In this collection of novellas, Rice takes her readers on a journey through time, searching for romance in the most unlikely places. Prepare to be swept away as a ghost leads a lonely gentleman into the arms of a lady who steals his forgotten heart in "Deceiving Appearances." Continue to revel in the merriment while a bit of Valentine magic changes the hardened heart of a woman spurned by a rake in "Fathers and Daughters." Romance will continue to spark in "Lady Invisible" when a hoyden lady and a military man find solace and love in an unconventional way. And finally, see how true love blossoms amidst the anguish of rejection in “The Borrowed Groom.” Buy now and let these stories of love, heartache, and redemption reveal the most basic truth of all: love comes at the most unexpected times. Regency Love and Laughter series: Crossed in Love Mad Maria’s Daughter Artful Deceptions All A Woman Wants

    . .Arthur Alexander DeWolf, the eighth Duke of Westlake, lacks for nothing in life . . . except a woman who will stir his blood for longer than one night. Until fate steps in on his morning ride and he stumbles across Lily St. Aubin, Countess of Worthington.A Desperate Young Woman . . .It is on the worst day of her life that Lily meets the imperious duke. Helpless and unable to resist, she has no choice but to trust that this dangerously handsome man will protect her and newborn son. But, as trust begins to grow between them, danger lurks ever closer . . . danger that could destroy Lily. And their newfound love.

    Instead, he finds himself banished to the English countryside of Cornwall, forced by the decrees of his father's will to run his family's tin mines and find a country bride. The very last thing the handsome lord needs is a local lass sticking her nose into his affairs, but that seems to be exactly what the parson's daughter, Corisande Easton, had in mind.

    Determined to honor the outrageous request, Drew returns home to bury his father and is stunned to find living on the grounds of Swanslea Park the one woman whose charms he could never resist. Kathryn Stafford abandoned Drew at the altar six years before and vanished in a cloud of mystery. She had hoped her feelings for him would fade, but when she comes face-to-face with the gorgeous new marquess, she discovers they have only deepened. Drew is determined to keep his distance from the woman he believes to have been one of his father’s mistress. But every yearning glance and sizzling touch draws him closer to Kathryn…and to the scandalous secret that drove them apart. Book 1 of the “Mistresses of the Marquess” Series, which includes ONCE A MISTRESS, ALWAYS A LADY and EVER A PRINCESS. “An emotional, sensual tale!”—Romance Reviews Today “Once a Mistress is filled with passion and tenderness. Will bring a smile and a few tears to its readers.”—Romantic Times “Tender, enthralling romance straight from the heart!”—Eloisa James, New York Times bestselling author “Rebecca Hagan Lee warms my heart and touches my soul. She’s a star in the making!”—Sabrina Jeffries, New York Times bestselling author “Rebecca Hagan Lee taps into every woman’s fantasy!”—Christina Dodd, New York Times bestseller “Rebecca Hagan Lee is a writer on the rise!”—Romantic Times

    One last adventure abroad with her botanist uncle and his family, and then she will do as her parents bid and wed the proper (and boring) viscount her mother has selected as Lily's ideal husband.James Huntington is on a mission. Retrieve his grandfather's lost journals from the wilds of Tunisia, and win the estate and fortune he so desperately needs. This quest will be the making of him--or his ruin.Thrown together on a botanical expedition, James and Lily's attraction is immediate, and impossible. Despite every reason to keep their distance, the two find themselves inexorably drawn together as they race to reach a hidden valley before their enemies can bring all their dreams crashing down.      *Formerly published as PASSIONATE by Kensington Books

    He’s fought wars and his own personal demons. Time to claim what is his family’s. More specifically, his brother’s. And so, bringing friends and allies, he takes back what is his family’s. The lands are theirs again. Except now, Rufus discovers his brother has abandoned the birthright, the land, all of this. He’s headed to new lands and new worlds. Rufus should be relieved, he’s no longer responsible for any of it. He can walk away from their ancestral lands. He’s not sure if he wants to. Davina MacFarland never claimed she was an angel. She certainly isn’t a common thief, even though she’s related to one, now that her brother took Rufus McIntosh’s lands. She shouldn’t have been involved. She really shouldn’t. But now there’s been a scuffle and she’s the captive of that damned Rufus MacIntosh. But she can hold her own. Or can she?

