Just eighteen, beautiful and intelligent, Yola Beauharnais lives a blessed Fairy tale life at her magnificent family castle on the Loire. Then her grandmother announces that she has been promised in marriage by her late beloved father to the Marquis de Montereau. Yola is appalled. She has heard of the Marquis, who, although handsome and sophisticated, has a reputation in Paris as a rake, socialite and 'ladykiller'. How could she possibly marry such a man, one who wants her only for her castle and the extensive estate? Determined to marry only for true love, wherever she may find it, Yola is helped by her father's mistress and travels 'undercover' to Paris in the guise of a woman of questionable morals to meet the notorious Marquis and find out for herself whether he might fall in love with her as herself and for herself only. Or whether she must betray her father's dying wish and refuse her unwanted suitor. On meeting the Marquis in her disguise, Yola finds that there is much more to him than his reputation suggests and, as love blossoms between them, she comes to bitterly regret her deception. Will she really find her true love or will she be condemned to live a life of disappointment and delusion as the Sleeping Beauty of her enchanted castle?

Just eighteen, beautiful and intelligent, Yola Beauharnais lives a blessed Fairy tale life at her magnificent family castle on the Loire. Then her grandmother announces that she has been promised in marriage by her late beloved father to the Marquis de Montereau. Yola is appalled. She has heard of the Marquis, who, although handsome and sophisticated, has a reputation in Paris as a rake, socialite and 'ladykiller'. How could she possibly marry such a man, one who wants her only for her castle and the extensive estate? Determined to marry only for true love, wherever she may find it, Yola is helped by her father's mistress and travels 'undercover' to Paris in the guise of a woman of questionable morals to meet the notorious Marquis and find out for herself whether he might fall in love with her as herself and for herself only. Or whether she must betray her father's dying wish and refuse her unwanted suitor. On meeting the Marquis in her disguise, Yola finds that there is much more to him than his reputation suggests and, as love blossoms between them, she comes to bitterly regret her deception. Will she really find her true love or will she be condemned to live a life of disappointment and delusion as the Sleeping Beauty of her enchanted castle?

Arriving home from school, Bertilla is sad to find her home unprepared for her and her widowed mother is far from pleased to see her. Even worse, Lady Alvinston, a celebrated Society beauty, makes it clear that she has no intention of allowing her pretty eighteen-year-old daughter anywhere near the glittering London social scene she enjoys so much herself. As her mother continues her scheming to snare a wealthy husband before her looks fade, the last thing she needs is Bertilla making it obvious that she is old enough to have a grown up daughter. So when handsome Lord Saire, the prize amongst all of the eligible bachelors, happens upon Bertilla at a railway station, Lady Alvinston determines that their paths shall never cross again. Hastily packed up and sent to live with her mean-spirited Aunt Agatha, a Missionary in Sarawak, Bertilla is reconciled to the fact that she will never see England again. Feeling rejected, unloved and facing the deprivations of a Second Class ticket on her long sea voyage to Malaya, she is astounded to meet Lord Saire once more. Cut off from everything she knows and thrown into the elegant world of the steamship Saloon, Bertilla clutches at the kindness offered by Lord Saire, the man the Society matron's call, 'the Love Pirate'. Dashing, independent and a well-known heartbreaker, Lord Saire is cast in the unusual role of rescuer as they travel towards the beauty and mystery of the Far East. Acting as guardian and protector to Bertilla is very different to the passionate but brief relationships with Society beauties he normally enjoys and demonstrates the caring side of his nature. But is this a role he relishes or are his eyes really on the sophisticated married women he usually spends time with? As a man who has shunned love and marriage is he really the ideal protector for Bertilla as she dreams of freedom, romance and true love?

To any outsider it was a case of boy meets girl on that boat which crossed the Baltic, but then Joseph Heiman was on a mission and Olga Larson was shortly to find herself arrested by the Russian Authorities. Yet although their separation suggested that others would enter their lives and assume some degree of importance; and despite the spectre of that large Russian female who appeared to be constantly present, this was a story that was finally played out in the Orkney Islands where a tenet of suspicion haunted both of their lives! The question was not only who would Olga now choose but also how the Commander's wife, a person whom Joseph had met when on a training exercise now fitted into this equation, and what of the Commander himself, a man whom Joseph had once believed to be stern and relentless but who now showed additional characteristics?

