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.

    With each attempt at flirtation a greater disaster than the last, she despairs of ever leading a happy life, until the Duke of Solworth asks for her hand. Yes, he’s only looking for an heir and yes, he insists she must live in Egypt, but he’s kind, handsome, and steady. At least, he seems that way, until the moment Cecilia says ‘I will.’ THIEF OF BROKEN HEARTS by Louisa Cornell Seventeen years ago, after losing his mother and brothers in a horrific tragedy, Endymion de Waryn left his memories, his past, and the childhood friend he’d been forced to marry behind in Cornwall, vowing never to return. Now, as the Duke of Pendeen, he lives a very ordered life, just as he prefers. Having scheduled the months of August and September to conceive an heir, he summons his wife to London to do just that. When her answer is an emphatic No! he is left no choice but to break his vow and go to Cornwall to fetch her. However, a duchess who meets her husband at the door with one of Manton’s finest firearms needs more than a ducal command to be fetched. Seventeen years ago, Rhiannon Harvey, daughter of a wealthy coal merchant, made a devil’s bargain with a ruthless duke to marry his heir the boy she loved with all her girlish heart. Wedded, bedded, and left to run the ducal Cornwall estate, she becomes the keeper of her husband’s tragic memories, owner of the family’s secrets, and a duchess not to be trifled with. Her husband’s uninvited arrival introduces her to a man haunted by the past he cannot remember and one determined, God help her, to woo her into his bed. When Rhiannon’s life is threatened, she and Endymion must work together to discover why. His haunted memories and inept wooing may bring them together. But the secrets of the past promise to tear them apart and if they cannot overcome the lies and betrayals of their broken hearts, their newfound love may be stolen from them forever. HOUSE OF THORNS by Jude Knight Retired spy, Bear Gavenor has fled the marriage mart for the familiarity of his work; restoring abandoned country manors to sell to the newly rich. Never does he anticipate that his first task will be to deal with the thief he’s caught stealing his roses. Evicted from her home and ruined with claims she has a lover, Rosa Neatham fears she will soon be unable to care for her invalid father. When she returns to her former home to gather roses to brighten his room, her fortune worsens when she’s startled by the home’s new owner and injured in a fall. Bear takes her in, but when the rector confronts him about living with an unmarried woman, Bear decides to halt the rumormongers’ attempts to ruin her further and marries Rosa. He needs an heir. She needs a protector. Love needs to overcome the scandal, secrets and self-doubts that each brings to this marriage of convenience. THE BLUE SLIPPER by Erin Rye Olivia Mackenzie, disowned granddaughter of the Duke of Lennox, has only one foot in society and a tenuous one at that. One day at a garden party, she stumbles upon her soon-to-be fiancé in the arms of another woman. Revenge is sweet and immediate. Seizing the first stranger wandering past, Olivia plants a kiss full on his lips. Eight years ago, Lord Nicholas Blair turned to gambling and womanizing in an effort to hide his pain when his rival, Lord Randall, wed the woman he loved. But living the life of a rogue has grown dull.

