Growing up together in a mysterious castle in northern Queensland, Rose and Vivien Blake are very close sisters. But during the Second World War their relationship becomes strained when they each fall in love with the same dashing but enigmatic American soldier. Rose's daughter, Linda, has long sensed a secret in her mother's past, but Rose has always resisted Linda's questions, preferring to focus on the present. Years later Rose's granddaughter, Stella, also becomes fascinated by the shroud of secrecy surrounding her grandmother's life. Intent on unravelling the truth, she visits the now-ruined castle where Rose and Vivien grew up to see if she can find out more. Captivating and compelling, Castle of Dreams is about love, secrets, lies - and the perils of delving into the past...
"In his chateau and elsewhere, la Sceve undertakes a series of complex and often comic experiments: he records his own dreams and speculates on their relation to waking life; he studies sleeping cats, rabbits, and other animals (and observes rapid eye movement almost two centuries before modern science discovers it); he records the sleep and dream experiences of a Swiss soldier and a pair of Siamese twins. And, because sleep and dreams are often in close proximity to the erotic, he considers the relation of dreaming and sexual activity, heroically undertaking firsthand research with various women (with the notable exception of his wife).".
Can money buy you happiness? Impoverished Lady Viola and her twin brother David Northcombe find that their fortunes change dramatically when their entrepreneurial father dies unexpectedly, leaving them a vast fortune that will change their lives forever. Returning home to England, still reeling from their dramatic change in circumstances, fate seems to have smiled on them when the handsome, but impoverished, Duke of Glentorran dramatically rescues them from the perils of the sea off the coast of Scotland. Loyal to his family and friends, the Duke has little left but his pride and his determination to live up to his responsibilities to the people of Glentorran. In moments Viola and the Duke realise that they have met before, and the spark previously lit between them is still alive. Eager to be loved for herself and keen to test rumours that the Duke is nothing more than a fortune hunter, Viola begs her brother to keep their inheritance secret, leading the Duke to believe that their finances are similarly dire. Having spun a web of deceit that becomes hard to unravel, Viola soon finds herself plunged into a state of despair - desperate to keep the Duke's friendship and respect, but wishing to tell the truth, which could mean losing him. And amongst the faded glories of the Glentorran Castle estate it seems that love is in the air as David finds himself falling for Meg, the Duke's shy and pretty sister. As they grow closer his loyalties become increasingly divided. Should he keep his newly found wealth a secret from the woman he loves, to please his sister? Or should he risk damaging Viola's budding relationship with the Duke by telling the truth? Love, friendship and trust are tested to the limits as the young lovers battle with their consciences, sense of duty and the promise of eternal happiness. If you like Downton Abbey you will love Barbara Cartland
Everyone is in line to the throne of Castle Perilous in the series that’s “thought-provoking . . . crazy . . . weird . . . [and] unexpected” (TV Tropes). Who will claim the throne now that Lord Incarnadine, King of the Realms Perilous, is dead? Under a mysterious spell cast by a mischief-maker, all of Castle Perilous's 144,000 creatures of curiosity clamor for the crown. Outside of the castle's coveting fray, Gene flies off with an adventurous Amazon in supernatural manifestation and Lord Inky explores the dark mysteries that lurk in the realm of the dead!
A young English girl meets the man of her dreams on her 15th birthday, and her one wish is that he will wait for her to grow up. Years later, he returns to take her away from an abusive, drunken father. She finds safety and passion in his arms, but secrets inside her head lead them to danger.
In this Ugly Duckling retelling, New York Times bestselling author Melanie Dickerson brilliantly crafts a high-stakes, encouraging tale about a brave young woman, the true meaning of beauty, and the power of love. Ever since she was a child, Audrey wanted her life to be extraordinary. But as the daughter of a viscount born in late fourteenth-century England, the only thing expected of her was to marry—until an act of malice by her sister, Maris, four years ago damaged her face and her prospects. Though Maris was sent away, twenty-year-old Audrey is still suffering the scars of her sister’s cruelty. When her father announces his plans to marry off his damaged daughter and bring Maris home, Audrey decides to flee in search of her true destiny. Life outside her home is dangerous, and Audrey soon finds herself attacked, sick, and in desperate need of help. She is taken in at Dericott Castle to be nursed back to health. While there, she decides to keep her identity a secret and work as a servant in the castle. But she doesn’t count on falling in love with the young and handsome Lord Dericott, who lost his arm several months earlier and bears scars of his own. Meanwhile, Edwin—Lord Dericott—is curious about the new, well-educated servant’s identity. All he knows is that he’s quickly becoming smitten with her. When the man Audrey’s father wanted her to marry comes looking for her, she and Edwin must make life-changing decisions about what to believe and whether or not love is truly worth trusting. Praise for Castle of Refuge: “When it comes to happily-ever-afters, Melanie Dickerson is the undisputed queen.”—Julie Lessman, award-winning author Full-length clean fairy-tale reimagining Second in a brand-new series set in England: The Dericott Tales Includes discussion questions for book clubs
From New York Times bestselling author Nina Bangs comes the first book in her sizzling Castle of Dark Dreams series. Welcome to the Castle of Dark Dreams, the yummiest attraction in an adult theme park where women take erotic role-playing to new heights with only the most dangerously tempting men. Okay, so they’re not quite human, but that’s a secret. Tonight, Eric, the castle’s resident vampire, will prove that he’s everything bad should be. Talk-show host Donna Nolan—on the lookout for a weird and wacky story—finds it when she braves the Castle of Dark Dreams and meets Eric. With the coldest blue eyes and the hottest mouth she’s ever seen, he’s a primitive call to the wild in every woman. Love between a talk-show host and a vampire shouldn’t be possible. But then, strange things happen in the Castle of Dark Dreams...
Castle of Dreams is a shojo anthology series. This one volume collects together two comics previously released on in Japan by Masami, "Castle of Dreams" and "The Room Where an Angel Lives." The first half, "Castle of Dreams," is a series of three stories with a fairytale theme, All of the stories, are linked by the introduction of a sorcerer who will grant a single wish, a wish that can be "a blessing or a curse, to help someone or hurt someone." Of course, wishes are never freely given, and magic always has its consequences. The next book, "The Room where Angels Live," has five stories along more typical themes of love and romance, of loss and redemption.
