Literature & Fiction

Kathryn Barton dreams of becoming a midwife. In Victorian London, dreams have a nasty habit of turning into nightmares…

Kathryn has watched her mother suffer through many miscarriages and prays to one day be able to help women like her. When her mother’s latest baby dies her father callously abandons them.

With no home and no income, Kathryn must put her dreams on hold to care for her ailing mother and younger sister. She must find work quickly. For a middle-class girl, the match factory is a form of hell but it keeps a roof over their head and a little food in their bellies.

Danger lurks around every corner, whether it is a cruel and spiteful girl or the prospect of phossy jaw. However, there is one bright spot, his name is Mitchell Warrington. The kind son of the factory owner has dreams of his own, but it isn’t long before her boss forbids them to associate.

Without Mitchell’s light, Kathryn’s world becomes much darker. Is there hope and love out there, or will she lose everything she holds dear?

Find out in The Midwife’s Dream, a heartwarming Victorian Romance that will keep you reading until the light breaks forth and dreams do indeed come true.

Read now for FREE with Kindle Unlimited.

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A servant’s daughter dreams of riches, only to find that the treasures of the heart are the only ones that truly endure.

From an early age, Penelope Fowler dreams of escaping the grip of poverty. She helps her servant mother in the Eglinton House but prays one day she will be free to decide her own destiny…

Young Master Martin Eglinton accompanies his father to Peru and is horrified to discover that his family runs a cruel empire. Seeing the brutality of the fortune he is heir to, Master Martin’s return is wracked with guilt and sickness.

The beautiful Penny is his medicine…

But their hasty marriage is soon shattered.

Torn apart, each thinks the other is dead until circumstances reveal otherwise…

What follows is an unforgettable journey of the heart from rags to riches to rags, and finally to riches beyond anything either could have imagined!

This is a beautiful heart-warming story by Victorian romance author, Dolly Price. Immerse yourself in the gripping tale of love, loss, and two broken-hearted lovers learning the true meaning of life, love, and forgiveness.

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Sebastian Dumont: Star athlete, golden boy, and the most arrogant person I’ve ever met. The guy struts around campus like he’s God’s gift to man. And who gets the unfortunate job of tutoring him? Me. I’m counting down the days until I’m finally free of him.

Sebastian

Aidan is… awkward. I feel bad for the guy. Aside from his brain, he doesn’t have much going for him. He’s about as sexually appealing as a toothpick.

What Aidan needs is a crash course in seduction. How to dress, how to flirt, how to seduce a man. Figure it’s the least I can do. Sebastian Dumont: Good Samaritan.

Truth is, I never expected anyone to fall for him.

I never expected that person to be me.

The Deal is the first book in the Rules of Play series, a steamy m/m contemporary romance series about four brothers finding love on and off the field. Contains failed under-the-table-dealings, bar trivia, a Jude Law look-alike, and a happy ending for our two heroes. It was formerly published as Sebastian. For those who purchased it under the previous title, please update your Kindle for the most recent version.

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Curl up with the new festive romance from the Top 10 bestselling author of A Perfect Cornish Christmas. Perfect for fans of Sarah Morgan and Trisha Ashley.

‘Sparkling and festive, as satisfying as figgy pudding and clotted cream – loved it!’ Milly Johnson
 
It’s been a year since Lottie’s fiancé walked out, leaving her heartbroken. But things start to look up when she lands her dream job at a beautiful Lake District estate, with a handsome groundskeeper for a neighbour.
 
So when Lottie is asked to organise a last minute Christmas wedding at Firholme, she can’t wait to get started. Until she meets the couple, and discovers that Connor, the man who broke her heart, is the groom-to-be.
 
As snow falls on the hills, can Lottie put aside her past to organise the perfect winter wedding? And will there be any festive magic left to bring Lottie the perfect Christmas she deserves?
 
Curl up with this gorgeous story about love and second chances, perfect for fans of Trisha Ashley and Milly Johnson.

Praise for Phillipa Ashley’s books:

‘Sparkling and festive, as satisfying as figgy pudding and clotted cream – loved it!’ Milly Johnson

‘Sheer joy!’ Katie Fforde

‘Full of genuine warmth and quirky characters’ Woman’s Own

‘Serious festive escapism . . . like a big warm hug’ Popsugar

‘A page-turner of a festive read’ My Weekly

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Treat a loved one to this joyful, big-hearted read from Booker Prize-winning novelist Bernardine Evaristo…

‘[Mr Loverman is] Brokeback Mountain with ackee and saltfish and old people’ Dawn French

WINNER OF THE JERWOOD FICTION UNCOVERED PRIZE 2014 and FERRO GRUMLEY AWARD FOR LGBT FICTION 2015

Barrington Jedidiah Walker is seventy-four and leads a double life. Born and bred in Antigua, he’s lived in Hackney since the sixties. A flamboyant, wise-cracking local character with a dapper taste in retro suits and a fondness for quoting Shakespeare, Barrington is a husband, father and grandfather – but he is also secretly homosexual, lovers with his great childhood friend, Morris.

