Sophie Barnes Popular Books

Sophie Barnes Biography & Facts

Syco Entertainment is a British media entertainment and production company, headquartered in London, founded and owned by British entrepreneur and record executive Simon Cowell. The company focuses on TV production. The company was formed in 2005 through Sony Music Entertainment entering a joint venture by purchasing Cowell's shares of his record label S Records and television company Syco Television. In 2009, Sony and Cowell entered a joint venture agreement that covered the joint ownership of Syco's television formats, which include the Got Talent and The X Factor franchises. Until 2020, the company operated television and music projects with Sony Music labels around the world and television production company Fremantle. It employs a staff of more than 50 in offices in London and Los Angeles, and manages a string of television and music brands through partnerships with the label Sony Music and the television production company. Retail billionaire Sir Philip Green, a close friend of Cowell, served as an advisor to the company until 2018. Through its divisions: Music, Film and TV, Syco has produced the Got Talent and The X Factor franchises which encompassed local versions in numerous countries and have launched the careers of One Direction, Leona Lewis, Little Mix, Susan Boyle and Fifth Harmony amongst others. Syco have also been instrumental in the careers of artists not originating from its franchises, including Il Divo and Westlife. It has also produced films such as One Direction: This Is Us (2013) and The X Factor parody musical, I Can't Sing! (2014). In July 2020, Cowell bought Sony Music's stake in Syco Entertainment, with exception for Syco Music. The record label and its artists and back catalogue were retained by Sony Music and subsequently absorbed. TV rights and assets were transferred to the newly created Syco Entertainment Ltd, which is owned 100% by Cowell. Formation and history Cowell founded S Records whilst employed by BMG back in 2004. The label oversaw music by Robson & Jerome, Five, Westlife and Teletubbies. A year later, BMG, now named Sony BMG, bought Cowell's share in both Syco Music and Syco Television. In 2010, a new company was formed as a 50/50 partnership between Cowell and Sony Music, keeping the name Syco but titled as Syco Entertainment. In 2015, it was announced that the Syco Entertainment joint venture would be extended for a further 6 years. Retail Billionaire Sir Philip Green, a close friend of Cowell, served as an advisor to the company until 2018.It was initially divided into three units: Syco Music, SYCOtv and Syco Film. A few years later in July 2020, it was announced that Cowell had agreed to buy out Sony Music's stake in the company, with Sony Music retaining the company's artist roster and catalogue. Operations Syco's television operations were founded originally as SYCOtv, primarily operating in the UK and US with key franchises The X Factor and Got Talent. It was launched by Simon Cowell in 2003. Following Cowell's purchase of Sony Music Entertainment's stake in the business in 2020, Cowell went on to expand his existing TV arrangements with NBCUniversal in 2021. The new deal will see a range of non-scripted series for the streaming service Peacock developed (though this does not include Walk the Line). As part of the deal, Cowell will appear as a judge on AGT: Extreme, a spin-off from America's Got Talent. The X Factor The X Factor, which launched in September 2004, was one of the most popular television shows in the UK. Syco and Fremantle Media launched The X Factor USA in September 2011, which averaged 12 million viewers and a 4.0 rating in the adults 18–49 demographic in its first season, leading FOX to nightly wins on Wednesdays and Thursdays and topping all other fall season reality competition.Internationally, The X Factor is produced individually in 41 countries including major markets like France, the Netherlands, Indonesia and Australia. Additionally, The X Factor USA is screened in 166 countries around the world. Got Talent Britain's Got Talent consistently tops UK ratings when it is broadcast in April, May and June. In 2009, nearly 20 million people (approximately one third of the UK population) tuned into the series 3 final to see Diversity crowned winners.America's Got Talent matched a series high 4.6 rating amongst adults 18–49 in the summer of 2011 for its sixth season. Since launching in 2006, America's Got Talent has consistently been the most watched show of the summer in the US and topped the ratings in the key adults 18–49 demographic. Other projects Syco produces other shows outside its key brands. In 2011, ITV series Red or Black? was met with mixed reaction. Syco were also behind American Inventor which ran for two seasons on ABC and the unsuccessful Celebrity Duets on Fox. In addition to its major formats, Syco also produces entertainment specials. This includes I Dreamed a Dream: The Susan Boyle Story, which broke ratings records in the US on TV Guide network and scored 10 million viewers on ITV in the UK. In 2013, Syco and Optomen launched ITV series Food Glorious Food, which aired on Wednesday evenings in the UK. Syco Entertainment were the executive producers of the film One Direction: This Is Us from director Morgan Spurlock, which follows the life of pop sensations One Direction. The band had come third in the 2010 UK X Factor series, before being signed to Syco.In January 2013, Syco set up a new London-based television division called Over The Top Productions. This production company was run by Syco's Global Head of Television, Nigel Hall, and would be responsible for formats such as ITV's Rolling In It.In July 2016, The Investigator: A British Crime Story was a co-production between Syco & ITV which was broadcast for four consecutive weeks on ITV at 9pm. The series was inspired by Simons Cowell's interest in the crime series Making a Murder, and the Jinx. The Investigator: A British Crime Story was broadcast globally via Netflix until 21 August 2021. The series looked in to the murder of Carole Packman who disappeared from her family home in Bournemouth in June 1985. Carole's husband, Russell Causley was convicted of her murder in 1996 and again in 2004 following a successful appeal. You Generation In March 2013, Syco in partnership with YouTube, launched The You Generation channel which is listed as the 'world's first global audition'. La Banda In May 2014, Syco and Univision announced an upcoming TV show called La Banda which will focus on searching contestants from Hispanic America to find the "ultimate Latino boy band" with the winner receiving a recording contract for Sony Music Latin and Syco. I Can't Sing! 2014 saw Syco launch I Can't Sing!, a parody musical based on The X Factor. After technical issues and poor critical reception, the show was pulled from the West End of London less than two months after it opened. Cowell later said of the venture that occasio.... Discover the Sophie Barnes popular books. Find the top 100 most popular Sophie Barnes books.

