Curl up by the fire this Christmas with the ebook bestseller Catherine Ferguson.When Poppy’s boyfriend Harrison proposes the week before Christmas and gives her twelve days to decide, she doesn’t know what to do. With the festive season in full swing, it’s make or break time for the couple and the clock is ticking…Meanwhile, Poppy’s best friend Erin is desperate for the pair of them to fulfil their dream of setting up a dinner party catering company – and when an opportunity arises at a luxury log fire cabin, the girls take their chance to impress. But they hadn’t bargained on the owner of the cabin being quite so attractive – or having quite such a sexy voice.As the twelve days tick on, will Poppy realise that Harrison is the one for her? Or will it be love in the lodge when the new year comes?Lose yourself this Christmas in the new novel from the brilliant Catherine Ferguson, perfect for cosying up with by the fire.
A classic Agatha Christie short story, available individually for the first time as an ebook.A draughty manor house is far from Poirot's idea of the best place to spend Christmas, but an interesting case involving a jewel robbery tempts him away from his cosy London apartment to the wild English countryside…
The delicious true story of the early chocolate pioneers by the award-winning writer, and direct descendant of the famous chocolate dynasty, Deborah CadburyIn 'Chocolate Wars' bestselling historian and award-winning documentary maker Deborah Cadbury takes a journey into her own family history to uncover the rivalries that have driven 250 years of chocolate empire-building.Beginning with an account of John Cadbury, who founded the first Cadbury's coffee and chocolate shop in Birmingham in 1824, 'Chocolate Wars' goes on to chart the astonishing transformation of the company's fortunes under his grandson George. But while the Cadbury dynasty is the fulcrum of the narrative, this is also the story of their Quaker rivals, the Frys and Rowntrees, and their European competitors, the Nestles, Suchards and Lindts. These rivalries drove the formation of the huge chocolate conglomorates that still straddle the corporate world today, and have first call on our collective sweet tooth.This is narrative history at its most absorbing, peopled by wonderfully colourful characters – the true story of the chocolate pioneers, the visions and ideals that inspired them and the mouth-watering concoctions they created.
A collection of six of Cathy’s brilliant novels: SOMEONE LIKE YOU, WHAT SHE WANTS, JUST BETWEEN US, BEST OF FRIENDS, ALWAYS AND FOREVER, PAST SECRETSSOMEONE LIKE YOU: They all just want one thing in life – and then they’ll be truly happy. But sometimes, when you wish will all your heart for a dream to come true, you risk destroying the happiness within your reach.WHAT SHE WANTS: Do you know what you’ll be doing next year? Nicole, Virginia, Hope and Sam all thought they did. But they were all wrong. When life changes suddenly for each of these four women, they have to look deep inside themselves to discover what they really want in order to survive the turmoil.JUST BETWEEN US: Friends this good are hard to find… Sowhat’s the secret of the fabulous Miller girls? And are they strong enough to deal with the truth about their golden lives?BEST OF FRIENDS: Good times or bad, friends are always there… So when tragedy strikes, it rocks the small town of Dunmore. Drawn together in their sadness, four women suddenly realize what is important – life is for living and they must grab it with both hands.ALWAYS AND FOREVER: Fairy godmothers do exist, even in the tranquil hills of Ireland. Carrickwell, nestled in the shadows of Mount Carraig, is an ancient, magical place. And when Leah, a woman with her own secret turmoil, opens the Clouds Hill spa, Mel, Daisy and Cleo are thrown together – and find the courage to discover what really matters to them, always and forever…PAST SECRETS: Behind the shining windows and rose-bedecked gardens of Summer Street, there are lots of secrets. But if you keep a secret too long and it will creep out when you least expect it…
A collection of three of Cathy’s brilliant novels: The House on Willow Street, The Honey Queen, Christmas Magic, plus bonus short story: The Perfect HolidayTHE HOUSE ON WILLOW STREET: Welcome to Avalon: a quaint, sleepy town on the Irish coast. Nothing has changed here for generations – least of all the huge mansion on Willow Street; the house in which sisters Tess and Suki Power grew up. Now that the big house is up for sale, change is blowing on the cold sea wind. But before they can look to the future, these women must face up to the past…THE HONEY QUEEN: It’s easy to fall in love with the beautiful town of Redstone, where two women believe they are getting on just fine. But what they thought would be an ending is actually just a beginning – all is not quite as it seems in the picturesque town.CHRISTMAS MAGIC: A festive collection of short stories from no.1 Sunday Times bestselling author Cathy Kelly.And a bonus short story! THE PERFECT HOLIDAY was originally published as a Quick Read: sometimes all we need is a relaxing holiday in the sun…
Can I Let You Go? is the true story of Faye, a wonderful young woman who may never be able to parent her unborn child.Faye is 24, pregnant, and has learning difficulties as a result of her mother’s alcoholism. Faye is gentle, childlike and vulnerable, and normally lives with her grandparents, both of whom have mobility problems. Cathy and her children welcome Faye into their home and hearts. The care plan is for Faye to stay with Cathy until after the birth when she will return home and the baby will go for adoption. Given that Faye never goes out alone it is something of a mystery how she ever became pregnant and Faye says it’s a secret.To begin with Faye won’t acknowledge she is pregnant or talk about the changes in her body as she worries it will upset her grandparents, but after her social worker assures her she can talk to Cathy she opens up. However, this leads to Faye realizing just how much she will lose and she changes her mind and says she wants to keep her baby.Is it possible Faye could learn enough to parent her child? Cathy believes it is, and Faye’s social worker is obliged to give Faye the chance.
