Classic Romance Books

A new life awaits... Martha and Penelope Merridene desperately need a fresh start. Their father is gone, they are left penniless, and the only way forward is to accept an unusual job offer in the distant town of Tapton. Jonas Wright, the mill owner there, requires a teacher for his daughters and some promising mill workers. The sisters aren't settled long before their lives are flipped upside down. Caught up in a riot, Penelope meets a disgruntled worker, Daniel Porter, whose family have been brought to starvation by a rival mill owner. And against her better judgement, Martha finds herself drawn to Ben Seaton, the father of one of her students. Amid the chaos, some romance might be just the respite the two sisters need - but the course of true love never did run smooth. Product Information:  • ISBN:  9781804367223 • Author:  Anna Jacobs • Publisher:  Canelo • Format:  Paperback • Pages:  336 • Dimensions:   12.9 x 19.8 x 2.5 cm

Like half of all the young women living in the Scottish town Clydebank in early 1911, Ellen works at the sewing machine factory. So does her big sister, Bridget, Bridget's fiancé Malcolm, and her new friend Sadie, who has come to work at the factory after the death of her father... For Sadie, the factory is a way to make ends meet, but Ellen has sewing in her veins. She is even making Bridget's wedding dress on her beloved sewing machine. But after the excitement of the wedding dies down, everything changes. Ellen discovers that the work of the cabinet polishers - her job - is to be reorganised, and they will be doing more work for less pay. Ellen feels betrayed - the sewing factory is her family and they've let her down. Sadie is more pragmatic. But the women aren't going to give in without a fight. They've been reading about strikes and they've got an idea - much to the disgust of manager Malcolm. Meanwhile, Bridget, forced to choose between her husband and her sister, has made a new friend and is fighting her own battle, alongside the suffragettes. The events of the strike will throw Ellen, Bridget and Sadie's lives into turmoil but also bring these women closer to each other than they could ever have imagined. Product Information:  • ISBN:  9781398718777 • Author:  Posy Lovell • Publisher:  Orion • Format:  Paperback • Pages:  352 • Dimensions: 12.8 x 2.4 x 19.6 cm

Ada Williams was once an ambitious woman who believed money and power would bring her happiness. But now, she is all alone in the world except for her greedy, bitter son Peter, who despises her and waits only for the day he will inherit her fortune. Ada, however, has a different plan altogether. Just a few miles away in Blackburn, the Bolton family may be poor - but the love they share, and the friendship of their neighbours, means they can overcome almost any adversity. But no one could foresee the shocking events of Christmas night, 1932, which split the family asunder, leaving young Larry crippled and the twins, Ellie and Betsy, in a foster home. Events that began many years ago, when Ada Williams was young and foolish.  Product Information:  • ISBN:  9781035409334 • Author:  Josephine Cox • Publisher:  Headline • Format:  Paperback • Pages:  320 • Dimensions:  15.3 x 2.5 x 23.3 cm

An unexpected inheritance is most people's dream, but not for Paula.  Having put bad times behind her, she is now happy and secure in Western Australia with her own business. This is a complete contrast to her rootless childhood, and she has little interest in the minor stately home in the English countryside of which she is now the owner.  Persuaded to visit the property in Wiltshire, Paula has to confront complications both romantic and financial that will test the old adage that home is where the heart is. Product Information:  • ISBN:  9780749029661 • Author:  Anna Jacobs • Publisher:  Allison & Busby • Format:  Paperback • Pages:  320 • Dimensions: 12.9 x 2.5 x 19.8 cm

Libby and Will spent a glorious honeymoon in this magical city.  They didn't have much money, but they had a whole lot of love and a bright future ahead of them. And Venice was where it all went wrong... Two kids and twenty-five years later, they are struggling with money problems but somehow Will manages to fulfil his promise to Libby to take her back to Venice for their anniversary.  This time, they are doing it in style and a masked ball awaits. But among the beautiful buildings and romantic canals, Libby learns that her husband has a secret that breaks her heart. The trust is broken and the marriage is over. But there are decades of love and two grown sons between them. Can they ever find their way back to each other or have they missed their chance forever? Product Information:  • ISBN:  9781804362273 • Author:  Helga Jensen • Publisher:  Canelo Hera • Format:  Paperback • Pages:  304 • Dimensions: 12.9 x 19.8 x 1.8 cm