Best Seller Sophie Barnes Books of 2024

  • The Secrets Of Colchester Hall synopsis, comments

    The Secrets Of Colchester Hall

    Sophie Barnes

    As one of six possible candidates vying for Viscount Sterling's hand, Lady Angelica has been invited to stay at his grand manor for a weeklong house party. But an unpleasant feelin...

  • Only the Valet Will Do synopsis, comments

    Only the Valet Will Do

    Sophie Barnes

    A fated love destined to test their devotion…When Lady Lilliana gets stuck in a hole and Mr. Tristan Henley comes to her rescue, sparks immediately fly. Unfortunately, instead of b...

  • A Duke for Miss Townsbridge synopsis, comments

    A Duke for Miss Townsbridge

    Sophie Barnes

    She threatens to conquer his heart…When Matthew Donovan, Duke of Brunswick, proposes to Sarah Townsbridge, she's shocked. After all, she's never met him before. One thing is clear ...

  • A Tainted Heart Bleeds synopsis, comments

    A Tainted Heart Bleeds

    Sophie Barnes

    He'll never forgive her deception, or the hold she still has on his heart…Adrian Croft's worst fear has been realized. His wife, the sweet woman who swept past his every defense, i...

  • Her Scottish Scoundrel synopsis, comments

    Her Scottish Scoundrel

    Sophie Barnes

    Destined for the hangman's noose, love is a dream he cannot afford...When Blayne MacNeil agrees to be Miss Charlotte Russell's bodyguard, he doesn't expect her to expand the job de...

  • The Earl Who Loved Her synopsis, comments

    The Earl Who Loved Her

    Sophie Barnes

    A chance meeting…Eve Potter can hardly wait to arrive at Amberly Hall for the Christmas season! The hope is that she will make a match with an eligible gentleman. But as fate would...

  • More Than A Rogue synopsis, comments

    More Than A Rogue

    Sophie Barnes

    All she wanted was a kiss…What she got, was fiery passion…Emily Howard knows she is destined to be a spinster. She has accepted this fate, but that doesn't stop her from wanting to...

  • The Roguish Baron synopsis, comments

    The Roguish Baron

    Sophie Barnes

    When a rakish scoundrel decides to pursue the woman he loves in this friends to lovers Regency romance, he risks his father's disapproval...and the consequence this will have on hi...

  • The Duke Who Came to Town synopsis, comments

    The Duke Who Came to Town

    Sophie Barnes

    She doesn’t want to be a kept woman…Josephine Potter knows she must retain her employment to provide for her younger sisters and to maintain the house.  While a young woman wo...

