Edinburgh socialite Ellie has run away from her powerful father and the scandal that destroyed her perfectly balanced life. Now she is a rookie reporter, searching for her first breakthrough story and hiding out in her newly purchased apartment. After weeks of lying low and trying to stay out of the gossip pages, she attends a mixer party, hoping that a one-night stand with a stranger might help her forget the past. She chooses a partner poorly and quickly regrets it, but then is rescued by tough, enigmatic Mack. The attraction between them is sizzling, the sex electrifying. Waking to find him gone, Ellie wonders if she will ever see him again. And then a chance encounter with her new neighbours reveals that he lives two doors away from her… with another woman.
Welcome to the Grange Complex where your deepest desires always come true! Three Unlimited Alphas—Three gorgeous Scottish men that will leave you breathless—each one sexier than the other. A womaniser Dexter has his eye on a new tenant Sasha and with the talent, of melting women’s panties off at a glance, he thinks he can have her too. Well, he couldn’t be more wrong. Sasha would rather eat dirt than sleep with him. Edinburgh socialite Ellie attends a mixer party, hoping that a one-night stand with a stranger might help her forget the past. And then a chance encounter with her new neighbours reveals that the man that she spent the night with lives two doors away from her… with another woman. When a hardworking pole dancer Gina Martinez is introduced to Harry Erskine sparks starts flying. The man is pure sex-on-a-stick; a professional boxer, a hot blooded Scott and ex-military. Harry also carries a few secrets of his own
A cocky Scot, an innocent pole dancer and a penthouse apartment with a view. What could go wrong? To escape her difficult past Sasha jumps into an opportunity of managing the sale of the stylish,up market apartment. All of this sounds like a dream, but no one has ever mentioned the arrogant, mouthy Scottish god that lives next door. The problem is that Dexter isn’t just good looking, he is also a fist-clenching, heart-pounding, fervent hot man, who makes her heart flutter uncontrollably. She hates his cock-sure attitude. With the talent, of melting women’s panties off at a glance, he thinks he can have Sasha too. Well, he couldn’t be more wrong. Sasha would rather eat dirt than sleep with him. He vows not to fall for her, but their scorching attraction proves impossible to ignore…
This early work by Radclyffe Hall was originally published in 1928 and we are now republishing it with a brand new introductory biography. 'The Well of Loneliness' is a novel that follows an upper-class Englishwoman who falls in love with another woman while serving as an ambulance driver in World War I. Marguerite Radclyffe Hall was born on 12th August 1880, in Bournemouth, England. Hall's first novel The Unlit Lamp (1924) was a lengthy and grim tale that proved hard to sell. It was only published following the success of the much lighter social comedy The Forge (1924), which made the best-seller list of John O'London's Weekly. Hall is a key figure in lesbian literature for her novel The Well of Loneliness (1928). This is her only work with overt lesbian themes and tells the story of the life of a masculine lesbian named Stephen Gordon.
The sensational first novel from the Booker Prize-winning author of The Luminaries. Set in the aftermath of a sex scandal at an all-girls’ high school, Eleanor Catton’s internationally acclaimed award-winning debut is a provocative and darkly funny novel about the elusiveness of truth, the slipperiness of identity, and the emotional compromises we make to belong. When news spreads of a high school teacher’s relationship with one of his students, the teenage girls at Abbey Grange are jolted into a new awareness of their own potency and power. Although no one knows the whole truth, the girls have their own ideas about what happened. As they obsessively examine the details of the affair with the curiosity and jealousy native to any adolescent girl, they confide in their saxophone teacher, an enigmatic woman who is only too happy to play both confidante and stage manager to her students. But when the local drama school decides to turn the scandal into a play, the boundaries between fact and fantasy soon break down as dramas both real and imagined begin to unfold. Sharply observed, brilliantly crafted, and infused with a deliciously subversive wit, The Rehearsal is at once a vibrant portrait of teenage longing and adult regret, and a shrewd exposé of how we are all performers in life, from one of the most bold and exciting voices in contemporary fiction.
A young lady's tarnished reputation might cost her everything in this first book in the Disreputable Debutantes series. Shy, bookish Sophie Brightwell is expected to make an advantageous match to improve her family's fortunes. However, Sophie's plans to make a spectacular debut go horribly awry when she and her three closest friends are expelled from a young ladies' academy for unbecoming conduct. Since the ton will be sure to close their doors on these disgraced debutantes, they determine that unconventional means need to be employed in the husband-hunting market. Rakehells—the beau monde's wickedest members—might be the only men willing to overlook a young lady's besmirched reputation. But how does one catch a rake? Nate Hastings, the devil-may-care Viscount Malverne, is the older brother of Sophie’s best friend, fellow disgraced debutante Lady Charlotte. When a terribly foxed Nate accidentally compromises Sophie, Charlotte strikes a wicked bargain: in order to avoid a scandal and the parson's mousetrap, Nate must help Sophie snare a husband. But as Nate fulfills his obligation and begins to instruct the lovely Sophie in the art of luring rakes, he soon finds himself battling his own fierce attraction to her.
