Nigella Lawson has written eleven bestselling cookery books including the classics How to Eat and How To Be A Domestic Goddess – the book that inspired a whole new generation of bakers. These books, and her TV series, have made her a household name around the world. 
 
www.nigella.com 
@Nigella_Lawson

Nigella Lawson

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Susan Sallis

From the pen of multi-million copy seller and Sunday Times bestselling author Susan Sallis comes beautifully written, enthralling and captivating novel that asks whether friendships really can endure through thick and thin. Readers of Rosamunde Pilcher, Maeve Binchy and Fiona Valpy will not be disappointed. 
 
'Sallis's West Country novel has the feel of Mary Wesley and character insight that is all her own' -- Daily Mail 
'Sallis brings out the innate warmth and sometimes unpredictability of the human psyche. This compelling tale will not disappoint' -- Lancashire Evening Post 
'Excellent read, very enjoyable' - ***** Reader review 
'Wonderful' - ***** Reader review 
'I love her books and the way that she takes you right into the story...You can tell I am a big fan!' - ***** Reader review 
'Brilliant, I couldn't put it down.' - ***** Reader review 
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FRIENDS SINCE CHILDHOOD, THEY THOUGHT NOTHING COULD COME BETWEEN THEM... 
 
1943: two schoolgirls, Rachel and Meriel, best friends, amuse themselves by tracking down imaginary German spies. It all seems a harmless way of whiling away the long school holidays, until their game turns into a frightening reality, the consequences of which affect their whole lives. 
 
Rachel becomes a reporter on the local paper while Meriel, a GI bride, goes to live in Florida. 
 
But the bonds which hold them together can never be broken, as the secrets and scandals which first surfaced in those far-off wartime days eventually come to light.

Rachel's Secret

an engrossing and heartwarming novel of friendship and the bonds which tie us together from bestselling author Susan Sallis

From the Sunday Times bestselling author Susan Sallis comes a wonderfully evocative novel, perfect for fans of Maeve Binchy, Fiona Valpy and Rosamunde Pilcher. 
 
READERS ARE LOVING AN ORDINARY WOMAN! 
"A remarkable story of love, life, pleasures and hazards. Strong characters who define this story. Excellent read and would strongly recommend Susan Sallis" -- 5 STARS 
"The storyline was captivating from the start..." - 5 STARS 
"This book held me from the first page to the last!" - 5 STARS 
"Very good story, loved every minute..." - 5 STARS 
 
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WHEN NEEDED, WILL SHE BE ABLE TO RISE TO THE CHALLENGE? 
 
1945, Connecticut. A scandal breaks which forces a baffled Rose, aged four, and her mother to leave America and return home to England. 
 
The following May, a sister is born - Joanna or 'Jon'. Rose and Jon are like chalk and cheese. Jon is vivacious, fun, impetuous, rash and persuasive. Rose is reserved, steady, sure, reliable and...ordinary. It is her lot in life to hold the family together through times of tragedy and emotional upheaval. 
 
But, when, years later, Jon sets events in motion which send Rose across the Atlantic again and into the most extraordinary event of her life, can she ever be thought of as ordinary again?

An Ordinary Woman

An utterly captivating and uplifting story of one woman’s strength and determination…

Love and friendship blossom when strangers are brought together by tragedy in this enchantingly captivating novel from multi-million copy seller and Sunday Times bestselling author Susan Sallis. Fans of Rosamunde Pilcher, Maeve Binchy and Fiona Valpy will not be disappointed. 
 
'Susan Sallis has a natural touch' -- Woman's Realm 
'Susan Sallis never disappoints' -- ***** Reader review 
'Highly recommend this book' -- ***** Reader review 
'A page-turner' -- ***** Reader review 
'Could not put it down! -- ***** Reader review 
'Don't miss this one' -- ***** Reader review 
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ONE JOURNEY THAT WILL CHANGE THE LIVES OF MANY FOREVER... 
 
1951: the 8.45 from Bristol to Paddington is preparing to leave. 
 
Albert, the driver - whose father and grandfather before him worked on the railway - says goodbye to his wife with mixed feelings. Their seeming inability to have a child has overshadowed their happy marriage. 
 
Jenny, clumsy but loveable, longs to make a success of her job in the restaurant car, where she attracts the interest of Marvin, the steward. 
 
The passengers - some regulars on the line, others making a rare visit to London - settle down for the journey. Some talk and get to know each other, some while away the journey working or sleeping. 
 
