The Way Up — Mollie Hardwick

A nostalgic tale of love and ambition! Perfect for fans of Barbara Taylor Bradford, Catherine Cookson, Margaret Powell and Kate Morton. An ambitious young woman seeks her fortune in London... London, 1900 When Louisa Leyton sets out to become a cook in a grand London household, she never imagines that one day she'll be cooking dinner for a prince... Denied an education, she's been in service since the age of twelve. But when a longed-for opportunity finally presents itself, soon her culinary skills are the talk of London. And although relationships are the last thing on her mind, suddenly Louisa is the object of attention from wealthy and powerful men. Men like the butler Augustus Trotter, the Honourable Charles Tyrrell, her employer's nephew ... and even Edward, Prince of Wales. And when the prince makes it clear it's more than just Louisa's cooking he's interested in, she's faced with a moral dilemma. For the sake of her career she enters into an unusual arrangement with the prince, at the same time embarking on a loveless marriage with Trotter for propriety's sake. But the union is not a happy one - even when Louisa purchases the Bentinck Hotel, hoping the venture will give her husband a purpose in life. And when the marriage goes from bad to worse, suddenly Louisa's whole livelihood is at stake... Can Louisa carry on alone? Can she swallow her pride and accept the help she so desperately needs? Or is everything she's worked for about to come crashing down around her? THE WAY UP is the first book in The Duchess of Duke Street series, which was based on the hit BBC television series, and is a set of three compelling historical novels featuring a strong and fearless heroine. THE DUCHESS OF DUKE STREET SAGA SERIES: BOOK 1: The Way UpBOOK 2: The Golden YearsBOOK 3: The World Keeps Turning