The rumors of male courtesans operating secretly in London have piqued her interest, so she hires one for an illicit rendezvous during a Christmas house party.Roger Thornton’s desperation to provide a dowry for his sister pushes him to moonlight as a secret courtesan. What begins as a convenient affair blossoms into more as Roger and Miranda find in one another the things they have been missing. But will a scandalous discovery ruin their chances for a happy future?Previously published in the anthology, Have Yourself a Merry Little Scandal This standalone version has been republished with a bonus epilogue!

     I’d never been the type of girl who craved attention from men. In fact, I’d been accused many times of shrinking away from it. I was happily single and content to stay that way when my brother brought Drake Waters into my life. Drake was a devastatingly handsome billionaire architect—playboy extraordinaire according to the tabloid. He was the exact type of man I always tried to avoid. But when my brother got the opportunity to become his exclusive real estate agent, I was forced to play nice for the sake of family. As I’d expected, Drake was arrogant and a bit out of touch with reality. Everything had always come easy to him. But I soon realized that there was something deeper there, something that drew me to him. And from the moment he kissed me, I knew—good or bad–my life would never be the same. This book is intended for a mature audience, 18+ only.

    However, doubts soon begin to surface and he is forced to return to the place of his childhood, Hambley Wood, in his quest for the truth.To find the register that proves his birth, he has to enlist the help of the astonishingly beautiful vicar’s daughter, Arrabella. Unfortunately, they are soon drawn into series of frightening adventures which brings them together and ignites a passion that neither of them can ignore. However, while the mishaps draw them closer, the truth about Harper’s ancestry tears them apart. Can a future ever be theirs, or will a cruel twist of fate, and affairs of the past, prevent them ever having a future together?

    Over 800 pages of big love in a small town for readers who love hunky Southern men and the women who make them want to settle down. Big Love in a Small Town features the following three novels: Down A Country Road The very last thing on Grier McAllister’s Someday List is going back to Timbell Creek, Virginia, the town where she grew up. Timbell Creek holds too many bad memories for her, memories finally put to rest with a successful image consultant business in New York City and a hefty therapy bill. When an opportunity to choose a “Jane Austen Girl” for a visiting duke falls in her lap, the only catch that she must be from Grier’s hometown, Grier tells herself she’ll do what she needs to do and then leave it all behind for good. But Grier doesn’t count on finding that her mother is no longer the person she used to be. She certainly doesn’t plan on falling for an old boyfriend’s really hot brother! And it isn’t long before she begins to realize Timbell Creek is not only a part of who she was, but might be a part of who she is as well. Good Guys Love Dogs Desperate father Ian McKinley moves his delinquent teenage son to the small Virginia town of Keeling Creek, a place very unlike the New York City life he has been leading. Love takes him by surprise when he falls for Colby Williams, a woman unlike anyone he has ever been drawn to, a small town vet with a heart for animals and a fierce love for a teenage daughter she is also struggling to raise. But Colby has a secret in her past, a secret she's not sure her daughter will ever forgive her for. And as for Ian McKinley, he seems too good to be true. If she had learned anything from the one time she had thrown her heart fully into love, it was that it didn't last. Truths and Roses When Will Kincaid’s professional football career comes to an abrupt end in a single night, he’s left to figure out what he’s going to do with the rest of his life. He heads home to the small Virginia town where he grew up and crosses paths with Hannah Jacobs, the only girl in high school who had ever rejected him. It’s Hannah who once made him question the choices he had made, and it’s Hannah who’s making him question them all over again. But with the weight of a secret he’s managed to hide from the world his entire adult life hanging over him, he can’t afford to question his choices. Hannah Jacobs had once made the choice to deny her feelings for Will Kincaid, at the time finding it the only possible option for a young girl intent on burying a nightmare she only wanted to forget. The life she’s made for herself as a librarian in Lake Perdue is a quiet one, and she’s hardly prepared for the day when Will rams his fancy Ferrari into her dependable old clunker. But for Hannah, Will Kincaid can only stir up memories she had long ago put away forever. And there’s nothing at all good that can come from bringing them back to life again.