But as they near their destination, disaster strikes...

Time Of Arrival

a fascinating, exciting novel building to an almighty climax from bestselling author Susan Sallis

Elvi Rhodes

Edgar Carson has returned from the trenches to find that the land fit for heroes didn't exist. The only nice thing that happened to him was Opal, the small, tough, Yorkshire beauty who married him. But by the time the 20s came, Edgar was on the dole, and Opal was pregnant for the second time. Bitterness began to corrode Edgar's spirit. But Opal was a fighter - she wasn't going to let the times, the drudgery, the poverty destroy her or her family. She started with a 'house shop', just sweets and cotton reels sold from the top of her sideboard, and from then on she didn't stop - for Opal's dream was her own department store and a grand life for all of them...

Opal

a moving and heart-warming Yorkshire saga of drive and determination that will stay with you long after you finish the last page

Fans of Rosamunde Pilcher, Maeve Binchy and Fiona Valpy will love this beautifully moving and evocative novel from multi-million copy seller and Sunday Times bestselling author Susan Sallis. Can one place and one woman really make a family whole? 
 
'Love this book - I've read it several times' -- ***** Reader review 
'Excellent story - true Susan Sallis' -- ***** Reader review 
'A great read' -- ***** Reader review 
'This book kept my interest up to the last page' -- ***** Reader review 
'Captures the reader so thoroughly that you just cannot put it down' -- ***** Reader review 
 
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ONE FAMILY, ONE PLACE AND THE WOMAN WHO HELD THEM TOGETHER... 
 
Madge was four years old when she first saw the Cornish sea and fell in love with it, and it was there that her family grew and suffered and loved. 
 
It was there she and her mother went to recover from a heartrending family tragedy; there she was forced reluctantly into marriage; there she fell into a wild and passionate wartime love. 
 
And it was there she saw her children grow and love and cope with the secret legacies the years had left them, until finally they became more than just summer visitors.

Summer Visitors

the magnificent story of a family and its relationship with a Cornish idyll from bestselling author Susan Sallis

Wartime memories evoke both pain and happiness in this heart-warming novel from multi-million copy seller and Sunday Times bestselling author Susan Sallis. Readers of Rosamunde Pilcher, Maeve Binchy and Fiona Valpy will not be disappointed. 
 
'Sallis's West Country novel has the feel of Mary Wesley and character insight that is all her own' -- Daily Mail 
'The thing about Susan Sallis's books - once you pick them up, it's very hard to put them down!' -- ***** Reader review 
'Brilliant' -- ***** Reader review 
'Excellent read, very enjoyable' - -- ***** Reader review 
'Wonderful' - -- ***** Reader review 
 
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THE ONLY PROMISE WORTH MAKING IS THE ONE YOU KEEP... 
 
There were four of the Thorpe family in the Anderson shelter the night of the raid on Coventry. Mum and Dad, Florrie and little May.... 
 
Jack was missing. He was one of those who had not come back from Dunkirk. And May had to promise to keep a terrible secret, a promise which affected the lives of all the survivors, until May herself was the only one left. 
 
Seventy years later Daisy and Marcus, sixth formers in a Gloucestershire School, are given an A Level project on the bombing of Coventry in 1940. They go to talk to May, now living in sheltered accommodation nearby. 
 
A friendship is forged which bridges the gap between them. The two youngsters have their own problems, but as their lives unfold they become involved in the strange history of May's missing brother and of the promise, made all those years ago, which still has its repercussions today.

The Promise

a life-affirming novel of love and loss from bestselling author Susan Sallis

Mary Jane Staples

The continuation of a wonderful saga telling the story of a Cockney family in peace and war from multi-million copy seller Mary Jane Staples. Perfect for fans of Donna Douglas, Kitty Neale and Maggie Ford. 
 
PRAISE FOR THE ADAMS FAMILY SERIES! 
"Mary Jane Staples makes you care about her characters, which explains why her books have enjoyed so much popularity" -- Take a Break 
"Forget Eastenders, this it the London of old, when people knew each other's names and communities really pulled together." -- Woman's Realm 
"Mary Jane Staples completely capture the feel of the period and the essence of the people...has warmth, humour and charm. An ideal book for you holiday reading." Finesse 
"I get so engrossed in the stories I feel like one of the family." - ***** Reader review. 
"Read this book and you want it to go on, you want to know more of the Adams Family, can't wait to read more." -- ***** Reader review. 
 
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CAN SHE WIN OVER HER SWEETHEART'S FAMILY? 
 
