Anna Jacobs

Romance can be found in every corner of the world and has changed the lives of people in every period of history. In this collection of sixteen stand-alone short stories including a brand new tale, Anna Jacobs encapsulates the spark of first love and the glow of second chances in her inimitable style which fans new and old will take to their hearts.

In the aftermath of a heart-breaking accident, Kirsty is shocked to discover that she has inherited a vineyard in Western Australia from Ed James, a lonely old man she befriended at the library. But there is a condition to his legacy: Kirsty must give up her quiet life in England and live at the vineyard for a least one year.

How will a shy librarian cope on her own in a strange country? As she is forced to take her life off hold, one thing is certain, Kirsty’s life is about to change for ever.

When novelist Sophie Carr’s path crosses that of ageing pop star Jez Winter, she’s aware that he’s had a tough time with accident and injury. Life has not been easy for Sophie either, losing her husband just as she was taking off as a novelist and having difficulties with her son William and her daughter Andi, who has lost her way in life since her father's death. And Sophie also has a secret to hide. One that makes her very wary of getting involved with Jez.

When a new feature on Pete Newbury s popular TV programme shows his adult image digitally transformed to that of a young child, Beth is shocked to realise that he s her baby brother, who disappeared without a trace thirty-eight years ago. He vanished at the age of three and her family has grieved for him ever since, believing him to be dead. But the path to reunion and happiness is fraught with complications, not least Beth s feelings towards a close friend of her long-lost brother and then the reappearance of her runaway daughter, complete with child. Bridges take time to build, but after so many years of heartache, can Beth manage to keep hold of everything she holds dear?

Molly Peel feels trapped by her family: her ex-husband Craig cannot seem to abandon his controlling ways despite abandoning her for a younger woman, her lazy son Brian has long been taking advantage of her generosity, and her selfish daughter Rachel is embarrassed by her. When she is blamed for ruining Rachel's wedding in circumstances beyond her control, Molly decides enough is enough and makes a clean break to Wiltshire to begin a new life. However, the persistent interference of her ex presents difficulties. Can Molly find the courage to stand up for herself and finally move on?

Lancashire, 1936. With her son Gabriel finally married, and her youngest following his dreams of becoming a doctor, Gwynneth Harte finds herself with an empty nest - until a fire forces her to move in with Gabriel and his wife Maisie at their home on Daisy Street.

Arthur Chapman has been at a low ebb ever since the death of his wife. Turning to drink in his grief, he lost both his job and contact with his grandchild, Beatie - but now the inheritance of a house from a distant relative is the fresh start he needs.

When Beatie runs away from her cruel grandmother and takes refuge with Gwynneth, she and Arthur are thrown together - and find themselves growing closer. But trouble is brewing in the valley, from the ambitions of the bullying local landlord to rumours of a Fascist spy. Can the residents of Backshaw Moss band together to keep each other safe, and will there be wedding bells on Daisy Street?

Book 3 in the Backshaw Moss series.

Jo Melling has arrived in Birch End from Australia, still grieving her father's recent death. She's not intending to stay long, but after tracking down her distant family, Jo becomes more involved in village life than she could ever have imagined.

Jo also finds herself drawn to Nick, a handsome newcomer to the village. Nick had planned to settle in Birch End and start a business, but as he grows closer to Jo, he realises he may have to choose between his dreams and a chance at love.

Meanwhile, the new local council are faced with some tough decisions of their own. It's time to take a stand against the poor conditions in Backshaw Moss, the nearby slum, but some councillors want things to stay as they are - and will go to any lengths to make sure they get their way…

Lancashire 1934. Three years after her husband's sudden death, Stella comes into some money unexpectedly and decides to make a new start in Elin Valley.

Life has changed drastically for local handyman Wilf Pollard as well. When tragedy strikes, Wilf is left as the only support of his two young children. But his friends rally round to help so that he can pull his life together and take up an exciting new job with a well-respected builder.

Some of the local council are eager to deal with the squalid conditions of the Backshaw Moss slum, but others will stop at nothing to keep their profitable rents. And Stella's dream cottage is threatened by their plans to build yet more cheap housing. Can Stella, Wilf and the residents of Birch End pull together to make sure good triumphs over evil?

Book 2 in the Birch End series.

As the only female cabinet maker in the valley in 1935, Frankie Redfern is unusual. She faces prejudice even from her own mother. But she's content working for her father, and is unwilling to give up her independence or the work she loves for marriage.

When her husband falls gravely ill, Frankie's mother takes over, causing serious trouble for her daughter. And her cousin, an unscrupulous local builder, starts to help her for his own reasons.

