Independent
British Publisher
Humorous Women’s Fiction
Warm, funny British fiction about starting over in midlife, and the unexpected communities that come with it.
Daisy Penrose writes about the women nobody warns you about: the ones who were supposed to quietly wind down, and decided not to.
Her books are warm, funny, and set firmly in British real life, complete with leaking roofs and strong opinions about decking. She is drawn to midlife reinvention and to the found families that form when life has not gone to plan. Her characters are flawed, funny, occasionally exasperating, and entirely capable of sorting themselves out, thank you very much.
Daisy writes near the Kent coast, where the weather changes without consultation and nobody apologises for it. She has learned never to underestimate the power of suitable clothing. Which feels about right.
Life at Paradise Park is set in a weathered holiday park on the South Coast, where the residents, many of them unofficially permanent, have built a lively and unconventional community.
Through small disasters and unlikely friendships, Daisy follows what it takes to rebuild a life when things have not gone to plan. The series begins with Lucy Rae, who arrives with what is left of her redundancy and no plan at all. By the end of her first summer, she has something she did not come looking for: a found family.
The Time-Tangled Series follows Mitzi Spinelli, who runs a curious shop in Canterbury. Among its shelves are objects that carry the residue of lives once lived, and when Mitzi handles them, she finds herself pulled into the past.
Each book belongs to one object and one woman: someone constrained, dismissed, or quietly heroic, whose story was never fully told. The history is warm and the humour is gentle, and Mitzi, slowly, begins to make sense of her own life too.
Life at Paradise Park, Book One
Coming 1 September 2026
Twelve months ago, Lucy Rae had a husband and a career. Now she has a redundancy cheque and a caravan with a roof that leaks. The seagulls, who hold strong views on ownership, are a separate problem. Paradise Park is not the fresh start the brochure promised. It might, against the odds, turn out to be a better one.
A Life at Paradise Park prequel novella
Free for newsletter subscribers
Nine days before Lucy arrives, the community is clearing Pitch 47 and bracing for the stranger from Surrey who has bought it. Helen, hoping for a friend her own age, quietly sets out a second mug. A free prequel novella, told by Helen, yours when you join Daisy’s newsletter.
Coming soon
Daisy’s second series. Mitzi Spinelli, a Canterbury curiosity shop, and the women history overlooked. Coming soon.
Before Lucy Rae ever set foot in Paradise Park, the community was already clearing Pitch 47 and speculating wildly about the woman from Surrey who had bought it.
Before The Seagulls is a free prequel novella, told by Helen. It is yours when you join Daisy’s newsletter, along with new-release news, behind-the-scenes notes, and the occasional strong opinion about seagulls. No spam. Leave whenever you like.
Candyfloss Press publishes five authors of warm, character-led British fiction. Join the Candyfloss Press newsletter for new releases and news from all of them.