Showing results by publisher "Next Chapter Audio Ltd" in Historical

On her 20th birthday, Mary Hepburn - daughter of the local magistrate - learns that she is to marry John Aitken, a much older man. Unhappy with this, Mary walks to the local moor to clear her mind. Instead, she meets and falls in love with the handsome Captain Ferintosh, when he saves her from whiskey smugglers. The situation gets even more complicated when Mary's father arrests Ferintosh.

When newly widowed Martha Henderson is invited to live with her wealthy confidante, an unanticipated lust is brought to the surface as repeated advances from married Peter target her emotions. With an escaped convict’s murders inching closer and closer to home, and Martha’s longing threatening to unravel her friendships, tangled paths cross with devastating consequences.

Times are changing around Roxie and Mattie. The two are barely surviving the bitter winters in the unforgiving American frontier. With Mattie's help, Roxie is moving forward and putting her life together, piece by piece. But just as Roxie settles back into her life in the Trade, her past returns, opening wounds she doesn’t know how to close. Losing her heart once almost broke her. Will she be strong enough to keep it from happening again?

Scotland, 1811. Thrown out of a fashionable ball for a stolen kiss, Alison flees from a riot in the notorious Old Town and ends up staying the night with Willie Kemp, an eccentric boatbuilder. While she falls deeply in love with Mr. Kemp, her aunt wishes her to marry the obnoxious but rich John Forres. Alison takes drastic measures to solve her dilemma, including a long trip through the snow-covered Pentland Hills.

Three lives come together on the steps of a country church one fateful summer’s morning – two from backgrounds of wealth and privilege, the other an artisan already on his way to genius – each will know love and loss as the next twenty years unfold. Cremona, Italy. 1714. When thirteen-year-old Katarina Rota opens the door to the Guarneri workshop and Giuseppe plays a violin for her, neither can imagine what lies ahead. Though Giuseppe can teach her how to play, nurturing her talent until it surpasses his, he cannot see beyond that child he first knew.

Between creating precious glass parts for one Professore Galileo Galilei’s astonishing invention and attending lavish parties at the Doge’s Palace, Sophia crosses paths with influential people, including one who could change her life forever. But in Venice, every secret has its price. Soon, Sophia must decide how much she is willing to pay for her family, the glass, and love.

When Ingrid flees a violent husband to become a housekeeper in the Scottish Highlands, she discovers the family she works for has a much darker history than her own. Who haunts Strathbairn? Why are the adult McCleod children at each other’s throats? And why does the youngest sneak off at night? As Ingrid searches for answers, she grows ever more fearful that her husband will track her down. Set in late 19th century Scottish Highlands, WHAT HAPPENED AT THE ABBEY is a gothic mystery brimming with intrigue, ghostly drama, and family secrets.

After a three-year absence mired in anxiety and trapped by her lack of speech, portrait miniaturist Susannah Gresham gathers her courage and returns to Whitehall Palace and her godfather, the king. Encountering Florentine jeweler Raphael Rossi, who appears to her just another court libertine, she is surprised when he finds his way unbidden into her thoughts. With help from the Duchess of Richmond, Raphael has set out to win her heart.

When preservation architect Leah Halliday falls asleep in the bed once owned by King Richard III, she has no idea it will change her life. When she wakes up, it's the year 1485. Hugh Radcliffe, trusted knight of King Richard, believes Leah is his arranged bride Matilda, who she's never set eyes on before.

Devious and valiant, Francis de Brangelton has never failed in any of his exploits. When the Duchess de Montmurrant employs him to investigate the embezzlement of her investments and to settle a grudge, he does not hesitate to recruit his friend Henri d’Arringnon. But Francis has no idea of "Henri’s" astonishing secret. Henrietta d’Arringnon has masqueraded as "Henri" for so long that neither a military skirmish at the Savoy border nor guard duty in Versailles has exposed her. When her identity is revealed, Henrietta’s and Francis’ friendship shatters, but duty still calls.

