Sarah Govier has brought shame upon her family when she had succumbed to Philip Ansell’s seduction and had ended up pregnant with his illegitimate baby. Sarah had been naïve enough to think that Philip loved her and would one day make her his wife, but when he scorns her and chooses to wed Margaret Tregnanza, the daughter of one of the richest man in the district, Sarah vows that she will not let another man take advantage of her, so much to her father’s wrath, she decides to keep her baby and to bring him up on her own.

Although Sarah loves her beloved son, Jory, people whom she used to call friends turn her back on her and accuse her of being a loose woman with no morals out to seduce their men. Their words cut deep and their gossip and scurrilous whispers behind her back make life difficult for her, but Sarah will not let their petty, narrow-minded and ignorant indictments deter her from her path and from giving her son the best childhood she possibly can.

Working as hard as any man and making plenty of sacrifices, Sarah does her best to ensure that Jory never goes without. Now in control of her father’s quarry, Sarah is dismayed when she realizes that the once lucrative business is struggling to make a profit. But with enemies on every corner ready to pounce and to destroy her life, Sarah cannot help but wonder whether she will ever manage to achieve her objective of making her late father’s business the success that it once was.

When she goes through the books, Sarah realizes that in order to make her dream come true, she needs money. However, nobody in Cornwall would countenance giving a woman with such a blemished reputation the capital she so desperately needs – until she musters up the courage to ask newcomer James Crago, who owns lands adjoining to hers, to help her in her venture.

A former soldier who had been scarred in India, James has experienced his fair share of dirty looks since he moved to Cornwall. The town folks hostile welcome and their lack of understanding has made him reclusive and withdrawn and unwilling to let anyone get close to him. But James cannot help but be intrigued by Sarah’s courage, fortitude and determination and when he accedes to her request, little does he realize that his life is about to change forever…

James soon finds himself falling in love with Sarah. But Sarah has been hurt before and she refuses to allow anyone to breach the defences round her heart. Will James be able to change her mind and prove to her that he will not break her heart? Or will Sarah continue to live in the past and thus risk losing the one man who truly cares for her?

Heart of Stone is the latest in a long line of captivating Cornish historical romances from the superb pen of talented storyteller Jane Jackson! Rich in period detail and atmosphere and full of drama, action and romance, this evocative historical romance is so well-written and so densely-plotted that I devoured the book in a single sitting!

Jane Jackson’s ability to bring to life eighteenth-century Cornwall is simply stunning and readers will be enthralled from the very first page as they are swept away by her mesmerizing narrative, her resourceful heroine, her flawed hero and the nail-biting pathos and poignant tenderness which pervade throughout the story. Fast-paced, wonderfully romantic and riveting from start to finish, Heart of Stone is another triumph from the outstanding pen of Jane Jackson.

The Maitland family had gone to Australia to seek their fortune. However, the barren and desolate land had destroyed their dreams and left them almost destitute. Young Sarette Maitland has already buried her beloved mother and when a vicious snake poisons her much-loved father, she soon realizes that not only is she poor, but she is also all alone in the world. With nobody to care for her or love her, Sarette decides that the best thing to do would be to wait for the angel of death. However, just when she had given up all hope of ever knowing happiness ever again, English adventurer John Kern comes to her rescue.

After the death of his adored wife and beautiful child, John Kern had realized that he just could not live surrounded by memories of the past, so he had decided to leave England behind and to travel the world in search of adventure. When he had decided to set sail for Australia, he had never envisaged that he would take a young child under his wing. But when he claps eyes on poor, sallow and desperate Sarette – the spitting image of his beloved dead child – John realizes that he cannot possibly leave her to die, so he adopts her and becomes a surrogate father to the lonely child.

John soon begins to grow fond of Sarette, but he knows that the harshness of the Australian landscape is no place to bring up a child, so he decides to send her back to England and become a lady. By launching her into society, John hopes that Sarette will make an advantageous match and live the life which she deserves.

