. . Fiercely independent, and wholly devoted to her subjects, Crown Princess Thera of Mercia must marry before she can become Queen. But the beauty's reluctance to choose a husband has plunged her into peril far from home--and into the arms of a handsome rescuer.Powerful, hot-blooded mercenary Saxxe Rouen has better things to do than fight a crowd of drunken brutes. After all, there is little profit in saving a demoiselle in distress--or is there? His valor should be repaid, if not in silver, then in another kind of reward: Lovely, fiery Thera will spend one night in his bed.Once safe, Thera didn't expect to face yet another danger--her attraction to the beguilingly charming warrior. But as a battle of wits ensues, one night may lead to three. And a proud princess may discover the pleasure of surrendering her heart--while Saxxe may find the kingdom, and the love, he was truly meant to win . . .Previously titled The Princess and the BarbarianPraise for Betina Krahn's previous novels"Daisy's free spirit is contagious. . . . Krahn returns to historical romance with a barn burner of a love story." --Kirkus Reviews"Krahn has a delightful, smart touch." --Publishers Weekly"Smart, romantic . . . sure to delight readers." --Milwaukee Journal Sentinel "Betina Krahn is a treasure." --BookPage

    Two hundred years later, he?s found her...Ivar Graycloak is a brave warrior, a man known for his strength and integrity. He is also a man with a terrible secret. Long ago he was part of a Viking crew cursed by an evil sorceress to live for eternity as were-creatures. An eagle by day and a man by night, Ivar has lived a solitary existence for over two centuries. Then the king orders him to marry.Lady Alaida is everything a man could want in a bride?intelligent, spirited, and beautiful--and their wedding night is a balm to Ivar's lonely spirit. Then a seer brings him word of a dark vision, one that makes Ivar vow to stay away from his lovely wife forever. But now that Ivar has sampled Alaida?s passion, her humor and warmth, he is enthralled. His traitorous body?his very heart?longs for that which he can never possess.Lady Alaida may surprise him yet, though, for she has a power of her own?a power that will either destroy everything they hold dear or ultimately set them free?

    However, there was a most intriguing obstacle to his success.Annelise Kempton desired nothing more than to come between this despicable rogue and the fortune (and virtue) of her young charge. Certainly, Annelise understood the desperation that comes from hard times, but Montcalm would fail—she would personally see to it. All that stands in her way is a man whose rakish charm could tempt a saint to sin, or consign a confirmed spinster to sleepless nights of longing...to give the devil his due.

    A fiery young woman. Neither one's heart will come away unscathed.Juliet Graham fervently counts the days until her twenty-first birthday, when she can claim the inheritance that will grant her the freedom she has always craved and the guardianship of her younger brother. Until then, she is trapped under her aunt Agnes’s domineering will. When forced to accompany the family to a house party at Shaldorn Castle, Juliet’s only objective is to keep to herself. That is, until a chance encounter with a boorish stranger stirs up an unexpected whirlwind of emotions in her. Thrown off-balance, Juliet does the unthinkable: loses her temper and insults the man—who turns out to be her unwilling host, the Duke of Halstead. Fully expecting to be sent away, Juliet is surprised when the brusque and callous duke instead takes an interest in her. Drawn to the duke in unguarded moments, Juliet finds herself more and more intrigued by the man who shuns Society’s rules as completely as she does, and over the next few weeks, their unlikely friendship deepens into a connection neither expected. But even as Juliet comes to recognize her true feelings, her scheming aunt issues an ultimatum that threatens the future she was just beginning to hope for. Juliet must choose: either break the promise she made to herself years ago, or lose the man who has captured her heart and soul.

    She'd married young, hoping to put down roots in a safe haven, but her husband had shattered her naiveté, and made her fear for her beloved daughter's safety until the day he died.When she first met her new neighbor, Zachariah McGovern, all she saw was danger. But Zach saw much more. He saw beauty, he saw tenderness. He knew he could rescue Kate Blakely from her past - if only she would let him. What Zach couldn't know, however, was the price that had to be paid to save the woman he loved.

    So to save his family’s honor Daniel agrees to the marriage. But society’s favorite bachelor is no longer a charming easygoing man. His father’s betrayal has left him angry and with a thirst for revenge and the last thing he needs are his growing feelings for his shy new wife.Eva learns she is to wed the Duke of Stratton on way to the church. Despite the shock, this is an unexpected opportunity to escape her horrid family – one she grasps at with both hands. However, her courage falters when she faces the devilishly handsome but unyielding Duke who is now her husband.Can they make their marriage real despite coming from two completely different worlds?

    . .After a disastrous wedding night, proper Lady Helena Harteford fears for the fate of her new marriage. Disguised as a doxy, she tracks her husband down at a bawdy house to reason with him . . . and instead discovers the thrill of forbidden passion. An innocent ruse turns into a risky deception; how far will this once-wallflower go to win her husband's love?Unfit to be a Husband . . .Orphaned at an early age, Nicholas Morgan escapes his violent beginnings to become a successful merchant--only to discover that he is the legitimate heir of the Marquess of Harteford. His transition to the ton is rocky and made rockier when he marries above him. Torn between guilt and lust, he tries to protect his sweet, innocent wife from the demons of his past. But can he safeguard her from his own raging desires?Caught between Past and Present . . .When a dangerous nemesis rises from Nicholas' past, husband and wife must work together in order to survive. From the drawing rooms to the stews of Regency London, they find themselves caught in a game of passion and seduction. Will true love prevail? Or is Helena destined to remain . . . Her Husband's Harlot?(approximately 105,000 words or 367 pages)

