Anne Allen

Tragedy seems to follow Jeanne around... Can she really go through it again and survive? Jeanne Le Page is lucky to be alive...15 years ago she was almost killed in a boating accident which brought heart-breaking family tragedy. Now 31, Jeanne is returning reluctantly to the island of Guernsey following the death of her beloved grandmother. As the ferry nears the island, a dark foreboding overwhelms Jeanne as hazy memories of that terrible day resurface. Only back on the island to sell her inheritance - her grandmother's old cottage - she has no intention of picking up her old life. But the cottage holds a secret, dating back to World War II, and Jeanne becomes drawn into discovering more. A chance meeting tempts her to romance, despite the traumatic end of a recent relationship. As her memory recovers, Jeanne is forced to face her demons, reliving the tragedy which takes a sinister turn as the truth is finally revealed...

The Guernsey Novels -

Dangerous Waters

Prepare to be swept away by a heart-warming tale of family relationships and love Three women. Three generations. Sacrifices for love... Who is she really? Nicole is about to find out as she searches for her real mother; the woman who gave her away at birth. With her marriage in tatters, she sets out from England: travelling to Spain, Jersey and Guernsey before the extraordinary story of her real family is finally revealed. Nicole becomes an unwitting catalyst for change in the family. Two women are forced to reveal long-buried secrets. One going back as far as the Second World War. Lives are transformed as choices have to be made and the past laid to rest... This contemporary romantic drama is the second of The Guernsey Novels, a series of stand-alone books by the award-winning author Anne Allen. It is likely to appeal to lovers of the works of Joanna Trollope and Maeve Binchy. "A sensitive, heart-felt novel about family relationships, identity, adoption, second chances at love... With romance, weddings, boat trips, lovely gardens and more, Finding Mother is a dazzle of a book, a perfect holiday read." Lindsay Townsend, author of The Snow Bride

Finding Mother

The fourth of The Guernsey Novels, covering both contemporary Guernsey and the time of the Occupation. Likely to appeal to fans of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. One family, divided by death – and money Andy Batiste, at loggerheads with his degenerate cousin, seeks to discover the truth of his family history. Why was his pregnant grandmother forced to flee to France? What really happened to her husband during the German Occupation, sixty years ago? Who accused Edmund, the elder son and Batiste heir, of being an informer? Was he really a traitor – and who murdered him? With Edmund’s brother Harold now head of the family, enjoying the wealth which ought to have come to Andy’s father, the family is forever divided. Andy yearns to clear Edmund’s name and restore his father to his rightful inheritance. Andy is introduced to Charlotte Townsend, newly divorced, lonely and struggling with writer’s block and the consuming threat of impending loss. They meet when she returns for healing at Guernsey's natural health centre, La Folie, and Charlotte becomes involved in Andy’s family history. Together they embark on a hunt for the truth… REVIEW "Love overcomes and a painful past is revealed in this poignant romance set on Guernsey" Gilli Allen, Author of Fly or Fall

