Jenny Worstall: Love And Lies
Romantic comedy
DC Thomson (People’s Friend Pocket Novel number 883)
large print paperback
21st March 2019

The opening scene of ‘Love and Lies’ takes place on a remote Dorset hilltop in the middle of the blazing hot heatwave of 1976. We travel back to 1975 and follow Rosie Peach as she starts her first job as a music teacher at Shaston Convent School. It is not long before she falls for the dashing David Hart, but he is haunted by his dark and troubled past and is unable to give her the love she craves.
Rosie’s friend and colleague, Grace Browning, cautions Rosie against David as a suitable partner, but what exactly are her motives and who is she intent on pursuing? The situation is complicated by the arrival of Tristan Proudfoot, a conductor, who has romantic designs of his own.
A madcap trio of sixth form girls keeps us entertained with their ludicrous antics while the drama unfolds and a cast of irrepressible nuns join forces with the redoubtable Miss Spiker to do their utmost to ensure the path of true love runs smoothly. The final scene before we return to tender and touching events on the remote Dorset hilltop involves a plate of chocolate eclairs and iced buns, a fight on the Nuns’ Lawn and a denouement quite possibly even more complicated and far-fetched than the silliest opera plot.

Louise Rose-Innes: Going Rogue
Romantic suspense
Self-published
Ebook and print
27 March 2019

(SAS Rogue Unit: Book 1)
Damaged ex-SAS soldier, Grant Kerridge, blames himself for losing his entire team in Afghanistan during an ambush. Then his deceased teammate’s girlfriend goes missing, kidnapped by the Taliban. She was ‘on loan’ from the British government, working as a software designer on the Afghani’s military software system and holds vital information that the Taliban are desperate to get their hands on. Determined to honour his friend’s memory, Grant forms a rogue team of ex-soldiers and sets off for the Middle East to get her back. But what he doesn’t count on is his attraction to the feisty, bright software designer or her intense hatred towards him for the death of her boyfriend. Lillian Devereux has always valued brains over brawn. Recruited by the British national security company, GCHQ, she is sent to Afghanistan to assist the Afghan government with their military software update. Then her soldier boyfriend dies in an ambush and the bottom falls out of her world. However, she resolves to finish her mission in the hope that it will end the senseless fighting in the region. As soon as the new system comes online, she is kidnapped by the Taliban who plan to extract top secret codes from her to prevent the government from forcing them out of the opium-rich Helmand Province. With international tensions in the area at boiling point, Lilly is under no illusions about her chances of rescue. It’s just a matter of how long she can hold out before they extract the codes from her. Then through a hail of bullets, she meets rogue agent, Grant Kerridge, a man determined to rescue her no matter what the cost to himself, and she
begins to hope again.

Erica Brown: The House in the Hills
Historical
Canelo.
ebook.
28th of March

A young girl’s loss will shape her future… and her dreams
When Catherine Rodriguez’s father marries and her mother commits suicide,
she is sent to live with her aunt above the rich vineyards of the Douro valley in Portugal. Years later, when Catherine’s ruthless father, Walter Shellard, reappears, he presumes she’s malleable. But Catherine has never forgotten her mother, and never forgiven him for marrying someone else. One day she will have her revenge…

Louise Allen: Mock Oyster Sauce and a Cure for Corns: a Regency Lady’s Receipt Book
Historical non-fiction
Indie
Epub
1 April 2019
In the 1820s a housewife in Fulham collected recipes and household hints from her friends.
Over 190 years later I transcribed the recipes for this book. There is a comprehensive glossary of unfamiliar ingredients and methods and the story of Jean Forbes’s journey from India to a happy second marriage in London. A fascinating glimpse of middle-class social history in the Regency.

Sarah Bennett: Spring Skies over Bluebell Castle 
Contemporary Romance, Chick-lit
HQ Digital
E-book, Audio, Paperback (June 2019)
1st April 2019

She wasn’t looking for love…
When Lucie Kennington flees the bright lights of London for the quiet Derbyshire countryside, she’s shocked to discover that the heir to the Bluebell Castle estate is far from the wizened employer she expected. In fact, Arthur Ludworth might just be the most handsome man Lucie’s ever laid eyes on – and a terrible distraction! So when she stumbles across a legendary painting feared lost for centuries, she can’t believe her luck – perhaps this is the hidden treasure to save Arthur and his family from ruin? But it’s only a matter of time before Lucie’s past catches up with her and by then it’s too late, she’s falling for him… Perfect for fans of Trisha Ashley, Rachael Lucas and Hilary Boyd.