In Jinnie, the sequel to The Woman Who Left, Josephine Cox weaves an unforgettable and dramatic tale of the lingering power of past betrayals. Ten years ago, Louise Hunter's life was torn apart by tragedy. Her husband, Ben, killed himself; her brother-in-law, Jacob, was murdered; and her sister, Susan, abandoned her new-born daughter, revealing the baby is Ben's child. Louise remains haunted by guilt over the one night she spent with Ben's friend Eric, and refuses to return Eric's love. But after adopting Jinnie, she finds new happiness - until Susan decides she wants Jinnie back. Meanwhile, Adam and Hannah, whose mother was killed with Jacob, are on the run. What Adam witnessed on that dreadful night has put them all in danger, but their beloved grandmother knows that one day they must return to the place where it all began...  Product Information:  • ISBN:  9781035409303 • Author:  Josephine Cox  • Publisher:  Headline • Format:  Paperback • Pages:  304 • Dimensions:  12.8 x 3 x 19.6 cm

Suffolk, 1924. After the death of her fiancé in the field hospitals of France, Angel becomes nurse to the MacDonald family in the small village of Uffasham.  Taking residence at the appropriately named Angel Inn, she is met by many new faces - and old ones, too. Edith, a fellow nurse from the war, while taking great interest in Angel's new life, refuses to let her forget her old one. As Angel grows closer to her employer, Robert, Edith threatens to expose a secret that could ruin everything...  Can Angel ever be free to move on with her new life and her new family, or will the secrets of her past finally be revealed? Product Information:  • ISBN:  9781804180969 • Author:  Sheila Newberry • Publisher:  Bonnier Publishing Fiction • Format:  Paperback • Pages:  334 • Dimensions: 12.8 x 19.8 x 2.2 cm

Blackpool, 1922: Martha and Trisha may have escaped poverty, but their fortunes have yet to turn. Blissfully happy on her wedding day, Trisha's new fairy-tale romance soon darkens as her husband, Walter, keeps her at arms length. Between his secrecy, and her mother-in-law's coldness , Trisha feels a stranger in her own home, and lonelier than ever... Meanwhile a spectre from Martha's past threatens the happiness she has found with Joshua and Bonnie. When she is called to help in her past love's hour of need, she must decide whether to risk exposing a secret that could cost her the trust of her daughter... With winter fast approaching, Martha and Trisha take warmth and comfort in the strength of their friendship. But will Martha's gift of foresight be enough to see them through? Product Information:  • ISBN:  9781408728161 • Author:  Maggie Mason  • Publisher:  Sphere • Format:  Paperback • Pages:  400 • Dimensions: 12.4 x 3.2 x 19.6 cm

Will she marry below her station? Beatrice Dencey is constantly reminded by her aunt, the Dowager, that she must marry appropriately. And so must the Dowager's beloved granddaughter, Eleanor Graceover. Charged with finding Eleanor a suitable husband, Beatrice is sent to London with a list of pre-approved gentlemen. Once there, she quickly rules out every man on the list. All except the handsome and charming Justin Serle, who stirs a deep desire in Beatrice. Meanwhile, Eleanor has her own ideas about who she wants to marry. Both she and Beatrice have a big decision to make - marry for duty and live a life full of regret, or marry for love and risk angering the formidable Dowager. Product Information:  • ISBN:  9781804367230 • Author:  Anna Jacobs • Publisher: Canelo   • Format:  Paperback • Pages:  304 • Dimensions:  12.9 x 19.7 x 2.2 cm

For generations, every Frankenstein has found their true love and equal, unlocking lifetimes of blissful wedded adventure. Clever, pretty (and odd) Angelika Frankenstein has run out of suitors and fears she may become the exception to this family rule.  When assisting in her brother Victor's ground-breaking experiment to bring a reassembled man back to life, she realizes that having an agreeable gentleman convalescing in the guest suite might be a chance to let a man get to know the real her. For the first time, Angelika embarks upon a project that is all her own. When her handsome scientific miracle sits up on the lab table, her hopes for an instant romantic connection are thrown into disarray. Her resurrected beau (named Will for the moment) has total amnesia and is solely focused on uncovering his true identity. Trying to ignore their heart-pounding chemistry, Angelika reluctantly joins the investigation into his past, hoping it will bring them closer.  But when a second suitor emerges to aid their quest, Angelika wonders if she was too hasty inventing a solution. Perhaps fate is not something that can be influenced in a laboratory? Or is Will (or whatever his name is!) her dream man, tailored for her in every way? And can he survive what was done to him in the name of science, and love?  Product Information:  • ISBN:  9780349435060 • Author:  Sally Thorne • Publisher:  Piatkus • Format:  Paperback • Pages:  384 • Dimensions:  14.8 x 3 x 19.4 cm