  • The Appeal synopsis, comments

    The Appeal

    Janice Hallett

    INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER Named a Best Book of 2022 by The New York Times, Air Mail, and more!“[W]itty, original…a delight.” The New York TimesPerfect for fans of Ruth Ware and Lisa...

  • Christmas At Thorncliff Manor synopsis, comments

    Christmas At Thorncliff Manor

    Sophie Barnes

    More than love is in the air …Join the Heartly family as they return to Thorncliff Manor for the holiday season where four sisters and four very handsome, very eligible bachelors, ...

  • The Forgotten Duke synopsis, comments

    The Forgotten Duke

    Sophie Barnes

    He never imagined he'd be the man he was born to be, or that one woman's faith in him would change his life forever…When Carlton Guthrie, the Scoundrel of St. Giles, encounter...

  • The Formidable Earl synopsis, comments

    The Formidable Earl

    Sophie Barnes

    He's breaking the rules for one woman, and coming dangerously close to falling in love…Simon Nugent, Earl of Fielding, knows he's flawed. He's arrogant, possessive, and haunted by ...

  • The Love That Saved Him synopsis, comments

    The Love That Saved Him

    Sophie Barnes

    He needed escape…Suffering from the recent loss of his wife, Pierce Jackson leaves behind his corporate job in New York City and heads to the Klondike. There he meets Sarah Palmer ...

  • Her Seafaring Scoundrel synopsis, comments

    Her Seafaring Scoundrel

    Sophie Barnes

    The last thing she wants is a husband…Least of all one determined to win her heart…Lady Cassandra has no desire to marry. But when Captain Devlin Crawford brings scandal to her doo...

  • How Miss Rutherford Got Her Groove Back synopsis, comments

    How Miss Rutherford Got Her Groove Back

    Sophie Barnes

    Emily Rutherford is having a very bad day. Of course, having the man you’ve loved forever announce his engagement to your (now very former) best friend will do that.Emily is sure n...

  • The Castle in the Pyrenees synopsis, comments

    The Castle in the Pyrenees

    Jostein Gaarder

    Two former lovers are brought back together ... but can they really trust their pasts? The new novel from the bestselling author of SOPHIE'S WORLD.Through five intense years in the...

  • They Were Like Family to Me synopsis, comments

    They Were Like Family to Me

    Helen Maryles Shankman

    Finalist for the 2017 Story Prize Honorable Mention in the 2017 ALA Sophie Brody Medal for achievement in Jewish Literature“An absolutely dazzling triumph…A singularly inventive co...

  • An Unexpected Temptation synopsis, comments

    An Unexpected Temptation

    Sophie Barnes

    No other woman compares…Six years ago, Athena Townsbridge broke up a wedding. This worked out well for her brother and the lady he loved, but Athena has never forgiven herself for ...

  • The World According to Anna synopsis, comments

    The World According to Anna

    Jostein Gaarder & Donald Bartlett

    When fifteenyearold Anna begins receiving messages from another time, her parents take her to the doctor. But he can find nothing wrong; in fact he believes there may be some truth...

  • The Honorable Scoundrels Trilogy synopsis, comments

    The Honorable Scoundrels Trilogy

    Sophie Barnes

    Please note that this book is a compilation of three previously published novellas: The Governess Who Captured His Heart, The Earl Who Loved Her and The Duke Who Came To Town ...

  • When Love Leads To Scandal synopsis, comments

    When Love Leads To Scandal

    Sophie Barnes

    Two people fated to be together…Recently engaged to the Earl of Langdon, Lady Bethany is content with the knowledge that she's made a wonderful match for herself. Until a chance en...

  • The Shooting Party synopsis, comments

    The Shooting Party

    Anton Chekhov & Ronald Wilks

    When a young woman dies during a shooting party at the country estate of a dissolute count, a magistrate is called upon to investigate. The mystery deepens and suspicion falls mo...

  • The Secret Life of Lady Lucinda synopsis, comments

    The Secret Life of Lady Lucinda

    Sophie Barnes

    Lord William finally meets his match in the latest Summersby Tale from Sophie Barnes, author of How Miss Rutherford Got Her Groove Back.Lucy Blackwell is desperate, reckless, and m...

