A young girl's tragic loss will shape her dreams and her future... 1930 - Douro Valley, Portugal Twelve-year-old Catherine is watching the Rabalo race in Porto when the sound of a shot being fired changes her life forever. Her beloved mother, mistress for some years to Walter Shellard, a Bristol based wine and port merchant has received distressing news that her lover, Walter, has married a wealthy heiress. In her anguish she takes her own life, leaving poor Catherine alone and heartbroken. Angry and grieving, Catherine is sent to live under the guardianship of her eccentric Aunt Lopa in a small farmhouse high above the rich vineyards of the Douro valley. Here, she learns to adapt to her new life and her strange aunt but still blames her father, a man she barely knows, for her mother's tragic death. Coming of age, beautiful Catherine is summoned to Bristol by her estranged father who presumes she'll be as malleable as most other women. But Catherine is her father's daughter, as strong as he is and still thirsting for revenge.
She must face the terror of war alone to survive... 1939 - India When headstrong Nadine Burton learns that the woman she thought was her Indian Ayah was in fact her mother, she rebels against her father in a flamboyant display of disrespect and dares to dance with her two local best friends at a public party. Her father, local official, Roland Frederick Burton is furious. He arranges for her to be exiled from India and married off to Australian Martin McPherson, owner of a rubber plantation north of Singapore. Within a year Singapore falls to the Japanese. Martin is killed and Nadine becomes a prisoner of war, imprisoned in Sumatra, where her dancing skills don't go unnoticed by the captors. Amidst the horror she finds a friend in a Japanese American major caught up in the war whilst visiting his grandparents in Japan. Much like her, he straddles two cultures and worlds. As their love deepens, boundaries are crossed and together they must unite to survive.
A perfect new start in Cornwall... Meredith's life is at a standstill. She's stuck in a dead-end job, approaching fifty, and her dating life is a string of disasters. But one evening, while browsing the internet, she sees an ad for a lighthouse, and in a moment of impulsiveness, she makes a ridiculous bid for it. With the help of local handyman Clem, she sets about renovating. And as they work together, a bond begins to form. But when Meredith finds out that Clem is keeping a secret from her, it changes everything. Will they find a way to build something more meaningful together?
Gabriella Jacques, is happy to be back in her childhood home, Villa Espoir in the South of France ready to embrace fresh experiences with friends new and old and to heal some deep family scars. Recently widowed Harriet Rogers, hopes to rebuild her family life and reconnect with Elodie, the daughter she abandoned into her mother Gabby's care to follow her heart. But when an acquaintance from the past seeks her out, Harriet fears a secret from her past will ruin her plans. Elodie Jacques, adores her new life in her Grandmother's old home as a freelance journalist. Her relationship with her mother is tense as she struggles to understand why her mother won't talk to her about the past, as until their past is resolved, there can be no future. Will these three women, all living under the same roof after two decades adrift be able to put aside the past and find harmony in the present together?
Sometimes when you can't see the way forwards, the best thing to do is to look back... When Jessie left home at eighteen, she swore she'd never go back. But when life takes a turn for the complicated, she's forced to move in with her twin, Isaac, and his two best friends. To her dismay, one of these is Elliot, the boy Jessie once loved, until his life was changed forever by a terrible accident that Jessie still blames herself for. Cohabiting with three alarmingly unhouse-trained males was not in Jessie's life plan so when Isaac, Elliot and Arthur offer her a generous rent discount if she'll help them with their 'Boys to Men Project', designed to end years of disastrous dating, she reluctantly accepts the challenge. As Jessie embraces the comfort of being home, revelling in her new job at her parents' day centre full of people determined to grow old disgracefully, she realises her housemates aren't the only ones needing to make some changes. And maybe, if she can finally forgive herself for Elliot's accident, she can start to look forward to a future, with or without him by her side.
