Elaine Everest

Gracie has her life before her as the dark clouds of the Second World War gather. One night, one mistake and she is carrying the wrong man's child. Must she pay for it for the rest of her life?

Gracie's War

Will the war be over by Christmas? As the war moves into 1945 the lives of the women of Woolworths continue. When store manager, Betty Billington, announces she is expecting Douglas’s baby her future life is about to change more than she expects. Freda has fallen in love with the handsome Scottish engineer but will it end happily? Maisie loves being a mother and also caring for her two nieces although she still has her own dreams. When her brother appears on the scene he brings unexpected danger to the family. Meanwhile Sarah dreams of her husband’s return and a cottage with roses around the door but Woolworths beckons. Will our girls sail into times of peace, or will they experience more heartache and sorrow? With a wedding on the horizon, surely only happiness lies ahead – or does it? A Gift from Woolworths is the next installment in Elaine Everest's much-loved Woolworths series.

A Gift from Woolworths

BOOK 1 IN THE WOOLWORTHS SERIES1939. On her first day at Woolworths, Sarah Caselton meets glamorous Maisie and shy Freda. The trio couldn't be more different but they soon form a tight-knit friendship, sharing their hopes and dreams for the future.Sarah falls into the warmth and rhythm of her new job, enjoying the social events hosted by Woolies and her blossoming romance with the young assistant manager, Alan.But history waits for no one, and with the threat of war clouding the horizon, the young men and women of Woolworths soon realize they may not have the luxury of a carefree youth or the time to fall in love . . . The Woolworths Girls is a heart-warming tale of friendship, family and hope in the face of war.PRAISE FOR THE WOOLWORTHS GIRLS"Heartwarming ... a must-read." Woman's Own"A lovely read." Bella

The Woolworths Girls

Competing at dog shows is an excellent way for the family - both young and old alike - to enjoy a hobby together. Many people enter this sport first with a family pet as a fun day out and then move on to more serious competition at championship level. The ultimate goal for most newcomers is to qualify for Crufts and perhaps even win the much coveted Best in Show award. This book takes you step by step through the process of what is required to enjoy showing a dog. It will tell you: - How to choose a good quality pedigree puppy and understand its health requirements - How to train and prepare from day one through to that first dog show - How to enter a show and what to expect - Where to go and when at the dog show, and what to do in the show ring - What clubs, committees and support are available for the novice exhibitor - How to qualify for Crufts and what to expect upon arriving at the World's Greatest Dog Show - What the next step is and whether to purchase another dog, breed a litter or even train to be a judge. Contents: Acknowledgements; Introduction; 1. Starting out; 2. Learning to Show 3. Grooming and Presentation; 4. Entering a Show; 5. Travelling with Dogs; 6. The Day of the Show; 7. Rules and Etiquette; 8. Awards and Prizes; 9. Major Champonship Shows; 10. What Next?; The Rainbow Bridge; Glossary; Useful Information; Index.

A beginner's Guide

Showing Your Dog

Christmas at Woolworths is the festive follow-up to The Woolworth Girls and the second book in Elaine Everest's much-loved Woolworths trilogy.1942. All across Britain, people's lives have been altered by the war, and the girls of Woolworths in Erith are no different. Sarah, Maisie, and Freda, brought together by their jobs, now cling to the shop as a refuge of friendship and normality. But outside of Woolies, they live in fear of what each day will bring. Alan, Sarah's husband, will soon be called up once more as a member of the Air Force, while Freda's dear brother is in the Navy and fighting his war at sea. Maisie, meanwhile, longs for a child and a settled family life but is determined to do her bit for the war effort. As the year draws to a close, the girls must rely on their friendship more than ever before to navigate the dark days that lie ahead...

Christmas at Woolworths

The Teashop Girls is a warm and moving tale of friendship and love in wartime, by the bestselling author of the Woolworths series, Elaine Everest. It is early 1940 and World War Two has already taken a hold on the country. Rose Neville works as a Lyon’s Teashop Nippy on the Kent coast alongside her childhood friends, the ambitious Lily and Katie, whose fiancé is about to be posted overseas in the navy. As war creates havoc in Europe, Rose relies on the close friendship of her friends and her family. When Capt. Benjamin Hargreaves enters the teashop one day, Rose is immediately drawn to him. But as Lyon’s forbids courting between staff and customers, she tries to put the handsome officer out of her mind. In increasingly dark and dangerous times, Rose fears there may not be time to waste. But is the dashing captain what he seems? Praise for Elaine Everest 'Heartwarming . . . a must read' - Woman's Own 'A warm, tender tale of friendship and love' - Milly Johnson 'A lovely read' - Bella

A heartwarming story of wartime friendship and love, by the bestselling author of The Woolworths Girls