Sarette is thrilled to be returning back to England. Although she’s disappointed that John shan’t be accompanying her, she cannot wait to leave the painful memories of her past behind and to begin afresh and make a better life for herself. However, her new guardian, John’s nephew, Magnus Kern, is not exactly thrilled to be sharing his life with one of his uncle’s waifs and strays. Yet, when he meets Sarette for the very first time, he is drawn to her and finds himself unable to stop thinking about her…

Sarette is no longer a wild child, but a refined, genteel and beautiful young lady who turns heads wherever she goes. Although, rumours about the nature of her relationship with the Kern family refuse to be quelled, Sarette soon begins to blossom in polite society and many men soon begin to set their cap at her. But Sarette has only got eyes for Magnus….

But does Magnus feel the same way about her? Or does his responsibility towards her prevent him from admitting his true feelings to her?

Fast-paced, suspenseful, intriguing and wonderfully romantic, in Hearts of Gold Janet Woods has once again written a captivating tale imbued with plenty of drama and emotion which will keep readers enthralled from start to finish! Set in Victorian Australia and England, Hearts of Gold is another winner from this most talented of storytellers!

In the late 1930s, Iris Black is feeling restless. She wants more out of life than to be a wife and mother, pandering to the whims and desires of an undeserving husband. Iris wants to experience life, excitement and unbridled passion. She yearns to break out of the constraints society imposes on her gender and on her social class and be her own woman. But Iris’s plans for self-discovery take an unexpected turn when she encounters Johnny Fenwick.

Johnny is one of Durham’s most eligible bachelors. Every girl in the district wants to get her hands on him – and his veritable fortune. But Johnny does not want to be seen as a cash prize for some social-climbing matchmaking mama and her guileless debutante daugher. He wants to share his life with a woman who is his equal in every way and when he meets Iris at a boring party, it finally looks like he’s finally found the woman he’s been searching for.

Iris and Johnny soon embark on a relationship which sees Iris breaking yet another taboo of the time and sleeping with Johnny. Although she is head over heels in love with him, Iris knows that she cannot marry him; not before she gets this feeling of her restlessness out of her system. When Johnny proposes to her and asks her to be his wife, Iris finds herself forced to break his heart and refuse his proposal.

Shocked, furious and devastated, Johnny, not prepared to wait for Iris forever, proposes to Nan Fielding, a shy and impoverished middle class girl who had fallen on hard times after her father’s death. Although Iris understands Johnny’s decision to marry someone else, she realizes that she cannot hang around Durham and watch Johnny build a life for himself with another woman. With the war looming, Iris decides to leave Durham behind and train as a nurse.

On the front line, Iris sees things she never thought she’d see and the headstrong young girl matures into an intelligent young woman who has never forgotten her first love. But on her return to Durham, Iris gets some shocking news. News that will change her life…forever!

Silver Street is an absolutely superb saga I just couldn’t put down! Wonderfully absorbing, immensely poignant and sublimely written, in Silver Street talented storyteller Elizabeth Gill deftly blends the subtle characterization of Joanna Trollope, the quiet passion of Audrey Howard and the skillful plotting of a true master as she takes her readers on an emotional journey of love and loss that will make them laugh and cry! Entrancing, enchanting and engrossing from start to finish, Silver Street is a heart wrenching and enthralling saga that is in a class of its own!

Victoria Pringle still misses her twin, Mark, who had died during the War. Victoria had always wished that she had been closer to Mark’s fiancée, Catriona, but after Mark’s death, Catriona had opted to sever all ties with Victoria and the Pringle family, choosing instead to marry a doctor and turn her back upon her past. Victoria hasn’t heard from Catriona for years, so she is stunned when she gets a letter from her, begging her to come and visit her at a hospital.

Victoria is shocked when she finds out that Catriona is dying – but she is even more shocked when she finds out that Catriona had been pregnant with Mark’s son when her brother had died. A son who has grown into a teenager called Peter, who looks exactly like his father. Victoria is determined to get to know her nephew and she invites him over to the family farm, Langmune, in rural Scotland in order to get to know the rest of the Pringle clan.

