The history of the Alardyce family is fraught with scandal and intrigue. But after her eldest son Robert leaves the country, finally Amy Alardyce can enjoy some peace. Robert is wanted by the police for some unspeakable crimes, and his family hope he has run far enough and never looks back. A decade after his disappearance, Robert has forged a successful life for himself, making his fortune from the diamond and gold mines of Africa. But when he sees a death notice in the newspaper, the call to go home to Scotland grows ever louder. At Alardyce House, there are big changes too, and the fragile peace the family have enjoyed for so long is feeling more fragile than ever. And as the past comes back to haunt Amy and her children, will she have to finally accept that the curse of the Alardyce family can never be outrun...

As war looms in Europe, 18-year-old Jane Shaw, runs the household as an unpaid servant on a meagre budget. When tragedy strikes and she loses her beloved younger brother in suspicious circumstances, Jane takes a position in service looking after Ned, a troubled young boy. Here she meets dashing David Heron, Ned's Uncle and they form an immediate attachment until she is dismissed after being accused of stealing a piece of jewellery. Returning home, Jane and her sister, Melia are soon orphaned and left at the mercy of their Aunt Alice. When War breaks out Jane decides to strike out on her own and do her bit for King and Country in the Nursing Corp. Here, despite the terrible conditions she finds her true vocation and her one true love. But Jane's destiny has many more twists and turns to come. Will Jane ever find her peace and get her happy-ever-after? And where does her destiny lie and with whom?

She's on trial for murder... Now it's her turn to tell her story... The truth is that I loved James with my whole heart. We were soulmates: meant to be together forever. On the morning of our wedding, I had just found out I was carrying his child. But it's time to tell my side of the story. It's time everyone knew what happened on that wedding day, on our honeymoon, and on that fateful last drive together. It's time everyone found out about the secrets and about the threat that loomed over our marriage. It's time everyone found out who really killed James. And I need everyone to believe me. To believe I'm not a killer. Because if they don't, then my baby won't just have no father...she'll have no mother.

After spending her childhood in care, Eva is desperate to find her birth parents and to get some closure on her difficult past. And so she finishes her relationship with boyfriend Gareth, leaves her home in London, and heads to Whitby in search of the family she has never known. But Eva's close friend, Celia is worried. Eva has stopped answering her calls and when Celia travels to London to speak to her she realises Eva has moved without telling anyone. Both women have been badly damaged by their childhoods, and Celia makes the decision to follow Eva to Whitby, concerned that Eva is unravelling... Gareth, furious that Eva ended things the way she did also decides to go in search of his missing girlfriend. But it is the start of a lethal situation. But who exactly is Eva and why is Celia so concerned about her friend?

Chamber Cottage holds many dark secrets... Struggling to overcome their marital problems, Alec and Peggy hoped their new life at Chamber cottage would be the retreat they both needed to recover. Both damaged by issues from their childhoods, they are trying to get on with their lives as best they can, but they can't help feeling that they are being watched... Peggy, already paranoid because of the terrible scars that mark her face, becomes even more agoraphobic and retreat further into the stone walls of the cottage, hoping it will keep her safe. Then Peggy discovers that her estranged mother is stalking her and Alec, claiming she has a dark secret that is putting Peggy's life in danger. And now Peggy doesn't know who to trust...

Welcome back to Little Woodville It's summer in the quaint Cotswold village of Little Woodville and for Morgan Rosewood it's time to say goodbye to the village she grew up in and follow her dream of moving to Europe. But first she needs to take care of her late mother's vintage market stall. Yet, working at the stall may just teach her a thing or two about those closest to her, herself, and someone quite unexpected. Nate Dalton keeps his true passion a secret from most people until he arranges to have a market stall on Snowdrop Lane. And it isn't only his passion he keeps to himself. He's become accustomed to being on his own, thinks it's best all round if he stays that way. He's hurt people in the past and doesn't want to be that person anymore. Join Morgan and Nate on Snowdrop Lane and find out how the beautiful little Cotswold village might just teach them both what's most important to them.

