When her future is cruelly snatched away, can she ever hope for happiness again? Josephine Cox writes a heart-stopping saga in Born to Serve, a tale of courage, fortitude and devastating jealousy. Perfect for fans of Rosie Goodwin and Kitty Neale. 'I can take him away from you any time I want.' Her mistress's cruel taunt is deeply disturbing to Jenny. But why should Claudia be interested in a servant's sweetheart? Jenny reckons without Claudia's vicious nature; using a wily trick she seduces Frank, who, overcome with shame, departs for a new life in Blackburn. Losing her sweetheart is just the first of many disasters that leave Jenny struggling to cope alone. When Claudia gives birth to Frank's baby girl, she cruelly disowns the helpless infant and relies on Jenny to care for little Katie and love her as her own. Always afraid for the beloved child who has come to depend on her, Jenny is constantly called upon to show courage and fortitude to fight for all she holds dear. In her heart she yearns for Frank, believing that one day they must be reunited. When Fate takes a hand, it seems as though Jenny may see her dreams come true... What Amazon readers are saying about Born to Serve: 'It is a heartrending story and is so well written that you feel so much for Jenny, Katie and Frank. It has many interesting twists and turns but remains a brilliant story throughout. A definite good read for a long afternoon!' 'I loved this book and it's definitely one of my favourites, I did not want it to end. The story grips you as soon as you start reading and I did not want to put it down to do anything else' 'Another spell-binding, unputdownable story from Josephine Cox
In this historical saga from a “born storyteller,” a woman hoping to escape poverty focuses on her career, but yearns for love (The Times & Citizen). Lizzie Miller worries about her beautiful eldest daughter. A mother shouldn’t have favorites, but Ruby wins a special place in Lizzie’s heart. Money is short in their little house in Blackburn, and Ruby yearns to give her beloved family a better life. Determined to enjoy the security only wealth can bring, she stifles her feelings for handsome Johnny Ackroyd. Ruby knows he cannot offer her the life she craves. Ruby works as a maid for Mr. Banks and his daughter, Cicely, a shy, gentle creature with few friends. The two girls hatch a mischievous plan to introduce Ruby to society at a party for the ‘gentry’ of Blackburn, where Ruby meets Luke Arnold, the dissolute heir to his father’s fortunes. Seeing Ruby's dark beauty, he determines to despoil her innocence. When Luke slyly turns his charm on Cicely, Ruby feels compelled to warn her friend of his evil nature. Ruby quickly finds employment in a milliner’s shop, and eventually takes over the business. But her worldly success still leaves an emptiness that riches cannot fill, and Ruby learns at last that the love of family and friends is beyond price . . . Praise for the writing of Josephine Cox: “Hailed quite rightly as a gifted writer in the tradition of Catherine Cookson” —Manchester Evening News “Cox’s talent as a storyteller never lets you escape.” —Daily Mail “Driven and passionate.” —The Sunday Times
“Set in England’s North Country, Josephine Cox’s smoothly written Looking Back provides a sentimental journey through mid-20th-century England.” —Publishers Weekly When Molly Tattersall’s mother disappears a short time after a stranger’s visit, Molly is filled with fear and questions. Finding a letter her mother left behind in which she asks Molly to take care of her five siblings, Molly realizes her life will never be the same again. When her wayward father rejects his responsibilities, she’s left to make a choice between the young man she has given her heart to and the family she adores, who now desperately depend on her. Just eighteen, Molly knows that, however hard it may be, she must put the children’s happiness before her own. It is a decision that will have repercussions that echo throughout the rest of her life . . . A compelling saga of love, loss and family life, perfect for fans of Katie Flynn, Rosie Goodwin, and Cathy Sharp. “Josephine Cox is now the must-read of the countless Catherine Cookson fans . . . A saga of tragedy, passion and excitement.” —The Yorkshire Post “Another masterpiece.” —Best “A classic tale of love against the odds.” —Nottinghamshire Now
A very special collector’s edition of two of Josephine Cox’s most well-loved books to mark the tenth anniversary of The Journey and Journey’s End, a heartbreaking tale of family drama.
