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If you like Jenny Colgan, Milly Johnson and Trisha Ashley, you will love this brilliantly funny romantic comedy buzzing with…
speculation and scandal from bestselling author Judy Astley."Light, fast and funny...By the time you turn the last page you'll never be able to look your neighbour in the eye again" - PRIMA"A jaunty woman's read" - DAILY MAIL"Judy Astley's books are always a joy to read." -- ***** Reader review"Always look forward to reading this author's books. Never disappointed. They make me smile. My only trouble is when I finish it...There are no more to read as I've read them all!" -- ***** Reader review"Judy Astley is a brilliant writer, you get lost in her books. They are all brilliant in my opinion." -- ***** Reader review*******************************************************************************SCANDALOUS SECRETS SET A PEACEFUL VILLAGE ALIGHT...It was Heather's silver wedding anniversary. But this important milestone did not relate to her marriage to Tom, her often-absent airline pilot husband and father of their two teenage children. It was for her first marriage - a wildly romantic, secret affair, when, at 16, she and Iain - twelve years her senior and the heir to a Scottish baronetcy - had eloped immediately after her final school speech day.The marriage had not lasted twenty-five weeks, let alone years and it was As If It Never Happened.But secrets have a habit of coming out, and when a film crew arrives in the attractive Thamesside village where Heather and Tom live, Heather is horrified to find her ex-husband amongst them.As Heather and Iain meet again, many secrets jostle to be revealed, including Tom's own highly secret life. Heather, her daughter Kate and her mother Delia are all forced to reveal things which they never thought would need to be revealed, and their peaceful Oxfordshire village community rocks with speculation and scandal...A heart-warming Cockney saga from multi-million copy seller Mary Jane Staples. Perfect for fans of Maggie Ford, Kitty Neale and…
Katie Flynn. You won't be able to put it down! READERS ARE LOVING SERGEANT JOE!"Another fun read with some surprising twists and turns" - 5 STARS"A lovely story, and so funny I couldn't help but burst out laughing at times" - 5 STARS"Excellent read" - 5 STARS"A brilliant book...Mary Jane Staples brings her characters to life! Excellent!" - 5 STARS"Awesome - a lovely fun read" - 5 STARS***********************************************************************SHE'LL DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO KEEP HER FAMILY SAFE FROM HARM...Everyone likes Sergeant Joe. From the family with whom he has lodgings to the bookseller who employs him in a little lucrative and harmless forgery. He is a universal favourite.When he bumps into Dolly Smith - quite literally - he meets a girl who makes quite an impression on him. Dolly is quick, lively, and full of cockney cheek. She is also a little frightened - running from a vicious-looking thug and a sinister foreigner who seem to think she has stolen something valuable. When Joe takes Dolly under his wing he thinks he is just helping her in a momentary predicament. Little does he know his life is going to change forever... For Dolly, bewitching and beguiling - is involved in something quite dangerous...September Starlings: a tender but true to life saga about families and all they entail
By Ruth Hamilton. 1994
This moving and captivating novel will keep you glued to the page and invested from the off. From the SUNDAY…
TIMES BESTSELLER, Ruth Hamilton, perfect for fans of Catherine Cookson, Dilly Court and Josephine Cox.'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'This book breaks your heart, it is rare to find a book which stirs so many emotions.' - ***** Reader Review'I couldn't bear to turn off my Kindle... Another great read from Ruth.' - ***** Reader Review'Great story. Found myself not wanting to stop reading.' - ***** Reader Review****************************************************ONE WOMAN'S FIGHT TO FORGE HER OWN FUTURE...Laura Starling, now wealthy and successful, has survived a bitter past.She fled from a tyrannical mother into the clutches of a sadistic man. She endured poverty, fear and pain. Then along came Ben Starling, older, wiser, who smoothed her path and gave her love and security.But now Ben has become a stranger who has slipped beyond her reach. As her stability threatens to disintegrate once more, a thin, waif-like girl from Liverpool thrusts her way into Laura's life - a girl who is to prove a link with the past.But no one can help Laura make the decisions that will alter the course of her existence. As the September starlings gather, Laura realises she must take courage and forge her own future...Secrets of the Henna Girl
By Sufiya Ahmed. 2012
Life as Zeba knows it could be over for good . . .Zeba Khan is like any other sixteen-year-old girl:…
