Best of
Regency-Romance

2003

Friends and Foes


Sarah M. Eden - 2003
    But at a traveler’s inn, he encounters an unexpected and far more maddening foe: Sorrel Kendrick, a young lady who is strikingly pretty, shockingly outspoken, and entirely unimpressed with him. Indeed, Sorrel cannot believe the nerve of this gentleman, who rudely accuses her of theft and insults her feminine dignity. Doubly annoyed when they both end up at a party hosted by mutual friends, Philip and Sorrel privately declare war on one another. But Philip’s tactics, which range from flirting to indifference, soon backfire as he finds himself reluctantly enjoying Sorrel’s company; and, much to her dismay, Sorrel finds Philip’s odd manner to be increasingly endearing. In the midst of this waning war and growing attraction, Philip catches wind of the French spy he’s been tracking, and Sorrel inadvertently stumbles upon a crucial piece of the puzzle, making her indispensable to the mission. But can two proud hearts negotiate a ceasefire when cooperation matters most?

The Further Observations of Lady Whistledown


Julia Quinn - 2003
    but its former occupant as well!Contains:One True Love by Suzanne EnochTwo Hearts by Karen KawkinsA Dozen Kisses by Mia RyanThirty-six Valentines by Julia Quinn*All Lady Whistledown columns written by Julia Quinn

The Pretender


Celeste Bradley - 2003
    Now, she brings us The Lover, the first book in the wildly fun, exciting, and sexy new Liar's Club series both featuring irresistible heroes who are out to steal their leading ladies hearts!She had a secret she'd do anything to hide. Agatha Cunnington, a headstrong beauty from the country, has come to London in search of her missing brother James. The only clue she has is a cryptic letter signed The Griffin. Agatha decides to disguise herself as a respectable married woman so that she can go about the city unnoticed. But for her charade to work she needs a suitable "husband," preferably someone tall, elegant, and rakish-someone like Simon Montague Rain.He had a secret he'd do anything to hide.Simon Montague Rain, also known as The Magician, is a member of The Liar's Club, a renegade group of rogues and thieves in the service of the Crown. When someone begins murdering members of the undercover cabal one by one, Simon is given the mission to bring in The Griffin, one of his comrades who is suspected of betraying his brothers. Simon goes undercover and infiltrates the home of "Mrs." Agatha Applequist who he believes is the Griffin's mistress. Before Simon knows what's happened, he finds himself irresistibly drawn to Agatha's soft, feminine charms-and he is tempted beyond reason to break the first rule of The Liar's Club: never fall in love.

Slightly Married


Mary Balogh - 2003
    But this proud nobleman also possesses a loyal, passionate heart—and it is this fierce loyalty that has brought Colonel Lord Aidan to Ringwood Manor to honor a dying soldier's request. Having promised to comfort and protect the man's sister, Aidan never expected to find a headstrong, fiercely independent woman who wants no part of his protection... nor did he expect the feelings this beguiling creature would ignite in his guarded heart. And when a relative threatens to turn Eve out of her home, Aidan gallantly makes her an offer she can't refuse: marry him... if only to save her home. And now, as all of London breathlessly awaits the transformation of the new Lady Aidan Bedwyn, the strangest thing happens: With one touch, one searing embrace, Aidan and Eve's “business arrangement” is about to be transformed into something slightly surprising.

Lord Fenmore's Wager


Alissa Baxter - 2003
    But his lordship finds more to Diana than he’d expected… Regency Romance by Alissa Baxter; originally published by Regency House

The Count's Charade


Elizabeth Bailey - 2003
    An enemy spy? Who are the men who seek him? What secrets lie in the papers Henri entrusts to her charge?Living alone but for her faithful maid, Grace’s reputation is at stake. But Henri’s safety comes first. If he is to have a chance, she must hold the authorities at bay.Barely has he recovered when his pursuers come calling. Pitting those who would interfere one against the other, Grace risks all to keep her Frenchman alive.Will the truth emerge before Henri’s enemies manage to silence him forever?

A Viscount For Christmas


Catherine Blair - 2003
    A handsome lord visits his country estate during the Christmas season and finds unexpected love with the estate manager's daughter.

The Mad Marquis


Fiona Carr - 2003
    When she embarks on a marriage of convenience with Henry Pelham, her greatest adversary on the hunt field, Julia Westfall, a spirited beauty, unexpectedly falls in love with her new husband, who believes that he is mad, and proves to him that love is the only thing driving him crazy.

The Debutante


Jacqueline Masterson - 2003
    Instead of being groomed for marriage, pretty young 'debutantes' are trained, tormented and finally auctioned off in a bizarre parody of the real debutantes' presentation at court. Angela is inducted into this secret world. Though the punishments she endures turn her on, she becomes increasingly alarmed as she realises she will end up as the property of a wicked aristocrat. Soon she is consumed by the question that torments many of the 'secret season' debutantes: which of these cruel men and women will acquire her?

Jane Austen and the Navy


B.C. Southam - 2003
    Francis Austen, on board the Canopus, narrowly missed the battle of Trafalgar; Charles Austen in Endymion captured numerous small prizes. It is not surprising that that the Austen family, including Jane, took a deep personal interest in naval affairs. Apart from the church, the navy was the profession which she knew and admired most. Her novels reflected this: Mansfield Park includes a portrait of life in Portsmouth, the estimable midshipman William Price and the less attractive Admiral Crawford; Persuasion presents her most extended account of naval officers and attitudes, from the redoubtable Admiral Croft to Captain Wentworth himself. Jane Austen and the Navy demonstrates clearly the importance of the navy both in Jane Austen's life and her novels. ""She was convinced of sailors having more worth and warmth than any other set of men in England; that they only knew how to live, and they only deserved to be respected and loved!""--Jane Austen, "Persuasion"

Lady Elinor's Escape


Linda McLaughlin - 2003
    When she encounters an inquisitive gentleman, Elinor accepts his help, but fearing for his safety, hides her identity by pretending to be a seamstress. She resists his every attempt to draw her out, all the while fighting her attraction to him. There are too many women in barrister Stephen Chaplin's life, but he has never been able to turn his back on a damsel in distress. The younger son of a baronet is a "rescuer" of troubled females, an unusual vocation fueled by guilt over his failure to save the woman he once loved from her brutal husband. Now he cannot help falling in love with his secretive seamstress. But when Elinor's mysterious background is revealed, will Stephen find himself to be an eligible suitor?

Miss Parker's Ponies


Victoria Hinshaw - 2003
    But her carefree country life comes to an abrupt halt when her widowed mother insists she embark upon a London Season for the express purpose of snaring a well-heeled husband. Suddenly, the spirited beauty is thrust into a world of glittering balls and elegant soirees with no hope of rescue in sight...until she meets a dashing young captain who seems to understand her dilemma implicitly, a man who becomes her staunchest ally overnight...HE NEEDED A WELL-TO-DO WIFE...On the battlefield, Thomas Ogden had acquitted himself with courage, and he'd brought home the way wounds to prove it. But now, faced with the prospect of trolling the marriage mart for a rich wife, he is filled with foreboding. Thank goodness for Caroline. Becoming her partner in this business of finding a mate makes life tolerable, even pleasurable...Until Thomas realizes he's finding fault with every man Caroline flirts with...until he discovers he's harbouring a desire to do violence to every man who asks her to dance...until he begins to sense that he will never accept any man as Caroline's husband...any man but himself...