Set in 1750, Small's "Mastering Lady Lucinda" finds the young, widowed Lady Lucinda Harrington publicly humiliating three suitors. Incensed, they conspire to have her kidnapped and trained to enjoy the pleasures of matrimony. Lucinda, however, is a woman ahead of her time, and has a trick or two up her sleeve. "Risking It All," Johnson's contribution, also features a young widow. She is Felicia Greenwood, who gambles in Monte Carlo to save her villa. Just as she is about to lose her fortune, a handsome stranger offers assistance. Victorian-era principles notwithstanding, Felicia repays her mysterious benefactor by spending some wanton hours with him. Finally, there is Schone's "A Man and a Woman." The protagonist is a 48-year-old vicar's widow named Megan who trades places with a local prostitute to experience a night of sexual abandon with a man dressed as an Arab. (excerpted from Publisher's Weekly 2000 review)

    A LADY'S PLEASURE by Robin SchoneSeeking shelter from a storm, Colonel Robert Coally intrudes on Abigail Wynfred while she is reading a book that would surely raise more than one eyebrow in London society. When the lonely Abigail confides in him that she aches for the touch of a man, Robert takes her on a breathless journey filled with sensual surprises surpassing even the most scandalous of fictional exploits.DARK DESIRES by Thea DevineDrue Caledon despises her new husband Courtland Summerville, the man she was forced to marry, and vows to remain loyal to her true love, Gerard Lenoir. But Court intends to make Drue his in body and spirit by introducing her to the pleasures of the flesh—tantalizing her until she has no choice but to surrender to his every desire.BOUND AND DETERMINED by Susan JohnsonThe Princess Marko has kidnapped Hugh Dalsany, Marquis of Crewe. Now Hugh finds himself her prisoner, shackled to a bedpost. But it isn't long before he becomes a very willing captive, succumbing to her expert skills in seduction.ECSTASY by Bertrice SmallDagon, Prince of Aramis, had been betrayed by his twin brother and sold into slavery. He vowed to escape his tortured life and seek revenge, until he was brought to Kava. Now Dagon is under the rapturous spell of the women who rule this kingdom and of its queen, the irresistible Kelida whose wickedly lascivious games leave him begging for more.

    From a private berth on the Orient Express, to the finest hotels in Europe, to the mystical gateway of the East, these unlikely lovers, Alexandra DeLisle and Ryder Culhane, risk a passion that will test the limits of desire and fate, as they face a danger greater, and more seductive than any power they could imagine.

    . . "Beauty and the Brute" by Virginia Henley It's been three years since Lady Sarah Caversham set eyes on arrogant Charles Lennox--the husband her father chose for her to settle a gambling debt. Now Charles has returned, unaware that the innocent ingénue he wed is determined to turn their marriage of convenience into a blissfully passionate affair. . . "How to Seduce a Wife" by Kate Pearce Louisa March's new husband, Nicholas, is a perfect gentleman in bed--much to her disappointment. She longs for the kind of fevered passion found in her beloved romance novels. But when she dares him to seduce her properly, she discovers that Nicholas is more than ready to meet her challenge, over and over again. . . "Not Quite a Courtesan" by Maggie Robinson Sensible bluestocking Prudence Thorn has been too busy keeping her cousin Sophy out of trouble to experience any adventures of her own. But when Sophy begs Prudence's help in saving her marriage, Pru encounters handsome, worldly Darius Shaw. And under Darius's skilled tutelage, Pru learns just how delightful a little scandal can be. . .

    . . a world of seduction and sensation, where inhibitions are unlaced and desires long corseted are gloriously freed. . . .Fallen Angel Jess MichaelsLondon's greatest beauty and most notorious madam employs the services of a disgraced Bow Street Runner to keep her safe from a stalker . . . and satisfied after dark.Parlor Games Leda SwannAn innocent virgin enters a brothel to escape starvation and receives expert tutelage in the steamy Victorian parlor games that rakish gentlemen indulge in. . . .Border Lord Julia TempletonFleeing an unfaithful fiancé, a nubile young lovely finds herself the prisoner of a lustful Scottish laird and must bow to his every erotic whim. . . .