From “a born storyteller,” a nineteenth-century British family saga about a woman reunited with her husband, who goes in search of her estranged daughter (Times & Citizen). 1885. Ex-convict Emma Grady has returned to her hometown of Blackburn and been reunited with her lover, Marlow. Now married, with a beautiful home, loving husband and wonderful son, she is still haunted by the past, unable to forget the cruelty of her uncle Caleb Crowther, who ignored her desperate pleas to save her and her tragic first-born. A feared local justice, Crowther curses his niece’s return and sets out to destroy her anew, whilst also hounding Molly, her lost daughter. Born to a life of crime and poverty and deserted by her husband, Molly tries desperately to keep her three children fed and clothed. When Emma starts looking for her, Molly wrongly fears that it is Crowther searching her out, and she and her children run away to become vagabonds. Contending with hunger, exhaustion and the unwelcome attentions of the men who are drawn to Molly’s dark beauty, her life is at times almost unbearable. But Molly has inherited Emma’s indomitable spirit . . .
From “a born storyteller” a nineteenth–century British family saga a woman who finds love after the death of her parents (Times & Citizen). When Emma Grady finds herself orphaned one fateful night in 1860, she is left at the mercy of her devious aunt and cruel uncle Caleb Crowther. A feared Lancashire Justice, Caleb Crowther is a womanizer and a gambler, and now the inheritance due Emma is as much in his hands as is the beautiful girl herself. But Caleb lives in fear of the past, for how did Emma’s mother mysteriously die? And what is the reason behind the family’s hatred for the river people? History seems likely to repeat itself when Emma falls desperately in love with Marlow Tanner, a young barge captain. For Marlow and Emma, it is an impossible love—a love made in Heaven but one which could carry them both to Hell. The first heart-wrenching book in the Emma Grady Sagas, perfect for fans of Lisa Wingate and Fiona Davis. “Cox’s talent as a storyteller never lets you escape.” —Daily Mail
Will its words uncover a dark family secret? Readers love Josephine Cox! ’Loved the story and the characters’ ’Family secrets hidden away for years. I really loved this story’ ’I was hooked from start to finish’ ’This one goes to the top of my list ... a five star read’
From a “born storyteller,” a historical saga of a wrongly imprisoned woman’s reunion with her child and the man she loves (Times & Citizen). It is 1870 and Emma Grady has spent seven years of servitude as a convict in Australia. Now, having earned her ticket-of-leave, she is held by chains of honor and friendship. Emma’s loyalty to her kind and gentle employer Roland Thomas, and her unwillingness to desert fellow convict and beloved friend Nelly, prevent her from leaving. Yet Emma lives for the days when she will return to England, to face those who cheated and betrayed her. And to Marlow Tanner, the man she loves, and whose tragic child she lost. As Emma battles against adversity, she is unaware that in England the child she has given up for dead is being lovingly raised by Marlow’s sister Old Sal. Will Emma ever be reunited with Marlow? And even if she finds him, will he still love her? Despite seemingly insurmountable obstacles, her love can never be denied, or forgotten. The breathtaking second novel of The Emma Grady Sagas Praise for the writing of Josephine Cox: “Hailed quite rightly as a gifted writer in the tradition of Catherine Cookson” —Manchester Evening News “Cox’s talent as a storyteller never lets you escape.” —Daily Mail “Driven and passionate.” —The Sunday Times
Two bestselling novels in one edition THE WOMAN WHO LEFT Louise and Ben Hunter have a happy, loving marriage, marred only by their longing for a child. Living and working with Ben's father, Ronnie, they quietly upset their uneventful but contented lives.But when Ronnie dies their whole world changes. Hearing of his father's death, Ben's lazy brother, Jacob, reappears on the scene in the hope he will inherit Ronnie's fortune. And he also means to have his brother's wife - even though she rejects him. When he realises Ben will inherit everything, Jacob, besides himself with rage, commits a terrible deed, one which is to threaten all that his brother and Louise hold dear - their home, their family, their friends, their marriage and even - their very lives... JINNIE Jinnie is the child from a on-night liaison between Louise Hunter's husband, Ben, and Louise's sister, Susan. When Ben takes his own life and Susan deserts her new-born child, Louise puts aside her heartache and adopts the child. But what will happen when Jinnie learns the truth? And, one day, a letter arrives from Susan, saying she intends to get Jinnie back. And there are others whose lives are badly affected by the tragic events of the past: Adam, who witnessed his mother's murder, and his sister, Hannah, also traumatised by what she saw that night. And their beloved grandmother, who longs to keep them safe, but knows in her heart that the day will soon come when she must take them back to the place where it all happened. It seems Fate is already taking a hand.
