Her only source of comfort is her sweet cousin for whom she acts as chaperone and companion. Enduring a London Season seems daunting, but with matrimony far from her mind, she is content to hide in the shadows until the season is over.James Berkeley, Duke of Cheshire, is the most eligible bachelor in London. At least, he would be if he had any intention to wed. Before he can think about matrimony, he has a secret and solemn duty he must fulfill. The last two London Seasons have come to naught; he is hoping a third will hold more promise, allowing him to solve a mystery and regain his freedom once and for all.James is intrigued when he meets the beautiful Miss Gray; she is elusive, mysterious, and cares little that he is a duke. But when James discovers Miss Gray could be the very woman he is honor-bound to find, he is torn between duty and desire. She might be the key to solving all of his problems, but he’d rather she be the key to his heart. And one thing is certain: she cannot be both.

    There is nothing he wouldn’t do to secure her services at first, but later he will settle for nothing less than her heart…Nearly 7 years ago, Susan Langdon was well aware that her actions would ruin her marriage prospects. Now she is content with being a governess and taking care of her twin charges, even if there’s a void in her heart that will never be filled…When her employer’s brother, the widowed Duke of Kent, arrives in the manor, Susan will get the feeling that he isn’t there just for a social visit. And she is absolutely right!Eldridge Johnson is in dire need of a governess and his brother seems to have the perfect candidate for the job! And with the twins departing for Eton soon, she should be ripe for the picking!But what the Duke will find upon meeting Susan is that her qualities are far more precious than those of a mere governess, and though the course of action is clear in their heads, the unexpected obstacles brought on by a family member will perplex things quite a bit…

    Jenny Philips needs to escape her domineering uncle who’s trying to sell her to the highest bidder.A mail-order bride ad brings these two tortured souls together. Upon meeting the Virginia rose, Mathew falls hard and offers to help her get settled.Although Jenny finds herself attracted to the kindhearted cattle farmer, she fears that a marriage amid deadly conflict between miners and natives could spoil their chance at happiness.Can the couple survive a bumpy trail to love and begin a new life together?Sheriff Jacob Benning dreams of only one thing: being a father. After placing a mail-order bride ad, an accident ruins his handwriting and with it, a chance to meet an educated lady.He believes his dream of fatherhood is over.But Rosa Casey, a woman battling anxiety and low self-esteem, finds the sheriff’s bad handwriting charming. For the first time in her life, she swallows her fears, packs her bags, and takes a leap into the unknown.In the small Montana town, Jacob and Rosa begin to build a life. But dangers of the frontier lure at every corner, threatening to destroy a relationship that has just started to blossom.Will Jacob and Rosa survive the dusty dangers to live happily ever after?Dan Mavis, a schoolteacher in the small town of Bear Creek, Montana, believes the only way he’ll finally marry is if he mail-orders a wife. His elegant female colleague, Phoebe James, strongly disagrees.After having her heart broken one too many times, Phoebe finds herself falling for a handsome educator, a man strikingly different from those who’ve previously courted her.Just as Dan starts noticing the beautiful assistant and things start heating up between them, Dan’s advertisement reaches a woman keen to take up his offer.Dan’s mail-order bride shows up at the worst moment, ready to break the starry-eyed couple apart.Will this dramatic interruption ruin Dan and Phoebe’s best chance for a happily-ever-after?When Edward James settled in Bear Creek to manage the mines, he didn’t plan on falling in love. Since the moment he met Morning Sun, his world has been turned upside down and he wants nothing more than to worship the Sioux beauty and be a devoted husband.But the call of the tribe is strong.Morning Sun loves Edward with all her heart, but her loyalty lies with her tribe.Can she really ask Edward to give up his life to live with the Sioux? Does Edward love her enough to leave behind the life he built?As doubts and fears plague the couple’s minds, the US military plans to banish the Sioux to a reservation, taking Morning Sun away from Edward forever.If they run away together, they can save their love, but what will become of the tribe?Can their love survive the harshest of tests?In Bear Creek Brides: Books 1-4, you’ll find four exhilarating stories of how one brave act of venturing into the unknown can change your destiny.

    Except perhaps for an earl with a twisted hand and a charming smile. Why, for all the fortune hunters she has fended off since returning from India, is the one man who seems to like her so against marrying for money?Philip has inherited an earldom that his only two choices are to marry for money or to abandon Society altogether and return to his work as an engineer. Which is no choice at all, until a tiny woman with beautiful eyes and a fine mind dances with him on his last night in London.When they meet again in a small country village, they join forces to uncover larceny and deceit, to rescue Lalamani’s aunt from poverty, and to discover that pride is a poor reason to refuse a love for a lifetime.

