Life could not be busier for Ginny and the team at Wagging Tails. The annual dog show is looming, a crucial event when it comes to fundraising and ensuring the volunteers can continue the brilliant work they do. But their trusted newspaper reporter, who always includes them in his weekly column, is retiring, only to be replaced with a city-slicker named Darryl. And Darryl, as Ginny soon learns, has no interest in articles he deems 'below him'. Not one to take no as an answer, Ginny becomes determined to get him to meet the dogs themselves. One look at their cute faces and they'll worm their way into his heart. But what Ginny doesn't anticipate is that Darryl might be more open-hearted than he seems. And inviting him to the dogs' home might be the best decision she ever made - even if she doesn't realise it at first!

A jar of festival mud, a photo album of family memories, a child's teddy bear, a book of bell ringing methods, an old cassette tape, a pair of slippers . . . These are the items that fill the exhibit shelves in Vanessa Jones' museum. At first glance, they appear to have nothing in common, but that's before you find out the stories behind them . . . Because Vanessa's Little Museum of Hope is no ordinary museum - its aim is to help people heal by donating items associated with shattered lives and failed relationships, and in doing so, find a way to move on, perhaps even start again. The museum soon becomes a sanctuary for the broken hearts in Vanessa's city, and she's always on hand to offer a cup of tea, a slice of cake and a listening ear. But could the bringer of Hope need a little help moving on herself?

Clover Harrington might be sixty-one, but she's still bossing it in the corporate world and can still run rings around her younger colleagues. And then she is made redundant... Devastated and now suddenly the wrong side of sixty Clover doesn't know what to do with her life or her corporate wardrobe! What does she wear if not red lippy and a power suit?! Rather than offer her any support, her partner, Jack announces he's off on a golfing weekend, leaving Clover completely adrift. Desperate to get away from it all, Clover decides to visit her cousin Zoe at her small taverna in the gorgeous Italian Lakes. There she can rest and recuperate and plan the next stage of her life. Until Clover's eighty-year-old mother, Eleanor decides to turn up for the holiday too! Instead of gentle ambles around the lake, Eleanor seems more interested in late night poker and swigging Prosecco and Clover can't quite believe her mum is having more fun than she is. But as the saying goes - if you can't beat em, join em! But is Clover brave enough to live La Dolce Vita?

How do you know if you've married the wrong person? It was a whirlwind romance and we had the perfect relationship. He was my dream partner, loving, caring, attentive...until the day I married him and things became toxic. I spent my wedding night in A&E with an 'unexplained' broken wrist - but I knew what happened... My romantic illusions shattered. My fear of the future heightened. The man I had fallen in love with wasn't the man I married. And that was just the start of things to come. Quickly things escalated. He isolated me from family and friends, and with no one to turn to, he began to control every part of my life. I tried to escape, but he watched my every move. Until one day he went too far, and I found my strength to fight back. I no longer wanted to be a victim. I wanted to live. I wanted my life back. But at what cost? In sickness and in health and till death us do part...

He's a detective, a dancer, he has no respect for authority - and he's the best hope Blackpool has for keeping criminals off the streets. Meet Detective Declan Miller. A double murder in a seaside hotel sees a grieving Miller return to work to solve what appears to be a case of mistaken identity. Just why were two completely unconnected men taken out? Despite a somewhat dubious relationship with both reality and his new partner, can the eccentric, offbeat Miller find answers where his colleagues have found only an impossible puzzle?

Blotto and Twinks are once again launched into another death-defying adventure, this time in the civil war-torn republic of Jalapeno, in Mexico. Desperate to escape her mother's match-making attempts Twinks sets out to visit her old friend, Begonia Guiteras, who lives close to an Aztec dig she wants to work on. Unfortunately, her visit coincides with the War for Jalapeno Independence, headed by Begonia's father. Twinks's excavation of the Aztec site is revealing the exciting prospect of a hoard of Conquistadors' gold - but will taking it away from the burial ground unleash the dreaded Curse of Attatotalloss? Into this confusion stumbles Blotto. On being reunited with Twinks they then discover Begonia has been kidnapped by Mexican government forces and both set out to rescue her. Will trusty chauffeur Corky Froggett, as so very often in past adventures, be able to save the day?

VIENNA, 1946. A brilliant German scientist snatched from the ruins of Nazi Europe. MOSCOW, 1964. A US diplomat caught in a clandestine love affair as the Cold War rages. RIGA, 1992. A Russian archivist selling secrets that will change the twentieth century forever. LONDON, THE PRESENT DAY. A British academic on the run with the chance to solve one of history's greatest mysteries. Their stories, their lives, and the fate of the world are bound by a single manuscript. A document feared and whispered about in capitals across the globe. In its pages, history will be rewritten. It is only ever known as...

