Historical Fiction Books

Escape to the ballrooms of Regency London with this beautifully designed boxset of the first four books in the worldwide bestselling Bridgerton series, the inspiration behind the Netflix phenomenon. In this glamorous, witty series, the Bridgertons reign over the Ton, watched (and gossiped about) by a mysterious columnist known only as Lady Whistledown . . . Included in this title: • The Duke & I • The Viscount Who Loved Me • An Offer From a Gentleman • Romancing Mr Bridgerton Product Information: • ISBN: 9780349430188 • Author: Julia Quinn • Publisher: Piatkus • Format: Box Set • Dimensions: 20.2 x 9.8 x 13 cm

Aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. But when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now? Summoned to Evelyn's luxurious apartment, Monique listens in fascination as the actress tells her story. From making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the '80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way, Evelyn unspools a tale of ruthless ambition, unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love. Monique begins to feel a very real connection to the legendary star, but as Evelyn's story near its conclusion, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique's own in tragic and irreversible ways. Product Information: • ISBN: 9781398515697 • Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid • Publisher: Washington Square Press • Format: Paperback • Pages: 400 • Dimensions: 19.9 x 12.9 x 2.4 cm

When Addie La Rue makes a pact with the devil, she trades her soul for immortality. But there's always a price - the devil takes away her place in the world, cursing her to be forgotten by everyone. Addie flees her tiny home town in 18th-Century France, beginning a journey that takes her across the world, learning to live a life where no one remembers her and everything she owns is lost and broken. Existing only as a muse for artists throughout history, she learns to fall in love anew every single day. Her only companion on this journey is her dark devil with hypnotic green eyes, who visits her each year on the anniversary of their deal. Alone in the world, Addie has no choice but to confront him, to understand him, maybe to beat him. Until one day, in a second hand bookshop in Manhattan, Addie meets someone who remembers her. Suddenly thrust back into a real, normal life, Addie realises she can't escape her fate forever. Product Information: • ISBN: 9781785652509 • Author: V. E. Schwab • Publisher: Titan Books • Format: Hardback • Pages: 560 • Dimensions: 20.3 x 13.9 x 4.5 cm

Seventeen year old Sadie Linthorpe is the talk of Rhyope when she first arrives there alone. But Sadie is keeping a rather big secret... she is searching for her baby girl who was taken from her at birth a year ago and sold by the child's grandmother. The only information Sadie knows is that the family who took her daughter live in Ryhope. And the only information Sadie knows on her baby specifically was that she had a birthmark on one shoulder resembling a tiny ladybird. However, a guest from Sadie's past appears and jeopardises the life she is beginning to build for herself... Product Information: ISBN: 9781472256621 Author: Glenda Young Publisher: Headline Format: Paperback Pages: 342 Dimensions: 20 x 13 x 2cm

London's East End, 1890 Growing up in poverty, Hester Stainsby toils day and night in the laundry room of Poplar Hospital to help support her family; her father Fred, her younger twin siblings, Harry and Polly, and cantankerous Granny Garter. When Fred is badly injured in an accident at the docks, the family's fortunes take a turn for the worse. Determined to make a better life for herself and her loved ones, Hester trains to be a nurse, throwing herself into hospital life. Nursing in London's busy East End is never easy and Hester must be willing to make sacrifices. But when a heroic and mysterious patient lands in her care, she feels something she never has before. Will love jeopardise everything she's worked so hard for? And can she find the happiness she and her family are so desperately searching for? Product Information: • ISBN: 9781838772048 • Author: Sheila Newberry • Publisher: Zaffre • Format: Paperback • Pages: 400 • Dimensions: 19.8 x 12.9 x 2.2cm

1885. Ruby Carter works hard in her parents' bakery. Whilst life isn't easy, she's happy enough - her gentle mother protects Ruby from her cruel father. So, when her mother falls seriously ill, Ruby is heartbroken. Then, from her deathbed, her mother reveals that Ruby was adopted. Stricken by grief and alone with the violent man she called her father, Ruby feels she has no choice but to flee. At just fifteen, homeless and alone she is relieved when a kindly stranger named Mrs Bamber takes pity on poor Ruby and welcomes her into her home. But soon, Ruby learns Mrs Bamber is not as generous as she first seemed - she forces Ruby into a life of crime as a jewel thief in Birmingham's jewellery quarter. With nothing to her name and nowhere to go Ruby has no choice but to go along with it. But Ruby is determined that she will atone for what she's done, and be reunited with her birth parents. Product Information: • ISBN: 9781838773540 • Author: Rosie Goodwin • Publisher: Zaffre • Format: Paperback • Pages: 480 • Dimensions: 19.8 x 12.9 x 2.7 cm

