The Fitzgeralds of Dublin Books

Can an idealistic young doctor and a fallen woman find love when Victorian society believes they should not? Dublin, Ireland, 1880. Tired of treating rich hypochondriacs, Dr Will Fitzgerald left his father’s medical practice and his home on Merrion Square to live and practice medicine in the Liberties. His parents were appalled and his fiancée broke off their engagement. But when Will spends a night in a brothel on the eve of his best friend’s wedding, little does he know that the scarred and disgraced young woman he meets there will alter the course of his life. Isobel Stevens was schooled to be a lady, but a seduction put an end to all her father’s hopes for her. Disowned, she left Co Galway for Dublin and fell into prostitution. On the advice of a handsome young doctor, she leaves the brothel and enters domestic service. But can Isobel escape her past and adapt to life and the chance of love on Merrion Square? Or will she always be seen as a scarlet woman? Please note that this novel contains sexually explicit and sensitive content and is intended for readers aged eighteen and over.

Can Will and Isobel hold the Fitzgeralds together when tragedy and betrayal threaten to tear the family apart? Dublin, Ireland, 1881. Will and Isobel Fitzgerald settle into number 30 Fitzwilliam Square, a home they could once only have dreamed of. A baby is on the way, Will takes over the Merrion Street Upper medical practice from his father and they are financially secure. But when Will is handed a letter from his elder brother, Edward, stationed with the army in India, the revelations it contains only serves to further alienate Will from his father. Isobel is eager to adapt to married life on Fitzwilliam Square but soon realises her past can never be laid to rest. The night she met Will in a brothel on the eve of his best friend's wedding has devastating and far-reaching consequences which will change the lives of the Fitzgerald family forever.

Can Will and Isobel right the wrongs of the past without hurting those closest to them? Dublin, Ireland, 1881. Isobel Fitzgerald’s mother, Martha, marries solicitor James Ellison but an unexpected guest overshadows their wedding day. Martha’s father is dying and he is determined to clear his conscience before it is too late. Lewis Greene’s confession ensures the Ellisons’ expectation of a quiet married life is gone and that Isobel’s elder brother, Alfie Stevens, will be the recipient of an unwelcome inheritance. When a bewildering engagement notice is published in The Irish Times , the name of one of the persons concerned sends Will and Isobel on a race against time across Dublin and forces them to break a promise and reveal a closely guarded secret.

Can Will and Isobel bury their differences with those estranged from them and unite in a time of crisis or are some rifts too deep to heal? Dublin, Ireland, September 1883. The rift between the Fitzgeralds deepens when Will’s father threatens legal action to gain visiting rights to his three grandchildren. But Will, Isobel and John are brought unexpectedly together by Will’s mother when Sarah’s increasingly erratic behaviour spirals beyond their control. Isobel is reunited with a ghost from her past unearthing memories she would rather have kept buried while the fragile marriage of convenience orchestrated by John becomes more and more brittle before it snaps with horrifying consequences. Please note that this novel contains sensitive content and is intended for readers aged eighteen and over.

Can Will and Isobel prevent events of the past from influencing the present and future? Dublin, Ireland, October 1885. The fragile peace within the Fitzgerald family is threatened when Dr Jacob Smythe becomes one of Will’s patients, angering his mother. But in attending to the elderly gentleman’s needs, Will inadvertently reunites Sarah with an old adversary and Isobel discovers she and Dr Smythe have an unexpected and tragic connection. When Alfie receives a card on his twenty-ninth birthday, the recognisable handwriting and cryptic message shatters his hard-won personal contentment. Has a figure hoped long gone from his life returned to Dublin to wreak a cruel mischief on all those who banished him? Is Alfie’s ambition of becoming a doctor about to be derailed when he has less than a year left at Trinity College?

Can Will and Isobel help two old friends to overcome their fear and start afresh? Dublin, Ireland, September 1886. Will is reacquainted with his former fiancée when his father’s close friend Dr Ken Wilson dies suddenly. On finding they have received the only invitation to the Wilson residence after the funeral, the Fitzgeralds witness the tensions between Cecilia, her mother and her in-laws and discover her hidden motive for wanting them present. When Isobel is reunited with an old friend from Ballybeg, his shame at what he has done to survive hampers her attempts to bring him and Alfie together again. With an empty life and low expectations, can Peter regain his self-respect or are he and Alfie destined to be alone? Please note that this novel contains medical terminology of the time.

Can Will and Isobel honour John’s dying wishes? Dublin, Ireland, July 1887. The city is struggling in a seemingly never-ending heatwave and Will receives devastating news from his father. John has only months to live but his dying wishes leave Will reeling. With the Fitzgeralds suddenly facing money worries, some difficult decisions must be made. Can Will and John repair their complicated relationship before it’s too late? When a tragic accident brings unexpected truths to light, Isobel discovers a forgotten life intertwined with her grandmother’s. Nothing can prepare her for Lily’s story but will learning of their families’ pasts bring Isobel peace or further heartbreak?

Can Will and Isobel rally everyone around and confront an epidemic? Dublin, Ireland, December 1889. Will celebrates his fortieth birthday as reports reach Dublin of a mysterious illness in faraway St Petersburg. As Russian influenza sweeps through Europe and reaches Dublin, Will and Isobel must put their lives on hold and confront the epidemic. When Bob declared his love for Sarah, it couldn’t have come at a worse time, but he kept his word and stayed away from her. Two years have passed since John’s death, and Sarah has adapted well to widowhood, but she never mentions Bob. With Sarah’s life on Merrion Square, and Bob’s life in the Liberties, can they have a future together, or did Sarah simply view Bob as a pleasant distraction?

Can Will and Isobel find hope in the face of tragedy and uncertainty? Dublin, Ireland, June 1891. The Fitzgeralds are eagerly anticipating their summer holiday when Jerry Hawley’s mother dies unexpectedly. While Will travels to London to break the news to his friend, Isobel grapples with shocking incidents at Marianne Pearson’s school, setting off a chain of events that has tragic consequences. When Margaret Simpson’s illness emerges, it serves as a stark prediction of what lies ahead. Caring for Margaret, both now and in the future, will exact a heavy toll, emotionally and financially. Heartrending decisions loom as Mrs Dawson confronts the possibility of living where she and her ailing daughter are not welcome. Will circumstances force them to take up residence where their presence is met with hostility?