Virginia Heath: The Disgraceful Lord Gray
Regency
Mills & Boon
Paperback and eBook
1st April

A spy on a mission…Until he meets this heiress!
Miss Theodora Cranford’s learned to keep her impetuous nature locked away.
She won’t be deceived by another man who can’t see past her fortune.
She wants an honourable, sensible sort – not a self-assured scoundrel like her new neighbour, Lord Gray. Although she’s sure there’s more to him than meets the eye… But after that first captivating kiss, she’s certainly left wanting more!

Catherine Tinley: The Earl’s Runaway Governess
Historical (Regency)
Harlequin Mills and Boon
Paperback/Ebook
April 1st 2019

Who knew living with an Earl… would lead to such temptation?
Marianne Grant’s new identity as a governess is meant to keep her safe.
But then she meets her new employer, Ash, Earl of Kingswood, and she immediately knows his handsome good looks are a danger of their own! Brusque on first meeting, Ash quickly shows his compassionate side. Yet Marianne doesn’t dare reveal the truth!
Unless Ash really could be the safe haven she’s been looking for…

Fenella J Miller: The Spitfire Girl in the Skies
Historical fiction
Aria-Head of Zeus
Digital First
April 2nd

The ATA training base, Hampshire, 1940.
Ellie Simpson is attached to an Air Transport Auxiliary base in Hampshire. Life as an ATA pilot is tough, but despite the long hours and danger, Ellie can think of nowhere she’d rather be. Not only does she love flying, but doing important war work, alongside new-found friends, provides a welcome distraction from worrying about loved ones fighting on the front line. Being an ATA girl is definitely exciting, but as Ellie soon finds out wearing the distinctive blue uniform also means putting her life on the line every time she takes to the skies. It will take friendship and a strength she didn’t know she possessed to help her county – and those she loves – to survive.
An inspiring story of an incredible girl going above and beyond during World War II.

Sharon Booth: My Favourite Witch
Romantic Comedy
Green Ginger Publishing
Ebook (paperback to follow shortly)
2nd April 2019

The world is full of magic if you know where to look.
It hasn’t been an easy time for Star St Clair. Her father has heaped disgrace on the family, and the man she loves rejected her when he discovered the truth about her powers. Neither will be forgiven. Fate, however, has a shock in store for Star. Not only is her errant father back in town, along with his new fiancée, but her ex has arrived home with a new girlfriend in tow. How can Star possibly compete with her? Not that she intends to, of course. Benedict won’t get a second chance. Benedict is an anxious man. Bad enough to discover your girlfriend is, in fact, a witch, but running out on her was probably a big mistake. Who knows what she’s plotting in revenge? After all, everyone knows witches can’t be trusted. But events are about to unfold that will challenge both Star and Benedict and everything they believe to be true. Is forgiveness truly impossible? Are witches really that scary? And can a solution be reached before time, patience, and all the bourbon biscuits run out? A story of pride, prejudice, and a whole lot of magic …

Kate Field: The Man I Fell in Love With
Commercial Women’s Fiction
Avon Books UK
Paperback
4 April 2019

Sometimes we find happiness where we least expect it…
After twenty years of contented marriage, no one is more surprised than Mary Black when her husband announces he’s leaving her… for another man. For the sake of the children, Mary has no choice but to pick herself up and start again. She hosts family meals that include Leo and his new partner. She copes with the kids wanting to spend less time with her, and more time with their “fun” dads. But one thing she can’t quite ignore is Leo’s gorgeous brother, who has just come back to town…
After living a life of sliding doors and missed opportunities, can Mary finally put herself first and
take a chance that could change everything? A wonderfully uplifting novel full of wisdom, spirit and charm – this is a love story with a difference…

Catherine Jones: The Bells of Little Woodford
Head of Zeus
Hardback and ebook
4th April 2019

The town of Little Woodford seems peaceful and picture-postcard beautiful, with its marketplace, ancient church and immaculate allotments. But behind the tranquil facade, troubles are brewing.
Olivia Laithwaite, a former town councillor, pillar of the WI and all-round busybody, has been forced by her husband’s gambling debts to sell their house – her pride and joy. She hates the new estate they’ve moved to and knows she needs to humble herself to apply for a job. To make matters worse, a thoroughly disagreeable woman has bought Olivia’s beloved Grange and sets about objecting to everything she can, from the ringing of the church bells to the market stall selling organic local meat. It isn’t long before the town is in turmoil.