Emily had always been a trial as a child - pushy and rough - and Boots had always avoided her. 
 
But now she's an elegant and stylish young lady and she and Boots are due to be married - and must face the challenge of his wartime injuries together. 
 
Can she draw on that steely toughness to rise to the challenge and do right by the love of her life and his family? 
 
Our Emily is the second in Mary Jane Staples's Adams Family series. Their story continues in The King of Camberwell. Have you read Down Lambeth Way, the first Adams Family book?

Our Emily

(The Adams Family: 2): An uplifting and funny Cockney saga that will warm the cockles of your heart

Emma Hornby

Moll thought she could keep her family safe . . . 
 
Eighteen-year-old Moll Chambers works her fingers to the bone doing all she can to support her family. With an ailing father and a wayward mother, Moll is the only one who can look after her siblings, Bo and Sissy. 
 
But Manchester is an increasingly dangerous place to live, overrun with a ferocious rivalry between gangs of so-called 'scuttlers': young men and women bent on a life of violence and crime. And they have her brother in their sights. Soon even Moll can't protect Bo from the lure of the criminal underworld. 
 
Then the scuttlers looked her way. 
 
When she herself falls for the leader of a rival gang, Moll's choices place her and Bo firmly on opposite sides of the city's turf war. 
 
With her loyalties now torn in two, and tragedy lurking round every corner, will Moll be able to rise above the conflict and protect those she loves the most? Or will stepping out with a scuttler spell ruin for them all . . . ? 
 
MANCHESTER MOLL is an absorbing saga that will tug at your heartstrings. Fans of Dilly Court, Rosie Goodwin and Maggie Hope will love Emma Hornby.

Manchester Moll

Johanna Lindsey

It was to be a great adventure for Melissa MacGregor - an escape from the wilds of her Scottish home into the world of the London Season. There she hopes to find a suitable husband who will not be intimidated by her sixteen uncles, six of whom are called Ian. But before she begins her pursuit of a new life, she encounters an intriguing stranger on her grandfather's lands. 
 
Lincoln Ross Burnett, the seventeenth Viscount Cambury, once called Scotland his home, until as a boy of twelve he was sent away to London after his father's death, the subject of a bitter family feud. Now, as he roams the countryside of his youth, he still feels the bitterness of his exile - until he meets Melissa, and is struck by her beauty and liveliness. He pursues her to London, where even their shared passion may not be powerful enough to overcome the devastating hatred of those who have sworn his destruction...

The Pursuit

an escapist package of love, passion, and conflict from the #1 New York Times bestselling author Johanna Lindsey

A moving family drama set against the backdrop of one of London's poorest areas from multi-million copy seller Mary Jane Staples. Perfect for fans of Maggie Ford, Kitty Neale and Katie Flynn. 
 
READERS ARE LOVING THE LODGER! 
"This was such a great read....... priceless I loved it" - 5 STARS 
"Leave[s] you with a smile on your face..." - 5 STARS 
"Once you start, you can't put it down..." - 5 STARS 
"I absolutely loved this book" - 5 STARS 
"Great for lifting your spirits" - 5 STARS 
"A good book, keeps you in suspense until the end" - 5 STARS 
 
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IN TIMES OF TROUBLE, CAN SHE KEEP HER FAMILY SAFE FROM HARM? 
 
London, 1908: For years now, Maggie Wilson has had to bring up her four daughters alone with barely enough money to get by. Local Constable Harry Bradshaw looks out for them as best he can but there isn't much he can do for Maggie's small family. 
 
When the opportunity to take in a lodger arises, Maggie can't resist the extra income. 
 
But there's something strange about the man Maggie has let into her home... what if he's more trouble than he's worth?

The Lodger

A delightful Cockney page-turner you won’t be able to put down

Val Wood

At only thirteen, Mikey Quinn is arrested for stealing a rabbit to feed his family. Despite his age, he’s shown no mercy by the wealthy lawyer who sends him to prison. He returns home to find that his mother has died and his younger siblings taken into the workhouse. 
 
With only his determination, Mikey makes his way to London to seek a better life for his family. Whilst there, he meets Eleanor who he recognises as the daughter of the lawyer who ruined his life. Desperate, they band together forging a new life for themselves on the streets of London. 
 
Overlooking their initial differences, the two come to rely on each other and, when the time comes to return to Hull, they face the long walk home together.

