Unexpected Blessings

The new blockbuster from one of the world's greatest storytellers delves into the life of Emma Harte�the original Woman of Substance�and the ambitious, passionate, and volatile women of the next generations. Evan Hughes , Emma's American great-granddaughter, is trying to integrate into the powerful Harte family. She is caught between her estranged parents, her new family, and new love. But a dangerous enemy hovers in the background. Tessa Longden , Evan's cousin, is battling her husband for custody of their daughter, Adele. When Adele suddenly goes missing, Tessa is forced to seek help from her half-sister Linnet�a woman who has been her rival all their lives. Linnet , the most brilliant businesswoman of the four great-granddaughters, is desperately trying to show that she is the natural heir to her mother, Paula. But her glittering future at the helm of the vast Harte empire means many sacrifices, perhaps even the loss of her sister�s fragile trust. India Standish , the traditionalist in the family, falls in love with a famous British artist from a working-class background. Madly in love, India is determined to marry him, no matter what her family thinks. Evan, Tessa, Linnet, and *India *: four extraordinary women. Three generations of Hartes. One indomitable family whose loyalty binds them together and whose enemies want to tear them apart. From Publishers Weekly Emma Harte, the redoubtable heroine of veteran novelist Bradford's 1976 bestseller, A Woman of Substance, has been dead for 30 years, but she's still a player in the continuing family saga. Her pronouncements and unwritten rules are well remembered by all the descendants in the dynasty and business empire she founded. This installment begins where Emma's Secret (2004) left off, with Evan Hughes, the young visitor from the U.S., obtaining a dream job in fashion at the renowned London department store, Harte's, and beginning a romance with Gideon Harte, heir apparent to the family newspaper enterprise. In the previous volume, Evan learned that her own father was the illegitimate child of another Harte scion (making Evan and Gideon cousins a few times removed), and now she wonders whether she should divulge this secret to her father, who is soon to arrive in London. A true crisis distracts her, however: the disappearance of three-year-old Adele, adored daughter of store manager Tessa, one of Emma's great-grandchildren. Linnet, Tessa's half-sister and sometimes business rival, comes to the rescue and Adele soon reappears, but tensions between the sisters persist. Meanwhile, Linnet's cousin India has fallen in love with a painter from a working-class background, and India must battle her family's disapproval. The exploits and adventures of Bradford's indomitable heroines continue to make for lusty escapist fiction in this robust fifth novel in the series. Copyright � Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From Booklist Bradford continues the saga of the descendants of Emma Harte, the heroine of A Woman of Substance (1979), in this follow-up to Emma's Secret (2004), which saw American Evan Hughes travel to England to work for Harte's department stores, only to learn she herself is actually related to the legendary matriarch. Evan has to tell her father, who is wary of the upper-class Hartes and everything they represent, about her engagement to Gideon Harte, one of Emma's descendants. Evan's cousin, Tessa, is contending with problems of her own: her young daughter was snatched from the grounds of her home. Her soon-to-be ex-husband, Mark, who is playing hardball in the divorce proceedings, is the one who took her and is dead-set on joint custody, something Tessa opposes. Another cousin, India, learns that her boyfriend, sexy artist Dusty, has a few secrets of his own when his ex-girlfriend bursts into his apartment and stabs him. And, before the novel ends, another secret about the past is discovered. Fans of Bradford's long-running Harte saga will no doubt be happy with this lively new chapter in the lives of the clan. Kristine Huntley Copyright � American Library Association. All rights reserved The great-grandaughters of Emma Harte, the heroine of A Woman of Substance and Emma's Secret, follow in her legendary footsteps... The great-grandaughters of Emma Harte, the heroine of A WOMAN OF SUBSTANCE and EMMA'S SECRET, follow in her legendary footsteps... Evan Hughes, Emma's American great-grandaughter, is trying to integrate into the powerful Harte family. She is caught between her estranged parents, her new family, and new love. Meanwhile a dangerous enemy hovers in the background. Tessa Longden, Evan's cousin, is battling her husband for custody of their daughter, Adele. When Adele suddenly goes missing, Tessa seeks her sister Linnet's help. Linnet O'Neill, the most brilliant businesswoman of the four great-granddaughters, shows that she is the natural heir to her mother, Paula. But her glittering future at the helm of the vast Harte empire means many sacrifices. India Standish, the traditionalist in the family, falls in love with a famous British artist from a working-class background. Madly in love, India is determined to marry him. When Evan discovers letters from Emma Harte to her grandmother, the story is swept back to the 1950s. In the post-war boom years Emma builds her business empire, using a combination of determination and sheer nerve, and she embarks on a relationship with a handsome acquaintance from the war years. But it is the revelations in Emma's letters to her grandmother that give Evan a new perspective and help to set her free from her own past. This latest dramatic story in the on-going saga of an extraordinary family dynasty is full of love, passion and jealousy and is Barbara Taylor Bradford at her inimitable best. The new blockbuster from one of the world's greatest storytellers continues the legacy of A Woman of Substance.The great-grandaughters of Emma Harte, the heroine of A WOMAN OF SUBSTANCE and EMMA'S SECRET, follow in her legendary footsteps...Evan Hughes, Emma's American great-grandaughter, is trying to integrate into the powerful Harte family. She is caught between her estranged parents, her new family, and new love. Meanwhile a dangerous enemy hovers in the background.Tessa Longden, Evan's cousin, is battling her husband for custody of their daughter, Adele. When Adele suddenly goes missing, Tessa seeks her sister Linnet's help.Linnet O'Neill, the most brilliant businesswoman of the four great-granddaughters, is the natural heir to her mother, Paula. But her glittering future at the helm of the vast Harte empire means many sacrifices.India Standish, the traditionalist in the family, falls in love with a famous British artist from a working-class background. Madly in love, India is determined to marry him.When Evan discovers letters from Emma Harte to her grandmother, the story is swept back to the 1950s. But it is the revelations in Emma's letters to her grandmother that give Evan a new perspective and help to set her free from her own past.This latest dramatic story in the on-going saga of an extraordinary family dynasty is full of love, passion and jealousy and is Barbara Taylor Bradford at her inimitable best. Linnet, Tessa, India, and Evan: four remarkable women. Three generations of Hartes. One indomitable family whose loyalty binds them together and whose enemies want to tear them apart. In Emma's Secret, American Evan Hughes came to London and discovered that she's a part of the Harte family. Now, in Unexpected blessings, Evan faces a difficult choice: should she tell her father the truth of their heritage? By keeping secrets, does she jeopardize her newfound love? As conflict and danger swirl around the Harte women, someone is pulling the strings to make sure none of them find happiness. Who among them will rise to the challenges as only a true Harte can do?