enjoying herself, waiting for exam results . . . and dreaming of the day she'll meet her one true love.Except her parents have other plans.In Pakistan for the summer, Zeba's world is shattered. Her future is threatened by an unthinkable - and forced - duty to protect her father's honour. But does she hold the secrets that will help her escape?** Sufiya Ahmed's stunning debut teenage book explores the illegal practice of forced marriage in Britain.** 10 million under 18s in the world become child brides every year.** The UK government's Forced Marriage Unit (FMU) receives over 1,700 calls from at-risk annually. Up to 15% of victims of forced marriage are male.The Secret Garden
By Frances Hodgson Burnett. 2012
Rediscover the favourite childhood classic.***With a heartwarming introduction by Sophie Dahl***What little girl can turn a whole household upside down…
and breathe new life back into a strange, old manor? The wonderfully contrary, strong-willed, angry, misunderstood Mary Lennox.When Mary Lennox is sent to Misselthwaite Manor to live with her uncle, everybody says she is the most disagreeable-looking child ever seen. It is true, too. Mary is pale, spoilt and quite contrary. But she is also horribly lonely. Then one day she hears about a garden in the grounds of the Manor that has been kept locked and hidden for years.And when a friendly robin helps Mary find the key, she discovers the most magical place anyone could imagine...'The book is brim full of magic and joy' Sunday TelegraphThe Secret
By Ruth Thomas. 1990
Mum knew she shouldn't have left the children alone. That was why she was hurrying home, running to catch the…
evening train. She was so worried about Nicky and Roy that she didn't hear the thief come up behind her; she didn't look carefully when she dashed across the road . . . Back at home Nicky is findingit harder and harder to reassure her younger brother Roy. Soon the children are running out of money and the neighbours are getting suspicious. But whatever happens, Nicky is certain of one thing - she will NEVER tell.Second From Last In The Sack Race: (Henry Pratt) (Henry Pratt #5)
By David Nobbs. 1983
Born into poverty, saddled with a born loser and parrot-strangler for a dad, short sighted and ungainly, young Henry Pratt…
doesn't exactly have a head start in life.But in David Nobbs’s brilliantly funny evocation of a Yorkshire boyhood, unathletic and over-imaginative little Pratt proves he can stick up for himself with the stoic good nature of the great British underdogThe Season: (Debutantes: 2): LOVE, HATE, ALLIES, ENEMIES. The Season begins
By Charlotte Bingham. 2001
An immensely readable drama of period society that you WILL NOT be able to put down. Authored by the million…
copy and Sunday Times bestselling author Charlotte Bingham, perfect for fans of Louise Douglas and Dinah Jefferies.'Bingham's imagination is thoroughly original' - DAILY MAIL'Charlotte Bingham...always tells a rattling good story...Pure escapism!' - Woman and Home'Pure delicious escapism' - ***** Reader review'The characters are so well developed with such an engaging story line. I wish there were more books in this series.' - ***** Reader review*********************************************************************************ALL IS FAIR IN LOVE AND WAR...Portia and Emily meet to launch their daughters on an unsuspecting Society for the London Season. Both are determined that their offspring, Phyllis and Edith, will catch the eye of their friend May's son, a future Duke.Meanwhile, their arch-enemy Daisy Lanford, fallen on hard times due to his own extravagance and penchant for lovers, is busy launching American heiresses. However, Phyllis, having formed an unholy alliance with Edith, is intent on spoiling the American girl's chances.As always, the Season is fraught with dangers for both the young and the middle-aged, while the old observe, knowing it has all gone on before.It will be a minor miracle if all three girls find husbands before the end of the Season, and their mothers renewed happiness...A delightfully touching and uplifting saga from the Sunday Times bestselling author Susan Sallis, perfect for fans of Maeve Binchy,…
Fiona Valpy and Rosamunde Pilcher.READERS ARE LOVING SEARCHING FOR TILLY!"I loved this story. Her style is flowing and she really knows how to make her characters come alive." - 5 STARS"This is one of the best books I have read, certainly another amazing one by Susan Sallis. It cleverly spans generations while pulling the generations together into one story. Mystery, with a touch of supernatural intrigue. Very clever, would read again. " - 5 STARS"Brilliant as usual" - 5 STARS*****************************************CAN REVELATIONS FROM THE PAST HELP THEM START A NEW LIFE?Three women came to the remote Cornish cottage that summer: Jenna, only twenty-six and grieving for the loss of the love of her life; her mother Caro, whose husband Steve had also died; and Laura, who had been married to Caro's beloved brother Geoff. The Widow's Cottage, the house where they were staying was called, and it was poignantly suitable.In that tiny Cornish community they discover strange memories of their ancestors, and especially of Tilly, Caro's mother, whose family history seemed to mirror so much of their own.They become swept up in the dramatic story of Tilly and her family, a story which takes them on an epic journey across the West Country and to the solution of an amazing family mystery.By the Sunday Times bestselling author and multi-million copy seller Susan Sallis, this is a beautiful and moving novel perfect…
