Showing results by narrator "Sophie Roberts" in All Categories

From ‘The Manchester Marriage’, in which a husband, supposedly drowned at sea, returns to find his daughter, to the two sisters who are comically adrift after the death of their domineering father in ‘The Daughters of the Late Colonel’, and a young girl who enlists the help of a sorceress to win back her boyfriend in ‘The Goodness of Saint Rocque’, Standing Her Ground showcases nine groundbreaking women writers.

Seventeen years ago, the grand Venetian Palazzo degli Angeli was Phoebe Wyndham's home; now, the neglected walls of the palazzo are just a haunting reminder of all she has lost. Arriving back in Italy after a plea from her estranged relative, the Contessa di Sebastiano, the recently widowed Phoebe is shocked to discover her aunt is dead and the palazzo now belongs to her. All she wants to do is sell the property and return home.

Orphaned Herta has served as a maid on a farm in Östergötland since childhood, but daydreams of a different life. When she is 16 years old, she is raped by the farmer's son Anders. She becomes pregnant, is forced to leave the child after birth and loses her job. As a lonely, unemployed woman, life seems hopeless. What is she going to do? Herta's story is a gripping, historical series about a young, headstrong woman's fight for independence and the right to her own life.

Berlin, 1947: good Soviets Vera and Marya find themselves mired in the covert post-war conflicts that are shaping a new world order. When Marya, an interpreter liaising with the British, gets caught in secret agent Vera's web of deceit, she must make desperate choices to survive—and to protect those she loves. Nine years later, as the Soviets confront their Stalinist past, Vera revisits that pivotal moment, unravelling shocking truths about her sister and herself.

August 1914. Twelve-year-old Mattie and her little sister, Evie, lead an idyllic life in the Suffolk countryside, playing in the meadows and picking watercress in the streams. Living with their family in Plough Cottage, little do they know that this perfect childhood will soon come to an end with the start of the First World War. As the years pass the girls go on to live very different lives. Mattie travels from Suffolk to Plymouth and then to Canada and America, whilst Evie remains in England and pursues her career.

To Charles Fort, with Love is award-winning fantasist Caitlín R. Kiernan’s third collection of short fiction, a haunting parade of the terrible things which may lie beyond the boundaries of science, the minds which may exist beyond psychology, and the forbidden places which will never be located in any orthodox globe. A deceptively even dozen, this collection includes Kiernan’s celebrated stories “Onion” and “Andromeda Among the Stones”, as well as a number of more obscure pieces.

After the tragic death of her parents in a carriage accident, orphaned Pandora was taken in by her uncle, the Bishop of Winchester. One day, she is horrified to overhear that he plans to marry her off to his Chaplin, the Honourable Prosper Witheridge. Certain she can't change her uncle's mind, Pandora decides to try and repulse Witheridge and drive him away. She invites herself to her stay with the decadent Earl of Chartwood. The Earl is notorious for his scandalous parties, with the kind of bohemian guests and raucous behaviour that would shock anyone from polite society.

Why do we dream? How can you sleep better? How do you control your dreams? Discover the theories and techniques to ensure a rich world of dreams every night. Decode your dreams – over 50 common dream scenarios are interpreted in detail. What do they mean – to you? Ever dream of flying? Winning the lottery? Flunking an exam? Understand what your mind is telling you when you’re asleep and you’ll unlock your true potential when you’re awake. Night Vision holds the answers.

Unfairly dismissed from her role as a governess after her lecherous employer forces himself upon her, Druscilla Morley is determined to keep her head down. Dressing drably to hide her beauty, she is surprised to find an old acquaintance staying with her new family. Valdo, Lord Marquis of Lynche, is handsome, charming and an absolute rogue. It soon becomes clear that he is having an affair with the lady of the house and proposes a marriage of convenience to Druscilla to cover his tracks.

Elizabeth's parents warned her that Alexander Blackwell would not make a dependable husband, and only after eloping with him did she learn they may have been right... After their marriage, the couple finds lodgings in London. Alexander looks for work while Elizabeth learns engraving. Before long, though, Alexander is in the Marshalsea, the notorious debtors' prison, and she is left to fend for herself. Alone and penniless, she has a few things going for her: a skill, an idea, and an acquaintance.

