Although both are too afraid to admit their true feelings, the marriage is a happy one, until Max's spurned mistress, Marie, decides that if she can't have Max, then no one can.They say that 'hell hath no fury like a woman scorned', and Marie is furious!

     A Holt Medallion nominee for Best First Book First published by Kensington Publishing Corp. THE WEDDING DUEL It was meant to be a duel like any other—defend a lady's reputation, teach a scamp a lesson in honor, and win the day. But from the first moment Keene Davies raises the cursed pistol things go awry. The shot goes astray, he wounds his best friend, and his displeased father threatens to disinherit him—unless he marries a scandalous little hoyden named Sophie. Unbeknownst to Keene, Sophie Farthing has grown into a lovely young woman, albeit one still inclined to fall into scrapes. Her high spirits and tendency to ride hell bent for leather lead her into more than one disaster, but she's bound to make the most of this unexpected marriage to Keene. She's determined to teach her husband that honor begins with the heart, not the handle of a pistol, and that passion should go hand in glove with love...

    However he wasn’t prepared when his cad of brother ruined and then abandoned a young lady. To right the wrong, Robert married the girl himself; but his chivalry only went so far. He didn’t want a wife, and most certainly not a scandalous one. So after repeating his vows, he sent her packing, off to a secluded estate and expected her to stay put. After years of mistreatment at the hands of her family, Lydia was prepared to be an accommodating wife; but her rigid and unforgiving husband asked too much of her. After languishing for years in her opulent prison, Lydia leaves her country estate for the glamour and excitement of London—and unfortunately her husband’s path.

    When he’s coaxed out of his self-imposed exile to attend the amusements of the Frost Fair, his life is irrevocably changed by his fateful meeting with Lady Katherine Adamson.With her tight brown ringlets and silly white-ruffled gowns, Lady Katherine Adamson has found her dance card empty for two Seasons. After her father’s passing, Katherine learned the unreliability of men, and is determined to depend on no one, except herself. Until she meets Jasper…In a desperate bid to avoid a match arranged by her family, Katherine makes the Duke of Bainbridge a shocking proposition—one that he accepts.Only, as Katherine begins to love Jasper, she finds the arrangement agreed upon is not enough. And Jasper is left to decide if protecting his heart is more important than fighting for Katherine’s love.

    Society is pulling them apart. She can't become his wife and won't become his mistress.The last thing wounded veteran Major Thomas Marshal wanted was a title. It wasn’t supposed to happen. But duty has a way of pulling a man into things he doesn’t want and away from the things he needs.The only thing Miss Guinevere Harding needs is a safe place to hide. A job as the downstairs maid at Brookshire is the perfect refuge from a frightening past. Or at least it was until the arrival of the new Duke.

    London society is shallow and cruel, sending Cassandra Renwick running to Calcutta, the exotic seat of the British Raj. It’s a fascinating place filled with interesting sights – including the dark and mysterious Julian Ritchie. But she never thought that an even greater heartbreak could be here in this alien and enchanting land. Julian has always been discriminated against for being only half English. Embittered, he plots an intricate plan for vengeance with the innocent and lovely Cassandra as his pawn. But he soon finds that payback can be painful for the avenger as well when the threads of revenge unwittingly turn into the silken bonds of love.

    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.

     A MICHAELMAS WAGER Rufus Lovell has been thrust unexpectedly into riches with nothing too big to gamble on – even marriage. So when a tipsy party joke becomes a wager on Rufus’ marriage, he knows he should said no. But Juliana Honeyfield, the unwitting and unknowing focus of the gamble, is not the simple and malleable young woman that Rufus’ friends take her for. Will it be possible for Rufus to charm the winning Juliana or does he owe her the truth about his initial interest in her? A CHRISTMAS SURPRISE Every year for thirty years Lord Robert, the Viscount of Marchwood, throws a Christmas Ball. But this year the Marchwood Christmas Ball holds extra importance as his daughter, Lady Audrey, has just turned 18 and it is time for her coming out. With the Marchwood family fortune all but gone, Lord Robert is keen to secure her a prosperous match. But when a handsome, masked stranger threatens to steal Audrey’s heart, will it prove to be a good or bad Christmas Surprise. A VALENTINE’S SECRET Jonathan Brodie, the only son of Sir Roger and Lady Brodie, has lived in the village of Maplebridge his whole life. Penelope, the daughter of the local florist, was adopted by the Baldwins when she was just a baby. They could not be more different and yet, one blustery January morning, their paths collide in a chance encounter that is destined to change their lives forever… A JUNE WEDDING Victoria Walsingham’s heart will only ever belong to Isaac Quinn, the son of the Duke of Daventry, but their opposing social standings force them apart. However, when her brother unexpectedly inherits the title of the Earl of Cheshire, Victoria’s life is transformed and she is thrown into high-society. But when Victoria finally returns home in the hope of reconciling with Isaac, an invitation is waiting for her to the wedding of Mr Isaac Quinn and a Miss Hestia Royce. With time running out, will Victoria ever get her happy ending? A HARVEST PASSION When teacher Leo Tyndale moves to the small English town of Sandercombe after five years in India, he does not expect that his time at the local school will be a long one. But a brief encounter with the beautiful – and fiercely independent – Hestia Royce soon has him changing his mind. But Hestia is an outcast in the town after leaving Sandercombe a year ago to be married, only to return without a husband to a place abuzz with speculation. Will they ever be able to admit their feelings for each other? Or will society deny them their happily ever after? *** Each of these books are sweet Regency romances with happily ever afters and no cliffhangers.