The Teashop Girls

1939. After the sudden and tragic loss of her husband, Helen is returning home to her mother’s house in Biggin Hill, Kent – the one place she vowed she’d never go back to again. Alone and not knowing where to turn, Helen finds herself joining the local women’s sewing circle despite being hopeless with a needle and thread. These resourceful women can not only make do and mend clothes, quilts and woolly hats, but their friendship mends something deeper in Helen too. Lizzie is a natural leader, always ready to lend a helping hand or a listening ear. Effie has uprooted her life from London to keep her two little girls away from the bombing raids, and the sewing circle is a welcome distraction from worries about how to keep a roof over their heads and about her husband too, now serving in active duty overseas. When the reason for Helen's husband's death comes to light, her world is turned upside down yet again. The investigating officer on the case, Richard, will leave no stone unturned, but it’s not long before his interest in Helen goes beyond the professional. As she pieces together old fabrics into a beautiful quilt, will Helen patch up the rifts in her own life? The Patchwork Girls by Elaine Everest is a moving story about the ties of friends and family, set during the turbulence of the Second World War.

The Patchwork Girls

A Mother Forever is the moving story of one woman's journey through the hardest trials of her life and how the love of friends and family pulls her through. From the bestselling author of The Woolworths Girls Elaine Everest, this book tells the tale of Ruby and how it all began . . . 1905: Ruby Caselton may only be twenty-five years old but she already has the weight of the world on her shoulders. Heavily pregnant with her second child, penniless and exhausted, she is moving her family into a new home. The Caseltons left their last place when they couldn’t pay the rent, but Ruby’s husband Eddie has promised this will be a fresh start for them all. And Ruby desperately hopes that this time he will keep his word. With five-year-old George at her feet and her mother having a cross word for everyone and everything, life is never dull at number thirteen Alexandra Road. It doesn’t take long before Eddie loses another job and once again hits the bottle. It’s up to Ruby to hold them all together, through thick and thin. She remembers the kind, caring man Eddie once was and just can’t give up on him entirely. What she doesn’t know is that Eddie has a secret, one so dark that he can’t bear to tell even Ruby . . . Through Ruby’s grit and determination, she keeps food on the table and finds herself a community of neighbours on Alexandra Road. Stella, the matriarch from across the way, soon becomes a friend and confidante. She even dreams that Ruby will ditch the useless Eddie and take up with her eldest son, Frank. But when war breaks out in 1914, the heartbreaks and losses that follow will fracture their community, driving both Stella and Ruby to breaking point. Will their men ever return to them? A Mother Forever is a moving but heartwarming story about the family we’re connected to through blood, but also the family we make for ourselves with neighbours and friends. A prequel to The Woolworths Girls, it can also be read as a compelling novel in its own right. A warm, tender tale of friendship and love . . . sweet as a Woolies pick’n’mix - Milly Johnson on The Woolworths Girls

A Mother Forever

It is early 1940 and World War Two has already taken a hold on the country. Rose Neville works as a Lyons teashop Nippy on the Kent coast alongside her childhood friends, the ambitious Lily and Katie, whose fiance is about to be posted overseas in the navy. As war creates havoc in Europe, Rose relies on her close ties with friends and family. When Captain Benjamin Hargreaves enters the teashop one day, Rose is immediately drawn to him. But as Lyons forbids courting between staff and customers, she tries to put the handsome officer out of her mind.

Christmas with the Teashop Girls is a heartwarming and moving story of wartime love, bravery and hope, by the bestselling author of the Woolworths series, Elaine Everest. It is late 1940 and the war feels closer to home than ever for Rose Neville and her staff at the Lyon’s Teashop in Margate. The worry of rationing hangs overhead as the Nippies do their best to provide a happy smile and a hot cup of tea for their customers. When a heavy bombing raid targets the Kent coastline, Lyon’s is badly hit, throwing the future of the cafe into jeopardy. The light in Rose’s life is her dashing fiancé Capt. Ben Hargreaves and planning their Christmas Eve wedding. But she must also plan to take two new step-daughters into her life and get on the right side of her wealthy mother-in-law, Lady Diana. Is Rose ready to become a mother so soon? When Rose’s half-sister Eileen makes contact, it seems that Rose’s dreams of having a sibling are coming true at long last. But her friends begin to suspect that something is not right between Eileen and her husband: just what are they hiding? As the Christmas Eve wedding draws near, the bombings intensify in Kent and London, putting everything and everyone Rose loves in danger. Only one thing is for sure: it will be a Christmas she never forgets . . .

Christmas with the Teashop Girls

Carols at Woolworths is a heartwarming novella, and is the prequel to Christmas at Woolworths, by bestselling author Elaine Everest Betty, Freda and Sarah are determined to make the Woolworths Christmas party as jolly as ever. After weeks of careful planning, the girls are confident that it will be an evening for everyone to forget about the troubles of the war outside. But the war is never far away and when an air raid looms, the girls must usher their guests to safety and find a way to take their Christmas cheer underground . . . Will it be a merry Christmas after all for the girls of Woolworths?

