Showing results by narrator "Melanie Crawley" in All Categories

A young girl's life is shadowed by secrets and lies. When Willow arrives in the Allen household, curious things begin to happen. Who is the strange child dressed in outlandish clothes who refuses a mobile phone? What are the mysterious allegations that have been made about her?

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.

Standing in my bathroom, the luxurious marble tiles cool under my feet, I stare at the test in my trembling hand. The second line is unmistakable: I’m pregnant. This is all my husband Theo and I have ever wanted, but I didn’t think it was possible. I should be excited, but all I can think about is telling my stepdaughter. Because Ellie’s always hated me, ever since she realised it was no longer just her and Theo. Now she’s seventeen, beautiful and smart–smart enough to see through me. And if Ellie decided to uncover my secrets, it wouldn’t be just my marriage at stake… it would be my life.

Jo Who Died is the funny and bittersweet telling of a mother's life story from the perspective of her recently deceased daughter. Jenny Knight never intended to call seven of her eight children Jo(e). It's funny how life turns out. At twenty-six years old, Jo 5 throws herself out of a window with no intention of dying. Nor did she plan for her siblings to be suspects in a murder investigation. Sometimes, that's just the way things go.

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.

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.

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.

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'.

Three years ago, Alice Kelly was found dead in a lake near the house where she was staying with friends for the weekend. Mia was there, and so was her now-husband Tom, yet they have never spoken about what really happened. But now Mia’s in therapy, she’s having flashbacks. She remembers new details about Alice’s final hours–how they argued, how she threatened to expose Alice’s darkest secret, and how Alice’s lifeless body floated in the inky blue water… Was Mia the one who killed her beloved best friend? And how has she lived with this lie for so long?

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.

Orphaned Leah has never had it easy in life. Desperate for a job, she agrees to become ruthless Giovanni Zanetti’s housekeeper and finally gain some security. What she never expected was that being between his billion-dollar sheets would be so undeniably tempting… Gio’s night with the totally off-limits innocent was a strictly one-time indiscretion. Anything more than that would require a level of trust he no longer has to give. Then Leah returns with a revelation that rocks the Italian’s carefully constructed world: she’s pregnant!

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.

Receptionist Cleo’s attraction to billionaire Ari Stefanos is a fiercely kept secret. Until one sizzling night it’s deliciously exposed! Still, she knows that their passion can’t—shouldn’t—last. If the past has taught her anything, it’s that you can’t make somebody love you.

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…and Tati discovers she’s pregnant!

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.

When chef Claire is introduced to her elusive employer, she gets the shock of her life. The powerful royal that Claire has been working for is Raif, the man whose touch is seared into her memory—and father to the baby Claire’s just discovered she’s carrying! Raif will never let his child feel unwanted, like he had felt. He’ll rewrite the royal rule book to ensure his heir’s happiness! But, when Claire must become his wife, will he rewrite the rules of their convenient agreement to ensure her happiness too?

Verona, 1947. Textile historian Marianne Baxter comes to post-war Italy with one thing on her mind: three pristine Victorian dresses once owned by the famous poet Christina Rossetti. Hidden away in a trunk for nearly a century, they were recently discovered at the Fondazione Museo Menigatti and Marianne’s expertise is needed before they go on exhibit. Still grieving the loss of her husband, the trip is also a reason for Marianne to start over.

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!

Holly Wilson has landed a dream job which involves her staying at five-star resorts around the world. There is however a proviso. She must travel incognito and that means telling lies. Holly hates lies. Her cover story, designed to minimize conversation on the subject, is that she is to her honeymoon destination for closure after her husband's sudden death.