A man hit Ava with his car, a few miles from her bungalow. He brings her flowers in hospital, and offers to do her laundry. He also brings her the letter she dropped that night on the road. In New York, Ava's brother Michael receives the same letter. He thinks about it as he steps out of the shower into his curtainless bedroom. A naked woman stares at him from the apartment across. They both laugh and cover up with their arms. Brother and sister cannot avoid the letter: their estranged father is dying and wants to meet. Can they forgive their father, and face each other after all these years apart? Will new unexpected friends offer the advice and comfort they need? With sharp wit and sensitivity, Out of Touch is a deeply absorbing story about love and vulnerability, sex and power, and the unbreakable bonds of family.

Tempestuous and beautiful Wanda Miles, daughter of Ruth and Stephen Miles (or so she thinks), aspires to more than the life of a debutante, but the trouble is she doesn't know precisely what she wants. Then her aunt Marie, the family's renowned glassblower, arrives from Lauscha, Germany, and Wanda decides that learning about her ancestry may hold the key to her future. When Marie accidentally reveals a long-held secret about Wanda's parents, Wanda goes to Lauscha to unravel the truth. While Marie finds herself increasingly swept up in New York City's bohemian social scene-catching the eye of a handsome young Italian in the process-Wanda explores a past she never knew in the village of her mother's youth-and begins to build a life that she never expected. A sweeping tale that takes readers from the small town of Lauscha to the skyscrapers of New York and the sun-kissed coast of Italy, The American Lady is a tribute to the enduring power of family and what we'll do in the name of love.

Living in their two-up-two-down in Rotherhithe in 1938, Eileen and Ronald Wells lead a happy and settled existence with their three daughters, all of whom have jobs, boyfriends and promising lives ahead of them. But soon the storm clouds of war engulf Europe and they suddenly find their idyllic family life thrown into chaos. Throughout the country young people hasten to join up, and Eileen watches anxiously as her two older girls do the same, one in the air force and one in the land army, while the youngest goes into a factory. With her family scattered and the war getting worse by the day, Eileen throws herself into the community, always on hand to help friends and neighbours when tragedy strikes, while savouring any rare moments of celebration.

'Real sagas with female characters right at the heart' Woman's Hour If you love Dilly Court and Rosie Goodwin, you'll LOVE Glenda Young's 'amazing novels!' (ITV's This Morning presenter Sharon Marshall) 'In the world of historical saga writers, there's a brand new voice' My Weekly What readers are saying about Glenda's dramatically powerful saga of secrets, friendship, motherhood, love and betrayal: 'What a gripping writer, pure passion for her world on every page' 5* reader review 'You are totally transplanted into the life or our heroine. Wonderful characters and evocative descriptions' 5* reader review 'Unique, captivating . . . will definitely pull at everyone's heartstrings' 5* reader review ...................................... 'She's not worth more than tuppence, that child!' Those are the words that haunt Sadie Linthorpe. She is the talk of Ryhope when she arrives there, aged seventeen, alone, seeking work and a home in the pit village. But Sadie is keeping a secret - she is searching for her baby girl who was taken from her at birth a year ago and cruelly sold by the child's grandmother. All that Sadie knows about the family who took her daughter is that they live in Ryhope. And the only thing she knows about her daughter is that when the baby was born, she had a birthmark on one shoulder that resembled a tiny ladybird. But as Sadie's quest begins, a visitor from her past appears - one who could jeopardise the life she's beginning to build and ruin her chances of finding her beloved child for ever... ...................................... Praise for Glenda Young: 'I really enjoyed Glenda's novel. It's well researched and well written and I found myself caring about her characters' Rosie Goodwin 'Will resonate with saga readers everywhere . . . a wonderful, uplifting story' Nancy Revell 'All the ingredients for a perfect saga and I loved Meg; she's such a strong and believable character. A fantastic debut' Emma Hornby 'Glenda has an exceptionally keen eye for domestic detail which brings this local community to vivid, colourful life and Meg is a likeable, loving heroine for whom the reader roots from start to finish' Jenny Holmes 'I found it difficult to believe that this was a debut novel, as "brilliant" was the word in my mind when I reached the end. I enjoyed it enormously, being totally absorbed from the first page. I found it extremely well written, and having always loved sagas, one of the best I've read' Margaret Kaine Look out for all of Glenda's compelling sagas - Belle of the Back Streets, The Tuppenny Child, Pearl of Pit Lane, The Girl with the Scarlet Ribbon, The Paper Mill Girl and The Miner's Lass - out now! Plus, Glenda has launched a brand-new cosy-crime mystery series - don't miss Murder at the Seaview Hotel and Curtain Call at the Seaview Hotel - out now!

