With poverty never far from the door, the battle to stay respectable is finally lost when the family breaks up in tragic circumstances, and Mabel is thrown upon the dubious mercy of her grandmother, the sinister Mimi Court, who has her own dark secrets. But faithful Harry Drover of the Salvation Army, in love with Mabel, gets an opportunity to prove his devotion when Mimi falls foul of the law and Mabel has to fight for her own survival...

    Set in the aftermath of WW2, this gripping saga is richly evocative of the period and shows the true grit of our heroine Ruby.

    Lost and alone, she struggles across the snowy moors before collapsing on the doorstep of the reclusive Fay, who slowly nurses her back to health.Eliza soon falls in love with the wilderness of her surroundings, discovering an unexpected talent for making medicines and perfumes from the abundant local flowers. Yet more than anything she longs for a real home - so when Fay urges her to take an apprenticeship as a perfumer in a distant town, Eliza is devastated. Especially when the position brings misery and puts her life in danger.But when a handsome young man invites Eliza into his heart, and his home, it looks like there might be a chance for Eliza to finally find a happy ending - and a family for Christmas.

    But then an unexpected pregnancy puts everything at risk, and Dorothy is left alone – with Robbie nowhere to be seen.Heartbroken, Dorothy picks up the pieces of her life as a working girl in Battersea helping to support her mother and father. But before long, things start to become difficult. Her father’s health is worsening, money is tight and worst of all, Robbie hasn’t come back for her.Can Dorothy find a way back to happiness in the face of real adversity? Will she have the courage to make it on her own – or is someone else waiting in the wings to save her?Gritty and moving, this is the perfect read for fans of Dilly Court and Maggie Hope.

    . .Mia Levy is content with the simple existence she leads on a farm. But her days weren't always spent so quietly. Over thirty years ago, Mia lived in Poland, where she had all she could want--her home, family, and first love, music--until history took its course, changing the world and the life she knew forever. Mia's struggle to survive would take her from the poverty-stricken streets of Poland to New York City, where she encountered a love that would span decades, to Paris where she would place herself in the gravest of dangers to uncover the mysterious fate that befell her family. . .Inspired by the author's own experiences as an American soldier, this remarkable novel is a story of loss, love, betrayal, and the amazing power of hope. With its inventive storytelling skill and unforgettable voice, The Memories We Keep is a debut novel that will arrest your imagination until the very last page is turned. . .One of this year's more captivating debut novels. --Publishers Weekly A breathless read. --Booklist (starred review)Walter Zacharius, the founder, chairman, and CEO of Kensington Publishing, served in World War II and was with the French when they liberated Paris. The Memories We Keep is his first novel.

    Miranda Fox has devoted much of her life to caring for her elderly father. After his tragic death, she starts to make plans for her future, funded by the inheritance she is sure will be coming her way, but it seems her arrogant and domineering half-brother has very different ideas . . . Then a chance encounter with a man who has been given months to live boosts Miranda’s confidence, and as their friendship grows she finally learns to stand up for herself and her dreams. Can Miranda find the happiness that she deserves?

    She enjoys her life at Treetops Manor, surrounded by her beloved horses, and with a future as a nurse ahead of her, she could wish for nothing more.Her foster sister Livvy is not as driven as Kathy. Sunday is keen to see both her girls married, but Livvy has no intentions of settling down and would much rather spend time with her friends. When Kathy falls for the wrong man, her ambitions are soon forgotten as she embarks on a secret affair.The Branning family is overwhelmed with grief when Tom dies suddenly in a riding accident. The running of the estate falls into chaos and life at Treetops will never be the same again. As their financial difficulties begin to mount, they are forced to leave their home.The women of Treetops think that things can't get any worse. But then it is announced that the country is at war once more . . .

    The young widow of the disgraced Sir Hugh Delahaye, Adeline reverts to her maiden name and is determined to leave the past behind. When she encounters Guy Ashleigh, the handsome and charismatic young ward of the village squire, they fall passionately in love, but Guy is expected to marry his childhood sweetheart. When jealousy forces them apart and the secrets of the past catch up with them, Adeline sees no alternative but to run away. Somehow, they must find a way to overcome the obstacles that threaten to destroy their future together.