Welcome to Winters End... Winters End should have been the perfect place for me and my husband Neil to start again. To leave the terrible secrets and guilt of our past far behind us. But from the moment we arrived in the small, isolated community, it becomes clear to me that we are not welcome here. That someone wants us to leave... I'm certain that everyone knows our secrets - knows who we really are. But how can that be? Perhaps it's my mind playing tricks on me. Just like before. I know Neil thinks I'm paranoid. My thoughts spiralling. Again. If only I had someone else to talk to. Another woman to confide in. And that's when I realise something far more terrifying. I am the only wife at Winters End...and I could be the last...
I have no idea why he thinks I had anything to do with Danielle's accident. My only crime was being in the vicinity when she fell down the stairs. Being forced into therapy for stalking, though, is well over the top. But my therapist, Justine, is quite the character. I know what she wants to hear, and I'm also a master at playing the system. When she twigs what's really on my mind, she might not be so cool. I'm starting to enjoy watching her try to unravel my secrets. And make no mistake, there are plenty of dark corners to explore...
Mercy Alexander doesn't believe in love, let alone love at first sight. There's one sure fire way of steering clear of heartbreak, and that's not to get your heart involved in the first place. So what is that irritating flutter she feels every time she sees Brooks Hudson, and why is she finding him so hard to ignore? Brooks Hudson can't understand where he's going wrong. Doting single father to six-year-old Ali, supportive co-parent with his ex, much-loved friend and respected colleague, not to mention he's smoking hot. So why is he constantly being dumped, told in no uncertain terms he's 'too nice'? Since when was being nice a crime? Mercy is in serious need of someone to restore her faith in men, and Brooks needs a girl he likes to stick around long enough for him to believe in love again. But when Mercy's past threatens to remind her of everything she's scared of, will love be enough to save the day?
Appearances can be deceptive... I was taught that life is pain. That love is pain. It was unavoidable. Acceptable. I never had anything, or anyone I could count on. Not really. Not even myself. Until I met Dr Menon... To the outside world Lauren Taylor's relationship with her boyfriend Josh is perfect. He is supportive and loving and has been there for Lauren during her darkest moments. But behind closed doors, secrets and lies can be hidden... And when Lauren wakes up in a hospital bed and is told Josh is missing, those secrets come bubbling up to the surface. Because the police think Lauren knows exactly what's happened to Josh; that she could even be capable of his murder... The only person who believes in Lauren's innocence is Dr Menon, who has cared for Lauren as his patient for the last few weeks. He can't believe she's capable of murder. He knows just how good she really is. Isn't she?
A murder shocks the small town of Walden. And it's only the beginning... Walden, 1921. Local reporter Iris Woodmore is determined to save her beloved lake, Waldenmere, from destruction. After a bloody and expensive war, the British Army can't afford to keep the lake and build a convalescent home on its shores yet they still battle with Walden Council and a railway company for ownership. But an old mansion used as an officer training academy stands where the railway company plans to build a lakeside hotel. It belongs to General Cheverton - and he won't leave his home. When the General is found murdered, it appears someone will stop at nothing to win the fight for Waldenmere. Iris thinks she can take on the might of the railway company and find the killer. But nothing prepares her for the devastation that's to come...
Edinburgh 1896 Amy Alardyce's once-perfect life is in tatters. Her eldest son, Robert, has come of age, become the master of his own home, and married his childhood love Jane. But with maturity has come a terrible legacy, and the dark desires Robert inherited from his evil father Matthew, are fighting to get loose. Whilst Jane is working hard to get her and Robert accepted into fashionable society, poor women are being hunted on the streets of Edinburgh, and Amy fears her son is to blame. And once the infamous Inspector Murphy takes up the case, Amy has to face a stark choice - denounce her son as a monster or risk her own safety to protect him from the consequences of his lethal actions.
The opponents: mothers vs. daughters The battle scene: a boutique changing room Fashion-guru Annie's well-dressed world is falling apart - first she has lost her legendary sense of style, and now her daughter Lauren seems to have become her worst enemy. Even her multi-millionairess friend, Svetlana, is having daughter trouble - she's at war with Elena over their business in New York. A trip to a luxurious Italian spa seems like the perfect way for Annie to forget her problems. But celery juice and Pilates can't solve the disasters that are about to strike... Will Annie rescue her passion for fashion? And can mothers and daughters ever truly be friends?