Can I Let You Go? is the true story of Faye, a wonderful young woman who may never be able to parent her unborn child.Faye is 24, pregnant, and has learning difficulties as a result of her mother’s alcoholism. Faye is gentle, childlike and vulnerable, and normally lives with her grandparents, both of whom have mobility problems. Cathy and her children welcome Faye into their home and hearts. The care plan is for Faye to stay with Cathy until after the birth when she will return home and the baby will go for adoption. Given that Faye never goes out alone it is something of a mystery how she ever became pregnant and Faye says it’s a secret.To begin with Faye won’t acknowledge she is pregnant or talk about the changes in her body as she worries it will upset her grandparents, but after her social worker assures her she can talk to Cathy she opens up. However, this leads to Faye realizing just how much she will lose and she changes her mind and says she wants to keep her baby.Is it possible Faye could learn enough to parent her child? Cathy believes it is, and Faye’s social worker is obliged to give Faye the chance.
A frank and honest memoir by Britain’s former ambassador to Kabul which provides a unique, high-level insight into Western policy in Afghanistan.The West’s mission in Afghanistan has never been far from the headlines. For Sherard Cowper-Coles, our former Ambassador, Britain’s role in the conflict – the vast amount of money being spent and the huge number of lives being lost – was an everyday reality.In Cables from Kabul, Cowper-Coles takes the reader on a journey through the backstreets of Afghanistan’s capital to the corridors of power in London and Washington. He pays tribute to the tactical successes of our soldiers but asks whether these will be enough to secure stability. Nobody is better placed to tell this story of embassy life in one of the most dangerous places on earth. Powerful and astonishingly frank, Cables from Kabul explains how we got into the quagmire of Afghanistan, and how we can get out of it.
Leading archaeologist Francis Pryor retells the story of King Arthur, legendary king of the Britons, tracing it back to its Bronze Age origins.The legend of King Arthur and Camelot is one of the most enduring in Britain's history, spanning centuries and surviving invasions by Angles, Vikings and Normans. In his latest book Francis Pryor – one of Britain’s most celebrated archaeologists and author of the acclaimed ‘Britain B.C.’ and ‘Seahenge’ – traces the story of Arthur back to its ancient origins. Putting forth the compelling idea that most of the key elements of the Arthurian legends are deeply rooted in Bronze and Iron Ages (the sword Excalibur, the Lady of the Lake, the Sword in the Stone and so on), Pryor argues that the legends' survival mirrors a flourishing, indigenous culture that endured through the Roman occupation of Britain, and the subsequent invasions of the so-called Dark Ages.As in ‘Britain B.C.’, Pryor roots his story in the very landscape, from Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh, to South Cadbury Castle in Somerset and Tintagel in Cornwall. He traces the story back to the 5th-century King Arthur and beyond, all the time testing his ideas with archaeological evidence, and showing how the story was manipulated through the ages for various historical and literary purposes, by Geoffrey of Monmouth and Malory, among others.Delving into history, literary sources – ancient, medieval and romantic – and archaeological research, Francis Pryor creates an original, lively and illuminating account of this most British of legends.
Breakfast may be the most important meal of the day, but only if we skip it.Since Victorian times, we have been told to breakfast like kings and dine like paupers. In the wake of his own type 2 diabetes diagnosis, Professor Terence Kealey was given the same advice. He soon noticed that his glucose levels were unusually high after eating first thing in the morning. But if he continued to fast until lunchtime they fell to a normal level. Professor Kealey began to question how much evidence there was to support the advice he’d been given, and whether there might be an advantage for some to not eating breakfast after all.Breakfast is a Dangerous Meal asks:• What is the reliable scientific and medical evidence for eating breakfast?• Why do people suppose that eating breakfast reduces the total amount of food they consume over the day, when the opposite is true?• Who should consider intermittent fasting by removing breakfast from their daily routine?• From weight loss to reduced blood pressure, what are the potential benefits of missing breakfast?