Historical romance

Book Synopsis[Published as The September Queen in the US] Set against the volatile backdrop of the English Civil War, dive into this enthralling tale of danger, bravery, and a woman who would do anything for the man she loved. It’s 1651 and Jane Lane leads a privileged life inside the walls of her family’s home. At 25 years old, her parents are keen to see her settled, but Jane dreams of a union that goes beyond the advantageous match her father desires. Her quiet world is shattered when Royalists, fighting to restore the crown to King Charles II, arrive at their door, imploring Jane and her family for help. They have been hiding the king, but Cromwell’s forces are close behind them, baying for Charles’ blood – and the blood of anyone who seeks to help him. Putting herself in mortal danger, Jane must help the king escape to safety by disguising him as her manservant. With the shadow of the gallows dogging their every step, Jane finds herself falling in love with the gallant young Charles. But will Jane surrender to a passion that could change her life – and the course of history – forever? The unforgettable true story of Charles II’s escape, and the love and bravery of the woman who made it possible. Perfect for fans of Philippa Gregory and Elizabeth Chadwick.Trade Review“The King’s Mistress is that spellbinding combination of history, adventure, suspense and a fast-beating pulse of pure eroticism…a real romantic treat.” Lancashire Evening Post

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Book SynopsisFrom the moment honey-tressed young Annabelle met her sister Minerva's intended, Lord Sylvester, she developed a secret passion for him that obsessed her. Now she was determined to take him away from Minerva - no matter what!But Annabelle hadn't reckoned on Lord Sylvester's best friend, Peter, who falls in love with her and decides to tame her growing passions towards the wrong man!Trade ReviewNicely atmospheric, most notable for its gentle humour and adventurous spirit * Publishers Weekly *A delightful tale... romance fans are in for a treat * Booklist *(M C Beaton) is the best of the Regency writers * Kirkus Reviews *

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Book SynopsisRed-haired, jade-eyed Deirdre is determined to marry for Love - nothing else will do. So the fact her father's candidate for her hand, Lord Harry Desire, is well bred and good looking, interests her not a jot! But the feelings he arouses in her are truly distracting.Deirdre's discovery of what desire can mean and where her heart really lies brings about a delicious climax to this adventure of intrigue, misunderstanding - and love!Trade ReviewNicely atmospheric, most notable for its gentle humour and adventurous spirit * Publishers Weekly *A delightful tale... romance fans are in for a treat * Booklist *(M C Beaton) is the best of the Regency writers * Kirkus Reviews *

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Book SynopsisWhether dressed in her finery or disguised as a frump, he wanted her just the same!How can plain Frederica withstand a Season's scrutiny after the five beauties before her have married so magnificently? The only solution is to run away from home...Disguised as a chambermaid, Freddie soon finds her way into the household of the fashionable Duke of Pembury. But the wild gentleman is soon on to her tricks and finds himself escorting Freddie back to London, where, once again on the marriage mart, her sisters make over the tomboyish runaway until even she cannot recognise herself!But a certain gentleman can, and so it would seem that Freddie is not fated to be plain - or unmarried - after all....Trade ReviewNicely atmospheric, most notable for its gentle humour and adventurous spirit * Publishers Weekly *A delightful tale... romance fans are in for a treat * Booklist *Genuinely amusing...well-out in front and a dashing good show. * Kirkus Reviews *

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Book SynopsisThough it is more than seventy years since it was first written, Caisleáin Óir, Séamus Ó Grianna's best-known novel, still has the power both to touch the heart with its story of the blighting of young love and to delight the ear with the excellence of its idiomatic Irish. The story of Séimí Phádraig Dubh and his sweetheart Babaí Mháirtín growing up at the turn of the century in the rocky peninsula of Rannafast in the Rosses of Donegal is one of bitter sadness, as they are deprived by fate and economic necessity of the magic glimpsed as children:'A Shéimí, goidé an cineál tithe iad sin,' arsa sise, ag amharc ar na néalta, 'atá os cionn luí na gréine?''Tá,' arsa Séimí, 'sin caisleáin óir a bhfuil na daoine beaga ina gcónaí iontu . . . '