    Her older brother is missing in revolution torn France, and her stepfather has agreed her marriage to a notorious rake and gamester of his acquaintance. A plea to her mother has no other effect than to cause that much tried woman a bad case of the vapours. Since Kitty knows from bitter experience that Lady Veris is unlikely to leave her rooms, much less recover before the planned date of the wedding, she decides on drastic measures. With no more than a bandbox and her maid, she runs to her godfather, her last hope in avoiding a future even worse than her present. The Earl of Layne has decided to escape the tedium of the London marriage mart to spend a few weeks at his estate in Cornwall. His aunt has again demanded that he marry, as is his duty, and kindly circled the most eligible ladies named on her shortlist. Considering the amount of time that was spent in compiling this list, not to mention carefully observing the virtues of each candidate, it is likely the earl’s aunt would have suffered an apoplexy if she’d seen it discarded to the fire after no more than a cursory glance, sharply raised eyebrows, and an indistinctly muttered, “Oh really, no, no, no!” So when Kitty’s godfather approaches the earl with a new candidate for his consideration, Layne decides he may as well meet the girl, as surely she can’t be any worse than his aunt’s selected ladies. And there starts an eighteenth century romp of romance and intrigue.

    Chance brings him to Naples—where it's also raining. But the rain clears, and as he discovers the city, a pleasant young English governess rescues him from an altercation with a flirtatious girl and her protective family.Miss Elizabeth Walker is between jobs and taking a holiday in Naples when she meets the quiet, handsome Englishman. When he proposes that she act as his guide for the next few days, she accepts, because they enjoy each other's company. Elizabeth matter-of-factly recognizes that, of course, she'll fall quietly in love with him, and nothing will come of it, but she'll have some lovely memories to cherish in her old age. ...and finding a second chance at love... As they come to know each other better, Randolph starts thinking thoughts of forever, but that seems impossible—until fate takes an alarming hand.Author's Note: The hero of Sunshine for Christmas was a secondary character in my RITA winning novel, The Rake . A foolish youthful mistake had cost him the woman he loved. But doesn't everyone deserve a second chance?Originally published in the Christmas Revels anthology

    

    Everyone knows it, from her dearest friends within the Spinsters’ Sewing Circle to her most distant acquaintances within the parish.So when the beloved new curate turns up dead the night before Valentine’s Day, stabbed through the heart with Lydia’s own knitting needle, not even Lydia’s closest friends expect her to do more than cry and perhaps arrange a luncheon after the funeral service. After all, the tragedy was only a robbery gone wrong, and how could any vicar’s daughter hope to bring the long-gone thief to justice?
But Lydia can’t shake the feeling that this crime was somehow personal. The clues suggest the curate was murdered for some terrible purpose, and everyone at the house party seems to have a motive. Was it the high-born lady whose charitable endeavors are at risk? The beautiful young lady of the house who's hiding an agonizing secret? Her mother, who had every reason to want the curate gone? Or even the butler, whose private life is more scandalous than it seems?
And that’s to say nothing of handsome Mr. Pemberton, a notorious gambler and infuriating flirt from London who seems equally likely to have killed the curate and to drive Lydia to commit a murder herself.
This cozy, romantic Regency murder mystery—full of strong female friendships, gripping twists and turns, and witty repartee sharper than a knitting needle—is sure to delight fans of Jane Austen, Lynn Messina, and Patricia C. Wrede.

    It is a vast cosmic sea. Where each life exists as rippling circles on its surface, past and future being eternally present. And occasionally, one expanding ring intertwines with that of another, weaving the lives of two people together . . . Intertwine In 2012, Emme Wilde can’t find the right guy. Instead, she obsesses over the portrait of an unknown man in an old locket. Granted, a seriously dreamy guy with delicious, wind-swept hair she just itches to run her fingers through. Emme travels to England, determined to uncover his history and conquer the strong connection she feels. In 1812, James Knight has given up finding the right woman. But then he finds a beautiful mystery woman, dripping wet and half-dead, beneath a tree on his estate. Now if he can uncover her history, perhaps adventure—and romance—will find him at last Divine Georgiana Knight--born in the nineteenth century, but now living in 2013--discovers a centuries-old love letter written in her own handwriting. Should she risk giving up hot showers and return to the past to discover the mysterious stranger who inspired (will inspire?) her passionate letter?In 1813, Sebastian Carew is madly in love with his childhood friend, Georgiana. He is determined to find Georgiana and win her affections. However, she has utterly vanished. Can he divine the truth of her disappearance and convince her to marry him before time runs out? Clandestine In 2014, Marc Wilde--martial artist and actor--finds his life a mess. Someone knows about the time portal in the cellar of Duir Cottage and is threatening to tell the world unless Marc pays up. So yeah . . . life not going so well. In 1814, Kit Ashton has problems of her own. Her brother has disappeared (again), leaving Kit penniless and forcing her to take up employment as a lady's companion (sigh). Add in the sudden appearance of a wind-swept, silver-tongued rogue who makes Kit want to flirt, flirt, flirt . . . it all leaves her one misstep from disaster. Kit is determined to find her brother and return home, all while guarding her heart and (most importantly) keeping her secrets . . . well . . . secret. Refine In 1815, Timothy, Viscount Linwood—handsome, arrogant, privileged—never veers from the refined rules of his world. But then Fate intervenes and draws him to a vivid woman who makes him want things he can never have. Can a pompous lord change enough to find redemption? In 2015, Jasmine Fleury just wants her happily-ever-after. If only she could stop losing people instead. Worse, she finds herself babysitting a haughty nineteenth century lord who can't even shave himself. She has no interest in playing damsel-in-shining-armor to his knight-in-distress. But Fate has other plans . . . Explore four stories of love which transcend Time itself.