The Long Walk Home

Ruth Hamilton

At eighteen Jennifer Crawley led a strange and lonely life - her days in the spinning room of the cotton mill, her nights with possessive - and slightly mad - Aunt Mavis. Jenny didn't even know who her parents were. Aunt Mavis never spoke of them. 
 
Then came the chance to better herself - to work as a servant at Skipton Hall. And there Jenny found a household as dangerous and weird as the one she had left behind. Mrs Sloane, the terrifying housekeeper, was as cruel as she was ugly, taking pleasure in bullying and frightening the young maids. Henry Skipton was an embittered, solitary man who took care never to see his invalid wife. And Eloise Skipton lay bed-ridden, a beautiful woman in a beautiful room, feeding on hatred and plotting vengeance on the man she had married. When she first set eyes on young Jenny, she realised she had found the perfect weapon for revenge. 
 
But Jenny, for the first time in her life, had a friend. Maria Hesketh, a gutsy, talented Liverpudlian, her character as fiery as her hair, was determined that she and Jenny would make something of their lives, would succeed in spite of everything.

Spinning Jenny

An uplifting and inspirational page-turner set in Bolton from bestselling saga author Ruth Hamilton

For fans of Katie Flynn &amp; Fiona Valpy, this is an exhilarating romantic journey across war-torn Europe from the multi-million copy seller Mary Jane Staples. 
 
READERS ARE LOVING A WARTIME MARRIAGE! 
"Couldn't put it down." -- 5 STARS 
"Once again she had me hooked." -- 5 STARS 
"Each page kept you guessing to the end." -- 5 STARS 
"An excellent read for a cold damp day in front of the fire." -- 5 STARS 
 
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WILL THEY FIND HAPPINESS? 
 
1918: the Kaiser's empire is about to fall and Captain Harry Phillips, a prisoner of war in a Romanian hospital, has had a very hard time of it. Then, out of the blue, comes an offer he can't refuse: a ticket home to his beloved England and to the arms of his much missed fiancée Elizabeth. 
 
But this ticket comes with a heavy price to pay; Harry must marry beautiful, headstrong Princess Irena of Moldova, who's only hope of survival is to leave the country and he must risk both their lives by escorting her back to England. 
 
As they set off on their long and treacherous journey with enemies at every turn, Harry begins to realise that Irena is not only dangerous but extremely precious cargo.

A Wartime Marriage

A glorious, romantic wartime adventure - the perfect dose of escapism

Danielle Steel

Gaëlle de Barbet is sixteen years old in 1940 when the German army occupies France. In a matter of months, her father and brother are killed, her mother descends into madness, and her closest friend, Rebekah Feldmann, is sent to a detention camp. 
 
Taking terrifying risks, Gaëlle becomes a member of the Resistance, fearlessly delivering Jewish children to safety underneath the eyes of the Gestapo and their French collaborators. Conducted in secret, her missions for the Resistance will mark her for years. 
 
In the final days of the war, she executes a plan to help save France's art treasures. But when the war draws to a close, she is falsely accused of collaboration, and flees to Paris in disgrace. There, she begins a new life that eventually takes her to New York, from a career as a Dior model to marriage and motherhood, unbearable loss, and mature, lasting love when she returns to France. 
 
The ghosts of the past are always near. No matter where she goes, her label as a collaborator remains, until her granddaughter, a respected political journalist, embarks on a journey to see her grandmother recognized as the war hero she was . . . 
 
Danielle Steel is famous for her inspirational stories about family, love and life. Her novels will be enjoyed by readers of Penny Vincenzi, Jodi Picoult and Diane Chamberlain.

The Award

Tim Parkes was three when his parents were killed in a train crash and he went to live with his Aunt May, first in New Cross, and then to Walworth where the living was cheaper. They managed splendidly - and then came the war. Tim Parkes became Gunner Parkes and Aunt May spent most of her nights in the Walworth air raid shelters with Tim keeping an eye on her whenever he was able. 
 
When he got posted to Suffolk he wasn't too pleased - Suffolk was Country, not like London at all. But in fact there were a lot of things about Sheldham that reminded him of home - the Walworth evacuees for a start. Those of them that weren't creating havoc in the Suffolk village were creating havoc in Tim's life. Minnie Beavers - ex-Camberwell - was fifteen, pert, pretty, and wildly in love with Tim. She was determined to inveigle him into marriage the minute she was old enough. Tim was equally determined to escape and choose his own girl. 
 
By the time Tim had gone away to fight the war, and Minnie had joined the WAAF, a great many things had changed in both their lives.

