Showing results by narrator "Gemma" in All Categories

After 17-year-old Felicita’s dearest friend Ilven kills herself to escape an arranged marriage, Felicita chooses freedom over privilege. She fakes her own death and leaves her sheltered life as one of Pelimburg’s magical elite behind. Living in the slums, scrubbing dishes for a living, she falls for charismatic Dash while also becoming fascinated with the vampire, Jannik. Then something shocking washes up on the beach: Ilven's death has called out of the sea a dangerous wild magic.

Jane must return to the one place she fears most. Her family home. Jane's father was murdered in cold blood at the family home. The killer was never found. In the years since, Jane has done everything in her power to stay away from that house. To forget the nightmare and get on with her life. But now she has to go back. Her mother is ill and Jane must care for her. Her husband Joe goes with her but soon after they arrive at her family home, he begins to act strangely. Adding to her unease, Jane's brother Dan is openly hostile.

For the courageous Bletchley Park girls, the fourth Christmas of the war is approaching fast. It should be a happy time, yet life throws them challenges they could never have imagined. Lily's heart is torn in two when her boyfriend, Grant, is badly injured in an air raid. As he spirals into despair, she must find a way to give him hope again. Bronwyn has a new romance on the horizon. But will the widower's young daughter accept her, or will she jeopardise Bronwyn's hopes for love?

Gwendeline Gregory doesn't know what to think when she encounters the dashing Alex St. Audley, Earl of Merryn. She's in over her head in London Society, trying to fend off a scoundrel who will stop at nothing to ruin her. On the brink of a devastating scandal, the earl arrives just when she needs him most. But are his motivations trustworthy? And can he avert ruin for both of them?

England, 1941. Reunited briefly with her husband-to-be before he returns to fighting, Lily Baker now finds her mundane army office work dreary. But when her boss asks her to keep watch on the happenings at the depot, she quickly suspects a new weapons supplier of fraud. As she trains her sharp eye on the potential cheat, she agrees to help an unmarried colleague with an unexpected pregnancy. But when, without evidence, she is accused of being the one with child, she faces hard decisions.

Respectable wife, unmarried mother, divorcee, femme fatale - these are roles that society demands from Scarlet, Jocelyn, Helen, Susan and Audrey. But things do not slot neatly into pigeon holes, and as the women negotiate around the events in their lives, they discover their real selves.

I’ve always walked the straight and narrow, following the rules, never straying from my chosen path. Until Mr. Sexy Bazillionaire CEO Gregory Ryans walked into my life. It was only supposed to be business, but one brush of his wicked lips against my skin changed everything. I can’t deny what this man inspires in me. I’ll do anything he asks, even help destroy the enemies from his past. But he’s hiding more than he's telling me.

Toby Ellis was looking after his four-month-old nephew, Derek Ellis. He nipped into his local newsagents, leaving the pram outside. Toby claimed he left the child for no longer than two minutes - but during this time, little Derek was abducted. Six days later the baby’s body was discovered, buried in a nearby wooded area. No one was ever charged with the murder, and the case has remained ongoing. As part of their final media degree assessment, three university students decide to make a podcast about the cold case which happened in Colecastle 14 years ago.

Aspiring writer Mab has hit rock bottom. She's stuck in a dead-end job, her landlord's on the warpath and her love life is in tatters. But just as she makes a life-changing decision, fate chooses to deliver the man she's been waiting for. Leo has inherited a crumbling old shop in the heart of their sleepy market town and plans to turn it into a cosy haven of books and chocolate – and he wants Mab's help. Soon, Mab finds herself swept up by gorgeous Leo's enthusiasm for the renovation, despite his disapproving, glamorous fiancée.

Sophy Pemberton is struggling to cope with the pressures of becoming a new mother. Her nine-month-old son never settles in her arms, and the unrelenting tiredness from late-night feeds is all consuming. So, when Liv Granger from the mother and baby group offers her services as a nanny, Sophy is overcome with relief. Now she can finally get some sleep. She can stop failing at being a mother. But Liv has a secret. She didn’t become Sophy’s nanny by accident.

Simple and sincere, this retelling of the Christmas story is perfect for children under five, introducing them to a classic story and its message of love. This audiobook tells little children about all the events of the nativity: the angels' visits to Mary and Joseph, the journey to Bethlehem, the shepherds and the angels, the wise men's travels and encounter with Herod, and Mary and Joseph's care for the baby that would grow up to show the world God's love.

Robin and Kessie have been best friends since childhood when their families fractured. Now, in their mid-thirties, they are keen to have children themselves, but each faces daunting obstacles. In stepping up to support each other, they begin to negotiate unconventional routes towards motherhood, challenging assumptions about ‘normal’ family relationships along the way.

Frances is finally about to see her dreams realized as Marcus finally returns from the war. But the threat of her father-in-law and a much-changed Marcus, leave Frances in a perilous situation. Emily’s lie has trapped her in a new future. She lives in a big house and has a job she loves. But it could all come tumbling down around her if her shocking secret is ever revealed? Alice believes Daniel will return home to her, but if he does, will he be the same man he was if he does survive?

Maternity leave isn't an obstacle to your career - it's an opportunity to create the working life you've always wanted. Becoming a mum is a life-changing experience, but it changes every life in a different way. Some of us can't wait to get back to work, others can't even face the thought of it. Some of us would love to be home as a full-time mum for the baby, toddler, and preschool years, and others are planning to start and grow a business in that time.

When Princess Florizella finds a baby boy delivered by stork to her parents’ palace, she is shocked to discover that he will one day be king and inherit her kingdom! For every prince is given a permit which allows them to do whatever they like in the same way that every princess is given a set of rules that they have to live by. As soon as Princess Florizella’s brother is big enough to have adventures, she takes him all over the land. Can she prove that girls having rules and boys having permits isn’t right?

Jenny Many is an exuberant, lovable 10-year-old with a nose for intrigue and an eye for a mystery. She is bold, fearless, and enthusiastic, as well as bags of fun to be around! Together with her best friends Hannah, Ella, and Dylan, Jenny unearths crimes, rights wrongs, and makes a host of nail-biting new discoveries.

Whether it’s going to the loo for the first time, dealing with the loss of bladder control, managing leaking boobs that look scarily like a botched pair of implants, fearing the act of s-e-x, dealing with an upsetting diagnosis, or coping with boredom and gut-wrenching guilt...Afterwards dives into the many unfamiliar pockets of life post-birth.

Penguin presents the audio download edition of Ladybird Favourite Fairy Tales read by Gemma Whelan and Nigel Pilkington. Listen to eight traditional, captivating fairy tales in this gorgeous audio treasury from Ladybird. Each classic tale has been retold for young readers and is perfect for your...

A determined girl gives up on kissing a frog. A fearless heroine comes face-to-face with a not-so Big Bad Wolf. A monstrous princess, held captive on a deserted island, yearns to break free. Within this book are seven famous fairy tales turned into enchanting, inspiring and sometimes hair-raising stories for today's world, about girls with their own dreams and desires. These are no damsels in distress, but real young women of flesh and blood — who certainly don't need rescuing.

Twin sisters Lily and Daisy Kennedy live a life ruled by their controlling father, Des. Desperate to salvage his own shattered dreams, he forces his girls to perform in seedy London club, Eden's, in the hopes they will finally hit the big time. Their double act instantly pulls in the punters, but in the shadow of the spotlights, danger lurks. Lily, the golden girl, is stressed out by their new life, but rebellious Daisy relishes the freedom and excitement it brings.