In Maya Banks’s Highlander series, collected here in one must-have eBook bundle, three unforgettable brothers risk everything to save their clan and their legacy—and to surrender their hearts to love.  Contains a thrilling preview of Maya Banks’s sensual new novel, Never Seduce a Scot!  IN BED WITH A HIGHLANDER   Ewan McCabe is poised to take back what is his—until a blue-eyed, raven-haired temptress is thrust into his life. The illegitimate daughter of the king, Mairin is wary of love. But her attraction to her ruggedly powerful new husband makes her crave his surprisingly tender touch. And as war draws near, Mairin’s strength, spirit, and passion challenge Ewan—a man who dreams only of revenge—to confront his demons and  conquer the strangest territory of all: his heart. SEDUCTION OF A HIGHLAND LASS   Fiercely loyal to his family, Alaric McCabe is prepared to wed for duty as well. But on his way to claim the daughter of a neighboring chieftain, he is ambushed and left for dead—only to be saved by the soft touch of a Highland angel. An outcast from her own clan, Keeley McDonald is drawn to the wounded warrior and his strong, lean body. As forbidden love draws them into pleasures of the flesh, conspiracy and danger circle closer. Alaric must make an impossible choice: Will he betray his blood ties for the woman he loves? NEVER LOVE A HIGHLANDER   Caelen McCabe’s young, reckless heart nearly destroyed his clan—now he must marry to salvage an uneasy alliance. But Caelen trusts no woman, especially not the beauty who torments him with white-hot longing. Rionna McDonald had vowed to protect her heart—until she finds herself craving the sensual delights of a husband who guards his emotions as fiercely as his clan. When the ultimate battle for the McCabe legacy is upon them, Rionna risks her life to prove to Caelen that their love is too precious to lose.

    – When her husband perishes in a skirmish, the Lady Cantia du Bexley Penden is distraught. Her husband was assisting the mighty Viscount Winterton in the battle for the throne between Empress Matilda and Stephen of Blois, caught, like most men, in a vicious struggle for the rightful ruler of England. Tevin du Reims is Viscount Winterton, a man with a heavy burden to bear and a dreadful secret. A lonely man whose wife left him years ago with a sickly child to raise, he is drawn to the sorrowful Lady Penden and in comforting her, falls in love with her. With her husband so recently killed, Cantia cannot resist the solace offered by the handsome viscount.A fiery passion is borne from grief and loneliness, and soon Tevin and Cantia find themselves in the grip of a powerful romance. But forces are at work against them; Cantia’s father-in –law, driven to madness by the death of his son, plots Cantia’s demise, blaming her for his son’s death. Complicating the issue is Tevin’s cousin, the lecherous Earl of East Anglia, who sets his sights on Cantia as a conquest. In order to protect Cantia, Tevin secretly whisks her from Rochester Castle with the intention of sending her someplace safe. But his altruistic plans come to ruin when Cantia is abducted by outlaws.And so begins the journey. Come along on the adventure of Tevin and Cantia, following them through death and life, through sorrow and hope. It is a tale of a lifetime involving two people with utterly shattered lives who must save each other and restore hope during the dark times of early Medieval England, during a turbulent time when men openly said Christ and his angels slept….

    Hever is a powerful garrison commander for Lord Coverdale on the border of the Cumbrian vales. Whilst attending battle, he receives word that his own castle is under attack. Keir returns to Pendragon Castle to discover that his wife and daughter have been murdered, and his young son is missing. So begins Keir’s descent into hell and despair.Three years later, Keir is still searching for his son as he is called upon to rescue the family of an ally whose castle is under siege. Once Keir fights his way inside, the damsel he is supposed to rescue does not believe he is there to assist her and a great battle ensues. But somewhere during that battle, Keir finds a strange and uncontrollable fascination with the Lady Chloe-Louise de Geld. When she’s not trying to gouge his eyes out, he catches glimpses of a woman of magnificent red hair, porcelain skin, and delicate features. And so, the love story begins.... Chloe is a much sought after beauty, brilliant, sweet and feisty. She awakens within Keir long-dormant emotions, feelings he believed died when his family perished. He doesn't want to love Chloe but he cannot help himself. His attention should be on finding his missing son but he finds it diverted by a woman he is falling more deeply in love with by the day.A vindictive and evil neighbor, however, who has wanted Chloe for his own, discovers St. Hever’s interest and uses lies and manipulation to convince Keir that he has Keir’s long-lost son. He proposes a trade – Chloe for the boy. Before Keir can make a decision, Chloe takes matters in to her own hands and the situation goes horribly awry.Through death, battle, vengeful enemies and ghostly visitors, Keir and Chloe’s love remains strong and unbreakable, and in the end Keir must once again wield his sword to save the woman he loves. With flashbacks of the family he was unable to save, will he be too late?

    A life altering event led Catrina Davies to hide from her family and society. Alone in The Highlands she exists in a lonely world cared for only by her savior, a kind old gentleman. When she receives a surprise visitor, Travis Millard, the man she used to love, her head and heart are thrown into turmoil. Travis is determined to save her from this poor life and return her to her family where she belongs. No one is more surprised than he when she agrees to marry him. When Catrina arrives back at her family estate, Davmoor Court in Yorkshire, she is stunned to see the changes. While her father clings to life, Davmoor is nearly ruined by her brother's gambling obsession, and there is something strange about his new wife. As Catrina adjusts to her regained position in society and being with Travis, her marriage comes under attack from Travis's grandmother, who has her own secrets and reason for loathing the Davies family. When one of her brother's adversaries comes to stake his claim on the estate, the resulting chaos threatens not only Catrina's home, but the very lives of those she loves the most. Can she find the strength to fight once more for the right to be happy?​

    - The Lady Amalie de Vere is the sister to the Robert De Vere, Duke of Ireland, Earl of Oxford, and personal confident and lover to Richard II. When trouble arises between the king and Henry of Bolingbroke, the Duke of Ireland flees for his life, leaving his sister behind and at the mercy of his enemies. Bolingbroke confiscates Hedingham Castle, the duke's seat, and Lady Amalie along with it. Enter Sir Weston de Royans. A powerful, pious knight from a good Yorkshire family, his first introduction to Lady Amalie is a shocking one. But he eventually comes to know a beautiful, intelligent and humorous young woman who is in great torment and harbors a terrible secret. However, Weston harbors secrets of his own, deep family secrets that he has tried to run from for all of these years. As Weston and Amalie fall deeply in love, the two of them must reconcile themselves to these secrets and find understanding and forgiveness. For four years, they live happily and peacefully. Then, the situation changes and Weston’s demons resurface again when his grandfather dies and Weston inherits a baronetcy. Weston and Amalie find a new life with Weston’s new title that leads them into danger, vengeance, murder, and a brutal showdown on the tournament fields of Yorkshire where Weston risks his life seeking justice for his beloved Amalie

    The Lady Carington Kerr is sent to Prudhoe as a hostage to ensure her father’s good behavior, and a more reluctant hostage there never was.Small and dark, with emerald eyes and a luscious figure, she is as gorgeous as she is fiery. Enter Sir Creed de Reyne. A gentle giant of a man, he is, by nature, calm and wise. He is the ice to Carington’s fire. As Carington resists the attempts to keep her in her English prison, Creed is placed in charge of the captive as both jailer and protector.But Creed is also as reluctant a protector as she is a hostage; six months prior, he had been given the important assignment of escorting Isabella of Angoulệme from France to England as the bride of King John. Isabella, a woman-child of twelve years, was smitten with Creed from the start. When he spurned her advances, she fabricated a story of Creed’s indiscretions against her and brought the king’s wrath upon him. Creed fled to Prudhoe and straight into another assignment guarding a firebrand of a young woman.Creed soon discovers that Carington is far different from the petty child who would become queen and against both his judgment and his wishes, he falls for the Scots lass. Suffering through tragedy and triumph, Creed and Carington have a love that only strengthens with each passing moment. Even when Creed is forced to flee for his life and leave Carington behind, their only thoughts are of being together again.With Isabella and King John closing in, Creed and Carington must fight for their very survival as two countries and a kingdom seek to separate them.

    No one, not even her family, knows that she cannot hear. Content with her life of seclusion, Eveline has taught herself to read lips and allows the outside world to view her as daft. But when an arranged marriage into a rival clan makes Graeme Montgomery her husband, Eveline accepts her duty—unprepared for the delights to come. Graeme is a rugged warrior with a voice so deep and powerful that his new bride can hear it, and hands and kisses so tender and skilled that he stirs her deepest passions. Graeme is intrigued by the mysterious Eveline, whose silent lips are ripe with temptation and whose bright, intelligent eyes can see into his soul. As intimacy deepens, he learns her secret. But when clan rivalries and dark deeds threaten the wife he has only begun to cherish, the Scottish warrior will move heaven and earth to save the woman who has awakened his heart to the beautiful song of a rare and magical love.