    She had come seeking peace between the Scots and English - and won the admiration of two special men. The kindly, awkward laird of Kildalton Castle became a trusted friend. But the Border Lord, a dashing, tartan-clad legend disquised by black midnight, swept her into his arms... and claimed her innocence.A Lord's Unbreakable VowA lifetime of anguish lay behind this disguise of Duncan Kerr, laird of Kildalton by birth, Border Lord by choice. If the queen's emissary, flame-haired Lady Miriam, unmasked him, he would lose the prize he held most dear. He had meant to seduce and compromise her.. not to cherish and desire her.A Passion That Sealed Their DestinyBy day, Miriam strove to establish harmony in the realm; by night she surrendered to forbidden pleasure with the mysterious Border Lord. Only he knew the truth, as elusive as the mists of the hills: whether he loved her passionate soul, or the promise of peace she brought to his beloved land...

    Alone at sea with this dark, intriguing man, moving between seduction and fear, Allegra realizes it will take more than her growing love for this pirate prince to bring peace to her beloved home. For Lazar must face the demons of his shattered past - if he is to forge the destiny that is theirs to claim...

    He is the prince she is forbidden to love.Companions are the kingdom’s most beautiful and educated women — possessions of Syrasan’s royal men.Aldara is sixteen when she is sold to the obnoxious crown prince as a gift for his brother. Forced to leave the only life she has ever known, Aldara is sent to Archdale Castle, where she is mentored to become Prince Tyron’s perfect Companion. But no amount of lessons can prepare her for the troubled man marked by war. He sees straight through the polished exterior presented to him. He sees her.Prince Tyron has just returned from war. All he wants is privacy to grieve the men who died at the border. So when his brother gifts him a Companion upon his return, he is forced to embrace a tradition he has so far managed to avoid. Except Aldara is not like the others. She walks with her face to the sun and arms swinging. Her laughter makes him forget the lie. But if they ignore the rules that safeguard them, there will be consequences…This is book one in The Companion series. If you enjoy dark medieval romance, then this epic tale of love against all odds is for you. Please note: This is part one of Tyron and Aldara's story. Their story continues in books two and three.Trigger warning: This book contains sexual violence, death and dark themes.

    . .For fiercely independent Grier Hadley, being the illegitimate daughter of one of London's most unsavory characters has only one advantage: an enormous, ill-gotten dowry.Prince Sevastian Maksimi knows where his duty lies: he must find a well-bred young lady—one with a considerable fortune to her name—wed her promptly, and get to the business of producing an heir.The last thing Grier needs is some unattainable prince curling her toes with his smoldering glances and wicked suggestions. As far as Sev is concerned, she lacks the breeding to become a princess. And yet one kiss from this arresting female is all it takes for him to realize that anyone else in his arms would be unthinkable . . .

    But fate intervenes when she finds a badly wounded man washed up upon the shore. Unable to resist his fevered pleas for her help, she hides him amongst the caves she played in as a child. And there, as she nurses the handsome stranger back to health, she discoverers a passion for him she cannot resist. Knowing she is promised to God and will never know the touch of man, Mercy gives in to her heart’s desire and her body’s craving.On his way to his betrothed, Lady Rowena, Prince Rhodri of Dinefwr is shipwrecked and badly wounded, with no memory of who he is. But he does not care; an angel of Mercy has come to claim his mind, body, soul, and--soon--his heart....

    Disguised as a boy, she takes refuge in a roadside inn, and finds herself rooming with intensely secretive Christian Black. Kate is breathless in the presence of this handsome, mysterious rogue whose piercing gaze seems to strip her naked. But neither suspects that a savage storm and a murder will draw them closer together still. But not the passion in their heartsChristian dares not let anyone learn of his haunted past—or that he is, in truth, the Earl of Canley—especially not a slip of a girl whose masculine attire cannot disguise the exquisite female form beneath. But now that destiny and a dastardly crime have united them, Christian can no longer contain his desire to taste the nectar of Kate's sweet kiss. Danger certainly abounds, but the gravest peril might be resisting a once-in-a-lifetime passion that can heal all wounds.

    But the former abbey they received came with a price—a curse that no family member would ever know happiness.Devin Aincourt, Earl of Ravenscar, makes no apologies for who he is—a drinker, a womanizer, a gambler. Having been cast aside by his disapproving father years before, Dev is content to live out his cursed life in this hedonistic manner. Until his mother asks him to make a bold move to restore the family name and fortune: marry a rich American heiress.Believing it will be a marriage in name only, Dev agrees to marry Miranda. But he never imagined that this feisty, unconventional foreigner would have plans of her own: to restore Blackwater, the old abbey, to its former glory, to extricate Dev from the clutches of a devious mistress and to win his heart for her own. All while risking her own life to an unknown enemy.

    She's determined to avenge the murder of her beloved father, an enigmatic English aristocrat who lived in self-imposed exile. Honor demands that Esme let nothing and nobody stand in her way. That includes the handsome wastrel who's become entangled in her life, whose charm does not make up for his lazy and irresponsible character.Having gambled away his entire family fortune, Varian St. George, Lord Edenmont, now lives by his wits and winning ways. A man who has always taken the path of least resistance — preferably in soft beds with willing women — he does not want to become embroiled in a mad quest with a hot-tempered and heavily armed redhead.But forced to travel together through an exotic land, the mismatched pair soon discovers that friction can produce some very dangerous sparks ...