December Releases

Freda Lightfoot - Peace in My Heart
Saga
Paperback, ebook and audio
Harlequin
28th December, 2017

The war is over and Evie Talbert eagerly awaits the return of her three children from their evacuated homes. 

But her carefree daughters and son are barely recognisable – their education has been disrupted, the siblings split up, and the effect on them has been life-changing. Her son has developed serious behavioural problems and with her daughters, there’s jealousy and a nervous disorder that cannot be explained…

Evie’s husband also has problems. Having returned from being in action, he suffers nightmares and fits of rage. He’s no longer the gentle, quiet man Evie married.

Peace may finally be here, but Evie’s family is in shreds. Now she must rebuild a loving home to achieve the happiness she’s always dreamed of…

*

Mary Wood - Brighter Days Ahead
Historical Saga
Paperback and ebook

Pan Macmillan
30th November, 2017

Brighter Days Ahead is a moving story set against the backdrop of the Second World War, from Mary Wood, author of In Their Mother’s Footsteps.

War pulled them apart, but can it bring them back together?

Molly lives with her repugnant father, who has betrayed her many times.

From a young age, living on the streets of London’s East End, she has seen the harsh realities of life...

When she’s kidnapped by a gang and forced into their underworld, her future seems bleak.

Flo spent her early years in an orphanage and is about to turn her hand to teacher training. 

When a kindly teacher at her school approaches her about a job at Bletchley Park, it could be everything she never knew she wanted.

Will the girls' friendship be enough to weather the hard times ahead?

*

Jen Gilroy - Back Home at Firefly Lake
Contemporary romance
Paperback and ebook
Grand Central, Forever
5th December, 2017

She has a million reasons to leave. Can he give her the one she needs to stay?

Cat McGuire's return to Firefly Lake is turning into much more than she bargained for. Sure, she missed the crisp pine-scented air and the comfort of having her family around her. But being home makes her feel less like the successful single mom she is – and more like the awkward teen who never fit in.

It doesn't help that hockey-pro Luc Simard is back in town, too. Luc was her childhood crush, the hometown hero who never noticed her, and yet somehow he still makes her heart skip a beat.

Luc's homecoming has been bittersweet. He's lost his wife and his career, but there's no better place to start over than Firefly Lake. Coaching the local kids' hockey team makes him feel alive again, and he thinks his life is complete--until Cat arrives. 

The shy girl he always wanted to protect is now the gorgeous woman who's stealing his heart and making him believe in second chances.

But how can he convince Cat that Firefly Lake is where she truly belongs?

*

Rosie Hendry - East End Angels
Saga
Paperback
Little Brown, Sphere
14th December, 2017

Strong-willed Winnie loves being part of the crew at Station Seventy-Five but her parents are less than happy. She has managed to avoid their pleas to join the WRENS so far but when a tragedy hits too close to home she finds herself wondering if she's cut out for this life after all.

Former housemaid Bella was forced to leave the place she loved when she lost it all and it's taken her a while to find somewhere else to call home. She's finally starting to build a new life but when the air raids begin, it seems she may have to start over once again.

East-Ender Frankie's sense of loyalty keeps her tied to home so it's not easy for her to stay focused at work. With her head and heart pulling in different directions, will she find the strength to come through for her friends when they need her the most?

Brought together at LAAS Station Seventy-Five in London's East End during 1940, these three very different women soon realise that they'll need each other if they're to get through the days ahead.

But can the ties of friendship, love and family all remain unbroken?

*

Gwen Kirkwood - A Scottish Destiny
Saga
Paperback and ebook
Romaunce

A Scottish Destiny - a gripping tale of love in a heart-warming climate. Book 4 in the series following Moorland Mist, Moorend, and Return to Bonnybrae.

When seventeen-year-old Marie Sinclair travelled to Strathlinn in Scotland in1920 to visit her brother and his new family, all she was looking for was rest and recuperation after the death of Lady Hanley, for whom she had been caring for over the past eighteen months. But when her pregnant sister-in-law is rushed to hospital in danger of the life of her and her twins, Marie is forced to take on a far greater role in the lives of her Scottish family.

And who is Mark Blackford, the new, young Estate owner, who seems only interested in machines and who is struggling under the new responsibilities of running the estate and gathering rent from tenants who are not always inclined to pay? Meeting him on the train to Strathlinn, Marie’s life becomes entwined with his, as friend, help-meet, and, maybe, something more?

