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Marina by Laura Blackmon


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The Marquess' Angel


Julia Sinclair - 2018
    she became a missionary.Blythe's prim missionary act gives her plenty of freedom to go to the cruelest parts of London to have her own adventure quests.But her plans are thrown into chaos when her uncle dies ... This leaves her as one of the richest heiresses London has ever seen!  . Suddenly, everyone's looking at her. Including a dangerous enemy.But ... the person looking the hardest is Thomas "Demon Tom" Martin, Marquess of Amory, the eldest son of the Martin family--the Carrows' sworn enemies.Thomas loves gambling,he loves trouble,and maybe, he loves this supposedly prim little missionary as well!Too bad Blythe belongs to the Carrows. .Can Blythe survive the darkness and danger around her?And will their love be enough to quell an ancient feud between the two families?Page Count: around 450 pages

The Borderland Legacy


Samantha Holt - 2019
     Borderland Bride Jake stumbles across a woman badly beaten and with no voice. But she brings along a whole host of trouble. That doesn't stop him from wondering if he could ever be worthy of a woman like her... but honor must prevail. And he must give her to her brother. Borderland Beauty Lucy Montgomery loathes Dominic of Thornewall. She always has and always will. No marriage contract or his attempts to charm her will win her over. Borderland Betrayal Captain James has little time for women. At least until the captivating Ellise takes him into her bed for one night then vanishes...only to turn up on his castle doorstep. But what is she hiding?

A Knight of Silence


Candace C. Bowen - 2010
    Deaf from a childhood illness, she is about to be banished to a convent by her cold and distant father. Baron Fulke of Erlegh has a tragic past. Throwing himself into a life of battle and debauchery, Fulke is removed from the field and commanded to take a bride. King Henry I. is a changed man since losing his only son and heir in the White Ship sinking. Intent to name his only daughter, Matilda, the first Queen of England, he seeks advantage over powerful opposition. Discovering Reina's unique ability to lip-read, Henry separates the two lovers and coerces Reina to spy for the crown under threat of harm to Fulke. In a battle between love and loyalty, Fulke and his courageous band of knights enact a plan that will free Reina from the king's grip or cause all of them to be executed for treason in... A Knight of Silence.

Heart of a Slave


Verna Cyril - 2020
    Despite her initial resistance, she is ensnared in a steamy love affair with the young, noble aristocrat, Dimitri. However, as the daughter of a chieftain warrior, Siwhetta is defiant, passionate, and determined to return to her homeland. Dimitri, on the other hand, enamored of this nubile, ebony beauty is possessive and takes what he wants, and thus far, his eyes are set on Siwhetta. Intent on possessing her, he will stop at nothing to get her into his arms even if it meant breaking every rule in the book.Disclaimer: Please note that this book includes information that may be upsetting to some persons. ExcerptSiwhetta inhaled and looked into his cobalt eyes and pointed out calmly, “I am a slave and you are the slave master’s grandson.” Siwhetta repeated then began to sob. “This is not what I want. I would like to experience true love like my parents did. One day, I would like to live a normal life again. I don’t want this!” She began pushing at him again. Defeated, Dimitri rolled on his back next to her on the ground. He looked at the canopy of trees hanging over their heads. There was no doubt that he cared for her. He wished he knew how he could make her trust him. “I will take you home with me.”Horrified, Siwhetta gasped then turned to look at him. She searched his eyes curiously.As if he knew that she doubted him, he repeated: “I will take you home with me.”Siwhetta sat up with relief, heart palpitating. She finally felt like there was hope; that she could finally have a life of freedom again; a chance to fall in love; a chance to have a family; to start a new life somewhere new. Tears of joy finally ran down her cheeks. “I can finally be free again?” she placed her hand on her chest in disbelief. “Maybe,” she paused, biting on her lower lip then whispered in awe, “maybe someday go back home?” Dimitri tensed, he scowled. “You will remain with me.”As if wounded, Siwhetta grimaced then lowered her head in confusion. She lifted her chin proudly and with blazing eyes yelled, “I would never!”Dimitri said, firmly, “You will remain with me.”