What will you find from his story? Nuri is a beekeeper, his wife, Afra, an artist. They live a simple life, rich in family and friends, in the beautiful Syrian city of Aleppo - until the unthinkable happens. When all they care for is destroyed by war, they are forced to escape. As Nuri and Afra travel through a broken world, they must confront not only the pain of their own unspeakable loss, but dangers that would overwhelm the bravest of souls. Above all - and perhaps this is the hardest thing they face - they must journey to find each other again. Moving, powerful, compassionate and beautifully written, The Beekeeper of Aleppo is a testament to the triumph of the human spirit. Told with deceptive simplicity, it is the kind of book that reminds us of the power of storytelling. Product Information:• ISBN: 9781838770013• Author: Christy Lefteri• Publisher: Manilla Press• Format: Paperback• Pages: 384• Dimensions: 12.9 x 2.8 x 19.8 cm

Roll out the red carpet. The royal train is due in half an hour and there's not a minute to be wasted. It's 1915 and the country is at war. In the small Norfolk village of Wolferton, uncertainty plagues the daily lives of sisters Ada, Jessie and Beatrice Saward, as their men are dispatched to the frontlines of Gallipoli. Harry, their father, is the station master at the local stop for the royal Sandringham Estate. With members of the royal family and their aristocratic guests passing through the station on their way to the palace, the Sawards' unique position gives them unrivalled access to the monarchy. But when the Sawards' estranged and impoverished cousin Maria shows up out of the blue, everything the sisters thought they knew about their family is thrown into doubt. The Royal Station Master's Daughters is inspired by the Saward family, who ran the station at Wolferton in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Through this history-making family we get a glimpse into all walks of life - from glittering royalty to the humblest of servants. Product Information: • ISBN: 9781838774578 • Author: Ellee Seymour • Publisher: Zaffre • Format: Paperback • Pages: 400 • Dimensions: 19.8 x 12.9 x 2.3cm

The fifth novel in the beloved Regency-set world of Julia Quinn's charming, powerful Bridgerton family, now a major Netflix series. This is Eloise’s story . . . Eloise Bridgerton couldn't marry a man she had never met! But before she knew it, she was in a hired carriage in the middle of the night, on her way to meet the man she hoped might be her perfect match. Except . . . he wasn't. Her perfect husband wouldn't be so moody and ill-mannered, and while Phillip was certainly handsome, he was rough and rugged, and totally unlike the London gentlemen vying for her hand. But when he smiled and when he kissed her . . . the rest of the world simply fell away. Could this imperfect man be perfect for her? Product Information: • ISBN: 9780349429465 • Author: Julia Quinn • Publisher: Piatkus • Format: Paperback • Pages: 384 • Dimensions: 19.8 x 12.6 x 3 cm

A life of poverty in a cramped pit cottage is all that seventeen-year-old Ruby Dinsdale has known. Even with her father and younger brother working at the coal mine, money is tight. Her mother Mary is skilled at stretching what little they have, but the small contribution Ruby makes from her job at the local pub makes all the difference. So when Ruby is sacked, and Mary becomes pregnant again, the family's challenges are greater than ever. When charming miner Gordon begins to court Ruby it seems as though happiness is on the horizon, until she uncovers a deeper betrayal than she could ever have imagined. But although the Dinsdales are materially poor, they are rich in love, friendship and determination - all qualities that they will draw on to get them through whatever lies ahead. Product Information: • ISBN: 9781472268600 • Author: Glenda Young • Publisher: Headline • Format: Paperback • Pages: 384 • Dimensions: 19.6 x 12.8 x 3 cm

When her mother dies in childbirth, Pearl Edwards is left in the care of her aunt, Annie Grafton. Annie loves Pearl like her own daughter but it isn't easy to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table. Annie knows the best way to supplement their meagre income is to walk the pit lane at night, looking for men willing to pay for her company. As Pearl grows older she is unable to remain ignorant of Annie's profession, despite her aunt's attempts to shield her. But when Pearl finds herself unexpectedly without work and their landlord raises the rent, it becomes clear they have few choices left and Annie is forced to ask Pearl the unthinkable. Rather than submit to life on the pit lane, Pearl runs away. She has nothing and nowhere to go, but Pearl is determined to survive on her own terms... Product Information: ISBN: 9781472256669 Author: Glenda Young Publisher: Headline Format: Paperback Pages: 352 Dimensions: 19.7 x 13 x 2.1cm

