Published by Harpeth Road Pres
Kristina Thornton writes fun and emotional romantic fiction full of self-discovery, friendship, and drama. Her second novel, FORTY GOING ON NINETEEN, is a swoony, funny, small-town, second-chance romance (Harpeth Road Press, July 2026). Kristina’s first book, CLAIRE MORRIS IS COMPLETELY LOST (Northodox Press, July 2024), was shortlisted for two Romantic Novelists’ Association awards: The Debut Romantic Novel Award 2025 and The Joan Hessayon Award 2024.
She grew up in Doncaster and now lives in Derbyshire, England, with her husband and two sons. In addition to being an author, the former BBC presenter and broadcast journalist is an associate lecturer in journalism at the University of Worcester. Kristina is addicted to watching The Real Housewives of Orange County/Beverly Hills/Miami/Salt Lake City and is a fantastic Jenga player, having perfected a unique ‘woodpecker’ technique.
I enjoyed reading this; it is the perfect summer reading for your holidays. Nothing too heavy and a bit of fun. What would you like to do for your 4oth birthday? Would you let your best friend organise a week away that you knew nothing about? I love that this friendship was so close, that Katie knew exactly the sort of things that Louise should do for her birthday, so that she got a bit of fun and adventure back into her life. Was she expecting to reconnect with a boy from school, and would she swim with sharks? These are just some of the things that happen in this real-life story, as I am sure we all get a bit stuck at times and need a gentle push from our nearest and dearest. Highly recommended.
Instagram: @kristinathorntonauthor
