caring... supportive... protective. Catherine Walman's brother, however, is not. He has maligned her reputation until no honorable man will seek her company, wasted her dowry and endangered her home with his gambling and now his new wife has made it clear Catherine is no longer welcome. The hand of fortune intervenes when a letter arrives advising Catherine that a stranger has bequeathed to her "a home and money to keep it." Catherine seizes upon this chance, hoping that it might be enough for her to be independent, to be free - only to discover this stranger also had a brother, or two, or three.

    The nation is still recovering from the Norman invasion three years earlier - and adjusting to life under its sometimes brutal new rulers. A young girl trembles in the shadows of what was once her home. Avis is homeless and penniless, and with no family left alive she is forced to become a ward of Richard, the Norman lord who has taken her home. But when King William decrees that Norman lords must marry Anglo-Saxon women Avis must make a terrible choice. Either marry the repulsive Richard or else take a chance on another Norman, Melville, a man she has never met. Soon she realizes that survival in a time of turmoil and war depends on putting aside the prejudices of the past. Conquests is a brilliantly researched and involving historical drama that is perfect for fans of Alison Weir and Philippa Gregory.

    At ease making life-and-death decisions between breaths, their exploits in the boudoir are as infamous as those on the dueling field. Bold, seductive and thrilling, the Masters At Arms series is swashbuckling romance at its finest by RWA Hall of Famer—and holder of RWA's Lifetime Achievement Award and Romantic Times' Career Achievement Award—Jennifer Blake. Volume One includes Books 1-3: CHALLENGE TO HONOR When Celina barters herself to Rio de Silva to keep him from dueling her brother, he accepts. But Rio harbors a secret far more perilous than the way he sets her soul aflame. DAWN ENCOUNTER When the husband she never loved is killed in a duel with Caid O’Neill, Lisette is left at the mercy of her rapacious father-in-law. Caid agrees to be the desperate woman’s protector—but how can they fight the forbidden love between an heiress and a master at arms? ROGUE'S SALUTE Juliette, called home from a convent just before taking her vows, is in dire need of a husband. Nicholas, notorious swordmaster and mentor to a houseful of street boys, is in need of a wife. Their practical arrangement soon explodes with heady desire, but someone’s trying to stop the wedding, and Juliette must fight to claim a love worth any price.

     Meet the most powerful trio of knights in the turbulent times when the usurper, The Earl of March, assumes the rule of England and Edward III goes into hiding. These warriors, sworn to serve the crown of England, are determined to protect the young king and help him claim his birthright. So goes the saga of the Dragonblade Trilogy... Led by the bastard son of Edward I, the three knights who have fought battles and served kings together now find themselves entrenched in the fight for young Edward's throne. Along the way, they each experience their own adventures as well as their own loves. With ladies fair entering the picture, knights who breathe and sleep battle now find room in their hearts for something of a more passionate nature. This collection includes: Dragonblade - Tate de Lara, the man who should have been king, finds love in a farmer's daughter. Island of Glass - On the Welsh Marches, Kenneth St. Hever falls for an educated lady with a strange mission. The Savage Curtain - Stephen of Pembury becomes the commander of Berwick Castle and is forced into a marriage with a Scots captive. Three timeless tales of passion and adventure will have you falling in love with historical romance all over again. Read for FREE in Kindle Unlimited!

    But the beautiful, headstrong Anne is a lamb among wolves, easy prey to treachery and an aging queen's jealousy. She never suspects that handsome courtier Chirstopher Hollier has been sent to ruin her.Christopher Hollier is the only man in Elizabeth's court uninterested in making a rich marriage--for himself. All that matters to Christopher is reclaiming the title Lord Graistan for his brother. If doing that requires him to destroy Anne, so be it...even if her destruction costs him his life. But a tide of betrayal sweeps Anne and Christopher into a dangerous dance of plots to defy crown and country that could ultimately cost them their lives, and their love.

    She is also a dreamer. Her greatest hope is to reach a new life in South Pass City, Wyoming, where she can open a bakery and live an independent life. To be successful, she will need her greatest deception to date, a mythical fiancé who waits at the end of the line. As a woman alone, she has to prove to Seth McCallister, the wagon master, that she has the wherewithal and the stamina to survive months of drought, dust, hardships, and even the risk of death.Seth McCallister is mystified by the audacity and determination of Callie Collins. His initial distrust and concern for Callie, a woman traveling alone, opens first to admiration, then friendship, then love, a love that he is forced to hold at bay. What he doesn’t realize is that there is no fiancé. To make matters worse, Callie develops feelings for Seth McCallister, too. Yet she feels certain that once he realizes her deception, he’ll turn away, ashamed of his love and trust in her.