After a rough year, the last place Lizzie Warner wants to be is Roseford. It may be a picture-postcard country idyll, but for Lizzie it will always hold difficult memories from her past. But when the alternative to staying with her Aunt Bee, owner of Roseford Blooms, is moving back in with her controlling parents - well, the choice is easy. Simon Treloar was born and raised to be the Lord of the Manor, but now he's had to hand over his beloved Roseford Hall to a heritage charity, he begins to question his usefulness. Can he find a way to make his mark, or is it better to walk away from generations of history and strike out on his own? When Lizzie and Simon meet, they recognise kindred spirits in each other. But with both questioning their futures, can one magical summer in Roseford help Lizzie and Simon move on from what is holding them back? Or is there too much history on both sides for them ever truly to be happy together?
Sophie and Hector are heading to the Highlands. For Sophie it's a trip home and for Hector it's time to meet Sophie's parents... Though their trip has village tongues wagging about a stop at Scotland's notorious elopement spot, Gretna Green. No matter what, it'll make a nice break from the murder and mayhem that has been plaguing their beautiful Cotswolds village. But Sophie and Hector are barely across the border on the way to Inverness before a sinister encounter leaves them shaken. Then comes a series of mishaps that leave poor Hector a little worse for wear. Is someone after Hector? Why is he certain the attacks are just accidents? Sophie is determined to find out.
The black sheep is coming home for her sister's wedding. One week with the whole family in one house. What could possibly go wrong? Poppy is a therapist. You'd think her parents would be proud. But Poppy is the type of therapist that makes her mother cringe - she helps people with their, ahem, bedroom problems... Normally Poppy deals with her difficult family - two parents, one brother, a couple of sisters and an assortment of nieces and nephews - by keeping a county or two between her and them. But with her little sister about to get married there's no avoiding the week-long family holiday in Cornwall. The trip was always going to be a catastrophe, but Poppy never imagined how much her family needed her professional skills... Nor did she expect to meet a sexy surfer on what was supposed to be the most unromantic holiday ever. Can a nightmare holiday lead to the love of a lifetime?
Secrets can't stay hidden forever... After six years in prison for a crime he did not commit, Sebastian Carter is out and determined to get answers about who set him up. He knows it's someone close to him and Sebastian will make sure they pay. Ava Harper is living a lie. Although she loves her job caring for young Lily Carter, her real reason for being in the Carter household is to get answers of her own - from none other than convicted murderer Sebastian. Sebastian hates liars, but he's intrigued by Ava. As he gets to know more about her, he wonders if the answers she's looking for could solve his mystery too. Or will getting too close to Ava risk them both getting killed...?
Is it the end of their love story or just the beginning? Callum and Alice McClaren have spent two wonderful years building a life and a home and making plans for a future together. But when Alice is involved in a car crash, Callum fears that he has lost her forever. As he sits by her bedside he promises he'll do anything if only she'll open her eyes... But when Alice does finally wake up, she has absolutely no memory of being in love with Callum or the life they once shared. In fact, all she remembers about him is how incredibly annoying he once was! How can she have forgotten him if she really did love him so deeply? Callum is determined to prove to Alice that what they had was special, so he makes her a deal: he'll recreate their first ten dates and make her fall in love with him all over again! Alice isn't sure Callum can fill in all the gaps in their story. And what if going back to the start only means the end?
On paper, Hope Travers has an idyllic life. Living in a bustling farmhouse with her mum, aunt and uncles, cousin and too many dogs to count, surrounded by the breath-taking Cotswolds countryside, she knows she is privileged and protected. But all families have secrets, and the Travers family are no exception. Their farmhouse sits in the grounds of the Juniper Meadows estate, passed down through the generations and now being made to pay its own way with a myriad of businesses and projects. When a construction crew uncover what appear to be historical ruins, the history of the Travers family is put under ever closer scrutiny as a dig gets underway. Hope may have found a blossoming romance with local archaeologist Cameron Ferguson who is running the dig, but when things start to go wrong around the estate and family secrets begin to be revealed, Hope wonders if she's made a big mistake in digging up the past.