I always thought I was going to be a girl who did something. I was going to run my own business and find fame and fortune! Fall in love... But here I am. Still waiting for it all to happen, sitting on the floor, surrounded by lilies and roses, trying to do my best friend's wedding flowers because - in her words - 'how hard can it be, Frankie?'. The answer is actually 'very hard' but it's not the only thing that's tough right now. My boyfriend won't commit, I barely have a job, and once again I have the hangover from hell... What I don't know is that life's about to throw me a curveball a new friend I will make with a beautiful, sad-eyed little boy who is so very tragically ill. I still don't know about that heartbreak. Even so, in this moment, I know that it's time for some changes. Maybe it's time to make my dreams come true? To try to become a marathon-running, healthy-living, wildly-in-love florist-to-the-stars! Because I'm beginning to realise that you only get one chance at life. I don't yet know how you change everything, all at once, but what I do know is it all starts with me...

Always trust your very basic instincts or prepare for the consequences... It was surreal returning to work after a sabbatical following the suspicious death of my best friend Livvy. On my return to the company apartment, I was surprised to find Livvy's replacement, Amanda Dowd, firmly entrenched as my new flatmate. She'd seemingly appeared out of nowhere. But something didn't feel right. I felt on edge. Everyone seemed to love Amanda, even my ex-Jayden was blinded by her outgoing personality and model-like looks. Yet her desperation to become friends felt unnatural. When I began to receive calls, photos and presents from Livvy, I became spooked. Someone was targeting me, watching me. With my job, home and life on the line, I had to find out who was doing this to me and why. I hadn't caused Livvy's death but still believed it was no accident. Someone else was guilty and I had to find out who before I was next.

Special delivery for Miss Holly Berry A successful summer has seen Holly's shop thriving for the first time since she bought it, and she has high hopes for the future of Just One More. However, it is not only her business prowess that has been growing. In a little over a month she will be trying to run the shop with a baby on her hip. If only her love life was so easily managed. With things far from solid with Ben, and Giles back on the scene, Holly might find herself changing more than nappies...

Life has finally settled down for Holly Berry, but when things start to go awry for those around her, will she be able to come to the rescue? Holly's family has always been there for her, and when her dad is made redundant she is only too happy to help out. But giving her father a job wasn't quite what she had in mind. And when she tries to involve herself with Ben's family, tensions rise quicker than one of her delicious cakes. Will family complications be too much for her blossoming relationship or is this the next step on the path to happy ever after?

A darkness settles on this supposedly quiet street... When Clare becomes a widow, her response is something that shocks her - relief. All she wants to do is move on and figure out how to continue her life, alone, no matter the guilt that brings. So when Vic, her closest friend, comes to her, showing the signs of trouble in her own marriage, she is more than supportive in helping her leave Rob. But Vic doesn't get the chance to do that. Because as they go over to Vic's house to collect her things, they find a body. Rob's. It appears someone else had an axe to grind. But for Clare, already reeling from secrets from her own late husband's dark past, she's about to find out this murder isn't as straightforward as it may appear...

When your whole life becomes one big lie... The night my mum disappeared, after a panicked 3am phonecall, I knew something was wrong. The police tried to reassure me. There had to be a logical explanation they said - perhaps she's taking a break after the tragic death of my father. But I know my mum. Or do I? She would never leave without telling me. Or would she? The harder I look, the more I discover deep, dark family secrets I was not privy too. Worrying secrets I was never meant to know. Which means my parents have lied to me my whole life. But why? Who can I turn too? Trust? Were they scared of something in their past? Or were they trying to protect me? Has mum gone of her own free will? Or has someone taken her?

Welcome back to Railway Lane. A feel-good story of new beginnings set in an idyllic English country village. When high flying, workaholic Katy Smith is suddenly made redundant, she needs to find a job fast! After mistakenly answering an advert online, she quickly realises that the rundown railway station in sleepy Cranfield isn't the 5-star London hotels she's used to working in! But a job's a job. Right? Chef Ryan Connelly is having a crisis of confidence after his Italian dream turns sour. Returning home to try to pick up the pieces of his parents broken marriage, he soon discovers that his family home, the railway station, is close to financial ruin. Can Katy use all of her skills and find a way to save the railway station? And can Ryan rediscover his passion of cooking once more? As winter in Cranfield begins to sprinkle its magic, perhaps Katy and Ryan can find their very own new beginning on Railway Lane.