The handsome and debonair Marquis of Raventhorpe is known throughout the Beau Monde as something of a ladies' man until he falls under the spell of Society beauty Lady Sarah Chessington. But when he arrives at the Earl of Chessington-Crewe's house to propose, he realises that Lady Sarah wants him only for his wealth and position and he leaves in a fury, vowing that he will never marry. By the wayside he encounters a young exquisite beauty utterly different from any woman he has ever met, in fact she looks like an angel who has just fallen from Heaven by mistake. She is the Earl's niece and ward, Ula Forde, who is running away from her Guardian, who mistreats and beats her savagely. Outraged, the Marquis rescues her and plots to punish Lady Sarah and the Earl by making Ula the belle of every ball and the toast of London Society. It is only when the despicable Earl kidnaps the terrified girl that love for Ula blossoms in the Marquis's heart. He must rescue her - if he is not already too late -

When Angus McKeith knocks on the door, the lives of Fiona Windham and her niece and ward Mary-Rose are changed forever. Following the recent death of Fiona's father, Lord Ian Rannock, and sister, Rosemary, the child has become heir-presumptive to her Scottish uncle, the Duke of Strathrannock, who has summoned Mary-Rose to his castle in Scotland. Reluctantly complying, but insisting that she accompany Mary-Rose, Fiona finds the Duke handsome, yet distant and cold. Ostracised by the Highland community after the mysterious disappearance of his wife, the Duchess, and a bitter feud with his father, the Duke has withdrawn from Society and seems an insensitive, even brutal man. Soon, though, as Fiona's innocent beauty warms the Duke's cold heart and love between them blossoms. But when she attempts to solve the mystery that traps him in the past, Fiona finds herself in mortal danger at the hands of a woman possessed by a deranged desire for vengeance.

Innocent young Candida is almost destitute after the death of her beloved father. Resolving to keep up the family's modest Elizabethan manor house in Hertfordshire and support Ned, the family's faithful servant, she sees no alternative but to sell her beloved pitch-black stallion, Pegasus. So, when the worldly Major Hooper offers to take her and her mount to Hyde Park where she will undoubtedly find a high price, she agrees, though with a heavy heart. Little does she suspect that Major Hooper trades in young women as well as horseflesh - and soon she finds herself and Pegasus 'sold' to the dashing but awe-inspiring Lord Manville. A terrible maze of misunderstanding ensues and just when Candida realises that she has lost her heart to his Lordship, the London Society that seemed so carefree turns cruel. Even as she flees astride Pegasus, she is heartbroken, knowing she may never again see the man she loves -

When the imperious Alston, Marquis of Falcon cynically announces that he is interested in marrying his daughter in order to gain a Royal appointment, the Earl of Warnborough is thoroughly pleased. There would be many benefits to being part of his far richer neighbour's family and estates But the beautiful Mirabel is already betrothed and so is Deirdre, albeit secretly, which leaves only Elmina, the youngest and the Cinderella of the Warne family. Nevertheless they are all shocked when she shyly says that she will be happy to marry the dashing Marquis. But not as stunned as her new husband when she repels his wedding night advances with an expert Karate move Self-educated and schooled in the martial and equine arts, Elmina blossoms inwardly and outwardly with an unusual allure of her own. And she prays that her handsome new husband will come to love her for herself. But, when she is kidnapped by murderous horse thieves, it seems that she will die without knowing the love she yearns for -

Dashing Lord Victor Brooke has displeased his Godmother, Her Majesty Queen Victoria, with his latest indiscretion with one of her more attractive Ladies-in-Waiting and he is dismayed to find that his punishment means missing his beloved Social Season in London Her Majesty orders him instead to escort the eighteen-year-old Princess Sydella to Zararis, where she is to marry King Stephan, who has requested an English bride so that his small nation will receive the British Empire's protection against Russian incursions. Bored and embarrassed, Lord Victor passes off his chore as a 'secret mission', but little does he know that his lie is soon to come true. As soon as they embark on a British Battleship, he is astounded to find himself captivated by the Princess's beauty and her enchanting joie de vivre. And when he saves her from an assassin's bomb on their arrival at Zararis and then from certain death at sea, he wins her heart, as she has already won his. Yet no sooner than they find love, they know that all is lost - for Sydella is already committed to marry the King of Zararis -

A swoony small-town romance that will set your heart racing.

The scowl should've been my first sign to stay away from Anson Hunt. The sexy smirk and the fact that he's my brother's best friend? Reasons two and three.

Anson is my opposite in every way: grumpy, rude, and loves his solitude. It doesn’t matter how many times I try to kill him with kindness; the man simply won’t crack.

Until he sees me shatter.

When my world falls apart, Anson catches me. And as so-called “accidents” put my life in danger, he steps in to keep me safe.

But Anson has secrets with a price.

And when they're revealed, neither of us will escape unscathed. . .