    But when Connie meets Charlie off the train at London Bridge, she finds that his homecoming isn't quite going to go according to plan... Connie's busy professional life, and the larger-than-life patients in the district, offer a welcome distraction, but for how long? If nursing in the East End has taught Connie anything, it's that life is full of surprises...

    It’s 1926 and the Depression is claiming its victims every day. Hannah and her mother Miriam, who have lived with Hannah’s uncle and aunt since her father died, have never really been close. As Hannah develops into a beautiful girl, so Miriam’s jealousy and resentment of her grows. At least Hannah can escape to spend time at her friend Naomi’s, whose kind mother gives Hannah the affection she so lacks at home. And Hannah is not indifferent to Naomi’s handsome, charming brother Joe. But when she is forced to flee her house and the unwanted attention of her uncle, it is the grave, taciturn Jake, Naomi’s other brother, who shines through as Hannah’s protector...

    Posted to a newly-built Lincolnshire airfield, Robbie as a wireless operator on bombers and Fleur as a R/T operator in the watch office, their only escape is to the little cottage in the nearby village where Fleur is billeted with another WAAF, Ruth. The two girls become good friends, but Ruth, already hurt by the loss of one of the pilots, does not approve of wartime romances.And Ruth is not the only one to disapprove. When Fleur's mother hears Robbie's name she becomes hysterical and bans him from her home. The young couple are determined to grab their happiness where they can, but is it a kind Fate or a cruel one that has brought them together when secrets from the past threaten their future?Away from their families, there is fun and laughter, the aircrews determined to make the most of every day, every minute, but whenever they fly off into the night on a bombing raid, Fleur must keep watch until the early hours praying that Robbie's plane comes back . . .

    While he's generous with his money, he also makes the community work for it. He's the same with his family. No free handouts. What he gives has strings attached. Dax decides it's time for his fiercely independent, almost-thirty year old granddaughters to settle down. He wants them to find love and give him great-grandchildren before his lights go out. And he knows how to make it happen. Prompted by love, guilt and a desire to own their own business, the Dawson triplets -- Joy, Noelle and Christi -- enter into a Christmas contract that will change their lives forever. Finding true love is a unique adventure, so each girl has their own story. The outcome for all three, however, funnels into one giant happily-ever-after.

     Ada Houston is alone. Her grandfather has recently passed away and her brother is missing, last seen working on the Liverpool docks. Everyone assumes him to be dead. But she will not give up hope. Ada's determined search takes her to the Crimea where she joins the team of Florence Nightingale's nurses. She may have set off looking for her brother, but along the way Ada finds friends, romance and a new purpose in her own life in the most troubling and difficult of places.

    Phoebe's father was killed in gang warfare and she and her family share a deep hatred for the Paxman brothers - whose lawless ways strike terror into the whole community.Despite her English mother's feckless ways, Phoebe is fiercely protective of Annie. Then just as the family are about to go to Italy for the winter, Phoebe discovers Annie is in trouble - and the Paxmans are involved. Phoebe is determined not to betray her mother's trust and, giving up her own chance of happiness, she stays behind to care for her. But when Phoebe and Annie are forced to leave London and Annie falls dangerously ill, Phoebe has little choice but to turn to the man she holds responsible for all her family's troubles...

    But on V-J Day, her worst fear is realized. As celebrating crowds gather in Times Square, a soldier appears on her doorstep to claim Mary, the baby abandoned to Gwen one year earlier. Suddenly Gwen is on the verge of losing the child she has nurtured and loves dearly.With no legal claim to Mary, Gwen begins to teach Lieutenant John McKee how to care for his child, knowing that he will ultimately take Mary away. What starts as a contentious relationship, however, turns into something more, and Gwen must open her heart to learn that love means taking chances.While You Were Mine paints a vivid portrait of 1940s New York and tells an enchanting tale of the nature of love and trust.