Showing results by narrator "Melanie Crawley" in All Categories

Stella Hutton has everything under control. Her high-flying career as a lawyer relies on her keeping a calm, rational head on her shoulders. She hasn’t got time for love, or space for a man in her glamorous new apartment, a converted warehouse overlooking the rugged cliffs of Micklewick Bay. But when a handsome stranger walks into the Jolly Sailors pub, with a sparkle in his blue eyes and a head of dark curls, everything changes.

They were the Boleyns, once one of England's most powerful family. Anne Boleyn captured the hand of Henry VIII, and now we see the rise and fall of their family fortunes through the eyes of the eldest Boleyn daughter, Mary. Mary Boleyn is overshadowed in history by her sister, Anne, but it was she who first caught the eye of Henry VIII, setting the stage for her family's dramatic rise to power - and ultimate fall from grace. Although Henry set her aside as his mistress, Mary still navigated the dangerous waters of the Tudor court while forging ahead to find a life.

Growing up, Joanne suffered at the hands of a violent boyfriend and controlling relatives, as her mother lapsed into a downward spiral following the break-up of her marriage. But the consequences of her mother's lifestyle turned out to be worse than Joanne could ever have imagined. She already knew about the baby buried in a shallow makeshift grave next to the family plot. But when Joanne came across a red plastic bin in her mother's wardrobe in 2009, she realised that the family home held an even more sinister secret.

Nothing could be more out of character, but after fifty-nine years of marriage, as her husband Bernard’s health declines, and her friends' lives become focused on their grandchildren—which Jenny never had—Jenny decides she wants a little something for herself. So she secretly applies to be a contestant on the prime-time TV show Britain Bakes. Whisked into an unfamiliar world of cameras and timed challenges, Jenny delights in a new-found independence. But that independence, and the stress of the competition, starts to unearth memories buried decades ago.

Named after the lager that christened her at birth, Stella's life is characterised instability and neglect. Her teenage mother abandons her in the first few weeks of her life, and left in the 'care' of her father, she ends up lying deserted in a house with no food, no water, no clothes and no warmth. She eventually lands in the care of foster carer Louise, who is determined to change her life for the better.

Louise has trouble on her hands from the first moment that 5-year-old Billy Blackthorn comes to stay. He is one of more than 20 children taken into care from a single family, and erupts into the Allen household with a volatility that is frightening and disturbing in equal measure. It is only as Louise begins to uncover the secrets of Billy's dark past that she begins to understand what made his family 'untouchable'.

The King's Hidden Heir: He’s claimed his throne. Now he will claim his son! A new royal romance from USA Today bestselling author Sharon Kendrick. Two Secrets to Shock the Italian: A billionaire discovers that the woman who got away is hiding the biggest surprise of all. USA Today bestselling author Lynne Graham enthralls with this dramatic secret-baby romance!

Louise gets a frantic call to take in a damaged and destructive young girl. Separated from her siblings, Sparkle is hostile and angry. A short while after settling in, Sparkle begins to identify as pansexual. A revolution is underway in the Allen household, with Sparkle's transition motivating all of the young people to explore what becoming an adult means for them.

Take a trip to a terrifying carnival and uncover the secrets within, solve a mysterious puzzle box and await your reward, join a travelling circus and witness the strangest ventriloquist act you've ever seen. In this follow-up to the bestselling Cursed: An Anthology, you'll unearth curses old and new. From a very different take on Snow White, to a new interpretation of The Red Shoes, the best in fantasy spin straw into gold, and invite you into the labyrinth.

Ashley is a young single mum raising her daughter, Eden, and working hard to do the very best job she can - until one night she can't find a babysitter and makes the decision to leave Eden home alone for a couple of hours, asleep inside a wardrobe. It is an action that begins a terrible downward spiral for both of them. When Eden arrives at experienced foster carer Louise Allen's home, she has entered the care system because her mother is in prison. Eden is five years old and will not speak to any human.

