It is 1940 in coastal Lincolnshire and Carolyn Holmes is keen to do what she can for the war effort. Raised on the family farm, she battles with her mother, Lilian, to further her education although nothing is too good for her brother, Tom. Phyllis Carter, a bitter widow from the Great War, lives close by with her son, Peter, who works on the farm. When Peter decides to volunteer, a distraught Phyllis blames Carolyn who leaves to join the ATS where...

It's 1890, and Josie Gray is an innocent and beautiful fifteen-year-old when Adam McGuigan, the youngest son of a dangerous and influential crime family spots her singing in a Sunderland public house. Adam is handsome and charismatic, sweeping Josie off her feet with his beguiling lies and promises. He charms her into marrying him on her sixteenth birthday, but on her wedding night the fairy tale ends. Josie finds herself trapped in a living nightmare...

In every family, each member has their own personal struggles. The Whittiers are no exception. Lyle is successful but has an unhappy marriage. Gloria is a genius on Wall Street, but lonely. Twins Caroline and Charlie work all hours on their growing fashion brand, but have no time to enjoy life and discover who they really are. Benji has personal challenges, and requires additional support from his home environment. And Annabelle, the baby of the family,...

1885. Ruby Carter works hard in her parents' bakery. Whilst life isn't easy, she's happy enough - her gentle mother protects young Ruby from her cruel father and loves her unconditionally. So, when her mother falls ill, Ruby is heartbroken and when, from her deathbed, her mother reveals that Ruby was adopted the young girl is distraught. Stricken by grief and alone with the violent man she called her father, Ruby feels she has no choice but to flee....

When Rachel qualifies as nurse, she does so because she wants to help others and make a difference. But she is also running from a past life that must stay hidden forever. She applies for another job near Eastby End and is shocked to find it a little more than a slum. It's clear she will need to work hard and keep her wits about her to win the trust of the villagers. When Joss Townley's father dies, he sells up immediately to begin travelling but...

Despite her privileged upbringing, Daisy Lennox has always longed to make something of her life. She is drawn to the suffragette movement, but when her father faces ruin they are forced to move to the country and Daisy's first duty is to her family.

When her father dies, Abigail Newman is forced to leave her mother and the vicarage she was raised in and take up the position of governess to the son of Sir Hugh Hastings. Arriving at the grand estate of Bramley Court, Abi, who is concealing a heartbreaking secret, finds a family haunted by a tragic loss. But Bramley Court is also filled with secrets. Why is Sir Hugh's wife, Lady Imogen, so sure she can still hear the cries of the little boy she...

After two years, Meg Fairfax has finally started to make a success of herself. Her skills as a baker have made her enough to buy the bakery she loves and she's planning a wedding to her fiance. But Frankie hasn't been entirely honest and both the bakery and Meg's happiness are threatened when she discovers the truth. Meanwhile, Meg's younger sister, Sarah, is attempting to build a life for herself in London but soon realises it's far from what she...

In a quiet Wiltshire village, Larch Tree Lane winds slowly up a gentle hill. Among the residents is Maggie Hatherall, full of life despite her advancing years, who worries what she is going to do with her 200 year old home. Lucia Grey has escaped a bad marriage but her ex is reluctant to let her start a new life free of him. And for architect Angus Drayton, an unexpected inheritance is the start of a complicated family wrangle but it does lead to...

When Thomas Grant - one of the most eligible young men in London - proposes to Annabel Seaton, she can't say she's surprised, but she is delighted. He's been her best friend since she was a child, and she can't imagine life without him. What shocks her, however, is the reaction of her mother and father. Annabel knows that her parents disapprove of her forthright opinions, but their displeasure is both unexpected and unaccountable. As they permit the...