    But things go too far when Keefe engages Laura in an artful game of seduction-a game that can have only one winner...Stephanie Laurens, "Melting Ice"Once, Dyan St. Laurent Dare, Duke of Darke, dreamed of making Lady Fiona his bride. Now they're together again-at a scandalous dinner party where debauchery is the menu's main course. But will wedding bells ring after the guests get their just desserts?Celeste Bradley, "Wedding Knight"Alfred Knight will do anything to avoid a scandal-even marry a woman he barely knows. But his bride has a most titillating secret...one she'll share as soon as she conquers her temptation for the man she was never supposed to marry!Leslie LaFoy, "The Proposition"Rennick St. James, the Earl of Parnell, has four days to seduce London's most popular widow into becoming his wife-or else she'll marry another man. It won't be easy...but Rennick has been lusting after the beguiling Julia Hamilton far too long to let her go now...

    Their bond of friendship grew even stronger as they were tortured while being held for ransom by the Bey of Algiers. All that kept them going was the idea of returning to Jeremy’s wife, Cordelia, the woman they both courted and are both still in love with. But will Cordelia be willing to accept both of them…in her heart and her bed?For Cordelia Highsmith, the greatest Christmas gift she could ever imagine is the return of her husband and his best friend. But can she accept the even greater gift they offer…the two of them, hers, forever?MY HEART'S DESIRE by Kate PearceAfter a dreadful disfiguring accident and the loss of her husband, Caroline Lyndhurst has spent the last two years hiding away from society. One man has never forgotten her. Jasper, Lord Mansell is determined not only to see her again, but to persuade her that in the spirit of Christmas, true love can bloom again.Warning: This anthology contains m/f/m sex scenes.

    Seven years later, she befriends Anna Newton and Susan, Lady DeLinn, two other women whom Leo has similarly debauched and abandoned.Isabelle joins with her friends to seek vengeance on the man who ruined them. But when they choose Isabelle as the instrument of their revenge, she faces an impossible choice: stand by Anna and Susan, or betray them by surrendering to her reawakening feelings for the wicked earl.When Leo lost the woman he loved, he sank into a life of depravity and vice. Now, nothing and no one can seep into his hard shell of a heart. But when three mystery women abduct him and shackle him in a dark cellar, Leo just might rediscover his humanity…and a love that may lift him back into the light.This book does not shirk away from the dark consequences of a dissolute rake’s behavior. It contains rough language and erotic situations. You’ve been warned.

    An unpaid companion to his aunt, she's used to being ignored.The black sheep of the family, Leo has nothing but his good looks and noble birth to recommend him. Hannah ought to be appalled at what she's witnessed, but there's something about Leo that draws her to him.When Leo claims he can prove that women can feel desire as passionately as men, Hannah is incredulous. Her own experiences have been uninspiring. Yet she can't bring herself to refuse his audacious proposal when he offers to tutor her in the art of lovemaking. As the tantalizing, wicked lessons continue, she begins to fear she's losing not just her inhibitions, but her heart as well. The poorest of relations, she has nothing to offer Leo but herself. Will it be enough when their erotic education ends? 22,000 words

    She has but one chance to save her marriage and avert a future of dashed hopes and despair...and it requires a visit to a house where sensuality reigns.Unable to satisfy the needs of the man she adores, Lillian is devastated when he seeks the amorous attentions of another. But there are passionate lessons to be learned if she joins the lovers in their erotic hideaway...To possess a bride as voluptuous and exciting as Cora would be any man's dream, yet Gareth cannot understand why the woman he wed despises him so. Still, he will not give her up without a fight, though it may take extraordinary imagination to make Cora's most wicked secret fantasies come true.

    Four stories of romance from the incomparable Kathleen E. Woodiwiss, and Jo Beverley, Tanya Anne Crosby, and Samantha James. Jo Beverley - The Determined Bride A women abandoned on the battlefield discovers that dreams can cone true when an honorable commanding officer gallantly offers his name... Tanya Anne Crosby - A Kiss After Midnight A rebellious heiress who must wed by the stroke of midnight learns that a twist of fate has fulfilled her heart's deepest desire... Samantha James - Scandal's Bride A young womans reckless scheme to defy her fathers ultimatum leads to a hasty union and unexpected passion... Kathleen E. Woodiwiss - Beyond The Kiss (Birmingham #1.2) The wedding of jeff birmingham of the flame and the flower and his new bride raelynn inflames the jealous ire of a determined rival... Celebrate the glorious, magical moment of new beginnings with for uncertain couples joined by a passionate promise - and surprised by unforeseen love.