    But he has no choice other than to say farewell to the sea and accept the title of Baron Ridlington—which includes the almost-ruined estate, and his five resident siblings. He is going to need some help, and soon. It comes in the unexpected form of a nasty crack on the head, a ministering hand and a woman who has hidden herself away in the countryside. Rosaline Henry finds the unconscious Baron strangely appealing, and when he makes an unexpected but practical suggestion - she agrees, as much for him as for herself. Thus begins a voyage of discovery which takes them to new heights of familial creativity, private passion and risky adventure. The sea is in Edmund’s veins, so of course there are ships, spies, fogs and storms, not to mention flirtatious Hussars, a mustache of unsurpassed magnificence, a chicken with unusual preferences…and a fortuitous attack of mal-de-mer! Can Edmund take the helm of a different kind of ship and steer Ridlington back into the calmer waters of the countryside? Of course, but he needs the right woman’s hand on the wheel…

    Lucien is about to inherit an earldom he never expected after both his uncles die childless. He’s obliged to sell his high-stakes gambling house in London so he can assume control of his extensive holdings. The last thing he wants is a fiery reporter complicating things. A woman with her entire future mapped out... Until her fiancé jilts her— via a letter. Temperance won’t take that lying down. She’s determined to win him back at the same time she continues to pursue her career. She’ll write the best article ever on the evils of gambling, and it will be published in Charles Dickens’s newspaper! To top it off, Ernest will come crawling back to her… Now, if she can just figure out how to make that happen…

    Innocent, but not naïve, she is savvy enough to know she must maintain her distance from this man, who frustrates her with his relentless teasing but whose kisses bring her to her knees. Because although she may be just another conquest to him, it’s not just her heart in jeopardy should she succumb to Nicholas’ considerable charms. Since his brother's death almost a year before, nothing has held Nicholas’ attention for long—not women, not booze, not even an excellent hand at cards. Nothing, that is, until he meets the woman he won in a drunken night of poker. Intrigued by his prize and her chilly reserve, he makes it his mission to crack Lexie’s cool demeanor. But even as passion explodes between them, the question remains: will Nicholas be able to take the ultimate risk...and gamble on love?

    Soon after she arrives, Abby discovers that she is now the owner of her father’s large ranch, and she needs to make a decision whether she wants to keep the legacy that is now hers.When the sabotage becomes personal to someone she loves, Abby needs to make a decision that will affect not only her future but those around her. Can Abby and Mac learn how to work together to make the ranch successful while learning how to trust each other and allow love in their hearts?#2 War And Romance In Squaw ValleyBig changes are coming to Squaw Valley, Nevada. Luke Kesler runs a successful horse ranch there and whether he and his neighbors like it or not, the government has approved for the railroad to cut through their land on its way to California.Plans to stop the caravan of railroad workers before the work can be started. The engineer of the plans, Jake Crowley arrives before anyone else, invited to stay with William Granger and his niece, Helen.When Luke realizes Jake will be staying with the lovely Helen, his good friend since childhood and the secret love of his heart, he realizes the railroad isn’t the only thing that is about to change in his life.If he doesn’t tell Helen how he feels soon, he could lose her to the myriad of men about to parade into town.#3 Love And Intrigue In Red CreekWhen Macie Walker’s beloved father is murdered in the sleepy town of Red Creek, New Mexico, her world is shattered. As she and her poor, suffering mother struggle to keep their cattle ranch afloat, she finds both her resolve and her faith in God sorely tested.Jess Ryder still carries the death of his parents with him like a ghost, following him closely no matter how far he roams or how many wrongs he tries to right. The more evil he sees in the world, the more estranged he becomes with the world around him and with God above. Pretty soon, he won’t believe in anything at all, least of all the sheriff's badge he’s long ago tossed aside.When Jess receives a pleading letter from a small village’s minister, however, his sense of duty is piqued and he dons the badge for one more ride. What he finds in Red Creek is far more complicated than he would ever have expected, and not only because something about the town’s murders doesn’t sit right.Macie Walker is stubborn. She doesn’t know when to say when and she certainly doesn’t mind his instructions. The problem is, she might also be exactly what Jess needs if they can manage to solve the Red Creek murders and come out on the other side.Each book features a standalone, clean western historical romance. No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a sweet happily ever after.

