They have seen their share of troubles since Dinah's father was killed in the Great War but the Radcliffes have always made the best of things. When Dinah meets widowed businessman Richard Haldane at the races, her life changes beyond recognition. Richard sweeps Dinah off her feet, dazzling her with a glimpse of wealth and privilege beyond her wildest dreams, and they are married in a matter of weeks. But Richard is not the man Dinah thought he was. Soon, she's learning that money can't buy you happiness. And that she's married to a man who takes far more dangerous risks than just betting on his horses...

    She tells no one until she meets Corky, another runaway and Alby, who owns a canal boat.

    A childhood spent in poverty, skivvying for other people, leaves her with no prospects, no family...Yet Lottie is bright and has ambitions for a better life. And when an opportunity arises at the local Chapel, Lottie seizes her chance. But will she ever be anything more than a workhouse child?

    1943, when hundreds of US Marines arrive at a quiet Cornish town, two lives will never be the same again.Trapped in a small town resistant to change, Bette can’t resist handsome GI, Chad. But when reality draws in, Bette realises that their love was based on empty promises… Meanwhile Bette’s sister Sarah, is tormented by her possessive husband, but even his jealous attempts to keep her out of temptation can't prevent Sarah falling for officer Charlie. Caught in the very worst of times with the turmoil and upheaval of war all around them, can these sisters find a brighter future for tomorrow? A compelling family drama for fans for Maureen Lee and Katie Flynn. Praise for Freda Lightfoot ’Freda's book was a joy to read for her characters were so believable and richly drawn I really cared what happened to them and interspersed with the story was the arrival of the Americans, who caused such a furore in that small Cornish town as D Day approaches, And when World War 2 grinds to a halt, people's lives are changed for ever. It was a real page turner with a very satisfying end.’ - Anne Bennettt

    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.

    She soon makes friends with the other women workers, and together they enjoy nights out dancing in Gosport - keeping their spirits up despite the hard work, rationing and heavy bombing. Vee even feels herself falling for Sam, the skipper of the ferry and her unhappily married boss. But Vee has a secret: her real name is Violetta Schmidt, and she is half-German. If her true nationality is discovered, she and her mother could find themselves interned as enemy aliens - if their German-hating neighbours, or worse, Eddie, the man Vee ran away from after he got her false papers, don't hurt them first.Will Vee be able to keep her secret safe, and find some peace with Sam and her friends even in the midst of war?

    And when Henry beats his eldest daughter so badly that she ends up in the hospital, it seems like there’s nowhere left for them all to go. Broken But carpenter Craig has fallen head over heels for Jenny, and he offers her a place to stay. Happy at last, Jenny begins a new life with him, but when tragedy strikes, she’s left to pick up the pieces of both her broken home – and her broken heart. Bereft Desperately trying to make ends meet, Jenny is alone and working round the clock. Will she ever be able to give her siblings the happy home they deserve? Or is the worst yet to come…? The Sunday Times bestseller is back in a gritty family drama, perfect for fans of Nadine Dorries and Dilly Court.

    When her beloved father dies, Juliet and her mother, the difficult but vulnerable Agnes, are left to fend for themselves. When Agnes lands a job as a seamstress for a titled family, things appear to be looking up. But just as the pair begin to find their feet, Juliet finds herself defenceless and alone.Without her mother to protect her, Juliet becomes the victim of a traumatic incident and is left to face an impossible dilemma. She flees to Manchester seeking support from her estranged family but comes up against her formidable grandmother, who is determined to bend Juliet to her will. It will take all Juliet’s ingenuity to escape the clutches of her ruthless grandmother and make her own way in life.

    . . The war is over and the soldiers are coming back to the bomb-ravaged East End. Tom Smith is one of the thousands who are returning home. It's been an eventful war, what with a spell of desertion, and Tom can't wait to see his wife Jessie, their son Billy and the new baby daughter he hasn't even laid eyes on.But life back home wasn't easy either, especially when Jessie's army pension was stopped. So when she was told to put Emma-Rose into a home for her own good, she thought it was best. But how will Tom take the news? There is worse to come, when Tom learns that Jessie's old boyfriend has been helping her during the war.A compelling family saga set in the aftermath of the Second World War, from the author of Time Will Tell and Where Sparrows Nest.