Full of complex, loveable characters, and poised at a moment when the world is changing in new and dramatic ways, A Scottish Destiny is a beautiful novel which explores how, in a world turned upside down, the things that bind us continue to do so – family, responsibility and, though Marie dare not whisper it to herself, love.

From the author of Return to Bonnybrae, this is another gripping tale of love in a heart-warming climate.

*

Margaret Mounsdon - Hungry For Love

Contemporary romance
Large print paperback
1st December, 2017

Louise Drew replaced celebrity chef Charlie Irons when he was let go from his daytime cookery slot.

Charlie's fans deserted the programme in droves and after Louise suffered an appalling case of on air nerves the show folded. 

Desperate for a job she answers an ad and discovers to horror it would mean working for Charlie Irons - a nightmare in the making, but what choice does Louise have? If she doesn't take the job she will be homeless.

*

Lesley Cookman - Murder Most Fowl
Mystery
Ebook 
Accent Press
21st December, 2017

A Libby Sarjeant Christmas "Long/Short" story

It is almost Christmas, and pantomime rehearsals are well under way. Once again, local butcher Bob is playing the dame, but the whole production is put under threat when someone sabotages his business. Libby Sarjeant recruits Fran Wolfe to help find the culprit and restore the Steeple Martin pantomime.

*

Evonne Wareham - What Happens at Christmas
Romantic Suspense
Ebook
Choc Lit
5th December, 2017

A Christmas to remember

Lori France and her four-year-old niece Misty are settling in to spend the holidays away after unexpected events leave them without a place to stay.

Best-selling author Andrew Vitruvius knows that any publicity is good publicity. His agent tells him that often, so it must be true. In the run-up to Christmas, she excels herself - talking him into the craziest scheme yet: getting himself kidnapped, live on TV.

Little do they know they’re about to make a discovery and experience a Christmas they’re not likely to forget...

*

Awen Thornber - Foxtrot in Freshby
Romance with Intrigue
Paperback and ebook
Crooked Cat Books
6th December, 2017

When dance teacher Gina Pendleton throws her cheating boyfriend out of her house, she has to find some way of earning extra money to pay the bills. The obvious answer is to offer dance classes at her home, even though she knows this will incur the wrath of the owner of the local well-established dance school.

Her life becomes even more fraught when she is targeted by vandals and intruders.

After she meets Chris Jackson, it doesn’t take her long to realise he is the man of her dreams, especially as he’s also a wonderful dancing partner.

But can she trust him when it appears he is hiding something from her?

*

Sheila Norton - The Pets at Primrose Cottage: Part 2 New Beginnings
Cosy romance
Ebook (part two of a four-part serialised novel. Full-length paperback available in April 2018)
Ebury
21st December, 2017

All Emma wants is a quiet life in sleepy Crickleford, away from the prying eyes of the press who are obsessed with the life she used to lead. She is enjoying her new vocation: the town's most in-demand pet-sitter.

But her journalist friend and fellow animal lover Matt is desperate for a big story to make his career – such as Emma’s true identity… Emma doesn’t want the spotlight, but it keeps finding her anyway.

Can she keep her past a secret and live the life she’s dreamed of? 

*

Lynda Stacey - House of Christmas Secrets
Romantic Suspense
Choc Lit
Ebook
5th December, 2017

This year we’re just going to have a nice, normal Christmas…

Last year’s Christmas at Wrea Head Hall didn’t quite go to plan, which is why Jess Croft is determined this festive season will be the one to remember, for the right reasons. And she has plenty of reasons to be hopeful, she’s going to marry the man of her dreams, Jack Stone, seven days after New Year’s Eve.

When family secrets are revealed in hidden letters and two unexpected guests turn up on the doorstep, Jess is left wondering whether her life will ever be the same again.

Can Jess and Jack still experience a peaceful festive season that they had imagined, or are there some problems that even Christmas can’t fix?

*

M W Arnold - The Season for Love
Contemporary Romance
Ebook
Passion in Print
16th December, 2017

Believing she was responsible for the death of her husband, Chrissie Stewart retreats from all those who love her. 

A chance meeting with mysterious stranger, single-parent Josh Morgan and his bewitching young daughter Lizzy, breathe new life into her and gradually, she feels able to start to let go of the memory of her lost love. 