Pericles returns home more than a hero: he's the leader of Athens, the empire's beacon of light in the dark. But even during times of peace, the threat of Sparta - Athens's legendary rival - looms large on the horizon. When a sudden catastrophe brings Sparta to its knees, Pericles sees a golden opportunity to forever shift the balance of power in his city's favour. For sometimes, the only way to win lasting peace is to wage war. Sparta may be weak, but their power is far from extinguished. Soon a ruthless young boy steps forward to lead the Spartans back to greatness. As the drums of battle draw closer, can Pericles rise once more or will the world's greatest empire fall under his watch?

Summer, 1943. Daniel Berkåk works as a courier for the Press and Military Office in Stockholm. On his last cross-border mission to Norway, he carries a rucksack full of coded documents and newspapers, but before he has a chance to deliver anything he is shot and killed and the contents of his rucksack are missing. The Norwegian government, currently exiled in London, wants to know what happened, and the job goes to writer Jomar Kraby, whose first suspect is a Norwegian refugee living in Sweden, with a past that is as horrifying as the events still to come...

1812. On the eve of the invasion of Russia, half-French, half-English Matthieu Carrey finds himself in the ranks of Napoleon's 500,000 strong army. With Tsar Alexander seemingly ill-prepared, a French victory seems certain. The Grande Armée will obliterate everything in its path. Carrey's purpose is less clear. Blackmailed into becoming a spy in the emperor's army, he hopes to follow his lover, a French actress who has gone to work in the Moscow theatre. As supplies grow scarce and temperatures plummet, the Grande Armée begins to crumble. Caught up in the maelstrom of war, Carrey embarks on an epic journey, while the Russians circle him like hungry wolves. Hundreds of miles lie between Carrey and safety. To reach it seems utterly impossible.

In the face of changing fortunes, the Strong family must unite to keep their wealth and status...or risk losing it all. As Cholera sweeps through the streets of Bristol, no one is immune. Blanche and her husband Conrad Heinkel, sugar merchant and master sugar baker, are devastated when their seven-year-old daughter Anne, is taken by the deadly disease. Lost in her own immense grief, her childhood sweetheart Tom Strong, is the only man who can heal Blanche's terrible hurt and reignite the passion for life and love that has died within her. But Horatia Strong, daughter of the eldest Strong son, has her sights on grabbing power of the Strong family dynasty. Ambitious and more ruthless than most women, she is still desperately in love with her adoptive cousin, Tom, despite his humble birth. As her brother Nelson succumbs to his opium habit, Horatia, believes that only Tom can give her the wealth and strength to take the family businesses to new heights. Will Tom be able to leave his romantic history with Blanche behind for the sake of the Strong family? Or will Blanche and Tom get their happy ending they deserve?

The Strong family has survived against all odds, but their greatest test is still to come. After a seemingly endless labour, Horatia Strong is delighted to announce that she's given her husband, Tom, a much-needed son and heir to the entire Strong fortune. But the birth of the child is soon shrouded in secrets and Horatia will do anything to keep the truth from her husband - it could destroy the Strong family completely. Tom's enduring love for Blanche is still as deep as ever, but his marriage to Horatia is the only thing keeping the Strong family - and his new baby son - from destitution. Can he really risk their safety for passion? But, Horatia's jealousy knows no bounds and she is not prepared to play second fiddle to anyone, especially Blanche and is determined to hold onto Tom. Locked in a powerful emotional love triangle, will Tom stand by his wife as her mistakes of the past come to light or will his anger outweigh anything he ever felt for both her and the Strong family and ruin everything they have?

Barbados 1818. One fateful night, a terrible tragedy occurs at the Strong family sugar plantation on the paradise island of Barbados. The Strong family quickly move to keep the shocking event a secret. But secrets can't stay hidden forever... Twenty-two years later Blanche Strong, the living, breathing proof of that night, is left following her mother's sudden death. Now, alone in the world Blanche is determined to get answers about her past. Otis Strong, the second eldest son of the Strong Sugar dynasty arranges for Blanche to travel to Bristol and be installed in the Strong family home at Marstone House, where they can keep her under their watchful eye. Lulled into a false sense of security and harbouring her own suspicions surrounding her parentage, Blanche dreams that she will be acknowledged as the daughter of one of the three sons. But her hopes are dashed when on arrival she is treated as nothing more than a servant. Only her friend, Captain Tom Strong, adopted son of Jeb Strong, youngest of the three brothers, shows her any kindness. Whoever her father is remains a secret. One of many that the Strong family wish to keep to themselves.