    Get lost in each story as the ladies approach the gentleman and give them the happy news, or in some cases, the surprise they never expected.When a Rogue Falls by Sasha Cottman: For Sir Stephen Moore, love will never be on the cards. But Cupid is not without a sense of humor. After helping her family deal with a dangerous blackmailer, Lady Bridget Dyson and Sir Stephen celebrate. A little wine and some wicked flirting leads to a night of passion. Bridget now has to break the news of impending fatherhood to a man determined to avoid commitment at all costs.Escaping the Earl by Lauren Smith: Beatrix Lethbridge is desperate to avoid an arranged marriage, and the only way out is to get compromised. The best man for the job is notorious rakehell Richard Savage, the Earl Rivers. But when Beatrix and Richard’s one night of passion has more consequences than simply stopping an unwanted marriage, Richard must win Beatrix’s reluctant heart.This Rogue of Mine by Amanda Mariel: Lady Cordelia Daventry may be a spinster, but she has not given up all hope. When she finds herself alone with the well-known rogue, Nathaniel Lowell, Viscount Wolverton, she embraces her chance to experience desire. Now they must face the consequences of their actions.Loving My Wicked Rogue by Dawn Brower: When Lady Penelope finds herself in a delicate condition, she has a decision to make, and nothing seems quite right. Instead of discerning what she should do on her own, she pays Roman, the Duke of Lindsey a call and unburdens her troubles on him, hoping he will do the gentlemanly thing and take responsibility for the dilemma he helped create.The Trouble with Rogues by Nadine Millard: Ophelia Delacourt has made it her life's mission to teach poor, unsuspecting ladies about the dangers of rogues, rakes, and rapscallions. When one of her protégés faces ruin, Ophelia rushes to her rescue. And right into the path of one such troublesome rogue.Caleb Feldman, Marquess of Guilford is growing bored of his hedonistic lifestyle. Not that he plans to change it any time soon. When he sees a mysterious, dark-haired siren floating through his party, for the first time in a long time, Caleb feels the excitement of the hunt.Their encounter is not what either of them expects. And the life-changing consequences? Even less so. Ophelia will do anything to keep her secret, but that might not be as easy as she hoped. For the trouble with rogues is, sometimes they're just too hard to resist.My Lord, My Rogue by Anna St. Claire: Lady Honora Radcliff was betrothed to the catch of the Season. Too much champagne with a stranger leaves her life in tatters and married to the abusive man. To escape, she fakes her death. Lord Benjamin Crewe accepts a dangerous assignment and discovers the woman he wished he'd married—only she's been "dead" three years. His pursuit endangers both their lives.Can Honora and Benjamin survive the danger for a chance at love and happiness?

    If only she could learn how to navigate society from one of her treasured textbooks. In the midst of her embarrassment, Amelia completely loses her senses and lies about a promised dance. Lucian is her brother’s friend. Surely, he will take pity on her, even if he has never looked twice.As the heir to the Earl of Everleigh, Lucian, Viscount Adelaide, cannot enlist as a soldier as he’d truly like to do. Instead, he secretly serves as an agent for the Home Office. To hide his true intentions, he must masquerade as a lazy gadabout. Discouraging the debutantes is another side benefit of the lie.Unfortunately, Amelia’s own mistruth jeopardizes Lucian’s mission and puts her in grave danger. His friendship with her brother is the only thing that prevents him from throttling her. It’s also one of the many reasons he cannot possibly have feelings for her.Intriguing Lord Adelaide is a sweet/clean Regency romance with no cliffhangers and a guaranteed happy ending.

    

     HIGHLANDER IN HER BED: American tour guide Mara McDougall visits a London antique shop and spots perhaps the handsomest bed ever. Then she bumps into the most gorgeous man ever - an irresistible Highlander she can't forget. Not even when she learns that she's inherited a Scottish castle. Sir Alexander Douglas has hated Clan MacDougall since he was a medieval knight and they tricked him into a curse-the curse of forever haunting the bed (the very one that Mara now owns) that was once intended for his would-be bride. But Mara makes him feel what no other MacDougall has-a passion that he never knew he'd missed. Red-hot chemistry ignites from the moment Sir Alex and Mara meet.” ~ A Romance Review HIGHLANDER IN HER DREAMS: After stepping through a magical gateway, Kira Bedwell finds herself in fourteenth century Scotland, face-to-face with Aidan MacDonald, the irresistible Highlander who has visited her in dreams. Now that their romance transcends dreams to reality, they find themselves under attack by Aidan’s enemies. It will take all of their courage and will for their love to survive beyond time itself… Aidan is a Romantic Times K.I.S.S of the Month Hero! “Highlander in Her Dreams is a fun, sexy story. HOT.” ~ Romantic Times Magazine TALL, DARK, and KILTED: Cilla Swanner has been jilted by her lover, and she is struggling with a jewelry business that’s far from sparkling. She needs a getaway someplace quiet and remote. Someplace like Dunroamin Castle in Scotland. But what she finds there may be more than she can handle. Centuries ago, the roguish Scots knight known as Hardwick was renowned for his swordmanship, both on and off the battlefield. But a traveling bard cursed him to wander the world forever, pleasing a different woman each night with no hope of fulfillment or true love. Then Hardwick meets Cilla, who may be his only chance for salvation. “Tall, Dark, and Kilted is outlandishly funny one minute and seductively sensual the next.” ~ Wild on Books SOME LIKE IT KILTED: Mindy Menlove lives in a castle that was transported stone by stone from Scotland to Pennsylvania. When she must sell the estate, her plans soon unravel. She's bound for the Hebrides, a place she'd hoped to avoid. Once there, she's confronted by the castle's original builder, who happens to be maddeningly irresistible and seven hundred years young. Bran of Barra was a legendary Highland chieftain. Since his demise he's enjoyed his ghostly pleasures - until a feisty female from across the Atlantic claims that she's come to Scotland to restore his ancestral home. It's a task she hasn't accepted willingly, and if the roguish Bran doesn't change Mindy's mind about his bonnie homeland - and him - neither of them will ever find any peace. But unexpected passion can be the most powerful... "Bran of Barra is one of the most compelling heroes I've read. I wouldn't mind having him show up in my bedroom to carry me back in time to his castle." ~ Love Romances & More Enjoy these tales filled with Highland magic and the beauty of Scotland!

