Anna Jacobs Books in Order

Under pressure from their aunt to make suitable marriages, Beatrice and Eleanor enter London's social season. Eleanor's choice of a husband and Beatrice's feelings for Justin Serle put family expectations at odds with their own wishes.

Sent to negotiate peace with the Galactic Confederation, Channa Harknell must navigate unfamiliar customs and the schemes of mediator Joran Lovrel. Political betrayal on her home world makes the mission still more dangerous.

After her mother's death, young Annie Gibson helps raise her siblings in a poor Lancashire household. Driven out by her stepmother, she finds work with a doctor and begins a difficult struggle for security and independence.

A 1994 romance anthology that brings together short stories by Anna Jacobs, Di Morrissey, and seven other contributors.

Widowed Annie Gibson opens a dressmaking business on Bilsden's High Street, determined to support her family. Sabotage threatens the venture while two very different men offer possibilities she is reluctant to trust.

Annie Hallam's happy marriage is troubled by her husband's failing health and problems across the family. As her son struggles and her relatives face upheaval, a dangerous adversary threatens the life she has built.

Annie Gibson's marriage to mill owner Frederick Hallam meets fierce opposition from his daughter. Secrets surrounding Annie's past and her son's parentage threaten the family's future as they try to settle into their new life.

Frederick Hallam's death leaves Annie facing grief just as the American Civil War disrupts Lancashire's cotton industry. With workers threatened by destitution, she turns to an ambitious project at Spinners Lake to provide employment.

Jessie Burton refuses to accept the life in domestic service her mother has planned for her. Marriage to railway navvy Jared Wilde brings love and hardship in construction camps, where a newcomer threatens their happiness.

Rachel Smedling works as a weaver while caring for her sick mother and enduring her violent father. A marriage offers escape and the prospect of happiness, but her father remains determined to destroy her new life.

Lizzie Kershaw escapes an abusive marriage and starts again in Manchester, where suffragettes and wartime factory work open new possibilities. Her hard-won independence comes under threat when her husband tracks her down.

When her employers leave England, teenage servant Liza faces marriage to an older, violent man. Escaping to Australia with her former master offers another chance, but pregnancy and the demands of settlement bring fresh uncertainty.

Polly's husband dies saving their son from a car, leaving the boy disabled and his mother struggling alone. Threats to separate them force Polly to seek refuge on the coast, where another troubled family offers hope.

Disowned after marrying actor Robert Perriman, Helen Merling follows him through Europe and is eventually left caring for their son. In Italy, new suitors bring the possibility of love and difficult choices about her future.

After her mother's death, Cassandra Trent is sent to London for the social season under her aunt's supervision. Her attempt to help a cousin escape an unwanted marriage draws Cassandra into a compromising situation of her own.

Raised in Australia, Cathie longs to visit England and accepts an invitation from her uncles. Their hidden motives and a violent attack on her mother turn the journey into a struggle with a dangerous family legacy.

Emmy Carter hopes to escape the future her mother's life seems to promise her. A wealthy employer's nephew abducts her, and even after she escapes, his pursuit threatens her safety and chances of a better life.

Deborah Jannvier accepts a marriage tied to an inheritance at Marymoor, seeking escape from her cruel uncle. A rival claim to the estate brings new danger as she and Matthew Pascoe try to build a future together.

Eva Kershaw's quiet life caring for an ailing relative is disturbed by the arrival of a supposed nephew. A will binding them together and doubts about his identity draw Eva into a dangerous struggle over money.

An inheritance gives Sarah Morton an estate and the chance to control her own future. Refusing a neighbour's offer to buy it, she turns to her bailiff for help, but intimidation and disputed interests threaten her plans.

Pregnant and penniless, Keara Michaels leaves Ireland for Lancashire, separated from the husband who has gone to Australia. Her search for security becomes entangled with another family's losses and the possibility of a new life overseas.

