt like I was in Lemon Cove and… also on the side of that cliff.” ★★★★★ “A brilliant easy read, loved the relationship between the characters, Iris, Peggy and Jack.” ★★★★★ “It made me laugh and cry… the characters are superb.” ★★★★★ “It was ridiculously easy to disappear into and such a joy to read.” ★★★★★ “Her best yet and a lovely dose of