Showing results by publisher "W. F. Howes Ltd" in Historical

Sophie Dupont assists her father in his studio, keeping her own artwork out of sight. In private she paints the Devon coast, popular with artists - including handsome Wesley Overtree. Captain Stephen Overtree is accustomed to taking on his brother Wesley's responsibilities. However, Stephen is stunned to learn Wesley has sailed for Italy and left his host's daughter in serious trouble. Stephen feels duty-bound to act and so proposes to Sophie to save her from scandal.

1940, Great Paxford, Cheshire: When a spitfire crashes in the village, the lives of an extraordinary community of women will change forever: Frances Barden's greatest challenge is only just beginning; Pat Simms received a respite when her abusive husband went to war, but now he's home Pat doesn't know who to turn to; and for newlyweds Teresa and Nick, the plane crash on their wedding day may just be the start of their troubles.

Union of South Africa, 1937: Louise Ahrendts, daughter of a shipbuilder, nurtures the idea that through hard work, she could step beyond a destiny of domestic service. When the Second World War breaks out and the port becomes a hub of activity, Louise's path crosses with that of Lieutenant David Horrocks. Despite the gulf in their backgrounds, Louise and David are determined to be together. But as the end of the war approaches, will they find their way back to each other?

Cornwall, 1801. In the wake of her mother's death, Pandora Woodville is desperate to escape her domineering father and finally return to Cornwall. Posing as a widow, she safely makes it across the Atlantic, bright with the dream of working at her Aunt Harriet's school for young women. But as Pandora is soon to learn, the school is facing imminent closure after a series of sinister events threatened its reputation.

Cornwall, 1817. Napoleon has crushed the Duke of Wellington at the Battle of Waterloo, and his ex-wife, Josephine, presides over French-occupied England. Cornwall erupts into open rebellion, and young heiress Hester escapes with Crow, Wellington's former intelligence officer. Together, they become embroiled in a web of treachery and espionage as plans are laid to free Wellington from captivity and lead an uprising against the French occupation.

Independent Margot de Bryun has no intention of giving a man control of her life! Although handsome rake Stephen Standish, Marquess of Fanworth, does pique her interest.... Stephen sees Margot as perfect marriage material - talented, intelligent and alluring. When a stolen family ruby is traced to the jewellery shop Margot owns, an infuriated Stephen demands she become his mistress. Except Margot's not one to be easily tamed - and, whether she be mistress or wife, sparks will certainly fly!

Plymouth, 1954. The future seems rosy for Plymouth schoolgirl Anna Millington, as she prepares for teacher training college. But Anna's life is not what it seems. Her family is hiding a cruel secret that resulted from the worst night of the Plymouth Blitz. Now, the devastating consequences are about to erupt again. Fearing for her life, Anna leaves her dreams behind and flees to nearby Dartmoor. It isn't long before Anna secures a position as a serving girl at Ashcroft Hall.

Arabella Cameron is filled with dread. But if marrying a man she doesn't love will end the feud between the Cameron and Mackintosh clans, she will do her duty. That is until outlaw Brodie Mackintosh arrives and steals her away. Brodie knows Arabella has every reason to hate him, but a forbidden kiss soon makes these enemies question everything. When Arabella's intended reclaims her, Brodie must fight for her.

Summer, 1929. The Hinton Dysart estate is dying from lack of money, and Kit Dysart, the heir, sees no way out. Then, at his sister's wedding, he meets the vibrant Daisy Chudleigh and her cousin, the heiress Matty Verrall. In love with Daisy but troubled by his family's decline, Kit chooses to marry Matty, though neither Kit nor Daisy is able to forget the other. When Matty, growing increasingly unhappy in her troubled, empty marriage, decides to re-create the estate's garden, she discovers solace and a gift of which she never dreamt.

For Kate Drake, her family has brought her peace after years of uncertainty. Now, watching her own children grow up, it seems the world is a no less complicated place. But when a secret from the past casts its shadow across four generations of the family, a stubbornly independent woman opens herself to love whilst an older one rediscovers it, and a young boy begins to understand the complexities of adult life.

With more than 10 million copies of her books in print, New York Times best-selling author Jane Feather is one of the biggest names in historical romance. The third novel in the Blackwater Brides trilogy finds comely Alexandra Douglas in London, reeling from news of her father’s death - and of her disinheritance. Posing as a librarian, Alex infiltrates her former home, where love awaits in the form of her stepbrother’s friend, the Honourable Peregrine Sullivan.

Calista Langley operates an exclusive 'introduction' agency in Victorian London, catering to respectable ladies and gentlemen who find themselves alone in the world. But now a dangerously obsessed individual has begun sending her trinkets and gifts suitable only for those in deepest mourning. Desperate for help, Calista turns to Trent Hastings, a reclusive author of popular crime novels. It becomes clear that the danger may be coming from Calista's own secret past.

When Zoe and Win move into their new home it's meant to be a fresh start. But pushed to the back of a cupboard is a suitcase - inside is a wedding dress, letters and a diary all belonging to a woman called Libby. Zoe follows Libby's trail across Europe, but when Libby's story takes a darker turn, Zoe becomes increasingly obsessed with discovering what really happened all those years ago.

When an eager and curious Jane Eyre arrives at Thornfield Hall her sexual desires are instantly awakened. Who is the enigmatic Rochester whom she instantly feels attracted to? What are the strange and yet captivating noises coming from the attic? Only one thing is certain: Jane Eyre may have arrived at Thornfield an unfulfilled and tentative woman, but she will leave a very different person.…

Life hasn’t always been kind to Emma, but now finally her life appears to be looking up. She and her childhood sweetheart, Seth Jago, are to marry. However, when Emma is haunted by mysterious circumstances surrounding her family, and Seth is hounded by a jealous ex-lover set on revenge, Seth plans for their escape to Canada. But Emma finds herself uncertain of whether a move to Canada is really what she wants…

The earl of St. Merryn needs a woman: his intentions are purely practical.... He needs a fiancée to keep the husband-hunting ladies of the town at bay. His solution is to hire a paid companion, and Miss Elenora Lodge appears to be the perfect candidate. Elenora's sorry financial circumstances convince her to accept the earl’s generous, if scandalous, offer. But the earl soon discovers that the meek and mild companion he'd initially envisioned stirs a bothersome passion in his heart.

England, 1665. It is five years since King Charles II returned from exile, the scars of the Civil Wars are yet to heal and now the Great Plague engulfs the land. Alethea Hawthorne is safe inside the walls of the Calverton household as a lady's companion waiting in anticipation of the day she can return to her ancestral home of Measham Hall.

Oxford, 1862: As Mary Prickett takes up her post as governess to the daughters of the dean of Christ Church, she is thrust into a strange new world. Mary is desperate for change, but there is a problem: Mary does not like children, especially the precocious Alice Liddell. When Mary meets Charles Dodgson, the Christ Church mathematics tutor, she is flattered by his attentions, and Mary begins to believe that she could be more than just a dowdy governess.

Lady Serena Grantley was born to the nobility, but fortune's whim placed her in control of her stepfather, who uses her beauty to lure young men to his gambling tables. Serena even dismissed her first love, the Honourable Sebastian Sullivan, at her stepfather's command. But when he attempts to force her into a liaison with a dissolute earl, Serena resolves to do his bidding no more.

The Cabot sisters had shocking plans to rescue their family from certain ruin, and now Prudence Cabot is left standing in the rubble of scandal. Now regarded as an unsuitable bride, she's tainted. Yet this unwilling wallflower is ripe for her own adventure. And when an irresistibly sexy American stranger on a desperate mission enlists her help, she simply can't deny the temptation.