Carols at Woolworths

July 1947. Britain is still gripped by rationing, even as the excitement of Princess Elizabeth’s engagement sweeps the nation. In the Woolworths’ canteen, Freda is still dreaming of meeting her own Prince Charming. So far she’s been unlucky in love. When she has an accident on her motorbike, knocking a cyclist off his bicycle, it seems bad luck is still following her around. Anthony is not only a fellow Woolworths employee but was an Olympic hopeful. Will his injured leg heal in time for him to compete? Can he ever forgive Freda? Sarah's idyllic family life is under threat with worries about her husband, Alan. Does he still love her? The friends must rally round to face some of the toughest challenges of their lives together. And although they experience loss, hardship and shocks along the way, love is on the horizon for the Woolworths girls . . . Wedding Bells for Woolworths is the fifth instalment in Elaine Everest's much-loved Woolworths series.

Wedding Bells for Woolworths

Wedding Bells for Woolworths: Book 5

1950. The Second World War is over and life has moved on for the Woolworth girls, Sarah, Maisie and Freda. In a new world the Woolworth women have high expectations of their daughters, wanting them to seize opportunities they didn’t have themselves. Ready to take on Saturday jobs at Woolworths, budding friends Bessie, Claudette, Clementine and Dorothy are faced with unforeseeable challenges as the real world comes into focus. Their bond can only be strengthened as they overcome the darkest times. Perhaps their lives are not as clear-cut as their mothers wished them to be . . . When Bessie finds love in the wrong crowd and falls pregnant, the image of her future and ambitions become skewed and she relies on the Saturday girls to help her see her problems through – but how can they find a home for the baby when it arrives? With wild imaginations, it is up to the Woolworth girls, new and old, to save the day and their futures. Can the Woolworth girls achieve their dreams in time for their futures to begin? The Woolworths Saturday Girls is the seventh instalment in Elaine Everest's much-loved Woolworths series.

The Woolworths Saturday Girls

A Mother Forever is the moving story of one woman's journey through the worst trials of her life - poverty, grief, betrayal - but through it all is the love and comfort she finds in family. An unputdownable novel from Elaine Everest, the bestselling author of The Woolworths Girls.

A warm and comforting read, set against the nation's favourite holiday camp, from bestselling author of The Woolworths Girls 'Molly Missons gazed around in awe. So this was Butlin's. Whitewashed buildings, bordered by rhododendrons, gave a cheerful feeling to a world still recovering from six years of war. The Skegness holiday camp covered a vast area, much larger than Molly expected to see.' Molly Missons hasn't had the best of times recently. Having lost her parents, now some dubious long-lost family have darkened her door - attempting to steal her home and livelihood... After a horrendous ordeal, Molly applies for a job as a Butlin's Aunty. When she receives news that she has got the job, she immediately leaves her small home town - in search of a new life in Skegness. Molly finds true friendship in Freda, Bunty and Plum. But the biggest shock is discovering that star of the silver screen, Johnny Johnson, is working at Butlin's as head of the entertainment team. Johnny takes an instant liking to Molly and she begins to shed the shackles of her recent traumas. Will Johnny be just the distraction Molly needs - or is he too good be to be true?

The Butlins Girls

The Woolworths girls have come a long way together . . . Fun loving Maisie, is devoted to her young family and her work at Woolworths. But her happy life with her RAF officer husband, their baby daughter leads her to think of the family she left behind . . . With the war now into its fourth year, what will she find when she sets about searching for them? Sarah and her husband, Alan, are blissfully happy and long for a sibling for their daughter. But dark days lay ahead for this close family. Freda heads home to Birmingham, to go in search of her family, back to the life she fled – far from the safety of Woolworths and her new friends. With families’ separated by war, will the Woolworths girls be able to pull together? Wartime at Woolworths is the third moving instalment in the much-loved Woolworths series by bestselling author Elaine Everest.

Wartime at Woolworths

Even though there was a war on, the Woolworths girls brought Christmas cheer to their customers Best friends Sarah, Maisie and Freda are brought together by their jobs at Woolworths. With their loved ones away on the front line, their bonds of friendship strengthen each day. Betty Billington is the manager at Woolworths, and a rock for the girls, having given up on love . . . Until a mysterious stranger turns up one day – could he reignite a spark in Betty? As the year draws to a close, and Christmas approaches, the girls must rely on each other to navigate the dark days that lie ahead . . . With so much change, can their friendship survive the war? Following on from her bestselling debut The Woolworths Girls, Christmas at Woolworths is the heartfelt second book in Elaine Everest's Woolworths series.

Elaine Everest

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