  • No Ordinary Duke synopsis, comments

    No Ordinary Duke

    Sophie Barnes

    He's everything she's trying to avoid…But somehow precisely what she needs…Caleb Crawford doesn't want to be a duke. He'd much rather build houses for a living. So when fate disrup...

  • The Duke of Her Desire synopsis, comments

    The Duke of Her Desire

    Sophie Barnes

    He was only supposed to keep an eye on his friend’s sister . . . now he’s about to lose his heart . . .When Thomas Heathmore, Duke of Coventry, agrees to steer his friend’s inexper...

  • A Christmas Carol and Other Christmas Writings synopsis, comments

    A Christmas Carol and Other Christmas Writings

    Charles Dickens

    'Every idiot who goes about with "Merry Christmas" on his lips, should be boiled with his own pudding'Dickens's story of solitary miser Ebenezer Scrooge, who is taught the true me...

  • The Illegitimate Duke synopsis, comments

    The Illegitimate Duke

    Sophie Barnes

    United in a common cause…Lady Juliette Matthews longs to be much more than just another pretty ornament in society. But using her recently acquired fortune to do some good is more ...

  • The Dishonored Viscount synopsis, comments

    The Dishonored Viscount

    Sophie Barnes

    He knows he doesn't deserve her, yet he can't get her out of his mind…Stripped of his title because of a crime his father committed, Marcus Berkly has struggled to find a new place...

  • The Europeans synopsis, comments

    The Europeans

    Henry James & Andrew Taylor

    one of a series of new editions of Henry James's most famous short stories and novels.

  • Sealed with a Yuletide Kiss synopsis, comments

    Sealed with a Yuletide Kiss

    Sophie Barnes

    Allow yourself to be swept away as you count down to Christmas with this collection of twentyfour romantic short stories. From friends to lovers and instant romance to secret ident...

  • A Vengeful King Rises synopsis, comments

    A Vengeful King Rises

    Sophie Barnes

    The only thing more lethal than his need for revenge, is the woman who's tasked with bringing him down.Adrian Croft dreams of quitting the shady business he stands to inherit, of s...

  • The Crawfords Series synopsis, comments

    The Crawfords Series

    Sophie Barnes

    Allow yourself to be swept away to a bygone era…No Ordinary DukeReturning to England after ten years abroad, Caleb Crawford learns he's the new Duke of Camberly. Only he doesn't wa...

  • The Twyford Code synopsis, comments

    The Twyford Code

    Janice Hallett

    The mysterious connection between a teacher’s disappearance and an unsolved code in a children’s book is explored in this new novel from the “modern Agatha Christie” (The Sunday Ti...

  • An Unreliable Man synopsis, comments

    An Unreliable Man

    Jostein Gaarder & Nichola Smalley

    From the creative genius of Jostein Gaarder, author of modern classic Sophie's World, comes a novel about loneliness and the power of words Jakop is a lonely man. Divorced from hi...

  • The Girl Who Stepped Into The Past synopsis, comments

    The Girl Who Stepped Into The Past

    Sophie Barnes

    She was looking for inspiration…When historical romance author Jane Edwards goes to England on a research trip, she doesn't expect to travel two hundred years into the past. She al...

  • The Golden Ass synopsis, comments

    The Golden Ass

    Apuleius

    Written towards the end of the second century AD, The Golden Ass tells the story of the many adventures of a young man whose fascination with witchcraft leads him to be transformed...

  • Falling for Mr. Townsbridge synopsis, comments

    Falling for Mr. Townsbridge

    Sophie Barnes

    He knows he ought to forget her…When William Townsbridge returns from Portugal and meets Eloise Lamont, the new cook his mother has hired, he's instantly smitten. The only problem ...

  • The Governess Who Captured His Heart synopsis, comments

    The Governess Who Captured His Heart

    Sophie Barnes

    Temptations or Priorities…?Determined to help her oldest sister make ends meet, Louise Potter accepts a governess position in the northern part of England. . If this means accompan...

  • The Orange Girl synopsis, comments

    The Orange Girl

    Jostein Gaarder

    From the author of SOPHIE'S WORLD, a modern fairy tale with a philosophical twist.'It should be read by all' VOGUE'My father died eleven years ago. I was only four then. I never th...