    Young Henry had an affair with a married woman who bore him a child, and the woman's husband vowed to kill both his wife and the child she birthed. Richmond was charged with taking the baby to safety and acting as her protector. Even though Richmond has risen to become Henry's greatest knight, the protection of his illegitimate daughter has been his most important task. For eighteen years he has watched over the girl, ensuring her health and safety, as she is raised by another family, unaware of her true identity. The Lady Arissa de Lohr has always loved Sir Richmond, the man who she believes is only a family friend. The powerful, handsome knight has always been in her heart and on the day of her eighteenth birthday, she can no longer keep her feelings to herself. Although she has been pledged to Whitby Abbey since infancy and knows that, upon reaching maturity, she will be delivered to the abbey as a novice nun, she has no desire to be sequestered away from Richmond. She loves the man, and she will have him. Richmond, too, is deeply in love with the young lady he was assigned to protect. As she became a woman, his feelings turned from friendly concern to romantic admirer. Confessing their feelings to each other is only the beginning of their adventure, for dark forces are at work against both Arissa and Richmond, threatening to tear the lovers apart. King Henry goes to battle against Owen Glendower, who has been made aware of the king's secret illegitimate daughter and seeks to claim the girl to use against her father. Richmond is caught in the middle, protecting Arissa from the Welsh Rebels even as he fights Henry to keep her from being committing to Whitby. Intrigue, battles, life, death and love blend in the greatest story yet of true love and the lengths Richmond will go to in order to have his beloved Arissa. He is more than willing to risk his life for the her in this epic tale of ultimate romance. (Newly edited and revised as of January, 2014)

    With a spirit of adventure, and a need to stay safe, she departs a dying Nevada town for the golden opportunities that await in California--along with a new life. When charming Sam Ridgeway shows up, claiming to know her uncle, and offers her protection in her travels, she has no idea there is an ulterior motive involved.

    England is lawless for the most part and the people live in fear. Rising to power during this time is the vicious and brutal knight Ajax de Velt. His mission is to conquer a large stretch of the Scots and Welsh border, commandeering wealth and property along the way. He wants to be the most feared and powerful warlord in all of England, Wales and Scotland, and he is well on his way. The last in a long line of dark and brutal warriors, Ajax is the most ruthless and ambitious knight in the Isles; even the heartiest warriors fear the man for his cold blooded tactics. More than that, his bloodlust, as well as his sheer skill with a blade, is legendary. But as Ajax and his army conquer the latest castle in his plans to secure the borders, he unexpectedly meets his match in a spitfire of a woman named Kellington Coleby. Beautiful, intelligent and feisty, Lady Kellington refuses to surrender to the man as handsome as he is brutal. The warlord and the maiden go head to head in this unforgettable story of love, battle, devotion, fear and adventure.

    She encounters a patient who tells her he can send her two hundred years into the past to spend three months in the rugged Yellowstone wilderness at the dawn of the mountain man era. The only requirement: she cannot tell anyone that she’s from the future.How did a white woman suddenly appear in the remote Rocky Mountain wilderness? Trapper Daniel Osborne’s first instinct is to protect this mysterious and unconventional woman from the harsh realities of his mountains. While he fights his growing attraction to her, he is left frustrated by her lies and secrecy.Daniel shows Aimee a side of Yellowstone she’s never experienced. She is torn between her feelings for him, and exposing a secret that will destroy everything he holds as truth. As her three months come to an end, she is faced with a dilemma: return to her own time, or stay with the man who opened her eyes to a whole new world. When the decision is made for her, both their lives will be changed forever.

    Despite the responsibilities resting on her slender shoulders, she’ll not let anyone wrest away what’s left of her way of life—particularly a Yankee officer who wants to set up winter camp on her land.With a defiance born of desperation, she defends her home as though it were the child she never had…and no mother gives up her child without a fight.Despite the brazen wisp of a woman pointing a gun at his head, Colonel Reece Cutteridge has his orders. Requisition Shapinsay—and its valuable livestock—for his regiment’s use, and pay her with Union vouchers. He never expected her fierce determination, then her concern for his wounded, to upend his heart—and possibly his career.As the armies go dormant for the winter, battle lines are drawn inside the mansion. Yet just as their clash of wills shifts to forbidden passion, the tides of war sweep Reece away. And now their most desperate battle is to survive the war with their lives—and their love—intact.Warning: This novel contains complex emotions and battlefield gallantry wrapped around the inherent risks of falling in love with one’s enemy.

    For years afterward, each nursed a secret dream—that the other had grown into a special person—brave, good, kind.When Norah Hawkins and Caleb Sutton cross paths again, dreams die. She is a bitter, suicidal widow. He is a gunman with little conscience and few scruples. Alternately angry, repelled, and attracted, the two form an uneasy partnership to hold land she owns and he covets against a marauding neighbor. Their bargain never included love, or did it?

    Amid civil and private wars, alliances are forged, loyalties are betrayed, families are divided, and marriages are made. For four years, Lady Annyn Bretanne has trained at arms with one end in mind—to avenge her brother’s murder as God has not deemed it worthy to do. Disguised as a squire, she sets off to exact revenge on a man known only by his surname, Wulfrith. But when she holds his fate in her hands, her will wavers and her heart whispers that her enemy may not be an enemy after all. Baron Wulfrith, renowned trainer of knights, allows no women within his walls for the distraction they breed. What he never expects is that the impetuous young man sent to train under him is a woman who seeks his death—nor that her unveiling will test his faith and distract the warrior from his purpose.

    However, entering into a scandalous liaison with the sister of his closest friend is not something even he would consider, despite her breathtaking allure and his fierce, overwhelming desire to possess her. Or so he thought…Raised by four doting older brothers, and possessing a reckless streak as bold as her fiery red curls, Scarlett McPhearson has long been accustomed to getting what she wants. After becoming acquainted with Alec Weston, the most sought-after bachelor in England, she discovers something she wants more than anything she has ever wanted before, to capture the heart of the man she has come to adore. Willingly surrendering her innocence to a man who offers her passion beyond her wildest dreams, but no false promises of happily ever after, Scarlett will risk pain, sorrow and devastating heartache to win his everlasting love...

    Her only weakness might be the love she still harbors for the man who betrayed her. A wicked and deceitful plot brought about the unwanted marriage between young Anna Locke and Jude Sinclair, the handsome son of an earl. Furious over his new circumstances, the groom left his bride and England behind to travel the world. When he returns after eight long years, his first intention is to put an end to his farce of a marriage once and for all. But he never expected the woman his wife has become, or his fierce attraction to her. Living by her own rules, Anna has achieved success and independence as the owner of the finest Thoroughbred stables in Britain. She believes herself long-cured of the childish infatuation she’d once held for the man who married her and left her. With her husband’s unexpected return, Anna’s first desire is for revenge, but she soon realizes that she faces a difficult choice between fighting him and fighting for him. With a past tangled in lies and blackmail, Anna and Jude declare their marriage a battleground as passionate anger slides too easily into bold desire. To claim the love that could be theirs, they must overcome mutual distrust and destroy a long-held secret before it destroys them.

    He's not prepared for Miss Charlotte Sanborn, who wears her independence like a suit of armor, cloaks her identity behind her pen name, and flat out refuses to raise her kin!Of all the gall! How dare this man stride into her home and expect her to rearrange her life?Charlotte won’t risk any more heartache. After raising her brother by herself, and watching him leave, it’s her time to enjoy some peace—and use her new typewriter! So why do these children and this handsome stranger awaken a yearning for something more than the life she has painstakingly created?One letter changes everything…When Charlotte forsakes all that’s familiar and enters Reed’s world of Boston high society, concealed malice abounds in the glittering Beacon Hill mansions. Facing sinister forces and scorned women—and with passions ablaze—can Reed and Charlotte escape An Improper Situation?An Improper Situation is Book 1 in the Victorian-American series Defiant Hearts. Engaging, believable characters, attention to period detail, and sensual romance, you’ll find it all in this series by highly acclaimed writer Sydney Jane Baily."…the ending was perfect... Many wonderful characters including nasty villains and villainesses. I had a hard time putting it down!"~ Lady McNeill, Mrs. Condit, Friends Read Books“Delicately crafted, deliciously told. A book that transports you to a time and place from which you won’t want to return.”~ Award-winning, bestselling author, Marliss Melton

    He can follow the dictates of his heart and pursue Angeline and the sensual promise implicit in her eyes, or adhere to the strict moral code he was born to uphold and deny them both. Made to flee England after the murder of his fiancée, Adrian builds an empire in America. When his past and present combine in the form of Angeline Ashley, it’s time to prove his innocence and reclaim what is rightfully his. To do this, he must return to England and prove the guilt of his long-time nemesis, Charles Malcolm.At the death of her father and step-mother, Angeline is given a letter telling her to ‘seek the truth’ and hints at a mystery surrounding her mother and Angeline’s own birth. But when Charles Malcolm, one of England’s most notorious rakes, produces a note against a large gambling debt, Angeline is given two choices; marriage to Charles, or see her father’s name besmirched and her young brother’s future ruined. But Angeline will have neither of those choices. Instead, she chooses to accompany her brother to America and seeks shelter with his guardian, a man she has adored since childhood.When Charles appears in Texas, it becomes obvious that there is more behind his obsession with Angeline than just lust for a beautiful woman.

    Now it's made her a killer's target. Emme knows why the Dowager Duchess of Briarleigh invited her to a house party--to investigate whether the duke, Rhys Brammel, murdered his wife years ago. But Emme never imagined she would fall in love with the brooding duke. Branded by society as a possible killer, Rhys is suspicious of Emme and her alleged "gift." Then a late night encounter creates awareness of her other, more attractive, aspects. When Emme's life is threatened, Rhys becomes her protector. Emme and Rhys find passion and peril as they join forces to solve the mysteries at Briarleigh. She made him believe in spirits, but can she make him believe in love?

    Then her life is threatened—and Brent is the only one who can protect her...JADE STARVowing to save a young girl from her painful past, Saint Morris marries her out of duty. He thinks of himself as her protector and brother. But she has other ideas...