Rosalind's husband leaves her in Australia while he pursues work abroad, and crises among their grown children deepen her isolation. Developing her talent for embroidery helps her reconsider her marriage and discover possibilities beyond it.

After abuse at home and the loss of her baby, Mary Ann flees Lancashire for Blackpool. War and new relationships offer hope, but a return to her family brings old secrets and danger back into her life.

Impoverished after their father's death, Martha and Penelope accept work teaching a mill owner's daughters. Industrial unrest, struggling workers and new romantic attachments complicate their efforts to find security and shape lives of their own.

Orphaned sisters Ismay and Mara are sent from Ireland to Australia, then separated after arrival. Work, danger and an unexpected protector shape Ismay's struggle to survive while their sister Keara tries to discover what became of them.

Serena Fleming seeks to use her inheritance to escape her controlling father after the First World War. When her plans lead to kidnapping, an injured veteran's help opens a different route towards independence and a home.

Toby Fletcher inherits an inn in an isolated Lancashire hamlet, while Meg Staley arrives desperate and hungry after family tragedy. Work there offers her hope, but secrets and the influence of a powerful mill owner threaten both newcomers.

Carrie Preston struggles to feed her younger siblings while their parents neglect them. Employment at the Dragon pub's music room offers a way forward, but other people's greed threatens the fragile security she is trying to create.

After her unfaithful husband's death, Laura returns from Australia to care for her mother in England. A housekeeping position with a disabled former journalist offers companionship and the chance to rebuild her life amid family tensions.

Widow Hannah Firth flees a hostile household with little money and few prospects. Gardener Nathaniel King faces the destruction of his livelihood, and their efforts to start again draw them together against powerful enemies.

Dismissed from a respectable position when her past comes to light, Gwynna returns to Hedderby seeking a fresh start. An ally offers help, but her former employer's hostility and violence in the town endanger her hopes.

Dora Preston dreams of a career on the stage, while Gideon returns from India to find his inheritance claimed by an impostor. Ruthless opponents and violence bring their troubles into the heart of Hedderby's community.

An unexpected chance to perform takes Marjorie Preston towards her dream of the London stage. Her partnership with Denby Sinclair is complicated by his dangerous secret, and disaster threatens both her career and the family she loves.

Dying without children, wealthy Maeve Corrigan summons relatives to England to choose an heir. Old quarrels, hidden loyalties and the ambitions of younger family members make the gathering a test of far more than business ability.

Documents discovered after her father's death send Gina from Australia to England in search of family secrets. There she meets Peggy, who is struggling with a bullying husband, and their connections offer both women possibilities for change.

Shy librarian Kirsty inherits a vineyard in Western Australia from an elderly friend, on condition that she live there for a year. Leaving England forces her to confront unfamiliar responsibilities, anxiety and the prospect of a different future.

At the end of the First World War, driver and mechanic Ellen Dawson loses the opportunities war service gave her. Her mother's illness brings her back to Lancashire, where domestic work, a controlling stepfather and a troubled town await.

Widowed novelist Sophie Carr befriends her new neighbour, ageing pop star Jez Winter, while helping him evade the press. Intrusion, injury and troubles involving her children complicate a relationship both approach with caution.

War widow Norah needs a secure home for her daughter, while widower Andrew hopes to establish a farm in Australia with his sons. A practical marriage unites them, but clearing the land brings formidable challenges for their new family.

The end of the Great War threatens Vi's new career in London. Demobilised soldier Joss Bentley faces a ruined family life of his own, and his search for answers draws them into hidden danger and divided loyalties.

Lancashire's cotton famine leaves Cassandra Blake and her sisters facing starvation or emigration. When an old feud separates them and her sisters sail for Western Australia, Cassandra must find a way to follow and reunite the family.

Beth recognizes a television presenter as the baby brother who vanished decades earlier, but he refuses contact with his birth family. Her attraction to his manager and the return of her runaway daughter complicate an already painful reunion.