    

    When this is interrupted by the sudden death of her grandmama, Julia is appalled to find that the detestable Lucien has been appointed her trustee. A heartwarming short story from the bestselling author of the Regency Belles novels.

    Sweetwater Springs doesn’t have a hotel, so passengers are parceled out to townsfolk’s homes. No one wants anything to do with complaining Aunt Edith. That also leaves Charity and their newly widowed friend Amelia nowhere to stay until the tracks are repaired. A new blizzard is headed their way, so what are they to do? Logan Murdoch and his brother came to Sweetwater Springs to restock before the next storm arrives. Against his better judgment, Logan lets the sheriff convince him to take three so-called innocent women to Murdoch Ranch. Other than their housekeeper-cook, a woman hasn’t set foot in the Murdoch home in the twenty years since his mother abandoned them. He doesn’t expect his father to welcome these unwanted visitors. Both Charity and Logan are surprised at the events that unfold. How could this have happened?

     Runaway Duchess When feisty, free spirited Lady Charlotte Vanderley is betrothed against her will to the lecherous old Duke of Tarrow, she will go to any lengths to escape him, especially when a chance encounter with the mysterious Gavin Graystone shows her the true meaning of passion. Gavin Graystone despises the nobility, and for good reason. Born in the London slums, he knows the true meaning of suffering. Now a wealthy entrepreneur, he has left his checkered past behind and secretly yearns for the one thing his money cannot buy: the respect of the ton. Marrying Gavin will free Charlotte from the duke. Marrying Charlotte will give Gavin the acceptance he desires. It seems like the perfect plan, but when two yearning hearts are involved, things rarely happen as they should… And as Charlotte and Gavin soon discover, falling in love is anything but convenient. Spinster and the Duke Young and blissfully in love, Reginald and Abigail were once engaged to be married. Their lives should have ended in happily-ever-after, but he was destined to be a duke and she was the third daughter of a baron. Reluctantly obeying his mother’s demands, Reginald broke the engagement… and Abigail’s heart. Thirty years have passed since then. Now a confirmed spinster, Abigail has forgiven the boy she loved, but she has never forgotten the man. When Reginald unexpectedly returns to England she wants nothing to do with him, fearful of stirring up old feelings that should have died long ago. Reginald made the worst mistake of his life when he left Abigail. She is the only woman he has ever loved, and he is willing to risk everything to get her back. But once lost trust does not come easily, and Abigail is reluctant to give her heart away a second time. Can Reginald and Abigail come to terms with their painful past? Or are some second chances best left untaken? Forgotten Fiancee Engaged to be married since they were children, Miss Dianna Foxcroft and Lord Miles Radnor, Earl of Winfield, were perfect for one another. Until the day he left her standing at the altar and disappeared for parts unknown, breaking their engagement... and Dianna’s heart. Four years have passed since that fateful day, and Miles has at long last come home to England. His sudden return has filled Dianna’s head with questions, and her heart with doubt. She wants to trust the man Miles has become… but how can she forgive the boy who betrayed her? He may have traveled the world, but Miles has never forgotten the blue-eyed beauty he left behind. Determined to win back the heart of the only woman he has ever truly loved, he seeks Dianna out only to discover she despises the very sight of him. Or so she says… Lady Harper High-spirited, independent, and rebellious, Lady Harper has no intention of finding a husband. And why should she, when every man she’s ever met has bored her to tears? That is, every man except for one… The Duke of Greenwood may be many things - arrogant, rakish, and a cad, to name a few - but boring he isn’t. After a chance encounter with Harper leaves him entranced, he vows to make her his wife…The only problem? She can’t stand the sight of him. But the duke is a man accustomed to getting what he wants, and he’s determined to have Harper…no matter the cost.

