When her father dies, the ranch’s long-time foreman leaves unexpectedly, and Blaire is left scrambling to hire anyone who can help her keep the ranch running smoothly—a seemingly impossible feat in the one-horse town. Cole Reeves has gone along with everyone else’s plans for his life since he was eighteen. Working for his father’s business has been a blessing and a curse, and he’s finally ready to see what he can do on his own. His looks and charm have always gotten him by, but he wonders if it’ll be enough to win over his boss—the only woman he’s ever truly wanted. Will Blaire and Cole be able to weather the challenges they face, or will the pressures of life on the ranch be too much for the runaway-prone cowboy?

    Instead, she’s caught up in a whirlwind of balls, marriage proposals, and ton intrigues. Worse, she finds herself irresistibly drawn to her sponsors’ maddening neighbor, Henry Ashton, the Marquess of Mandeville. The handsome, arrogant, sometimes infuriating Mandeville stokes a passionate fire within her that won’t be denied, no matter the consequence.Deep, emotional scars secretly plague Henry, Lord Mandeville. As a result, he’s avoided romantic entanglements at all costs. Only, now he needs a wife—someone from a wealthy, powerful family to further his political aspirations. Instead, he finds himself all but obsessed with the beautiful but unconventional Lucy Abbington—a woman whose passions and wit stir desires he’d rather ignore. And yet…she might just be the one woman who can heal his wounded heart.Lucy and Henry’s heads say no, but their hearts say yes. Will they find themselves undone by love?

    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

    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.

    It’s why he joined the Gentlemen of the Order, why he solves crimes committed against the vulnerable and needy. To his friends he’s known as Dauntless—a fearless fighter, a man with steely determination. And yet his strength is tested when he forms an infatuation for his new client.When a catalogue of strange events leaves Evangeline Dunn fearing for her life, she has no option but to seek professional help. Given the choice of four agents, she’s drawn to the enigmatic Mr. Ashwood. The gentleman commands respect, seems as competent as he is handsome. Who better to help her catch a thief, a blackmailer and find her wastrel brother? He’s the perfect solution to her problems. All she need do is overcome her inconvenient attraction.In an adventure that takes them from the lavish ballrooms of the ton to the dark depths of the rookeries, Noah and Eva must work together to unravel the mystery. Will their powerful attraction hinder the investigation? Will the suspenseful twists and turns send them racing into each other’s arms?

    Lady Emily Thurston desperately needs her brother’s help to escape from her vicious husband, Victor. After mustering all her strength to entrust Francis with the truth of her life, she must now confront the reality that she will live in her own private misery forever as her brother is caught in a daze between his grief and his newfound responsibility as Lord of the family estate. Just as all hope seems lost, an unexpected man considers taking on the challenge of rescuing Lady Emily. With the unexpected arrival of her brother’s friend to her home, Emily is unsure of his intentions. However, she quickly realizes that not only is she fiercely drawn to him, but he may be her only hope of getting out. Will Lady Emily and Lord Markham be able to find a way to hatch a secret plan? Or will Victor's obsessive rule prove to be too much to overcome? ****** Book 2: ”Charles and the Intruder” Looking forward to a new life filled with literary discussions and hours playing on his beloved piano forte, Charles moves to his newly inherited London townhouse with his eyes vigorously set on figuring out what this next chapter will bring. What he never expects is to wake to a sword tip pointing directly at his throat! When the captivating Abigail appears in Charles’ life, he is not quite sure what to do with her. Her rebellious disregard for societal standards has her fleeing the arranged marriage that her gambling-addicted father has supposedly wagered her into. Charles is compelled to help her…but as gossip spreads around town, Charles soon comes to find out that Abigail may not be the damsel in distress that he once thought. With his roguish sidekick, the affable Lord Richard, at his side, Charles must navigate his new city life and figure out what is truth and what is fiction. Will Lord Charles Catesby help the beguiling Miss Abigail Sidmore? Or is he in for the swindle of his life? ***** Book 3: ”The Mysterious Lord Livingstone” Sometimes the person you love isn't quite who you thought they were... Lord Richard Livingstone and Lady Helena Catesby have loved one another from afar for years, without either being sure how the other truly felt. When Helena goes to visit her brother and sister-in-law in London, she is excited for the opportunity to finally spend time with Lord Livingstone, as he is her brother’s closest friend. Richard is thrilled when he hears that Helena is coming to town, and plans to formally court her and ultimately confess his love for her. There is only one problem with his plan…and it is a problem that has haunted him for years, causing him to lie to all who know and love him. Helena’s stay in London starts well, except that every time she and Richard are together, he leaves at a moment’s notice. His affable charm has served him well for many years, causing his close friends to laugh off his flighty habit as a whimsical eccentricity, but Helena has had enough.