    Noah Ferguson desperately needed help on his farm. Annie Tompkins knew she couldn’t go on working in Lazenby’s cotton mill. So she’d been a little less than honest in her letters, was that really so terrible? It was unforgivable, Noah fumed. He’d wanted an older widow, and Annie was a young virgin. But even that wasn’t the full extent of her lies.Problem is, Noah hasn’t exactly been straight with Annie, either, and his secret has the power to break Annie’s heart.Can even a special Christmas gift make their marriage work?

    More information to be announced soon on this forthcoming title from Penguin USA

    A Regency era battle of wits, wills, and the sexes, with a wily old duke determined to see the succession of his line secured, and his three headstrong sons equally determined to resist the bonds of matrimony.THE HEIR: The Earl of Wyndham, weighed down by responsibilities, is determined to avoid the summer rounds of matchmaking mamas, so he stays in his London townhouse for the summer. There he discovers a potentially perfect duchess in his lovely, mysterious housekeeper.THE SOLDIER: Devlin St. Just, the Duke's oldest, but illegitimate, son, arrives at his new estate weary in body and spirit. There he finds that the previous owner's bastard daughter and her beautiful cousin are his responsibility and are making his life almost unbearably complicated.THE VIRTUOSO: Gifted pianist Valentine Windham, youngest son of the Duke of Moreland retreats to the country after an injury robs him of his musical ability. There he learns from beautiful young widow Ellen Markham that he can be loved even when his music falls silent.

    Three years a widow, she boldly employs the madam of a brothel for guidance but never had she expected her education to be conducted by a coldly handsome peer of the realm.To the Earl of Malvern, the erotic tutelage of a skittish widow is little more than sport, however the woman he teaches is far from the mouse he expects. With her sly humor and insistent joy, Elizabeth obliterates all his expectations and he, unwillingly fascinated, can’t prevent his fall.Each more intrigued than they are willing to admit, Elizabeth and Malvern embark upon a tutelage that will challenge them, change them, come to mean everything to them…until a heartbreaking betrayal threatens to tear them apart forever.

    all but one woman. Dawn cannot keep her eyes off the captured warrior, though tales of his exploits suggests he’s more devil than man. When his eyes meet hers, she wonders if the notorious tales are true for only the devil himself could be that sinfully handsome.Dawn is summoned by the liege lord Colum and ordered to tend Cree, in all ways possible, while he awaits his fate, and please him she must or suffer the consequences. Colum laughs when he issues his orders. He’s sending not only a plain woman to please the mighty warrior in his final days, but one he’ll find no pleasure with. After all what man wants a woman who cannot utter a sound? But no shackles can hold Cree and when he breaks free he returns to claim the voiceless woman who found a way into his silent heart.

    This collection includes the complete novels of Borrowed Dreams, Captured Dreams, and Dreams of Destiny. Borrowed Dreams: Driven to undo the evil wrought by her dead husband, Millicent Wentworth must find a way to save her estate and free the innocent people her husband enslaved. Her only hope is a marriage of convenience with the notorious widower, Lyon Pennington, fourth Earl of Aytoun, who just may be the most handsome-and caring-man she's ever encountered. Captured Dreams: May McGoldrick returns with the latest in a trilogy about love-and the birth of a nation... Portia Edwards will go to any length to find the family she's never known. And when she meets merchant Pierce Pennington, a staunch but secretive Son of Liberty, Portia has the perfect chance to ask for his help. But her stubborn pride keeps her silent. That is, until she recognizes her strong attraction to the brave man who, by night, is known as the infamous Captain MacHeath, smuggling arms by sea under the pall of darkness-all in the name of liberty... Dreams of Destiny Wounded by scandal and the unsolved murder of his sister-in-law, David Pennington is outwardly insolent and arrogant. But nothing will stop him from escorting his childhood friend, Gwyneth Douglas, to Scotland-and saving the Scottish heiress from fortune hunters. But with their arrival in Scotland comes terrible danger. Now, if they ever hope to satisfy their desire, they will need to thwart the evil that threatens to destroy both their lives...

    His bitter memories of his father’s murder there make it unlikely he’ll stay in town for long; but then he reconnects with the young white woman who was his childhood friend.

    Meet the siblings in the mischievous and loving family at Kinfairlie and follow their adventures in pursuit of true love.In The Beauty Bride, Madeline is appalled by her older brother’s determination to see her wed against her will. When he auctions her hand to an outlawed mercenary, she flees them both, certain that her fate cannot be worse. But Rhys FitzHenry is not a man to abandon what he holds dear, and Madeline’s proud beauty has captured his heart. Can a rough knight enchant her with stories and convince her to be his wife in truth, or will his enemies have their vengeance first?In The Rose Red Bride, Vivienne is convinced that only destiny could bring such a wondrous secret lover to her chamber, but with morning’s light, her lover abducts her. Erik knows that justice can only be gained from the Lammergeier with force, especially as the fate of his young daughters hangs in the balance. Can Vivienne help this wounded highlander to regain his legacy, and win his heart for her own?In The Snow White Bride, Eleanor seeks sanctuary at Kinfairlie on Christmas Eve. The Laird of Kinfairlie’s sisters decide that the beautiful widow will be the perfect match for their brother. Alexander’s heart is quickly lost, but as Eleanor’s secrets are revealed, he fears he has trusted too much too soon. Will Eleanor’s past jeopardize the future of this knight who has claimed her heart, or can she save him from the peril that follows her?This digital boxed set includes all three medieval romances in the Jewels of Kinfairlie trilogy – The Beauty Bride, The Rose Red Bride, The Snow White Bride – as well as the linked short story, The Ballad of Rosamunde.

    But this time it’s different. This time, she interferes with one of the Four Kings, and the brotherhood will not rest until they marry her off and place her securely under a man’s thumb. Only they have to catch her first.The Earl of Northwick is falling for this writer, sight unseen. Will she be pretty? Will she have all her teeth? In his rush to claim her for himself, regardless of who she might ultimately be, he places her in grave danger - her desperate enemies are watching closely for the moment her mask is removed.

    Three notorious rakes, and three determined ladies, collide in this set of three Regency romance stories based around a series of scandalous dares, wagers, and challenges. To Dare the Duke of Dangerfield (Top 5 FINALIST in the Kindle Book Review Indie Romance Book of the Year 2012) Lady Caitlin Southall's temper has finally got the better of her. She's challenged Harlow Telford, the Duke of Dangerfield, the most notorious rake in all of England, to a wager. She wants her house back. The one her destitute father lost to Dangerfield in a card game. But if she doesn't win their bet, she not only loses her home, she loses her dignity and pride and damn it all, maybe her heart... For the handsome Duke has decreed, when he wins, she must spend the night in his bed. Harlow Telford is amused by his hellion neighbor, Caitlin, or Cate to her friends, who seem to encompass everyone on earth except him. When she bursts into one of his private gatherings, he mistakes her for the entertainment. Her slap across his face sets him straight and raises the absurd desire to seduce the unconventional beauty into his bed. When she issues her daft challenge to win back her father's pile of rubble, the terms are set. And he'll do anything to win--except fall in love... To Wager the Marquis of Wolverstone Marcus Danvers, the Marquis of Wolverstone, is renowned for his cynical demeanor. It's rumored that long ago, a beautiful woman broke his heart. Now he lives life for pleasure. He’s the consummate, handsome rake. If anyone tries to get too close—let’s just say his bark is as bad as his bite. That is, until the beautiful, as she is deceitful, Contessa Orsini re-enters his life with a wager he cannot resist. When he wins, he’ll have Sabine exactly where he wants her—in his bed and at his mercy. Forced to return to England and avenge her father’s death, Sabine knows the one person who can help her is the only man she has ever loved—Marcus. The man who hates her with as much passion as he once loved her. But Marcus doesn’t know that by winning the wager he’ll also be getting his revenge. For there are some secrets best left buried… To Challenge the Earl of Cravenswood Henry St. Giles, the Earl of Cravenswood, longs to find his soul mate. Now that his two best friends, both reformed rakes, are happily married, the need becomes an obsession. When they challenge him to find a wife by the end of the season or marry his neighbor, the innocently alluring Lady Amy Shipton, he can’t believe his luck. He wins, either way. But a darkened garden, a case of mistaken identity, a drunken kiss, and a dropped emerald earring, leads Henry on a Cinderella hunt. He knows the woman he held in his arms could be the one he's searched for all his life. He just has to find her. Lady Amy Shipton is determined to marry for love instead of sharing her husband like her mother did. So why did she let her handsome neighbor and romantic fantasy, the Sinful Saint as he's called for his bedroom prowess, seduce her in his garden? And what can she do when in the middle of their passionate encounter; he whispers another woman's name. Now Henry is hunting the owner of the earring Amy left behind, and she's determined to retrieve it before her identity is revealed. She's not about to give her father the ammunition he desperately wants to force her down the aisle.

    Furious at his father's betrayal, Brander leaves home to make his way as Lord Olsen, a 'discreet gentleman of discovery' in 1721 Christiania, Norway. He intends to gain his own estate and begins buying the debt markers on Kildahlshus.Baroness Regin Kildahl's husband has gambled away her estate and sunk to more dangerous habits. She writes to Lord Olsen soliciting his help saving both her husband and her home. When her husband dies, Regin offers herself and her title to anyone who will redeem his gambling debts, unaware of Brander's plan and circumventing his efforts.The Hansen heir accepts her offer and hires Lord Olsen to deliver his bride. Brander's choices are clear: give the widow and her estate to his younger brother, or claim them both as his own. But who would accept a deaf husband?