A gripping saga of one woman’s ill-fated romance, resiliency, and redemption from the Sunday Times–bestselling author of The Letter. When a train accident leaves Rosie’s mother dead and her father left crippled and unable to earn a living, it is up to Rosie to keep the wolf from the door. With her mother gone and her sweetheart Adam away in the army, Rosie eagerly awaits his letters, but they never come. As she grows more disillusioned, Adam’s best friend, Doug, goes out of his way to be charming and attentive. Alone and confused, Rosie blossoms under his evil influence and soon finds herself carrying Doug’s baby and thrown out of her family home. Realizing she has no choice, she agrees to marry Doug. But then a warm and wonderful letter arrives from Adam . . . telling her he’s on his way home. More Than Riches is a heartbreaking, yet uplifting, saga of a young woman and her second chance at happiness. Perfect for fans of Nadine Dorries and Cathy Sharp.
After growing up in bitterness, can she overcome past events to find the happiness she deserves? Take This Woman is a powerful saga about learning to put your past behind you in the pursuit of happiness, from bestselling author Josephine Cox. Perfect for fans of Rosie Goodwin and Kitty Neale. Blackburn, 1947. In the tiny front parlour fourteen-year-old Laura Blake watches her beloved father die. But not before he tells her she will make something of her life. Laura never forgets his words. Yet her path to success proves to be a rocky one. Forced to trundle a cart around the back streets, selling other folk's cast-offs to support her family, Laura learns enough to start work in her uncle's furniture shop. But then fate deals another cruel blow when Laura is brutally raped. Bearing the child of her attacker in secret, she vows to make the world pay for its injustice towards her. As she grows older her protective shell hardens even as her beauty blossoms, and her new toughness helps her forge a successful career in the antiques business. But it is in affairs of the heart that Laura stumbles, and before she can find fulfilment, she must learn to put the past behind her, and give as well as take. What readers are saying about Take This Woman: 'Has you gripped from first page onwards. You get lost in amongst the characters, feeling like you are there with them every inch of the way' 'The story was full of twists and turns. I found it difficult to put down, reading well into the night sometimes! Brilliant' 'Loved it. Fantastic read and very exciting
In this nineteenth-century historical saga from a “born storyteller,” a married woman becomes pregnant during a passionate night with her first love(Times & Citizen). Bridget Mulligan loves her husband. He is caring, loyal and dependable – everything a woman could ask for. But she can’t quite forget Harry—the one who got away – and when a snowstorm drives her into his arms, she cannot deny her feelings. Overcome with remorse, Bridget is determined that her husband should know the truth, but her confession leads to inevitable heartbreak. Although he allows his wife and her child to continue living in his home, Tom Mulligan makes it clear their marriage is over. Lonely and afraid, Bridget finds comfort in the friendship of Fanny, a feisty young mother who knows what it is to be alone. But Bridget’s life can never be complete until she has the love of the only man she ever really wanted . . . A compelling family saga of love, betrayal and second chance romance, perfect for fans of Katie Flynn, Rosie Goodwin and Cathy Sharp.