    Coming face-to-face before her wedding with the scoundrel who broke her heart and destroyed her trust could not be more awkward or ill timed for Sally Ford. When she agreed to give her hand and fortune to London’s most eligible earl, she did so believing she would learn to love him after they tied the knot. Her betrothed has no idea she was engaged to Captain Felix Hastings six years ago, or that she gave her innocence to the ambitious officer. When Felix answered the summons from his superior he never expected to face Sally Ford, the woman who'd believed a lie and labeled him a fortune hunter before calling off their engagement six years ago. In his determination to clear the air about the past, pride clashes with the truth as every argument and stolen moment reignites a passion that has never waned. Giving in could destroy everything they've both worked so hard to achieve, or will fate offer them a chance to begin again if only they can forgive? Don’t miss this first steamy tale in the Rebel Hearts regency romance series—reserve your copy today!

    They come across a beautiful young woman—clad only in a nightdress—laying unconscious in a rubbish heap. Worried for her safety and famous for his habit of taking in strays, Beckett takes the mysterious girl home and puts her to bed, intent on calling a doctor the next day. But his good intentions go awry when his mother and solicitor make an unplanned visit the next morning, and all hell breaks loose.When the impoverished viscount learns he is now heir to a wealthy earldom, Beckett must quickly take a bride. Having been jilted by his former fiancée, he no longer believes in love… but Beckett does believe in the heated desire this “mysterious angel” stirs within him. He vows to make the voluptuous beauty his wife.Isobel Hampton is on the run from a villainous nobleman who will stop at nothing until he possesses both her and her family estate. The strong-minded miss makes a break for freedom and disappears into the night, but Sir Harry Lennox vows to find her. When she awakens in the bed of a handsome viscount, Isobel demands to know how she got there. But something in Lord Thornby’s eyes makes her want to trust the handsome lord. When he proposes a marriage of convenience, it could be the solution to all of Isobel’s problems… or just the beginning of them.For though Beckett and Isobel have sworn to a marriage in name only, the flame of passion burns hot between them. As they engage in a dangerous dance of seduction, the last place they expect to find true love is in each other’s arms.Originally published as The Marriage Bargain in 2000 - Seducing The Bride is a newly revised and updated edition.

    He just hopes she can hear what’s in his heart.Lord Tremayne has a problem. He stammers like a fool—at least that’s what he learned from his father’s constant criticism and punishing hand. Daniel now hides his troubles, limiting his speech and getting by with a few close friends. His well-fought privacy is all for naught when he goes looking for a new mistress and finds a delightful young woman who makes him, of all people, want to spout poetry. He thought he had a problem before? Avoiding meaningless dinner prattle is nothing compared to the challenge of winning the heart of his new lady lust.Recently widowed and increasingly poor, Thea’s been reduced to sharing her rented room with rodents and arguing over every morsel (the mice usually win). When a friend suggests an alliance of the most intimate sort, Thea’s reluctantly intrigued. But given her lackluster marriage, she doubts her ability to entice an experienced man. The considerate, if quiet, Lord Tremayne attracts her mightily, so she sets aside her misgivings. That is, until Thea realizes she’s about to break the cardinal rule of mistressing—that of falling for her new protector.A fun, emotionally satisfying, steamy tale told in three parts: Seductive Silence, Lusty Letters, and Daring Declarations.

    Now the game is afoot in earnest—and Amelia nearly swoons to discover the detective assigned to "assist" her is a handsome, brilliant, and breathtaking investigator who might as well be a young Sherlock Holmes himself!Inspector Colin Brindley has no interest in encouraging a meddling beauty who imagines herself Watson to his Holmes. But Amelia is as sharp-witted and brave as she is lovely—and in their wild hunt for an elusive thief, Colin's heart may end up being the precious object that's gotten truly purloined.

    Aster Tanner is alone in the world and keeps a roof over her head by working the one asset she has - her mind. She needs her job; she does not need a Scotsman underfoot, making her heart flutter with heated glances and impertinent questions.Iain McIntyre, Captain in the Second Dragoons, has a confidential assignment: find a list rumoured to name traitors working against England. He is looking for anything unusual -- like a woman working as a secretary. He tells himself his fascination with the lass is because she holds a man's position, and nothing to do with his rising desire to know the sharp mind hidden behind her darkened glasses.When Aster is targeted by those intent on recovering the list, she must decide who to trust. She has seven encrypted names. But whose? Meanwhile, Iain is on the trail of a double agent. Time is running out, and secrets must be decoded before lives and hearts are sacrificed.