    Given the choice, she never set foot in town again. Her father, however, has grown tired of her spinster status and demands that either she find a husband or he will find one for her. William Montgomery, Seventh Duke of Bennington, has been enthralled with Miss Fortescue since he first set eyes upon her. Last season he spent hours compiling a love note for her, but judging from Miss Fortescue's silence, his words of admiration had failed to win her heart. William believes that this Season he will be able to convince the quiet, yet intelligent, woman to allow him to woo her. When unexpected circumstances throw the pair together, Miss Fortesque begins to realise that William is not the brute she thought him. However, her timidity makes it difficult for her to accept that he is interested in more than the new business ventures her father has acquired. Will the newly fashionable and scandalous dance, the Waltz, help Lydia shed the timidity that has subdued her for most of her life? Will William convince the woman for whom he cares that his intentions are true?

    Severing their friendship, she vows to choose her own husband, a man who'll share her thirst for adventure. Yet, despite her attempts to forget him, Robert's place in her heart proves more unwavering than she could ever have imagined.After seven years on his Caribbean plantation, Robert returns to England a changed man. Weary of traveling and troubled by his past, he hopes to attain peace of mind through marriage and family. Though scarcely daunted at finding Georgie in love with another man, he soon learns that winning her hand—and heart—will take more powerful means of persuasion than expected.

    but falling in love? George, Viscount Hexham, is quite literally thunderstruck when he meets Lady Anne in the park, and he can’t get her off his mind. Her brother, Gabe, is happy to act as a matchmaker, never once mentioning he might already be acting on behalf of the other side. Can two who are so perfectly matched end up married before Anne must endure her first Season in London? Meanwhile, when a neighbor appears to be spying on George’s twin sister through the telescope in his garden observatory, an incensed Lady Angelica is determined to give him a piece of her mind. Sir Benjamin may end up with her heart as well, as mistletoe and moonlight work their magic in The Angel of an Astronomer.An abridged version of this story was previously published in the Once Upon a Christmas Wedding anthology

    Sparking arguments between herself and the mysterious Saybrook is delightful fun. But both are putting her heart in danger. Now she's caught between desire and her deception, for the most a titled lord can offer to a mere governess is ruin.

    That’s all Lady Honor Baxendale wants—for her sisters and for herself. Honor has a bold plan to become financially independent, using a skill she learned at her father’s knee. She seeks the help of a solicitor and is pleased with her choice… as long as she can resist the solicitor himself.Lord Edward Winborne has been happy to come to the aid of his four sisters in the past. But when a neighbor’s daughter, Lady Honor Baxendale, requests his help for a dangerous scheme she has in mind, he feels it his duty to dissuade her. When that fails, he wants to protect her, and then somehow finds he wants to do more. Much more.

    Her family is on the brink of ruin, and only the Duke of Ablehill can save her. When he agrees to meet her, it's the duke's steward who arrives in his place. Heather must convince him that she would be the perfect duchess, but her attraction to him is clouding her mind. Her heart is pulling her away from what she must do, and toward the man she truly wants. Fallon Calder cannot believe that the beautiful and vibrant Miss Everly wishes to marry a malicious old man like the Duke of Ablehill. He is determined to find out all he can about her, but what he doesn't anticipate is his own heart getting involved. The more he learns about her, the more certain he becomes that the only man Heather should belong to, is him.

    But when his brother inherits the viscountcy and pleads for his return, the opportunity to show his contempt and loathing for the Society who turned its back on him proves to be far too enticing to resist.When the dishonourable Lucas Dempsey steps into the ballroom after a four-year absence, Helena Ecclestone is quick to label the gentleman a murderous rogue. That is until she stumbles upon a secret conversation and feels a moral obligation to see justice done. But while the ladies swoon over his handsome countenance, Helena is determined to look beyond such superficial features, intrigued to find the true character of the gentleman he hides beneath his arrogant façade.