Ella ends her marriage after learning that her husband plans to sell her family's Wiltshire farm. Turning Willowbrook into a bed-and-breakfast offers a way forward, but she must resist his interference and decide whether to trust Cameron.

Reunited with her sisters in Western Australia, Pandora still longs for Lancashire. A chance to return requires a difficult journey across the outback, followed by a confrontation with an enemy determined to deny her the family's inheritance.

In 1910 Wiltshire, Mattie flees a forced marriage and finds shelter with widower Jacob and his children. An elderly landowner's offer makes marriage seem practical, but Mattie's pursuing stepfather and doubts about Jacob's motives threaten their future.

Meriel leaves accounting behind to pursue art and a new home in Australia. Circumstances bring her together with widower Ben, whose own ambitions have stalled, and the pair must reconcile their different plans as attraction grows.

Forced to leave her northern home for London society, Cassandra Trent befriends her cousin Susannah but resists the life expected of her. Susannah's intended husband develops an interest in Cassandra, upsetting the family's carefully arranged romantic plans.

After a wizard kills Azaray's king and scatters a magical sword across different worlds, the king's three children must recover its pieces. Their journey pits them against dangerous creatures, magical traps, and the wizard who threatens their homeland.

In the Swan River Colony, Xanthe Blake wants to travel while her twin Maia hopes to stay with the man she loves. An Irish visitor carrying their inheritance offers opportunity, but also brings someone capable of threatening Maia's happiness.

Having escaped her brutal father, Nell hopes to build a happier life with her lover Cliff. When tragedy overturns those plans, she must find the strength to begin again and decide whether she can risk another relationship.

After years of being overlooked by her family, Molly Peel leaves London to seek work and a fresh start. A possible romance offers hope, but her manipulative ex-husband tries to prevent her from selling the family home.

This writing guide considers the process of developing a story and revising it for readers. Drawing on her experience as a novelist, Anna Jacobs focuses on plotting, editing, and the work of polishing a manuscript before publication.

Penniless in 1860s Singapore, Isabella finds work teaching a merchant English. His plans lead her into marriage with ambitious trader Bram Deagan and a voyage toward Australia, where danger from the past threatens their hopes for a shared future.

These fifteen short stories follow people finding love and new beginnings in different places and periods. Encounters range from Australian settlers and outback dances to personal advertisements, with brief explanations of the ideas that inspired the tales.

After typhus devastates the Deagan family, Maura takes responsibility for three orphaned children and sails to Australia to join Bram. Her growing bond with fellow passenger Hugh offers hope, until someone from his past threatens their future.

Ismay Deagan escapes an abusive intended husband in Ireland and sails for Australia disguised as a widow. Her friendship with Adam Treagar grows during the voyage, but secrets and danger threaten her chance to reunite with her brother.

Her father's death promises Miranda Fox independence, but her controlling half-brother keeps hold of the inheritance. Help from a new friend encourages her to leave Australia, while family secrets and an old acquaintance complicate her search for freedom.

Renie escapes harassment at a hotel for a new job in London, but remains worried about her sister Nell's marriage. Tragedy and a threatening man's return test her new life and her growing friendship with injured Gil.

After an accident leaves Emily vulnerable, her nephew George takes control of her finances. A former pub inherited from a cousin offers refuge on the Lancashire moors, but George remains determined to keep his grip on her life.

Teenage Harriet Benson enters service after her father's death and forms a bond with Joseph, her employers' son. An unexpected inheritance offers them refuge at supposedly haunted Greyladies, while both families threaten the happiness they hope to build.

Libby escapes her abusive husband with her young son and moves into her late grandmother's Lancashire home to claim an inheritance. A retired policeman living nearby offers protection, but her past threatens their chance of a safe new life.

Megan and Ben fall in love just before he is due to leave for Australia. Rather than separate, they marry and travel together, discovering how much they still need to learn about each other as they build a life.