The beloved classic novel, the basis of the classic film starring Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock As children, sisters Gillian and Sally were forever outsiders in their small New England town, teased, taunted and shunned for the air of magic that seems to sparkle in the air around them. All Gillian and Sally ever wanted was to get away. And eventually they do - one marries, the other runs as far from home as she can manage. Years later, however, tragedy will bring the sisters back together. And they'll find that no matter what else may happen, they'll always have each other. An enchanting tale of love, forgiveness and family, Practical Magic is beloved of readers of all ages. Book 3 in the Practical Magic series. *~*~*Readers love Practical Magic*~*~* 'A real pleasure' Kate Atkinson 'Simply brilliant' Daily Mail '[A] delicious fantasy of witchcraft and love in a world where gardens smell of lemon verbena and happy endings are possible' Cosmopolitan 'What do you do when your long lost little sister shows up on your suburban front step... a dead man in the Oldsmobile that's blocking your driveway? ...You help her bury him in your backyard, underneath a wilting lilac bush that will suddenly spring back to life, bearing masses of heady flowers that remind everyone who passes by of desires they thought they'd long since stifled' Vogue 'Dark comedy and a light touch carry the story along to a truly Gothic climax, complete with heaving skies and witchery on the lawn' New York Times 'A scrim of magic lies gently over [this] fictional world, in which lilacs bloom riotously in July, a lovesick boy's elbows sizzle on a diner countertop and a toad expectorates a silver ring...' Publishers Weekly

A REASON TO LIVE.
Still grieving the death of her best friend, Erin knows she needs to start living - but has no idea how. Then she loses her favourite book, a heavily annotated and containing her friend's final words to her.

A REASON TO LOVE.
When James finds Erin's note-filled book in his local community library, it sparks a lifechanging conversation. He writes his own message back, and soon they are locked in an anonymous book exchange, with no idea who the other person in the margins might be.

A REASON TO FORGIVE?
But Erin and James have a shared history that neither of them realise. How will Erin react when she discovers the other writer isn't a stranger at all - but the person she once swore she'd never forgive?

Although beautiful young Laetitia is a Princess, she and her family lead a life more befitting paupers. Despising them for the gypsy blood that runs in their veins, the Grand Duchess, their cruel Cousin Augustina, bullies and oppresses them just as she persecutes the Romany people and banishes them from Ovenstadt's Capital. If only Laetitia could call upon some ancient gypsy spell to make things right. Worse still, Laetitia hears that the hateful woman has arranged for her daughter, Princess Stephanie, to marry King Viktor of Zvotana, despite her love for Laetitia's handsome brother Kyril. Determined to save Stephanie from a loveless marriage, Laetitia enlists the help of a Romany Voivode and his powerful gypsy magic and then meets the King disguised as a gypsy princess - only to find herself enraptured by the Voivode's spell and filled with a love too powerful to be denied -

Samantha Clyde, the beautiful, and dutiful daughter of the ailing Vicar of Little Poolbrook in Worcestershire, lives a cosy sheltered life attending to her father's needs and helping out with the Church bazaar at The Castle her impoverished family once owned. Her world is turned upside down when celebrated fashion photographer, Giles Bariatinsky, is very struck by Samantha's enigmatic and unusual beauty and whisks her off to a glamorous new life as a model of haute couture in London. Bewildered and intimidated by London Society's decadence, she meets the dashing firebrand novelist David Durham, experiences her first ever kiss and loses her heart utterly in an instant. Almost as quickly, all her hopes and dreams are dashed when the man she loves despises her naivety. And since no other man will ever take David's place in her heart, Samantha takes refuge in a Convent, resolving to become the sophisticated woman of the world that she imagines David Durham desires -

When two dashing gentlemen ride up to Rensham Hall, the ancestral Norfolk home of the beautiful Lady Chiara Fairfax, her world is turned upside down, as she and her mother are just recovering from the unexpected death of her father, Lord Fairfax. One of them, the handsome Mervyn Hunter, is soon in ardent pursuit of the lovely Chiara. But can she trust his declarations of love or does the mysterious, dark-haired stranger she encounters by chance on the seashore hold the key to her future happiness? Mervyn Hunter proposes marriage to Chiara and she turns him down, as she does not love him and she senses that he is cold and calculating and has an ulterior motive in asking her to be his wife. As she watches spellbound, a group of wild swans fly North over the sea towards Russia, Chiara feels a magical world of passion and beauty calling to her. Soon she too will be travelling North to the enchanting City of St. Petersburg, although in the company of Mervyn Hunter's pushy sister and her two tiresome daughters. But will she ever break free from the clutches of Mervyn Hunter and his family and be reunited with her true soulmate, the elusive and mysterious Count Dimitrov? Find out, in this scintillating and thrilling romance by Barbara Cartland.

