After years of danger in foreign wars, he was eager to plunge into a campaign of Conquests among the long lists of London lovelies who would give their all to please a man as well-born well-financed, and well-favored as he. Miss Jane Maitland wanted to be wed even less than did the libertine lord. As proud as she was beautiful, she would never let any man enslave her -- much less claim her body, and woe to any foolhardy enough to try. But now the wedding bells were tolling for them both--sounding the call to battle for this militant miss and martial lord in the perfect mismatch.

    She also knew that beauty could be her passport into the castles where she had always known she belonged. So she set her sights on a duke and joined the firm of Westerman's as a stenographer. Surely one of that noble family would notice her, and then all her dreams would come true! The trouble with pretty Polly Marsh was that she just didn't know her place. But others did and were only too happy to remind her that dashing Lord Peter was merely playing at love when he appeared to be paying her court. The duchess was beside herself. Peter s brother, the starchy Marquis of Wollerton, was desperate to pry Peter from Polly's side. But Polly was determined to have Peter and her dream. Peter wouldn't betray her, would he?In this whirlwind series, Marion Chesney brings us spirited, independent women who are at once bewitching, beguiling, and determined to have their say and make their mark on both their world and the world at large, be it within their social circle or extending beyond. With their arms wide open, these women are absolutely original and unforgettable, as are the tales in which they are featured. Here is life, in all of its folly and foibles, in a dizzying place where dreams are both shattered and made.

    Even if Guy was not behind the strange events, letting him get too close would inevitably reveal her scandalous past!

    Never wanting for anything, her privileged life is shattered when she is forced into an arranged marriage with Lord Sevile. A most loathsome man who uses and abuses those around him. Desperate and alone, Eliza’s only comfort is the stable groom Stephen Ravencroft and the feelings she has for him. With only a common man’s promise that he will save her before she has to marry Lord Sevile. Eliza is left clinging on to her small sliver of hope as the day of her wedding nears. Can she really place her future in a poor man’s hands? Have faith in someone so far beneath her on the social ladder. But Stephen Ravencroft might just be more than he seems. Buy it now to find out how it all ends. An Earl for the desperate bride is a Clean Short Read Regency Historical Romance. It is part of the Regency Tales Series. Each story can be read as a standalone but if you wish to read about the other stories these are available for just $0.99 or FREE On Kindle Unlimited. Regina Darcy writes clean, short, regency romance stories that always have a good old fashioned happy ending. REGENCY LORDS SERIES 1: Mesmerising a Duke 2: Bewitching the Viscount 3: Winning the Viscount Heart 4: The Duke's Secret Desire REGENCY TALES SERIES 1: An Earl for the desperate bride 2: The Earl and the girl from the Abbey 3: A Governess for the faithless Duke 4: A Duke’s son to the rescue 5: Captivated by the Earl

    Lady Louisa Barrick will do anything to save her estate and the village that depends on it, but when she tries to use a rakish privateer in her scheme, things don't turn out as planned. A duke masquerading as a privateer ... Jonathan Derek Wentworth has a scheme of his own: to track down the ton-based smuggling gang responsible for his father's death. When he's caught in a compromising situation with Lady Louisa, he decides it's better to marry her than to risk being ostracized by the London society whose invitations are vital to his plan. But Louisa refuses to marry him, unless he meets her terms, one of which is a month-long reprieve from consummation. Intent on seduction, Derek doesn't count on his unexpected jealousy wreaking havoc with his emotions, his marriage, and his masquerade. Lucy, still grieving the death of her father, wants desperately to avoid another heartbreak, but fears she may have schemed herself into a marriage with the one man destined to break her heart: a man who isn't what he seems, who obviously can't be trusted, and who will surely leave her the first chance he gets.

    . . Every debutante in the ton wants to be the Countess of Hartford—and mistress of Hartsworth Castle. Never mind that Hart has no interest in marrying just yet, the young ladies hunt him as ruthlessly as a pack of hounds after the elusive fox. What he needs is a hired bride—one who is guaranteed to call it off at the end of the Season. Because a girl with no prospects will do what she must to help her family . . . Miss Emily Spencer must do something. Her mother’s health is failing and the notorious Duke of Danby is growing dangerously close. Why not hide in plain sight and pretend to be the Earl of Hartford’s betrothed? And getting paid for her troubles? It’s just what she needs to make her family comfortable again. Because love comes when you least expect it . . . Sparks fly when the two put their plan in motion—and deeper emotions grow. But how can they be together when the path they’ve forged only leads to their inevitable separation?