Escape to the French chateau in this gripping, sweeping tale of love, lies and divided loyalties. Perfect for fans of Santa Montefiore and Lucinda Riley. _________________________________________________________________ ONE FAMILY GENERATIONS OF SECRETS IT'S TIME TO ESCAPE TO THE CHATEAU . . . Elise is a true daughter of the chateau. She'd die before anything happened to Sainte Madeleine - even if it means betraying her own family. Alexandre, Elise's brother, is destined to inherit - yet a dangerous rift with their father puts his future, and the chateau, in jeopardy. And for distant cousin Laurent, his life-long love for Elise will always call him back to Sainte Madeleine. But the peace of Europe rests on a knife-edge, and history has bigger plans than them all. Through love and war, danger and deceit, can the chateau - and the Salignac family - weather the storm? Readers are getting swept away by Sainte Madeleine: 'It is perfect escapism' Netgalley reviewer 'A beautiful love story that captures your attention and your heart from beginning to end' Netgalley reviewer 'Everything from sensitivity to heartache as well as a great story' Netgalley reviewer 'A definite feel of Gone with the Wind' Netgalley reviewer 'Lovers of romance and wine will be enraptured by the story' Netgalley reviewer 'Tilly Bagshawe has weaved a larger than life family saga set in the most gorgeous setting possible' Netgalley reviewer

An abandoned young girl finds herself at the mercy of a mysterious woman who is not quite what she seems in this atmospheric and unputdownable novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Flowers in the Attic-now a popular Lifetime movie. Left on a train platform in an unfamiliar village, little Saffron Faith Anders is certain her father will return shortly, just like he promised. She holds out hope even as the hours pass and the station grows dark. When a strange old woman with a large umbrella approaches and inquiries about her situation, Saffron doesn't immediately trust the imposing do-gooder, but with the chances of her father returning growing ever slimmer, she agrees to rest at the old woman's house. Her stay was supposed to be for a few minutes, hours at most, but soon, Saffron soon realizes she has been confined to a house of dark secrets and is now at the mercy of the enigmatic Umbrella Lady. One minute grandmotherly and the next wickedly cruel, she shears Saffron's hair, burns all the clothes she had in her suitcase, and pretends that the photo of a young girl hanging on her bedroom wall is no one in particular. When strange letters arrive from Saffron's father, claiming that he will send for her shortly, hope returns to her young heart. But Saffron soon discovers that those who claim to love you will often hurt you the most.

A moving and emotional family drama set between France and Britain from bestselling author, Mary Wood. They would fight for their country, at all costs . . . When Sibbie and Marjie arrive at RAF Digby, they are about to take on roles of national importance. It's a cause of great excitement for everyone around them. Perhaps they will become code-breakers, spies even? Soon the pair embark on a rigorous training regime, but nothing can prepare them for what they're about to face . . . Amid the vineyards of rural France, Flora and Ella can't bear the thought of another war. But as the thunderclouds grow darker, hanging over Europe, a sense of deep foreboding sets in, not just for their safety but for the fate of their families . . . With danger looming, as the threat of war becomes real, Flora and Ella are forced to leave their idyllic home and flee. Can they make it to safety, or will the war have further horrors in store for them? The Brave Daughters is the fourth book in the Girls Who Went to War series by Mary Wood.

Family and friendship mean everything under the darkening skies of wartime Britain. The Spitfire Sisters is the third book in Margaret Dickinson's moving Maitland trilogy. It is the 1930s and the Maitland family have spent the years following the Great War struggling to come to terms with its catastrophic aftermath, and their hopes now lie with the next generation. Their Lincolnshire village of Doddington suffered terrible loss and it has taken great courage for the bereaved families to rebuild their lives without their loved ones. When war is declared again, it is Daisy Maitland and her peers who must now take up the fight for freedom. Feisty and a daredevil like her beloved Aunt Pips, who spent World War One on the front line serving with a flying ambulance corps, Daisy had persuaded a family friend to teach her to fly as a young woman. Now her country is at war, she is determined to put her skills to good use, enlisting in the Air Transport Auxiliary. There she forges new friendships - but she never forgets her childhood friend and cousin, Luke, who has joined the RAF as a fighter pilot. As war rages in the skies and on the ground, Daisy, her friends and her family - at home and across the Channel - will find their bravery and strength tested to the very limits in their determination to save their country. And they have learned one of the most valuable lessons of all: true love will find a way.