Two widows sail from England to Australia hoping for new marriages and safer lives. Eleanor seeks the captain she remembers, while Jacinta accepts a trader's invitation to protect her son, but neither can easily escape troubles left behind.

During the First World War, Greyladies becomes a hospital while family tragedy unsettles Harriet and Joseph's future there. Elsewhere, Phoebe loses her job and flees a forced marriage, unaware of her connection to the old manor.

Three women at different stages of life seek fresh starts on a Wiltshire street. Young mother Janey, estranged wife Nicole, and elderly Winifred face hidden troubles that make friendship and mutual support increasingly necessary for their safety.

Widower Fergus Deagan marries Cara, the grieving young woman nursing his baby, before taking his family to Australia. Her past threatens the voyage, while rivalry with his trader brother and scarce employment complicate their hopes after arrival.

Gabrielle leaves her unfaithful husband and receives an inheritance that offers a fresh start in northern England. Her ex-husband's gambling debts and criminal connections put that future at risk, making private investigator Dan's help increasingly important.

After the Second World War, Mayne and Judith plan to convert his damaged Lancashire home into flats. Friends coping with custody disputes, lost money, and wartime trauma join them, while opposition threatens both the project and their new beginnings.

Nell leaves Australia to inspect an inherited Wiltshire house, only to find it uninhabitable. Redevelopment offers possibilities, but threats against elderly neighbor Winifred and stalking of young Janey force the women to protect one another.

Widowed Olivia finds friendship and new interests while Phoebe struggles to protect Greyladies during the war. Harassment of German internees threatens the household, bringing the women together as they try to preserve a place of refuge.

As the war ends in 1945, Judith Crossley fears the return of her violent husband rather than celebrating. With support from Maynard Esher, she considers leaving, but housing shortages make protecting herself and her children painfully difficult.

Francis hopes to join his wartime friends' building firm in Lancashire, but his marriage and family opposition complicate the move. Meanwhile, stolen valuables and a buried body threaten Mayne and Judith's plans to renovate Esherwood together.

Jessica initially finds novelist Jivan Childering arrogant, but later encounters reveal a troubled man beneath his reserve. Attraction grows between them, though his determination never to love again after a bitter divorce stands in their way.

Ambulance driver Bella becomes engaged to soldier Philip during the First World War, despite his family's disapproval. When tragedy changes her circumstances, Philip's injured friend Tez offers help as she confronts unexpected dangers and considers a new future.

German refugee Christa loses her English home after her guardian dies and encounters hostility while seeking work. A chance encounter brings her to Rivenshaw, where friendship offers hope, but a town planner's ambitions threaten the community's rebuilding plans.

Orphaned Leah accepts a marriage of convenience with disabled veteran Jonah to provide a home for her younger sister. Their move to Ellindale offers hope, but other people's ambitions for the valley threaten their fragile new security.

Kathleen flees her family's plans to marry her to a violent man and eventually seeks shelter at Honeyfield House. A detective hired to find her discovers a woman unlike the one described, raising hopes for safety and love.

Ginger takes work running Saffron Lane's café and gallery to escape her bullying son, and finds a possible romance with Iain. Meanwhile, Emil's museum and business plans bring opportunities that selfish outsiders could undermine for the growing community.

Grieving widower Finn inherits a neglected house in Ellindale and discovers a boy fleeing an abusive orphanage. He vows to protect Reggie, but the institution's director wants him back, threatening Finn's plans to settle and help the village.

Harry moves his daughter from smoky Manchester to Ellindale after doctors warn that her asthma requires country air. A converted railway carriage offers a home, but scarce work, an angry former employer, and a new enemy threaten their security.

Nell and Angus plan to revive an abandoned Wiltshire lane, bringing new possibilities for people seeking fresh starts. Divorced Stacy and artist Elise, whose relatives want her in care, find hope there while confronting obstacles to independence.

