When Tilly Thompson, a girl from the canal, is caught stealing a pie from the terrace of The Imperial Hotel, Athelstone, the intervention of Captain Charles Thackery, saves her from prison. Tilly soon finds out the real reason for the rescue.
With the Captain Tilly sees life away from the poverty and hardships of the waterways but his favour stirs up jealousy and hatred among the hotel staff, especially Freddie, the stable boy who harbours desires of his own.
Freddie's pursuit leads Tilly into far greater danger than she could ever have imagined. Can she escape the prejudice, persecution and hypocrisy of Victorian Society, leave her past behind and find true happiness?

This is an uplifting story of love and loss, prejudice, injustice and ultimate redemption.

20 Stories to warm the heart.
All the stories in The Cappuccino Collection, except one, have been previously published in magazines, anthologies or on the internet. They are romantic, humorous and thought provoking stories that reflect real life, love in all its guises and the ties that bind. Enjoy them in small bites.

If this collection were a cake it would be a deeply satisfying chocolate gateau.

Spirited and beautiful Annie Flanagan's reckless ambition takes her from the Hackney watercress beds to dancing at the Folies-Bergere in Paris. She returns to work in an establishment catering to the needs of wealthy and influential gentlemen.
When she disappears, leaving her illegitimate son behind, her friend Hettie Bundy sets out to find her. Hettie's search leads her from the East End of London, where opium dens and street gangs rule, to uncover the corruption and depravity in Victorian society. Secrets are revealed that put both girls' lives in danger. Can Hettie find Annie in time? What does the future hold for the watercress girls?
A Victorian Mystery

When Nell Draper leaves the workhouse to care for the five-year-old son of Lord Eversham, a wealthy landowner, she has no idea of the heartache that lies ahead of her.
Robert can’t speak. He can’t tell her what makes him happy or sad. Nell has to work that out for herself.
Not everyone is happy about Robert’s existence.
Can Nell save him from a desolate future, secure his inheritance and ensure he takes his rightful place in society?

A love story.

Romance, mystery and suspense come together in these heart-pulling tales of love, loyalty and sacrifice. Beautiful evocative writing brings Victorian London to pulsating life. These three historical novels and their feisty heroines will grab you by the heart-strings and won’t let go until the last page.

Contains:

The Water Gypsy
The Watercress Girls
The Guardian Angel

A heart-wrenching saga of love, loss, courage and resilience from the author of The Guardian Angel.


In Victorian London’s East End, life for Hope Daniels in the public house run by her parents is not as it seems. Pa drinks and gambles, brother John longs for a place of his own, sister Violet dreams of a life on stage and little Alfie is being bullied at school.
Silas Quirk, the charismatic owner of a local gentlemen’s club and disreputable gambling den her father frequents, has his own plans for Hope.
When disaster strikes the family lose everything and the future they planned is snatched away from them. Secrets are revealed that make Hope question all she’s ever believed in.
Can Hope keep them together when fate is pulling them apart?
What will she sacrifice to save her family?

A captivating story of tragedy and triumph you won’t want to put down.

A gripping saga of courage and resilience from the bestselling author of The Guardian Angel

Violet Daniels is flawed. She’s made mistakes in her life, but the deep love she has for her five-year-old twins is beyond dispute.
When their feckless and often violent father turns up out of the blue, demanding to see them, she’s terrified he might snatch them from her.
She flees with them to a place of safety where she meets the handsome and charming Gabriel Stone. He shows her a better way of life, but is he everything he appears to be?
Violet decides to stop running and finds the courage to return to London to confront the children's father. There she finds a far greater evil than she ever thought possible.
How far will Violet go to protect her children?

Set against the background of two very different worlds in Edwardian London’s East End this is the second in the Hope Series.

Perfect for fans of Catherine Cookson and Dilly Court.

Set against the turbulent years of The Great War, A Girl Called Rose is a deeply moving story of young love, heroism, human weakness and the enduring strength of family ties.
The close, loving family life Rose has known is shattered when the country goes to war. Rose resolves to do her bit so, aged sixteen, she leaves home to train as a nurse in London. There she finds freedom, excitement and a different way of life.
A brief encounter with a soldier opens her eyes to romance, but is he the man she thinks he is?
Can first love survive long separation or will Rose discover that her heart belongs to another?
When the war brings searing loss and heartbreak, can Rose find the strength to look to the future?

A Girl Called Rose is Kay Seeley’s third novel in the Hope Series. Written from the heart it follows the fortunes of the extended Daniels family through the war years. A must read story you won’t want to put down.

A powerfully written saga from a master storyteller.

One Beat of a Heart, is all it takes to change a life forever.

Edwardian London 1902
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Clara Fitzroy, spoiled and entitled, refuses to conform to convention. Her reckless behaviour has devastating consequences and an ill-judged liaison threatens to destroy everything she’s hoped for.
Daisy Carter, the hotel housekeeper, has problems of her own. A family relationship brings grief and heartache and a well meaning action ends in disaster.
When tragedy strikes at The Fitzroy Hotel on Coronation Day, their lives are thrown into turmoil
Can Clara find the courage to follow her heart?
Can Daisy keep her family together when fate is pulling them apart?
Clara and Daisy are bonded by the secrets they keep. Can they rely on each other when their futures depend on it?

Follow the fortunes of Clara and Daisy’s in the first of The Fitzroy Hotel Stories from the bestselling author of The Hope Series.

Perfect for fans of Downton Abbey and Upstairs Downstairs.

Verity Templeton, eighteen and fiercely independent, travels to London with her aunt for the season. During a weekend with her friend Charlotte Huntington-Smythe an encounter with Charlotte’s brother shows her another side of the family.
Then she meets Brandon Summerville, the handsome, arrogant, wealthy man about town Charlotte is in love with. Will she be able to resist his obvious charm?
When a secret from the past turns her life upside down she doubts everything she’s believed in. Her fight to find the truth brings more heartache. Can she forgive or will it destroy her hopes for future happiness?
Meanwhile, Lawrence Fitzroy contemplates his own future and things get worse for Daisy Carter, the hotel housekeeper, when a new under manager is appointed. Can Daisy keep control of her staff, or will an errant maid’s wilfulness be the undoing of her?
A story of love, deceit, honour and a struggle for justice.
Follow the fortunes of the guests and staff at The Fitzroy Hotel in A Troubled Heart, the second Fitzroy Hotel Story from the bestselling author of The Hope Series.
Perfect for fans of Downton Abbey and Upstairs Downstairs.

Is love an illusion? A heartwarming historical saga set against the background of two very different worlds in Edwardian London

When Charity Browne arrives at The Fitzroy Hotel on her way to a country house party, she knows there’s more to the invitation than a weekend of revelry. She’s old enough to be married and her family are hoping for a good match.
Sparks fly when she collides with dashing Jack Carter, the hotel housekeeper’s disreputable brother.
A visit to a home for waifs and strays makes Charity question her values. Her attempt to help a small, mute boy she sees there leads her to attractive and worthy Dr Adam Radcliffe. Together they uncover a web of deceit, betrayal and lies surrounding the boy’s family.
Fate unites Jack and Charity in a quest to save the boy from unimaginable evil.
Will Charity fall for Jack’s mesmerising charm, or will Adam’s selfless compassion capture her heart?
Packed with compelling twists and turns A Heart full of Hope is a perfect read for fans of Downton Abbey and Upstairs Downstairs.