    After all, he was not the heir or the spare, but a lowly third son. Miss Diana Grambling is painfully aware her blood isn’t blue enough for an earl to consider her as a match. When the childhood friends stumble across a smuggling ring operating along their coast, they are in need a Christmastide miracle. If they can survive, will they be strong enough to follow their hearts?Warning: Contains a hero battling his gentlemanly impulses, a heroine who falls for her brothers’ best friend, and a wicked night in front of a fire that changes everything.Previously published in the Once Upon a Christmas Wedding anthology

    The single bright spot in her desperation comes in the form of a mysterious man who shows up at her door one dark, stormy night and offers her the housekeeper position at his estate. With most of her fortune gone, and bankruptcy hanging over her head, she has to act fast and accept his help. However, upon arriving at his estate, she will realise it is full of dark secrets. While trying hopelessly to bring them to light, an inexplicable desire for her seductive employer will grow in Tabitha's heart. Will she be able to discover Oliver's secrets without upsetting their blossoming affair?Oliver Penderghast has been a bachelor ever since his wife died. Being a vigorous man, who loves to travel all around the continent, he has been named the Spymaster by the very King. Trapped between his hurtful past and lonely future, he is constantly trying to find balance in his turbulent life. When the newly hired housekeeper discovers an abandoned wing in his mysterious estate and hidden passageways that allow people to slip in and out of rooms undetected, hints of a past life come to light... When deep buried secrets come to surface, he must decide if it is worth risking it all for the most attractive Lady in town. Trouble is, once he's tasted her fiery passion, he wants it all...Can he defy everything to be with the woman who conquered his heart and mind?The past always has a way of raising its ugly head and bringing havoc and heartache upon the unsuspecting... Will Oliver manage to fall for Tabitha as madly as she has for him? Or will the skeletons in Oliver's closet overpower the undeniable love and passion that could have grown between them?"A Bachelor She Loves to Hate" is a historical romance novel of approximately 80,000 words. No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a guaranteed happily ever after.

    Henry Neil, Baron of Neil, wants to spend all his days writing. After sharing a romantic dance at a masquerade, will fate bring them back together? Cecilia is entering her third Season, refusing to give up the hope that her true love is still out there. Emboldened by her mask, Cecilia puts on a spectacular pianoforte performance at an illustrious masquerade. She is whisked away to the dance floor by the most incredible man she’s ever met—a fellow passionate artist. Unfortunately, he slips out of reach before she can learn his name. Instead, she must accompany the cold and aloof Lord Neil through London as his best friend courts her sister. Henry just wants to stay at home writing his beloved adventure novels. But when his best friend drags him to the annual welcome masquerade, Henry dances with an incredibly talented pianoforte player. She surprises him with her artistic insights, but they part without exchanging identities. And much to Henry’s dismay, his friend decides to court a beautiful young lady—and asks Henry to accompany them with her older sister, Miss Cecilia Richards. Can Cecilia and Henry learn that they have far more in common than they think? Will they realize that they could be each other’s missing pieces?

    But with it has come the legend of a family curse. Now, according to the legend, the current far-flung Suslands are the last with a chance to lift the curse . . . whether they believe in it or not.To fulfill the legend’s demands, these cousins must face personal challenges and risk their hearts, all for the sake of … A Place Called HomeBook 1: Lost and Found GroomLost - And - Found Groom (A Place Called Home, #1)Currently ReadingMy rating:1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars[ 4 of 5 stars ]5 of 5 starsLost - And - Found Groom (A Place Called Home #1)by Patricia McLinn (Goodreads Author)3.54 of 5 stars 3.54 · rating details · 59 ratings · 12 reviewsLOST-AND-FOUND GROOM is Book 1 in "A Place Called Home" trilogy from SpecialEdition. Book 2 is AT THE HEART'S COMMAND in September, and Book 3 is HIDDENIN A HEARTBEAT in October.Once and only once, hardheaded Kendra Jenner let down her defenses with a perfect stranger. In a foreign land, in a deadly storm, they shared life's most intimate act 151and created a baby. But Kendra's beloved stranger vanished into the night, and Kendra retreated to her family home in Wyoming to raise her son. Then, three years later, their lives collided once again when daring,breathtaking pilot Daniel Delligatti descended upon Kendra's ranch, wanting o claim his son�and to claim Kendra as his wife. How could Kendra risk her heart�and her child's future �on this beloved lost-then-found groom? Book 2: At the Heart's CommandColonel John Griffin Jr. is a good and honorable soldier, determined to protect Ellyn Sinclair at all costs – especially from himself.Once, he’d rejected a young Ellyn’s advances, because he could not give her the life she deserved. Instead, Grif stood up as best man when Ellyn married his best friend. Then, he became a member of the family, godfather to her children.But now Ellyn is a widow, back in Far Hills, Wyoming with her two young children, and having a tough time. And no matter what it costs him, Grif will do his duty – help Ellyn and her children, while ignoring that he has never stopped wanting her.Book 3: Hidden in a HeartbeatRebecca Dahlgren comes to Far Hills Ranch hoping for answers to her unknown heritage. But from the first moment, she finds foreman Luke Chandler hard to miss. The sexy cowboy with the sleepy eyes that aren't interested in sleeping means just the sort of trouble her patrician grandmother has always warned about.Luke has his own reasons for wanting to steer clear of anything like commitment. But the secrets behind Rebecca’s dark eyes keep luring him on … even if it means baring his own heart.