    But when Sarah fled just weeks after their wedding, his world came crashing down. Five years later, he has given up hope of ever finding her, until a freak accident strands him in a remote Yorkshire village where she is hiding.Sarah dared to hope she was finally safe. But when her husband is thrust back into her life, she fears her dark secrets—and the fact that she has a son—will come to light. Though her heart longs to reclaim the love they once shared, Sarah rejects Alexander’s offers of reconciliation. But fate is not so easily thwarted...Forced from their home by a flood, Sarah and her child have no choice but to accept Alexander’s hospitality in her former home. Yet with each passing day, the risk of discovery grows, threatening to drive Sarah from Alexander’s life forever. Is their love strong enough to triumph over the secrets of the past? Or will life’s cruel forces finally tear them apart?

    Charlotte has an understanding with Captain Nicolas Paget - every inch the gentleman - who she expects someday to marry. But then she meets Josiah Martyn, and everything changes...A driven and ambitious Cornish mining engineer, and the complete opposite to Captain Nicholas, Josiah has come to London to help build the first tunnel under the river Thames. When unpredictable events occur at the inauguration of the project, Josiah and Charlotte are suddenly thrown into an unexpected intimacy.But not everyone is happy with Charlotte and Josiah growing closer. As friends turn to foes, will they be able to rewrite the stars and find their happy ever after, although all odds seem to be stacked against them...?

    Miss Julia Swifton, secure in that belief, has made no attempt to search for one, even after three seasons in London. That is until her grandmother, an advocate of women's rights, rises from her deathbed and threatens, of all things, to marry her to a notorious rake, Lord Thorwynn. Shocked into action, Julia launches into a search for an intelligent, scholarly husband who will suit her. On her way she has to rescue a fallen "angel," save a rake from being forced into marriage, defeat an unscrupulous gamesmaster who needs to seduce her for money, and avert a friend's disastrous runaway marriage. Fortunately, she does not have to do it alone. Even if her companion, Lord Thorwynn, is the last person she would ever want to marry.

    Anna Lawrence, nineteen and inspired by Lord Byron’s poems, is determined to seek a life of travel and adventure. Both decide to flee society. They meet when Giles rescues Anna from her first escapade. Anna is resolute in demonstrating her independence but, somehow, she always ends up in trouble. His own pleasures forgotten, Giles rescues her from one potential disaster after another. He knows he cannot live without her, but he meets an unexpected obstacle, for Anna has a secret that means she can never be more than a friend to the man she has come to love with all her heart... Is there any way for their love to prevail? Beth Elliott was born in Lancashire, but fell in love with books during many childhood visits to her Welsh grandparents, whose bookshelves were always well stocked. Her greatest discovery was the novels of Jane Austen, which have fascinated her ever since. Having first taught languages in various countries across the globe, Beth eventually decided to write her own novels. Her previous books The Wild Card, In All Honour and April and May were also published by Robert Hale and you can learn more about her on her website: www.bethelliott.webs.com.

    And so, he is given a job working the vineyards, despite the secrecy surrounding his fate and his past…Johnathan Bashford is grateful for the opportunity to hide in the small property of the Tillmans. A Duke he may be, but lately, the attempts of his life have been more frequent, and laying low is his only option…But in an unexpected twist of fate, Johnathan and Madeleine will turn out to be each other’s perfect match. The only thing standing in their way are the secrets of his past, and when those come to the surface it may be too late for them both…Johnathan and Madeleine might not get a chance to untangle this mess, as those on the hunt for the lost Duke have finally caught his scent and they are closing in…And this time they are determined to finish what they started.*If you like engaging characters, heart- wrenching twists and turns, and lots of romance, then you’ll love “What the Duke is Hiding”!

    The ex who can't stop talking about the French girlfriend who dumped him. The cute young bartender who knows how to make a Manhattan straight up. And, of course, Mr. Right—who looks like Liam Neeson, writes poetry like e.e. cummings, plays the guitar like Jimmy Page. Until he turns out to be a complete and total jerk.Narrated in 781 chapters—The List is an irresistible look at love, dating, friendship, sex, cats, thongs, and shopping. And a story that's as pleasurable, as interesting, as gossipy, as truthful, as reassuring, as compelling, as sane, as necessary as a late-night phone call to your best friend ever. Pour a cup of tea, curl up on the couch, and read to your heart's content.