Lorna Cook: The Forgotten Village
Women’s Fiction/Historical Fiction
Avon/Harper Collins
Paperback, ebook, audiobook.
April 4th 2019

1943: The world is at war, and the villagers of Tyneham are being asked to make one more sacrifice: to give their homes over to the British army. But on the eve of their departure, a terrible act will cause three of them to disappear forever.
2018: Melissa had hoped a break on the coast of Dorset would rekindle her stagnant relationship, but despite the idyllic scenery, it’s pushing her and Liam to the brink. When Melissa discovers a strange photograph of a woman who once lived in the forgotten local village of Tyneham, she becomes determined to find out more about her story. But Tyneham hides a terrible secret, and Melissa’s search for the truth will change her life in ways she never imagined possible.

Kitty Wilson: The Cornish Village School – Second Chances.
Romantic comedy
WF Howes
Audio
4 April 2019

The second audiobook from Kitty Wilson in her debut Cornish Village School series.
Ex-ballerina and single mum Sylvie is in trouble. Juggling her ballet classes in the nearest town, preparing shy Sam for his first day at Penmenna Village school and trying to finally move out from the farm she shares with her cantankerous Uncle Tom means life is anything but easy.
Television journalist Alex is facing challenges of his own. Seeking a calmer environment for his newly adopted daughter, Ellie, he’s swapped reporting in war zones for the school PTA in quiet Penmenna, where his best friend Chase has persuaded him to start laying some roots. Fireworks ignite when Sylvie and Alex meet, but as Ellie and Sam become instant best friends, will they be able to keep things strictly platonic for the sake of the children?

Pernille Hughes: Probably the Best Kiss in the World
Romantic Comedy
E-Book
Harper Impulse
April 12th 2019

Jen Attison likes her life Just So. But being fished out of a canal in Copenhagen by her knickers is definitely NOT on her to do list. From cinnamon swirls to a spontaneous night of laughter and fireworks, Jen’s city break with the girls takes a turn for the unexpected because of her gorgeous, mystery rescuer.
Back home, Jen faces a choice. A surprise proposal from her boyfriend, ‘boring’ Robert has offered Jen the safety net she always thought she wanted. But with the memories of her Danish adventure proving hard to forget, maybe it’s time for Jen to stop listening to her head and start following her heart…

Anne Allen: The Inheritance
Historical romance (dual-time)
Sarnia Press
Paperback and ebook
8th April 2019

1862 Young widow Eugénie is left bereft when her husband dies suddenly and faces an uncertain future in Guernsey. A further tragedy brings her to the attention of Monsieur Victor Hugo, living in exile on the island in his opulent house only yards away from Eugénie’s home. Their meeting changes her life and she becomes his copyist, forming a strong friendship with both Hugo and his mistress, Juliette Drouet.
2012 Doctor Tess Le Prevost, Guernsey-born though now living in Exeter, is shocked to inherit her Great-Aunt’s house on the island. As a child, she was entranced by Doris’s tales of their ancestor, Eugénie, whose house this once was, and who, according to family myth, was particularly close to Hugo. Was he the real father of her child?
Tess is keen to find out and returning to the island presents her with the ideal opportunity.
Will she discover the truth about Eugénie and Hugo? A surprise finding may hold the answer as Tess embraces new challenges which test her strength – and her heart.

Elizabeth Bailey: The Mortal Blow
Historical mystery (romantic)
Sapere Books
trad e-book
13 April

A woman is standing in the middle of the road – covered in blood.
The more Ottilia finds out the more complicated the case becomes.

Amanda James: The Feud
Suspense
Bloodhound Books
Ebook, paperback
Publication -15th April

Matthew Trevelyar leaves his job in London to return to his Cornish roots in the village of St Agnes. After losing his wife to leukaemia, he wants to make a fresh start. His new life is going well until Matt returns to his cottage to discover a grim warning on his doorstep. The message is clear? Leave now and go back to London. Not wanting to give up his new life, Matt eventually discovers that there has been a 200-year-old feud between his family, the Trevelyars, and another local family, the Penhallows. When Matt learns that one of his ancestors burned down a barn belonging to the Penhallows and that a child died in the fire, he understands why his family name is mud. But why is Matt paying for the sins of his ancestors now? And is there more to the feud than meets the eye?