The Lost Season of Love and Snow


Jennifer Laam - 2018
    Petersburg.At the age of sixteen, Natalya Goncharova is stunningly beautiful and intellectually curious. But while she finds joy in French translations and a history of Russian poetry, her family is more concerned with her marriage prospects. It is only fitting that during the Christmas of 1828 at her first public ball in her hometown of Moscow she attracts the romantic attention of Russia’s most lauded rebel poet: Alexander Pushkin. Enchanted at first sight, Natalya is already a devoted reader of Alexander’s serialized novel in verse, Evgeny Onegin. The most recently published chapter ends in a duel, and she is dying to learn what happens next. Finding herself deeply attracted to Alexander’s intensity and joie de vivre, Natalya hopes to see him again as soon as possible.What follows is a courtship and later marriage full of equal parts passion and domestic bliss but also destructive jealousies. When vicious court gossip leads to Alexander dying from injuries earned defending his honor as well as Natalya’s in a duel, Natalya finds herself reviled for her alleged role in his death. With beautiful writing and understanding, Jennifer Laam, and her compelling new novel, The Lost Season of Love and Snow, help Natalya tell her side of the story—the story of her greatest love and her inner struggle to create a fulfilling life despite the dangerous intrigues of a glamorous imperial Court.

House of Catesby - The Complete Collection


Sunny Brooks
    On the day of his death, in the blink of an eye, the lives of one woman and her six grown children changed irrevocably. The matriarch Countess Margaret Lilias Catesby was now a dowager countess; her strength and maternal duty the sole driving force pushing herself through the grief. Each of the Catesby children are left to carry on their father’s legacy, shown physically through their father’s green eyes and spiritually through his impassioned attitude for living. Eldest son Francis had barely a day to cope with his father’s death before the title of Lord Catesby was immediately thrust upon him. With Francis assuming ownership of the estate and his five siblings left to sort out the pieces, each must now find a way to navigate the world without their dear father’s guidance. Will siblings Francis, Emily, Helena, Sophia and the twins, Charles and Henry, be able to move forward into society and proudly carry on the Catesby name? There’s only one way to find out…---Book 1: ”Lady Emily’s Escape”Book 2: ”Charles and the Intruder”Book 3: ”The Mysterious Lord Livingstone”Book 4: ” Lady Sophie and the Proper Gardener”Book 5: ” Mr. Henry Catesby and the Rebellious Redhead”Book 6: ” Dilemma of the Earl's Heart”EXCLUSIVE BONUS! Book 7:” The Scandalous Dowager Countess”

Jewelled Path


Rosalind Laker - 1983
    The jewel-studded world of the great Faberge opens up to the daughter of a London jeweller.There was something besides beauty that set ravishing Irene Lindsay apart from all other women. Her emerald eyes twinkled with the promise of never ending excitement. The ruby highlights of her thick rich hair beckoned for a man's impassioned touch. And the pearly luster of her flawless skin had an alluring sensuality that seemed to beg a possessive caress.Though Irene never lacked for male attention, she yearned for the perfect romance to quench the fire in her blood. Then she met two very different men - and each one wanted to make her his own. She tried to delay the inevitable, but ultimately, the spirited young woman had to make a decision: between the man who had shown her unparalleled ecstasy and the other who had taught her enchanting love!

The Siege


Helen Dunmore - 2001
    Her canvas is monumental -- the Nazis' 1941 winter siege on Leningrad that killed six hundred thousand -- but her focus is heartrendingly intimate. One family, the Levins, fights to stay alive in their small apartment, held together by the unlikely courage and resourcefulness of twenty-two-year-old Anna. Though she dreams of an artist's life, she must instead forage for food in the ever more desperate city and watch her little brother grow cruelly thin. Their father, a blacklisted writer who once advocated a robust life of the mind, withers in spirit and body. At such brutal times everything is tested. And yet Dunmore's inspiring story shows that even then, the triumph of the human heart is that love need not fall away.

Deathless


Catherynne M. Valente - 2011
    But Koschei has never before been seen through the eyes of Catherynne Valente, whose modernized and transformed take on the legend brings the action to modern times, spanning many of the great developments of Russian history in the twentieth century.Deathless, however, is no dry, historical tome: it lights up like fire as the young Marya Morevna transforms from a clever child of the revolution, to Koschei’s beautiful bride, to his eventual undoing. Along the way there are Stalinist house elves, magical quests, secrecy and bureaucracy, and games of lust and power. All told, Deathless is a collision of magical history and actual history, of revolution and mythology, of love and death, which will bring Russian myth back to life in a stunning new incarnation.

