Showing results by narrator "Rachael Beresford" in All Categories

An unforgettable story about a family with a terrible secret. When a tragedy breaks a family apart, what can bring it back together? The Birds seem to be the perfect family: mother, father, four children, a picture-book cottage in the country. But one Easter weekend, something happens - something so unexpected, so devastating, that no-one can bring themselves to talk about it. The family shatters, seemingly for good. Until, years later, they are forced to return to the house they grew up in and to confront what really broke the family apart.

He’s an unrepentant sinner, East End rogue, and devoted charmer of anything in petticoats. But Rafe Sutton has one small problem: he cannot seem to recall what happened between himself and one delectable, surly governess. He woke in her bed with the devil’s own headache and no memory of the evening before. Now, he’s on a mission to unravel the mystery, for the sake of his pride and for the honor he had not previously believed he possessed.

She was the mother of Henry VIII and wife of Henry VII, but who was Elizabeth of York? Raised as the precious eldest child of Edward IV, Elizabeth had every reason to expect a bright future until Edward died, and her life fell apart. When Elizabeth's uncle became Richard III, she was forced to choose sides. Should she trust her father's brother and most loyal supporter or honor the betrothal that her mother has made for her to her family's enemy, Henry Tudor? The choice was made for her on the field at Bosworth.

After too many years on the battlefield, Merrick de Beaucourt is looking forward to a simple life of peace and quiet with a docile wife at his side. But when he finally fetches his bride-to-be from a secluded English convent, he finds he needs more than his knight's spurs to bring order to his life.

Griff Knighton's found the perfect way to avoid being trapped into marriage with one of the Earl of Swanlea's daughters: He'll swap identities with his man of affairs during their next visit to Swan Park, and be free to pursue his own desires! After all, he's not about to marry some homely spinster just to claim his rightful title. But Griff didn't reckon on the brazen, voluptuous Rosalind, who could tempt even a saint into sinning, and Griff is no saint.

After a lifetime with a grief-stricken father and a self-absorbed brother, Felicity isn't daunted by sacrifice. But when protecting her father means falling afoul of the curse that has swallowed the Summer Castle, and Prince Justin along with it, her own safety is not all that's at stake. The prince's monstrous form is the least of her concerns—the whole castle has been trapped by his pride, and his absence from the capital is driving the kingdom to ruin.

Unlike everyone around her, Princess Azalea has never been especially troubled by the curse placed on her at her christening. But, as her sixteenth birthday approaches, even Ben—usually her only sanctuary from her well-meaning protectors—starts to worry. Not to mention he begins acting strangely about the betrothal that's bound them since childhood. Being forced to marry her best friend has always seemed like a far bigger problem than a mere curse—until the unthinkable happens.

Lady Jane Haven had to find a reason to survive. Widowed after an abusive marriage, Jane seeks solace in the arms of the one man she has always loved. But her scars run deep, and the physical comfort her lover brings does little to heal her pain. Richard Black, the Duke of Lofton and spy for the British War Office, waited for her, watching as the agony of marriage broke the woman he loved. His instincts tell him to protect her at all costs now that she has come to him, but when Jane stumbles into his current case investigating a bodysnatching ring, his intentions prove harder to keep.

Mary Anning was only 12 years old when, in 1811, she discovered the first dinosaur skeleton - of an ichthyosaur - while fossil hunting on the cliffs of Lyme Regis, England. Until Mary's incredible discovery, it was widely believed that animals did not become extinct.  

The last thing Eleanora Quinton expects when the dead body hits the floor, is love with the son of a duke. As society’s most capable housekeeper, Eleanora has conquered any number of social disasters. But when a dead body falls right into the middle of her mistress’ ball and her son gets kidnapped, the only person who can help her also forces her to face her most crippling fears

When Inge Maria arrives on the tiny island of Bornholm in Denmark to live with her grandmother, she's not sure what to expect. Her grandmother is stern, the people on the island are strange, and children are not allowed to run wild or express themselves the way they did back in Copenhagen - especially if you are a girl. 

Forced into the marriage to help her carry out missions as a female spy, Sarah struggles with accepting her position as a member of high society, a position that seems ill-gained in relation to her lowly birth. The fact that she is secretly in love with her husband, the earl, does not help matters at all. Alec Black, Earl of Stryden, and brilliant spy for the British War Office, cannot speak to his wife, which makes for a rather uncomfortable imprisonment.

Wedding bells ring out in Budbury as the Comfort Food Café and its cosy community of regulars are gearing up for a big celebration.... But Auburn Longville doesn’t have time for that! Between caring for her poorly mum, moving in with her sister and running the local pharmacy, life is busy enough - and it’s about to get busier. Chaos arrives in the form of a figure from her past, putting her quaint village life and new relationship with gorgeous Finn Jensen in jeopardy. It’s time for Auburn to face up to some life-changing decisions.

Violet never wanted to move to Perfect. Who wants to live in a town where everyone has to wear glasses to stop them going blind? And who wants to be tidy and perfectly behaved all the time? Violet quickly discovers there's something weird going on - her mam is acting strange, and her dad has disappeared. When she meets Boy she realises that her dad is not the only person to have vanished...and that the mysterious Watchers are guarding a creepy secret!

It’s been more than a decade since Charlie Trewin left her sleepy Cornish fishing village for the dazzling lights of London, vowing never to return. But when shocking news of her father’s death forces her back to Carncarrow, she’s confronted with everything she thought she’d left behind: the tragic loss of her mother, her father’s obsessive hoarding—and her own unresolved emotions about them both. 

Born into a kingdom where power is outlawed, Penny has little reason to love her magic. She barely remembers her mother, and even her father dies unaware of her abilities. Now, magic or not, Penny is powerless to escape the bitter tangle of competition her stepmother has created between her and her stepsisters. And a series of chance encounters with the crown prince only adds to her troubles. The last thing she needs is to attract the notice of the very royals who have turned her existence into a crime.

Lidia De Angelis has kept a low profile since Mussolini's laws wrenched her from her childhood sweetheart. But when the Germans occupy Venice in 1943, she must flee the city to save her life. Lidia joins the partisans in the Venetian mountains, where she meets David, an English soldier fighting for the same cause. As she grows closer to him, harsh German reprisals and Lidia’s own ardent patriotic activities threaten to tear them apart.

Beginning firmly with teachers and all those working with students, including administrators and counselors, the Plum Village approach stresses that educators must first establish their own mindfulness practice since everything they do in the classroom will be based on that foundation. The book includes easy-to-follow, step-by-step techniques perfected by educators to teach themselves and to apply to their work with students and colleagues, along with inspirational stories of the ways in which teachers have made mindfulness practice alive and relevant for themselves and their students.

When 13-year-old Lily's inventor father vanishes on a routine Zeppelin flight, Lily's determined to find out the truth behind his disappearance. But she's not the only one searching for her father; there are silver-eyed men in the shadows who will stop at nothing to find him. With Robert, the local clockmaker's son, Lily travels to London, where they soon discover that she holds the key to the mystery...a mystery closer to Lily's heart than she could have ever imagined.

Katharine Cavanaugh, the Countess of Stirling, has always lived according to the expectations of her heritage. The daughter of a revered naval captain and accomplished British spy, Katharine has always done what others expected of her without ever wondering what she expected of herself. American mercenary Matthew Thatcher has spent his life running away from every expectation he has for himself. Fleeing from a tragedy he believes his careless youth caused, Thatcher is more than willing to offer his services.