'This is one of the best books I've ever read' - 5-star reader review Calico Road runs through a tiny Lancashire hamlet up on the edge of the moors, miles from anywhere. Its folk are an independent breed - and in 1827 they are a thorn in the side of the vicious mill owner in the valley below. Toby Fletcher's father ignored his bastard son while alive. Now Toby is the new owner of the rambling old inn, an unwitting keeper of its secrets. Then Meg Staley comes to Calico - a woman who was strong enough to survive one tragedy, but found it harder to withstand a second blow. Toby finds her wandering the moors, cold and starving, and brings her back to the inn. Working there, Meg starts to rebuild her life and find a fragile happiness. But then the secrets of Calico Road come crashing down on her and those she has grown to love . . . ******************* What readers are saying about CALICO ROAD 'Anna Jacobs' writing is sooo good' - 5 stars 'Full of excitement, didn't want to put it down' - 5 stars 'Another lovely book by Anna Jacobs' - 5 stars 'An amazing read' - 5 stars 'A brilliant series' - 5 stars 'Could not put it down' - 5 stars

Winner of the 2006 Orange Prize for fiction and from the celebrated author of "White Teeth" comes another bestselling masterwork
Having hit bestseller lists from the "New York Times" to the "San Francisco Chronicle," this wise, hilarious novel reminds us why Zadie Smith has rocketed to literary stardom. "On Beauty" is the story of an interracial family living in the university town of Wellington, Massachusetts, whose misadventures in the culture warsaon both sides of the Atlanticaserve to skewer everything from family life to political correctness to the combustive collision between the personal and the political. Full of dead-on wit and relentlessly funny, this tour de force confirms Zadie Smithas reputation as a major literary talent.
Named one of the Ten Best Books of the Year by the "New York Times Book Review, Entertainment Weekly, Time," and "Publishers Weekly" A "New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, San Francisco Chronicle, Los Angeles Times, Boston Globe, Denver Post," and "Publishers Weekly" bestseller A "Los Angeles Times, Boston Globe, Chicago Tribune, San Francisco Chronicle, Atlantic Monthly, Newsday, Christian Science Monitor," and "Minneapolis Star Tribune" Best Book of the Year Short-listed for the Man Booker Prize BACKCOVER: Praise for "On Beauty":
aA thoroughly original tale . . . wonderfully engaging, wonderfully observed . . . That rare thing: a novel that is as affecting as it is entertaining, as provocative as it is humane.a
aMichiko Kakutani, "The New York Times"
aA thing of beauty. Oh happy day when a writer as gifted as Zadie Smith fulfills her early promise with a novel as accomplished, substantive and penetrating as "On Beauty."a
a"Los Angeles Times"
aSmithas specialty is her ability to render the new world, in its vibrant multiculturalism, with a kind of dancing, daring joy. . . . Her plots and people sing with life. . . . One of the best of the year, a splendid treat. a
a"Chicago Tribune"
aShort-listed for [the 2005] Man Booker Prize, On Beauty is a rollicking satire . . . a tremendously good read.a
a"San Francisco Chronicle"

When Rosalind West leaves her native Durham for a job in London with the Doxbridge Motor Company she is determined to escape her background and build a new life. London is excitingly different and tantalisingly glamorous - especially when she meets the handsome and aristocratic Freddie Harlington, a rally driver, and the son of a once-wealthy Northumberland landowner. Against her friends' better judgement Freddie and Rosalind begin a relationship. But Freddie's family have plans for him which do not include marrying a Durham miner's daughter. Turning to a close companion for consolation, Rosalind suddenly finds herself torn between two men, both of strong passions, and fierce ambition. Note: this book was previously published under the title Home to the High Fells. Praise for Elizabeth Gill 'Original and evocative - a born storyteller' Trisha Ashley 'A wonderful book, full of passion, pain, sweetness, twists and turns. I couldn't put it down' Sheila Newberry 'Elizabeth Gill writes with a masterful grasp of conflicts and passions' Leah Fleming 'An enthralling and satisfying novel that will leave you wanting more' Catherine King 'If you love Catherine Cookson then you will love Elizabeth Gill' Northern Echo