for fans of Maeve Binchy, Lucinda Riley and Rosamunde Pilcher.READERS ARE LOVING SEA OF DREAMS!"A wonderful story. Highly recommend." - 5 STARS"A story that kept me wanting to turn the pages...I was hooked..." - 5 STARS"The story has great pace and I couldn't put it down." - 5 STARS**********************AS ONE MILLENNIUM ENDS, CAN THEY LOOK FORWARD TO A NEW AND BETTER WORLD? Somerset, Christmas 1999. Holly and Mark Jepson find themselves looking after an assortment of guests at Mark's uncle's holiday chalets.Each guest is fascinating in their own way - from the eccentric artist and his pretty daughter to the young married couple expecting their first baby and the wife escaping from a violent past.Each will have a part to play in the events - unexpected and shattering - which take place before the new millennium dawns...Perfect for fans of Dilly Court and Rosie Goodwin, this is the powerful fifth instalment of the Cordwainers series from…
bestselling author Iris Gower.READERS ARE LOVING THE CORDWAINERS!"I have really enjoyed reading this whole series...I would recommend the reading of any of the books by this author." - 5 STARS"Loved these books [-] definitely recommend this series: once you start you will want to read them all" - 5 STARS"You finish one book and you just have to start the next one." - 5 STARS"The best book I've read in a long time..."-Reader review"A great read - hard to put down" - 5 STARS*********************************WHEN HER WORLD IS TURNED UPSIDE DOWN, CAN SHE TAKE BACK CONTROL?Bridie leads what some might call 'a charmed life': a wealthy background, a convent education, and a father who eventually willed her a fleet of merchant sailing ships. When she marries Paul Marchant it seems a perfect match - for Paul, owner of a much smaller fleet of ships, could take care both of Bridie and of her business interests.But slowly Bridie begins to have her doubts about Paul, about his love, and about his business dealings. When his actions become too much to bear, Bridie decides she must fight back. With the help of Ellie Hopkins, she seeks to trap Paul in a web of his own making...In the dramatic events that follow, both Ellie and Bridie are nearly destroyed - can they find happiness with the men they love? Sea Mistress is the fifth title in Iris Gower's Cordwainers series. Have you read The Shoemaker's Daughter, The Oyster Catchers, Honey's Farm and Arian, the previous titles?The wonderful and heart-warming story of the Rising Family starts here in A Scattering of Daisies. Multi-million copy seller and…
Sunday Times bestselling author Susan Sallis expertly transports us back in time to the turn of the twentieth century and immerses us in the lives, loves and fluctuating fortunes of a family we'll never forget. Fans of Rosamunde Pilcher, Maeve Binchy and Fiona Valpy will not be disappointed.READERS ARE LOVING A SCATTERING OF DAISIES!'I have read this book so many times over the years, I just LOVE it!' -- ***** Reader review'An amazing inter-generational story that I kept reading way too fast' -- ***** Reader review'Excellent read, very enjoyable.' -- ***** Reader review'Loved this book [...], well written and down to earth. Just the way I like it!' -- ***** Reader review**************************************************************************************************ARE DREAMS AND DETERMINATION ENOUGH TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE?Will Rising had dragged himself from humble beginnings to his own small tailoring business in Gloucester - and on the way he'd fallen violently in love with Florence - who was refined, delicate, and wanting something better for her children.March was the eldest girl - the least loved: plain, unattractive and, with the best will in the world, the household drudge. Yet, as strange, intelligent and unhappy as she was, March had inherited some of her mother's dreams and she was determined to break out of the round of poverty and hard work, to find wealth, and love, and happiness.Did she have it in her to achieve her desires? And what could the future possibly hold in store?A Scattering of Daisies is the first book in the Rising Family sequence and is followed by The Daffodils of Newent, Bluebell Windows and Rosemary for Remembrance.School's Out: You Don’t Know Who Your Friends Are Until You Go On Holiday With Them
By Sarah Tucker. 2008
In school playgrounds across the country parents huddle in worried packs, desperately putting together their final plans to survive the…
