A sweet scavenging orphan. Shady dangerous dockland deals. And a secret love shining a Christmas light in the darkness…

It is 1861. On the docks of England, the promise of Christmas seems distant, drowned out by the clinking coins of wartime trade. The distant American Civil War casts its long shadow of prosperity and poverty across the ocean.

But while Liverpool’s merchants thrive the working class suffers. Amidst this bustling backdrop of shady deals and profiteering, Hester Grace, an orphaned young woman, ekes out a living by scavenging the Albert Dock’s treasures.

All the while her heart belongs to Robert Burrows, a dockland baker promised to another’s love.

Hester’s affection remains a well-guarded secret until the fateful night she stumbles upon a treacherous truth that could shatter the man she adores. In a city where power brokers stop at nothing to protect their interests, Hester faces an agonising choice.

Should she bury her feelings and watch Robert walk into danger’s embrace? Or will this humble orphan girl dare to challenge the consuming darkness that threatens them all?

Enter a Christmas saga filled with passion, secrets, and tough moral choices, where love and loyalty collide in the grimy docklands of Victorian England.

A heart-wrenching Christmas romance that will keep you eagerly turning the pages all the way to a tear-jerking happy ever after.