One long summer changed Faith forever… Faith Coombes should have been over the moon when her long-term boyfriend proposed to her. But instead, she broke up with him. Rob was safe, reliable, nice and … boring. Nothing like the only person who had ever broken her heart… Unable to afford the rent on another flat and desperate for a new start, Faith takes the plunge and moves back to the village she grew up in, returning to the house that holds so many memories for her. Hollyhock House, the family home of her best-friend Minel, also belongs to the boy who meant so much to her all those years ago… As Faith falls back in love with the sprawling surroundings at Hollyhock she also finds herself falling all over again for the only person who has truly hurt her. Can Faith come to terms with her past? Did she make the wrong decision in breaking up with Rob? Or does her heart really lie at Hollyhock House? Summer at Hollyhock House is a charming romantic comedy full of lost loves, missed opportunities and second chances. This summer read, perfect for the holidays, will have you laughing-out-loud in parts, close to tears in others, and above all, championing Faith as she searches for what is most important to her.

    Kitty Clegg has always accepted the hard work of her job as a kitchen maid at the manor farm. But now, at sixteen, she seizes the chance to go up in the world and become a lady's maid. Handsome Jack Thorndyke has held Kitty's adoring gaze more than once. As he prepares his gleaming threshing engine for its winter work, he finally asks her to be his chosen Harvest Nell when the last of the golden Lincolnshire corn is cut. Carried away by her excitement, Kitty fails to heed the warnings whispered into her ear that Jack is far from the marrying kind. Worse still, his playful charm has attracted another - a young girl far above his station. Will Kitty's dreams be scattered like Chaff upon the wind? Or can she hold on to a very special kind of love: a love which will bring both heartache and joy to the manor in the turbulent decades to come?

    Working as a supervisor on a production line for planes, Hildy believes she is doing her part to help with the war effort. But troubles at home, with her dependent and overly-protective mother, make it harder for her to findhappiness as she hides her relationship with an American GI.Meanwhile, Cora has lost both her parents in the Blitz and is still reeling from the devastating loss. Along with her friend, Belle, the two young women turn to the dark streets of Southampton to work on the game, wishing to raise enough money for a new beginning elsewhere and put their pasts behind them.For all three women, the war provides challenges and hardships that they will only emerge from by maintaining courage, strength and, above all, hope.

    Stella Darnell understands that her mum and dad don't want to live together anymore. But she wishes she didn't have to say goodbye to her bedroom, or pack her hateful pink suitcase that bangs against her legs. Her mum says she'll have special weekends just to see her dad – but Stella knows that when her dad is solving crimes, there's no time for her. And so, aged seven and a half, the detective's daughter decides to run away...

    A peaceful, unexciting place, the very heart of middle England. But trouble is waiting just around the corner. As with all villages, there are tensions, secrets – and betrayals.

    With no relatives, Eva is compelled to learn how to live on her own. But in the days that follow the accident, strange incidents begin to occur: she receives an odd phone call, a mysterious document is found in the pantry and a check is delivered by mail addressed to a person she does not know. The two men in Eva’s life guide her along a mysterious path of discovery With the help of her high school friend, Roy, she opens the sealed boxes of her life and embarks on a fascinating journey. She meets another young man who holds a secret that will influence her forever. He falls in love with her and leads her into a world she could not have known to exist. But at what price the pursuit of truth? From a quiet and insecure girl, Eva becomes an independent, confident, and assertive woman. Along with the two men in her life, she uncovers the most hidden and unimaginable secrets about her family and herself. But is she willing to pay any price to pursue the truth?

    It is 1846, famine is gripping Ireland and nowhere is it crueller than in Mayo on the west coast. Owen FitzDeane of Ballyford Castle is a good landlord, but even he is powerless to save all his tenants. When he comes upon a half-dead girl beside the road, he insists on taking her back to the castle, to see if they can save her. But Eilinora is no ordinary girl and soon superstition and fear begin to swirl around her, while Lord FitzDeane of Ballyford falls deeper under her spell.

