The Cowgirl Nanny is the perfect heart-warming read, with characters who’ll live with me for a very long time.

Writing as Maisie Thomas, Susanna Bavin excels at creating incredibly well researched novels of female friendship during the Second World War, and this book is no exception.

If you read only one First World War saga this year – make it Wartime on Sanctuary Lane.

More absolute brilliance from one of my favourite authors.

My, but this book is good. It treads in so many places where angels would fear to, tripping across difficult and heart-breaking issues with just the right weight of feet.

Cass Grafton’s love for Cornwall shines through in her portrayal of the village, which is the perfect virtual West Country escape without going anywhere near the M5.

I was so completely absorbed in the world of the Oregon Trail in the 1840s that I could hear the creak of the wagons, smell saddle leather and horses.

This book, this wonderful book, is absolute perfection. Spare, taut, yet rich in detail, it builds layer on layer, each scene perfectly crafted and tensioned. The incredibly talented Claire Dyer at her absolute best.

Alexandra Walsh’s best book yet, with strong echoes between the timelines. The history is impeccably researched, bringing an entirely new angle to The Gunpowder Plot, and how it might have played out for the women behind the scenes.

No chiselled macho matinee idol here, but a genuine guy, battered by life but with a heart that’s still open to the world.