    She’s a refugee with a dangerous secret that could cost her life. Outnumbered by thousands, he’s fated to die in battle like so many Berserkers before him. Could the strength of their love defy destiny?Connor – (Highland Shadow)He’s a mercenary Laird who fears nothing but the darkness inside him. She’s a noble beauty from two of the most prominent families in Scotland, sold to the highest bidder. He mistakenly rescues her from a fate worse than death, but now she’s his captive. They must battle their pride and their explosive attraction to each other in order to defeat a common enemy who threatens the clan’s survival.Finn – (Highland Stranger)He’s a nameless bastard, stalking the Highlands bent on revenge and murder when he stumbles on an infant deserted in the snow. She’s a desperate woman who’s lost everything, including her dignity.They are three of the world’s Unwanted. On a snowy Solstice night, their tale becomes one of blood and vengeance, of love, redemption, and forging the bonds that make a family.Note: This book was previously published as Unleashed.

    After a particularly brutal attack, she is driven to offering him poison. With no memory of that night, she believes she has committed murder, especially when she discovers the remains of a body buried in the byre.In spite of her guilt at having taken another life, Chrissie eventually finds love and romance again. Her strength, determination and love for her fellow islanders carry her through fourteen years of hardship, intercepted and exacerbated by the Great War.But the past won’t stay buried, and fourteen years after that fateful night, Chrissie is forced to confront the nightmare that has overshadowed her life.The arrival of a letter creates a mystery, and she discovers that nothing is as it seems. A series of events over which she has no control are set in motion. Lies and secrets are uncovered, leading to a dramatic and tragic climax.Set partly in the Orkney Islands and partly in the notorious Hell’s Kitchen, Manhattan, ‘Broken Horizons’ is the sequel to the historical saga, ‘Follow the Dove.’

    Captain Richard MacKintosh returned from Egypt wounded, not only in body but also in spirit, after making a daring getaway from the rebel band that held him and his military unit captive for months. However, though he had escaped, his brother, Vincent; friend, Jason; and the rest of his unit had been retaken. Forced back to England to recover, Richard is determined to use that time to force the government to garner their forces to search all of Egypt if necessary for his brothers-at arms still lost in the desert.He wanted – no, needed! – to spend each waking moment finding the help he needed and nothing was going to make him lose focus on that goal. That was until he ran into an angelic face from his past. One Lady Abygail Merrill. Abby had once been a brash, bossy tomboy who trailed along after him as a child. He had treated her as a friend, as yet another younger brother, but the lovely sophisticated woman he found in her place stirred anything but brotherly feelings.Richard finds in Abby a welcome haven against the storm of disappointment raging around him. A sympathetic ear and a comforting embrace. It becomes too easy to lose himself in her welcoming arms.But like him, Abby has her own demons to overcome before she can be free to love him. An accident years before had left her scarred, her natural self-confidence lost to the scornful eyes and words of the ton. She is but a shadow of the impetuous lass she’d been. However, Richard’s return has roused in Abby possibilities she thought long dead. All the hopes and fantasies that she’d held for most of her life are suddenly alive once more with promise. Richard genuine admiration recalls Abby to the girl she was once was and guides her back to the woman she was meant to be. Abby would do anything for the man she has long loved and knows that if she wants a life of her dreams with Richard, she must first help free him from the past.But once he is free to love her, will there be a future left for them to share?

     WINTER'S HEAT 1994 winner of Romantic Time's "Best First Historical" SUMMER'S STORM SPRING'S FURY AUTUMN'S FLAME A LOVE FOR ALL SEASONS

    Grieving widow, Helen Morrow and her husband’s cousin, the wounded and reclusive Paul, are haunted not only by the horrors of the trenches but ghosts from another time and another conflict. The desperate voice of a young woman reaches out to them from the pages of a coded diary and Paul and Helen are bound together in their search for answers, not only to the old mystery but also the circumstances surrounding the death of Helen’s husband at Passchandaele in 1917. As the two stories become entwined, Paul and Helen will not find peace or happiness until the mysteries are solved.**This is a revised edition and includes a never before published Epilogue**

    Undertaking a quest to recover treasure stolen from his family seems the perfect solution - but Murdoch is not counting upon a curious maiden who holds both the secret to the theft and his sole redemption.Isabella is outraged to find her brother’s keep besieged by a renegade knight - especially one who is too handsome for his own good or hers. After a single encounter, she becomes convinced that his cause is just and decides to unveil the true thief, never imagining that their single shared kiss has launched a battle for Murdoch’s very soul.As the treacherous Fae move to claim Murdoch forever, Isabella seeks to heal the knight who has stolen her heart. But will Murdoch allow her to take a risk and endanger herself? Or will he sacrifice himself to ensure Isabella’s future?

    Cursed with magical healing abilities, Meg knows that if she’s captured, she will die like her mother—atop a blazing witch’s pyre. Winter winds rip across the Highlands, pressing Chief Caden Macbain forward in his desperate plan to save his clan. He’s not above using an innocent woman to bargain for peace if it keeps his clan from starving. But Meg isn’t who Caden thinks she is, and when she kills a man to save the clan, he must choose between duty and her life. For although he captured her to force a peace, Meg's strength and courage have captured Caden's heart.

    His mouth captured her earlobe, sucking it into its hot depths. “So sweet…” he murmured again, moving lower to gently kiss the base of her throat. Penelope Inglewood discovers her brother is in love with the betrothed of the most ruthless man in England, the Duke of Newbridge. She must find a way to save her family from ruin and turn her brother’s affections elsewhere. When the Duke of Newbridge decides to confront his rival in love, he faces his rival’s sister instead and finds himself completely intrigued by the small but determined woman. Will Penelope be able to keep her heart and her head in the presence of this dangerous yet intoxicating villain who seeks to punish her brother?

    A widow and mother, Mercy is lonely and floundering to keep the estate afloat. When she discovers the existence of Leopold Randall, her husband’s estranged cousin, Mercy immediately offers to help him locate his missing siblings if he helps her return the estate to order.Leopold has returned to Hampshire for only one purpose—to learn the fate of his missing siblings. Unfortunately, the current duchess is clueless and out of her depth. Her struggle tugs at Leopold’s sense of duty and her bold nature tempts him unbearably. When Leopold discovers their lives are forever entwined, he vows to protect Mercy and her innocent son.

    Piratical adventures, battles at sea, three exciting romances with three incredible heroes and heroines. Follow the story of the Dantes, beginning with the patriarch, Simon Dante as he joins Sir Francis Drake in the burning of Cadiz. Then meet his daughter, Juliet Dante, who takes a land-loving aristocrat and teaches him how to reach for the far horizons. Lastly, meet Gabriel Dante, who searches for lost ghost ships and sunken treasures.

    While her parents thrived in the London political social scene, Jocelyn did not share their enjoyment. Did she want to continue as her parents did for all her life?Jocelyn saw the Christmas holiday invitation to Bayneville Castle, the country estate of the 8th Marquess of Tarkington, as a perfect way to clear her head and consider her future. The house party was to celebrate her friend, Lady Mary Bayne's betrothal.When Lady Mary contracted a wicked cold and became bedridden, in the hopes of quick recovery before the rest of the guests arrived, Jocelyn found herself thrown more into the Marquess's company.The Marquess had been as active in London politics until the death of his wife. Since then, he'd spent his time on his estate with his young daughter. Jocelyn was amazed at how everyone she met in the household revered the Marquess. He was not above playing hide-and-seek with his daughter, nor taking the sleigh out to gather evergreen boughs and mistletoe when the servants were too busy preparing for his sister's party.But what amazed her was the woodturning lessons she found him taking from the estate carpenter. He was making a rocking horse, not watching its creation.The handmade toy was Lord Tarkington's gift for his young daughter. His labor of love touched Jocelyn, and she knew she had found her heart's desire...

    1877. Life couldn’t get much better for Dave Kimbrough. He has a beautiful wife in Jenny, a fine young son in Jonathan, and a small ranch with which to build their future. But when Jenny suddenly dies, the heartache is more than Dave can bear, so he leaves his son with his wife’s family and rides off into the rugged Texas country alone. After several years Dave is wrongly accused of murder, and when he sets out to find the man who can clear his name, he runs instead into a posse that has set out to kill him. Wounded, he holes up for the winter in a cave. It is not time wasted, however, as he is given time to contemplate the mistake he made in abandoning his son. Once spring arrives, Dave returns to make things in his life right. Things rarely go as planned, however, and Dave’s plans are no different. Beset by a trip to jail, Jenny’s spirited sister Rachel, and the heartache of taking away the only life and family his son really knows, Kimbrough makes a promise he thinks is the right thing to do. But a fateful winter followed by a deadly spring storm changes the course of their lives in ways that no one—least of all Dave—could have ever imagined.A J Hawke was born in Spur, Texas, into a multi-generational Texas family. She is also the author of CABIN ON PINTO CREEK and CAUGHT BETWEEN TWO WORLDS.

    Here, in constant fear of discovery, David Whitlock meets and falls in love with Suzanna Shattuck, the independent and spirited daughter of a nearby settler. As David and Suzanna struggle with their growing passion for each other and with the differences that separate their families, two other figures move inescapably toward each other and the young couple. In Jefferson City, legislator Jacob Randall champions the cause of Missouri's outcasts while Sheck Rogers, a self-appointed Mormon hunter, roams the state murdering and mutilating those he suspects of belonging to a church against which the Governor has issued an extermination order.In this entrancing historical novel of love, fear, courage and redemption, two young lovers seek to find themselves and each other in Missouri’s untamed wilderness as their families struggle to survive the politics and passions of one of the nation’s most tumultuous periods. River of Light and Shadow touches the deepest recesses of the heart while provoking, inspiring and teaching in ways that characterize the best historical fiction.

