Strangers & Heroes — Grace Harper

The six stories are set in the fictional town of Jackson's Bay that only comes alive once a year. Ipris Magazine has its gala ball at the Imperial Estate on top of the cliffs, and this year they are celebrating 140 years of publication. The town is basking in an usually long heat wave. Clothes are coming off, and inhibitions are being lost. We follow twenty-two people throughout the week leading up to the party. Secrets, revelations, ambitions and desires will come to the forefront. Will the men and women overcome inhibitions, stigma and blackmailers by the time they attend the Gala celebrations that will have over a thousand people in attendance?Strangers & Heroes is the fourth of six books. York Goode rents deck chairs by day and photographs women at night. He rents a room in a multi-million-pound house in the town of Jackson's Bay. Finishing University a month ago he has the summer ahead of him until a wayward rock star arrives on the coattails of his best mate. Tessa Wilby is a sought after editor. She works for Ipris Magazine as well as a top publisher. She is a wanderer, roaming from town to city for each editing job. Tessa rents a deck chair from York every day, and it takes a week for her to find the courage to talk to York. York is besotted with the red head who comes to the beach each day, highlighting the pages of a book while sitting on one of his deck chairs. When then meet, the chemistry is palpable. York is sure he has found the girl of his dreams, but the wayward rock star has a career making job offer. Will York take the job or give up the chance of a lifetime to be with Tessa? His test for the job is at the Ipris Gala but will he make the grade?