summer weeks of mayhem - school is officially out! For once, Amanda has a simple, cheap and fail-safe plan to make it through the summer holidays with her three overexcited offspring. But a last-minute addition of fellow-mum Suzanne and her perfect son Orlando quickly shatters Amanda's vision of the quintessential bucket-and-spade summer adventure.In fact, before she even makes it to the picture-perfect Cornish idyll that is home to her one-time playground comrade Skyler, Amanda has to endure tantrums, floods, and an eerie B&B, all with three ratty kids and a carsick dog in tow. When they finally arrive, dishevelled and exhausted, she discovers that not only must she endure Suzanne at close quarters in a cramped cottage, but also that Skyler's business in dire need of a helping hand. In the weeks that ensue, Amanda discovers there is only one way to survive the summer holidays, and that's with a stiff drink, a pair of wellies and a bucket-full of bonhomie!The Scarlet Letter
By Nathaniel Hawthorne. 2008
'One of the greatest allegories in all literature' D.H. Lawrence Hester Prynne is a beautiful young woman. She is also…
an outcast. In the eyes of her neighbours she has committed an unforgivable sin. Everyone knows that her little daughter, Pearl, is the product of an illicit affair but no one knows the identity of Pearl's father. Hester's refusal to name him brings more condemnation upon her. But she stands strong in the face of public scorn, even when she is forced to wear the sign of her shame sewn onto her clothes: the scarlet letter 'A' for 'Adulteress'Saving Neverland
By Abi Elphinstone. 2023
'A wonderful whirlwind of magic and adventure, and every bit as enchanting as the original Peter Pan. I absolutely loved…
it!' Catherine DoyleNumber 14 Darlington Road, looks like a perfectly ordinary townhouse - at first glance, anyway, but magic is good at hiding . . . when it's waiting for the right person to discover it . . .Martha Pennydrop is ten, and desperate to grow up. But growing up is a tricky business. It means turning your back on imagination, fun and magic, because those were the things that led to the Terrible Day when something awful nearly happened to Martha's younger brother, Scruff, which would have been All Her Fault.But when Martha and Scruff discover a drawer full of mysterious gold dust in the bedroom of their new house - along with a window that's seemingly impossible to close - it's the start of an incredible adventure to a magical world: Neverland! The Pennydrop's new house used to belong to another family - the Darlings - who once visited this world themselves. Now Peter Pan is back, and in need of their help. Neverland is in the icy grip of a terrible curse - cast long ago by Captain Hook. And only Martha and Scruff can save it . . .A reluctant Martha and excited Scruff are swept off to Neverland and into the company of the Lost Kids. But when Scruff is kidnapped, Martha must rediscover all the imagination, magic and belief she has buried deep inside herself for so long, to save him - and Neverland itself.Praise for Saving Neverland'Abi Elphinstone's imagination is as colourful and enticing as a sweetshop. In reimagining Peter Pan, she blows fairy dust over the classic tale and makes it fly . . . the perfect bedtime story for children of all ages.' M.G. Leonard 'Saving Neverland soars with Joy' Piers Torday'An awfully big new adventure in Neverland that's icy, dicey, delightful and dazzling in equal measure!' Peter Bunzl 'Full of wit, wonder and high-stakes action, with the most brilliant cast of characters . . . a true classic and Abi Elphinstone's best book yet!' Emma Carroll 'Daring, joyful, funny' Maz EvansDiscover the emotionally gripping and uplifting page-turner that will put a smile on your face'Heart-breaking and full of hope' WOMAN…
& HOME 'Wonderful, compassionate, unpredictable' GRAEME SIMSION, author of THE ROSIE PROJECT 'I genuinely couldn't recommend Saturdays At Noon enough' 5***** READER REVIEW________EMILY JUST WANTS TO KEEP THE WORLD AWAY.After getting into trouble yet again, she's agreed to attend anger management classes. But she refuses to share her deepest secrets with a room full of strangers.JAKE JUST WANTS TO KEEP HIS FAMILY TOGETHER.He'll do anything to save his marriage and bond with his six-year-old son, Alfie. But when he's paired with spiky Emily, he wonders whether opening up will do more harm than good.The two of them couldn't be more different. Yet when Alfie, who never likes strangers, meets Emily, something extraordinary happens.COULD ONE SMALL BOY CHANGE EVERYTHING?_________'Totally loveable and completely unforgettable' CLAIRE POOLEY'I loved this book' KATIE FFORDEReaders LOVE Saturdays at Noon . . .'Such a special book . . . the characters jump off the page and pull you immediately into their world' 5***** Reader Review'This book was FANTASTIC. When I wasn't reading it I couldn't stop thinking about it' 5***** Reader Review'Outstanding. I have goosebumps typing this review . . . The story telling is the best I have read in a long time' 5***** Reader ReviewLonglisted for the Guardian's 'Not The Booker' prize!The Wife: A Novel (Ulverscroft Ser.)