Could these crystal clear waters hide the secrets of her past? For years Shelly Summer has buried herself in her work, trying to forget her past. The only time she feels truly herself is when she's diving in the Mediterranean - the calm and stillness of the clear waters help her forget. Back home, Shelly stumbles across the belongings of her great-grandmother, Gertie Smith including a recording of Gertie's memoirs. As Shelly listens to it, she starts to uncover the secrets of Gertie's past, which might just hold the key to letting go of her own. 1916 When trainee nurse Gertie Smith signs up for the war effort, she is thrilled to learn that her destination will be Greece. With a head full of blue skies and handsome men, she boards the Titanic's sister ship, the ill-fated hospital ship Britannic. Unprepared for the horrors of war, she heads for the Greek island of Lemnos on a mission to rescue three thousand wounded British soldiers. But tragically, the Britannic never reaches its destination. When rescued, Gertie is taken to the Greek island of Kea, where she meets and falls in love with a Greek fisherman, Manno - but she finds herself torn between him and her duty to an English soldier. Gertie cannot shake the guilt she feels from that tragic night the ship sank and is afraid her past will eventually catch up with her. Product Information: • ISBN: 9781838774899 • Author: Patricia Wilson • Publisher: Bonnier Publishing • Format: Paperback • Pages: 486 • Dimensions: 19.6 x 13 x 3.9 cm

'She's just a paper mill girl.' Seventeen-year-old Ruth Hardy works long hours at Grange Paper Works, with her younger sister Bea, and spends her free time caring for their ailing parents. Their meagre income barely covers their needs, so when Bea reveals that she is pregnant out of wedlock, Ruth knows even tougher times are ahead. Ruth's hard work at the mill does not go unnoticed and it looks as though luck might turn when she's promoted. But when the arrival of Bea's baby girl ends in tragedy, Ruth is left with no choice but to bring up her niece herself. However, news of Ruth's plan brings a threatening menace close. Although Ruth's friendship with the girls at the mill, and the company of charming railway man, Mick Carson, sustain her, ultimately Ruth bears the responsibility for keeping her family safe. Will she ever find happiness of her own? Product Information: • ISBN: 9781472268563 • Author: Glenda Young • Publisher: Headline • Format: Paperback • Pages: 368 • Dimensions: 19.6 x 12.8 x 3cm

Cornwall, 1800. Imprisoned on false pretences, Madeleine Pelligrew, former mistress of Pendenning Hall, has spent the last 14 years shuttled between increasingly destitute and decrepit mad houses. When a strange man appears out of the blue to release her, she can't quite believe that her freedom comes without a price. Hiding her identity, Madeleine determines to discover the truth about what happened all those years ago. Unsure who to trust and alone in the world, Madeleine strikes a tentative friendship with a French prisoner on parole, Captain Pierre de la Croix. But as she learns more about the reasons behind her imprisonment, and about those who schemed to hide her away for so long, she starts to wonder if Pierre is in fact the man he says he is. As Madeleine's past collides with her present, can she find the strength to follow her heart, no matter the personal cost? Product Information: • ISBN: 9781838954598 • Author: Nicola Pryce • Publisher: Corvus • Format: Paperback • Pages: 464 • Dimensions: 19.69 x 12.7 x 3.05cm

Woman. Witch. Myth. Mortal. Outcast. Lover. Destroyer. Survivor. CIRCE. In the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born. Circe is a strange child - not powerful and terrible, like her father, nor gorgeous and mercenary like her mother. Scorned and rejected, Circe grows up in the shadows, at home in neither the world of gods or mortals. But Circe has a dark power of her own: witchcraft. When her gift threatens the gods, she is banished to the island of Aiaia where she hones her occult craft, casting spells, gathering strange herbs and taming wild beasts. Yet a woman who stands alone will never be left in peace for long - and among her island's guests is an unexpected visitor: the mortal Odysseus, for whom Circe will risk everything. So Circe sets forth her tale, a vivid, mesmerizing epic of family rivalry, love and loss - the defiant, inextinguishable song of woman burning hot and bright through the darkness of a man's world. Product Information: • ISBN: 9781408890042 • Author: Madeline Miller • Publisher: Bloomsbury Paperbacks • Format: Paperback • Pages: 352 • Dimensions: 19.7 x 13 x 2.2 cm

