Quercus takes two more from O'Leary

Quercus has signed two more standalone novels from bestselling author Beth O’Leary. 

Publisher Cassie Browne and editorial director Emma Capron have acquired UK and Commonwealth rights in O'Leary's fifth and sixth books from Tanera Simons at Darley Anderson, for publication in 2024 and 2026. 

The new two-book deal comes after hardback publication of O’Leary’s third novel, The Road Trip (Quercus), earlier this year following a two-book deal in 2019. O’Leary’s debut, The Flatshare, was published by Quercus in 2019 after a six-figure pre-empt, receiving a Gold Award in the Nielsen Bestseller Awards in March. O’Leary’s second novel, The Switch, was a Sunday Times bestseller in hardback and paperback and has been optioned for film by Amblin Partners, Steven Spielberg’s production company. Outside lockdown periods, she has sold 195,246 print books in the UK for £1.08m according to Nielsen BookScan.

O’Leary’s fourth novel, The No-Show, to be published next year, tells the story of three women who have all been stood up by the same man on Valentine’s Day.  

Browne said: “We are absolutely thrilled to be acquiring two more novels by Beth O’Leary. Beth’s ability to match wonderful high-concept stories with the most heartwarming, uplifting and unforgettable characters is why she is, without doubt, one of the most exciting writers in contemporary fiction today. Beth is also one of the hardest working authors out there and her phenomenal success is utterly deserved. Our ambitions for Beth know no limits and we are over the moon to be continuing this publishing journey with her and Tanera.” 

O’Leary, formerly a Penguin Random House Children’s editor, said: “I am delighted to be publishing another two books with Quercus. I have always been so impressed by the team at every stage of the publishing process, from Cassie and Emma’s incredible editing skills through to Hannah and Bethan’s innovative, ambitious marketing plans for my books. It’s a joy and a privilege to work with them all, and I’m so excited that we’ll be bringing two new stories into the world together.” 

Simons said: “Beth and Quercus make for an incredibly exciting partnership and I am thrilled this will continue for Beth’s fifth and sixth novels. I couldn’t think of a better team to bring Beth’s winning combination of warmth, humour, and romance into the hands of her readers.”