Showing results by narrator "Helen Duff" in All Categories

Brothers Tony, Sean, and Ned had the perfect upbringing, but now that they are grown-up, real life is starting to get in the way. Tony’s dealing with divorce and a weight problem, novelist Sean is up against a serious case of writer’s block and a shock announcement from his “perfect” new girlfriend, and their parents have a new lodger, Gervase. Why is Bernie, their mother, so keen to give this unsavory waif a home? And what is the real reason for kid brother Ned’s surprise return from his travels in Australia?

In its three-hundred-year history, there has never once been a scandal at Mullings, ancestral home of the decent but dull Stodmarsh family—until, that is, Edward Stodmarsh makes an ill-advised second marriage to the scheming Regina Stapleton, who insists on bringing her family's “ornamental hermit” to live on the estate.

The inheritance of a lifetime... or is it? When Sophie falls heir to a castle on the Italian Riviera, she can’t believe her luck. The catch? She must share it with her estranged sister, Rachel, for three months. As Sophie travels to Italy, memories of a cheating ex resurface but so does a newfound connection with her friend Chris back home. With the clock ticking, will Sophie be able to heal old wounds with her sister and find love with Chris? A beautiful story of romance and sisterhood, "A Little Piece of Paradise" is the first novel in the "Love From Italy" series.

It’s a beautiful day for a wedding. White roses scent the air and the summer sunlight streams in. A spoon chimes against a champagne flute and the room falls silent. And there he is - my husband - getting to his feet to propose a toast. He’s still handsome. His new wife is next to him, gazing upwards, oblivious. I’m not supposed to be here. All these years in the same town and I had no idea until I saw his name on the seating plan. He lived with me, once. Loved me. Small-town memories are long, but the people in this room don’t want to remember.

When Melanie Scott is promoted to junior partner, she thinks she has put her past behind her, and while out celebrating her promotion, she meets the handsome and charming Hugo Field. Melanie has her doubts and is haunted by her mother’s critical voice, which reminds her that she’s messed up before. But when Oliver invites her for dinner, she buries the feeling and accepts his invitation. She deserves a chance at happiness, doesn’t she? However, the past she thought she had left behind resurfaces when she receives an email containing a name she thought she’d left behind.

She needed a getaway. What she found was a home. After catching her boyfriend in flagrante delicto with another woman, Louise is heartbroken and vows to stay away from men. But when she takes on a restoration project at an Italian hotel run by a group of lively seniors, she can't help but be distracted by the mysterious and alluring neighbour Vito. Despite his tragic past and her no-romance policy, sparks fly between them. Will they be able to resist the pull or succumb to their undeniable chemistry?

There are two little girls in the photo. I instantly recognize myself as the small, dark-haired child in the purple dress. But who is the girl with the long, blonde hair laughing at the camera? And why is the photograph here, in a stranger’s house? When I find the tattered picture hidden away at the back of a dusty cupboard in Amy’s house, my mouth goes dry with shock. Though I haven’t known Amy for very long, I love looking after her young children, in her picture-perfect hilltop house with its sprawling wildflower garden and bright, airy kitchen.

'A very funny and brilliant book. Feigel does a thorough and virtuosic job of describing the dilemmas of contemporary middle-class women' Rachel Cusk Lara Feigel's first novel, The Group, is a fiercely intelligent, revealing novel about a group of female friends turning forty. Who has children...

Stella follows her handsome husband Rob to the beautifully laid-out table in the restaurant he’s chosen specially for her 40th birthday lunch. Stella knows how they must look to anyone watching. Two people very much in love, with the perfect marriage and the perfect life. But Rob is about to drop a bombshell on Stella. He wants a divorce. If she doesn’t agree to his plan - to sell the house, divide the money, and award him full custody of 14-year-old Georgie - he will tell their innocent daughter the one secret he promised to keep.

'The Borrow-a-Bookshop Bookshop Cafe invites literature lovers to run their very own bookshop for a fortnight. Spend your days talking books with customers in your own charming bookshop and serving up delicious cream teas in the cosy cafe. Bookworms, what are you waiting for? Your holiday is going to be LIT(erary). Apply to: The Borrow-a-Bookshop Bookshop Cafe, Down-a-long, Clove Lore, Devon.' Jude Crawley should be on top of the world. She's just graduated as a mature student, so can finally go public about her relationship with Philosophy professor, Mack.