The third novel in the beloved Regency-set world of Julia Quinn's charming, powerful Bridgerton family, now a major Netflix series. Welcome to Benedict's story . . . Sophie Beckett never dreamt she would sneak into Lady Bridgerton's famed masquerade ball - or that 'Prince Charming' would be waiting there for her! Though the daughter of an earl, Sophie had been relegated to the role of servant by her disdainful stepmother. But that night, spinning in the strong arms of the debonair and devastatingly handsome Benedict Bridgerton, she felt like royalty. Yet she knows all enchantments must end. But Sophie has reckoned without Benedict's determined heart: he has sworn to find and wed his mystery miss, for he knows this is his only chance for a fairy tale love . . . Product Information: • ISBN: 9780349429441 • Author: Julia Quinn • Publisher: Piatkus • Format: Paperback • Pages: 384 • Dimensions: 19.8 x 12.6 x 3.2 cm

Within Lancashire, 1612, Fleetwood Shuttleworth is only 17 years old but married and pregnant for the fourth time... However, she still has no living child and her husband Richard is itching for an heir. But when she crosses paths with Alice Gray, a young midwife, she promises to help Fleetwood give birth to a healthy baby. Meanwhile, Alice is drawn into witchcraft accusations that are sweeping the north-west and Fleetwood risks everyone to try and help her. But the legendary witch trials are approaching and Fleetwood's stomach is growing by the minute... Are both of their lives at stake? 'Assured and alluring' - Jessie Burton. Product Information: ISBN: 9781785766145 Author: Stacey Halls Publisher: Zaffre Format: Paperback Pages: 420 Dimensions: 20 x 13 x 3.5cm

The second book in the beloved and globally bestselling Bridgerton Family, now a series created by Shondaland for Netflix. Welcome to Anthony's story . . . Anthony Bridgerton needs a wife. Having spent his twenties in a rakish pursuit of pleasure he knows it's high time he settled down and ensured the continuation of the Bridgerton line. Edwina Sheffield is considered the most beautiful debutante of the current season. She is also sweet, innocent and eminently biddable - Anthony is sure she'll make a perfectly acceptable wife and vows to make her his. The only obstacle in his way is Edwina's older sister, Kate. Kate is determined to do all she can to allow her sister the chance to marry for love rather than convenience. And the roguish viscount is beginning to think he may have met his match in Kate's keen wit and sharp tongue. Until, that is, he makes the mistake of kissing her... Product Information: • ISBN: 9780349432137 • Author: Julia Quinn • Publisher: Piatkus • Format: Paperback • Pages: 384 • Dimensions: 19.6 x 12.4 x 2.4 cm

One week will change all their lives... Janice Butler is working as a waitress at her mother's Blackpool boarding house when she meets Val Horrocks and Cissie Foster who are visiting from Halifax, and the three form an instant friendship. Romance beckons for all of them, but the events of one evening at a local dance will change all their lives for better and for worse, and all three girls will discover that life doesn't always turn out as one would expect. Product Information: • ISBN: 9781800324855 • Author: Margaret Thornton • Publisher: Canelo • Format: Paperback • Pages: 336 • Dimensions: 19.8 x 12.9 x 2 cm

Born into poverty and living under the roof of her violent and abusive brother-in-law, young Kitty Cox dreams of working in a women's dress shop in the West End - a million miles away from the reality of her life as a mud-lark, scavenging on the banks of the Thames. Fate soon intervenes and Kitty finds herself working as a skivvy for Sir Desmond and Lady Arabella Mableton in Mayfair. Bullied by the kitchen maids, Kitty is soon taken under Lady Arabella's wing and for the first time in her life Kitty dares to hope. But Lady 'Bella' has a secret and unable to live with her domineering husband she decides to leave, fighting for custody of their daughter, Leonie. Kitty will do anything for her mistress but her loyalty is severely tested as all their lives are thrown into turmoil and Kitty faces a life of poverty and hardship in the slums of the East End once more ... Product Information: ISBN: 9780099521976 Author: Dilly Court Publisher: Century Format: Paperback Pages: 496 Dimensions: 19.6 x 12.8 x 3.1cm