    He has a beautiful new bride, and his twenty-thousand acre cattle ranch is the best land in the highlands of New Mexico Territory, worked by Sammy and his tough and talented crew. And, he feels especially fortunate for the chance to help a down and out ex-priest and five orphans get a fresh start. But a black cloud looms on the horizon in the form of a ruthless, criminal organization that has plans on taking the finest properties in the territory long before statehood becomes a reality. Now they want Winds' Sky W Ranch and will do anything to get it. In this sequel to Along The Fortune Trail, follow Sammy Winds' heroic life and death struggle as he gives his final measure to keep his land and save the people he loves from the evil that besets them all.

    The Mackenzies gather for a clan Christmas and Hogmanay in Scotland. In the chaos of preparations for the celebration--the first of Hart and Eleanor's married life--one of Ian's Ming bowls gets broken, and the family scrambles to save the day. Daniel busily runs a betting ring for everything from the hour Eleanor's baby will arrive, to whether Mac's former-pugilist valet can win a boxing match. Ian begins a new obsession, and Beth fears that the loss of one of his precious bowls has made him withdraw once more into his private world.

     Devonshire, January 1815. Marie-Ange, the young widow of an English officer, accepts an inheritance in France only to find that everything in Beauregard is not as it seems. Why is the sinister Malleval so obsessed with her family? And could her darling Christopher still be alive? Marie-Ange finds herself trapped in a dangerous web of lies, intrigue, and mystical possession, and the only person to whom she can turn for help is Capitaine Hugo Saintclair. Yet the enigmatic Hugo represents a danger of a different kind …

    Returning to England after years in France, he knows he must choose a wife from among the ingénues who appear each year at the ton, but he hopes to avoid what will be an arranged marriage for as long as he can. He prefers his work for the Crown.When young Lady Mary Campbell rides across his path on a magnificent black stallion, he is enthralled. Independent, intelligent and rebellious, Lady Mary is bored by the prospect of her first Season. A bluestocking hoyden, she craves adventure and loves the world of her statesman uncle, who is often called upon by the Crown for difficult tasks. When her uncle leaves for Paris, she goes with him. But, once there, who should appear in King Louis’ court but the mysterious Lord Ormond?Lady Mary fears her growing fascination with the rake and resents his interference with her plan to uncover the truth behind a treacherous plot to take down the newly restored Bourbon king.

    Parts 1 and 2 of the Louisiana History Collection present these lush, politically tense historical romances in chronological order. FIERCE EDENReynaud, half Natchez Indian, requires that Elise share his bedroll in exchange for saving her friends during an uprising. Widowed after a brutish marriage, Elise fears intimacy more than the Natchez. How can she view Reynaud as an enemy after his tender introduction to love?LOUISIANA DAWNCyrene rescues a handsome rake from drowning for the sake of his silver lace. In return, she requests he relieve her of her tiresome virginity. She expects to be her own woman afterward...but fails to reckon with René's skill or her own lonely heart.EMBRACE AND CONQUERFélicité despises the Irish colonel who marches into New Orleans with the Spanish conquerors; pride demands she escape from his beguiling embrace. Will he let her go, or follow into the trap of a pirate's lair?

    Laughter, romance, calamity and tears.“Annette Blair is a master artist in the world of romantic fiction. A strong plot provides the canvas for her compelling characters. Vivid settings and engaging minor characters beautifully augment the portrait. Fascinating subplots add depth. Spicy sexual encounters supply bold strokes . . .” MyShelf.comBio: A New York Times Bestselling author, Annette Blair left her job as a Development Director and Journalism Advisor at a private New England prep school to become a full time writer. At forty books and counting, she’s added cozy mysteries and bewitching romantic comedies to her award-winning Historical Romances.The Rogues Club Awards at First Printing:UNDENIABLE ROGUE2003 Laurel Wreath Award Winner, VCRW 2002 Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award Nominee2003 Holt Medallion Award Finalist, VRW 2003 Barclay Gold Top Ten Favorite, LCRW 2003 Aspen Gold Finalist, HODRW 2003 Winter Rose Winner, Yellow Rose RW 2003 A Lories Best Overall Award of Excellence Winner UNFORGETTABLE ROGUE2003 Booksellers Best Award, GDRW 2003 Laurel Wreath Award Winner, VCRW 2003 Orange Rose Finalist, Orange County RWA 2003 Aspen Gold Finalist, HODRW 2003 Blue Boa Award of Excellence Winner, Peninsular Chapter RWA 2002 Romantic Times K.I.S.S., Knight In Shining Silver AwardUNMISTAKABLE ROGUE2003 Booksellers Best Award, GDRW 2005 Gallant Rogue of the Year Nominee, Reed Gilbride, HRC2004 Readers' Poll Favorite, Best Regency [Historical], AdC2003 Most Exciting Start to a Story, Romance Reviews 1996 Hook, Line & Sinker Winner, Hudson Valley RWA1996 RWA Golden Heart Finalist as Act of CharityUNTAMABLE ROGUE, Formerly A Christmas Baby2005 Aspen Gold Winner, HODRW 2004 A Reviewers' International Organization Winner 2005 Regency Romance of the Year Nominee, HRC 2005 Bravest Heroine of the Year Award Winner, Larkin McAdams 2005 Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence Finalist, S Magic RWA 2005 Top Ten Reads for 2004, Lynda Lukow, MyShelf 2004 #1 Top Pick, October, ARR 2004 Top Pick Award, RRAH

    She turns to handsome, moody El Leon, a nobleman turned to a life of outlawry by the depredations of Don Esteban. Together in the hills, Pilar and El Leon find their wills in constant battle and their hearts in secret accord . . .Perfume of ParadiseTerrified of her impending marriage, beautiful Elene Larpent scents her body with a Haitian voodoo perfume guaranteed to bewitch the wealthy landowner and ensure his devotion. But just moments into the wedding, a violent slave uprising interrupts the consecration.Elene escapes--only to be captured by a ruthless band of men. On the verge of certain death, she is saved by handsome Captain Ryan Bayard. Then, amid the exotic breezes of St. Dominique, Elene and the captain discover a lust as sultry as the Caribbean air. In her passion, Elene quickly forgets the magic potion she had applied to her delicate skin. But Elene must wait to see if it is true love or the dizzying aphrodisiac that inflames the captain's desire. For the uninhibited pair have much in store before the perfume's power is fully unleashed. . . .Prisoner of DesireAnya took Ravel as prisoner to save his life. But in a small dark room on her lush Louisiana plantation, it was Anya who became Ravel's prisoner of desire. As she struggled to contain her emotions, and Ravel strove to win her love, they both faced the challenge of staying alive....Southern RaptureLettie Mason, a proper yet headstrong Boston schoolteacher, journeyed to a small Louisiana town after the Civil War to expose the wretched rogue who'd killed her brother. The man was known as Thorn--a man with a reputation for both murder and mercy. She was sure he had killed her brother, but she learned that he also helped save the homes and lives of many townspeople. How could she reconcile these two different images of the same man--and how could she accept the overwhelming desire, the thrilling passion, and the reckless abandon he aroused deep within her?

    Each is about to discover the woman who is his perfect match--but perfection doesn't come easily, even for the noble Duke of Ashton . . .Battered by the sea, Adam remembers nothing of his past, his ducal rank, nor of the shipwreck that almost claimed his life. However, he's delighted to hear that the golden-haired vision tending his wounds is his wife. Mariah's name and face may not be familiar, but her touch, her warmth, feel deliciously right . . .Never Less Than A LadyNew York Times bestselling author Mary Jo Putney continues her stunning Lost Lords series with this stirring, sensual story of a rebellious nobleman drawn to a lovely widow with a shocking past.As the sole remaining heir to the Earl of Daventry, Alexander Randall knows his duty: find a wife and sire a son of his own. The perfect bride for a man in his position would be a biddable young girl of good breeding. But the woman who haunts his imagination is Julia Bancroft--a village midwife with a dark secret that thrusts her into Randall's protection.Nowhere Near RespectableMary Jo Putney's riveting Lost Lords series unleashes a high stakes royal plot--which may prove easier for Damian Mackenzie to handle than his own unruly desire...He's a bastard and a gambler and society's favorite reprobate. But to Lady Kiri Lawford he's a hero--braver than the smugglers he rescues her from, more honorable than any lord she's ever met, and far more attractive than any man has a right to be. How can she not fall in love . . . ?No Longer a GentlemanGrey Sommers, Lord Wyndham, never met a predicament he couldn't charm his way out of. Then a tryst with a government official's wife during a bit of casual espionage in France condemns him to a deCAe in a dungeon, leaving him a shadow of his former self. Yet his greatest challenge may be the enigmatic spy sent to free his body--the only woman who might heal his soul.

    To escape this fate, she flees aboard a buccaneer vessel bound for the West Indies. There she meets the man who could be the love of her life: Tristan, the ship's captain. After a blazing two week love affair aboard ship, the two go their separate ways, torn apart by the conventions of society and their own pride. Morgan, a strong, resourceful woman, resolves to live her life on her own terms, depending only on her own ingenuity. When a horrific attack forces her to take to sea on a quest for revenge, she quickly gains notoriety among the buccaneers in the West Indies, sparking a chain of events that could bring her face to face with Tristan. With her pride still standing between them, can he lay bare the secret that she so desperately wants to conceal? Can she admit her love for him and begin a new life at his side?

