Showing results by narrator "Julie Maisey" in All Categories

Unhappy in her life and relationship, Francesca is inspired by her sighting of a mermaid swimming away to freedom to leave her lover and uproot her life. She moves to Lewes to stay with Agnes Potts, her loving, eccentric friend. Francesca begins to paint again with Agnes' encouragement, and when her painting of the mermaid is seen by Henry, a local potter, he takes her into his employment. When Agnes suffers an accident, Francesca must become nurse, chef and companion to her friend.

London, 2014. Adopted when just a few months old, Holly Smith has never fitted in. But then she finds a biscuit tin full of yellowing papers under the floorboards of the flat she was born in. Could these papers be the key to her past? Liverpool, 1981. Fifteen-year-old Darren is negotiating life with his errant mother and younger brother. When the Toxteth Riots begin, Darren finds himself with a moral dilemma.

Every parents wants their child to be happy and to do well when they grow up. But what are the qualities they need to make a success of their lives? How can you encourage kindness in your children? And resilience and honesty? And why is having a backbone important for the healthy development of your child? From babies to teenagers, Backbone: How To Build The Character Your Child Needs To Succeed shows parents the essential steps they need to take.

Two women; two different worlds. Emma is a struggling mother who has put everything on hold. Nina is sophisticated and independent - entirely in control. When the pair meet, Nina generously draws Emma into her life. But this isn't the first time the women's paths have crossed. Nina remembers Emma and she remembers what Emma did. But what exactly does Nina want from her And how far will she go in pursuit of it?

1840: Miranda Jarvis would do anything to protect her sister - so when Lucy comes down with a fever, she thinks nothing of stealing a loaf of bread from a local landowner. After all, things can't get much worse. Miranda doesn't count on being nearly brained by the cook's rolling pin...but nor does she count on the house's owner himself. The respectable shipowner Sir James, known for his philanthropy, takes a keen interest in Miranda and her sister.

When Alice Forster receives an email from her dead sister she assumes it must be a sick practical joke. Then an invitation arrives to the virtual world of Soul Beach, an idyllic online paradise of sun, sea and sand where Alice can finally talk to her sister again - and discover a new world of friendships, secrets and maybe even love.

Shadowed by the Malvern Hills, the village of Wychehill is no rural paradise but an uneasy mix of embittered farmers, escapees from the city, and a pub with a reputation for drug dealing. Called in to investigate an unsettling series of road accidents, Merrily Watkins stumbles into a barbed tangle of alienation, murder...and the fatal pursuit of an archaic secret.

Lucy Winters’ parents have always been there for her. Loving, gentle and kind they have given her everything she could have wished for. Now, estranged from her husband, she has moved to the country to take over their thriving auction business. The moment she begins to prepare for her first sale she knows she’s made the right decision. And she dares to hope that at last she is living the life she has always dreamed of.

When Kate Swan's overbearing father demands that she obey him by marrying a man she despises, she refuses and is cast out of her comfortable home in Whitby. Fortunately, a kindly local widow is looking for a lady companion and for the moment, Kate's future is assured. Meanwhile in Shetland, Malcolm McFadden, heir to the Garstan Estate, disagrees with his father's plan to clear the crofters from his land and turn it over to sheep. When he and Kate meet, they are instantly attracted to one other but circumstances get in the way.

When photographer Kate O’Donnell takes off for London from swinging Liverpool she has two things in mind: to make a career and to track down her brother, who made the same trip earlier and has disappeared. But a job turns out to be easier to find than Tom, who has left behind a dead flatmate and some very suspicious cops. When Harry Barnard of the vice squad catches up with Kate, Tom’s future looks grim.

When the Freeman family returns to England after ex-pat life abroad, Isabel realises her life is crying out for something more. But, after years of being defined as Neil’s wife, what? Despite Neil’s misgivings, she finds a position working for the disorganised – if dangerously attractive – Patrick and, although her head is telling her to think of Neil and the children, Isabel is drawn to her new boss

Sarah believed in love at first sight. But after meeting the man of her dreams, and spending a night of passion in his arms, she was scared the magic couldn’t possibly last. So she left before he awoke. Joshua Howard had met his perfect woman, and lost her again in one night. Now he vowed to get his own back on her, and his revenge was going to be slow and sweet. It would begin as soon as he introduced himself as Sarah’s new boss!

Hannah and Juliet Goodwin have been best friends since childhood, but when Juliet's boyfriend Luke is killed just as Hannah marries the affluent Michael, a wedge is driven between them. Juliet begins to neglect her job, her health and all those who love her the most. Then she finds herself drawn into a betrayal that threatens to destroy Hannah's happiness forever.

The first time Annie Sweet sees 43 Stanley Road, the house is so perfect she feels almost as if it has chosen her. She longs to move in, but with her husband increasingly distant, and her daughter wrapped up in childhood, Annie is left alone to mull over the past.

When Lisa Martin and David Kirby were forced to part, they never dreamed they might one day have a second chance. Many years later, they meet again and it is clear that, despite everything that’s happened to them, they are still the big love of each other’s lives. Now, being in a position to marry, they don’t waste any time. Nothing is going to keep them apart this time around. But then they are faced with a shocking truth. Even if they’d seen it coming, there would have been nothing Lisa and David could have done to ward it off, and once it’s upon them, they can't turn back time.

John, Rick, and Derrick Underwood are the most handsome trio of brothers in town and it takes three exceptional women to convince them to settle down. For Jodie, marrying John seemed exciting and romantic at the time, but the reality of life is proving too much. Jodie loves her husband, but she doesn't know how much more she can take of his dishonest ways. Rick's marriage to Laraine is filled with love and adventure; their life is blissful - until one day it delivers a cruel blow. Everything begins to unravel and Laraine isn't sure she's strong enough to survive.

Although she believes nothing can come of it, ladies' maid Daisy March is eagerly awaiting the return on leave of naval lieutenant Jack Davenport, the brother of her mistress Georgina. She hopes that he will defy his family and declare his love. But before he can do so, she is accused of stealing and summarily dismissed. Daisy takes up nursing, but Georgina is also among the new recruits. When WWI breaks out, they are posted to Malta, where Daisy hopes to be reunited with Jack.

On a winter’s evening, a trio of unruly teenagers board a bus, ganging up on Luke Murray, threatening to kill him. No one intervenes until Jason Barnes, a young student, challenges the gang. Luke seizes the chance to run off the bus, but he’s followed. Andrew Barnes is dragged from the shower by his wife Valerie: there’s a fight in the garden and Jason’s trying to break it up. As Andrew rushes to help, the gang flees. Jason shouts for an ambulance for Luke, but it is he who will pay the ultimate price.

Frances, Sophie and Katie meet again at a school reunion and discover how their lives have changed. Each builds an idealised picture of her life. They resolve to keep in touch, but gradually each of them discovers that her friends’ wonderful lives are far from perfect. Kate is working in a small boutique and still struggling for success; Fran’s marriage to a controlling man is deeply unhappy, and Sophie is on the point of bankruptcy and divorce.

A tranquil Spanish village by the sea is the perfect place for Primavera Blackstone to raise her ten-year-old, Tom, son of the late lamented Oz, especially once they are joined by Oz's nephew, pro golfer Jonny Sinclair. But when her best friend, Shirley, introduces her new man, Patterson Cowling, he seems to be a magnet for trouble. A casual thief tries to pick his pocket and is found a few days later with his face blown off. A bloody coincidence? Or does Patterson Cowling have a past to protect?