The Guernsey Novels- Book 4

The Family Divided

Treachery and theft lead to death - and love

The Betrayal

Murder, mystery and romance on the beautiful island of Guernsey

Guernsey Retreat

Prepare to be swept away by a heart-warming tale of family relationships and love Three women. Three generations. Sacrifices for love... Who is she really? Nicole is about to find out as she searches for her real mother; the woman who gave her away at birth. With her marriage in tatters, she sets out from England: travelling to Spain, Jersey and Guernsey before the extraordinary story of her real family is finally revealed. Nicole becomes an unwitting catalyst for change in the family. Two women are forced to reveal long-buried secrets. One going back as far as the Second World War. Lives are transformed as choices have to be made and the past laid to rest... This contemporary romantic drama is the second of The Guernsey Novels, a series of stand-alone books by the award-winning author Anne Allen. It is likely to appeal to lovers of the works of Joanna Trollope and Maeve Binchy. "A sensitive, heart-felt novel about family relationships, identity, adoption, second chances at love... With romance, weddings, boat trips, lovely gardens and more, Finding Mother is a dazzle of a book, a perfect holiday read." Lindsay Townsend, author of The Snow Bride "I first encountered Anne Allen when I read Dangerous Waters: Mystery, Loss and Love on the Island of Guernsey and if you've read that book you'll notice a glancing reference to Jeanne, the heroine, in Finding Mother. I felt nicely grounded! In much the same way that Allen wormed Jeanne into my heart I really found that I cared for Nicole and willing her on to make the right decisions and a success of her life. Allen has a real talent for her female characters. The men don't come off the page quite as well, but that's a minor quibble. Tracing a birth parent when you've been adopted is a sensitive subject and Allen handles it well, recognising the insecurities of the adopting parents who wonder if they're going to be supplanted and the worries of the mother who gave up the child soon after her birth. Will she be judged for her relationship with the child's father and for the fact that she made no attempt to bring the child up herself? There's an added complication here in that Nicole will also find out about her birth father - giving her more parents than any girl should decently want! It's neatly, elegantly done and the story is a real page turner." The Bookbag ****

Another Guernsey Novel from the Author of Dangerous Waters

WINNER OF THE DIAMOND BOOK AWARD 2017 The fifth of The Guernsey Novels, Echoes of Time is a dual-time story set in the German Occupation and present-day Guernsey and is likely to appeal to fans of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. Betrayal, injustice and revenge echo down the years… 1940. Olive marries farmer Bill Falla. The Germans occupy Guernsey. All too soon Olive realises she has made a mistake. Her life changes when she meets Wolfgang, a German officer-however there’s a price to pay. . . 2010. Natalie Ogier returns to Guernsey to escape an abusive relationship – only to be plagued by odd happenings in her beautiful cottage on the site of a derelict and secluded farm. Disturbing dreams, disembodied voices and uncanny visions from the past. She becomes increasingly ill at ease as someone else’s past catches up with her own… Her only immediate neighbour, Stuart, is the grandson of the original owners, Bill and Olive. Thrown together in a bid to find out what happened to Olive, can they each survive the repercussions of the past and move on? Book reviews "A powerful family drama packed full of mystery and intrigue. A stunningly good read." A ‘Wishing Shelf’ Book Review "For the last three days, I have been thoroughly immersed in Echoes of Time, a family saga set in Guernsey. Let me begin by saying how gripping this story is. Not only is the plot packed full of twists and turns, but the setting – and the characters – are lovingly described. There is, I think, nothing better than a novel written by an author who knows how to balance setting, speech and plot. So, what did I like? Well, the opening chapter, albeit very short, is a real ‘grabber’. I’m very fond of books which open with a ‘BANG!' and not with endless paragraphs of flowery prose. Well, trust me, this opens BIG, hooking the reader in… I also very much enjoyed the pacing of this novel. The chapters were surprisingly short for this genre and there’s often a cliffhanger at the end of the chapters. So, although it is a family saga of sorts it is also very much a thriller and a mystery, and the style of writing reflects that. So, would I recommend this book? Yes, absolutely. And who to? Well, pretty much anybody and everybody. If you enjoy a good thriller, this is for you. If you enjoy a complex family saga, this is for you. Or, if you simply love Guernsey, this is for you." A ‘Wishing Shelf’ Book Review www.thewsa.co.uk "Superbly written, Echoes of Time is captivating, exciting, sad, bittersweet and yet hopeful and full of happiness. Anne Allen lovingly depicts the place and people of Guernsey and seamlessly combines the past and present, telling almost parallel stories that come to a joint resolution." Readers Favorite Review - Awarded Finalist in Readers' Favorite Awards 2017. The Guernsey Novels will appeal to lovers of the works of Joanna Trollope, Maeve Binchy, and the best-selling book The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.

Anne Allen

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