    Read for free in Kindle Unlimited! London 1816 Guy Fortescue comes to England to claim his inheritance, Rosecroft Hall, abandoned over thirty years ago when his father fled to France after killing a man in a duel. But England proves to be a dangerous place - someone wants Guy dead. As Guy seeks to discover who lies behind the attacks on his life, he arranges a faux betrothal with Miss Horatia Cavendish. Unfortunately, things don’t go according to plan. An aspiring poet, Hetty proves to have a mind of her own but in spite of that, Guy finds her far too alluring. Dangerous.... Headstrong and lovely, Hetty agrees to the betrothal because it allows her to go to London where she can attend literary societies with her aunt. While her affection for Guy grows deeper, she must not forget the betrothal isn’t real. Guy will choose a bride from the beau monde - it will not be a colonel’s daughter from Digswell. But Hetty is soon drawn in to Guy's life, more and more, and not entirely against her will. He is handsome and brave, and the attraction between them is undeniable. Soon, she can no longer resist her desire for him and the fact that someone is out to kill him only feeds her innate protectiveness of the man she is betrothed to. As attempts are made on Guy’s life, Hetty and his sister ,Genevieve, work together to keep him alive, and a love that has been denied finally comes to fruition in the exciting conclusion. Publisher's Note: This book was previous released in the UK under the title A Dangerous Deception, but new content has been added and the story edited to produce a quality, new tale. Enjoy!

    The series follows the lives of the Andersons, Colters, and Larsons as they make the journey west to a wild new territory.Will the cost be worth it? What heartaches are in store? Will their dreams be everything they hoped?A Dream Unfolding (Book 1)Hannah Anderson and her husband head to the West in the hopes of starting over. The journey is difficult and costs more than either expected.Will Colter is forced to leave the ranch he has called home for nearly thirty years. The cattle drive west challenges him and his men—threatening their very lives.A Heart Renewed (Book 2)Julia Colter rebels against her old brother’s poor choices of suitors. When her rebellion against her brother puts her life at risk, she turns to her friend for help.Adam Larson longs to train horses and plans to head west to the Arizona Territory to see his dreams fulfilled. When Julia shows up on his doorstep in the middle of the night, he agrees to help her flee. The decision changes both of their lives foreverA Life Restored (Book 3)Social butterfly, Caroline Larson, longs for adventure. Stranded in the Arizona desert, far from her final destination, she must rely on a stranger who gets under her skin.Thomas Anderson has always struggled with making good decisions. Dealing with the ghosts of his past threatens to overshadow his future—until he meets a woman needing his help. Sparks fly as she grates on his nerves.A Hope Revealed (Book 4)Life turned out differently than Mary Colter expected. With her abusive husband either missing or dead, and the ranch gone, she is left to raise her two children on her own. She decides to head west to start over. Warren Cahill is confronted with one problem after another in his new role as foreman of Colter Ranch. Missing cattle and hot-headed cowhands take most of his attention. When Mary arrives at the ranch, tensions rise and he finds himself in the middle of it.

    But there's a condition to the pardon, one that sours Buck's gut. He's to cease outlawing and bring law and order to Revolving Point, Texas. The border town along the Rio Grande has a reputation worse than his, even after a fire destroyed the saloons and chased away the rabble rousers. But Zanna is there and still in danger from the fancy-pants attorney seeking revenge against her. To keep her safe, Buck will pin the star to his chest and settle the matter for good. Then he'll give Zanna what she wants--his name.Former soiled dove Suzanna Reynolds wants respectability, a home and children, and she wants them with Buck. Trouble is, Buck isn't the settling type and has never openly acknowledged she's his woman. Convinced Buck only took the sheriff's job to settle a score and not to please her, Suzanna demands he court her to prove his love or leave town for good.

    The trouble is, while Alison falls deeply in love with Mr Kemp, her aunt wishes her to marry the obnoxious but rich John Forres.Alison takes drastic measures to solve her dilemma, including a long trip through the snow-covered Pentland Hills. But who is the owner of the mysterious footprints outside her cottage, and what secret is Mr. Kemp hiding?

    In desperation, she enlists the help of the butler, and the two determine to quietly bury her husband and pretend he’s still alive. It will be a secret they will keep to their graves in order to protect the estate.After burying him in a forest in the middle of the night, they come across a man who has been beaten and left for dead. And this man happens to look just like her husband. Seeing this as the answer to their prayers, they take the man home in hopes he’ll agree to be the new Duke of Watkins. There’s only problem. When he wakes up, he doesn’t remember who he is, and a search for anyone who might know him leaves his true identity a mystery. Taking their chances, the Duchess of Watkins and the butler convince him he’s her husband.Unlike her first husband, this one is everything she’s ever hoped for. But when he learns the truth, can he forgive her for her lie or will he go back to the life he had before?

    A rake of the first water, Sebastian was the last man on earth Anna would choose for a husband. So, imagine her surprise when a meaningless kiss they shared last summer unexpectedly becomes the talk of the beau monde! Before the ink dries on the broadsheets, she has a ring on her finger and is, quite suddenly, Sebastian’s marchioness. Torn by a past full of demons, bound by an inescapable future, Anna and Sebastian find themselves facing not only their marriage of convenience, but a plethora of unanticipated events. Truth shall become lies. Lies shall become truth. And two souls who once looked upon each other with disdain will learn that life is not always as it seems—and people are never always who we imagine them to be. Will their scandalous past tear them apart? Or can time, circumstance, and undeniable passion open their hearts to the possibility of love?

    When a violent storm flings them into the decadent splendor of a Turkish court, will they trust to love...or die in each other's arms?LOVE'S WILD DESIRECatherine, tricked into attending an infamous quadroon ball, masks her identity until it's too late. Forced to wed the handsome planter who compromises her, she seeks a place in his life. But the madman stalking her will not rest until she pays the price for...Love's Wild Desire.

    After King Henry forgets his promise to uphold the Provisions of Oxford, a young, powerful Marcher Earl, Talon Montgomery joins forces with Simon de Montfort leading an all out rebellion. Thanks to Montgomery's strategies, Montfort wins the day and takes Henry and his son, Edward Longshanks, hostage to ensure the Provisions are followed. Montgomery rejoices, knowing the Provisions will bring justice and law to a nation. It is only after the battle does Montgomery learn his precious eight year old daughter, Rose, has been abducted. Talon Montgomery now faces a terrible choice, turn against his allies and against everything he believes in or face the murder of his daughter.A widower, Talon's daughter is all he has. Desperate to counter their hold over him and certain his dead wife's curse is exacting her vengeance, Talon abducts the daughter of his Welsh enemy, Gwenillian ap Powys, only to discover he has brought into his home a fiery spirit of a young, beautiful woman who refuses to be cowed.But Talon's counter means naught. He has picked the wrong enemy and Gwen's father orders the assassination of his own daughter, placing Talon squarely in the middle and the risk of dying himself should he decide to protect her.Talon cannot bear to see such a strong spirit destroyed but neither can he find his missing daughter. His desire for Gwen grows daily. How can he protect the young woman with a death writ over her head when he cannot find his own daughter?

    When she finds a long-lost love letter in a house she’s redecorating she sets off on a quest to find its rightful owner. Commander William Cavendish has lived as a recluse since his return from the Great War. His peaceful existence is shattered by the return of the letter that once held all his hopes — and by its bearer, the irrepressible Rosalie, who bears an uncanny resemblance to his lost love. Rosalie is just as determined to fix William and re-introduce him into society as he is determined to resist her. They both might have met their match.

    By then, it's too late--her family hovers on the brink of financial ruin with another social catastrophe about to explode. But neither can resist an attraction that burns stronger than society's dictates and their lack of trust--his of women--hers from fear of discovery.

    Set aside time to open a bottle of wine, sit in your favorite spot and dive into a world of long ago, a different place and time.Abby, a young teacher on the American frontier falls in love with a handsome Cheyenne brave. Shadow Spirit’s mother is a beautiful Irish redhead, his father a noble ChiefShadow Spirit rescues Abbey from a perilous situation and certain death. Feelings grow, but adversity separates the star-crossed lovers.What event from the past stands between Abby and Shadow Spirit, the man she desires, and loves with all her heart? Can they reunite and find lasting love despite the hardships life throws at them? The answers are within the pages of 'Cheyenne Moon'. Along with the answers comes a story and action that will keep you breathless.

    He arrives to a hero's welcome and discovers himself a changed man, looking forward to his future as baron and marriage to his betrothed, beautiful Alyna Salkeld. But weakened by a wound that refuses to heal, he to falls victim to the same fever that killed his father. Garin survives but the fever has rendered him blind. He can no longer inherit the barony or marry. His dreams destroyed, he knows he will be sent to the church hospice to hide his shame. To his shock, Alyna Salkeld fights to save their betrothal and Garin's right to inherit, insisting he can still be baron even without his sight. Is she doing this just to control his barony?Alyna knows all to well the challenges Garin faces with the loss of his sight. Her uncle, a talented goldsmith was rendered blind in an accident when she was a little girl. But Alyna's father, Geoff Salkeld, believes in the strength of family. He opened his home to his brother and family instead of forcing Roger into the church. Roger learned to live without his sight and his trade as a goldsmith thrives. Alyna knows Garin is a courageous knight and this battle will be far more difficult than any he has fought in the past. The priest, although doubtful, allows the marriage with the understanding he will review the situation in six months. If he finds the barony mismanaged in any way or if Garin cannot defeat his blindness, he will annul the marriage and Garin will have no choice but to enter the church hospices.Both Garin and Alyna know they face a difficult journey but they do not expect the violence with which other nobles fight against them. Ultimately, Garin's enemies decide Alyna's life is now forfeit.