Peter is delighted to hear that he’s got a whole set of relatives whom he’s never met. Although he loves his mother, Peter has always felt detached from the man whom he had called father, who had always treated him like a second-class citizen. Although his step-father had forced him to become a doctor and go to Medical school, once he visits Langmune, Peter becomes determined to become a farmer. But how will his step-father react when he finds out?

Victoria cannot help but be worried about her nephew, but she’s got her own problems to worry about. Victoria finds out that she is having a baby. With money being tight, Victoria isn’t sure that the Pringle family can afford to have another mouth to feed. And how will husband Andrew react to her unexpected news?

Meanwhile, Peter soon begins to settle into farm life at Langmune and he soon befriends Mimi. Mimi is strong, feisty and intelligent – but illness has left her with a limp and an overprotective father! Although Mimi dreams of one day becoming Peter’s wife, she knows that somebody as attractive as Peter could not find someone like her desirable…could he?

An engrossing family saga set in post-war Scotland, When the Heather Blooms is a wonderfully gripping and evocative tale set in the 1960s. Ms. Kirkwood expertly brings the period to life and engages her readers from the very first page with this poignant and enjoyable tale of unexpected romance, family intrigue and emotional drama. New readers will be instantly hooked by the trials and tribulations of the Pringle family, whilst existing fans will be clamouring for more wonderful stories from the pen of talented storyteller Gwen Kirkwood!

In nineteenth century Cornwall, Roz Trevaskis has had to leave the comfortable life she led, as the granddaughter of a clergyman, to take care of her destitute mother, the woman who had abandoned her at birth and who now spends her time drowning her sorrows in brandy and throwing herself at every man who covers her palm with silver. Roz’s genteel life is now a mere recollection of the past for she has now been reduced to working as a tavern wench at the Three Mackerel Inn, whilst scrimping and saving to keep them fed, clothed and able to live in a dirty hovel she and her mother call home.

Life is anything but easy for poor Roz. Not only have circumstances compelled her to take up smuggling, but she also keeps on having to rescue her own mother from prison, whilst facing the disapproval of local Justice Branoc Casvellan. Although, Roz is attracted to Branoc, she knows that a future for the two of them is out of the question. In another time and in another world, they would have been a perfect match. But Roz isn’t the respectable clergyman’s granddaughter anymore. Her genteel life is a thing of the past. She is now a barmaid at a local tavern – and as far removed for Branoc’s ideal wife as it is possible to get! Roz’s head may be telling her not to be so stupid and to stop indulging in daydreams, but her heart is telling her otherwise…

As the local Justice, Branoc Casvellan knows that the time has come for him to choose a suitable wife. But none of the society ladies which his mother constantly introduces him to have affected him in the same way which Roz Trevaskis has. Branoc cannot help but be intrigued by Roz. She might work in a tavern, wear rags and have work worn hands, but her appearance is at odds with her refined vowels and her ladylike manners. Branoc is determined to find out the truth about Roz, and when his brother catches smallpox, he comes up with the perfect solution to keep her close by, by offering her a job as a nursemaid. Roz accepts the position of nursing Branoc’s brother through the horrible disease, despite her feelings telling her that she should give Branoc and men of his class as wide a berth as possible!

Thrown together by fate, Branoc and Roz soon realize that they’ve got plenty of things in common and a friendship soon develops. However, when friendship gives way to a passionate attraction which neither can deny, they both find themselves succumbing to temptation. But how they can ever be together when the wrenching chasm of class stretches before them?

When an old enemy returns to stake his claim on Roz, Branoc realizes that he must do everything in his power to keep her safe, for he cannot risk losing the woman he has grown to love…

Bonded Heart left me breathless! Jane Jackson’s prose is beautiful, her descriptions vivid, her story engaging and her evocation of nineteenth century Cornwall second to none. Bonded Heart is a beautiful story of class division, forbidden passion, intrigue and heart wrenching emotion from this wonderful storyteller whose historical romances never disappoint.

Jane Jackson has penned a superb tale of love, sacrifice, tragedy and redemption that will bring a tear to your eye and leave you eagerly awaiting the next novel by this worthy successor to Winston Graham!