By Meg Wolitzer. 2004
Now a major motion picture starring Glenn Close in her Golden Globe–winning role! One of bestselling author Meg Wolitzer&’s most…
beloved books—an &“acerbically funny&” (Entertainment Weekly) and &“intelligent…portrait of deception&” (The New York Times). The Wife is the story of the long and stormy marriage between a world-famous novelist, Joe Castleman, and his wife Joan, and the secret they&’ve kept for decades. The novel opens just as Joe is about to receive a prestigious international award, The Helsinki Prize, to honor his career as one of America&’s preeminent novelists. Joan, who has spent forty years subjugating her own literary talents to fan the flames of his career, finally decides to stop. Important and ambitious, The Wife is a sharp-eyed and compulsively readable story about a woman forced to confront the sacrifices she&’s made in order to achieve the life she thought she wanted. &“A rollicking, perfectly pitched triumph…Wolitzer&’s talent for comedy of manners reaches a heady high&” (Los Angeles Times), in this wise and candid look at the choices all men and women make—in marriage, work, and life.Heart Song (Logan #2)
By V. C. Andrews. 1997
From #1 bestselling author V.C. Andrews (Flowers in the Attic, My Sweet Audrina) comes the second book in the captivating…
Logan series...Melody Logan was as alone as a solitary gull, with only the wild Atlantic wind to lift her spirits... When Melody Logan's mother died in a car accident, Melody lost the last shred of family she had ever known. She was practically a stranger to the Logans, her wealthy relatives on Cape Cod, where she now drifted on a sea of dark secrets. In the eyes of gentle Aunt Sara, Melody was a replacement for her dead daughter, while for Uncle Jacob she was a reminder of the family's shameful past. Only good-hearted Cary seemed to care, and since it was revealed that she and Cary weren't truly cousins, the affection that had always surged between them now crested in thrilling waves. But Melody knew she could never truly echo Cary's loving promises until she discovered her own buried identity. Despite Grandma Olivia's dagger-like threats, Melody sought out Belinda, a mysterious, half-crazy woman who was her real grandmother. Belinda gave Melody hope — and a glimmer of the pearls of truth she knew were hidden in the shifting Cape Cod sands. Somehow, someday, the story of her past would be her hard-won treasure, to be savored in a world of sunshine and happiness...where she truly belonged.Sami's Silver Lining (The Lost and Found)
By Cathy Cassidy. 2018
The must-have second book in the brilliant Lost and Found series from Cathy Cassidy, bestselling author of the Chocolate Box…
Girls. Forced to flee his home in Syria for safety in England, Sami attempts to begin a new life but struggles to overcome the pain of the past. Memories of the long and dangerous journey across icy waters, armed with only his dad's old coat, a flute and the hope of a brighter future, are never far away.Can his new friends in the Lost and Found band and a blossoming romance with the girl of his dreams melt his frozen heart or is it too late to find a silver lining?Praise for Cathy's books: Touching, tender and unforgettable. GuardianRosemary for Remembrance concludes the story of the Rising Girls, begun in A Scattering of Daisies, The Daffodils of Newent…
and Bluebell Windows. Fans of Rosamunde Pilcher, Maeve Binchy and Fiona Valpy will love this enthralling and engrossing saga from multi-million copy seller and Sunday Times bestselling author Susan Sallis, that expertly captures the lives and emotions of a family plunged into the trials and tribulations of World War Two.WHAT READERS ARE SAYING!'Excellent read, very enjoyable' - 5 STARS'Wonderful' - 5 STARS'I love her books and the way that she takes you right into the story...You can tell I am a big fan!' - 5 STARS'Susan Sallis is a legend' - 5 STARS'So well-written and un-put-downable, thanks for another amazing story' - 5 STARS***************************************************************ON THE EVE OF WAR, WILL THE FAMILY PULL THROUGH?As the war breaks out, the Rising family - on the surface so united, so serene - tries to hold down the secrets of the past.March, the eldest, is separated from her son.Albert has run from all of them on discovering the truth about his birth and now he tries to drown his bitterness and anger in fighting the Luftwaffe in the skies over Britain.April's shy and gentle daughter, Davina, can never understand why Albert has left her without explanation, without saying goodbye.And Victor, the talented, ebullient soldier son of May, watches the two cousins - knowing their secret, loving them both, trusting that the strength of the family will pull them through.IT'S A BATTLE FOR SURVIVAL ON BOTH FRONTS.