     The stories in this collection, because they all happen in Upper Nettlefold, have things which happen, that influence the other stories. So the order in which they are presented here aligns with the timeline in which events in the stories happen. Read through this collection in order, and you will find that each story builds on the ones before, weaving the magic of community and interconnection between characters. There is also a map of Upper Nettlefold to help you visualise everything as you read. Although each story can stand alone, we’re sure that you’ll love finding the linkages as you go. This is our first visit to Upper Nettlefold, but it won’t be our last. You may see other collections based here, or you may see individual books from the various authors, but we will keep expanding the stories about the people you’ll first meet in this collection. The Viscount’s Summer Love A new Viscount with old secrets, a baker’s daughter, love thwarted, the threat of murder, a dramatic revelation, a long-held love finally returned. The Duke and the Spinster A Duke who needs to marry, a Lady who expects to never marry, a summer house party, a nefarious plot, gossip designed to harm, a desperate adventure, a love that redeems. Stitched in Love A seamstress who struggles to sew, a blacksmith beset by admirers, an accident with a dress, a runaway horse, a situation saved – barely, an unexpected love. Love Finds the Earl An unmarried Earl, a reserved widow, a clever sister, a social occasion, an accidental meeting, shady business dealings thwarted, a second chance for love. Doubting the Marquess An unrepentant rake, a woman more interested in business than men, a meeting, jealousy, an accident, a revelation that leads to love. The Degenerate Baron A fearless schoolteacher, a Baron lost in grief and despair, a collection of degenerate friends, a near accident that leads to a meeting, a reminder of past pain, a love beyond fear. Escaping the Scurrilous Earl A merchant’s daughter, a lonely physician, a thoroughly unscrupulous Earl, a debt called in, an impossible choice, an escape, a threat, a rescue, and a new love found. Esther, the Earl’s Hellion An orphaned young woman, a gentleman working undercover, a boarding school with a new owner, a despicable scheme, a rescue, a trap set to save, a dramatic conclusion, a fated love found. A Gentle Heart A spinster employed as a companion, a gentleman of means, a social opportunity, an act of kindness, a misunderstanding, a long hoped for love.

    Each book completes a story arc, but it includes a series cliffhanger that connects Books 1-4; And then Books 5-8. IN BOOK 7 OF THE TOTLANDIA EPISODIC SERIES: For the women of Totlandia, spring brings new life and emotional renewal: A big question for Bettina is whether she'll succumb to an easy fix for her problems, or will she embrace the challenge that may lead to the financial and emotional freedom she craves... At the same time, Bettina's mysterious disappearances are adding to Lorna's anxieties to keep the club on an even keel up until she delivers her twins. Little does she know that a cruel trick by the power-hungry Kelly will curdle Lorna's relationship with her mother-in-law, Eleanor; Jillian is fighting her former mother-in-law for custody of her deceased ex-husband's infant child. The good news: Caleb has taken to his new role as über-dad with gusto. The bad news: it’s causing trouble in the Pacific Heights Moms & Tots Club; As for Jade, she is given an opportunity of a lifetime to prove herself: both as an academic researcher, and as the perfect partner for her fiánce, Reggie. But will his assistant Samantha's attentions come between them? And Brady's quest to reunite Ally with her father may be the one thing that will tear their relationship apart; Last but not least: Top Moms are in full revolt. They know that their only hope of getting out from under Bettina’s thumb is to secure their secrets-filled files hidden deep within a sculpture to be auctioned off with the rest of her possessions. Let the bidding begin! REVIEWS FOR THE TOTLANDIA SERIES “I love a good mommy send-up as much as the next gal, and this peek into the ridiculousness of the San Francisco uppercrust is delightful. Whether or not you’ve ever had the pleasure (or pain) of joining a playgroup, Brown’s tale is as charming as it is cringeworthy. I laughed, I winced, I kept scrolling.” —Romantic Times “With affairs, pending divorces, secret jobs and unsavory pasts, each wannabe member hides something that could blow her chances for good.Like the characters in reality shows such as “Dance Moms,” the women in Pacific Heights might be over-the-top, but in the end the best interests of their kids are (almost) always at heart. Laugh-out-loud funny and sometimes touching, the “Totlandia” novellas serve as the perfect quick read for busy moms or anyone looking to escape with some gossipy fun.” —Examiner.com “Josie Brown writes Totlandia with her usual storytelling flair. The dialogue is smooth and flowing. The characters are easy to side with or become angry with, depending on each situation. The scenery is easy to visualize. And we mustn’t forget all the sex (blushworthy, at that) and scandal that is a staple of a true Josie Brown novel. Totlandia: The Onesies (book one) kept me entertained and on my toes the entire time. It showed that there are mothers who are human and sometimes screw up even with the best intentions at hand. It’s like a soap opera for mommies. Guilty pleasure, anyone?!? I look forward to reading book two next and will share my thoughts on that one, as well!”—Melissa Amster, ChickLitCentral.com “This book is wonderfully written and has more than just drama. There are touching moments, parts that made me laugh out loud, and as I read the story I felt like I was reading a television show!”—Divine Secrets of a Domestic Goddess

