Romance Anna Jacobs Collection

Heir to Greyladies

1900. The death of her father forces Harriet out of her home to escape the advances of her stepbrother, the rule of her stepmother and into service at Dalton House. Over time Harriet develops a friendship with the Dalton's crippled son Joseph but her life is changed completely when she inherits Greyladies, an old and possibly haunted house.

 

Mistress of Greyladies

During World War I, the ancient manor house of Greyladies in rural Wiltshire is requisitioned for a hospital. Its mistress, Harriet Latimer, her husband Joseph and their two sons are allowed to stay in part of the house, but when tragedy strikes Joseph’s brothers, his future at Greyladies is at risk. Latimer family legend says a new mistress will be found to look after the house, yet how does this happen?

In Swindon, Phoebe Sinclair is unaware of her connection to Greyladies and the Latimers. When her German employers are interned because of the war, she loses her job. Worse still, her brutish step-cousin Frank tries to force her to marry him and Phoebe has no choice but to flee to London.

 

Legacy of Greyladies

Wiltshire, December 1915. Widow Olivia Harbury has been persuaded by her cousin Donald to live with him and his wife, but tensions soon rise between the pair. Then, much to Donald’s disapproval, Olivia becomes involved in starting a new Women’s Institute.

A chance meeting brings Olivia to Greyladies, an ancient manor house run by Phoebe Latimer, and she feels as though she’s finally come home. But someone is attempting to rid Greyladies of the German internees based there. Their cruel tricks put Phoebe’s life and that of her unborn child at risk. Can these two help one another through these troubled times? Or will violent men destroy Greyladies and all it stands for?

 

Tomorrow's Path

As a longstanding fan of bestselling author Jivan Childering, aspiring young novelist Jessica Lord is dismayed on encountering the man himself to find him aloof, arrogant and stand-offish. But, some months later, many thousands of miles away in Western Australia, Jessica’s path is destined to cross with Jivan’s once more – and she begins to see a different side to this talented yet reserved and private man.

For his part, Jivan finds himself increasingly drawn to the unpretentious Jessica, and impressed by her single-minded determination to follow her dreams of becoming a successful writer. But following a bitter divorce, Jivan has vowed never to get romantically involved with a woman again. Can Jessica break down his emotional barriers?

 

Persons of Rank

"Persons of Rank do not fall in love!" declares the Dowager as she sends her niece Beatrice to London in search of a suitable husband for her granddaughter Eleanor. Shy Beatrice soon crosses every eligible man off her list, except handsome Justin Serle. Despite her own feelings for Justin, Beatrice is determined to save him for her cousin.

 

Seasons of Love

What will it take to find real happiness?
Despite being the daughter of a clergyman with a strict and joyless attitude to life, Helen Merling has a loving heart and a happy nature. However, when she is seduced by a travelling actor, a handsome rogue she meets at the market, they are forced to marry, and Helen’s family disowns her.

After several unhappy years, Helen and her husband escape to Europe, but their fortunes take a turn for the worse, and soon Helen is alone and responsible for both herself and their son.

Two years later, in the picturesque Italian town of Serugia, Helen meets Charles Carnforth. An older man, he falls deeply in love with her… but he’s not the only one trying to win Helen’s heart. Can a new romance find its way into her life, with all the complications and turmoil that brings?

 

Change of Season

Rosalind’s husband forces her to move from Australia to England because of his job with a multi-national company. But he’s called away to deal with a crisis in Hong Kong and she’s left to settle into a new country on her own. One by one, her three grown-up children need help with major life problems and there’s only her to help them, because as usual, Paul puts his job first. Then she finds out that her husband's been unfaithful for years, and it’s the final blow to their marriage, especially as she’s met another man she finds attractive and kind. Her confidence grows as she wins acclaim as an embroidery artist and then she comes into an inheritance. Will her loyalty keep her with her husband, as it has before, or will Paul get more than he’d bargained for with the new, independent Rosalind?

 

Changing Lara

Lara Perryman has spent her life carefully planning and saving for her future. She is looking forward to the prospect of spending the rest of her days in comfort in a leisure village in Wiltshire and the adventure that her new life will bring.

But when long-standing arrangements crumble, her situation quickly becomes worrying. With her dreams in disarray, Lara makes friends with the other residents and finds herself entangled in the ups and downs, triumphs and tragedies of her new community, hoping against hope that her independence will one day be restored.

 

Finding Cassie (sách mới, up bản cut)

When the teenage girl who's been hanging around near the house knocks on the door and tells her she's her granddaughter, Cassie is shocked rigid. There's only one way this can be true: if Evie is the daughter of the baby Cassie gave away for adoption when she was herself a troubled teenager. Is this a trick? Or is Evie's tale true? When she finds out why the girl has come to find her, it brings a tangle of other problems that she can't ignore. This was the last thing she expected to be dealing with as she moves into her new home in a leisure village in Wiltshire.

 

Marrying Simone (sách mới, up bản cut)

In Australia Simone has been widowed for 4 years and is ready to make a more interesting life. Her friends are driving her mad introducing her to eligible men; her busy daughters are just the opposite, wanting her available for baby-sitting. When she is offered a house swap with a couple in the UK she takes it, not without some trepidation.