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Book SynopsisIslanders is Margaret Elphinstone's first novel, written when she lived at Northbanks, Papa Stour in 1979. It is the author's expression of the seven years she lived in Shetland, during which she explored Shetland by land and sea, discovered the sagas while working in Shetland Library, learned to watch birds on Fair Isle, Noss and other islands, and spent several summers as a volunteer on a dig at Da Biggings, Papa Stour, excavating a Norse farm. The novel was re-written in the early 1990s, partly in the National Library of Scotland, partly in Shetland, and partly (thanks to a Scottish Arts Council travel grant) in Iceland. Islanders was first published in 1994. It is now (2008) nearly thirty years since the first draft was written; since then Margaret Elphinstone has lived in other places and written other books. But it was Shetland, and Islanders, that first inspired and formed her as a writer.Trade Review'...from the opening pages with their map of the islands which turns north and south upside down to reflect the orientation of the island worldview, the reader's conventional perspectives on peripheral cultures is destabilised, and resettled in a view from a rock perched far in the Atlantic, looking at Europe, Britain, and even Orkney and Shetland from a very different value-centre.' Douglas Gifford, A History of Scottish Women's Writing.

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Book SynopsisTo escape her possessive and drunken step-father, Kate is sent away from teaming Jarrow to work on the Ravensworth Estate. Swapping a life of hardship for this rural idyll, she is soon attracting the attention of charming, headstrong Alexander, a distant cousin of the Earl. Kate dares to dream of a future with Alexander; but when their love is consummated in one stolen night of passion those dreams are shattered. With her lover forced into an unwanted betrothal, Kate discovers she is pregnant and must return to face the wrath of her step-father and a bleak future. But she refuses to give up hope that one day Alexander might return to claim her and their love child. A CHILD OF JARROW (the second novel in the Jarrow Trilogy) is a poignant and compelling story with an engaging heroine who will steal your heart.Trade Review'This is the sequel to The Jarrow Lass; and A Child of Jarrow is just as compelling.' Sunderland Echo. 'The Jarrow Lass was inspired by Catherine Cookson's grandmother. This follows into the next generation, with Cookson's mother and the childhood of the great novelist herself. It is a winner.' The Bookseller. 'Brings early 20th century Jarrow vividly to life. A smashing read.' Lancashire Evening Post

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Book SynopsisCatherine (Kitty) McMullen, is seventeen, restless and rebellious. Resentful of her mother Kate's new husband, she yearns for stories of the father she never knew and when her gossipy aunt divulges that he was a wealthy gentleman, Catherine's discontent with grimy, impoverished Jarrow grows. Taking a job at the workhouse laundry, her young eyes are further confronted with the horrors and indignities of poverty, and she becomes even more determined to rise above her wretched surroundings by educating herself. Braving the ridicule of fellow staff, Catherine embarks on a quest for knowledge. Soon the ill-educated and streetwise Kitty McMullen is a ghost of the past, and the well-spoken, well-read Catherine leaves the north-east to follow her dreams. But hardship and heartbreak are not far behind, and there are battles to be fought and won for this plucky and romantic heroine. RETURN TO JARROW concludes the bestselling trilogy that began with THE JARROW LASS and continued with A CHILD OF JARROW.Trade Review'Her finest yet - a wonderfully moving, deeply emotional tale' The Daily Record 'If anyone can claim to be the new Catherine Cookson then it must surely be Janet MacLeod Trotter. Her new powerful saga of a restless, rebellious working-class girl is inspired by Cookson's early life. And her writing, like Cookson's, can inspire laughter and bring a tear. This is a story to burn itself into your mind.' Northern Echo 'Penmanship of the highest quality ... This is a story of warmth and despair, based on facts and places and with excellent characterisation. It is a delicate yet strongly-woven book of biography and imagination. Rich in narrative, which twists and turns on every page. It touches many raw nerves of human experience. It should satisfy both the Cookson addict and those lovers of a good story.' The Newcastle Journal 'It is powerfully and skilfully written, and keeps you interested until the end.' The Sunderland Echo