Thirty-three-year-old Ruth Henderson and her daughter Maggie have some hard choices to make. Following the tragic death of Maggie's father, they are left with a mountain of debt and broken hearts. So, despite her vow never to return home after the fall-out from her teenage pregnancy, Ruth can't see any option other than for the two of them to move back in with her parents. Going home means many things - finally confronting her estranged father, navigating her mother's desperate need to make everything ok despite the wobbles in her own marriage, not to mention helping a still-grieving Maggie to settle into a new school, find new friends, and stop expressing her emotions through her ever-changing hair colour. What Ruth needs are friends, but she abandoned her childhood ones when she left all those years ago. Luckily for Ruth, they haven't abandoned her. Slowly she lets herself be embraced by a group of women who have always had her back - even when she didn't know it. And as the grief and shock recede, Ruth can even begin to imagine sharing her life with someone other than just Maggie - if Maggie will let her.

1925 - The Midland Canals Born on the canals, feisty Beth Dawson, knows danger lurks in the shadows. When she falls victim to a vicious attack and knowing she might be pregnant, she quickly marries a fellow boatman. Her mundane existence is interrupted by the arrival of Anthony Wesley whose mission is to organise the impoverished boatmen for strike action. Anthony makes her feel valued and she wants to help the cause in any way she can. Along the way she makes friends with rebellious Abigail Gatehouse, daughter of the owner of the company. She too is in love with Anthony and sensing the attraction between them, Abigail is overcome with jealousy. Both young women are soon caught up in events that spiral out of control. Only time will tell where the future lies for either of them. In the meantime, it's all about survival...

Lana loves four things: science, her cats, her friends, and her books. She's on her way to earning her professorship when she finds out her long-term boyfriend has been sleeping with her best friend! That discovery has her hiding in the broom closet at a posh hotel. Only, it turns out broom closets are the place to be these days. Christian Slade, America's sexiest man alive (as voted by fans), in a desperate attempt to escape the paparazzi finds himself in a broom closet with one sobbing occupant. Unable to leave a damsel in distress, he offers help, only to realise she has no idea who he is! It's like he's been given a gift. A smart, beautiful woman, who isn't after him for fame and fortune... Soon Christian is buying a Tesla to impress his scientist with his eco credentials and taking her on dates where no one will recognise him. But as Christian falls in love he worries what will happen when Lana finds out who he is?

1943 Lidia De Angelis has kept a low profile since Mussolini's laws wrenched her from her childhood sweetheart. But when the Germans occupy Venice, she must flee the city to save her life. Lidia joins the partisans in the Venetian mountains, where she meets David, an English soldier fighting for the same cause. As she grows closer to him, harsh German reprisals and Lidia's own ardent patriotic activities threaten to tear them apart. Decades later While sorting through her grandmother's belongings after her death, Charlotte discovers a Jewish prayer book, unopened letters written in Italian, and a fading photograph of a group of young people in front of the Doge's Palace. Intrigued by her grandmother's refusal to talk about her life in Italy before and during the war, Charlotte travels to Venice in search of her roots, There, she learns not only the devastating truth about her grandmother's past, but also some surprising truths about herself.

When Seren's brother Andrew signs her up to Yorkshire Dating, only for them to recommend that she 'gets a life' before they find her a match, Seren has to admit that they may have a point. She loves her job cooking at an elder day centre and her little flat, but it's fair to say her life is a little short of hobbies and friends. Since she was young Seren has felt safer close to home, but now she's a thirty-something divorcee, it's time for a change. Change arrives in the shape of alarmingly clever collie Kez, who Seren offers to take in 'temporarily', and kind but mysterious new colleague Ned. But as Ned and Kez tempt Seren out of her shell, it means facing her fears. And when Andrew finally reveals the secrets of their childhood, Seren's need for safety suddenly makes sense. A problem shared is a problem halved, and with friends by her side, Seren might be able to get a life that she loves at last.