In this nineteenth-century historical saga from a “born storyteller,” a woman from a prominent family becomes pregnant by her father’s hired hand(Bedfordshire Times). Beth Ward and Tyler Blacklock share a love they know will last forever. But Beth is daughter to prosperous land developer Richard Ward and Tyler a mere employee. Vowing to stand by each other while Tyler makes his fortune, the couple share one unforgettable night that changes everything . . . Their secret betrayed, Beth is banished in disgrace from the family home. She takes the northbound train and alights at Blackburn, friendless, alone and carrying Tyler’s unborn child. Taken in by warm-hearted Maisie Armstrong, a widow with two children of her own, fortune seems to be finally smiling on Beth. Money is scarce, but love abounds in the cozy house on Larkhill, and she is content there to await the birth of her child. But Beth cannot forget Tyler, and as her due date approaches her desperate search for the truth drives her towards an uncertain future.
The gravestone's inscription reads, "A man of courage. He made the greatest sacrifice of all." At the final resting place of Barney Davidson, in the hills of Bedfordshire, Ben Morgan first encounters Lucy and her grown daughter, Mary, on a snowswept afternoon in 1952. It is a meeting that will profoundly change all three -- a mother bowed but unbroken by stark tragedy, a young woman strangely untouched by the harshness of the world, and a loner seeking sanctuary in a simpler existence. But it is a shocking mystery from decades earlier that will truly bind them, heart and soul, as a long-hidden truth about the life and death of one extraordinary man slowly comes to light -- revealing the steps of a remarkable journey of strength, commitment . . . and undying love.
As a woman lies at death's door in hospital, her touching story, encapsulated in her diaries, springs back to life. In Miss You Forever, Josephine Cox writes a spell-binding saga of hidden lives and lost loves. Perfect for fans of Rosie Goodwin and Dilly Court. One winter's night, in the coal-hole in her yard, Rosie finds that a woman sheltering there has been severely beaten by thugs. At a glance, Kathleen looks like an unkempt, aged vagabond who tramps the roads carrying all her worldly possessions in a grubby tapestry bag. Her only friend is the mangy old dog who accompanies her; the sum of her life is in the diaries she so zealously guards. Yet close up, Rosie can see that Kathleen has a gracious beauty - the 'look' of a respectable lady of means. In hospital, fighting for her life, yet moved by Rosie's care and compassion, Kathleen entrusts the diaries to her, urging her to look at them. There, in the soft glow of the lamp, Rosie reads a heartrending tale of stolen dreams, true love, heartache and loss. A tale that, somehow, must have a happy ending... What readers are saying about Miss You Forever: 'Loved this book. The characters are really likeable and a connection is made with them... It's really well written with lots of twists and turns. Well worth reading' 'It's one of these books which, once you start, you can't put down. Great story. Was in tears at the end, but it was tears of joy. I haven't enjoyed a book so much in years. I can highly recommend it' 'Quite easily one of the best books I have ever read
Lucy Nolan has everything she could wish for - until tragedy intervenes. Josephine Cox's A Time For Us is a heartrending saga of love, tragedy and undying hope. Perfect for fans of Cathy Sharp and Dilly Court. Lucy Nolan is the golden girl. The only daughter of local grocers, Sally and Mike Nolan, she's grown up in a home of total love and security. The one thing her heart desires is that Jack Hanson might ask her to marry him, and when he does eventually propose, Lucy is prepared to give up everything to be with him - even though it means leaving her beloved parents to live abroad where Jack has been offered an exciting business opportunity. But then, almost on the eve of the marriage itself, tragedy strikes. And for the first time in her life, Lucy is forced to realise that Fate, which has been so kind to her, can also be just as cruel. What readers are saying about A Time For Us: 'One of the best Josephine Cox books around!...The characters really struck a chord with me and I felt very sad when the book had finished' 'Josephine Cox excels at providing entertaining and authentic characters... It is a brilliant read for those who want a light book with sparkling characters and a plot in a realistic setting' 'I just couldn't put this book down, a real page turner... I love all Josephine Cox books, but this one was exceptional
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