Shamwell Tales

Bow ties are cool…but secrets, not so much. Behind Robert Emeny's cheerfully eccentric exterior lies a young heart battered and bruised by his past. He's taken a job in a village primary school to make a fresh start, and love isn't part of his plans. But then he's knocked for six - literally - by a chance encounter with the uncle of two of his pupils. Sean Grant works in pest control, lives on a council estate, and rides a motorbike. Robert is an ex–public schoolboy from a posh family who drives a classic car. On the face of it, they shouldn't have anything in common. Yet Robert can't resist Sean's roguish grin, and passion sparks between them even after an excruciatingly embarrassing first date. Too bad the past Robert's hiding from is about to come looking for him. His increasingly ludicrous efforts to keep his secrets are pushing Sean away - but telling the truth could make Sean leave him for good.

All the world's a stage…but life doesn't come with a script. Posh boy Tristan Goldsmith has one last summer of freedom before he joins the family firm in New York - no more farting around on stage, as his father puts it. But the classically trained actor can't resist when the Shamwell Amateur Dramatics Society begs him to take a leading role in their production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. As an added incentive, he'll be giving private acting lessons to a gorgeous local handyman who's been curiously resistant to Tristan's advances. As a late-diagnosed dyslexic still struggling with literacy, Con Izzard's never dared to act before. With arrogant yet charming Tristan helping him with his lines, he finally has his chance to shine. But Con's determined not to start a romance with a man he's convinced only wants a casual fling. Tristan's never been one to back down from a challenge, especially when he realises his attraction to the tall, muscular handyman isn't just physical. Just as he thinks he's finally won Con's heart - and given his own in return - disaster strikes with a slip of the tongue that shatters Con's trust and sends him running for cover. This show may be over before the curtains even opened.

When love wars with principle, which one will win? Mark Nugent has spent his life in the closet - at least, the small portion of it he hasn't spent in the office. Determined to make amends to his neglected teenage daughter from a failed marriage, Mark swears off work - and love - so he can give her a stable home environment. But Mark's resolve to keep his heart under wraps is tested when he meets an out and proud young man he's instantly drawn to. Patrick Owen is a charity worker with strong principles. He doesn't trust easily, but he's blown away by his attraction for the older man who's so new to his own sexuality. Yet Mark is adamant he's not coming out to his daughter - and Patrick refuses to live a lie. What with Mark's old-fashioned attitudes and his flirtatious ex-colleague who's determined to come between them, Patrick begins to wonder if they'll ever be on the same page. And when Mark's career as a tax advisor clashes with Patrick's social conscience, sparks really start to fly - in all the wrong ways.