Young, widowed Clare Byrne, is escaping the famine in Ireland. On the coffin ship from Dublin, in the final hours of the journey to England, Clare goes into labour. Weakened and alone, the young, beleaguered mother gives birth near the quayside. Unable to look after the newborn, the child is bought for a single shilling by a curious gentleman, the industrialist Samuel Hudson. What will happen to the young girl? What plans does Mr Hudson have for her? Will the child thrive, or merely survive? Also by Emma Hardwick ----------------------------------- The Urchin of Walton Hall

    Isabella O'Shea is transported to New South Wales for wounding a member of the British aristocracy who raped her, so it is understandable that she loathes members of the upper class and the system that punished her; sentenced her to seven years transportation.Tiger Carstairs is rich, ambitious and English-so is it any wonder she is determined to hate her new master. Tiger dreams of making a new life beyond the aptly named Blue Mountains, so called because of the perpetual haze of blue surrounding them.Mystic Mountains is a story of courage and persistence-traits that were essential for the settlers who carved out a new life in a raw land where suffering and heartbreak were commonplace.Isabella and Tiger face tragedy and many hardships in their quest for a new life in this untamed land.Reviews:“Tricia McGill has written a sweeping love story of two people fighting for their places in an unfair world among the wild, untamed vistas of Australia. The strong plot reveals much about the early settlement days of the continent of Australia and is a history lesson in itself besides a sizzling romance. A job well done by Ms. McGill.” Lani Roberts 5 stars ***** Affaire de Coeur“Sometimes we in America forget that Australia is an equally young country, complete with tales of adventure about the settlement of the land. In this story of love adventure and hardship, we see a man and a woman work together to survive and overcome the harsh land that is Australia. A thoroughly enjoyable book, well-written and exciting.”Deborah Brent for Romantic Times book club **** four stars

    

    Rather, the House of Devon takes the romance below stairs, to the people who live, laugh, and love all while they serve. Meet the staff of the House of Devon, and discover how they find their happily ever afters...

    Others say that I’m nothing more than a playboy. But they all agree to say that I’m a bad boy. I’m the kind of a man you don’t want around your daughter, especially if she’s beautiful. In other words, I’m parents’ worst nightmare. I used to be proud of this infamous reputation until it became a major roadblock for my career. My father is getting old and someone needs to take over the family business. It’s supposed to be me, except that the board members will do anything to make my life a living hell–like hiring an outsider to become the next CEO. Why? Because they can’t get laid as much as I do and they can’t stand me. They envy me. They resent me. They want me to change. They want me to settle down. My only option is to give them what they want, even if I need to fake it. There’s only one problem: I need a wife and I can’t find anyone willing to tie the knot with someone like me. Not after everything I’ve done. But my new maid is gorgeous and sexy as hell, and you know what? She’ll be perfect for the job... Note: part 1 of the series, for a mature audience only.