Showing results by narrator "Emma Swan" in All Categories

By the age of 13, vulnerable Sheffield teenager Samantha Owens had fallen through the cracks in the care system. Bounced around numerous foster carers after her home life became too chaotic, Samantha thought she had found a friend in the streetwise Amanda Spencer. The older girl bought her clothes, styled her hair and found her places to stay. Samantha's welfare was the last thing on Spencer's mind, however, as in reality she was grooming the young girl for exploitation of the worst possible kind.

As Samantha Wishaw watches the love of her life marry another woman, she’s ready to give up hope of finding her happy ever after. But when a chance encounter leads Sam to find friendship in Thomas - a lonely, grumpy elderly widower living at derelict Hedgehog Hollow - her life is about to change forever. Glad to have a distraction from family feuds and match-making, Sam vows to fulfill Thomas and his wife Gwendoline's dreams of restoring Hedgehog Hollow to its former glory, and to open a hedgehog rescue centre.

Life at Hedgehog Hollow is never dull, although Samantha hopes that the new year ahead will be a little less chaotic as she prepares to marry the love of her life, Josh. But disaster strikes when she checks the rescue centre's bank account after the festive season and discovers it has been emptied. Who would do such a thing, and why? With the future of Hedgehog Hollow now in jeopardy, planning a wedding has lost its shine.

It's the most wonderful time of the year.... It's December on Castle Street; the fairy lights are twinkling, snow has settled and the festive season is in full swing. For Carly, the owner of Carly's Cupcakes, it's the busiest time of year getting everyone's Christmas treats ready on time. However with her clumsy sister, Bethany, as a co-worker, it's proving a difficult task. They say you shouldn't mix work with family. Maybe they have a point.... As Christmas approaches, Carly is also eagerly awaiting the return of her best friend to Whitborough Bay.

Everyone is getting into the festive spirit on Castle Street - snow is falling, fairy lights are glistening and Christmas shopping is underway. But for Tara Porter, owner of thriving cafe The Chocolate Pot, this is the most difficult time of the year. From the outside, Tara is a successful businesswoman and pillar of the community. Behind closed doors, she is lonely. With a lifetime of secrets weighing on her shoulders, she has retreated from all friends, family and romance, and shut her real self away from the world.

Sometimes you just need a little Christmas magic to make your wishes come true.... When master chocolatier Charlee takes the leap to move to the picturesque seaside town of Whitsborough Bay, she is determined to follow in her grandfather's footsteps and set up a chocolate shop. Luckily, she finds the perfect location for Charlee's Chocolates on beautiful Castle Street.... Now she just has to refurbish it in time for Christmas!

Samantha has a secret. Returning home from her dream honeymoon to the normality of running her beloved Hedgehog Hollow rescue centre, she's ready for the next chapter of her life with Josh. Or is she? Lauren has given up on love. Twenty-six years ago the love of her life, Shaun, left her a note and was never seen again. Samantha and Lauren will need the love and support from the Hedgehog Hollow family more than ever. After all, some dreams are worth chasing.

It should be the most wonderful time of the year for Samantha and Josh as they prepare for the arrival of their first baby. But life at Hedgehog Hollow rarely goes to plan and the pair are faced with adversaries, old and new, and unexpected challenges to overcome. Fizz's job at the heart of the rescue centre is a dream come true but her personal life is more like a nightmare. With her love life a disaster and her past about to dramatically catch up with her, she needs the love and support of her Hedgehog Hollow family more than ever.

In the little village of Whistling, with its butterscotch cottages and rolling green hills, snow is beginning to fall. Christmas is coming, and Emma Halloway is on her way home. When twenty-eight-year-old food writer Emma Halloway gets dumped then knocked off her bike, she’s broken in more ways than one, and returns to her family’s cosy cottage in the Yorkshire Dales. Emma hasn’t been back in some time, running from her crazy relatives and her childhood sweetheart, Jack Allen.

With new arrivals comes new responsibilities.... The sun is shining, wild flowers are blooming and Hedgehog Hollow is officially open for business. For Samantha, the proud owner of this beautiful rescue centre, life has never been busier. But with an influx of new hogs and hoglets to take care of, not to mention a full-time job and ongoing family issues, can she accept the possibility that she has taken on more than she can handle?