In the UK, Russ has just taken possession of his new house and wants only peace and quiet after a few months of rehab following a serious injury. Can these two help one another avoid meddling friends and relatives, and build new lives?

 

Replenish the Earth

Can a marriage of convenience lead to true love?
It is 1735. When her mother dies penniless, Sarah Mortonby is shocked to discover she has inherited a wealthy estate. Advised to sell the crumbling manor house to her neighbour, Matthew Sewell, she visits and decides to keep it instead. Sewell is furious – and he is a man known for getting his own way, no matter the cost.

Unable to manage the land alone, and desperately needing help, Sarah proposes to her bailiff, Will Pursley – himself recently thrown off his farm by Sewell’s thugs. Can they save the estate together? Will the oppressed villagers help them, or be cowed by Sewell’s threats? And will the fondness growing between Will and Sarah turn into love?

 

Licence to Dream

Meriel grows up in England a tomboy, helping her beloved grandfather with DIY projects. At school she discovers a talent and love for art, but her mother forces her to become an accountant. She’s good at that too, but her heart just isn’t in it. When she wins some money, her lifelong dream suddenly becomes possible, and she quits her job to buy a house in Australia where she can combine her love of the outdoors with her work as an artist.

In Australia, Ben has dreams, too, but they’ve been on hold in the years since his wife’s death. Very different characters, each with their own goals, circumstances force Meriel and Ben to share a house and the attraction between them becomes impossible to deny.

There are many obstacles to overcome, but if Ben and Meriel work together they might just find a way to save and unite their dreams…

 

Family Connections

Sorting through her father’s papers after his death, Gina Porter discovers evidence of a secret in his past. Though her two daughters make many demands of her, she is determined to leave Australia for England to investigate. After all, it’s time she did something for herself.

At her home near Blackpool, Peggy Wilkes wakes every day to verbal abuse from her bullying husband. Like Gina, Peggy is ready to make a new start.

As Gina and Peggy embark on their personal voyages of self-discovery, they meet new people and forge bonds which will reinforce for both the value of family connections…

 

Saving Willowbrook

When Ella discovers that her husband, Miles, is secretly planning to sell the farm her family has owned for hundreds of years, it’s the final straw. Her already rocky marriage is over.

Determined to save Willowbrook and protect her disabled daughter, Amy, from a father who doesn’t love her, Ella works hard to build the farm into a successful B&B. And when Cameron O’Neal arrives in the Wiltshire village and offers to help Ella, she suddenly finds herself torn between a fear of getting hurt again and a powerful attraction to a man whom both she and Amy are falling for.

With a determined and vindictive Miles plaguing her efforts, Ella must find the courage to trust Cameron if she hopes to save her home.

 

Mistress of Marymoor

Will new love conquer old grudges?
Since her father died, Deborah Jannvier has been living under the provision of her callous uncle. So when a handsome stranger named Matthew Pascoe appears bearing a summons from a long-lost wealthy relative, Deborah agrees to return to Marymoor House with Matthew. On arrival, Deborah is told she shall inherit the estate on one condition: that she immediately marry Matthew. With no hope of a future otherwise, Deborah consents and soon after becomes owner of the estate when her benefactor dies.

Despite the unconventional circumstances of their marriage, Deborah and Matthew are surprised at the degree of affection that develops between them. But trouble soon befalls the couple in the form of Anthony Elkin, who claims that the Marymoor estate rightly belongs to him. The marriage of Deborah and Matthew secures their ownership, but they don't anticipate just how far Elkin will go to see the pair parted.

Can Deborah and Matthew outwit Elkin and find happiness against all odds?

 

A Daughter's Journey

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 - and suddenly in danger too.

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 . . .

Will the decent people of the valley win a brighter future for themselves? And can Jo find a way to stay with Nick in a place she's grown to love?

 

A Woman's Promise (sách mới, up bản cut)

 

In Focus (2009)

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 realize that he’s her ‘baby’ brother, who vanished without trace thirty-eight years ago. But bringing their family back together after so much heartache isn’t going to be easy, and she may lose the man she loves in the process . . . .

 

Short and Sweet

Short and Sweet contains fifteen short stories by Anna Jacobs, each with an introduction by the author. From the gentle romance of ‘Kissing Emily Baker’, to the trials and tribulations of a young family setting out for a new life in 1920s Australia in ‘Group Settlers Wife’, this collection will enthral both Anna Jacobs’ many fans and new readers alike.

 

Salem Street

In 1820 Salem Street is sparkling and new: eight small terraced houses built by a Lancashire mill owner for his best workers. Annie Gibson's family is one of the first to move in - a step up in the world for them. But when her mother dies, Annie's happy childhood ends and she is left to bring up her brother and sister.

Red-haired, intelligent and startlingly pretty, Annie soon finds herself banished from home by a jealous stepmother. She finds work in the local doctor's household where she learns about the fascinating world outside Salem Street. And when her adored childhood friend Matt asks her to marry him, Annie thikns her dreams are coming true.

But suddenly everything turns upside-down. Abandoned and pregant, Annie returns to Salem Street, where an unexpected offer gives her independence. One day, she vows, she will move into the wider world again. One day...