Showing results by narrator "Jenny Sterlin" in All Categories

When the great Thomas Hardy published this heart-wrenching novel, he had no idea it would be his last. But the book stirred so much controversy and protest, Hardy vowed to never write fiction again. Jude the Obscure tells the story of a stonemason, tricked into a loveless marriage, who craves a formal education and a finer existence. Separated from his wife, Jude begins a new life with his cousin, and the couple defies social convention at every turn.

In 1290, her 14th year, Catherine begins a diary that quickly fills with the irrepressible joys and frustrations of her days. Always looking for ways to avoid drudging hours of embroidery, Birdy fills her time with pranks, celebrations of feast days, and local gossip. Wriggling out of her father's plans to find a prosperous husband for her proves to be Birdy's greatest challenge.

Award-winning author Imogen Robertson continues the acclaimed series she began with Instruments of Darkness. Set in London during the Revolutionary War, Anatomy of Murder follows unlikely forensic investigator Mrs. Harriet Westerman and reclusive anatomist Gabriel Crowther as they try to solve the mysterious death of a man dragged from the murky depths of the Thames River.

In Nothing Like a Dame, theater journalist Eddie Shapiro opens a jewelry box full of glittering surprises, through in-depth conversations with twenty leading women of Broadway. He carefully selected Tony Award-winning stars who have spent the majority of their careers in theater, leaving aside those who have moved on or occasionally drop back in. The women he interviewed spent endless hours with him, discussing their careers, offering insights into the iconic shows, changes on Broadway over the last century, and the art (and thrill) of taking the stage night after night.

Virginia Henley's historical romances have won praise for their ability to "illuminate and entertain" ( Publishers Weekly). It is 1322, and the Marcher lords are rebelling against King Edward II. Lady Brianna de Beauchamp, daughter of a powerful Marcher, knows she should not involve herself in the battle. But when she meets dangerously handsome Wolf Mortimer, who has the gift of second sight, she cannot deny her passions.

Imagine being looked up and down and being valued as less than chair. Less than an ox. Less than a dress. Maybe about the same as a lantern. You, an object. An object to sell. In his gentle yet deeply powerful way, Ashley Bryan goes to the heart of how a slave is given a monetary value by the slave owner, tempering this with the one thing that can't be bought or sold - dreams.

Two women, two generations apart, both on the brink of scandal... Phoebe shared more than her unruly dark curls with the ancestor whose portrait graced the walls of Ham House. Both had retreated from London life to Richmond's leafy beauty. Their retreat posed a challenge to Society's most notorious rakes - Viscount Ransome seemed set on making Phoebe his own. But secrets and passion were part of the fabric of Ham House and Phoebe had learnt from her rebellious ancestor.

Mooning about, Larky Mavis trips on three peanuts. She eats two of them, but when she sees what is in the third peanut, she can only laugh and say, "I won’t eat you!" The villagers can’t agree on exactly what Larky Mavis has found, but they soon have to admit that something strange and wonderful is happening in this delightful, contemporary fairy tale from Brock Cole, the award-winning author of Buttons.

Helene Follet hasn’t had close contact with Lord Burl Winterson since she chose to spend her life caring for his brother. Now she’s forced to live under Burl’s protection, because he has become guardian to her precious young son.Burl has grown hard and cynical over the years, while Helene covers her hurt with an ice-cool front. What she really craves is to finally find a loving home in his safe, strong arms. Neither can admit that they are still tantalised by the memory of one magical, fateful night.

Although Katherine Mansfield was born in New Zealand in 1888, she spent much of her short life in England and on the Continent. As she wrote about the privileged worlds she encountered there, her stories quickly attracted literary attention. Prelude was hand-published by Leonard and Virginia Woolf at their Hogarth Press. Readers today still applaud the grace with which Mansfield fuses image, mood and meaning. Here are ten of Katherine Mansfield’s extraordinary tales.

Strong-willed and free spirited, lady-in-waiting Marjory de Warenne long ago gave her body and soul to the charming and beguiling Earl of Warwick, Guy de Beauchamp. But her family never approved of the pairing. Now, on the eve of war and an arranged marriage to another suitor, Jory yearns for the man who could make all of her dreams come true.

In Unmasked, Henley fashions a tale of desire and intrigue set amid England’s 17th-century royal court. When Velvet Cavendish and Greysteel Montgomery are betrothed by their parents, the union seems doomed from the start. Not only is the impetuous Velvet averse to Montgomery’s swaggering charms, but she favors Charles Stuart, the exiled heir to the throne.

Inspired by Surrey’s historic Ham House estate and its former inhabitants, Juliet Landon takes listeners back to 17th-century England for this delicious tale. The Duchess of Lauderdale dotes on her young neighbor, Phoebe, and would like to see her good and married. But the man the Duchess has in mind—her husband’s secretary—hasn’t been in Phoebe’s favor since he accidentally slighted her years before.

Acclaimed author Sharon Kendrick has penned more than 70 passionate romance tales that have topped best-seller lists on both sides of the Atlantic. In The Prince’s Chambermaid, Prince Xaviero engages in a steamy affair with chambermaid Cathy. And after he’s taught her everything he knows, their romance is to end. But when the King of Zaffirinthos falls ill, Xaviero is forced to step in and assume the role of Prince Regent. Now with thoughts of Cathy’s voluptuous form haunting his dreams, Xaviero makes a fateful decision to make her his princess.

England, 1783: In Island of Bones, Crowther’s haunting past is at last revealed. For years he has pursued his forensic studies - and the occasional murder investigation - far from his family estate. But an ancient tomb there will reveal a wealth of secrets. When laborers discover an extra body inside, the lure of the mystery brings Crowther home at last. Fans of both historical fiction à la Anne Perry and the intricate forensics of Tess Gerritsen will be delighted by Robertson’s latest.

Jane Feather, a New York Times best-selling author, receives many awards and international acclaim for her historical romances. There are now over four million copies of her books in print. The Least Likely Bride, filled with colorful heroes and villains, is set against the tumultuous backdrop of England in 1648.

Independent Margot de Bryun has no intention of giving a man control of her life! Although handsome rake Stephen Standish, Marquess of Fanworth, does pique her interest. Maybe a man can offer other advantages? Stephen sees Margot as perfect marriage material - talented, intelligent, and alluring. But when a stolen family ruby is traced to the jewelry shop Margot owns, Stephen is infuriated and demands she become his mistress.

When William Felkirk opens his eyes, the past six months are blank. What happened? And who is this beautiful woman claiming to be his wife and caring for his broken body? Justine will do anything to protect her sister, even if that means pretending to be a stranger's wife.

Lady Philippa Nielson had no memory of what took place in her bedchamber in the dead of night—nor knowledge of the dangerous plot that put her life in jeopardy. But with a brief touch of his hand and one glance of his knowing gray eyes, Pippa felt a connection to the dark stranger who should have been her greatest enemy. Who was this man who seemed to understand more about her life than she did herself? Why did she respond to his most casual caresses with the most urgent and reckless of desires?

For four years, Cato, the Marquis of Granville, had been just another man—the uninteresting, somewhat intimidating husband of Phoebe's older sister. But then her sister died, and Phoebe seemed a reasonable substitute. Her forced engagement to him should have been quite a cold-blooded arrangement . . . except that one day Phoebe looked at Granville—really looked at him—and saw what she'd never seen before: he was darkly, breathtakingly attractive. Once she'd noticed, she couldn't seem to stop noticing, and suddenly Phoebe was disastrously in love.