His deeply religious and disappointed wife, Carmel, thinks he sleeps with other women. When their marriage goes into meltdown, Barrington wants to divorce Carmel and live with Morris, but after a lifetime of fear and deception, will he manage to break away?

Mr Loverman is a ground-breaking exploration of Britain’s older Caribbean community, which explodes cultural myths and fallacies and shows the extent of what can happen when people fear the consequences of being true to themselves.

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Ellie Browne, landlady of the Dog & Duck, is looking forward to a relaxing Christmas Day before the arrival of her and Max’s baby in the new year.

But with a snowstorm brewing outside, it seems that things might not go quite to plan. After the dramatic events of the holiday season, Ellie settles into her new life at Max’s huge country mansion, Braithwaite Manor, juggling work and family as best she can.

When she’s asked to help organise a summer wedding for one of her best friends it’s only natural that her mind turns to her own non-existent wedding plans! But with Max decidedly lukewarm on the subject and other family complications threatening to disrupt life further, Ellie fears there’ll never be wedding bells at the Dog & Duck after all.

The perfect feel-good love story for fans of Cathy Bramley, Heidi Swain and Julie Houston.

What readers say about Jill Steeples:

‘Wonderful warm wintry read with everything you want in a Christmas read!! Enjoyable, heart warming, festive fun!’

‘Jill Steeples makes the reader feel as though the characters are life long friends and I love how they all link together in one way or another. Looking forward to more from this Author in the near future.’

‘It is a very festive and cosy read. This is a lovely heartwarming read which also has a few surprises and twists and turns. I really enjoyed reading this book.’

‘Snowflakes Over Primrose Woods is superbly written but then I have come to expect nothing less from Jill Steeples. Jill has one of those easy going writing styles that is easy to get used to and easy to get along with. In fact reading one of Jill’s books feels more like a chat between friends rather than reading a book.’

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The list he left had just one item on it. Or, at least, it did at first…

Mabel Beaumont’s husband Arthur loved lists. He’d leave them for her everywhere. ‘Remember: eggs, butter, sugar’. ‘I love you: today, tomorrow, always’.

But now Arthur is gone. He died: softly, gently, not making a fuss. But he’s still left her a list. This one has just one item on it though: ‘Find D’.

Mabel feels sure she knows what it means. She must track down her best friend Dot, who she hasn’t seen since the fateful day she left more than sixty years ago.

It seems impossible. She doesn’t even know if Dot’s still alive. Also, every person Mabel talks to seems to need help first, with missing husbands, daughters, parents. Mabel finds her list is just getting longer, and she’s still no closer to finding Dot.

What she doesn’t know is that her list isn’t just about finding her old friend. And that if she can admit the secrets of the past, maybe she could even find happiness again…

A completely heartbreaking, beautiful, uplifting story, guaranteed to make you smile but also make you cry. Perfect for fans of A Man Called Ove, Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, and The Keeper of Stories.

Readers are loving The Last List of Mabel Beaumont:

‘Be still my beating heart. I’ve smiled and I’ve cried and everything in between… I’d give it 10 stars if I could.’ Nicki’s Book Blog

‘Tender and beautiful… As hopeful as it is heart-breaking… I loved it.’ Amy Beashel

‘This beautifully written story of friendship, love, loss and second chances captured my heart. I adored Mabel and her unlikely gang of colourful characters… Leaves you feeling warm, hopeful, and satisfied.’ Lisa Timoney

‘Mabel Beaumont is an absolute treasure… Laura Pearson cleverly, gently, peels back the layers of Mabel’s and her friends’ lives in a way that hurts, then soothes, your heart… An uplifting, life-affirming joy of a novel!’ Emma Robinson

‘I’ve been inundated with books in the uplit genre but this is by far the best I’ve read… moving, life-affirming and utterly wonderful.’ Matt Cain

‘I absolutely loved this book… I adore an older protagonist… who is feisty and not afraid to speak her mind. The story is like a warm hug – but it had spark and wit and humour too. I was bereft when I finished it (far too) late last night!’ Clare Swatman

‘Wow. Seriously. Just beautiful. So many wonderful elements… So many memorable characters… Beautiful and utterly affecting.’ Louise Beech

‘Charming, warm and moving… A beautifully written story about love and longing, and a poignant reminder that it’s never too late to follow your heart.’ Holly Miller

‘I adored it… A heartbreakingly beautiful story about love in all its different forms. (And she made me cry again, of course). Bravo.’ Nikki Smith

‘I finished this in the same 24 hours as I started it. Oh… what a beautiful story… Poignant and inspiring!’ Jennie Godfrey

‘Such a poignant story. Brought a lump to my throat… Will really appeal to fans of Joanna Cannon.’ Karen Angelico

‘A beautiful book about truth, love, relationships and how it’s never too late to follow your heart… Moving, funny and emotionally clever.’ Alison Stockham

‘Wonderful… Uplifting… A brilliant book… Clever and unforgettable. Dive in, and prepare to be inspired.’ Ross Greenwood

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