    Lord James Whitman is well aware of what others say about him. He has heard his name whispered behind closed doors and learned of his character being maligned without cause. But after his unearned reputation causes Iris to decline his marriage proposal, he is determined to show her the truth and win her love! Without her grandfather's guidance, Iris must decide whether to trust the London gossips or the tune of her own heart. Could she possibly love a man who is as horrid as some say he is? Or should she trust her instincts and what the duke tells her to be true? All Iris knows for sure is that Christmas day grows closer with each passing minute!

    Since her viscount father passed away, the family’s resources have dwindled, and she dreads becoming a destitute spinster. But when she’s invited to the Duke of Mumshire’s country estate—where she’ll be considered for the heir’s hand—hope returns.A trip to the country will also take her mind off the crime she’d witnessed at the last event of the season—an unbearably handsome stranger stealing a lady’s purse. Catherine and the thief locked gazes in the middle of the act, and while she was quickly been swept away by the crowd, later that night she was introduced to the thief, Henri LaFleur. Now he knows her name and can force her silence.Catherine shakes the memory…until LaFleur shows up as a fellow guest at the Duke of Mumshire’s estate. This time, though, she finds herself terribly, inexplicably drawn to this thief. But is LaFleur who he seems?

    She's heard of the superstition that to buy a jeweled dagger from a blind old hag would ensure her of conceiving a child. One child for each dagger bought.The old hag she hunts down has many jeweled daggers, but Mirabelle has limited coins and wants many children. Her greed gets her in trouble and she finds herself in a predicament which causes many circumstances in her life to change. Four jeweled daggers and four daughters, each with a story, and a surprise later in life that none of them would ever suspect, in Daughters of the Dagger. Ruby - Book 1; Sapphire - Book 2; Amber - Book 3; Amethyst - Book 4.Watch for each of their stories coming soon!Excerpts included at end of prequel.

    Nearly a decade ago, when her fiance jilted her, she threw herself down the stairs in a fit of passion, or maybe it was a parapet or perhaps a cliff. The Ton isn’t too sure, but they certainly won’t forgive nor let her forget. Georgette is sure she will never love again, and she hasn’t. Now she is companion to her young cousin and chaperoning her coming out. She has no prospects herself. She only needs a moment to catch her breath, to push away the unhappy thoughts of her own coming out. Georgette walks alone into the garden. She smells cigar smoke and realizes there is a man out here. He is unfamiliar and since she is not introduced, she turns to leave. Not wanting to disturb him, because she knows he will put out his smoke in deference to her, she hurries away, but it is too late. He has seen her and knows her.Meet Charles, Duke of Eversley, Miss Quinby’s long ago fiancé’s dear friend and erstwhile British spy in the continuing war with France. It was the Duke’s waspish younger sister who caught Miss Quinby’s fiancé and married him. Georgette certainly didn’t want to open that wound. Neither did the duke, but a cipher in a potted plant, an English traitor, a young gambler and star-crossed lovers pull the jaded couple together. From the ballrooms of the English Aristocracy to ices at Vauxhall to gambling hells, and secret meetings at the British Museum, they will dare much for king and country. They find a common friendship, but both swear they will never love again…but will they?

     Orphaned and destitute, gently born Felicia Scott must find a way to keep a roof over her head. No longer able to enter the Marriage Mart, but also not of the servant class, the only option is to find a position as governess. After his spoiled, seven year old daughter has sent off three governesses in the 18 months since her mother died, the Earl of Standish doubts the young, inexperienced Miss Scott could possible manage the position. Since he’s desperate and she comes so highly recommended, the earl agrees to give her a chance. Much to everyone’s amazement, the beautiful, young governess succeeds where the others had failed. The entire household benefits from the calm, including the jaded earl. How does he overcome his arrogance to see his governess’ true value? Previously published by Astraea Press.