Jo Melling has arrived in Birch End from Australia, still grieving her father's recent death. She's not intending to stay long, but after tracking down her distant family, Jo becomes more involved in village life than she could ever have imagined - and suddenly in danger too. Jo also finds herself drawn to Nick, a handsome newcomer to the village. Nick had planned to settle in Birch End and start a business, but as he grows closer to Jo, he realises he may have to choose between his dreams and a chance at love. Meanwhile, the new local council are faced with some tough decisions of their own. It's time to take a stand against the poor conditions in Backshaw Moss, the nearby slum, but some councillors want things to stay as they are - and will go to any lengths to make sure they get their way . . . Will the decent people of the valley win a brighter future for themselves? And can Jo find a way to stay with Nick in a place she's grown to love? Readers are loving A DAUGHTER'S JOURNEY! 'Amazing' - 5 STARS 'Thank you, Anna, for the pleasure you give in all your books' - 5 STARS 'Another brilliant, hard-to-put-down book' - 5 STARS 'Can't wait for the next instalment' - 5 STARS 'A real page turner, I can't wait to read the next one' - 5 STARS 'Another triumph for Anna Jacobs' - 5 STARS 'BRILLIANT READ' - 5 STARS

Be careful what you kiss for...

Esme Posorsky is an enigma. She has long been part of community life in the quaint Cornish fishing village of Tremarnock, but does anyone really know her? When an old school friend turns up with a secret from the past, nothing will ever be the same again.

Meanwhile teenager Rosie is excited to find a bottle washed up on the beach with a message from a former German prisoner of war. But little does she know that her discovery will unleash a shocking chain of events that threatens to blow her family apart...

Winner, National Indie Excellence Award 2021 Best Regional Fiction - Southwest Finalist, National Indie Excellence Award 2021 Literary Fiction Finalist, National Indie Excellence Award 2021 Best Fiction Cover Design Winner, Independent Press Award 2021 Literary Fiction Jacobo's Rainbow is an historical literary novel set primarily in the nineteen sixties during the convulsive period of the student protest movements and the Vietnam War. It focuses on the issue of being an outsider the 'other' an altogether common circumstance that resonates with readers in today's America. Written from a Jewish perspective, it speaks to universal truths that affect us all. On the occasion of the 15th anniversary of a transformative event in Jacobo's life the day he is sent to jail he writes about what happened behind the scenes of the Free Speech Movement which provides the backdrop for a riveting story centered on his emergence into a world he never could have imagined. His recording of those earlier events is the proximate cause of his being arrested. Jacobo is allowed to leave jail under the condition of being drafted, engages in gruesome fighting in Vietnam, and returns to continue his work of chronicling America in the throes of significant societal changes. Jacobo's Rainbow is a story of triumph over adversity (hypocrisy, loss, lies, murder, concealment, prejudice) that is told with vivid descriptions, perceptive insights, humor and sensitivity, which enables the reader to identify with the characters who come to life in a realistic fashion to illustrate who we are, how we behave, and what causes us to change. It can be read on three levels: (1) The story of what it was like to have lived through and been a participant in the Free Speech Movement and the Vietnam War ('The Sixties'); (2) A metaphor for what is going on college campuses today, in terms of the shutting down of speech and the rise of anti-Semitism; and (3) What life is like for the 'outsider.'

The heartwarming new wartime saga from the Sunday Times bestselling author of A Maiden's Voyage. 'A vibrant page-turner with entrancing characters' Margaret Dickinson 'Rosie writes such heartwarming sagas' Lyn Andrews Nuneaton, 1911 When Holly Farthing's overbearing grandfather tries to force her to marry a widower twice her age, she finally says no. After he refuses to support her any longer, Holly flees to London, bringing her best friend and maid, Ivy, with her. In the big smoke, Holly searches for the father she's never met and begins nurse training in the local hospital. There she meets the dashing Doctor Parkin. Kind and compassionate, he is everything Holly has ever dreamt of. When Doctor Parkin proposes, Holly finally feels like she'll have the family she so longs for. But soon, she discovers some shocking news that means they can never be together, and her life is suddenly thrown into turmoil. Supporting the war effort, she heads to France and throws herself into volunteering on the front line. Can Holly ever find the happiness she so truly deserves? A Precious Gift is the sixth book in Rosie Goodwin's Days of the Week Collection. Why not try the rest, Mothering Sunday, The Little Angel, A Mother's Grace, The Blessed Child, A Maiden's Voyage and Time to Say Goodbye?