March 1933, Dovecote Hatch, England. Florence Norris knows she has found a good man in George 'Birdie' Bird, the landlord of the local pub, The Dog & Whistle. They are set to marry in a understated service at the parish church in their beloved village, Dovecote Hatch. But when a mysterious stranger seeks out George, sharing family secrets and talks of an illegal burial years ago, an ominous dread falls over the happy couple. Soon they are pulled reluctantly into this mystery that uncovers unpleasant truths in this idyllic English village.

Sarah Sak's son, Anthony Walgate, was murdered by gay serial killer Stephen Port after they met on dating app Grindr. Stephen Port was sentenced to life imprisonment at the Old Bailey in November 2016. The case received extensive press coverage not only because of the horrific nature of the crimes but also because the police refused to investigate Anthony's death despite three more bodies being found in near identical circumstances. It was not until Scotland Yard's crime squad took over that Stephen Port was arrested, charged, convicted and sentenced to life in prison.

Margot and Will cross paths at the local dog rescue centre where - after a series of misunderstandings and a lot of consternation - they agree to foster Blossom (a gentle Staffy with a giant head, soft, floppy ears and kohl-rimmed brown eyes) together: one week on, one week off. Margot and Will don't get off to the best of starts: he thinks Margot is demanding and needy and Just So Much. And she thinks Will is emotionally unavailable, slightly brittle and very mistrustful. But the more they bicker, the worse Blossom behaves....

Sir Roslind of Aksson, fierce and unyielding, is not the only female knight—but she is few among men who cling to older ways. And while whispers of disdain are so easily heard in a land pushing beyond tradition, whispers of rebellion are more subtle, more insidious, and much more costly to ignore.

Christmas magic can thaw the coldest of hearts... From the author of One Winter’s Night, an uplifting, feel-good Christmas romance that will captivate readers of Holly Martin, Cathy Bramley and Milly Johnson. Sylvie Magnusson is going to be lonely this Christmas. Instead of jetting off for her honeymoon, she’s freezing at home in Cheshire. Guess that’s what happens when your fiancé dumps you a week before your wedding... Sylvie’s best friend, Nari, plans a trip to see the Northern Lights and get Sylvie’s mojo back.

Single-mom Samantha moves with her daughter to a quiet village in the Peak District. The post as matron at Hallow Croft, now an exclusive residential home, seems to offer the escape she needs. But away from the TV room and afternoon activities, one of the residents is kept locked out of sight "for their own safety." And nobody will talk about the previous matron. She disappeared, leaving behind only a scuffed diary. Forty years ago, a girl was killed on the grounds of Hallow Croft Manor. Some people even say that began a curse on the home and the family who owned it.

Two lost souls. One chance at love. From battlefields to bookshelves, Captain Jane Reed is on a mission to help a world-renowned author, Veronica Cooper, reclaim her passion. Seeking solace from the hustle and bustle of Venice, the two head to a tranquil countryside villa, where Jane discovers more than just the beauty of nature. As fate would have it, Jane crosses paths with David, Veronica's mysterious and brooding son. He too carries the weight of his past, but can Jane break through his walls and find the love they deserve? Or will their scars prove to be too deep to mend?

The moment my husband showed me Cliffside - a sleek and modern glass home perched on the edge of the jagged Big Sur clifftops - I fell in love. And right there and then I made a pact with myself. I am never leaving this house. But when my husband was killed on the perilous roads leading up to the house, weeks after we moved in, I had a decision to make - leave the home I love and start a new life or stay and shut myself off from the world? I am never leaving this house.

It’s November 1932, and the peaceful village of Dovecote Hatch is still reeling from the recent murder at Mullings, country estate of the wealthy Stodmarsh family. Now it’s about to be rocked by news of another violent demise. When the body of mild-mannered Kenneth Tenneson is found at the foot of the stairs in his home, the coroner’s inquest announces a verdict of accidental death. However, Florence Norris—the quietly observant housekeeper at Mullings—suspects there may be more to the story than a fall.

Seventeen-year-old Chloe Smedley walks out of the school gates and waves to the person waiting for her across the road. She smiles and hurries towards them… and is never seen alive again. Detective Jackie Cooke is first on the scene when Chloe’s body is found, posed upright at a garden table. In her gut, Jackie knows she’s searching for a monster and it’s only a matter of time before they strike again, but no one will listen.