Employed by the beautiful but mean Mrs. Schuster as a lady's companion on her trop to Morocco, Melina Lindsay is thrilled to at last visit the beautiful land of which her late father had talked with such fondness. But when, jealous of the attention Melina's beauty and youth attract, Mrs. Schuster peremptorily sacks her, she finds herself her alone and helpless in a strange country . Suddenly, a dashing stranger disguised as an Arab appears on her balcony seeking refuge. And, when Melina hides him from his murderous pursuers, it transpires that he is an English agent on a desperate mission to save a young boy who has been kidnapped by evil subversives and whom they will surely murder. Joining the handsome Bing Ward on his perilous mission, she puts her life in his hands and very soon he will also possess her heart - but only if they survive

The British Prime Minister, Benjamin Disraeli, asks Lord Kenington to travel to India to find out if growing reports about the Russian menace are really true. The Liberal Opposition in Parliament are sceptical and are certain that Disraeli is manufacturing a scare about nothing in asserting that the prime objective of the Russians in invading Asia is to wrest India from the British. On the P & O Liner to India, to Lord Kenington's surprise, a very beautiful young girl comes up to him and asks if she can be seen speaking to him. Aisha explains that, owing to various mishaps, she is travelling alone and un-chaperoned and is being pursued by a tiresome man, Arthur Watkins, and she is frightened at the way he is behaving. Learning that she is the daughter of one of the most successful Officers in the Army in India, Lord Kenington is only too pleased to help her. He understands that Aisha's father, Major Warde, is one of the key men in The Great Game, a British Secret Service dedicated to defending India from the Russians. Because they find each other so interesting, Lord Kenington is as worried as Aisha is when they reach Calcutta to find that her father is not waiting for her. Lord Kenington fears that if he is missing there may be an alarming reason for it and they then travel together to Simla to stay with the Viceroy, Lord Lytton. How when they are there Major Warde turns up unexpectedly, having saved a Fort on the North-West Frontier. How Aisha is kidnapped from Viceregal Lodge and how eventually she finds happiness after her terrifying ordeal is all told in this intriguing romance by BARBARA CARTLAND.

Two kids meet in a hospital gaming room in 1987. One is visiting her sister, the other is recovering from a car crash. The days and months are long there. Their love of video games becomes a shared world -- of joy, escape and fierce competition. But all too soon that time is over.

When the pair spot each other eight years later in a crowded train station, they are catapulted back to that moment. The spark is immediate, and together they get to work on what they love - making games to delight, challenge and immerse players, finding an intimacy in digital worlds that eludes them in their real lives. Their collaborations make them superstars.

This is the story of the perfect worlds Sadie and Sam build, the imperfect world they live in, and of everything that comes after success: Money. Fame. Duplicity. Tragedy.

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow takes us on a dazzling imaginative quest as it examines the nature of identity, creativity, disability, failure, the redemptive possibilities in play and, above all, our need to connect: to be loved and to love.

'Rivals-to-lovers romcom excellence' Jenna Levine
'Irresistible to anyone looking for a steamy STEM romance' Deidra Duncan

They're polar opposites. But their attraction is magnetic...

The rivalry between Dr Erin Monaghan and Dr Ethan Meyer is legendary in their prestigious physics lab. Each at the forefront of their opposing fields, they compete for everything: grant money, research time, government backing - and use of the office coffee machine.

But it's a basic law of nature that opposites attract, and sparks fly after a science fiction magazine pairs their work and they meet online as their creative alter egos.

Back at the lab, and forced to collaborate on a high-profile government contract, Erin and Ethan's sizzling virtual chemistry spills over into real life, threatening the project's success.

With their careers and hearts on the line, can the law of attraction finally win out?

While staying at Lady Merrill's French Riviera villa, flame haired and beautiful American heiress Nevada van Arden passes her time by casually breaking the hearts of her many ardent suitors - particularly that of young David, Lord Merrill. When his uncle, intrepid explorer and diplomat Tyrone Strome, overhears her cruel humiliation of his lovelorn nephew, he resolves to teach this 'vixen' a lesson - and save David from his misery. Tyrone Strome abducts Nevada, spiriting her away in his luxury yacht to Morocco. There the reluctant voyager, swaddled in native clothing, is terrified by the perils of the Sahara and its nomadic tribesmen. But, as they flee from certain death or worse, they find sanctuary in a beautiful hidden valley, a second Garden of Eden, where to Nevada's surprise, love begins to blossom in the desert.