    Britain has just declared war on Germany, and the whole country seems to be in uproar. Flora, Hilda and Will, who grew up together in St Boniface orphanage sit in the sunshine in Hyde Park on a rare day off, discussing the impending war and the changes it will bring to their lives. Will means to go off to fight, Hilda hopes to better her current lot in life as a maid at the charitable institute, Hailing House, but Flora is content with her job as assistant to the Isle of Dogs' kindly Doctor Tapper. Taking a vow, they pledge to always be there for each other, come what may. It soon becomes clear that the war will not be over by Christmas, as so many thought, and the first zeppelin raids bring casualties flooding into the surgery where Flora works. Tragedy strikes in the trenches, too, and Will returns home with physical and mental wounds too deep for Flora to be able to nurse back to health. In the meantime, Hilda has taken herself away from London to work as a maid at the sumptuous house of Adelphi. But it is not long before she finds herself out of her depth. And the consequences of her choices will lead to a shocking discovery that will change the course of the three orphans lives forever.

    It came when she was flying. She thought she could write a book about the things she'd seen from above - herds of deer, hundreds of them, rippling across hilltops, houses...people small as matchstick men. Once, she'd seen a couple entangled in their own not-as-private-as-they-thought rapture on a sun-soaked moor. She was addicted to the air. 'Vicar's daughter Izzy feels hugely guilty that she's having a very good war. Having learned to fly in a travelling circus before the war, she's now joined the Air Transport Auxiliary as one of their few female pilots and is having the time of her life. The only cloud on the horizon is having to lie to her father about her exact role in the ATA. Her father is against the whole notion of women flying - he certainly wouldn't approve of her becoming a 'spitfire girl'.Izzy also feels distinctly out of place among the more upper class ladies of the ATA. She would love to be as worldly as her flighty housemate, Julia, or as sophisticated as society wife Clare. But when Izzy finds herself falling for the charms of a dashing American doctor it is to Julia and Clare that she turns for help...

    . . Perfect for fans of Diney Costeloe, Rita Bradshaw and Nadine Dorries.5-star reader reviews for The Shipbuilder's Daughter'Beautifully written with a great deal of empathy, very satisfying plot. Lovely mix of old Glasgow and the western Isles''A definite must-buy''A lovely read''Fabulous reading'Glasgow, 1928. Margaret Bannatyne lost both of her brothers in the Great War and is now the last remaining child of wealthy and powerful shipyard owner William Bannatyne. Without a male heir to carry on the family business, William expects his daughter to do her duty, marry well and provide him with a grandson to inherit his business.Margaret cares deeply for her father but she has ambitions of her own: after witnessing a horrific accident when she was sixteen, she's determined to become a doctor. Her father, convinced she will never practise medicine, permits Margaret to complete her training. But he doesn't count on her falling in love with Alasdair Morrison.Alasdair, a union man at the shipyard, has been a thorn in William's side for years, and he didn't become one of the richest men in Glasgow only for Alasdair to take it all away - even if it means destroying his only daughter's happiness by forcing her to make a heartbreaking and impossible choice . . .

    But times are changing with the outbreak of war. With a husband bent on signing up for the trenches and a lecherous master of the house, Lily is forced to leave.Doing her bit for the war effort - and bringing in more money for the family - Lily goes to work in a factory making explosives to send to the trenches. It's a hard job. The munitionettes must face terrible working conditions, the constant danger of accidents and air strikes and a patronising, self-serving boss. And then someone she never wanted to see there arrives. Lady Charlotte, the pampered daughter of the Hall, joins the factory as a supervisor... Lily and Charlotte have choices they never had before - but in the shadow of the Great War, can the factory girls work together for a better future?

    Despite her engagement to local boy Arnold, Clara is feeling trapped in her dead-end job and longs to return to the countryside. An unexpected meeting with old flame Charlie Fenner leads to a temporary job at his family's orchard in Kent. Clara is finally content, but the longer she spends with the Fenners, the more she begins to suspect that all is not what it seems. What is the dark secret that hangs over them all? As Clara's feelings for Charlie grow, she realises she has an enemy on the farm who wants her gone at any cost...

    Widowed Sid Rawlins, the rag-and-bone man, says she can come and live with him and he will give her child a name in return for her running his home and looking after his children. Despite the gossip a desperate Brenda has little choice but to accept. Life isn't easy for Brenda and little Ruby but they try make the best of things. Until Brenda falls in love with Sid's eldest son, Danny, and their affair causes trouble within the family. And when Sid dies and leaves the business to his cousin, Charlie, life becomes even harder for Brenda as she faces the threat of losing everything she holds dear...