Rising Summer

the perfect happy and wholesome novel to escape with

Jack Sheffield

It's 1979: Dallas is enthralling the nation on TV, Mrs Thatcher has just become prime minister, Abba is top of the pops, and in the small Yorkshire village of Ragley-on-the-Forest, Jack Sheffield returns for his third year as headmaster of the village school. 
 
Jack and his staff struggle to keep a semblance of normality throughout the turbulence of the school terms, as once again the official School Log fails to record what is really going on beneath the seemingly quiet routine. Ruby the caretaker discovers her Prince Charming; Vera the school secretary gets to meet her hero, Nicholas Parsons; and Jack, to his astonishment, finds himself having to stand in as a curiously skinny Father Christmas. 
 
Jack also finds himself, at last, having to choose between the vivacious sisters Beth and Laura Henderson ... 
 
Praise for Jack Sheffield 
'Wry observation and heartwarming humour in equal measure' Alan Titchmarsh 
'Overflowing with amusing anecdotes' Daily Express 
'Amusing adventures at the North Yorkshire village school' Choice 
'Jack Sheffield's in a class of his own' York Press

Dear Teacher

Catherine Cookson

It is the early 1920s and Kate Hannigan is happily married to Dr Rodney Prince, who has willingly accepted her illegitimate daughter, Annie, as the eldest child of their household. Everything seems to be going well for the Prince family, but soon spiteful rumours about Kate's earlier life seem to haunt both her and Annie - an insidious threat that revives memories of the poverty and narrowness of life in the Fifteen Streets district that they have so recently left behind. 
 
Annie will be faced with some of the problems that earlier beset her mother: religious prejudice and a choice between two different ways of life - the comfortable middle-class existence offered by Brian Stannard and the uncertain prospects of Terence McBane, a brilliant mathematician from the underprivileged world Annie and her mother have just escaped. 
 
In the sequel to Kate Hannigan, Cookson's first published novel, Kate's daughter Annie must find the strength and maturity to overcome the troubles that threaten to engulf her.

Kate Hannigan's Girl

Young Frederick Musgrave was never more agile than when navigating his sculler across the waters of the Tyne between the busy seaports of North and South Shields in 1843. Already his services were in demand as a carrier of messages and certain small packages for those whose activities made them the target of the Customs and Excise men. 
 
As well as agile, Freddie was also reckoned to be lucky, but on such a night as brought him to The Towers, the home of Mr Roderick Gallagher, both luck and courage were to be tested to the limit. 
 
From that night on, things really began to happen to Freddie, and the best of them came when he gained the friendship and patronage of Miss Maggie Hewitt, who was to play a major role in shaping his life and fortunes. But he would still need all his luck and resourcefulness to escape the long shadow cast by Roderick Gallagher, whose power and influence threatened all who crossed his path . . .

The Harrogate Secret

A gripping and heart-warming saga set in Lancashire from The Sunday Times bestseller Ruth Hamilton, perfect for fans of Catherine Cookson. Guaranteed to keep you turning the page... 
 
"Very much the successor to Catherine Cookson. Her books are plot driven, they just rip along; laughs, weeps, love, they've got the lot, and they're quality writing as well" - Sarah Broadhurst on Radio Four. 
"Brilliant! I have read this book so many times I've had to buy 2 paperback copies before finally getting it on KINDLE. This has it all, pathos, humour, tragedy and emotion. I recommend this book and hope you enjoy it as much as I have." - ***** Reader review 
"One of Ruth Hamilton's finest." - ***** Reader review 
"Really good read and twist at the end..." - *****Reader review 
 
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AS THE WAR SIRENS SOUND, SO THEY BEGIN THEIR OWN BATTLE FOR NEW FULFILLING LIVES... 
 
Billy London is a mean, dark, secretive man who is interested only in lining his pockets at the expense of those around him - most especially his wife and daughters. 
 
When Ellen, his wife, who has put up with him for years, finds her children threatened, she prepares to fight like a tigress to protect the four girls, to give them a chance of a new and better life and a chance to escape from the evil and oppressive legacy of their father. 
 
There is Abigail, clever, ambitious, and with an outer shell of steel that is necessary if she is to survive; Tishy, overwhelmingly lovely, who lives in a world all her own; Marie, brisk, capable, and nearly strong enough to defy her father on her own; Theresa, more wounded, more vulnerable, more damaged by Billy than any of them. 
 
