1694 Books
Set in a charming little Scottish town, The Bookshop of Second Chances is an uplifting story of fresh starts and new beginnings by a hugely talented debut author. Thea’s having a bad month. Not only has she been made redundant, she’s also discovered her husband of nearly twenty years is sleeping with one of her friends. And he’s not sorry – he’s leaving. Bewildered and lost, Thea doesn’t know what to do. But, when she learns the great-uncle she barely knew has died and left her his huge collection of second-hand books and a house in the Scottish Lowlands, she seems to have been offered a second chance. Running away to a little town where no one knows her seems like exactly what Thea needs. But when she meets the aristocratic Maltravers brothers – grumpy bookshop owner Edward and his estranged brother Charles, Lord Hollinshaw – her new life quickly becomes just as complicated as the life she was running from... An enchanting story of Scottish lords, second-hand books, new beginnings and second chances perfect for fans of Cressida McLaughlin, Veronica Henry, Rachel Lucas and Jenny Colgan. 'How much do I love this book? So, so much. Refreshing and romantic, it's an absolute cracker!' HEIDI SWAIN, Sunday Times bestselling author 'A gorgeous, tip-top, pitch-perfect romantic read - I loved it!' RACHEL HORE, Sunday Times bestselling author 'The Bookshop of Second Chances has lifted my heart more than anything I’ve read for a very long time. It’s funny, clever, well written, warm, joyful and comforting. I could rave about it all day!' IONA GREY, bestselling author of Letters to the Lost 'An escapist romance that glows with warmth! I loved it.' CARMEL HARRINGTON, bestselling author of A Thousand Roads Home 'A real winner with so much heart and a wonderfully relatable heroine.' CHRISTINA PISHIRIS, author of Love Songs for Sceptics
Three women. Three secrets. Three tangled lives... With her inimitable warmth and wisdom, Cathy Kelly shows us that in the messy reality of marriage, family, and romance, sometimes it's the women in our lives who hold us together.
The East-End stories that inspired the BBC TV series, CALL THE MIDWIFE, in a gorgeous gift box. London's East End in the 1950s was a tough place: the struggles of post-war life - bombsites, overcrowded tenements, crime, brothels - bred a culture of tight-knit family communities, larger-than-life characters and a lively social scene. It was into this world that Jennifer Worth entered as a trainee midwife. But docklands life was tough, and babies were often born in slum conditions. In funny, disturbing and heartbreaking stories, Jennifer Worth recounts her time among nuns, prostitutes, abortionists, bigamists, gangsters and expectant mothers, portraying East Enders' amazing resilience - and their warmth and humour in the face of hardship. Written with affection and nostalgia, her midwife stories chronicle the lives, traditions and tales of a bygone era.
Volume XXX11
Can love and friendship survive hardship and war?Following the gripping story of the Ryan family in Margaret Dickinson's top ten bestseller The Buffer Girls, Daughters of Courage sees Emily and Trip fight to keep their new life afloat in the turbulent 1930s.Emily Ryan has gone up in the world since her arrival in Sheffield. Brought there by her mother's ambitious schemes for her brother, Josh, she had found work as a buffer girl polishing cutlery in the city's famous trade. With the help of a friend, Nell, Emily eventually set up her own buffing business employing those with whom she had once worked.Married to Thomas Trippet - 'Trip' to his friends - they plan to build a life together, but when Lucy, Nell's daughter, disappears it seems that the menace from the past is never very far away. Trip is now a partner with his half-brother in the Trippet family's cutlery manufacturing business, but their success is threatened by the Great Depression of the 1930s. Can Emily keep their family and friends safe from the shadow of unemployment?And then comes the threat of another war . . .
‘I wondered if I was dying. I wasn’t afraid to die but, such was the pain in my gut, I wished it would happen soon.’ The night before the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket sees the great and the good of the horse-racing community gathered for a prestigious black-tie Gala dinner. It is a fitting testament to the glamour of the occasion that top chef Max Moreton is cooking the evening’s meal. Max is something of a celebrity in Newmarket circles. He is founder of the racing town’s favourite Michelin-starred restaurant, the Hay Net. However, spending the night retching in the throes of agony is the last thing Max expects. But much worse is to come...his food is suspected of putting twenty-four of the dinner guests in hospital. Max’s pride and professionalism tells him all is not as it seems. Within hours, Max’s restaurant is forcibly closed, his reputation teeters on the brink of ruin, and a court case looms. But the day is far from over, and soon Max Moreton finds himself desperately fighting for more than just his livelihood... Dead Heat is the latest searing, intrigue-filled blockbuster from the Grand Master of thriller writing.
