Isabel Adomakoh Young

Dottie Badoura Fatma Balfour finds solace amidst the squalor of her childhood by spinning warm tales of affection about her beautiful names. But she knows nothing of their origins, and little of her family history - or the abuse her ancestors suffered as they made their home in Britain.

At seventeen, she takes on the burden of responsibility for her brother and sister and is obsessed with keeping the family together. However, as Sophie, lumpen yet voluptuous, drifts away, and the confused Hudson is absorbed into the world of crime, Dottie is forced to consider her own needs.

Building on her fragmented, tantalising memories, she begins to clear a path through life, gradually gathering the confidence to take risks, to forge friendships and to challenge the labels that have been forced upon her.

Taylor is in love with Ryan. She has been since the moment they met. But Ryan is with Marcy - her best friend.

When everything fell apart around Taylor years before, Marcy was there for her. No matter how much Taylor wants Ryan, she refuses to lose Marcy's friendship. A master of burying her feelings, Taylor is determined to resist.

But the unspoken bond she and Ryan share isn't going away. And when Marcy leaves for a few weeks, just as Ryan moves into their shared flat, the tension grows to unbearable proportions.

As the line between right and wrong becomes blurred, Taylor will have to decide whether she can - or should - turn away from what might be the love of her life.