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  Christmas at Belhaven Hall

  Karla Kratovil

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  She wants nothing to do with him or the holiday frivolities . . . 
   
   
   
  Lady Olivia Rivenhall has always lived at Belhaven Hall. A year has passed since her husband's unexpected death, and she's been living in limbo wondering when she will have to vacate her home and finally decide what to do with the rest of her life. Just as she is beginning to believe that the new earl will never come to take possession of the manor, Maxwell Drake walks back into her life. 
   
   
   
  After almost dying in a gutter in Venice, Maxwell Drake vows to turn his life around. Learning that he's inherited his estranged cousin's title is exactly the fresh start he needs. Max is looking forward to enjoying Christmas in the English countryside at the estate he's missed, but he's dreading facing his cousin's widow, the only woman he's ever loved. 
   
   
   
  The attraction is stronger than ever, but so are the wounds. As Christmas magic steals through the ancient halls and secrets beckon to be shared, can these two lonely hearts find a second chance at love? 
   
   
   
  Contains mature themes.

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  Forbidden Scroll The: Book...

  Alexander Pike

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  This content is an independent and unofficial summary created for informational and educational purposes only. It is not affiliated with, authorized, approved, licensed, or endorsed by the original author or publisher. All rights to the original work belong to its respective copyright holders. This summary is not intended to substitute the original book, but to offer a concise overview and interpretation of its main ideas.
   
  
  The Forbidden Scroll is a riveting tale of hidden knowledge, ancient power, and the perilous cost of curiosity. When a young scholar unearths a scroll long thought destroyed—its contents capable of reshaping the world—they are thrust into a deadly chase across kingdoms and ruins where betrayal hides behind every ally and legends blur with truth. As secrets unfold and enemies close in, the line between protector and destroyer grows ever thinner. Brimming with suspense, magic, and high-stakes adventure, The Forbidden Scroll is a gripping journey through forgotten lore, dangerous choices, and the burning question: what truths were buried for a reason? Ideal for fans of dark academia, epic fantasy, and mysterious relics, this audiobook delivers a masterclass in tension and discovery.

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  The Top 10 Short Stories – The...

  James Joyce, D H Lawrence,...

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  Short stories have always been a sort of instant access into an author’s brain, their soul and heart.  A few pages can lift our lives into locations, people and experiences with a sweep of landscape, narration, feelings and emotions that is difficult to achieve elsewhere. 
   
  In this series we try to offer up tried and trusted ‘Top Tens’ across many different themes and authors. But any anthology will immediately throw up the questions – Why that story? Why that author?  
   
  The theme itself will form the boundaries for our stories which range from well-known classics, newly told, to stories that modern times have overlooked but perfectly exemplify the theme.  Throughout the volume our authors whether of instant recognition or new to you are all leviathans of literature. 
   
  Some you may disagree with but they will get you thinking; about our choices and about those you would have made.  If this volume takes you on a path to discover more of these miniature masterpieces then we have all gained something. 
   
  In this tumultuous century world wars will shatter all of Europe and Britain will finally be forcible divorced from Catholic Ireland.  Revolution and economic disaster are followed by a society that appears more equal, growing in confidence and its authors use every morsel of debate to create excellent literary works.  
   
  1 - The Top 10 - The British & Irish Men - The 20th Century - An Introduction 
  2 - The Dead - Part 1 by James Joyce 
  3 - The Dead - Part 2 by James Joyce 
  4 - The Rocking Horse Winner by D H Lawrence 
  5 - The Interlopers by Saki the pseudonym for H H Munro 
  6 - The Informer by Joseph Conrad 
  7 - Oh Whistle and I'll Come to You My Lad by M R James 
  8 - The Salvation of a Forsythe - Part 1 by John Galsworthy 
  9 - The Salvation of a Forsythe - Part 2 by John Galsworthy 
  10 - August Heat by W F Harvey 
  11 - The Matador of the Five Towns by Arnold Bennett 
  12 - The Kit Bag by Algernon Blackwood 
  13 - The Burial of the Rats by Bram Stoker

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  Ali Pacha

  Alexandre Dumas

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  "Ali Pacha" by Alexandre Dumas is a vivid historical tale of power, ambition, and betrayal set in the Ottoman Empire. The story follows Ali Pacha of Ioannina, a ruthless and cunning ruler who rises to prominence through strategic alliances and brutal force. Dumas explores his complex character, portraying him as both a visionary leader and a tyrant driven by greed and paranoia. As Ali’s quest for dominance unfolds, themes of loyalty, revenge, and cultural conflict come to the fore. Set against a backdrop of political intrigue and war, the novel delves into the tension between tradition and modernity. A gripping blend of drama and history, it reflects on the cost of power and the fragility of legacy in a turbulent era.

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  Poison is a Woman's Weapon:...

  Janet McGiffin

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  In the ruthless world of 8th-century Constantinople, where alliances shift like the tides and betrayal lurks behind every gilded door, Irini of Athens fights to secure her place as Empress of the Byzantine Empire. But power comes at a deadly cost. 
  Surrounded by enemies within her own palace—her scheming mother-in-law, five treacherous step-brothers, and a husband who sees her as a threat—Irini knows that survival is not guaranteed. With childbirth looming, she summons the only person she can trust: Abbess Thekla, the knife-wielding woman who owes her a life debt. But Thekla soon realizes that Irini's ambitions reach far beyond being a dutiful wife and mother—she craves absolute power, and she will stop at nothing to seize it. 
  As blood stains the marble halls of the Great Palace, Thekla must navigate a web of intrigue, deception, and vengeance. Can she survive Irini’s unrelenting thirst for dominance, or will she become just another casualty in the empress’s ruthless ascent? Loyalties will be tested. Betrayals will be paid in blood. The empire will never be the same. 
  Poison is a Woman's Weapon is the second book in the thrilling Empress Irini Serie that chronicles the dramatic ascent of Irini of Athens to become Empress of the Byzantine Empire.

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  Don't Cry for Me - A Novel

  Daniel Black

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  Don't miss Daniel Black's next novel Isaac's Song coming January 2025NAMED A MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK IN ESSENCE MAGAZINE, THE MILLIONS AND BOOKISH"Don't Cry for Me is a perfect song."—Jesmyn WardA Black father makes amends with his gay son through letters written on his deathbed in this wise and penetrating novel of empathy and forgiveness, for fans of Ta-Nehisi Coates, Robert Jones Jr. and Alice WalkerAs Jacob lies dying, he begins to write a letter to his only son, Isaac. They have not met or spoken in many years, and there are things that Isaac must know. Stories about his ancestral legacy in rural Arkansas that extend back to slavery. Secrets from Jacob's tumultuous relationship with Isaac's mother and the shame he carries from the dissolution of their family. Tragedies that informed Jacob's role as a father and his reaction to Isaac's being gay.But most of all, Jacob must share with Isaac the unspoken truths that reside in his heart. He must give voice to the trauma that Isaac has inherited. And he must create a space for the two to find peace. With piercing insight and profound empathy, acclaimed author Daniel Black illuminates the lived experiences of Black fathers and queer sons, offering an authentic and ultimately hopeful portrait of reckoning and reconciliation. Spare as it is sweeping, poetic as it is compulsively readable, Don't Cry for Me is a monumental novel about one family grappling with love's hard edges and the unexpected places where hope and healing take flight.

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