Jericho Harte has never met a woman he wanted to marry until he bumps into Frankie on the moors. When she comes to him the next day with an extraordinary suggestion, it seems a marriage of convenience might suit them both. Or could their relationship become more than that?

But Frankie's problems worsen as her father goes missing from hospital. Is there more to his illness than met the eye?

Book 3 in the Birch End series.

Cassandra Blake and her sisters are the pride of their father, Zachariah. When the American Civil War cuts off supplies of cotton to Lancashire, the mills fall silent, and an old feud tears the family apart. Cassandra is kidnapped and her sisters are forced to sail with a group of desperate cotton lasses to the Swan River Colony in Fremantle. Penniless and alone, Cassandra is determined to find them again - but when she is offered a way, will she be able to pay the painful price?  Book 1 of series.

In Western Australia, the Blake sisters are together again. For Cassandra, the Swan River Colony is a refuge after her ordeals, and two of her sisters have fallen in love with their new way of life. But the fourth sister, Pandora, decides to make her way back to the Lancashire moors that she misses so badly. The way home, though, will be even harder than the voyage to Australia. And when she reaches Outham, a devious enemy will do anything to prevent her from taking charge of her family's inheritance...  Book 2 of series.

Three Blake sisters remain in the Swan River Colony and two are quite happy to forge new lives for themselves there. The third, Xanthe, yearns to see the world. But even if she could afford to travel, could she persuade her beloved twin to let her go? Maia has fallen in love with their employer, and would surely be happiest staying behind. Xanthe's opportunity comes in the form of a handsome Irishman bringing some of the sisters' inheritance from England. But for Maia, the same man brings trouble in his wake - and has the power to make her life a misery. Both sisters' reserves of courage and endurance will be tested before they can finally find a home to call their own.  Book 3 of series.

When Rachel hears about an opportunity to train as a district nurse in a village near Rochdale, she seizes the opportunity, even though it will take her closer to the trouble she left behind. She knows nothing about Eastby End and she is shocked to find it a little more than a slum.

When Joss Townley’s father dies, he sells his factory to begin travelling but is called home by his mother in an emergency - in order to save the family's fortune he must take on a house in a place called Eastby End. He has no idea what he has bought, and is appalled to see his new neighbours' misery and anger.

But a meeting with the mayor gives him direction and focus for the first time in his life, and brings him into contact with Rachel…  Book 1 of series.

Livia Blake has lost her husband far too soon and faces a crossroads. It's her friend Pearl Grayson, head of Bristol's nursing school, who suggests she would make an excellent district nurse. With training completed and no ties left, a job offer to join the team in rural Eastby End feels just like the fresh start she needs.

Ellis Quinn has buried his beloved wife and mother to his son, Gil, and doesn't know how to carry on in London. A chance meeting with carpenter Logan brings a glimpse of life in the Ollindale countryside.

Councillor Walter Crossley is on a mission to end the poverty and danger that blights too many lives, and bring better healthcare and opportunities to as many residents as he can. But there are some in the town who will fight for things to remain exactly as they are...

Book 2 in the Eastby End series.

Lancashire, 1930: After the death of their mother and father, it falls to Leah Turner to become sole provider for her little sister. But women's wages are half those of men, and pawning the few belongings she has left will keep their vicious rent collector at bay for only a few weeks.

Out of the blue, Charlie Willcox, the local pawnbroker, offers her a deal. His brother Jonah, an invalid since being gassed in the Great War, needs a wife.

The idea of a marriage of convenience doesn't please Leah, but she finds Jonah agreeable enough, and moving with him to the pretty hamlet of Ellindale may be the only chance of a better life for her sister. But other people have plans for the remote Pennine valley, and the two sisters find themselves facing danger in their new life with Jonah.

Book 1 in the Ellindale series.

Lancashire, 1932. Widower Harry Makepeace lives in Manchester with his sickly daughter, Cathie. But after she suffers a violent asthma attack, the doctors say she must move to the clean, fresh air of the countryside to have any hope of survival. When Harry chances upon a patch of land for sale in Ellindale and an advert for a disused railway carriage that can be made into a home, he snaps both up quickly.

Harry swiftly becomes part of the community in Ellindale, making friends with the locals, and soon finds himself attracted to Nina, another newcomer to the village.

But times are hard in Ellindale - Harry is not the only one struggling to find work. Then there's his old boss, who will stop at nothing to punish him for daring to leave. And Harry's already made an enemy in Ellindale…

Book 3 in the Ellindale series.

Lancashire, 1934. When Tam Crawford is unexpectedly bequeathed some money, he can finally realise his dream of settling down in the beautiful village of Ellindale.