When Sandra Cooper is offered the chance to move away from London with her children, it seems like a good opportunity to escape the 1940 blitz. Her husband Harry is away in the army, and over the next five years she comes to experience the very worst that World War 2 can inflict on the people. As they settle into their new home, she realizes that the Hertfordshire town is not such a safe option after all.

Who is Denys Woodville? England, 1471. Adopted as an infant, Denys lives with her mother, Elizabeth: queen and married to Edward IV. Denys makes numerous attempts to uncover her true lineage, but each effort comes to an abrupt and tragic end. Queen Elizabeth metes out Denys's ultimate degradation, when she marries her off to the ambitious Valentine Starbury.

Raina loved performing on the London stage, but one night found herself dancing for only him. She froze, her cerulean eyes drawn to the balcony, where the warm glow of gaslights flickered upon his shadowy form. If only she had known that this monster - wrapped in beautiful skin - would rip her away from everything in the world she loved, perhaps, she wouldn’t have lingered so long.

A small Western town receives an early Christmas present: a new pastor for the church. He is young, handsome, and single. To church organist Kristina Heitschmidt, Reverend Cody Williams is nothing but trouble, especially as his first move is trying to take control of the music away from her. But Kristina is not about to give up her life’s work. With Christmas fast approaching, it appears the two are at a stalemate - until a sudden blizzard traps them together in the church overnight.

Slashing through French soldiers at Waterloo was easy compared to engaging marriage-hungry debutantes. Finding the perfect bride-to-be isn’t Viscount Linscott’s intention; he only needs a match to satisfy the demands of the man holding his income hostage. Does he choose a wife from his friend’s list or get ensnared by the demure deb? Following the rules has never been more difficult, especially with an aunt determined to parade Annabelle Greene in front of every septuagenarian. She doubts her ability to attract a single suitor, but as the season progresses, she may have to turn away two.

After Helgha meets Erik in the woods surrounding her home near Jorvik—modern-day York—she learns that he is lost, and helps him by taking him into her home for the night. In time, the two grow close, much to the anxiety of her parents as there is no message from his father suggesting a betrothal, but Erik behaves as though they are betrothed. Soon, they learn that there is another reason why Erik has not asked her to marry him. With the honor of their family at stake, Helgha's father takes drastic measures to rectify the situation.

Fighting for success in 17th century Amsterdam, a female artist must risk everything - and make enemies along the way. Defying convention, gifted artist Clara becomes a pupil to the renowned painter Osias Beerts. But when the highly prized patronage won from the powerful Burgomeister Fabritius turns to hostility, Clara has to make sacrifices and risk everything to pursue her craft. Together with her fellow pupil, Nico, she finds herself surrounded by dangerous secrets and powerful enemies. But in the face of so much past pain, can something as fragile as love survive?

Edinburgh, 1804. Dorothea Flockhart is hiding her past. A woman alone, she avoids men. Even the personable Captain Rogers fails to stir her heart despite all his efforts. While Napoleon's armies threaten invasion, Scotland's capital still hosts balls, although the atmosphere is hectic, and men don uniforms to meet the impending turmoil.

Peytra Sike is a gifted, but frustrated, sculptor. After the masked duke, Jors Ameros, is taken with her and her artwork, he commissions Peytra to carve the mantels in his castle. There, Peytra discovers a world of artistry and friendship that cloaks the secrets of the Duke. Despite his unwillingness to be seen, their difference in status, and some castle meddling, their love for each other grows each passing day. But can their love overcome her dangerous curiosity?

When James Bryan Cullen takes on convict transportee Elizabeth Bartlett in 1796 as a housekeeper, his challenge is to convince her that life on Norfolk Island is worth living. But how do you come back from being wrongly accused of a crime, then exiled to the other side of the world? He is 32 years older, transported on the First Fleet, long a free man, a constable, a landowner. She’s pregnant; her life such as it was, in tatters. With nothing to lose, Elizabeth settles into an existence as a convict slave, waiting for her master to expect more than cleaning and cooking.