Victoria Cornwall: Daughter of the House
Historical
Choc Lit
ebook
Soundings
audio
16th April 2019

The daughter of the house is often overlooked …
Evelyn Pendragon is spirited but lonely, and largely ignored by her parents whose attentions are taken up with her brother, Nicholas: the expected heir to the family’s Cornish estate and the one who will carry on the Pendragon name. Stifled by her aristocratic existence, Evelyn finds companionship in an unlikely place when she befriends Drake Vennor, an apprentice gardener on the estate. But When Evelyn’s life is thrown into turmoil by a tragedy, she realises just how much she has come to rely on Drake. Will family expectations and the burden of the Pendragon name mean she must turn her back on him when she needs him the most?

Lizzie Page: When I Was Yours
Historical Fiction
Bookouture
Epub, Trad and Audio
April 16th 2019

1939. War has broken out – hundreds of children are evacuated to the countryside to keep them safe from the bombs raining down on the cities. Wrenched from her family in the East End and sent more than a hundred miles away, seven-year-old Pearl Posner must adapt to a new life away from everything familiar. Vivienne didn’t ask for an evacuee child. In fact, she’s not sure her heart can take it. So many years, so many disappointments… Vivi’s ability to feel love left her the day she learned the truth about her husband Edmund, and when she made the worst decision of her life and left her cherished sister to her fate. But like it or not, Pearl is here to stay, and what with the rumours about what’s happening to children in mainland Europe, it might be the last safe place for her.
As Pearl and Vivi learn how to live together, they discover that they have a connection that runs more deeply than they could ever have guessed – from before Pearl was born, and deep into Vivienne’s past. And will it be Pearl – the little girl who says so little and sees so much – who forces Vivi to finally confront what happened in her marriage… and to the long-lost sister she loved so dearly and let fall so far, just when she needed Vivi most?

Mary B. Moore: Until Fools Find Gold,
Contemporary Romance
Boom Factory Publishing
Paperback and ebook
16 April 2019.

Providence Gold Series Book1
Luna
Two years ago, my dad had packed us up in the middle of the night and we’d left town. We weren’t allowed to contact anyone or look back – until now. I’d run away, going back to the only security I’d ever known with my best friend Levi and his family. Coming home was hard. Although I got to see my best friend again, it also meant seeing the man I’d been in love with since I was six years old – Noah Townsend. Working for him brings us into close contact and makes my no fraternization with the family members of my friends rule difficult. One trip to Vegas to visit his friend Sven and a lot of alcohol later, I woke up Mrs Townsend. The problem was, I didn’t wake up in our hotel room or with him beside me.
Noah “Don’t touch my best friend” my brother told me. It’s like being told not to push the button – you bide your time until no one’s around and then pounce. Now that Luna was back, I was pushing the damn button, and I didn’t care what he had to say about it. She’s mine to protect, mine to love, just plain mine. My trip to Vegas wasn’t for the reasons that I told her it was, and there was little room for things to go wrong. But I woke up the morning after our wedding and she was gone. Luna is my wife, my world, my boom, and I will find her.

Jan Jones: A Scholarly Application
Regency Romance
Independent
Epub
18th April 2019

Society bluestocking Lilith Fitzgilbert is the last person anyone would expect to create a scandal.
Maverick antiquarian Edward Makepeace is the last person anyone would expect to take on a female scholar. And when Lilith joins Edward’s excavation of the Devil’s Ditch near Newmarket, neither of them expect to find a dead butler. Nor, on top of everything else, do they expect to fall in love.
‘A Scholarly Application’ is the seventh Newmarket Regency by Jan Jones and the third in the Furze House Irregulars series featuring women of spirit, women of courage, women who don’t see why, in this male-dominated Regency era, they should not also play their part in bringing wrong-doers to justice.

Mollie Walton: The Daughters of Ironbridge
Saga
Bonnier Zaffre
paperback, e-book, audio
18th April

The first book in The Ironbridge Saga series.
Anny Woodvine’s family has worked at the ironworks for as long as she can remember. The brightest child in her road and the first in her family to learn to read, Anny has big dreams. So, when she is asked to run messages for the King family, she grabs the opportunity with both hands. Margaret King is surrounded by privilege and wealth. But behind closed doors, nothing is what it seems. When Anny arrives, Margaret finds her first ally and friend. Together they plan to change their lives. But as disaster looms over the ironworks, Margaret and Anny find themselves surrounded by secrets and betrayal. Can they hold true to each other and overcome their fate? Or are they destined to repeat the mistakes of the past?