    Their king took her father, older brothers, and betrothed away to fight in a foolish battle in the Crusades. As if what the English king has done isn't already bad enough, a small English army attacks her home in the highlands. Grimly determined, she and the remaining members of her clan fight them off and save Urquhart. But she is weary of battling and longs for the return of her loved ones. Instead another group of English soldiers arrive and deliver a complicated message that turns her life forever upside down.Nicholas Neville, Lord of Middleham, is leading his men home from Tunis. Battle weary and saddened at the loss of so many friends, he wishes he had never followed his king to the Crusades. He wants nothing more than to make their way home to England. Yet he must stop at Urquhart and deliver the news that the Durwood chieftain, his sons, and his daughter's betrothed died in the battle. As if that isn't difficult enough, he must also inform Maggie Durwood that she is now his ward and must come with him.Before he can even deliver his messages, Maggie attempts to keep him and his men from her castle. She dares to shoot him in the leg with her arrow, foolishly risking the outraged retaliation of his soldiers. From that moment on, he knows the two of them will butt heads. She will not dissuade him from his duty of dragging her all the way to England and of finding her a new betrothed. His has not survived the Crusade to be brought down by a strong-willed Scottish lass.

    You’ll find out what’s happening with Royce and Brianna from Love Me Forever. And then there are the Wyrrd witches and their usual antics. Readers now have all of Donna’s short stories in one place to enjoy at their leisure.

    From then on, she is drawn into a world of riches and opulence, far removed from her life before. But two years later, she finds out a dark secret from her lover’s past and leaves him, taking her maid, the outrageous Kitty Dawson with her. However, her lover has no intention of letting her go and hires a man to find her. And so begins a cat and mouse chase that covers many years and thousands of miles, where Madeline has plenty of dangers to face, even the risk of being found guilty of murder.

    Injured in an explosion, he is taken to the Sven mansion to recover. Kirsten Sven has reasons not to marry, in spite of her unwanted attraction to the army officer. Reid declares his love for her, but she sends him away by revealing her dark secret. Once Reid procures a land grant in the Missouri territory, he journeys 900 miles back to Philadelphia, finally determined to convince Kirsten to take him as her husband, unaware her marriage to another man is imminent.

    She, however, has a valid and disturbing reason for her actions, which she has vowed never to divulge. Then a twist of fate delivers two men -- enemies of each other -- into her life on the same day. Although both men initially intrigue her, one soon turns her blood cold, while the other heats it to a degree she finds herself helpless to control…or to comprehend. Suddenly her resolve never to wed begins to crumble. The problem is, the proposal of marriage comes from the wrong man...and he refuses to be denied.

    She had no time for an impudent clerk—or so she thought. Scotsman William Stephen, who’d sent the clerk at Berry’s to the cellar to hunt for a special French cognac, took the rain-battered female to be a charwoman who hadn’t bathed in weeks. But when he saw her pale purple eyes, the color of heather, he decided to help her. An English lady, a handsome Scot and Christmastide all come together for a wonderful tale of unlikely love.

    On the ship he meets the enigmatic Dagny, traveling with a man who calls himself her brother. Martin and Dagny become good friends ~ until passengers' stolen jewels are found in her trunk. Martin believes so strongly in Dagny's innocence that he provides her with an alibi ~ though it ruins her reputation. Now shunned by the other passengers, Martin and Dagny try to prove the identity of the true criminal, while facing unexpectedly deadly circumstances when leaving Norway.Watch the book trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1tZSj...

    Pray God that He might find some before this week is done. I shall see you hung on Saturday next.”“Peter Jensen are you so pure of heart that you might judge me?”“You will not test me woman!”With that Reverend Jensen slammed the cell door closed and with a tick of the key in the iron box he locked it securely. His retreating footsteps echoed through the long hall, ending as the heavy front door slammed behind him. She knew that he would not return again until Saturday, when he would watch, with satisfaction, as she swung from the gallows.In 1764, beautiful, young, Ruth Chernock was hung from the gallows at East Grantham, Maine. More than 200 years later her family speculated regarding the fate of their ancestor. Could she really have been guilty of such heinous crimes? After digging through the attic and historical records of the old family home, the truth is gradually uncovered. Shocking family secrets are disclosed and at last the family learns the truth of it all. This is a remarkable story of love, tragedy, betrayal and murder. The four books of the Ruth Chernock Series follow the family through the decades and generations. An incredible tale you will never forget!The following books in the series are In Ruth's Memory, On Grace's Shoulders and Pink Sky & Mourning

    Into this background, wanders a party of Englishwomen. Well-bred, bookish spinster, Annie Haddon - (product of mustn't take off your hat, mustn't take off your gloves, mustn't get hot or perspire Victorian society)- together with an aunt the last word in snobbery, and a spoiled and brittle cousin.After a stagecoach wreck, Annie is thrown into the company of Colt McCall - a man who lives by his own rules and hates the English.Can two people, moulded by their backgrounds and pasts, overcome that conditioning? Annie and McCall find out on their journey across the haunting, mystical landscape of the West.

    But when an attempt to help her star-crossed brother goes awry, she finds herself married to the Duke of Kerstone. Can the hopeless romantic Miranda prove to her impeccably proper husband that fairy tales really do come true?The Star-Crossed BrideEver a gentleman, Viscount Valentine Fenster steps aside when the woman he loves, Lady Emily Wertherly chooses another man. When he discovers Emily's fiance is a fortune-hunting murderer, Valentine tosses caution—and decorum—to the wind to save her. But he’ll have to move fast since the headstrong and highly-imaginative Emily is intent on saving herself…The Unintended BrideShy Hero Fenster loves two things—books and Arthur Watterly. But Arthur, the heir to a dukedom and pledged to another since birth, is the one thing she can never have—that is until the quest for a rare Arthurian manuscript and a night of passion in a bookshop change everything.The Infamous BrideNotorious flirt Juliet Fenster enjoys the delights of the London season far too much to consider settling down—particularly with a stuffy American like Romeo “RJ” Hopkins. But when the unlikely pair are cast in an amateur production of Romeo and Juliet, they find themselves doing far more than “playing” at love…

    There’s a mysterious person in her life, her grandfather. But he died in World War II and she never knew more than that. Until one day, a clue appears. She follows this clue and discovers a family secret and defying her father’s warnings, she learns of the amazing love story between her grandparents while they were interned during World War II. However, that love story turns to heartache as her grandparents are separated when the grandfather goes off to Europe to fight the Nazis. But as she follows the clue further, she discovers the truth about her grandfather and it changes hers and her family’s life, forever.

    From daring sea captains to genteel lords, there's a little something for every heart's fancy. Readers everywhere will adore these four regency romances---now available together for the first time in one can't-miss ebook!

    Free Christmas short story.Tied to the Malloy Family series When Ethan Malloy finds a redheaded stranger in his house, will he recognize the fiery Isabel is meant for him?

    There love affair is set against the backdrop of the American West immediately after the Civil War, when the territories were filled with adventurers who had left civilization and traveled to the frontier to seek their fortunes. Kate Madison, barely out of her teens, sets out from New York to find her father who had deserted the family for Colorado. Sam Brady, a veteran of the civil war, had chafed at a gentleman's education and has been devastated by the knowledge of his illegitimacy. Kate and Sam's paths cross at a ball where they instantly detest each other. This changes when Sam is called upon to rescue Kate from a predatory employer and they travel West together. Through their long journey filled with shared adventures, their love grows until a freak accident separates them. Each believing the other is dead, they build separate lives until fate decrees they meet again in a showdown destined to tear them apart forever... or join them again in love at long last.

    Or so the rest of the world believes. In truth, he’s a special agent for the FBI, moving from one assignment to the next. When a murderer surfaces in his small southern hometown, Julian’s assignment is to protect the one woman who is far from happy to find him back in Crystal Lake, TN.Rowan Covington has never aspired to any life that would lead her away from the place her family has called home for generations. And if Julian thinks she’s going out of her way to welcome him back, he has another thing coming! When it becomes apparent she’s the target of a killer driven by revenge, Rowan learns the truth about the one man who holds her heart—and how far he’s willing to go to save her.

    She is terrified that his lordship might positively ruin her reputation by exposing her poor behaviour. But when she learns that he has a secret of his own, she throws caution to the wind and sneaks aboard his ship in the middle of the night, intent on using that knowledge to seal his lips … Anton's secret -- that he is a gentleman pirate -- takes on new meaning when he sails for Barbados, to escape his father’s heavy hand, and realizes he has a stowaway on board. By the time Elizabeth’s presence is discovered, it is too late to turn back. As they are thrown together for weeks at sea, their stormy passions will grow, perhaps into something more…

    When she awakes she has no memory of who she is.

    Especially when his bride-to-be is still in love with the man he holds responsible for his parents’ death. Torn between his morals and loyalty to his family, Chris Davis’ heart betrays him at every turn. Nichole lied about her heritage. Could she also be lying about not being a part of his parents’ death? He should just leave her to his enemy and be done with her, or kill them both. If only it were that simple.Nichole Michaels, known to the Cheyenne as White Deer, grew up hearing her mother spin tales of the visions of the man she would one day marry. Believing them to be nothing more than myth, imagine her surprise when she finds herself standing face to face with a vision come to life. She is torn between the past and a man whose love is certain, and a man whose love promised to be the strongest tie she has ever known, yet may never be able to claim. Chris needs her, but is that enough to make her deny her heritage for the rest of her life? Her heart aches to know the depth of the love claimed in her mother’s visions. Is she strong enough to withstand a rancher with a heart of stone to find it?