    His kindness helps her make the transition from skinny child to lovely woman -- only for her to attract the attention of his brother.Matthew Fortune is the heir to the house and also a ruthless seducer. But when Hetty rejects him, he has her thrown out. Hetty is determined to make a better life for herself, but when Matthew turns up swearing he wants to marry her, she senses a trap.At a time where she needs him most, where is her hero Richard?Note: previously published as THE JEWEL STREETS by Una Horne

    Problem is, he’s always said he’ll find her no matter where she goes. But she can no longer stand living inside their beautiful house with limited contact with the outside world, and freedom beckons… THE TEENAGER Desperate to grow up, to become a woman, Debbie has dreamed of him being her lover, her forever, but he hasn’t got the same desires—no, his are nothing like she imagined, and her night out at his place turns into the worst of her life… THE COPPER DI Kane Barnett didn’t bank on three more cases landing on his desk—a death by bonfire, a murder, and a kidnap. He’s already got a huge case, damn it, bringing down Jez Pickins, the local drug dealer. The thing is, Kane meeting up with Jez’s girlfriend isn’t exactly a coincidence, and now he’s realizing just what a mess he’s in. With four cases on his hands, he’s strapped for time—and that time is running out.

    I loved the humour and poignancy. There were so many brilliant lines that I stopped picking them out and just read.I loved it, the dialogue was very realistic, the characters were easy to picture. This is definitely something I would select in a bookstore.You’re great at really capturing a character with just a turn of phrase or one or two lines.A cracker.An exceptionally well delivered offering in a technical sense - uncliched, crisp, lively prose, top quality constructionA darned good read.First class.Absolutely loved it!Definitely pulled me into the story. Something I would buy.Professional and a pleasure to read.A treat to read some genuinely amusing comedyI really enjoyed this and laughed out loud several times. You demonstrate a compelling wit and kept me amused throughout. Perhaps humour is the best way of dealing with serious issues like Alzheimers but you underpin this with a genuine sense of concern.

    Her aunt Tamsin, once a film star, now suffering from dementia, invites her to stay at their chateau high above the rocky beach at Cap d'Antibes. Suddenly, the gorgeous, charming Robin is back in touch too. Tamsin warns her to stay away from him, but Caitlin can't resist her teenage crush. Soon the pair are falling madly, deeply in love ... all over again. But something doesn’t feel right. What was Robin’s relationship with her beautiful cousin? And what is Lucille, her aunt's housekeeper, trying to conceal? The chateau is a lovely old house, yet it seems to hide so many secrets. Was Emily's tragic death an accident – or murder?

    In North Wales, Hester Coburn, a farm labourer's wife, gives birth to Nell, whilst in Norwich, in an exclusive nursing home, Anna is born to rich and pampered Constance Radwell. And in London, Elizabeth, Duchess of York, has her first child, Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary.The future looks straightforward for all three girls, yet before Nell is eight, she and Hester are forced to leave home, finding work with a travelling fair. Anna's happy security is threatened by her father's infidelities and her mother's jealousy, and the Princess's life is irrevocably altered by her uncle's abdication.Set in the hills of Wales and the rolling Norfolk countryside, the story follows Nell and Anna through their wartime adolescence into young womanhood as they struggle to overcome their problems, whilst watching 'their' Princess move towards her great destiny. Only when they finally meet do the two girls understand that each of them is 'someone special'.

    She’s never acted like a club bunny and instead decided to help out the families and work behind the bar, rather than walk around naked and sleep with all the men. For that, she’s earnt their respect and caught the eye of Baby, the son of the club president. Everyone knows it’s only a matter of time before something happens, they watch the flirting and the way to two of them look at each other, but Maci never lets Baby get too close. She has to watch him choose club bunny’s and whores over herself, time and time again. Maci won’t be second best, so she decides to look elsewhere. However, everything changes when a shock attack on the club arrives and the men have to travel to hunt down an enemy. Maci is left vulnerable but as much as Baby wants her, can he trust himself to never hurt her or will he need to stay away and protect her from afar?

    A romantic tale set in the English countryside and featuring childhood sweethearts who are attempting to rekindle their love for each other after World War I.

    No matter how Archie came into her life, or the fact he's a little different from other children, he is precious and loved. He is hers, after all. Especially because she’s never told anyone who the father of her son is.So when Dawn’s twin brother David and his wife Rebekah are struggling to have their own child, Dawn agrees to become their surrogate, as it is the one thing she can do to help.However, creating the perfect family doesn’t always go to plan and when Dawn realises just how much her nephew needs his mother, she begins to wonder if the time has finally come to confront the past she has kept secret for so long.From the author of Waiting for You comes a story of friendship, motherhood and hope.What reviewers are saying about ‘All That is Left of Us’‘a truly mesmerising read’ - Vikbat‘A beautiful book jam packed with emotions.’ - Jessica (Goodreads)‘I can't use enough words to say how much I loved this book.’ - Sylvia (Goodreads)