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “A novel to cure your Downton Abbey withdrawal . . . a delightful story about nontraditional romantic relationships, class snobbery and the everybody-knows-everybody complications of living in a small community.”—The Washington Post The bestselling author of Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand returns with a breathtaking novel of love on the eve of World War I that reaches far beyond the small English town in which it is set. NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY THE WASHINGTON POST AND NPR East Sussex, 1914. It is the end of England’s brief Edwardian summer, and everyone agrees that the weather has never been so beautiful. Hugh Grange, down from his medical studies, is visiting his Aunt Agatha, who lives with her husband in the small, idyllic coastal town of Rye. Agatha’s husband works in the Foreign Office, and she is certain he will ensure that the recent saber rattling over the Balkans won’t come to anything. And Agatha has more immediate concerns; she has just risked her carefully built reputation by pushing for the appointment of a woman to replace the Latin master. When Beatrice Nash arrives with one trunk and several large crates of books, it is clear she is significantly more freethinking—and attractive—than anyone believes a Latin teacher should be. For her part, mourning the death of her beloved father, who has left her penniless, Beatrice simply wants to be left alone to pursue her teaching and writing. But just as Beatrice comes alive to the beauty of the Sussex landscape and the colorful characters who populate Rye, the perfect summer is about to end. For despite Agatha’s reassurances, the unimaginable is coming. Soon the limits of progress, and the old ways, will be tested as this small Sussex town and its inhabitants go to war. Praise for The Summer Before the War “What begins as a study of a small-town society becomes a compelling account of war and its aftermath.”—Woman’s Day “This witty character study of how a small English town reacts to the 1914 arrival of its first female teacher offers gentle humor wrapped in a hauntingly detailed story.”—Good Housekeeping “Perfect for readers in a post–Downton Abbey slump . . . The gently teasing banter between two kindred spirits edging slowly into love is as delicately crafted as a bone-china teacup. . . . More than a high-toned romantic reverie for Anglophiles—though it serves the latter purpose, too.”—The Seattle Times
'Simply the best detective writer since Agatha Christie' The Sunday Times Discover the novels that inspired the hit ITV series Midsomer Murders, seen and loved by millions. The fourth novel in the Midsomer Murders series by award-winning writer Caroline Graham, Written in Blood, stars Detective Chief Inspector Barnaby. Features an exclusive foreword by John Nettles, ITV's DCI Tom Barnaby. If you love Agatha Christie, Ann Granger and James Runcie's The Grantchester Mysteries, you won't be able to get enough of the Midsomer Murders mysteries. Despite the fierce, and seemingly personal, objections of secretary Gerald Hadleigh, members of the Midsomer Worthy Writers' Circle press ahead and invite bestselling author Max Jennings to talk to their group. Besides, it's not as though he'll say yes. . . So when Jennings turns up to their meeting, they are completely over-awed by his presence. But before the evening is over, Gerald has been brutally murdered. Summoned to investigate, Detective Chief Inspector Tom Barnaby discovers that Gerald's life was as much of a mystery to his neighbours as his violent death. The key to the killing must surely be their illustrious guest speaker, a face from Gerald's past. But Jennings is nowhere to be found. . . Praise for Caroline Graham's novels: 'A mystery of which Agatha Christie would have been proud. . . A beautifully written crime novel' The Times 'Tension builds, bitchery flares, resentment seethes . . . lots of atmosphere, colourful characters and fair clues' Mail on Sunday 'Lots of excellent character sketches . . . and the dialogue is lively and convincing' Independent 'The mystery is intriguing, the wit shafts through like sunlight . . . do not miss this book' Family Circle
Lilith Mendez is the Cupid of the city and owner of The Billionaire Matchmaking Agency. She’s known for her professionalism, attention to detail, and discretion. But her dating life is abysmal until an alluring stranger enters her life. Despite the warning bells, she considers opening herself up to the possibility of romance…until things go awry. She’s found herself in the wrong situation with a powerful and dangerous man. Rescued by Cristo, her friend and billionaire-in-shining-armor, Lilith's tempted by his assurances of protection and passion. In this tangled web of deception, lies, and broken promises, what can Lilith do when the promise of relief makes her want so much more?