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Book SynopsisWith the Great War still raw in the memory and life in the 1920s mining village of Whitton Grange hard and dangerous, Louie Kirkup dreams of a better future. But with a sick mother and a large family of pitman brothers and father, the daily burdens fall heavily on her young shoulders. She fears becoming a spinster drudge until she sets eyes on 'Red' Sam Ritson - hard, muscled and a natural leader - climb into the boxing ring at the Durham Miners' Gala and determines to marry him. But Sam, wedded to his battle for his fellow miners against the ruthless mine owner Seward-Scott, is no ideal husband. As tensions increase and the General Strike looms, Louie's brother Eb begins an affair with Eleanor, the mine owner's wife. With the miners locked out of work, Louie fears for the fate of her village and her unborn child. As the strain takes its tragic toll, loving and loyal Louie must stay strong for them all. Written with compassion, humour and a vivid immediacy, The Hungry Hills is an unforgettable saga of two very different families living through the dramas of 1920s Britain. The Hungry Hills was shortlisted for The Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award and is the first in the Durham Mining Trilogy.Trade Review"I read The Hungry Hills with pleasure...Not only a good read but a vivid picture of the coalfield. All the misery and class division are there but so are the warmth and courage of the people. You'll believe you are there." Denise Robertson "My children are unfed, the clothes unwashed, ironing undone ... This is a wonderful book - if you don't mind loosing sleep as you read by torchlight into the night, do get this book." The Miscarriage Association "Truly a novel for saga lovers ... weaving together the lives of her many characters with compassion, skill and affection." Northern Echo "An unforgettable saga of life in the 1920's" Worcester Evening News "When Janet MacLeod Trotter writes about the North East she knows what she is talking about ... set in the Durham coalfields, her latest novel is full of warmth and courage and tales of class differences." Sunderland Echo

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Book SynopsisA heartbreakingly moving story of loyalty and passion: second in the Durham Trilogy. When pretty Sara Pallister's father dies leaving his farm bankrupt, she is begrudgingly taken in by her narrow-minded uncle and aunt in the mining village of Whitton Grange. Made to pay her way, Sara is hired out to Dolly Sergeant's grocer's shop where she meets funny, bashful Raymond Kirkup and his warm-hearted aunt Louie. It is through Raymond that she meets the family that is to change her life: the exotic and extrovert Italian Dimarcos who own the popular ice-cream parlour, and finds herself irresistibly drawn to leather-jacketed, motorbike-riding Joe Dimarco. But neither of their families approves the love-match and they strive to keep them apart. As the shadows of the Second World War gather and the growing hostility to the Italians erupts into violence, Sara and Joe's passionate love seems doomed. With its vivid backdrop of a pit-town strained by the tensions of war, The Darkening Skies is a vibrant and moving story of conflicting loyalties, passions and cultures. The Darkening Skies follows the award-nominated The Hungry Hills in the Durham Mining Trilogy.Trade Review"A moving and well written tale, The Darkening Skies continues the story of the people who live in the fictitious mining community of Whitton Grange. Janet convincingly portrays the rising tide of hate that engulfs the village...There is a good deal of worry, misery and poverty. But there is also courage, warmth, and, above all hope." The Newcastle Journal "This rich slice of pit-town life shows a world which is all but forgotten." Northern Echo "I have just finished reading the fantastic novel 'The Darkening Skies' and I must say that I found your novel impossible to put down. You have written a story about prejudice, hatred and passion and you've managed to make me chuckle as well as shed a tear. You clearly are one of the genre's best writers. I hope that you keep producing more great books." J.D.B. - Malta.

