Showing results by narrator "Janine" in All Categories

Natty and Sean Wainwright are happily married. Rock solid in fact. So when Natty's oldest friend, Eve Dalladay, appears - just as their daughter collapses on a school trip in France - Natty has no qualms about leaving Eve with Sean to help out at home. Two weeks later and Natty finds Eve has slotted into family life too well - her husband has fallen in love with Eve. He's sorry, he tells her, but their marriage is over. With no option but to put a brave face on things for the sake of the children, Natty embarks on building a new life for herself.

Ryan Matthews has everything he ever wanted. Close to graduation from Harvard Medical School and on the verge of marrying his gorgeous and accomplished girlfriend, Julia Abbott, his dreams are about to come true and all of their sacrifice is finally at its end. When tragedy strikes, their relationship is hurled into turmoil that leaves Ryan devastated. His sorrow drives him to keep his distance yet leaves him aching; consumed with desire and love he refuses to let manifest.

Gwenda and Douglas Brady were among the millions of British children sent to live with new families for their own safety during the Second World War, leaving behind their parents, their friends and all that felt familiar and safe. Evacuation could be a scary experience, but five-year-old Gwenda and her brother were lucky enough to be housed with a kindly schoolmaster and his wife, and soon the realities of the war felt very far away.

The third novel in the best-selling eight-volume Angel Mountain Saga, about the life and times of the incorrigible, passionate and very imperfect heroine Martha Morgan. Martha Morgan, the Mistress of Plas Ingli, has a premonition of grave danger to come. As the effects of poverty and starvation afflict the neighbourhood, Martha tries to influence the corrupt Turnpike Trusts, who are compounding the miseries of the poor by building new and illegal toll gates and rigorously collecting tolls.

We all think we know who we are. What we’re capable of. Roz is a single mother, a physiotherapist, a sister, a friend. She’s also desperate. Her business has gone under, she’s crippled by debt and she’s just had to explain to her son why someone’s taken all their furniture away. But now a stranger has made her an offer. For one night with her, he’ll pay enough to bring her back from the edge. Roz has a choice to make.

At a certain age, women gain a huge confidence about themselves because they realise that life’s too short to waste. These six women are in their 40s and each has a very different – and sometimes surprising – story to tell, from the husband who unexpectedly disappears, to the dreaded ‘other woman’, and the sisters who take an adventurous trip on the Nile together.

In 1796, Martha becomes the mistress of the struggling Plas Ingli estate, at only 18 years old. She is pregnant and suicidal. Though she loves her husband, David, dearly, she is desperately lonely in a strange house, and her quick wit and cutting humour make her as many enemies as friends. There are mysteries surrounding the great fire that devastated the estate, but Martha's questions about it remain unanswered. Nobody else seems to realise that their haughty servant, the disinherited son of the local squire, is not as trustworthy as the rest of the family would like to think.

Following a scandalous affair, wayward Emma Devaney is sent in disgrace from her home in Ireland to Ryhope, where she will live with her widowed aunt, Bessie Brogan, and help run her pub. Bessie is kind but firm, and at first, Emma rebels against her lack of freedom. Struggling to fit in, she turns to the wrong person for comfort, and becomes pregnant. Accepting she must embrace her new life for the sake of her baby, Emma pours her energy into making the pub thrive and he catches the attention of Robert, a gruff but sincere farmer, who means to win her heart.

Those who are familiar with the Angel Mountain Saga series will find some characters and settings that they know and love; but this story ranges far more widely, leaving West Wales behind and taking in episodes set in the industrial districts of Merthyr Tydfil, and in Paris. It is a strange story of an elderly lady who calls herself Susanna Ravenhill and who lives far more dangerously than is recommended for someone of her age. She has a dark secret to hide and she is pursued relentlessly by a group of armed men. One day they will catch up with her....

When Britain declares war on Germany in 1939, Carolyn Maddison is still a schoolgirl. Her elder brother, Alastair, wastes no time in joining the RAF as a flying officer, and Carolyn decides that when she is 18 she will follow him into the service by joining the Women's Auxiliary Air Force. While reporting to the Air Ministry in London, she meets a good-looking, charismatic pilot, Charlie Wade, currently employed in propaganda work.