    Can this billionaire make his great life perfect? Blake Murphy wants redemption. More than that, he wants a second chance. He'd been avoiding his home town since the day he left for college. Trista Kennedy would be there and he had no idea how he'd face her after the way he'd treated her. But now he'd find out. His high school reunion was coming up and he'd see her then. Trista had moved on from Blake. Until she saw him when he came home for their high school reunion. He was handsome, rich, and easy going. He'd only been boyishly good looking in high school. So much had happened in a decade. Blake's old flame - the one who'd come after he'd broken Trista's heart - was ready to scoop him up again. Trista couldn't even think about competing with her. She'd never outshine the former cheerleader and constant social butterfly. But she felt something. Yearning. What might have been. Regret. She thought he felt it, too. Is there a chance to mend broken relationships in the heat of a small Arizona town after a decade apart?

    Her job is to pull a valuable warlord out of his black hole. The king wants Laird Tam out of the doldrums and back doing what he does best: killing in the name of Scotland. Juliette reluctantly agrees to the king’s task, because she has no choice. Lady Juliette is sweet, sassy, and determined, but also a little spoilt. She knows she’ll cope with the bleak north, the boredom and the barbarous Scotsmen, but when these two hundred days are done, she’s bolting back to England as quickly as her silk slippers will take her. Juliette underestimates the Scottish Highlands. She greatly underestimates Laird Tam. And there’s something else she doesn’t realise: the Highlands are never boring . . . “We’re going into the sea, Juliette.” “No, no, no . . .” “Aye, we are. You’re a strong Sassenach, remember that. You’ll survive this shipwreck.” “No. I won’t . . .” “I’ll find you, my darling, I’ll always find you . . .” Then the wave hits. Now Lady Juliette must survive the sea, the Irish outlaws, runaway nuns, and the ancient Caledonian Forest. Not to mention her growing attraction to Laird Tam . . .

    But now they ask too much. The English landlord has offered her uncle, the Craigg chieftain, an escape from debt and starvation. The price: Peigi must become the earl’s mistress. If she refuses, the remainder of their clan must leave the Highlands. If she agrees, her hope of a husband and family of her own are lost. Calum MacNaughton rescues a man from an icy drowning, only to find he’s a member of the rival Craigg clan. The man swears to repay Calum for saving his life and broaches the possibility of peace between the clans. Months later, the Craigg reappears with his most precious possession, hoping to settle his debt before the new year. Now Calum has until Twelfth Night to convince her to stay. Read free in kindle Unlimited!A MacNaughton Castle RomanceNovella - A Merry MacNaughton MishapBook 1 – Deception and DesireBook 2 - An Allusive LoveBook 3 - A Bonny Pretender(Note: This story was first published as part of the Bestselling Boxed set Stars are Brightly Shining, November 2019)

    What she needs is a husband, and she knows well enough that romance and matrimony aren't always compatible. While providing for her twins and the child she now carries is paramount, wedding a virtual stranger—even a wealthy one, like Gideon St. Goddard, Duke of Stanthorpe—is no light matter.Sabrina knows the friend who arranged the union would not promise her to a true scoundrel, but one look at her future husband convinces her that he is a shameless rogue. A shockingly handsome and desirable one, at that. Why has he agreed to marry her? When Gideon flashes that wicked, seductive smile, the reason hardly matters, but the chance that he'll steal her heart becomes all too real...

    Stefan, the future duke of Montmouth, no doubt thought his words were welcomed but he couldn't have been more wrong. Oh, he was handsome as a pagan Norse god, but that was unimportant when her life as well as those of her family hung in the balance. With less than six weeks left, Rosalind has stopped believing in the fairy tale, the prince on the white horse, and the stolen kiss that would awaken her from her worst nightmares. Resigned to her fate, she waits for the inevitable curse to run it’s course. "We must marry at once!" Stefan declared, fully expecting Rosalind to be delighted that he had come to save her, but he was sorely mistaken. Rosalind was no simpering docile female; she was a fiery temptress with a stubborn streak only matched by his horse, Samson. Insulting, infuriating, intoxicating and alluring enough to drive a man mad. Stefan found himself thankful for the curse that required him marry her, thankful for the betrothal contract he had so recently tried to release her from...With the fortitude of a sailor shipwrecked, abandoned, and a solider warring for his life Stefan decides to lay siege to the greatest prize, Rosalind's heart.

    The book is historical fiction, with romantic elements, set in 1878 Paris and London. The book is the first in a series of three entitled the Legacy Series.It is the tender story of Suzette Camille Rousseau, a young woman in late 19th century Paris, who makes a difficult journey from innocence to maturity. After losing a sheltered life with her father, Suzette is thrown into the harsh reality of poverty, struggling as a homeless woman on the streets of Paris. In order to survive, she faces difficult choices that offer little hope of redemption. Her journey takes her from the charities of St. Vincent de Paul, to a local laundry house where she toils endlessly in filth and squalor. To her surprise, one of her customers is the Chabanais, the most famous brothel in France that only caters to aristocrats. Like a fly drawn to a spider's web, the mistress of the brothel entices Suzette into a world of opulence, comfort, and beauty, but there is a price to pay -- her innocence. Succumbing to a life of prostitution, she meets a handsome English Lord who saves her from the unthinkable.