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Book SynopsisRaised in the slums of Edwardian Tyneside, spirited and out-spoken Maggie Beaton joins the ranks of the suffragettes, determined to prove herself to her more wealthy comrades, in particular Alice Pearson, haughty daughter of the powerful local shipbuilder. But the consequences are devastating and Maggie is soon a fugitive, spurned by family and friends. Only militant trade unionist and passionate man, George Gordon, stands by her and for a blissful time his love is enough. But war is looming and Maggie's courage and endurance will be tested to the limit, in this heartbreakingly moving novel of one woman's fight for personal freedom. It is a new version of The Suffragette novel to mark the centenary of suffragette martyr Emily Wilding Davison's death.Trade Review'Brings a time and place vividly to life and makes compulsive reading.' Northern Echo 'Yanks at the heartstrings with characters you really care about ... is written in a style that screams READ ME. The dialogue is sharp and the prose well chiselled.' Sunderland Echo 'Not to be put down until the last page is turned.' The Morpeth Herald 'Compelling and utterly convincing.' Northern Review 'A heart-rending North-Eastern saga from this brilliant storyteller - you'll be hooked!' World Books 'Moving and passionate story of a stubborn, self- willed woman's battle for personal freedom.' Jersey Evening Post

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Book SynopsisScotland, 1722: on a remote and windswept Scottish island an enigmatic poetess foretells tragedy for the proud Macdonalds of Clanranald and the birth of an extraordinary child. That child is the passionate and free-spirited Flora, daughter of Marion. Flora's early years are spent roaming around her father's cattle farm, running wild and free with her brother and his friends. From early on she adores fair Neil MacEachen. But when her father dies suddenly, Flora and her mother are plunged into poverty and it seems beautiful Flora is destined to skivvy in the kitchen and dairy for her harsh aunt. Until one night dashing soldier, One-eyed Hugh, her mother's former lover, kidnaps mother and daughter and takes them to Skye where he swiftly marries Marion.Back on the Outer Isles they settle into family life and Flora is taken under the wing of the lively Lady Clan, the chief's wife, who teaches her the skills of a noblewoman. Flora still dreams of the day she might marry the handsome Neil, who has by now disappeared to France. But when the Clanranalds are invited to the grand wedding of the MacDonald chief of Sleat in Skye, Flora finds herself irresistibly drawn to dark-haired, teasing and passionate Allan of Kingsburgh, one of the mighty Skye MacDonalds, who makes no secret of his desire for her. Her heart is torn; she loves the mysterious and increasingly elusive Neil but struggles to control her attraction to Allan, who is meanwhile being groomed for a prestigious match with the chief of MacLeod's daughter.Before affairs of the heart can be resolved, the exiled Prince Charles Stuart lands on the Outer Isles in his bid to win back the crown and his arrival ignites the Jacobite Rising of 1745. Scotland is plunged into bloody civil war; families and clans are torn apart in their loyalties and Flora's fate is changed forever. She faces the biggest decision of her life - whether or not to help the now fugitive Prince to escape the islands and certain execution - knowing that to do so will not only put her own life in danger, but those of the people she loves most in the world.Deeply emotional and uplifting, THE JACOBITE LASS is set in the turbulent times of 18th century Scotland and is based on the true story of Scottish heroine, Flora MacDonald and Bonnie Prince Charlie.

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Book SynopsisLondon 1788. The calm order of Queen Charlotte's court is shattered by screams. The King of England is going mad. Left alone with thirteen children and with the country at war, Charlotte has to fight to hold her husband's throne. It is a time of unrest and revolutions but most of all Charlotte fears the King himself, someone she can no longer love or trust. She has lost her marriage to madness and there is nothing she can do except continue to do her royal duty. Her six daughters are desperate to escape their palace asylum. Their only chance lies in a good marriage, but no prince wants the daughter of a madman. They are forced to take love wherever they can find it, with devastating consequences. The moving true story of George III's madness and the women whose lives it destroyed.Trade Review"Queen of Bedlam" is a masterfully written and well-researched novel written by someone who has truly mastered the craft of evoking readers' emotions." --Historical Novels Review

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