Splendor


Brenda Joyce - 1997
    Carolyn Browne was a poor bookseller's daughter and an enlightened thinker, delighting London with her scathingly witty columns, written under the name Charles Copperville. Penetrating the town's gilded salons in male disguise, Carolyn soon throws her barbs at the wrong man-- the enigmatic Russian prince, Nicholas Sverayov.He was a dangerous target. His notoriety, extravagances, and indulgent disregard for social convention fuel Carolyn's outrage. Nicholas has moved through the balls and soirees of high society effortlessly, a natural target of gossip, envy, and desire. But Nicholas is furious to find himself lampooned by Copperville, and quickly discovers Carolyn's dearly held secret. Now, as the two spar, a new game begins-- a game of deception and pride, of longing and chance.And they played for the ultimate prize... As Nicholas sweeps Carolyn from the teeming streets and gala balls of Regency London to the splendor and majesty of St. Petersburg, against all odds the unlikely lovers embark upon a whirlwind of passion and peril until there is no turning back-- for the stakes have changed, demanding no less of them than the unwavering courage to claim the love of a lifetime.

Christmas Ever More


Christina McKnight
    To do so, she sets out to host the grandest holiday celebration Foldger’s Hall has ever seen; proving to everyone—including herself—that she has more to offer than the hardship and loss she has brought to her family. A woman forging a new path in life... Mrs. Ruby Jakeston is tired of others taking care of her. She is ready to show everyone that she can look after more than just herself and her new husband; she also wants to set her overprotective friend at ease, and bring her hellion sister to heel. A girl lost and in search of a place to belong… Lady Ellington is on the brink of losing the only home she’s ever known. The last thing she wants is to attend a grand soirée. However, when her older sister demands her presence at a country Christmas party, she is compelled to attend. With only a stablehand as her companion, she arrives at a house teeming with unfamiliar faces—and nowhere to hide. A trio of women holding out hope for three different holiday miracles… Christmas ever more.

An Accidental Romance


Karen Tuft - 2021
    Ben Fortescue. If her new neighbor hadn’t startled her, she would never have broken her ankle, leaving her bored and frustrated at home in the country while her sister enjoys the London Season alone. Although, it was rather gallant of him to carry her home.For his part, Ben feels terrible about the role he played in Miss Rebecca Jennings’s accident. In the days that follow their first disastrous meeting, he finds himself inexorably drawn to the surprising young woman—first out of guilt and then out of a stirring affection. But Ben hides a secret: he has not been completely forthright about his identity or about the dark secrets of his past that would make it impossible for romance to blossom with Miss Jennings. Despite his love for her, he knows he must let her go. With her ankle finally healed but her heart now broken, Rebecca is left with little choice but to throw herself into the Season. With eligible men circling this late addition to the Marriage Mart, it seems that Rebecca will have no shortage of suitors. If only her heart were free to give.

The Bronze Horseman


Paullina Simons - 2000
    As the German armies advance their future looks bleak. For Tatiana, love arrives in the guise of Alexander, who harbours a deadly and extraordinary secret.

The Tsar of Love and Techno


Anthony Marra - 2015
    A 1930s Soviet censor painstakingly corrects offending photographs, deep underneath Leningrad, bewitched by the image of a disgraced prima ballerina. A chorus of women recount their stories and those of their grandmothers, former gulag prisoners who settled their Siberian mining town. Two pairs of brothers share a fierce, protective love. Young men across the former USSR face violence at home and in the military. And great sacrifices are made in the name of an oil landscape unremarkable except for the almost incomprehensibly peaceful past it depicts. In stunning prose, with rich character portraits and a sense of history reverberating into the present, The Tsar of Love and Techno is a captivating work from one of our greatest new talents.The leopard --Granddaughters --The Grozny Tourist Bureau --A prisoner of the Caucasus --The tsar of love and techno --Wolf of White Forest --Palace of the people --A temporary exhibition --The end

The King's Courtesan


Suzan Tisdale - 2015
    Living a quiet life with her children and grandchildren, she believes she has put her past behind her. That is, until one peaceful summer afternoon when a stranger arrives at her door with news of the death of an old friend. The stranger knows her secrets and threatens to turn her world to chaos by revealing them, if she refuses to give him what he wants. It is not money he seeks but something far more valuable: the truth about his own past. Many, many years before, Fate and desperate circumstances lead a young girl into the life of a courtesan and the arms of a man she could never have—or even name. Just as he could never have her. But their love was pure and formidable. Powerful enough to endure all efforts to destroy it? Powerful enough to defeat a queen? It is time for Francesca Ginori to tell her story—her own passionate, enthralling truth.