    The social whirl may be dizzying but there are pitfalls aplenty and Millie knows that the whole world is just waiting for her to do something scandalous. She's just that sort of girl. Fortunately, there are people who need rescuing, days that need saving and dark and brooding barons that need taking down a peg or two, so life isn't utterly dreary. Can she do the impossible and come through unscathed? Or will disaster finally catch her up? Whatever happens, Millie is determined to do things on her terms and if that means tackling the impossible; well, she's just the kind of girl who likes a challenge! Author note... well, putting up a book where the first two pages missed editorial changes was a bit of a clunker, but I have remedied (my profound apologies to anybody who bought the one with the dodgy first pages). I am happy to send a - relatively - flawless copy to anybody who has already purchased. Please email me at kate.l.deans@gmail.com. Gosh, I'm a goose!

    A sweet, full length, complete mail order bride romance novel with an HEA.Wyoming 1878On the verge of giving up on a future in the growing Wyoming town of Sweetheart Falls, and heading back to an uncertain life back East, recently widowed mail order bride Cassie Miller is given a final chance at happiness.Soon Cassie finds out she has no choice but to marry handsome ex lawman Ethan Macleod. However, can she make a new life while trying to come to terms with the loss of her beloved husband Joshua?Can she really trust Ethan, the man the entire town agrees would make a perfect husband? How come he already knows so much about Cassie?And just how far will he go to prove to her that he is worthy of being her new husband?

    She arrives in London with the aunts, Mathilda and Maude, to beg the assistance of Lord Cliffe, Grayson St. Cyre. He welcomes the aunts, briefly spots the valet, Jack, and proceeds very quickly after their arrival to fall down the rabbit hole. He catches the valet, Jack, stealing his horse, Durban, chases Jack down, and then all sorts of interesting things happen.The Courtship:You met Heatherington in The Sherbrooke Bride and Helen Mayberry in Mad Jack. Now the two get together to track down a mystical treasure that Helen calls King Edward's Lamp. But things work out a bit differently than either of them expect. Do they find Helen's lamp? Is there more to this treasure than either of them knows?The Scottish Bride:Two months after Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo, Tysen Sherbrooke has just been told by the earl that he's become the new Baron Barthwick of Kildrummy Castle in Scotland. Tysen feels it is his duty to visit his new holdings. His narrow, sober world explodes when he steps into a bee-hive of complications. Then the Local Bastard, Mary Rose Fordyce, comes unexpectedly into his life, in desperate need of his protection.

     Happily married for a year and a half, Lily is loving life with her little family. But when a series of unexpected challenges crop up, Lily struggles to recapture the happiness she thought she’d finally found. At the same time, Lily’s good friend Alyssa is having serious issues of her own, and she turns to Lily for comfort and advice. Will Lily be able to come to terms with her new reality, or will these difficulties push her marriage to the breaking point? Life Imperfect is a sweet clean new adult romance.

    A brilliant young artist tossed from her home with only the clothes on her back, Cerynise must now turn to a childhood companion for assistance - the dashing sea captain Beauregard Birmingham - and beg him to provide her with passage to the Carolinas. She seeks a new home and a new life across the waters, but all depends on the kindness of a charming adventurer who was once the object of her youthful infatuation.A Season Beyond a Kiss, read by Susan Ericksen; directed by Sandra Burr; engineered by Melissa Coates.Her marriage to dashing American shipbuilder Jeff Birmingham signals the beginning of a wonderful new life for Raelynn Barrett. In the loving shelter of her husband's embrace, the pain of loss is diminished, as is her anger over her family's tragic and undeserved disgrace. But try as she might, Raelynn cannot close her ears to the cruel accusations and whispered rumors about her new spouse that buzz around her head like bees.