She is determined to live the life she wants… Cassandra Trent does not like being told what to do. So when she is forced to leave behind her beloved Bardsley and join her aunt in London, she is furious. She wants nothing to do with polite society and useless noblemen. But Cassandra finds some comfort in the friendship she forms with her kind and gentle cousin, Susannah Berrinden. Despite being destined to marry Simeon Giffard, a charming and – more importantly – wealthy young man, Susannah has other ideas… And it seems Simeon does too. He has eyes only for Cassandra – but winning her over might prove to be a near impossible task.  Product Information:  • ISBN:  9781804367216 • Author:  Anna Jacobs • Publisher:  Canelo  • Format:  Paperback • Pages:  304 • Dimensions: 12.9 x 1.8 x 19.8 cm

Will she lose everything she’s worked so hard for? The Second World War may be over, but the war in Polly Pride’s home is only just beginning, and it will test her like never before. Her son, Benny, never seems to be far from trouble, spending all his time with shady characters and winding up in the wrong places at the wrong times. Her daughter, Lucy, is seeing another man behind her husband’s back and leaving her children to run riot. And Charlie, Polly’s beloved husband, is battling ill health and doesn’t want her interfering. Polly refuses to go back to a life of poverty – but managing a business, a family, and the trials of living in post-war Manchester might prove to be too much, even for her… Product Information:  • ISBN:  9781804365564 • Author:  Freda Lightfoot  • Publisher:  Canelo • Format:  Paperback • Pages:  352 • Dimensions: 12.9 x 2.1 x 19.8 cm

She will keep her head held high, no matter what… Polly Pride's life is falling apart. Her husband has lost his job, there's no money coming in, and she has two young mouths to feed. With the prospect of poverty looming over her, and her husband wallowing in apathy, Polly takes control. She sells everything they own and buys a rickety old handcart. Polly piles it high with second-hand rugs and spends hours hawking her wares around Manchester's cobbled streets. But her determination to persevere will be tested to its limits, as she juggles her work, the pressures of her young family, and her husband's wounded pride. Will her life fall apart completely - especially when tragedy strikes - or can she keep it together? Product Information:  • ISBN:  9781804365526 • Author:  Freda Lightfoot • Publisher:  Canelo Saga • Format:  Paperback • Pages:  334 • Dimensions: 12.8 x 19.8 x 2.5 cm

From the author of An Orphan's Wish comes a tale of love and destiny... When Thomas Grant - one of the most eligible young men in London - proposes to Annabel Seaton, she can't say she's surprised, but she is delighted. He's been her best friend since she was a child, and she can't imagine life without him. What shocks her, however, is the reaction of her mother and father. Annabel knows that her parents disapprove of her forthright opinions, but their displeasure is both unexpected and unaccountable. As they permit the engagement, however, she decides to put it out of her mind. But before she can be married, tragedy strikes, and only then does Annabel learn of the shocking secret that her parents have kept from her. Determined to learn more, she travels to Durham on a personal search that will change everything.... Product Information:  • ISBN:  9781529428025 • Author:  Elizabeth Gill • Publisher:  Quercus • Format:  Paperback • Pages:  304 • Dimensions: 12.7 x 1.91 x 19.69 cm

An unforgettable marriage, an unexpected romance and an impossible choice... Five years ago, the bottom fell out of Eden's world when her firefighter husband died. Now, instead of the future she had planned with Andy, she has Lila - the daughter he never got the chance to meet. Instead of Andy, she has his family. Then an old friend comes back into Eden's life: someone who doesn't see her as a widow or a mother; someone who reminds her of how she used to be. Suddenly she's having fun again. But Andy's mother has other plans for Eden, who soon faces an impossible decision. One that could tear a family apart... Compassionate, irresistible and honest, What Eden Did Next is a sometimes heart-breaking, ultimately joyful, novel of love, loss - and finding your own way to happiness. Product Information:  • ISBN:  9781472272713 • Author:  Sheila O'Flanagan • Publisher:  Orion Publishing • Format:  Paperback • Pages:  464 • Dimensions: 12.7 x 2.9 x 19.7 cm