After running away from an arranged marriage, red-haired beauty Jabina finds herself being inadvertently rescued by Drue, the Duke of Warminster. When their carriage overturns on their journey, the pair are taken in by aristocratic friends of Jabina's father leading to the lie that Jabina and Drue are married.

Ever since her sister, Anya, was murdered in Sotogrande, a playground for the rich, Natasha's life has gone off the rails. After three months of poring over the details of what happened, Natasha travels to the scene of the crime where she hopes to unravel the truth—about her sister's death and life. With no job, how did Anya end up in a multimillion-Euro apartment in one of the most exclusive areas on the continent? The police have no suspect. Publicly, they claim the killing was likely gang-related. But their key person of interest, a local with links to organized crime, is also now dead.

Yola has the perfect life as a countess– blessed with grace, wealth and intellect. But one day her life is turned upside down when she is promised in marriage to a man she despises. Known for his socialite status, she’s sure he’s only after her prestige and wealth. Yola sets out on a secret mission to see if this suitor will fall for her in disguise, and whether this marriage could be true love.

Digital influencing is one of the most exciting and disruptive new industries, forecast to be worth over £10bn by 2020, but those charged with making this an effective part of their digital strategy rarely understand how this emergent industry works. When it comes to online growth, digital influencers are now consistently outperforming traditional media and brand advertising, even if much of what they do remains a mystery to many people. Sara McCorquodale is the UK's leading authority on the influencer space, and this new book demystifies exactly how digital influence works.

This Barbara Cartland take on a Cinderella story is perfect for anyone looking for a bit of romantic suspense. Raised by her aunt and uncle, Alida lives in the shame that her late father cast upon the family. Always seen as inferior, Alida never thought love was going to be in her future. But her life is turned upside down when she must join her cousin on a trip to Russia to meet the young Prince that her cousin shall marry.

Beautiful and penniless Felicita Galvão is destitue and all alone in the world when the Duchesse de Monreuil finds her desperately trying to sell her needlework at The Grand Hotel in Lisbon. Felicita reminds the Duchesse of herself as a young woman and the time she met the love of her life Juan, Marques de Oliveira Vasconles. The Marques later abandoned her to marry someone of equal ranking, leaving her heartbroken and bitter.

Left all alone after her mother passes away, 12-year-old Louisa watches the sky for her father. Long ago, a powerful gust of wind stole him away on the wings of his untamed magic - the same magic that stirs within Louisa. As if she is made of hollow bones and too much air, her feet never quite touch the ground. But for all her sky gazing, Louisa finds her fortune on the ground when she spots a ticket to the Carnival Beneath the Stars. If her father fits in nowhere else, maybe she'll find him dazzling crowds alongside the other strange feats.

Demelza is caught up in the middle of chaos when her brother rents their family home to Valient, Earl of Trevarnon and his friends during the Royal Ascot races. Infamous playboy Trevarnon wins over Demelza, despite him being married. As she explores the secret chambers and underground passages in the manor, Demelza finds herself falling for Trevarnon but knowing he can never be hers.

Sicily, 1977. Ten-year-old Lily and family arrive for their annual summer holiday in Sicily. Adopted as a toddler, Lily's childhood has been idyllic. But a chance encounter with a local woman on the beach changes everything.... Ten years later... Ever since that fateful summer Lily's picture-perfect life, and that of her family, has been in turmoil. The secrets of the baking hot shores of Sicily are calling her back, and Lily knows that the answers she has been so desperately seeking can be found only if she returns to her beloved island once more....

Love, true Love! For the lovely, widowed Lady Sherington, it bloomed in her thirty-sixth year, when she was still ravishing enough to pass as the twin of her daughter Trina. But her gentle heart is racked with doubt--for if she were to remarry, her inheritance would be lost, and the handsome Comte she wishes to wed needs a rich wife. Thankfully, she's blessed with a daughter who is both beautiful and smart and fight to solve all their problems. But will she save her late father's estate and her mother's heart.