A desperate young woman's bargain with a wealthy couple is not what it seems. From the #1 New York Times bestselling author and literary phenomenon V.C. Andrews-whose books are now major Lifetime TV movies (Flowers in the Attic, Heaven, Ruby)-comes a gothic tale of big city dreams gone wrong. The English countryside is beautiful, but for Emma Corey it cannot compare with the bright lights of New York City. Tired of performing only in pubs and at church, she announces she's moving to America-and her conservative father disowns her on the spot. Distraught but undeterred, Emma will become a Broadway star-or die trying. Leaving the comforts of her youth is a thrilling adventure. The largeness of the city, her new friends, the boundless opportunities make everything shine with promise. However, New York has a way of chipping away at a newcomer's resolve. First a robbery. Then a low-wage job. Then the realization that such a city attracts the young and the talented-competitors all. Just when it seems like Emma might have to admit defeat and return to the UK, she is introduced to a peculiar couple: a wife that cannot bear children of her own, and a husband who would pay Emma to solve that problem. Emma's father once told her, "Money is life." But when Emma trades one for the other and moves into the couple's remote estate to participate in an elaborate ruse, there's no telling what kind of life she'll have once she's taken the money.

Will the secrets of the past finally come to light?Morwen and Randall Wainwright have worked through hardship to ensure Killigrew Clay has become the biggest china clayworks in Cornwall. But its fortunes are never stable and threats to its future come from ruthless rival Harriet Pendragon, who sets her sights not only on Killigrew Clay, but on Randall as well. As a bereavement threatens to split the family in two, Morwen begins to wonder if the shadows that have dogged her since she was young will finally engulf her. A heartbreaking and page-turning portrayal of a family in turmoil, Family Shadows is a beautiful saga of love and betrayal that will delight fans of Lyn Andrews, Dilly Court and Katie Flynn

England, 1940. Can Maggie keep her family - and her secret - safe? An emotional and heartbreaking wartime novel for fans of Diney Costeloe, Dilly Court and Mandy Robotham. When Maggie's new job takes her from bombed-out London to grand Snowden Hall in the Cotswolds she's apprehensive but determined to do her bit for the war effort. She's also keeping a secret, one she knows would turn opinion against her. Her mother is German: Maggie is related to the enemy. Then her evacuee sister sends her a worrying letter, missing the code they agreed Violet would use to confirm everything was well, and Maggie's heart sinks. Violet is miles away; how can she get to her in the middle of a war? Worse, her mother, arrested for her nationality, is now missing, and Maggie has no idea where she is. As a secret project at Snowden Hall risks revealing Maggie's German side, she becomes even more determined to protect her family. Can she find a way to get to her sister? And will she ever find out where her mother has been taken? Readers LOVE A Wartime Secret! 'A must for fans of WWII stories. It has everything I enjoy in a book. Intrigue, romance, adventure and true friendship. Highly recommended.' NetGalley reviewer, 'Gorgeous story. I really enjoyed it.' NetGalley reviewer, 'If you love wartime and family saga you will love this book.' NetGalley reviewer, 'Enjoyable... An entertaining, heart-warming novel that I can thoroughly recommend.' NetGalley reviewer, 'Plenty of twists (and some pleasingly teasing romances too)... Humour and spot-on period detail... Great fun to read... A hugely satisfying story. Highly recommended. NetGalley reviewer,

The third novel in the Earth's Children series, Jean M. Auel's internationally bestselling epic of life 25,000 years ago when two kinds of human beings, Neanderthal and Cro-Magnon, shared the earth. Leaving the valley of horses with Jondalar, the handsome man she has nursed back to health and come to love, Ayla embarks on a journey that will lead her to the Mamutoi, the Mammoth Hunters, who are Others like her. As she settles into this new life among a people at first strange and disturbingly different, soon Ayla begins to feel at home, finally leaving her painful memories of the Clan behind and finding female friends. Yet Ayla is also drawn to Ranec, the dark-skinned, magnetic master-carver of ivory. Ayla must choose: remain with Ranec and the Mamutoi, or follow Jondalar into the unknown . . . Set 25,000 years in the past, yet utterly relatable today, The Mammoth Hunters is an epic tale of love, identity and the struggle to survive, rich in detail of language, culture, myth and ritual. Praise for Jean M. Auel 'Beautiful, exciting, imaginative' New York Times 'A major bestseller . . . A remarkable work of imagination' Daily Express