A Glimpse at Happiness by Jean Fullerton

"A real page-turner with larger-than-life characters and convincing period detail." —Daily Express
"Well-written and highly atmospheric." —Daily Mail

Step into the gritty, vibrant, and unforgiving streets of nineteenth-century London. The highly anticipated second chapter in Jean Fullerton's acclaimed East End Nolan Family saga, "A Glimpse at Happiness," delivers a rich historical romance filled with deep secrets, changing fortunes, and intense emotional suspense. After twelve long years in America, Josie O'Casey returns to her roots in London's docklands. She is overjoyed to discover that her childhood sweetheart, Patrick Nolan—a man she had long mourned as dead—is alive and well. However, her sudden wave of joy is brutally cut short when she realizes that Patrick now belongs to another.

Heartbroken, Josie tries to distance herself from her past and adjust to her new reality. But the East End of her youth has drastically changed. While she vividly remembers her poverty-stricken upbringing, her family's social standing has vastly improved during their time away, transforming her into an refined lady. This shift sparks bitter resentment among those who stayed behind in the slums. Caught between two completely different social classes, Josie finds herself helplessly drawn back to her old haunts—and back into Patrick's arms. Just as a small ray of hope appears for the star-crossed lovers, their final chance at true joy is threatened by the terrifying Ma Tugman, a ruthless matriarch ruling a vast, dangerous criminal empire from a squalid dockland pub. Now, Josie must decide if she is willing to sacrifice everything she owns for the only man she has ever loved.