It was always Samantha's dream to run her beautiful rescue centre, Hedgehog Hollow, full-time. But just as her wish comes true, she becomes a victim of her own kindness when she finds herself with a house full of guests - all with their own problems and secrets - looking to her for support. When her self-absorbed cousin, Chloe, unexpectedly turns up at the farm - swiftly handing over her baby to Samantha to care for - trouble is definitely brewing. Especially as Chloe won’t tell anyone why she’s left her husband, James.

When Rachel discovers a Twitter message arranging a romantic liaison, she assumes her husband is having an affair and follows him. What she witnesses is so much worse: a hit-and-run using his car. Meanwhile, Rachel’s friend and business partner Suzie is increasingly worried about her fiancé, who’s not been in touch for days. When Suzie learns of huge debts racked up in her name, she fears he has run out on her, but then the threatening calls start, and she thinks something terrible has happened.

I open the front door and there’s Amy, smiling sweetly and ready to help. She’s been a lifesaver since Jon and I moved here–from walking the dog to picking up my little son Teddy from nursery last minute. I’m so lucky we met in the playground the first day we arrived. Amy is more than just a good friend. My only friend, really. Whenever Amy and Jon exchange glances I’m sure it seems like they’ve met before, even though Jon swears they haven’t. But then again Jon recognises lots of people from his childhood round here without truly knowing them.

Clara and George’s world has been turned upside down. Having a bay was supposed to bring them closer but they’ve just got the news that every parent dreads. Their baby Tabatha is ill and has cancer. George throws himself into work and gathering enough evidence to put local bad guy Mantel away for good. Although when Mantel’s businesses become the victims of robberies, the case becomes more complicated. Could the person responsible be close to home? After all, how far would someone really go to save the one they love?

When Adele's brother, Peter, gets banged up for GBH, she reluctantly agrees to run his nightclub, The Golden Bell. Strong opposition from Peter's thuggish number two, Glynn, who isn't best pleased about answering to a woman, isn't the only challenge she faces. The Manchester club scene of the 1990s is a dangerous place, at the mercy of illicit protection rackets and rampaging gangs, and, despite Adele's efforts to keep everything legal, the club is beginning to feel like a poisoned chalice.

The Greek myths were first told thousands of years ago, by poets and singers who wanted to tell how the world came to be. These brilliant stories are full of adventure and drama, but they also explore our deepest fears and fantasies. There's a reason these myths still feel so powerful—they've formed the foundations of narratives and archetypes that we see in today. Having changed the way we look at fairy tales in their last book, Karrie and Jon have turned to these ancient stories to see what magic their marvellous gender-swapping machine can work on them.

As a small child, Nellie Peace was always dreaming but sensed her mother’s rejection. Abandoned and sent into service at Beaumont House at an early age, Nellie is lost and alone until she meets the unpredictable and reclusive artist Lucas Harrington and falls in love with him. This unlikely association between master and servant is encouraged by Lucas’ gentle-natured Aunt Alice, as Lucas sees something unusual in Nellie and is compelled to paint her. Broken promises lead to inevitable heartbreak, and Nellie flees Beaumont House in disgrace for London.

Jessica is grieving for her beloved father, Jacob Kingdom, a trawler owner fondly remembered by his crew. But a confrontation with her mother leads to Jessica being cast out from the family home and the reveal of a shameful secret. It isn't long before she meets a charismatic trawlerman who is proud to walk out with Kingdom's daughter on his arm. In spite of the discontent among the fisherman, now her cold-hearted brother is running the business.

Adele Robinson is locked up - convicted for the murder of her abusive father. She quickly realises that she'll have to play it tough if she's going to survive and soon gains a reputation for standing her ground. Meanwhile, her brother Peter is building his criminal empire on the outside - running protection rackets, seedy nightclubs and all manner of schemes to make a fast buck. He soon comes to the attention of not only the police but also Manchester's rival gangs, and a turf war breaks out. And when things start to get bloody, only Adele can step in to protect the family business.

Peter and Adele Robinson were dragged up by an alcoholic, violent father and a beaten mother, their childhood in Manchester preparing them only for a life of crime. Adele studies hard and makes a success of her life whilst Peter immerses himself in the murky underworld of crime, and their once close bond breaks. However, when Adele is in danger, there's only one person she can turn to...her brother.