As the sirens of 1939 herald the advent of war, so Billy London's girls begin their own battle for new, triumphant, and fulfilling lives.

Billy London's Girls

A captivating and uplifting saga set in Bolton during WW2 from bestselling author Ruth Hamilton

A brilliantly moving story of misfits finding a place to belong, perfect for fans of Maggie Ford, Kitty Neale and Katie Flynn. The ideal novel to escape with for an afternoon... 
 
READERS ARE LOVING TWO FOR THREE FARTHINGS 
 
'I couldn't put it down!' - 5 STAR REVIEW 
 
'Another brilliant read from Mary Jane Staples' - 5 STAR REVIEW 
 
'Hilarious and heart-warming' - 5 STAR REVIEW 
 
'An ideal book to relax with' - 5 STAR REVIEW 
 
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TWO CHILDREN BRING A BREATH OF FRESH AIR TO LONDON... 
 
Horace was ten, Ethel seven, when Jim Cooper, home from the trenches, minus an arm and just about managing on his own, found them huddled in a doorway on a wet night in Walworth. Slightly against his better judgement he took them in, fed them cocoa, and put them to sleep in his bed. 
 
A few days later he found that - somehow - he had become the unofficial guardian of Horace and Ethel. It was him, the orphanage, or separation for the gutsy little pair and Jim felt a sudden affinity for the two cheeky cockney kids. First, he had to find lodgings for them all. 
 
Miss Rebecca Pilgrim was a woman of strict Victorian principles, eminently respectable, and determined to keep her privacy intact. She had reckoned without her new lodgers - Horace, Ethel and, above all, the irrepressible Jim Cooper. 
 
And thus began the humanizing of Miss Pilgrim, who turned out to be younger, prettier, and far gentler than any of them had suspected...

Two For Three Farthings

the perfect feel-good Cockney tale that is certain to your warm your heart

Travel back in time with the brilliant new novel from Jack Sheffield... 
 
For the residents of Ragley, the small Yorkshire village, the war is finally starting to feel like a distant memory. Gone are the days of rationing and sacrifice, replaced with the joys of spin-dryers and Beatlemania. 
 
 But Lily Feather can’t quite forget the events of the war and the years that followed. Buried in her past remains a terrible secret from which she cannot escape but that still threatens her fragile family. After the death of their mother, her brother, Freddie, has come to depend on her and her husband, but their lives will soon change for ever. 
 
 On the cusp of adulthood, Freddie’s life is simple: all he really has to worry about is school, girls and a spot of rugby. But when he stumbles across his family’s secret past it is his life that is changed forever. A dark history lies between Freddie, Lily and the truth and they begin to question how much they’ll have to sacrifice along the way.

Changing Times

A delightful and nostalgic read from the author of the Teacher series

This captivating and moving saga full of twists and turns by the Sunday Times bestselling author Ruth Hamilton is perfect for fans of Catherine Cookson, Dilly Court and Josephine Cox. 
 
"I believe that Ruth Hamilton is very much the successor to Catherine Cookson. Her books are plot driven, they just rip along; laughs, weeps, love, they've got the lot, and they're quality writing as well" -- SARAH BROADHURST, RADIO FOUR 
 
"Keeps you hooked to the last page" -- ***** Reader review 
"A wonderful story" -- ***** Reader review 
"Brilliant as always" -- ***** Reader review 
 
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THE PAST AND PRESENT ARE ABOUT TO MEET IN TRAGEDY 
 
The Chandlers had been making candles in Bolton for five hundred years, and had given their name to the village of Chandlers Green. The dynasty, now in decline and ruled by Richard Chandler, is reduced to an unhappy household and a few tenanted properties. 
 
But Richard continues to behave as though he were lord of the manor. Jean, his wife, is terrified of him; his grown-up children despise him, but fear for their mother if they were to leave home. 
 
And now Richard's arch-enemy, Alf Martindale, is planning to move into his village, and Richard knows that the past is catching up with him fast. A crisis forces him to leave his manor for a while, and he has no way of knowing that Jean is arming herself against his return. 
 
The past and the present are about to come together in a way that can only end in tragedy...

Chandlers Green

A powerful and breathtakingly emotional saga set in the North West by bestselling author Ruth Hamilton

A gritty and page-turning historical saga from the bestselling author of A Shilling for a Wife, perfect for fans of Dilly Court and Rosie Goodwin. 
 
Manchester, 1842 
 
Phoebe Parsons is a liar...a shameless harlot with unscrupulous morals... 
 
