Mine - Clare Empson

'Who am I? Why am I here? Why did my mother give me away?'

On the surface, Luke and his girlfriend Hannah seem to have a perfect life. He's an A&R man, she's an arts correspondent and they are devoted to their new-born son Samuel.

But beneath the gloss Luke has always felt like an outsider. So when he finds his birth mother Alice, the instant connection with her is a little like falling in love.

When Hannah goes back to work, Luke asks Alice to look after their son. But Alice - fuelled with grief from when her baby was taken from her 27 years ago - starts to fall in love with Samuel. And Luke won't settle for his mother pushing him aside once again...

Clare is a journalist with a background in national newspapers - small business editor, finance correspondent and fashion at the Mail on Sunday and the Daily Express, freelance for The Sunday Telegraph, The Sunday Times, the Evening Standard and Tatler amongst others. She currently works as editor/founder of experiential lifestyle website www.countrycalling.co.uk.

I lost sleep over this. A beautifully told story about the raw pain and ecstasy of motherhood. I loved it.
Jane Corry

I adored this powerful, emotive and sensitively written story about love and loss.
Louise Jensen

Oh I loved this! Clare Empson is now one of my favourite storytellers. Loved her debut so much, and this is just as good!
Amanda Reynolds

A sensuous, raw, intense and captivating bittersweet story, written in gorgeous prose. My perfect read!
Caroline England

It's beautifully written, but also so full of heart and emotion. It's right in that sweet spot of having the grip of a thriller but the emotional depth of a tragic love story. A heart-wrenching novel about families and love that will stay with me for a very long time.
Francesca Jakobi

Clare Empson creates the most glamorous worlds. Even in the sympathetic exploration of despair and depression, her worlds are appealing and sophisticated. I read this in one sitting.
Rachael Blok, author of Under the Ice

It's heartbreakingly brilliant, definitely one of my favourite books so far this year.
Louise Voss

Haunting and heart-rending, MINE is a beautifully told story that stays with you long after the final page.
Victoria Selman

Addictive and soulful, Clare Empson writes about love so well
Hannah Persaud, author of The Codes of Love

I was utterly glued to this book and not a day has gone by since when I haven't thought about it. Stunning. Can't recommend it enough.
Anstey Harris

An intriguing, meticulously researched novel, MINE gets right to the heart of the mother-child relationship and the impact of adoption.
WOMAN'S WEEKLY

An excellent, unsettling read
Woman's Way

Him is dark, gripping, original and totally heartbreaking. Clare Empson writes like a dream: taut and sophisticated, not a word wasted. I loved this book.
Francesca Jakobi, author of Bitter

Dark, addictive and ultimately heartbreaking.
Ruth Hogan, author of The Keeper of the Lost Things (praise for HIM)

Gripping and kept me guessing - and so emotionally true.
Sophie Kinsella (praise for HIM)