Unexpected links are revealed between the two families that strengthen the growing bonds she feels to this man and with the encouragement of her best friend Annie, herself hiding a hidden conflict from Chrissie, she battles with her demons to believe in her ability to trust and love again. 

Everything comes to a head on Christmas Day; which all goes to show that this is truly The Season for Love.

*

Bella Osborne - Ottercombe Bay Part One - Where There’s a Will
Romantic Comedy
Ebook 
Avon, HarperCollins
28th December, 2017

Daisy Wickens has returned to Ottercombe Bay, the picturesque Devon town where her mother died when she was a girl. She plans to leave as soon as her great uncle’s funeral is over, but Great Uncle Reg had other ideas.

He’s left Daisy a significant inheritance – an old building in a state of disrepair, which could offer exciting possibilities, but to get it she must stay in Ottercombe Bay for twelve whole months.

With the help of a cast of quirky locals, a few gin cocktails and a black pug with plenty of attitude, Daisy might just turn this into something special. But can she ever hope to be happy among the ghosts of her past?

*

Rhoda Baxter - Snowed In
Contemporary Romance
Ebook
Independently published
27th November, 2017

Tracey doesn't do socialising. Vinnie is recovering from a nasty break up. Neither of them is looking for a relationship.

When a snow storm forces them to take shelter in the same rural cottage, they find out that they have far more in common than they originally thought.

*

Helen J Rolfe - Snowflakes and Mistletoe at the Inglenook Inn

Women's Fiction
Ebook
Independently published
12th December, 2017

As the flames on the log fire flicker and the snowflakes swirl above the New York streets, maybe this Christmas could be the one that changes everything...

When Darcy returns to Manhattan, she’s put in charge of the Inglenook Inn, a cosy boutique hotel in the heart of Greenwich Village. The Inn needs a boost in bookings if it’s to survive the competition, so Darcy is convinced that hosting Christmas this year is the answer. What she doesn’t expect is to meet a face from the past, which can only spell trouble.

Myles left England behind and took a job in New York. It’s a step forwards in his career, and has the added bonus of being nowhere near his family. He’s also hoping to avoid Christmas, the worst time of the year. But when his company puts him up at the Inglenook Inn and he recognises Darcy, it isn’t long before they clash. 

When disaster strikes, can Myles and Darcy put their differences aside to make Christmas at the Inglenook Inn a success?

*

Helen J Rolfe - The Magnolia Girls
Women's fiction
Paperback (already available as an ebook)
Independently published
27th October, 2017

Fall in love with Magnolia Creek, the small town that draws you in and refuses to let you go...

Carrie has it all: a stellar career, a gorgeous heart-surgeon boyfriend, and an apartment in the city. But when something happens that forces her to question her ability to do her job, the only way she can see through the mess is to get far away from everything. Carrie is thrust into a very different life in Magnolia Creek.

She’s knee-deep in renovations at her house at the top of the hill; she’s sharing time and space with her ex, Owen; and newcomer, Noah, gets under her skin from day one. 

Meanwhile, her boyfriend, Lachlan, is doing everything he can to convince her she belongs 

back in the city with him doing the job she’s worked so hard to establish.

Carrie never had time for anything apart from work but in Magnolia Creek it isn’t long before she strikes up a lasting friendship with Rosie, Gemma and Bella, and when a face from the past turns up offering forgiveness, Carrie realises that everyone needs a little bit of love and friendship in their lives.

*

Louise Allen - A Scandalous Lady
Regency romance
Ebook
Independently published (Revised version of the book of the same title by Francesca Shaw published by Mills & Boon.)
1st December, 2017

Pride, prejudice and a shocking secret. Has love any chance at all?

Camilla Knight, has a secret that would ruin her, and her family, if it was ever known. 

She is also becoming increasingly attracted to Nicholas Lovell, Earl of Ashby, which would be delightful - if it were not for the fact that Nicholas is intent on the pursuit of lovely actress Lysette Davide, who just happens to be Miss Knight. 

What begins as a careless wager for Nicholas becomes a tantalising dilemma as he comes to realise that the two women he is attracted to are one and the same. And neither is a fit wife for the Earl of Ashby.

*

The new releases list is compiled by Sheila Riley. Sheila joined the RNA in 2004 as a new writer. Since then she has written best-selling sagas as Annie Groves. She's a member of the North West Chapter of the RNA and loves to catch up with writer friends at the regular Southport lunches. 

The new email address for monthly publications is: releases@romanticnovelistsassociation.org.