Tam knows he can be impulsive but this time he is determined not to be ruled by his big heart and hot head. Yet somehow, within just one day, he has taken on a fiancée and two children to keep them out of the poorhouse - or worse.

Tam and his makeshift family are not the only ones facing difficulties. Local benefactor Finn Carlisle's attempts to help the unemployed are being sabotaged by an unscrupulous local councillor, and Tam's cousin-by-marriage Hilda Kerkham has been widowed and is struggling even to feed her son. Will the people of Ellindale be able to help one another in these hard times?

Book 4 in the Ellindale series.

Lancashire, 1931. When Finn Carlisle loses his wife and unborn child, he spends a few years travelling to keep the sad memories at bay. Just as he's ready to settle down again, his great-uncle dies and leaves everything to him. This includes Heythorpe House in Ellindale.

Finn finds a village of people in dire need of jobs, a house that hasn't been cleaned or lived in for thirty years and Reggie, an eleven-year-old who's run away from the nearby orphanage and its brutal Director Buddle. When Finn sees the marks left by regular beatings, he decides Reggie will never go back there.

But Buddle has other plans for the child, and will stop at nothing to get Reggie back in his cruel grasp. Finn's new neighbours help him save Reggie but other surprises throw his new plans into turmoil.

Book 2 in the Ellindale series.

Lancashire, 1895. When her controlling stepfather suddenly dies, it seems that Elinor Pendleton finally has a chance of freedom. But her hopes are soon dashed when she learns that the thuggish Jason Stafford has inherited every penny, and is determined to have Elinor too.

Forced to flee with her beloved maid, Maude, Elinor finds shelter with Maude's distant cousin in the remote village of Ollerthwaite, on the shore of Jubilee Lake.

But Walter Crossley has troubles of his own. Having lost his closest family in a tragic accident, he needs one of his grandsons to return from America to inherit his farm - and when practical, kindhearted Cameron arrives, he appears to be the perfect heir.

But is this young man everything he seems? And will Elinor's secret wish to have a family of her own ever come true...?

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 to 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?

Lancashire, 1895. Abigail Dawson has lived in fear of her father for thirty years. But when, after uprooting them to a grand new home in Ollerthwaite, he's found murdered in the street, her life is turned upside down.

Alone and caught in a web of her father's secrets, Abigail needs someone to rely on - so when hardworking handyman Rufus promises her a new life, she's thrilled at the chance to have a family of her own. But as they grow closer, could it be more than a marriage of convenience?

Meanwhile, the rebuilding of the Ollerton estate is bringing new life to the valley - but old grudges, and new threats, are disturbing the peace. With plans for the Diamond Jubilee approaching, can the whole village band together to protect their home?

Little Billy, Polly's son, is the light of her life. But when Billy is knocked down by a car, his father is killed attempting to save his life, and Polly, cast off by her husband's family, is left with a child who may never walk or talk again. Forced to flee to the coast, Polly and Billy find that their future may lie with another damaged family - but danger threatens their fragile happiness . .Book 2 of series.

Carrie Preston - the oldest of ten, with incompetent parents, struggles to find food for the younger children. But then Eli Beckett offers her a job at the Dragon pub, and Eli's uncle gives his nephew some land to build a music room. Soon the locals of Hedderby are looking forward to their own place of merriment. But not everyone in the town shares this excitement, and some will stop at nothing in the pursuit of selfish gain... Book 1 of Series.

Marjorie Preston thinks her dreams are going to come true when she is asked to go to London as assistant to the singer Denby Sinclair. But in London disaster strikes, and she is left alone, so will she ever become a successful star of the stage? Book 2 of  series.  X rated, contains offensive language and graphic violence.

Gwynna has already fallen from grace once, bearing a stillborn child out of wedlock. Determined to have a respectable future, she finds a position for herself as a nursemaid at Hungerton House. But just as she begins to find her feet, the devastating secrets of her past are revealed. Book 3 of series.

Dora Preston is desperate to break free from the drudgery of Hedderby and make a life for herself on the stage. Then she meets Gideon - and pursuing her ambitions becomes even harder. Gideon has returned from the fighting in India only to discover that an impostor has stolen his inheritance. But the forces of goodness are rallying and they are determined to prevail, whatever it takes. Book 4 of series.

A devastating accident is only the start of Emily Mattison's troubles...When Emily Mattison falls victim to a near-fatal accident shortly after receiving an unexpected inheritance from a distant cousin, her ruthless nephew George seizes the opportunity to take control of his aunt's assets. It's only when Emily reaches The Drover's Hope, the former pub on the edge of the Lancashire moors bequeathed to her by her late cousin Penelope that she begins to feel safe. She also discovers that love can be found in the most unexpected places. But it's not so easy to escape the clutches of someone as determined as George...

