Showing results by narrator "Julia Barrie" in All Categories

When Harvey Drew unwittingly responds to an alien signal, he is transported to the Toxic Spew by the ship's computer, who promptly loses his return address. Even though none of the crew has ever met an Earthling, Harvey becomes Captain of the stroppy, pizza-obsessed crew, and has to save them from poisonous pink maggots, exploding space-rubbish and a multiple spaceship pile-up. Luckily, Harvey is just the boy to save the day!

Ben Messina is a certified maths genius and romance sceptic. He and Trix are constantly quarrelling, not least because of Ben’s decision to end their relationship! Charming Claudio Messina, is as different from his brother as it is possible to be. But his pursuit for perfection may end in a disaster that will see both him and Trix’s best friend, Henrietta, starting from zero once again?

Successful city accountant Stevie receives two surprises in one week. A proposal of marriage from her boyfriend and a phone call begging her to return to the family farm in Talyton St George. But what she thought would be a weekend visit turns into much longer as she struggles to bring order to the farm. Finally, she decides to give up her job – and her boyfriend – and stay permanently. Even though the locals are up in arms about her plans for the farm, Stevie loves being back in the country – and having to work so closely with local vet Leo is an added bonus.

Twentysomething Poppy became a cliché when an accidental pregnancy presented her with a 49-year-old husband. But Luke Norton isn’t any old husband – he’s the anchorman for television’s SevenThirty News and his ruggedly handsome face is beloved by the nation. Life isn’t coming up roses thanks to the first Mrs Norton’s popular column, “Diary of a Divorce” about her ex, “the Cad”, and his new wife, “the Bimbo”.

1902, Bath: When the housekeeper suddenly resigns, 17-year-old housemaid Daisy is left to cope alone with the almost bedridden owner of the house, Montague Pennington, Esq. Monty’s unpleasant relations begrudgingly search for a new housekeeper, as lively Daisy takes charge. However, serious problems arise as a mysterious stranger begins to target the entire family.

It seems that the Penningtons hold dark secrets, and the past cannot be suppressed for much longer.…

A perfect family...but shocking revelations and heartache lie just beneath the surface of their charmed lives. Luke Crighton was adored by women, envied by men…and pursued by one very determined individual: Bobbie Miller. The Crighton family had been the cause of scandal and heartache for Bobbie, and she wanted revenge. All she had to do was seduce Luke, and the Crighton family secrets would be hers to expose. But the perfect seduction somehow backfired. Once Bobbie had Luke’s attention, she didn’t want to let go!

It is 1718 and, in a small parish near Newcastle, Eliza Tally, a headstrong girl of 16, embarks on a reckless love affair that will prove her undoing. When her lover casts her off, denying their union, she is forced to travel to London, a city that attracts and alarms her in equal measure. There, she takes up a position in the house of an apothecary, Grayson Black, whom she trusts to salvage what remains of her reputation.

When young John Vincent died, the outward respectability of the Cornwall household was undermined. Strangers pried, asked too many questions and pointed accusing fingers at Charlotte - herself eager to escape from the oppressive atmosphere of her father's home.

It is March 1950 and Honey Brown marries the farmer she adores - August Blake Esq. With her mother-in-law determined to turn Honey, an ex-showgirl, into a respectable lady of the manor she has a struggle on her hands. Honey longs for the bright lights and glamour of the Windmill Theatre and the companionship of the other girls. To make matters worse, Honey feels increasing animosity towards dairyman Nick and his insolent stare. Why does she dislike the handsome young man when everyone else appears to like him?

Why is Rosamund so paralyzed by Tyler and his secrets?The whole world was once in love with her. Now, married to the dangerously charismatic Tyler, estranged from her conservationist father, despairing of her teenage son's silences, she feels completely alone. Revisiting the almost forgotten world of her Indian childhood may help, but can her family survive the changes she must make to save herself? Ruth Padel, acclaimed for her brilliant nature writing, has set her captivating debut novel in London, Devon and the jungles of India. But at its heart is a family in crisis.

Canterbury, 1900. Olivia Fratton thinks that if she hears the words “Isabel’s Wedding” one more time she will scream. The oldest of the four Fratton siblings, it falls to her to arrange her little sister’s wedding, and she struggles to cope with their limited budget. Olivia is not the only Fratton with worries.

Harriet Dale is an insurance claims investigator and a talented, but out of work, actress. While untangling a stolen artwork claim, she discovers The Frightened Lady, the portrait of a 200 year-old unsolved murder. The portrait also carries a curse. Anyone who moves it, dies. Axe Winston, a lethally attractive man, spells danger. And for a moment, Harriet forgets the good advice given her by DI Brice MacDonald, with dire consequences.

When she's fed up, Enna doodles. This time it's a scribbly, hunchbacked, squatting figure. Just the way she feels, in fact. And then the figure winks at her. It speaks, and jumps off the page. It's alive, with a mind of it's own. Will it be her friend? She needs one. Or will it make things worse? When Enna's little brother vanishes, she has to follow him to the place the doodle comes from - which is a very strange place indeed.

Glamorous GP Nicci (aka the galloping doctor), and Matt, the very handsome equine vet, have caught each other's eyes. On paper it looks like a match made in heaven. There are problems, however: Matt's jealous ex-girlfriend being one of them. But the main trouble is Nicci's determination to qualify for the Badminton horse trials. Because although Matt treats horses for a living, a tragedy in his past makes him terrified every time Nicci competes. So when Nicci has a terrible accident, a devastated Matt gives her an ultimatum: it's either him or the riding.

1945. War has ended, but for sisters Isobel and Flora, the struggles still continue. They've lost their father, had their home destroyed in a bombing raid and now they must go to live with their aunt and her awful husband, Mr Godfrey, in their ancestral home of Splint Hall. From the moment of their arrival, it seems that this is a place shrouded in mysteries and secrets. Who are the strange men who arrive with packages at night? What is the source of the strange blue sparks coming from the ground? And why do the locals seem to hate their family so much?