    Now she'll seduce it. A trained thief, Desirée of Canterbury can wriggle out of any tight spot with a coy smile. Until she meets her match in Nicholas Grimshaw, the most feared lawman in the shire. Ruggedly handsome and all brawn, Nicholas is the key to avenging the unjust execution of her elderly guardian. Yet the crackling passion burning between them, stoked by every stolen touch, could defeat all her plans. Nicholas is bound to Desirée by a debt of honor-though the lush, quick-witted beauty may be the death of him yet. Unwillingly installed in his household, Desirée mischievously disrupts his well-ordered life until he doesn't know whether to kiss or kill her. But soon Nicholas must use all his wiles to save them both from a merciless enemy...and, finally, claim her merry heart.

    When an unmarried gentleman happens by her brother's smithy, it is up to her to act quickly—and rashly—to secure his interest. But Grantham Wendell, Lord Chelford, isn't in the market for anything more than a new horseshoe. What's a bachelor to do when an innocent miss turns up at his annual bacchanalia? He ought to make her leave, but his Twelfth Night party just became more entertaining...Publisher's Note: This book was originally published as The Cheer in Charming an Earl

    But a wish at a magical rock formation is about to change all that, in a most a-MUSE-ing way. . . . The three Sullivan sisters, named for the Three Graces of Greek legend who embody beauty, charm and grace, don’t live up to their names. Belle is no beauty. Charisma lacks charm. And Grace is somewhat less than graceful. But this doesn't deter their ambitious mother from bribing three bachelors to escort them to Colorado Springs’ beautiful Garden of the Gods. When the girls overhear their escorts mocking how little they resemble their names, each girl makes a wish at the magical Three Graces rock formation. Belle wishes aloud for beauty, but only so she can use it as a weapon to punish the cads who hurt her sisters. Her true wish is for revenge. Handsome viscount Kit Stanhope regrets his rude remarks and apologizes to Belle. He’s surprised when she tells him that's not enough. If he truly regrets his behavior, he has to make her beautiful in time for the Founders’ Day Ball. Kit isn’t sure he’s up to the task. But, intrigued by the spirited Belle, he agrees to assist her transformation from an ugly duckling into a swan with the help of a mysterious Greek dressmaker with muse-like qualities. Unfortunately, Belle makes a rather awkward swan. Still, after a few embarrassing escapades, she masters the flirtatious language of the fan and takes the town known as Little London by storm. Belle soon finds herself falling for the viscount and his sinful mouth. It seems he returns her regard, but she can’t renege on her promise to humiliate him . . . can she? Will her secret muse grant the wish she voiced . . . or the one she holds in her heart? Note to readers: This title was originally published in 2003 by Zebra Ballad.

    A strange twist of Fate brought the unlikely pair together… now nothing will keep them apart.Lady Amelia Atherton is not a woman to be trifled with. Known as the diamond of the Ton, she is beautiful, witty, and the only daughter of the Duke of Ely. The men of the Peerage see her as a prize to be won, and perhaps a way to obtain her father’s influence. Commander Samuel Beresford is the brash, sometimes rude, younger son, of the Earl of Blackburn. A Royal Navy Commander who has little time for the affectations of Society.Two people have never been so mismatched, but when Amelia’s father, The Duke of Ely, dies under mysterious circumstances, and Samuel’s elder brother is poisoned within a mere day of the Duke’s death, both Lady Amelia and Commander Beresford find themselves forced to work together in a desperate search for the culprit.Amelia was always careful to guard her feelings, that is until she met Samuel Beresford. Now everything Lady Amelia once took for granted has been shattered, and with the Dukedom in the hands of her odious Uncle Declan, Amelia and Samuel plan an elaborate ruse, in the hope of drawing out the murderer. Lady Amelia Atherton considered herself as tough as a diamond, but somehow Samuel Beresford has found his way into her heart…Neither could imagine falling in love … now it seems they cannot imagine loving anyone else.