It was all meant to be so easy. A change in location for me - swapping the claustrophobic city air for the beauty of rural Ballyholme, Ireland. And Ciara gets to stay in my central London house for a few weeks, free of charge. It certainly has its plus points: her unexpected appearance will freak out my pitiful cheating husband, Ryan, and my sudden disappearance should also make him feel guilty for his wandering eye. But now I learn Ciara has evidence - evidence that my husband is a murderer. And she's no longer answering my texts and calls. Is this some kind of blackmail? Or if Ryan is indeed a killer, could he kill again?

They climbed up from the mean streets of Glasgow to the top of the world. Now these Hollywood icons are heading for a fall. Twenty-five years ago, three friends from Glasgow shocked the world when they became Oscar-winning legends. But now, they are all fighting for survival. A-list actor Zander Leith has finally found happiness with his adored wife, Hollie. But a stalker with a familiar face is determined to take away the only peace he's ever known. Mirren McLean is one of the most powerful women in the industry. Successful. Respected. Untouchable. Until one mistake threatens to destroy her marriage and her career. And Davie Johnston was once the king of late-night television. Now, his only chance to reclaim his crown is to gamble everything on himself. Three stars, three tales of struggle and success. Now they're discovering that in Hollywood, happy endings don't last for ever. Sometimes they're just the calm before the storm...

Wakefield 1870 On the banks of the River Calder, Meg Taylor struggles to care for her younger siblings and sick mother whilst her father is away working as a boatman on the canals. The slums where they live are rife with disease, and Meg longs for a different life, away from the grinding poverty, but she'll never leave her family. But with the canals slowly dying as trade moves to the railways, and with Meg's father stubbornly holding onto the past, Meg fears her family's future is going to get even bleaker. If only there was a way she could save them... Christian Henderson is tired of the greed of his wealthy family. He sees the poverty around him and wishes he could do more to help the proud working-class people he meets. People like Meg Taylor, whose courage he so admires. From the moment he meets Meg, Christian is captivated - Meg might be poor, but she is proud and spirited! Meg's dreams of being with a man like Christian are fantasy. How can a lass from the waterfront be with a wealthy man such as he? And worse, if she follows her heart to be with him, what will happen to the family she loves?

Laura is watching the world go by without her. Unable to leave her house since suffering a trauma, Laura is stuck gazing out of her window at Willow Crescent, relying on husband Jim and best friend Debbie for help. Then one day, Jim doesn't come home. A day becomes two, days become a week, and still no sign of Jim. And with the police half-hearted in their efforts to look for him, Laura is forced into a decision. She's going to have to face the world outside and find her husband herself. But what Laura hasn't realised is that Willow Crescent is a community, eager to help. From Arthur and Carol next door ready to rally the neighbours, to Marjorie and her daughter Faye at number nine looking for their own reasons to engage with the world. From Sonja at number seven who thinks she may have seen Jim in London, to widower Ben at number four who understands all about being lonely. Laura has a world ready to embrace her if she can just find the nerve. And when it slowly dawns on them all, that the Jim they thought they knew, may have been hiding some unfathomable secrets, Laura has a choice - retreat back behind her window, or start living the life that was waiting for her all along.

When Lin, Josie and Minnie left Miss Hamilton's class at Middleton Ferris County Primary School, sixty years ago, they could only dream about what the future had in store for them. The one thing they knew for certain was that their friendship would thrive. Years later and life hasn't always been kind. Josie is still mourning the loss of her beloved husband Harry a year after his sudden demise. Lin is hoping to celebrate her fiftieth wedding anniversary with husband Neil, but he's suddenly keeping secrets and telling her lies, so she's suspecting the worst... And as for Minnie, well she loves her life in Oxford academia, but with no family to call her own, she sometimes wonders if the sacrifices were all worthwhile. So, when the ninety-year-old Miss Hamilton - or Cecily as she lets them call her now - glides gracefully back into their lives on her glamorous purple mobility scooter, the ladies are in need of inspiration and fun. And over their regular lunches, the friends start to dream of leaving the past in the past and embracing the future, because there's nothing you can't achieve with good friends at your side.