Phoebe Parsons is destitute, disgraced, and alone. After her mistress tragically dies, Phoebe is forced back onto the poverty-ridden streets of Manchester by her unforgiving new master. Desperately searching for work as a domestic maid, Phoebe soon discovers her reputation is in ruins. 
 
Fearing for her future and haunted by the harshness of her abandonment, Phoebe finds herself living with thieves and drunks in the smog and squalor - until she meets Victor Hayes. An officer removed from his duty and shamed by a cruel lie, Mr Hayes is a kind face among the uncertain threats of living in the alleyways. But Phoebe soon realises the sacrifices she must make to rebuild from the ground up... 
 
As their two worlds collide, can they make a new life from the wreckage? Or will the judgement of their peers make a pauper of Phoebe?

The Maid’s Disgrace

A gripping and romantic Victorian saga from the bestselling author

Andrew Swanston

The king’s coronation brings hope. Until a murderer strikes. 
 
Spring 1661: After years of civil war followed by Oliver Cromwell's joyless rule as Lord Protector, England awaits the coronation of King Charles II. The mood in London is one of relief and hope for a better future. 
 But when two respectable gentlemen are found in a foul lane with their throats cut, it becomes apparent that England’s enemies are using the newly re-established post office for their own ends. There are traitors at work and plans to overthrow the king. Another war is possible. 
 Thomas Hill, in London visiting friends, is approached by the king’s security advisor and asked to take charge of deciphering coded letters intercepted by the post office. As the body count rises and the killer starts preying on women, the action draws closer to Thomas – and his loved ones. He finds himself dragged into the hunt for the traitors and the murderer, but will he find them before it’s too late?

The King's Return

(Thomas Hill 3)

Gritty and page-turning historical saga set in Northern England in the late 1800s, for fans of Dilly Court and Rosie Goodwin. 
 
Minnie Maddox cares deeply for mothers and their babies - she makes a living by taking in unwanted children and finding them good adoptive homes - and is delighted for her neighbour when she finally becomes a mother after decades of trying. But when the baby dies of natural causes while under her roof, and knowing her neighbour will be devastated, Minnie swaps it with one of the infants in her care. 
 
Now seventeen, Jewel Nightingale knows nothing of her true origins. But assaulted by her hateful cousin and making the dreadful discovery that she is pregnant, she faces a desperate dilemma. Fleeing her job as a domestic maid, she follows an advertisement to a house in Bolton's dark slums, where a woman promises to help her when the child is born. Little does Jewel know that there's a terrible price to pay . . . 
 
Can she keep herself - and her baby - safe? And what will happen when Jewel discovers the truth about where she came from?

A Mother’s Dilemma

Pip Granger

Perfect for fans of Donna Douglas and Nancy Revell, a feel-good, colourful and comic saga set in post war London from Sunday Times bestseller Pip Granger. 
 
"Packed with sharp authentic detail, this tale told through a child's eyes brings to life a colourful world of great characters from a bygone age." -- HOME &amp; COUNTRY 
"Loved this book. Could not put it down, read it in two sittings..." -- ***** Reader review 
"I enjoyed every minute of it and was sad when I finished it..." -- ***** Reader review 
 
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ALL WAS CALM AND NORMAL...UNTIL A STRANGER CAME INTO TOWN... 
 
1954, Soho, London. Rosie, and her beloved Auntie Maggie are opening up their café in Old Compton Street for Uncle Bert's breakfast special when the Widow Ginger comes to call. 
 
The Widow Ginger, an ex-GI with ice-cold blue eyes, is especially scary. He has unfinished business with Uncle Bert- business that includes being cheated on his share of a 'liberated' lorry-load of guns and explosives during the War - and he intends to make sure he now gets paid in full. 
 
And this isn't all: the lovely Luigi appears to be suffering from a severe case of unrequited lust; Bert and the local Mafioso Maltese Joe have had an acrimonious falling-out; and, most worrying of all, Rosie's best friend Jenny has begun to keel over mysteriously in the school playground.... 
 
The Widow Ginger continues Rosie's story (started in Not All Tarts Are Apples) and paints a picture of 1950s Soho so authentic you feel as though you are there...

The Widow Ginger

A heart-warming and upliftingly funny saga from the East End

Lesley Downer

The year is 1853, and a young Japanese girl’s world is about to be turned upside down. 
 
When black ships carrying barbarians arrive on the shores of Japan, the Satsuma clan’s way of life is threatened. But it’s not just the samurai who must come together to fight: the beautiful, headstrong Okatsu is also given a new destiny by her feudal lord – to save the realm. 
 