Island life suits Susan, and she can't imagine ever moving from her beloved Isle of Wight. So it gives her real pleasure to see her young lodger Colette settle in to life by the sea, especially knowing that she has such a troubled past. Susan's days are comfortingly routine, starting every morning by exercising her beloved Rocco on Ventnor beach with her fellow dog walkers. The group may have bonded over their fondness for their canine companions, but over time their friendships have deepened. So, when Colette dies in suspicious circumstances at Castle Cove, Susan is devastated to realise that the dog walking group were the last to see Colette alive, and one of her friends must have been responsible for her death. And when Susan begins to suspect that the police are minded to put Colette's death down to an accident, Susan decides she won't rest until she solves the mystery and finds the murderer.
The fight for a torn Kingdom rests in the hands of a few brave men... 990AD. King Aethelred II, who men will one day call The Unready, rules over a land divided by the shadowy spin of his mother Queen Ælfthryth and the sprawling power of the Church. The Viking Warlord, Olaf Tryggvason smelling the Kingdoms weakness brings the vicious Jomsvikings to the Saxon coastline ravenous for war and plunder. Together Lord Byrthnoth, Ealdorman of the East Saxons and Beornoth his Saxon Thegn lead a force of oath sworn Viking killers, every bit as brutal and war-skilled as the Norse invaders to protect the Kingdom against enemies both from within, and from the cruel seas. They are pushed to the very limits of their bravery and endurance in a desperate fight for the very existence of the Saxon Kingdom. In a riveting story of treachery, betrayal, vengeance and war, can Beornoth defeat his enemies and protect the Kingdom from destruction?
Mead House was once our childhood home. Despite my fears, I always knew we would have to return to face the demons of our past. Back to the place where it happened, to where, as carefree teenagers, we lost our elder sister in the most brutal of circumstances. As executors of our grandmother's will, my twin brother, Ollie, and I needed to empty the house for resale. What I didn't expect to discover was my sister's secret journal that contained her most private thoughts and shocking dark secrets. Now I am questioning everything that I saw that night. Did I get it wrong, who I saw? Did my evidence send an innocent man, my then boyfriend's brother, to jail for the last 17 years? I know I have no choice. If I want to find answers, I will have to go back to that fateful night my sister died. When she made her last visit to the summer house.
There's nothing a mother wouldn't do for her children - even if it means telling a lie... Sisters Georgie and Kate have always been close. Brought up by their mum Jan after the death of their father, this family of women have always been able to rely on each other. Jan loves her daughters with all her heart. She knows some people think she's an over-protective mother, but they didn't know what she knows. She has always kept her girls close but now she can feel them slipping away. Secrets have a nasty habit of refusing to stay hidden, and now Georgie and Kate are about to discover that while lies can cause pain, the truth could destroy them all. Two beloved girls. The mother who adores him. The secret that could tear them apart.
Tony Lambrianu might look like he's sitting pretty, but when you're the kingpin of a gangland empire you have to keep your guard up at all times. Deceit and betrayal lurk around every corner... With threats looming from all sides, he is about to find out just who his real enemies are. Meanwhile, Tony's twin daughters, Scarlet and Katie Lambrianu have their sights set on building their own empire and establishing a Lambrianu legacy of their own...but will it cost them everything? As Tony fights for personal survival and to protect his family danger comes from unexpected places. It seems everyone is willing to resort to dirty dealings...but how low will Tony go to avoid the devastating consequences of failure?
Bella is happiest running her tiny antique business from the front room of her cottage on the boardwalk. To ensure she has enough income coming in, she also rents out two of her bedrooms and is hiding a secret crush on one of her lodgers. His name is Jack Collins and he also happens to be her best friend Sacha's brother. If life wasn't complicated enough, her world-travelling mother appears on her doorstep on the same evening that Jack's ex-fiancée arrives on the boardwalk determined to win him back. Bella has a lot of thinking to do and soon discovers that not all gems sparkle.
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