    A spy in the service of His Majesty, Robert is a "guest" at a masquerade party as he retrieves vital information for a murder investigation. Until he's quite unexpectedly interrupted by an exquisite, masked woman with glittering green eyes. And a pistol she has cocked and aimed right at him... Lady Sophia Merrill has defiantly taken up justice's shining sword, determined to expose the brigand who murdered her eccentric but brilliant father, and stole his latest invention. Now she must masquerade as Robert's betrothed in order to infiltrate the Inventor's Society and find the killer. But the undeniable potent attraction between them not only imperils the investigation, but Sophia's reputation... and both of their lives.

    Raised on a grand plantation, the outspoken young beauty has known only the comforts of luxury. Yet even though Temple’s father attended the finest schools in the east, his greatest source of pride is the Cherokee blood that runs through his veins. And for Temple and her family, life is about to change beyond all imagining. “The Blade” Stuart, a reckless Cherokee landowner, knows that trouble is rumbling close, even if others refuse to acknowledge it. He loves Temple’s unwavering devotion—to her heritage, and to the passion they share—and he realizes how dangerous it may be. As treaties are broken, property confiscated, and neighbors turned against one another, he and Temple risk losing everything they cherish, including each other. Fueled only by the promise of freedom, Temple and her family must embark on an unforgettable journey through a land torn by violence, toward a future forged from courage, hope, and a wild, turbulent love.

    But, when made to believe Max could not be trusted, she fled...Now, Max is back in England to take up the reins as Duke of Rossenhall. And when he spies Ellen at a ball, the sparks are hard to contain! Little does Max know, though, that Ellen has a secret... And soon, he must learn to embrace an unexpected heir, and an unexpected--and disconcertingly defiant--duchess!

    BUT WILL THEY REACH HIM IN TIME?A handsome rogue whose recklessness and courage had made him a fortune as a blockade runner, Marcus Tyrone had no scruples when it came to getting what he wanted, especially when it was a woman. Exquisite and deliciously tempting, the woman he could not resist was an ice goddess. She smiled for no man, but in Tyrone's arms she melted trembled, sizzled with yearning that only a daring captain could satisfy. He'd touched her deeply, exposed a passion she'd never suspected, only dreamed of... and unmasked a woman whose secrets rivaled his own. The web of intrigue that had brought Tyrone to the island of Port Elizabeth finally held him fast, as did the woman he loved without illusions. He longed to confide in her, possess her, bind her to him in any way he could--but he was haunted by the agony in her eyes. The end of one trail meant another's beginning, but would the sins of the past deny them their precious dream?

    Not only must she bid good-bye to the man she's adored since childhood as he sails off to war, she must embark on her dreaded debut into London society. Restless and disheartened, Brandi is drawn back to Emerald Manor, the fairy-tale cottage whose lush gardens are her own private haven. Abruptly, tragedy strikes, wresting away all she holds dear, leaving naught but a dark and uncertain future. Lord Quentin Steel is torn from his brilliant military career in Wellington's army by news of a shattering family disaster. Returning home to the Cotswolds, he is confronted by two staggering discoveries: that the death of his parents was no accident and that the Brandi he left behind has blossomed into a rare and extraordinary woman -- one who inspires feelings he can neither allow nor control....Together, Brandi and Quentin must unearth the agonizing truth behind his parents' demise and in the process reveal a love more precious than all the facets of Emerald Garden.

    . . In a delicious new series from USA TODAY BEST SELLER Eva Devon, this novella will charm your heart and take you away. . . All Lady Felicity Drake wants is to make a good match but after her father leaves herself and her sisters almost entirely ruined due to some very scandalous behavior, such a thing is next to impossible. . . . That is, until she’s caught in a compromising position with the Marquess of Talbot. The question is, will the oh so staid Marquess save her from the proverbial wolves or will he leave her to her father's fate? * This novella was briefly and exclusively available in The Scandals' Daughters collection.

    Her brother determines that a London Season is what his pretty sister needs to mend her broken heart. Enter the dashing Earl of Magdalen, a confirmed bachelor whose female acquaintances run to women of dubious reputation. They meet quite by accident and circumstances allow him to deduce she is a light-skirt! Bella, for her own reasons, decides to play along, never thinking that the game might cost her the man she truly loves!

    Her unscrupulous mother.A powerful womanizer demanding repayment of a large debt. All amount to a most peculiar sojourn in the country, a tangle with a hat pin, and a shocking barter that leaves everyone fair game...

    To escape, she flees for the country, where she meets a handsome, if stubborn, man-and soon finds that when it rains, it pours...