'Brilliant, funny and immensely moving' Catherine Isaac, author of You, Me, Everything 'Well, that was a tearjerker! Anna McPartlin's Below the Big Blue Sky is a MORE than worthy follow-up to The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes' Marian Keyes *** There's no family quite like the Hayes, and yet they're just like any other - they love each other, they look out for each other and they drive each other mad. When their youngest, Rabbit, dies tragically at just forty, the Hayes are almost torn apart by their grief. Without her beloved mum, twelve-year-old Bunny is adrift; without Rabbit, there can be no Bunny. Her Granny is concerned when Bunny insists on being called by her real name, Juliet. Even surrounded by the noise and chaos of the Hayes, Juliet feels lost and alone. Meanwhile, Rabbit's sister Grace has something else on her mind. She's got the gene that made her sister ill, and she hasn't told anyone yet. All she can think about are the things she's always wanted to do, like fly a plane or climb a mountain, or watch her four children grow up. She doesn't know how to share the news that may break her family, but she knows she needs their support, now more than ever. Despite squabbling over what Rabbit will wear at the wake and their dad burying himself in the past with his diaries, the Hayes family know there's only one way they'll get through this: together. This huge-hearted novel is about grief, family, the messiness of life and finding humour in the most unexpected of places. Below the Big Blue Sky will make you laugh, cry and fill you with joy. Look out for Anna McPartlin's new novel Waiting for the Miracle. ***What readers have been saying about Below the Big Blue Sky*** 'Equally heartbreaking and hilarious' 'You will laugh, you will cry and you will laugh while crying' 'A real, raw, beautiful depiction of life, love and loss' 'The story has us laughing, crying and on the edge of our seats' 'A beautiful story, beautifully written' 'You'll howl laughing and bawl crying, even on the same page' 'A truly wonderful read' 'It is OK to laugh while grieving' 'Fantastically funny and heartbreaking in equal measure' 'Big-hearted, amusing, compassionate, emotional' '#RememberRabbitHayes' 'Moving, heartbreaking and funny' 'I love, love, love the Hayes family' 'Desperately sad, hilariously funny and incredibly moving all at the same time'
The new science of a lost art
'Jennie Felton knows how to tell a cracking story and keep the reader gripped... if you enjoy reading books in the style of Catherine Cookson then this one is for you' Books With Wine and Chocolate 'Another superbly woven and character-rich story from a saga author who writes from the heart' Peterborough Telegraph 'Packed full of Jennie's signature strong heroines, this book will keep you guessing' MNR Journal In the grand tradition of Josephine Cox, Dilly Court and Rosie Goodwin, comes a powerfully heartrending new saga from Jennie Felton, 'one of the nation's favourite saga writers' (Lancashire Post). A Mother's Sacrifice is a story of family secrets, romance, and triumph in adversity. ................................................................................ Will she be able to save her children? Martha Packer is much loved by everyone in the village of Hillsbridge. As the landlady of The Three Feathers, she runs a respectable establishment and is known for her generosity and care for her family and others around her - she even took in two orphan girls to save them from a life of cruelty in the workhouse. So when Martha announces that she has killed her son, Garth, the community is shocked. Garth was undoubtedly a bad seed, but they knew how much Martha adored her first-born. What could have driven her to such extreme actions? Martha refuses to give a reason, but her other children cannot believe their mother is capable of murder. They begin to believe that she is protecting someone - maybe even one of them... ................................................................................ For more heartwrenching, heartwarming saga, look out for The Stolen Child, out now! And don't miss Jennie's Families of Fairley Terrace series, which began with Maggie's story in All The Dark Secrets and continued with Lucy's story in The Miner's Daughter, Edie's story in The Girl Below Stairs, Carina's story in The Widow's Promise and Laurel's story in The Sister's Secret.