Showing results by narrator "Natalie Beran" in All Categories

The fragments Awa Bryant trapped just after she learned she was a long-awaited Dreamweaver are terrifyingly close to breaking free—so close that even in the waking world she can hear their efforts to crack their giant glass prison.

Saffron vowed to love Miles no matter what life threw at them both. But when her mother-in-law moves into their happy family home, Saffron’s shiny life begins to tarnish. Even as Caprice’s barbed comments turn to something more sinister, Saffron hopes the new nanny’s arrival will shield her from the worst of it. She’s starting to feel paranoid in her own home.

Lorraine Henry is generally content to keep her head down and get on with her work as a records clerk at the Masterton police station. But when children start going missing in her small town, Lo can't help but pay attention. After all, she has Bradley, her young nephew, to worry about, and the cops don't seem to be putting much effort into finding the kids. And then the unthinkable happens: Bradley disappears. Distraught but determined, Lorraine vows to bring him home no matter what.

It’s been a year since his ex-boyfriend dumped him and moved from Auckland to Buenos Aires, and Valdin is doing fine. He has a good flat with his sister Greta, a good career where his colleagues only occasionally remind him that he is the sole Maaori person in the office, and a good friend who he only sleeps with when he’s sad. But when work sends him to Argentina and he’s thrown back in his former lover’s orbit, Valdin is forced to confront the feelings he’s been trying to ignore—and the future he wants.

Nestled in a cozy cottage with a lush garden and an abundance of bookshelves, Ursula hopes for a peaceful escape. But strange occurrences quickly unravel, leaving her feeling as though she's being watched. Unusual visions of a mysterious purple-haired woman and out-of-season plants add to her unease. As she becomes acquainted with the enigmatic Rowan and his eccentric house truck, Ursula begins to suspect that he may hold the key to understanding the bizarre happenings in this enchanting world.

Twenty years ago, Liz left Easthaven to escape the memory of one tragic night at Lakewell Manor. Only she and her best friend Tamsin saw what really happened, and in the aftermath they drifted apart. Now she’s forced back after a nasty divorce, with two daughters in tow, the shadows of that terrible night lurking on every corner. With a custody battle looming, she’s one wrong move away from her life falling apart completely.

Like every other girl in her class, twelve-year-old Justine is drawn to her glamorous, charismatic new teacher and longs to be her pet. However, when a thief begins to target the school, Justine's sense that something isn't quite right grows ever stronger. With each twist of the plot, this gripping story of deception and the corrosive power of guilt takes a yet darker turn. Young as she is, Justine must decide where her loyalties lie.

Life is already complicated enough for Awa Bryant when she starts having weird dreams—waking dreams—and strange coincidences start appearing in her real life. She meets dream-charmer Veila, a quirky glowing creature who helps to guide Awa through the mysterious Dream realm. At first, the Dream realm is a glorious escape from Awa's daily struggles, but something is not right… Soon, Awa discovers she has a bigger quest, and everything she cares about is at stake. Will she be brave enough to face her fears and save her friends?

Kiki grew up in New Zealand, dreaming of one day going to Glastonbury Festival. Now, mourning the loss of her beloved Yaya—the woman who raised her—she travels to the UK to follow that dream. It is only when she leaves home that she realises just how sheltered her life has been up until now. Ned lives an active and exciting life. Well, he did until the accident. Now, he's woken from his coma, except no one knows. He can hear everything happening around him but can't make his body respond.

With the tragic passing of her mother, Grace is sent to a father she thought was dead, relocating from the bustling streets of inner Melbourne to an island home she doesn’t remember. When she answers the call for help from a sign in a store window, Grace thinks she’s found the perfect job. But behind the smile of a welcoming town sits a community bathed in lies and deceit, and it’s not long before this new arrival is caught in the middle of a deadly mystery.

Siblings Greta and Valdin have, perhaps, too much in common. They're flatmates, beholden to the same near-unpronounceable surname, and both make questionable choices when it comes to love. Valdin is still in love with his ex-boyfriend Xabi, who left the country because he thought he was making Valdin sad. Greta is in love with fellow English tutor Holly, who only seems to be using her for admin support. But perhaps all is not lost. Valdin is coming to realize that he might not be so unlovable, and Greta, that she might be worth more than the papers she can mark.

From the outside, Awa seems like a normal teen, struggling with anxiety over school and friendships. Secretly, she holds a rare power. She is a Dreamweaver, one who walks between worlds: that of waking life and the Dreamrealm. Now, she's finally managed to master some of her powers and alchemize the shadow fragments that were plaguing the beautiful Dreamrealm. Still, she knows there's so much more that has to be done in order to face the terrifying shadow.

Jessica Seaworth is the impulsive, playful, and free-spirited daughter of the Duke. If she had her way, the free life she has lived at her father's country estate in Westbrook would be all she would ever know. But with her father confessing he is not long for the world and declaring his wishes that he see his daughters all be wed, Jessica must reevaluate her future.

Meet the Tobin family. Joy - the mother: Unconscious in a hospital bed, Joy's latest act has thrown the family into turmoil. Frances - the middle child: Seemingly perfect wife and mother, Frances is having inappropriate dreams about an ex, and might be about to derail her whole life. Conor - the protector: Successful and famous, high-flyer Conor is walking a fine line between self-promotion and self-detonation. Sinead - the baby of the family: Bohemian rebel, trying to write the story she needs to tell, but despising herself for failing to do it.

Cassandra, a young corpo programmer, uncovers a plot of technological menticide targeted at the city's oppressed population. Armed only with a stolen data drive containing plans and schematics to this nefarious conspiracy, she must escape the clutches of her corrupt and malevolent employer, ZenithCorp. Run! If she is to stop the rollout of this technology, her only option is survival.

Lady Amelia - pressed by her father to marry soon. Lord Northfell - a handsome suitor with deep secrets in his past. Can they overcome his secrets and find love together? Will Arthur and Amelia overcome their initial differences and reach out to help each other? Or will their similarly-proud natures lead them to ruin? A story of conflict, courage, and passion set in the ultra-sophisticated and unpredictable world of Regency London.

Emily falls passionately in love with working-class Walter, despite fierce opposition from her class-conscious father. She sees marriage as a partnership of equals and resolves to elope to escape such a male-dominated society. Emily’s actions will see her struggle to survive the subsequent devastation brought about by the war, as she and her four-year-old son are thrown into the midst of danger and death.

Marquess Hugh Seaworth is far too busy enjoying himself in London to think about matrimony. Despite being next in line to a dukedom, Hugh wants to get as much enjoyment out of life as he can before he is forced to settle down. However, his father, the current Duke of Westbrook, has other plans. When an unknown young lady steps out of the carriage and into his life, Hugh is forced to reconsider his plans for London.

Carmine Luedke, a shy, narcoleptic bookkeeper hides from the world and comforts himself by reciting arcane mathematical equations and proofs. Unable to stay awake during the day, he works through the night balancing the books. But suddenly, the numbers aren’t adding up….One fateful night, an unexpected and shocking reunion with a long-lost friend he believed to be dead sends shockwaves through Carmine's carefully crafted routine. She arrives with an urgent plea and vanishes into thin air, leaving him with more questions than answers.

When feature writer Ruth Finlay and her elderly neighbor Doris Cleaver visit an antique and collectibles market in the small town of Myrtle Bay, they get a lot more than they bargained for. After Ruth's old tennis coach is found dead, they discover that there's no lack of people who harbor a grudge against the victim, and a tangled web of family ties and lies begins to unravel. But can Ruth and Doris find the killer in time to avert a second murder?