    . .The Marquess of Grayson never felt a twinge of guilt when he stole the beautiful Lady Pelham right out from under his best friend's nose. After all, they were well matched in all things--their sensual appetites, wicked wits, provocative reputations, and their absolute refusal to ruin their marriage of convenience by falling in love. But then a shocking turn of events sent her roguish husband from her side. Four years later, he has returned a powerful, irresistible man who is determined to seduce his way into her affections. No, this is not at all the man she married. But he is the man who might finally steal her heart. . ."Day plays on sensual themes with a lush grace." --RT Book Reviews

    And that problem is his future niece-in-law. When the clever and capable Lady Eleanor Vane—understandably—runs off into the night rather than marry his horrible nephew, the Duke has a choice. Should he catch Eleanor and return her to her fate—or make Eleanor his own instead?My Dirty Duke - Joanna ShupeViolet knows that her father's best friend, the Duke of Ravensthorpe, is the most powerful man in all of London with a reputation for sin. But nothing can stop Violet from wanting to shed her wallflower ways and fulfill her darkest, most forbidden desires...even if it means seducing a man twice her age.An Education In Pleasure - Eva LeighAs a governess to the Duke of Tarrington, Cecilia Holme resigns herself to a passionless life. Except now the old duke is dead and Owen, the new duke, is very tempting—and much younger. Is the chance to give Owen an education in pleasure too enticing to refuse?Duke For Hire - Nicola DavidsonAs her fiery clergyman father chases away all suitors, Miss Ada Blair is resigned to spinsterhood. Yet while she can’t wed, bedding might be another matter. One man meets all her requirements for a discreet and expert pleasure tutor—Jasper Muir, Duke of Gilroy—but he insists on a very wicked contract…The Duke Makes Me Feel... - Adriana HerreraDukes and their demands are nothing new for Marena Baine-Torres. Her newfound success has her little apothecary teeming with ill-mannered aristocrats. But as tiresome as they are, she needs the business. When the unflappable Duke of Linley storms into her shop and makes her an offer she’d be a fool to refuse, Marena soon finds herself on the adventure of a lifetime with a man who is as infuriating as he is intriguing.

    There Could Be Hell To Pay..She needs a protector… Once seduced by whispered promises of a faithless lover, Phoebe Scott is determined to make a name on the Covent Garden stage, but after three years of bit parts, she realizes she'll never achieve her goals on her own merits. Finally acknowledging her success is dependent on a powerful patron, Phoebe determines to seek out a protector at London's most notorious brothel.He's avowed to celibacy… Sir Edward "Ned" Chambers has been lost and lonely since his wife’s death in childbirth. Burdened with blame, he has sworn to a life of celibacy, but after three years, he is inwardly edgy, irritable, and increasingly discontent. Desperate times call for devilish measures... Viscount Ludovic “The Devil” DeVere, a rake of the first order, is hell-bent to return his best friend Ned to the land of the living. Perceiving the cause behind his best friend’s unhappiness—as well as the obvious cure—DeVere takes matters in hand. DeVere’s meddling machinations result in an outrageous wager that could lead Ned to a new love… or land them all in the Tower.Hijinks and passion abound in this sexy, rollicking Georgian romp. (romantic comedy with mature content) The Devil DeVere Series:A Wild Night's Bride #1The Virgin Huntress #2The Devil You Know #3The Devil's Match #4A Devil's Touch #4.5Jewel Of the East #5 Prequel Vignettes:Devil in the Making #1The Trouble with Sin #2Ned's Folly - coming late 2014

    The Earl has appointed his younger brother Stephen the legal guardian of her young son, the same Stephen who was her first love and who, five years before, broke her heart and mysteriously abandoned her to a loveless marriage. Can Stephen and Annabelle join forces to heal the pain of the past and overcome the sinister threat that plagues them still?