Tara, Katherine and Fintan have been best friends since they were teenagers. Now in their early thirties, they've been living it up in London for ten years. But what have they to show for a decade of hedonism? Sure, Tara's got a boyfriend - but only because she's terrified of spending five minutes alone. Katherine, on the other hand, has a neatness fetish that won't let anyone too close to mess up her life. And Fintan? Well, he has everything. Until he learns that without your health, you've got nothing... All three are drinking in the last chance saloon and they're about to discover that if you don't change your life, life has a way of changing you . . Product Information:  • ISBN:  9781405969208 • Author:  Marian Keyes • Publisher:  Penguin • Format:  Paperback • Pages:  640 • Dimensions:  12.95 x 3.81 x 19.81 cm

Alice and Alife couldn't be more different. He's charming, talkative and outgoing. She's reserved, efficient and a workaholic. Forced together by circumstance, they can't see each other but they can talk - and as Alfie slowly brings Alice out of her shell, they start to get to know each other better. The connection between them feels real, but can you really fall for someone you've never seen? Product Information: • ISBN: 9781784166519 • Author: Emily Houghton • Publisher: Black Swan • Format: Paperback • Pages: 400 • Dimensions: 19.7 x 12.5 x 2.4cm

A heart-warming tale of sibling rivalry, secrets, love and death, steeped in local colour and noise and tender in its depiction of family at their worst, and at their best from Domenica de Rosa, author of the bestselling Dr Ruth Galloway series under the name Elly Griffiths. Gaby, the youngest of the de Angelis sisters, always secretly knew she was her father Enzo’s favourite; so when Enzo dies on the day her own daughter is born, her life is turned upside down. In the emotional aftermath of the funeral, it emerges that her father has asked that his ashes be taken back his native city, Rome. Suddenly, Gaby and her new family are thrown headfirst into the wider de Angelis clan, and all of their conflicting ideas and opinions. As the family journeys to Rome to say a final goodbye to Enzo, emotions run high; but none higher than Gaby’s, as she comes face to face with the man she once thought she would marry, and is forced to question everything of which, until now, she was so sure. Product Information:  • ISBN:  9781529434354 • Author:  Domenica De Rosa • Publisher:  Quercus • Format:  Paperback • Pages:  384 • Dimensions: 12.8 x 2.6 x 19.6 cm

Ever wished you could trade your life in for a better one? One day, sitting in traffic, married Dublin mum Stella Sweeney attempts a simple good deed. When the result is a terrible car accident, she meets a handsome stranger with a Range Rover who wants her number - no, for insurance purposes - and in this meeting a seed is born which will change Stella's life forever. What happens next will take Stella thousands of miles from her old life, turning an ordinary woman into a superstar and, along the way, wrenching her whole family apart... Was meeting Mr Range Rover destiny or karma? Should she be grateful or just hopping mad? And can Stella grab a chance at real, honest-to-goodness happiness now it finally seems within her reach? Product Information:  • ISBN:  9781405969185 • Author:  Marian Keyes  • Publisher:  Penguin • Format:  Paperback • Pages:  576 • Dimensions:  12.85 x 3.48 x 19.71 cm

Three sisters torn apart by war. Can fighting for peace bring them together again? December 1941: Evacuated from the threat of German bombs, sisters Amelie and Mireille have grown up under the storm clouds of war. Now they have joined the fight against Hitler, with Amelie training as a nurse to save wounded soldiers, and Mireille enlisted to help the Air Force wage war in the skies over Europe. But as each sister fights for peace, they are still haunted by the memory of their missing sister who was snatched away from them at the beginning of the war. As Mireille is recruited for a special forces role behind enemy lines in France, she puts her life on the line for the Allies. But could she also finally have a chance of reuniting her sisters, once the war is over?  Product Information:  • ISBN:  9780008538392 • Author:  Pam Weaver  • Publisher:  Avon • Format:  Paperback • Pages:  384 • Dimensions:  12.9 x 2.7 x 19.8 cm