Amelia and her family are homeless this Christmas. How can their days be merry after they’ve lost everything? When Trilby arrives at the shelter just in time for the holidays, Amelia’s family takes the older trans woman eagerly into their hearts. Trilby reminds the young girl of her late grandmother, who was always so loving and supportive. Everyone is over the moon when a wealthy benefactor arranges a festive shopping trip for the shelter’s residents, but the evening goes sour when a cold-hearted shop assistant denies Trilby the only gift she really wants. Can anyone set things right? And can they do it in time for Christmas?
In Season of Shadows, journey through four unforgettable Christmas tales, each filled with secrets, suspense, and moving moments to illuminate even the darkest of winter nights. In The Witch of the Winter Woods, Nicole sets out to meet her girlfriend’s family for the first time, only to find herself caught in a chilling chase through the snow. As supernatural forces close in, she must summon every ounce of courage to survive the night. Alone for Christmas introduces Marissa, a teacher hoping for a quiet holiday in her empty home. But when an intruder shatters her silent night, hidden secrets resurface, forcing her to confront her darkest fears in a psychological thriller that will keep you guessing. In Ghost Family Christmas, Debbie and her brothers, teenage ghosts from the 1970s, are trapped in the place of their tragic deaths. Desperate for release, they seek help from the living, but will anyone hear their call before it’s too late? Finally, A Teacup for Trilby tells the heartfelt tale of Amelia, a young girl spending Christmas in a shelter. When she meets Trilby, an elderly trans woman with a kind spirit, a simple act of compassion brings light and warmth to a holiday touched by hardship. A perfect collection for readers who embrace both the eerie and enchanting sides of Christmas. Season of Shadows brings the thrill of the unknown to the holiday season, where warmth meets shadows and secrets linger in the snow.
Three women’s lives are about to change because of a few delicate pieces of china... When Jenny Davis comes across a beautiful vintage tea set at an outdoor market in the English countryside, she’s convinced it’s fate. A young bride on a budget, she has her heart set on a vintage tea-party theme for her wedding—and the gorgeous gold-rimmed china before her is perfect. There’s only one problem. Two other women have fallen in love with it, too. So they come up with a solution: They’ll share it. They establish a sisterhood, sharing the ups and downs of their lives—from broken hearts and weddings, to family drama and career dreams. When a figure from Jenny’s past threatens to ruin her big day, Alison’s teenage daughter pushes her to the limit, and Maggie’s romantic life is thrown into turmoil, the members of the Vintage Teacup Club band together—proving their newfound friendship will last a lifetime.
The residents of Baybridge on the west coast of Ireland were forgiving of the damp climate except when the clothes failed to dry on the line. Even on those days, they would not forfeit the stunning scenery surrounding them. Fiona Hannon, a local social worker, shared their sentiments and felt she knew her neighbours well. This belief was brought into question when compelling circumstances wove the lives of a ten-year-old girl, a retired teacher returned from India, a grumpy betting man with a green thumb, and the local shopkeeper into a multilayered fabric. Fiona found herself comparing the events of each day to hanging clothes on a clothesline. It was impossible to know at the start what these items would be. Would they flutter in the wind, drying easily, or remain too sodden to lift? No two clotheslines were alike, not even your own.
USA Today bestselling author Lenora Bell introduces her sparkling School for Dukes series with her sparkling Regency interpretation of Mary Poppins. Wanted: Governess for duke’s unruly children Edgar Rochester, Duke of Banksford, is one of the wealthiest, most powerful men in England, but when it comes to raising twins alone, he knows he needs help. The only problem is the children have terrorized half the governesses in London. Until the clever, bold, and far-too-enticing Miss Mari Perkins arrives. Lost: One heart to an arrogant duke Mari knows how to wrap even the most rebellious children around her finger. But their demanding, wickedly handsome father? He won’t be quite so easy to control. And there’s something else she can’t seem to command. Her heart. The foolish thing beats so wildly every time Edgar is near. Found: A forbidden passion neither can deny As his employee, Mari is strictly off-limits. But what if she’s the one breaking all his rules? In the game of governess versus duke, how can Edgar maintain his defenses when the only thing he wants to do is let the tempting beauty win . . .?
Fans of Louise Douglas, Dinah Jeffries and Kristin Hannah will love this unputdownable romantic read from bestselling author Charlotte Bingham. Portraying the highs and lows of love and marriage, it's an unforgettable read and the perfect dose of escapism. 'The author perfectly evokes the atmosphere of a bygone era... ' -- Woman's Own 'This is great summer escapism from an award-winning romantic novelist' - CHOICE 'Compulsive reading!' -- ***** Reader review 'Truly impossible to put down' -- ***** Reader review ****************************************************************************************** AN ESCAPE TO THE COUNTRY...OR AN ESCAPE FROM HIM? When Trilby meets Lewis, the all-powerful proprietor of a newspaper group, she suspects that her life might be about to change, but not, as it transpires, forever. For not only does Lewis wish to acquire her cartoon strip, but Trilby herself. She is inevitably drawn to this handsome, older, and far more sophisticated personality, just as Lewis is, from the first, determined to marry the insouciant Trilby, despite the opposition of her friends and family. But having won her, Lewis reveals himself to be irrationally possessive. Becoming a virtual prisoner in her own home is not something that Trilby had ever dreamt could happen to her, a young woman in 1950s London, but it is not long before she realises that Lewis is prepared to go to extraordinary lengths to keep her to himself. Quite by chance, she discovers the real reason for her husband's unforgivable behaviour. Trilby must come to terms with the truth about Lewis, and more importantly, herself, before she can experience the kind of carefree happiness she once knew before her marriage.
The Landlady is a brilliant gem of a short story from Roald Dahl, the master of the sting in the tail. In The Landlady, Roald Dahl, one of the world's favourite authors, tells a sinister story about the darker side of human nature. Here, a young man in need of room meets a most accommodating landlady . . . The Landlady is taken from the short story collection Kiss Kiss, which includes ten other devious and shocking stories, featuring the wife who pawns the mink coat from her lover with unexpected results; the priceless piece of furniture that is the subject of a deceitful bargain; a wronged woman taking revenge on her dead husband, and others. 'Unnerving bedtime stories, subtle, proficient, hair-raising and done to a turn.' (San Francisco Chronicle ) This story is also available as a Penguin digital audio download read by Tamsin Greig. Roald Dahl, the brilliant and worldwide acclaimed author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach, Matilda, and many more classics for children, also wrote scores of short stories for adults. These delightfully disturbing tales have often been filmed and were most recently the inspiration for the West End play, Roald Dahl's Twisted Tales by Jeremy Dyson. Roald Dahl's stories continue to make readers shiver today.
Tender Morsels is a dark and vivid story, set in two worlds and worrying at the border between them. Liga lives modestly in her own personal heaven, a world given to her in exchange for her earthly life. Her two daughters grow up in this soft place, protected from the violence that once harmed their mother. But the real world cannot be denied forever—magicked men and wild bears break down the borders of Liga’s refuge. Now, having known Heaven, how will these three women survive in a world where beauty and brutality lie side by side?