The year is 1807, and Martha is in the process of recovering from the murder of her husband, David. The murderers have been brought to justice, and now she looks forward to a happier future in the company of Owain Laugharne, the new love of her life. Plans for the marriage are far advanced when Owain disappears without a trace.

Being the second son of a Viscount comes with the knowledge that no matter what he achieves; Freddie Rosemount won’t be the first member of his family to have done it. With good looks, wealth, and his father’s townhouse at his disposal, Freddie decides it is time to head to London and create a few firsts of his own. Caught up in the endless whirl of elegant parties and political games, Freddie soon falls in with the wrong crowd. The bachelor board is a club for young men who wish to leave their mark on London society.

'She's not worth more than tuppence, that child!' Those are the words that haunt Sadie Linthorpe. She is the talk of Ryhope when she arrives there, aged 17, alone, seeking work and a home in the pit village. But Sadie is keeping a secret - that she is searching for her baby girl who was taken from her at birth to be sold by the child's wicked, battleaxe grandmother when Sadie was just 15 years old.

When Izzy Grant’s newborn daughter disappears, her world shatters around her. Despite an extensive search the police find no trace of the missing girl, but Izzy refuses to give up hope that her daughter will be found. Then a note is pushed through her letterbox, warning her off. For Izzy it’s a ray of hope, another lead for the police to follow. For DC Gaby Darin it’s another piece of the puzzle that just won’t fit. But as a long-lost friend returns to Izzy’s life with a shocking secret, Gaby realises the truth of who took Izzy’s daughter from her might lie in the past.

She looked like she’d drifted off to sleep, curled up in her white dress, blonde hair floating in the breeze. They called it the Angel Murder. Eighteen-year-old Angelica Brock is found dead at a local beauty spot, dressed in a pure white nightgown, her white-blonde hair arranged around her. For years her death is a mystery, her killer the one who got away for a whole generation of police.

The Kingdom of Erishum Trilogy Boxset contains all three volumes of the cozy fantasy series — The Mudlark, The Gutter Shrike, and The Dying Wilds — by author Gwen DeMarco. In the Kingdom of Erishum, where ancient walls hold back the deadly Dying Wilds, a mudlark named Nyssa discovers a mysterious object that will change her life—and her kingdom—forever. What begins as a chance for escape from the slums spirals into a web of political intrigue, forcing her to navigate a dangerous world of Enumerii priests and the king's deadly shrikes.

When local baker Essie Browne discovers that Mistletoe Gardens is to be demolished in January, she’s determined to save the place she loves so much. So Essie proposes building a life size gingerbread house to bring in the crowds...just how hard can it be? Well, quite hard actually. Essie can bake gingerbread blindfolded, but she hasn’t got a clue how to build an actual house with it! She needs help - and fast! Enter local builder, Joss Hallissey. Essie is convinced that with Joss’s help they can pull this off. There’s just one tiny problem: Joss hates Christmas.

The Mudlark is a captivating tale of courage, resilience, and the relentless pursuit of dreams against all odds. It’s a whirlwind ride, coursing through the riveting life of an intrepid young heroine who challenges her fate with every rising sun.

A story of love and betrayal set in the quaint Staffordshire village of Edingale in 1946. Haunted by her past, Hannah Kimble has built an impenetrable barrier around her. Life has been hard, with few pleasures. She yearns for love or even a little affection. By chance, she meets the new owner of Edingale Manor, a charismatic American. Major Joshua Tyne. When he shows interest in her, Hannah believes he loves her. But has she misinterpreted his actions and mistaken simple kindness for love? Then there's the betrayal!

About to go travelling with her high-flying friend Kat, Vicky comes up with a plan: if she isn't married at 30, she'll marry her geeky best mate, Mikey. Having just been dumped on her 30th birthday, Vicky, now Vee, tracks down Kat and Mikey. Mikey, now Murphy, is a successful app designer driven by his tragic upbringing. Kat, or Kate, hides a shocking secret, which threatens the happiness of all three.