Showing results by publisher "Hodder & Stoughton" in Clean & Wholesome

After a stray bomb scored a direct hit on his childhood home in Hertfordshire, the only thing that has kept Francis Brady going while he works day and night salvaging what he can from the rubble is the thought that soon he'll be joining wartime friends Mayne, Daniel and Victor as electrician in their new dream building firm in Lancashire. But things are not going to plan: Mayne isn't answering any of his letters; Francis' wife is having a change of heart about moving up north - and her parents seem set on destroying his reputation....

Margot and Will cross paths at the local dog rescue centre where - after a series of misunderstandings and a lot of consternation - they agree to foster Blossom (a gentle Staffy with a giant head, soft, floppy ears and kohl-rimmed brown eyes) together: one week on, one week off. Margot and Will don't get off to the best of starts: he thinks Margot is demanding and needy and Just So Much. And she thinks Will is emotionally unavailable, slightly brittle and very mistrustful. But the more they bicker, the worse Blossom behaves....

London. Nine million people. Two-hundred-and-seventy tube stations. Every day, thousands of chance encounters, first dates, goodbyes and happy ever afters. And for 20 years, it's been where one man and one woman can never get their timing right. Jennifer and Nick meet as teenagers, and over the next two decades, they fall in and out of love with each other. Sometimes they start kissing. Sometimes they're just friends. Sometimes they stop speaking, but they always find their way back to each other.

It's Christmastime in the little Yorkshire village of Welford, and the first snowflakes are just starting to fall. As far as Susan Collins is concerned, this Christmas is all about quality time with her family, especially her son, Jack. After a string of terrible dates she's given up on love, and Susan's certainly got plenty to keep her busy. That is until she meets handsome children's author Douglas Macleod. Dishevelled in appearance, with bright red hair, he is the opposite of Susan's usual type, but an undeniable spark soon lights up between them.

Cressida Collins is the queen of makeovers. With a well-placed stitch, button or seam, she can transform any frock in The Vintage Dress Shop and give customers their Cinderella moment. Like her beautifully organised workroom under the eaves, Cress's life away from the shop is just as orderly and mapped out. But when her boyfriend of fifteen years drops a bombshell, it explodes all the carefully laid plans Cress had for her future. It's going to take more than needle and thread to put Cress's own life back together. Will she ever be brave enough to say goodbye to her old dreams and start over?

The first novel in the heartwarming, countryside-set Hope Meadows series. Newly qualified vet Mandy Hope is leaving Leeds - and her boyfriend, Simon - to return to the Yorkshire village she grew up in, where she'll help out with animals of all shapes and sizes in her parents' surgery. But it's not all plain sailing: Mandy clashes with gruff local Jimmy Marsh, and some of the villagers won't accept a new vet. Meanwhile, Simon is determined that Mandy will rejoin him back in the city.

In the little village of Welford, flowers are blooming, the lambing season is underway...and love is in the air. Mandy Hope is on cloud nine. Hope Meadows, the animal rescue and rehabilitation centre she founded, is going really well. And she's growing ever closer to handsome villager Jimmy Marsh. What's more, James Hunter, her best friend, is slowly learning to re-embrace life after facing tragedy. But when an unexpected crisis causes Mandy to lose confidence in her veterinary skills, it's a huge blow.

Emma is pretty sure that love at first sight doesn't exist. She's had enough disappointing dates to have stopped believing in the one. Kieran is recently single and still heartbroken. He has sworn off dating for the foreseeable future and focusing on his career as a chef. When they collide under the clock tower at Gare du Nord, sparks fly, and they begin a whirlwind romance spanning the Channel. As Emma's life falls apart, Kieran invites her to live with him. But as the day they've both been waiting for for so long approaches, what if fate has other plans?

Clem is the baker in charge of creating delicious cat-themed treats for the loyal customers of the Catpurrcino cat café. From iced kitten doughnuts to macarons with ears and whiskers, Clem's creations always bring a smile to the face of anyone lucky enough to taste them. But outside of the café's kitchen, Clem struggles with feelings of anxiety and where she fits in. Until Sylvie, the owner of the café, decides to push her out of her comfort zone. The Whisked Away baking competition is a chance for Clem to shine and find her inner confidence.

When Emmie's aunt offers her a job at Catpurrcino, it is the fresh start she needs after a rough year. Now, in the lead-up to Christmas, Emmie can't imagine anything more purr-fect than pouring hot chocolate for customers and taking care of the café's many feline residents. Needing an extra pair of hands for the holidays, Emmie's aunt hires Jared as a driver. Emmie is immediately struck by how tall and handsome he is, but there is something guarded about Jared, not to mention his allergy to cats.