For better, for worse. Four words that slip so easily off the tongue, but Liz, like most brides, never gave the ‘worse’ a second thought. Like most women of her generation, she’d bought the whole ‘happy ever after’ scenario, but it didn’t turn out quite as she’d expected. Now she’s wondering if all brides are doomed to disappointment, or if she is in some way unique... Liz’s husband Paul runs a hotel and there are frequent calls on his time from both his staff and customers. His business partner Antonia is constantly interfering in their lives and her jealousy of Liz is apparent to everyone but Paul. When Liz finds out that Paul’s oldest friend Bruno is staying in Rome, she suggests they take a much-needed break to visit. Secretly, she hopes that the holiday will help to recapture the first, carefree days of their marriage. Leaving their daughter Emma and son Marcus with their au pair, Liz and Paul have a wonderful four-day trip through France and Italy, but shortly after their arrival in Rome, they are plunged into a nightmare and Liz begins to experience a ‘worse’ that she’d never believed possible. In the weeks ahead she discovers the happiness she seeks is an elusive emotion and has a long, tortuous road to travel to find it. But the journey is not without its excitement. When a new path opens, in the most sudden and unexpected way, Liz begins to look forward again. For Better For Worse is a work of fiction that will appeal particularly to women. Jane is inspired by writers who portray real people; Joanna Trollope is a favourite. “I hope the book will resonate with any women who have loved and lost,” she says.