    But beneath the inexperienced young widow's prim yet exquisitely beautiful exterior beats a willful heart longing for a taste of wickedness that would shock her proper sister and the rest of London Society.Isn't AlwaysThe new Marquis of Foxhaven, dashing Jack Ashecroft, is England's most revered war heros and its most notorious hellion. Though he's inherited his beloved grandfather's title, Jack must reform his rakish ways to gain his fortune. Vowing to earn respectability, he sets out to find a proper wife—a woman above reproach who can redeem his reputation.What You GetIrresistibly drawn together, Nessa and Jack each seem to be exactly what the other wants—or so they think. Will their mutual attraction lead to true love, or irreparable ruin for them both?

    She thinks she has escaped undetected, but danger follows her. Lord Rivton is in search of a spy and must investigate Bethany’s family, his closest neighbor. Both at cross purposes, the sparks fly, and when he rescues her, he places her in a compromising position. They marry as expected, but their road is not smooth. She is still in mortal danger. He must find and capture the killer/spy while trying to save his wife. A tattered string weaves together this tale of murder, abduction, and espionage.

    . . A widow with two children, Tempest Whitney has had to mortgage everything to repay the money her husband had stolen. But even as she struggles to hold onto her Utah homestead, a scheming rancher buys up her debts, demanding she either get off his land or marry him. Then a dark-haired stranger shows up, claiming to be her dead husband . . . A man without a past . . . Buck Maddux spent two years in jail for a crime he didn't commit. Now a deathbed promise has brought him to Tempest's homestead. A man without roots, he doesn't plan to stay—or to feel so fiercely protective of this feisty beauty he saves from a hated marriage of convenience. Suddenly, Buck years for a home, a family, a lasting love. But what can he offer Tempest? The surprising answer lies in the forbidding canyons of an ancient Anasazi tribe, where fortune and danger await—along with a passion more precious than gold….

    She is far from taken with the baron, however, especially once she meets Niall Doherty, the impoverished, perceptive tutor to her host’s younger brothers. He shares her love of Irish fairy tales and seems to guard a troubled past…but neither quality will earn Caroline’s father’s approval.

    Except someone is out to reveal him as a wicked rogue in the tongue in cheek articles written about him by a notorious gossip columnist. Determined to unmask this meddler in his life, he finds his heart shockingly captivated by Miss Pippa Cavanaugh. The hopes of marriage or the charming attractiveness of the Duke of Carlyle didn't drive Pippa to pursue the most elusive catch of the season, she was out to avenge her dear friend whose heart had been callously injured. Pippa desires to reveal to society that their perfect duke is a wicked, unprincipled seducer. The last thing she expects is for the dratted man to turn the tables on her, engaging her in a dance of wits, soul stealing kisses, and unexpected, sensual adventures. Soon she must decide if he is her path to ruin or her promise of a happy ending. WHEN THE EARL WAS WICKED His touch awakens her desire, and his kiss demands surrender. Lady Verity Ayles will do whatever it takes to protect herself from a vile cur, no matter how scandalous or perilous it may be. And that means aligning with James Radcliffe, the Earl of Maschelly--a scoundrel who spends his days in sin and self-indulgence, and his nights in reckless pursuits. Clearly, a man any young lady of good sense and reputation should stay away from. James had clawed his way from poverty to the fringes of the ton using his wits and fists. His wicked reputation encourages ladies to approach him for clandestine affairs, never for anything as outrageous as Lady Verity's request--to teach her how to fight. And in exchange, she will instruct him on all the refined manners a hulking, ruthless, fighting brute as himself needed to net a lady of quality. Never a man to resist a challenge or the company of a beautiful lady, James agrees, and soon finds himself falling endlessly in love with a woman who may never see him as the man of her dreams. A PRINCE OF MY OWN One tempting kiss may be her undoing... Lady Miranda Cheswick's is beautiful, witty, intelligent, and the family's great expectations are for her to marry a prince or a duke! A duty she intends to fulfill despite the craving in her heart to marry for love. An accident leaves her stranded at the country estate of the enigmatic and charming Dr. Astor, a man to whom she is inexplicably attracted. Dr. Simon Astor has little expectation of making a grand society match. His sole focus should be on caring for his patients and raising funds for the hospital he hopes to build. However, the delectable and witty Miranda tempts him at every turn, he soon finds himself falling for her irresistible charm, and wants to marry her. Except Miranda's mother's devious plot will test Miranda and Simon's resolve. Is their love strong enough to triumph?