Book 1 in the Hope series.

An unexpected inheritance from her grandmother offers Libby Pulford the opportunity to escape her abusive marriage and return to her Lancashire roots with her young son Ned. But her domineering husband Steven won't let her go so easily. She turns to her new neighbour for help, former police detective Joss Atherton, to whom Libby feels a growing attraction. But Joss has troubles of his own. Emily Mattison is trying to make contact with the daughter she was forced to give up for adoption so many years before. People's lives are destined to intertwine in ways they could never have imagined.

Book 2 in the Hope series.

When Gabrielle Newman throws her cheating husband out, Stu cares more about the money than the break-up, getting more than his fair share from their house sale. An unexpected bequest offers Gabrielle a new start and she tries to leave the past behind, heading north with Des Monahan, the private investigator sent to find her.

Meanwhile, Stu has got entangled with organized crime in Eastern Europe and is desperate to pay his gambling debts. Gabrielle needs Des's help to protect herself and her inheritance. She's very attracted to Des - but dare she trust any man again? Then Stu tracks down his ex-wife and Gabrielle discovers just what the man she once loved is capable of, as her life is threatened. Can she and Des find a way to stop Stu and his ruthless new friends?

Book 3 in the Hope series.

In 1863 the authorities send Irish orphans Ismay and Mara to Australia against their will. Just when they thought it couldn't get any worse, on arrival they're separated from one another. While Ismay is forced to take a job as a maid miles away in the country, Mara must stay in the care of the catholic mission. Desperate to be reunited, they both run away but Ismay soon runs into danger out in the bush. She is saved by Malachi Firth, but although he's attracted to her, he doesn't want to be encumbered with a wife.

Meanwhile, their elder sister Keara has not forgotten them. But she has had her own struggles to face and by the time she reaches Melbourne in search of her sisters, she finds that the trail is cold. Danger continues to threaten all three girls and they start to wonder: will they ever see one another again?

Book 2 in the Irish Sisters series.

Recently widowed, Hannah Firth is still young - young enough to dream of a new life. When her spiteful daughter-in-law uses her as an unpaid servant, Hannah tries to leave, but she is unaware of the depths that Patty's spite will lead her to.

Nathaniel King's life is ruined when his landlord's son lays waste to his market garden for a prank - and the resulting feud puts Nathaniel's livelihood at stake.

Hannah has only a few coins and dreams of a happier future to sustain her as she tramps the roads and evades pursuit. When she meets Nathaniel, the attraction between them cannot be denied and they join forces. But their enemies have money and powerful allies on their side and will stop at nothing to get rid of them...

Book 3 in the Irish Sisters series.

Eva Kershaw thought she would never marry and is happy living a quiet life with her dear friend Alice. But Alice is ill, and her nephew, Gus, has thrust himself into their household. Alice's dearest wish is that Eva should not make the same mistakes she did, and she alters her will so that Eva and Gus are strongly compelled to marry. Eva obliges to fulfil her dead friend's wishes.

But Gus is not all he seems to be: he is not Alice's kind nephew but a robber, a confidence trickster, and not even Gus Blake. And Eva is in terrible danger...

Book 3 in the Kershaw Sisters series.

Life is tough in Lancashire in 1905 - and especially so for 15-year-old Mary Ann, who was born out of wedlock. When her new stepfather begins to abuse her, Mary Ann doesn't know how much more she can take - until the worst happens and she is sent away to bear his child. After the birth, she manages to escape to Blackpool with the help of her new friend Gabriel.

Years later, the Great War brings Mary Ann many new opportunities, and brings Gabriel back into her life - but circumstances mean they can never be together. When her mother dies, Mary Ann decides it's finally time to return to Lancashire and uncover the secrets of her past. But an unknown danger threatens both her and the child she thought she'd lost forever...

Book 4 in the Kershaw Sisters series.

Wiltshire, 1910. With her stepfather threatening her with a forced marriage, Mattie Willitt flees home. But at the mercy of the elements, her life is saved by Jacob, a widower who takes her in and nurses her back to health. The pair soon grow close, but when pressure is put upon them to marry, they must face their fears and stand up to those who threaten their future happiness. Book 1 of series.

After being driven from home by their brutal father, the Willett sisters find themselves facing greater heartache in the wider world. Nell, the middle daughter, has left home to be with her lover, Cliff. When tragedy strikes, Nell must build a new life for herself. Will she find happiness, or is she too damaged by her past to let herself love again? Book 2 of series.

Sisters Mattie, Nell and Renie have all managed to escape their oppressive and bullying father, but now separated, the girls must draw upon their strength and courage to build new lives for themselves. Book 3 of series.