Armed only with a new name, Princess Atsu, as she is now known, journeys to the women’s palace of Edo Castle, a place so secret it cannot be marked on any map. Behind the palace’s immaculate façade, amid rumours of murder and whispers of ghosts, Atsu must uncover the secret of the man whose fate, it seems, is irrevocably linked to hers – the shogun himself – if she is to rescue her people . . .

The Shogun's Queen

The Shogun Quartet, Book 1

A young girl struggles to realise her dreams when her life is derailed - from the Sunday Times bestselling author Val Wood. 
--------------------- 
 
Holderness, 1846. 
 
For reliable, thirteen-year-old Bella, life isn't turning out quite as she'd hoped. She lives at the Woodman Inn - an ancient hostelry run by her family in the Yorkshire countryside - with her parents and siblings, but when she learns not only that her father is seriously ill, but that her mother is expecting a fifth child, her dreams of leaving home to become a schoolteacher are quickly dashed. 
 
Times are hard, and when their father dies Bella also has to take on the role of mother to her baby brother. Her days are brightened by the occasional visit from Jamie Lucan - the eighteen-year-old son of a wealthy landowning neighbour. Also grieving the loss of a parent, Jamie has more in common with Bella than she thinks. 
 
When her mother announces out of the blue that she wants to move the family to Hull, Bella is forced to leave the only home she has ever known. They arrive to find that the public house they are now committed to buying is run-down and dilapidated. Could things get any worse? Or could this move turn out to be a blessing in disguise for Bella? 
 
If you've liked books by Dilly Court and Katie Flynn, you'll love Val Wood's heartwarming stories of triumph over adversity. 
--------------------- 
 
Praise for Val Wood: 
 
'A heart-warming story filled with compelling action' Rosie Goodwin 
'Hull's answer to Catherine Cookson' BBC Radio 4's Front Row 
'Wonderfully fully-fleshed characters are the mainstay of [Val Wood's] stories' Peterborough Telegraph

The Innkeeper's Daughter

Emily was only five years old when she was sent away from her ma and pa and her brother Joe to go and live with old Granny Edwards. A loving and hard-working child, she goes into service when she is twelve at the house of Roger Francis, whose connections with Emily's own family prove to be closer than she could ever have guessed. Roger's daughter Deborah takes a great fancy to Emily, and when Emily has moved to another household in Hull she finds that her new employer's son Hugo is to marry Deborah. But Hugo, too, has taken a fancy to Emily, and dishonours and then betrays her to such an extent that she is imprisoned, tried and deported to Australia. But just when her fortunes seem to be at their lowest ebb, Emily is reunited with the one man who can save her from her miserable existence and bring her wealth and happiness.

Emily

gripping romantic saga from the Sunday Times bestseller

Perfect for fans of Bridgerton, Georgette Heyer and Jenny Hambly, this scintillating page-turner from #1 New York Times bestselling author Johanna Lindsey is the perfect historical romance to settle down with... 
 
"First rate romance" -- NEW YORK TIMES 
"A dreamspinner extraordinaire" -- ROMANTIC TIMES 
"Lindsey has mastered her craft, she creates fantasy...You want romance - you got it!" -- INSIDE BOOKS 
"What a whirlwind of passion, misunderstanding and adventure!" -- ***** Reader review 
"Superb writing and an amazing love story!" -- ***** Reader review 
 
******************************* 
 
WHEN PASSIONS RUN HIGH ON THE HIGH SEAS, WHO IS THE CAPTOR AND WHO THE CAPTIVE? 
 
When her mother's death leaves her devastated, Gabrielle Brooks sets sail from England to a Caribbean island in search of her estranged father - who, she is shocked to discover, has become a pirate. 
Three wonderful years follow, sailing and treasure hunting with her father, until he decides that she must return to London to find a proper husband. 
 
In London, Drew Anderson, a dashing American sea captain, is drawn to Gabrielle's fiery beauty. Anxious not to be tied down, he feigns indifference, and determined to win his attentions, Gabrielle vows revenge. Enlisting the help of her father's pirate cronies, Gabrielle commandeers Drew's ship and takes him prisoner. 
 
But as passion runs high on their sea voyage, it becomes difficult to tell who is truly the captor and who is the captive...

Captive Of My Desires

A sizzling and captivating romantic adventure from the #1 New York Times bestselling author Johanna Lindsey

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