    Angered at gentlemen showering her with flowery compliments and unwanted kisses, Selena longs for someone to see past her beautiful face and appreciate the intelligent, loyal, fun girl inside. Rescued by the chivalrous, but penniless, Earl of Wakefield from the lecherous clutches of yet another unwanted suitor, Lord Tavener, Selena is delighted to finally meet a man who seems to seek only friendship. And it seems that her life is finally about to change for the better when the Earl introduces her to Miss Jerrold, a famous garden designer, who is renovating the gardens at the Earl's country home. Thrilled with the opportunity to indulge her passion for horticulture and finally take control of her own destiny, Selena jumps at the chance to live on the estate and become her assistant. Safe, happy and secretly in love for the first time, Selena cannot believe the joy that the Earl has bought into her life. But fate has a nasty surprise in store for her in the shape of the odious Lord Taverner. Smarting with rejection, he does his best to ruin her newly found happiness, determined to have his way. As danger threatens, putting everything and everyone she cares about at risk, will honesty, resourcefulness and tenacity win out? Or will her nemesis, Lord Tavener finally wreak his revenge?

    When he asked her father for her hand in marriage, he believed the lies her father told him, and immediately left to fight in the war against Napoleon. Once he is finally home again, will he be able to trust Lily again? Or will her father win?

    To do this she must attend The Royal Academy of Music in London and become classically trained. Isabelle is a widow and has a young son to support and the fees for the academy are beyond her means as a music teacher. Her only recourse is to apply for the annual scholarship.In the summer of 1885 after losing the scholarship for a second time and eager to earn more money, she decides to answer an advertisement. This simple act and the meeting of a mysterious man called ‘Karl’ will change her life forever.In the coming years, Isabelle is destined to discover not only her true potential, but also the lengths she is willing to go to realise her ambition.

    Lord Justin Carrington, heir to a prestigious dukedom, would rather live the life of a bachelor, sowing his wild oats across London, than deal with the Irish chit to whom he’s shackled. However, when the time comes to honor their betrothal contract, and Sara is shipped overseas to meet her mysterious English lord, nothing is as either of them expected. Sparks fly. Friendship blossoms into genuine feelings—perhaps even love. But what happens when a man from Sara’s past travels abroad to England in hopes of winning her? Will this new affection she has for her betrothed, the man she once thought she’d hate for all eternity, stand up against the one chance she has to return to Ireland?

    Widowed for years, she wants to conduct a big enough scandal that a gentleman might come calling merely to see if the rumors about her are true.He wants a shot at Parliament…Stephen Tarkington is a self-professed rogue but if he had his way, he’d be a philanthropist. The only thing prohibiting his dream is his lack of sponsorship for a spot in Parliament. Marrying Lady Parker’s niece could solve his problem.Sometimes the heart wants more…Imagine his surprise when he meets the widow and she’s not an old bird he can charm. She’s vibrant, sharp-tongued and enchanting to boot. Passion flares between them, and Stephen gives up on his plan… in search of a more pleasurable gamble.Maggie is immediately drawn to the charming, handsome gentleman, but will a simple affair fulfill her needs? A scrape with public scandal will toss them into a situation that may just satisfy both of their secret desires.

    Patrick, the impetuous Caylith meets her match. Liam O'Neill, strongly attracted by the sultry promise in her green eyes and by her bold mouth, calls her his “Storm Maker,” and yet she learns that he, too, has ways to stir up a whirlwind.The more she tries to stay chaste, the more her passions increase. The sexual tension builds as she faces the clash of her desires and her promise to Patrick—to remain a virgin until marriage. When an old enemy seizes Liam as hostage for all her lands, she first confronts the scheming druid brothers Loch and Lucet, pagan priests of the high king himself, and then she faces the malevolence of her old nemesis Owen Sweeney.Finally, on the verge of marriage, Caylith is confronted by the other man who loves her. Now she must choose between the lover who has waited for her and the untamed, mysterious Liam.

    Now Irish lass Maeve Murphy and her sisters can come to America! She's sure happiness awaits her, even if it won't—can't—come from widowed ship doctor Flynn Gallagher. Yes, he made her his assistant, but she's not foolish enough to fall for the man all the eligible, wealthy female passengers admire.Flynn Gallagher may have his pick of ladies, but only one cares as he does for the sick and poor. Flynn vowed never to marry another woman who could break his heart. With Maeve, has his heart found safe harbor at last?

    Krista and Jack fall in love over the course of several weeks and are planning to be married when a run-in with a wounded bear throws Krista into the world of Storm Cloud, a Sauk Indian Chief. Krista struggles with her growing feelings for Storm Cloud while trying to regain her memory and will be forced to choose between the two men she has come to love.

    After inheriting a portion of Spain’s Royal Inheritance, he resigned the life of brigands for a chance at honest wealth. With the secrets of his piracy tucked away, he achieved his lofty aspirations. But when his partner and best friend betrays him to the Royal Navy, Cain’s dreams are ripped to shreds. He’s left with his ship, the tattered remnants of a stolen future, and a piece of Spanish mystery. Wanted by three nations and destined for the gallows, he returns to the legendary band of buccaneers for one purpose---vengeance.Kidnapped by the formidable Cain, India Prescott discovers he intends to kill the man she’s to marry, Richard Grey. Cain’s story reveals betrayal. Treachery that extends to her as well. Although she holds the key to retribution, India refuses to become another man’s pawn. Freedom lies before her, the liberty to shrug off propriety, make her own decisions, and claim her destiny. But when she uncovers goodness in Cain’s soul and he awakens passion in her heart, she must combat the chains of convention once more.Only this time India's not fighting society. She’s battling a pirate bent on keeping her decency intact.

    Although the titled man’s offer would improve her situation she hesitates to accept his proposal.Georgianne, who has known Tarrant since she was in the nursery, turns to him for help. She knows he is quixotic and that he will never fail her. Yet, even in order to help her sisters she is not sure as to whether or not she wants to accept his solution to her problems.Tarrant admires dainty Georgianne and wants to protect her, but if he expects her to conform to Regency conventions and manners he will be surprised. Sunday’s child is ‘fair of face’ but she is not a ‘bread and butter Miss’.Neither Tarrant nor Georgianne can guess what the future holds.

    As captain of the pirate ship Gypsy Doll she plunders the seas to support them both.Charles "the Charmer" was first mate on the Gypsy Doll before he was shanghaied and enslaved to a brutal master. On his escape, he swears revenge and uses his charm to convince Gina to help him win the biggest prize of all, one with enough gold to allow them to give up pirating forever.But betrayal swirls in the air as surely as a stormy sea, and the curse of the gypsy doll makes betrayal more than dangerous...

    Now Wes Westmoreland, undercover lawman, threatens both her plan and her heart.

    Isabelle McAllister is incarcerated for murdering her father, and later transferred to an insane asylum. Robert Easterman is accused of thievery by his lover, and temporarily contained at an institution for the criminally insane. The two convicts escape, race through the countryside, and sequester themselves in a secret glade. Isabelle and Rob assuage angst in each other's arms. Twists of fate, deception, and family tragedy divide the lovers, but ultimately nothing deters the devotion of one man for an escaped murderess, and nothing deters the love of one small woman for the man who would dare to rescue her.

    1 of The Pandora Chronicles. Every September, a plague descends on the people of Arcadia and the surrounding suburbs. Each one is given a name. The Paralyzing. The Bleeding. The Retching. No one knows why the plagues began, how they spread -- or what will stop them. As eighteen-year-olds Hope and Jake risk everything to avenge the thousands of deaths caused by the plagues, they discover their first clue: PANDORA. Who is she? What is she? But before they can even begin to unravel this mystery, they have to deal with the realities of autumn: the season of plague.

    Bittersweet is a completed historical romance set in frontier Denver. It runs the gamut of human emotions from unrequited love, loyalty, jealousy, and anger, replete with murder, violence, and frontier justice. Bethany Swenson finds herself in a situation where she suspects that the handsome James O’Brien, to whom she is inexplicably drawn, years ago murdered his adulterous first wife. Fearing her family’s disapproval, she is hesitant to share her confused feelings toward him because of his tainted reputation. She is also hesitant to report the evidence she has uncovered because the town sheriff is James’ brother. She thus turns to writing a journal in which she confides her innermost thoughts and pens clues that eventually aid in unraveling the mystery. This thrilling historical romance is a collection of Bethany’s most unusual and inviting journal entries. She is quick to learn that living in the untamed Colorado territory can indeed be bittersweet.

    A swashbuckling, amoral 18th Century rake, he was cut down in a duel at age 27 by a ricocheting bullet fired by a cuckolded husband. Now stewing resentfully in a bureaucratic afterlife, he leaps at the chance to regain his human form and return to his previous existence. But there’s a catch. He’ll be transported to the England of a hundred years later, where he’ll have one month to end the family feud launched by that fatal duel and ensure the happiness of the Caine and Sevaric descendants. If he succeeds, he’ll be transported back to his former life and the bullet will miss him. But standing between him and his goal is the obstinately unhappy and ascerbic Gwen Sevaric—and his surprising desire to be forever the one who makes her smile.

    Separated from her nurse, a dismal shadow blights Annabelle’s life because she does not know who her parents are. Although high-spirited, Annabelle is financially dependent on her unknown guardian. She refuses to marry a French baron more than twice her age. Her life in danger, Annabelle is saved by a gentleman, who says he will help her to discover her identity. Yet, from then on nothing is as it seems, and she is forced to run away for the second time to protect her rescuer. Even more determined to discover her parents’ identity, in spite of many false pretences, Annabelle must learn who to trust. Her attempts to unravel the mystery of her birth, lead to further danger, despair, unbearable heartache and even more false pretences until the only person who has ever wanted to cherish her, reveals the startling truth, and all’s well that ends well