Catherine Curzon and Eleanor Harkstead: The Ghost Garden
Historical Paranormal
Totally Bound
ebook, paperback
23rd April

Within the tangled vines of a forgotten garden, can a blossoming new love overcome an ancient evil that threatens both the living and the dead? Whitmore Hall is a respected but remote boys’ school where a brute reigns as headmaster. With its forsaken walled garden, a tragic past, and midnight footsteps heard from an empty clocktower, it’s a place where the dead are rumoured to walk.
Cecily, the headmaster’s wife, finds an unlikely ally when the unorthodox Raf de Chastelaine arrives as a new teacher. When they team up to untangle the mystery of a ghost garden which emerges from the sunbleached soil, Cecily’s chance of happiness is threatened by her tyrannical husband. But is the controlling headmaster acting of his own free will, or is he the puppet of a malevolent power from beyond the grave?

Lesley Field: Saunders-Endings and Beginnings.

Contemporary/sagaMuseItUp
e-book
23rd April April 2019

Book 2 in the Saunders series
Corey Saunders had grown up with everything he wanted, except one thing, his mom.
The revelation of the lies and deception which had destroyed his family had turned his world upside down. But they were now in the past, an unpleasant, but not forgotten memory. His mom was back in his life and she and his dad were happy, and they were all learning to adjust to their new family.
His own life was good. He was married to Laura and they now had their own family. Everything was perfect. Too perfect. When life kicks you, it kicks you hard as he found out. Nothing he could do, no amount of money could change things. All he could do was face up to life, and move on. But when moving on annoyed the hell out of him, drove him to distraction, what could he do? And what would he do when he discovered things were not as he thought? Lies and deception had torn his family apart once, was he prepared to take a chance. Was he able to forgive and see beyond it?
Could he forget the past and risk everything for happiness?

Zara Stoneley: Bridesmaids
romcom
Harper Collins, HarperImulse
ebook, audiobook, paperback
26th April 2019

From the USA Today bestselling author of The Wedding Date!
Meet Rachel, the beautiful bride with BIG plans for the perfect day!
The venue is a castle and the dress is designer. It’s just a shame her husband is a rat. Maddie and Sally have only one thing in common – they both love the same man! Beth is a newly single mum with a mystery baby daddy. Surely the father isn’t someone the girls all know? And then there’s Jane, the glue holding them all together, but being dumped doesn’t make her the happiest bridesmaid… especially with gorgeous flatmate Freddie complicating things. Will the bride say, ‘I Do!’? Or will her bridesmaids save the day…and find love along the way?
The most hilarious, feel-good rom-com of the year!

PAULA WILLIAMS: ROUGH AND DEADLY.
Romantic Suspense/ Cosy Crime
Crooked Cat Books
Print and ebook
30th April 2019

Much Winchmoor Murder Mysteries, #2
Everyone knows Abe Compton’s Headbender cider is as rough as a cider can get. But is it deadly?
When self-styled ‘lady of the manor’, Margot Duckett-Trimble, announces she wouldn’t be seen dead drinking the stuff, who could have foreseen that, only a few days later, she’d be found, face down, in a vat of it? Kat Latcham’s no stranger to murder. Indeed, the once ‘sleepy’ Somerset village of Much Winchmoor is fast gaining a reputation as the murder capital of the West Country and is ‘as sleepy as a kid on Christmas Eve’ when it’s discovered there’s a murderer running loose in the community again. Kat has known Abe all her life, and she is sure that, although he had the motive, he didn’t kill Margot. But as she investigates, the murderer strikes again. And the closer Kat gets to finding out who the real killer is, the closer to danger she becomes. This second Much Winchmoor mystery is once again spiked with humour and sprinkled with romance – plus a cast of colourful characters, including a manic little dog called Prescott whose bite is definitely worse than his bark.

New Publications are brought to you each month by Sheila Riley.

A member of the RNA since 2004, Sheila writes gritty community-based
sagas set in and around the Mersey Docklands. She is represented by Felicity Trew of the Caroline Sheldon Literary Agency.