Seventeen stories follow ordinary people facing decisions that could remake their lives. A widow considers leaving famine-stricken England for Australia, a newcomer to Perth encounters romance, and an unlikely friendship develops between a nursing-home resident and a young volunteer.

Grieving her father, Jo Melling travels from Australia to Birch End to meet distant relatives and becomes involved in village life. Attraction to newcomer Nick complicates her plans, while local disputes over slum conditions bring unexpected danger.

Lara Perryman plans a comfortable retirement in a Wiltshire leisure village, but longstanding arrangements collapse and threaten her independence. As she makes friends among her new neighbors, their struggles and successes draw her into a future she hadn't anticipated.

Luke Morgan struggles to reconnect with his teenage daughter when an accident brings Claire and her child into his life. Offering refuge from her abusive former partner could create a new family, but also brings danger to his doorstep.

An inheritance lets Tam Crawford settle in Ellindale, where an impulsive act gives him a fiancée and two children needing protection. Finding a home proves difficult, while poverty and a corrupt councillor challenge the community around his makeshift family.

During London's Armistice celebrations, independent Georgie meets wounded former soldier Patrick. Enemies infiltrating her father's bureau force him into hiding and place her in danger, leaving Patrick to help her reach Honeyfield while she questions whom she can trust.

Widow Stella seeks a new life in Birch End and hopes to buy a cottage, while handyman Wilf struggles to support his children. Housing schemes and a rival buyer threaten their prospects, requiring neighbors to confront powerful local interests.

Cabinet maker Frankie refuses to sacrifice her work and independence for marriage, but her father's illness lets her mother interfere. A convenient arrangement with Jericho offers help, while her father's disappearance raises disturbing questions about the danger surrounding her.

Cassie moves to a Wiltshire leisure village expecting a quieter life, then a teenage stranger claims to be her granddaughter. Investigating Evie's story means revisiting the baby Cassie surrendered for adoption and facing problems she can no longer ignore.

Widowed Simone accepts a house swap in Britain to escape matchmaking friends and daughters expecting constant babysitting. She meets Russ, recovering from a serious injury, and their connection offers both a chance to rebuild lives others keep trying to direct.

Bella inherits a rundown house in Backshaw Moss and escapes her abusive cousin, hoping to create an independent life. Help from neighbors and a widowed father brings promise, but landlords resisting reform and her cousin's pursuit threaten her future.

Maisie moves to Rivenshaw after her mother's death, hoping to discover her father's identity and start again. Gabriel helps her face unwanted attention, but an inheritance brings a new threat from a landlord determined to control her dream home.

Abigail has spent years caring for her father and preserving the family home under a bullying stepmother's control. When she finally gains freedom, inheritance taxes threaten the house, prompting friends to seek a way to protect the future she wants.

Mara receives a letter from the father she believed was dead and travels to Australia despite her mother's objections. Meeting his family and a new romantic possibility forces her to reconsider old assumptions and choose between competing versions of her future.

A fire sends Gwynneth to live with her newly married son, while widower Arthur hopes an inherited house will help him start again. His granddaughter's flight from cruelty brings them together amid landlord intimidation and troubling rumors in Backshaw Moss.

A secluded Wiltshire lane brings together Maggie, worried about her old home, Lucia, escaping a marriage, and architect Corin, facing an inheritance dispute. Their intersecting lives create opportunities for friendship and romance while unresolved family troubles follow them.

Sarah leaves an Australian house to two women in Britain on condition they live there together for a year. The unusual inheritance offers financial security, but earning it requires leaving familiar routines and navigating another unexpected gift from their benefactor.

Elinor Pendleton flees a threatening suitor after inheriting a fortune and finds refuge near Jubilee Lake. Her host Walter Crossley hopes to reconnect with a distant relative, while both search for the family and security their losses have denied them.

Sixteen stories explore first love and new chances across different places and periods. A brokenhearted woman visits her grandmother on Valentine's Day, while a settler's wife in 1920s Western Australia discovers unexpected strength as her family starts again.