    See author's note, below Pulling Home (That Second Chance #1) It's taken nine years and a cross-country move, but Audra Valentine Wheyton has kept her secrets safe. She's created the perfect life: a husband who loves her, a daughter she adores, and a position as head writer for an award-winning daytime soap. When her husband dies suddenly, Audra returns to her hometown for the funeral and faces a community that has not forgotten her meager beginnings and the man who has never forgiven her for marrying his brother. Jack Wheyton is a successful pediatric neurosurgeon who is about to become engaged when Audra walks back into his life with her daughter. He forgave his brother long ago for taking something that had been his, something he hadn't even realized he wanted until it was gone. But forgiving Audra is another story...and forgetting her? Near impossible. When a shattering illness strikes Audra's daughter, she turns to Jack to save her child and risks exposing a secret that will change their lives forever. A Family Affair: The Promise (Truth in Lies #7) Grant Richot sprinted through life, a boy wonder with talent, intelligence, confidence, and charm. He never doubted the world awaited him, just as he never doubted the right woman would come into his life—but only when he was ready for her. Anyone before that was simply preparation for the one. How wrong he was. Years and a tragedy later, Grant arrives in Maggie Finnegan’s hometown of Magdalena, New York—broken, uncertain, and searching for that second chance with the woman he cast aside. But Maggie’s no longer naïve and impressionable; she’s a confident, competent widow with a child, who has more at risk than another broken heart… Note from Mary: I love secondary characters: writing them, reading about them, even watching them on the big screen. Secondary characters support the “stars”; make them more vibrant and compelling. But when the story ends, I’m often left wondering what they’d do if they were in the “spotlight”. That’s why I’ve created special boxed sets that were part of That Second Chance series and the Truth in Lies series. These boxed sets let the reader follow the before and after of select characters as they first appear in That Second Chance series and later in the fictional town of my bestselling Truth in Lies series. Boxed Set One contains Pulling Home and A Family Affair: The Promise. I invite you to follow their journey!

    A dingy old book tucked away in an old Regency London bookshop holds magic and love for those who use the 'recipes'! When Lady Olivia Gosling finds The Book of Love in a musty bookshop, she is most eager to try out its love “recipes” on someone safe. Did she say safe? Well, Beast isn’t really safe, but with her odious guardian about to marry her off to one of his unsavory friends, Olivia needs her childhood friend to fall in love with her... fast. If Beast can love her, then any man she chooses will surely do the same. Alexander Beastling, Duke of Hartford, is known as Beast among the ton. He is big and muscled, and there is a dark aura of mystery about him that he makes no effort to dispel. Now that he’s returned from battle, he’s appalled to learn of the marriage plans Lady Olivia’s loathsome guardian has for her. Beast has decided that he will help her find a proper husband, even if it means putting up with her ridiculous experiments taken out of a book she refers to as The Book of Love. Olivia calls them magical recipes for love. Is it possible they actually work? Because suddenly, Beast can’t seem to get Olivia out of his mind... or his heart. Read for FREE in Kindle Unlimited!

    Now she’s broke, homeless and starting out all over again, weighed down with debt that isn’t even hers. So when she learns she and her estranged sister, Ashley, have received an unexpected inheritance, she’s thrilled. Now they can both move to Seahaven, California and run Brightview, her grandmother’s rambling beachside bed & breakfast. She’ll do the cooking. Ashley can tend the Cliff Garden, the attached acre of winding paths and flower beds that has been in their family for generations. With her money and family woes solved, who knows—maybe someday Emma will find love again, too. He’s 33 and just hit it out of the park… Noah Hudson’s life couldn’t be better. He’s sold his successful business and can finally right the wrong he did years ago to his older brother’s career. Andrew deserves his turn in the limelight, so Noah just bought one of the last undeveloped oceanfront lots in Seahaven. He’ll give Andrew an unlimited budget to design and build a luxury vacation home that will land on the cover of every architectural magazine. While he’s waiting for his new digs, Noah has found a handy living situation in the bed & breakfast next door. While Andrew pursues his dream, he can spend his days on his own passions: extreme sports photography.Emma is furious when she finds out Ashley sold their grandmother’s garden to the newly minted millionaire renting one of her guest rooms—a very handsome millionaire who seems to have nothing better to do but surf, snap a few photos, and play havoc with her heart.Noah just realized what he left off his to-do list: find the woman of his dreams. Turns out she’s his current landlady and about to be his next-door neighbor—if she doesn’t kill him for destroying her grandmother’s legacy first. Can Emma and Noah find a way to heal the past without ruining their future together?