When Italian billionaire Enzo stops to help with a broken-down car, he’s shocked to discover Skye, frightened and on the run with her tiny siblings. Enzo’s honour dictates he offer them all sanctuary—and Skye a job. But could their simmering attraction solve another problem? His need for a bride!

Discovering she was pregnant with twins changed the course of Scarlett Pearson’s life. Knowing love wasn’t on his agenda, she fled her fling with guarded billionaire Aristide Angelico—her babies deserved more. Aristide can’t forget his blazing chemistry with Scarlett, or that she ended their affair. Reunited two years on, he’s appalled to discover the fire between them still burns. Determined to regain control, Aristide invites her to Italy, only to be floored by Scarlett’s secret twin revelation…and his instant need to claim his family!

ITIL Lifecycle Essentials covers all of the vital material required for the entry-level ITIL Foundation Certificate, which gives candidates a comprehensive overview of the key elements, concepts, and terminology used in the ITIL service lifecycle.

After a tragic car accident, Samantha is left widowed and bereft. Her husband, Adam, was everything to her. At least the home they shared together in Cornwall provides her with some security. Or does it? Upon returning from a school reunion where Sam met her old friend, Penny, and an old flame, Dan, she discovers that Adam had invested money unwisely and she is now penniless. Dan comes up with a way in which she can keep the house, and he’s willing to invest. Dan gets his way...but at what price? And why is he so keen to help, despite his wife’s reservations?

April 1897: A young nanny arrives at Sandringham, ancestral estate of the Duke and Duchess of York. She is excited, exhausted - and about to meet royalty. So begins the unforgettable story of Charlotte Bill, who would care for a generation of royals as their parents never could. Neither Charlotte - LaLa, as her charges dub her - nor anyone else can predict that eldest sons David and Bertie will each one day be king. LaLa knows only that these children, and the four who swiftly follow, need her steadfast loyalty and unconditional affection.

Abby's Story is the second book in the Thrown Away Children series by author and foster mum Louise Allen. She doesn't want this baby. She can't look after this baby. She will never be able to love this baby. Little Abby's life begins badly, then just gets worse. Now foster mum Louise and her family must help her deal with the truth of her past to give her the chance of a future.

Sevastiano Cantarelli can barely believe Amy Taylor is real. After the lifetime of betrayal he’s experienced, her surprising sweetness is the ultimate threat to his cynical worldview! Unwrapping her innocence was a gift he couldn’t forget...but one he knows it wouldn’t be fair to repeat. Their encounter left Amy exhilarated - and wanted for the first time. She knows that walking away from the commanding Italian is the safest way to keep her heart intact. Yet it’s the one thing she can’t do...because she’s pregnant with Sevastiano’s twins!

Cinderella's Desert Baby Bombshell: For her family’s sake, penniless Tatiana Hamilton must marry Prince Saif after his original bride, her cousin, disappears. At least the ice-cold sheikh promises to end their sham marriage quickly. Until, on their opulent honeymoon, their simmering chemistry grows too hot to ignore. Her Best Kept Royal Secret: Playboy prince Angelino Diamandis has learned the hard way to hide his true emotions. Especially his inability to forget innocent Gaby and the passion they almost shared.

Driven billionaire Ruy Valiente knows exactly what he needs to avoid scrutiny at a family wedding - a fake fiancée! When he rescues innocent Suzy Madderton from the clutches of a disastrous marriage, it’s obvious she’s perfect.... Accepting Ruy’s proposal creates a major problem for Suzy: their raging chemistry! The reclusive artist is all icy control to her impulsive emotion. He’s also the first man she’s ever fully trusted. And as Suzy uncovers the pain Ruy hides so fiercely, returning his temporary ring feels like the biggest challenge of all....

Newly arrived on the sun-drenched shores of Croatia, Claire Thomson’s life is about to change forever when she starts working at a local bookshop. With her cousin Vedran, employee Luna and Karmela, a professor, they form an unlikely book club. But when their first book club pick – an engrossing cosy crime – inspires them to embark upon an investigation that is close to the group’s heart, they quickly learn the value of keeping their new-found friends close as lives and stories begin to entwine.