"'For heaven's sake, Blackwood. Step out of the shadows. The girl deserves to know who has been saving her.'
— The Dowager Duchess of Ashworth, who has reached her limit with brooding Marquesses
He's the grumpiest guardian angel a girl could ask for.
Estella Hale's late brother's best friend absolutely loathes her. The scarred, brooding marquess glowers at her across every ballroom. He chases off every suitor who approaches.
Honestly, he frightens her half to death.
Which is why it's so shocking when Estella begins to suspect that this very same man might be the secret benefactor who's been quietly saving her family for the last two years. Paying her father's debts. Filling the kitchen coffers. Sending every fortune hunter fleeing the country.
But it can't be him. He hates her. Doesn't he?
And yet his coat keeps finding her shoulders the moment she grows cold. And he catches her with extraordinary care every time she stumbles. And when a fortune hunter corners her on the terrace, his response goes beyond protective to… Well, possessive.
But if the Marquess truly has been her guardian angel all along, why is he so determined to push her into another man's arms?
And if she's so frightened of him — why does she care?
A sweet, standalone Regency romance with witty banter, swoony kisses, and one beautifully kept secret."
"'Any young lady would be lucky to marry the Earl of Yardley. Perhaps he failed to mention that to Lady Daphne.' - Lady Greta, lovely woman, terrible gossip
Lady Daphne could have her pick of husbands, but she has very particular requirements—namely, the older and more decrepit the better. Actually, knocking on death's door would be nice. Because while being a wife holds little appeal, being a widow sounds quite lovely.
Which is why, for Daphne, the Earl of Yardley, does not fit the bill. The earl is far too young and virile...and much too handsome. So it’s fortunate that the earl doesn’t like her either. What was it he’d said... Too clever by half and with a penchant for trouble?
Except, her latest scheme is brilliant and it will get them both what they desire most. The only hitch? They'll have to play nice and fool the ton into thinking they like each other. And it goes without saying that Daphne mustn't fall for the Earl in the process. But, as it turns out, handsome, young, virile earls are devilishly difficult to resist..."
"“A Duke's taciturn demeanor does not necessarily indicate a black heart. Although . . . sometimes it does. Tread with care.” — Lady Greta, a truly dreadful chaperone
There's no love lost between this shy wallflower and society's most formidable duke. The Duke of Mandrick has made it clear he's only aiding Felicity's successful entrance into society because he's taken pity on his friend's poor country relation.
Luckily for Felicity, her chaperone Lady Greta has agreed to tutor her in the art of flirtation. And since the coldhearted duke is the last man to fall for her charms, he's the perfect man to practice on. However, when her attempts to flirt are an epic fail, it's the duke who comes to her rescue. And when she faints on the dance floor in front of all of society, it's his strong arms that are holding her when she wakes. Gazing up into his warm, dark eyes, she's left with one crucial question."
"Everyone knows the headmistress is destined to be a spinster. Well . . . everyone but the Marquess of Ainsley.
The Marquess isn't certain why the elegant and resourceful Miss Grayson is so determined to remain unmarried. But he means to change her mind over the holidays.
How will he coax the refined beauty out of her shell? It will take a Christmas miracle—of the mistletoe variety."
"The bane of her existence is now her private tutor...
Miss Prudence has worked diligently to become the perfect wife for the lord she's meant to marry. There's only one flaw left—music.
But when her aunt hires the handsome lord next door to help, Prudence's quest for perfection is ruined. How is the dutiful debutante expected to survive music lessons when her tutor is the boy who'd teased her mercilessly as a child? And now he's at it again. Poking fun and provoking her into rash actions. Except, he's no longer a boy. He's very much a man. And it's not his pranks that make her heart race...It's his kisses."
"When the dutiful debutante stows away in a rake's carriage...
Eloise flees her wedding to a cruel groom in a moment of sheer panic. She's certain her brother's best friend, the notorious Lord Wycliffe, is already out of town when she sneaks into his home. But the famed rake catches her rifling through his desk in search of coin. Of course his loyalty is to his best friend, and he insists on seeing her home.
But really, if Eloise is anything, it's underestimated. So when he leaves her at her doorstep, she feigns a tearful smile as she waves farewell. And then she stows away in his carriage just before he leaves for his journey to the coast.
It's too late to turn back by the time he discovers her. But now that she's under his protection, it's shockingly clear that he'll do anything to keep her safe.
Even if it means marrying her himself."
"Her sworn enemy may have come to her rescue, but that doesn't mean she has to like him...
Surely Lord Paul is teasing Mary yet again when he suggests that they marry for convenience. The childhood enemies have never been able to be in the same room together without tempers flaring. How could they possibly be married?
But when Lord Paul comes to her rescue and saves Mary from near scandal, she may have no choice but to accept his hand. Which is awful. Obviously. Although...now that they're older, the tension between them isn't quite the same. And his kiss sparks an entirely new sort of heat. It makes one think, perhaps a lady could get used to kissing her arch nemesis..."
"She's falling for the one man she's sworn to hate...
Miss Charlotte despises the man she's supposed to marry. Of course, she hasn't actually met the Earl's son, but from the letters they've exchanged, he's exactly the sort of overbearing brute she can't stand.
Not at all like that handsome, witty, romantic stranger she met at the bookshop. She agrees to meet this intriguing stranger in the garden at midnight, not realizing that the man she's agreed to meet...is the same man she's vowed to hate."
"When the dashing spy finds the painfully shy wallflower alone in the library...
Miss Lydia has been mistaken for many things. A part of the draperies, for example. And once...a potted fern. But she's never been mistaken for a spy before. Until now.
But now a ridiculously handsome Viscount has come in her life, who's as cryptic as he is charming. And he seems intent on wooing the world's most timid wallflower. But Lydia's surprised to discover that...perhaps she's not as timid as she'd believed. In fact, her heart races with excitement as she's dragged headfirst into the dashing Lord's world of adventure.
And when this game of espionage involves stolen kisses and a midnight rendezvous in the garden, Lydia experiences the sort of dizzying romance she's only read about.
But when truths come to light and true identities are revealed, will this newfound love all turn out to be mere fiction?"
"The scandalous daughter of an Earl has ruined her chances for a good match...
Her reputation tarnished and her prospects all but gone, the School of Charm's headmistress has nothing left to lose. At least, that's what Miss Farthington believed. But now she's being pursued by a man as charming as he is clever, and she's realized that she was wrong.
She still has something very dear left to lose...her heart."
"When the Marquess comes to court her sister, Louisa has one job...
To stay out of trouble, and remain out of sight. She's failing spectacularly.
But Louisa never expects the irritatingly charming Marquess to find her dancing alone in the moonlight, or that he'll be the one to catch her when she falls out of a window attempting to be unseen. And the more the Marquess tries to draw her out of her sister's shadow, the more clear it becomes. It's not just her reputation that's in trouble . . . it's her heart."
"Is he her kidnapper...or her hero?
Delilah always knew she'd marry someone rich and powerful, but she never imagined she'd be engaged to the man her friends call 'Lord Evil.'
She's certain they're exaggerating the danger she's in...until she slips away during her engagement party and finds herself held captive by a terrifying brute. Trembling in terror in his arms, she tells the stranger to take whatever he wants, just let her go. But the beast growls in her ear, 'I'm not here for your jewels, princess. I'm here for you...'"
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