The Shackleford Diaries

At thirty two, Victory Shackleford is arguably overweight, undeniably frumpish and the love of her life is a dog. She still lives at home with her father—an eccentric retired Admiral who she considers reckless, irresponsible, and totally incapable of looking after himself. Her father on the other hand thinks Victory is a boring nagging harpy with no imagination or sense of adventure and what's more, he's determined to get her married off. Unfortunately there's no one in the picturesque yachting town of Dartmouth that Tory is remotely interested in, despite her father's best efforts.

Against all the odds, perfectly ordinary girl next door, Victory Shackleford has won the heart of Hollywood heartthrob Noah Westbrook. But after a whirlwind courtship, the dust is now settling and Tory is faced with the reality of life with the most famous actor in the world. And it's not all hearts and flowers, especially as the media seem intent on digging up every bit of dirt about her they can possibly find.

It's not often that a fledgling career in Event Management kicks off with the wedding of a Hollywood superstar. Of course the fact that this particular Hollywood star is marrying her best friend might have had something to do with the fact that former art gallery owner Kit Davies landed the job. That, and the fact that she was about to become homeless and penniless. But organizing her friend Victory's big fat Hollywood wedding in the small yachting haven of Dartmouth without alerting the media is not for the faint hearted.

Kit Davies has been dating the gorgeous Captain Jason Buchannan for six months. Six whole months of being wheeled out as his significant other at various Naval functions. While she's not convinced she has the makings of a future Officer's wife, things have been pretty good, and at least she hasn't caused a diplomatic incident—yet. Then one memorable evening, Jason drops a bombshell. His father's health is failing and he wants to retire from the Royal Navy, and relocate to his crumbling ancestral home in the wilds of Scotland. And he wants Kit to go with him.

Victory Shackleford has been married to Hollywood heartthrob Noah Westbrook for nearly two years, and despite all media predictions of doom, she has never been so happy. Of course, her best friend Kit's relocation to Scotland did come as a bit of a blow, but being married to an A list actor has its perks, and ease of travel is definitely one of them.

After being suspended and subsequently dismissed from her job in the National Crime Agency, Teddy Shackleford reluctantly takes refuge in the quaint town of Dartmouth at the behest of her uncle, retired Admiral Charles Shackleford. Since she holds him partly responsible for the ignominious ending of her career, Teddy thinks the least he can do is give her a temporary roof over her head. Expecting to spend the summer licking her wounds and keeping her head down, the last thing Teddy expects is to be recruited by an eccentric aristocrat to unravel a tangled web.