Georgia Williams' murder at the hands of college pal Jamie Reynolds was a crime that shocked the nation: chillingly executed and horrific in its sexual depravity. But when Georgia's devastated mother, Lynnette, and father, Steve, questioned the events leading to their daughter's death, they discovered it was also entirely preventable. At the time of Georgia's disappearance, Steve was - ironically - a highly-commended murder squad detective serving with West Mercia Police. The same force, Steve and Lynnette discovered, had had Reynolds in its sights for years before Georgia's murder, but let him slip their net. Drawing on Steve's inside police knowledge, the couple exposed the litany of failures that let Reynolds infiltrate their daughter's life, and allowed him to kill. Now, in her powerful and moving memoir, Lynnette tries to get beyond the platitudes of 'mistakes made and lessons learned' to effect real change, and also details the heartbreaking aftermath of a crime that should never have happened.

Damage will be done... After the brutal gangland murder of her husband Terry, Tracey Tempest just wants to move on. She'll never get over Terry's betrayal, but she's determined his shady past won't spoil life for her and her beloved boys Ricky and Jamie. Max Hardcastle just wants a quiet life and to maybe see how things go between him and Tracey. He knows she's been hurt in the past, but he's nothing like Terry and he'll do anything to keep Tracey happy and safe. But some people have other ideas. When Max's car garage is torched, he's certain someone still has a grudge to settle. And when the Tempest boys discover one last secret Terry's been keeping, the fallout could tear their family apart.

What's not to love about Bea's Garden? Its higgledy-piggledy layout, fascinating plants and occasional resident black cat makes it the most charming place to visit on a sunny afternoon. Plus Bea has bees - and her Honey Festival is sure to create a buzz. But not everyone thinks Bea's Garden is the bee's knees. The Man at the Big House next door has been a thorn in Bea's side for the longest time, with his unnecessarily snippy letters about her beautiful climbing plants ruining his 'clean lines'. Could he and his poisonous project manager Carla pose problems for her Festival? Or can Bea rely on the Man's cousin - and her newest annual pass holder - Marcus Rainton to fight her corner? With bee best friends, big black cats, a secret garden gate and a surprising identity reveal, Bea's Garden is surely in line for its most magical summer yet!

As Liverpool and its residents begin to heal from the wounds and memories of World War I, life on Weaver Street in 1924 is blessedly peaceful. At number eleven, widow Kitty Conlon is dreaming about her upcoming wedding to John, while at number nine her best friend Maggie is cursing her bad luck as she juggles the demands of her cantankerous mother, stroppy daughter and fly-by-night beau. At number fifteen, Mavis has a mysterious new lodger, while further along the street the O'Malley family are missing their beloved Ireland. But as the Depression begins to bite, and the arrival of the Muller family on Weaver Street signals the worrying drumbeats of conflict coming from Germany, the fragile happiness and peace Liverpool has been enjoying looks destined to end. And as the neighbours pull together in the toughest of times, the women on Weaver Street face the prospect of waving their menfolk off to war.

'Do you realise, Corinna, just how hard it is for a young woman of irregular birth, without family, fortune or friends in the world? Marriage is the only way to get any chance of a life.' Following the death of her mother, Corinna Ormesby has lived a quiet life in the countryside with her cantankerous Cousin Agnes. Her father's identity has been a tantalising mystery, but now at nineteen Corinna knows that finding him may be her only way to avoid marriage to the odious Mr Beech. Deciding to head to London, Corinna dons a male disguise. Travelling alone as a young woman risks scandal and danger, but when, masquerading as a youth, she is befriended by three dashing blades, handsome and capable Alick Wolfe, dandy Ferdinand Shilton and the incorrigible Lord Purfoy, Corinna now has access to the male-only world of Regency England. And when she meets Alick's turbulent brother Darius, a betrayal of trust leads to deadly combat which only one of the brothers may survive. From gambling in gentleman's clubs to meeting the courtesans of Covent Garden, Corinna's country naivety soon falls away. But when she finds her father at last, learns the truth about her parentage and discovers her fortunes transformed, she must quickly decide how to reveal her true identity, while hoping that one young man in particular can see her for the beauty and Lady she really is.

Zip up your puffer coat, winter has arrived! When Lexi Davies discovers that her father has sold the fishermen's cottages she runs as holiday lets and where she also lives, she is heartbroken. Then Oliver Whimsy arrives at the boardwalk and announces that he is the new owner and Lexi realises that the future she was looking forward to enjoying at her cottages is over. Oliver might be handsome, wealthy and very sexy, but he's new to the island and has already made a terrible impression on the locals. When the Scottish entrepreneur offers Lexi a job, she's unsure whether she should accept. Unfortunately, she has little alternative if she wants to keep a roof over her head for the winter. As Lexi gets to know him better, she discovers there's far more to Oliver Whimsy than she or anyone else had imagined. Just what is the heartache Oliver's trying so desperately to hide? And why was he so determined to buy the cottages? Lexi wants to find out, but in order to do so she's going to have to spend rather a lot of time with him...

Jane, Carly and Rose Savage are savage by name, savage by nature. Having lost their mum too young, and with a bedridden father too ill to work, the sisters learnt early to stand on their own two feet. The family's flat in the rough streets of Glasgow's Haghill is their fortress, but when Carly's ex-boyfriend Cole Alexander is released from prison, trouble soon comes knocking at their door. The Alexanders have beef with the Savages, so the girls call for back up in the shape of their uncle Eddie and his two gorgeous but dangerous sons, Harry and Dean. As a turf war breaks out, the Savage sisters have choices to make. Stick to the straight and narrow or fight for what they deserve? And when the vicious girl gang Jane used to lead, the Unbeatable Bitches, are thrown into the mix, their minds might be made up for them. Because once a Savage always a Savage, and when the chips are down, there's no one more deadly than a Savage sister.

A forbidden romance in occupied Norway... Narvik, 1940. After Laila awakens to the sight of warships in the fjord, it isn't long before she turns resistor to the brutal Nazi regime. She is horrified when local girls begin affairs with enemy soldiers, yet against her own principles, she finds herself falling in love with German soldier, Josef. Josef is not like the others. He becomes involved in helping her and the locals with resistance activities, risking his life on more than one occasion. But then Laila finds out she is pregnant. With Josef sent to the Russian front, and Laila cast out by her family, she turns to a home for women which promises to care for her and her unborn child. But instead, she finds herself caught in a system of evil far beyond what she thought possible...

Alex would like to believe she's a woman who has it all. Or that's what she tells everyone, including herself. But this is far from true. Actually she's on the cusp of losing her home, her dream career as a writer is in tatters, her ex won't speak to her, and her mother's gone forever. But then a chance meeting with a stranger named Hope gives her the opportunity of a lifetime, when Hope jokes that perhaps Alex should take over her job in a café while she goes travelling. Just at that moment, it sounds like the answer to all her problems. So Alex persuades Hope to let her step into her shoes for a month. She brushes away Hope's attempts to explain about the café, instead demanding to know more about the owner Tom. But she should have asked to know more. Because the 'Wrong Order Café' isn't like anywhere she's ever been before. And Alex's life is about to change forever...

Jenn has always prided herself on being a city girl - she insists on easy access to good coffee, great food from around the globe, not to mention an easy commute. So, when her job takes her to one of the most famous Italian wine regions in search of the perfect Prosecco, travelling to meetings on a tractor is a bit of a culture shock. Tiziano hates the city. He was made for the mountains and vineyards of Veneto, and generations of his family have earnt their living from the land. But times are changing even in the Italian countryside, and the arrival of Jenn at his grandmother's B&B opens up a window on a different world. Jenn has two months to persuade the Prosecco producers to trust her with their business, and Tiziano has one summer to persuade Jenn that there's more to life than the rat race. But can a city girl and a country boy ever find enough in common to see a future beyond one long summer of sun...

Lancashire, 1895. Lillian Hesketh has taken a new name, and a brave step towards a happier life. Suddenly widowed after an unhappy marriage, and pursued by her unscrupulous in-laws, Lillian finds a fresh start in the beautiful Ollindale valley. Thanks to the kindness of her new neighbours, Walter Crossley and his family, she finally has a home to call her own - but the threat of discovery by her husband's family still casts a shadow over her new life. Meanwhile, Edward Ollerton has returned to the valley to rebuild his ancestral home. Hoping to one day marry and start a family, Edward finds himself drawn to the shy, attractive widow - but not everyone is happy to see him reclaim his estate...Will their dreams fade to dust, or can a golden future blossom on the shores of Jubilee Lake?