Signet Regency romance

False Steps, True Love — Mistakenly believed by the Queen of England to hold a tendre for her granddaughter, Cassian Stratford, Marquess of Lansdale, finds himself packed off to the south coast at Her Majesty's request. In the wilds of Weymouth, the bored aristocrat suffers from the most exquisite ennui--until a mysterious beauty crosses his path.... Assisting her mother in the day-to-day responsibilities of a lodging house, Miss Winifred Smith holds no illusions about her station in life. But when the dashing Lord Lansdale mistakes her for a lady of fashion, she's far too smitten to correct him. And even though she fears what fate will befall her should he discover her charade, she cannot deny herself a chance at a passion she has never yet known

A Lady Without Illusions Miss Clara Danford had no illusions about Frederick Sullivan. She knew that this magnificently handsome gentleman was a rake whose women were legion and whose gambling debts were staggering. She also knew why he wished to wed her. It was not for the beauty and grace she did not have, but for her fortune, which would rescue the dazzling wastrel from ruin. Should she refuse and lose her one chance to have such a splendid mate? Or should she accept a proposal made with lips that lied as skillfully as they kissed? One thing was sure. Clara might have no illusions to lose--but she would have to be careful not to lose her heart.

Just in time for the season-an anthology of all-new Christmas novellas to warm the heart: Wooing the Wolf; The Dogstar; Lost and Found; Christmas with Dora Davenport; and Christmas Cheer. Penned by some of the best-known Regency authors around, it's the perfect stocking stuffer. Christmas Cheer by Gayle Buck Christmas With Dora Davenport by Nancy Butler The Dogstar by Edith Layton Wooing the Wolf by Barbara Metzger Lost and Found by Andrea Pickens

THE AMIABLE MISER (Edith Layton) - This delightful tale has 'Scrooge Jr.' (Alfred Minch, The Amiable Miser) helping his cousin Joy to a capital adventure. Through it, Joy finds what she really wants in her life. A HOME FOR HANNAH (Barbara Metzger) - When Hannah hears that she is about to be thrown out of the orphanage where she lives, she decides to find herself a papa. While walking in a park, Hannah selects a likely sort who turns out to be a penniless gentleman. While her new Papa is trying to figure out how to keep his new offspring, Hannah helps him to find her a new mother. This is a delightfully fun story. A PARTRIDGE IN A PEAR TREE (Amanda McCabe) is a really unique story. It allows the elderly Lady Kirkwood to set up a competition to see who will inherit her money (she has buckets of the stuff). Of course Lady Kirkwood isn't above skewing the contest so the right people win! How the game played itself out, however, provided everyone in the neighborhood a Christmas to remember. THE SOLID SILVER CHESS SET (Sandra Heath) was my least favorite of the stories. Elves are rushing around with last minute jobs; Julia and Philip help Bramble Bumblekin (elf) complete his task. This reminded me of A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM, in which there is a story inside a story. I found that the two subplots diminished the importance of both (romance between Julia and Philip vs. Bramble's big job). I could barely finish this story. NO ROOM IN THE INN (Carla Kelly) is a delightful tale that allows a Regency Mary and Joe to experience a Christmas neither will forget. When a horrific snowstorm stops the progress of a carriage in which Mary (and others) are travelling, they find there is no room for them in the only inn in that locale. Thus, the group must spend a few days in Joe's ramshackle house. Mary and Joe find that it is a wonderful way to spend Christmas.

THE APPRENTICE ADVENTURESS — Miss Miranda Dennison was a properly brought-up young lady with an improper appetite for adventure. She found it in abundance on the isolated estate of Baron Philip Highdene. There was the darkly handsome, brooding baron himself, married to Miranda's sister and clearly keeping her a prisoner. There was his friend, Alan Creighton, whose shocking reputation as a rake did not stop Miranda's heart from beating faster in his company. And there were mysterious threats to Miranda's safety that chilled her blood. Miranda had fallen head over heels in love. She had also plunged over her head into danger. And now, through a mystifying maze of romance and intrigue, she must somehow find her way to a happy ending...

Mothers—they wipe away tears and share a wonderful kind of love. It’s hardly surprising that the resourceful children of Regency widows decide that their dear mamas have been alone too long and start searching for those special men who will put a sparkle back in their mothers’ eyes … Lady Lovington’s grown children have good reason for “Marrying Off Mama” in Mona Gedney’s delightful story. While most people find her scrapes and escapes charming, Elizabeth and Reginald live in fear of what Mama will do next. Surely marriage to a military gentleman will provide her ladyship with stability. But, naturally, Mama manages too fall in love with someone they hadn’t quite expected. The machinations of newly-engaged Willow to see her mother in the same happy state as she result in “Lady Radcliffe’s Ruse” by Kathryn Kirkwood. Having no wish to remarry, Claire Radcliffe rsesorts to a pretend engagement with the rakish Earl of Sommerset. But she soon finds herself in an all-too-real courtship—falling under the irresistible spell of this very determined gentleman. In Regina Scott’s charming story, the young Masters Jacob know that their mama Cynthia is “Sweeter than Candy,” but can they convince their grown-up friend Daniel Lewiston that he should court her … especially when Cynthia’s memories of Daniel are less than fond? Surprisingly, all goes well … until the little boys reveal their matchmaking scheme. Share in the joy of children’s love for their mothers, mothers’ love for their children—and the love that grows between a man and a woman when a perfect match is made …

The heroine lies to the hero and the whole book is based on her attempts to come clean but she can't......weak storyline and quite boring . Quite skippable .....

A Daring Masquerade Seeking to escape the cruel designs of a false lover, Elizabeth Hatton fled into the night. Then an accident left her unconscious--and she was rescued by the handsome Lord Gideon Grayleigh! Elizabeth's reputation depended on secrecy, so she resolved to protect her identity--by pretending to be just a little daft.... Lord Grayleigh wanted to help this sweet young lady, but she refused to tell him her name, or accept any more from him than the shelter of his home. And although it seemed she did not quite have all her senses about her, he suspected she was hiding a dark secret. Soon Elizabeth's sweet banter and witty ways had made their way into his heart. He was determined to find out the cause of her troubles, and make their love real. But the villain who pursued her would not allow it--without a fight....

Lady Julia was a beauty who stood outeven in a London filled with lovely ladiesand for a rake like Robert Hammond, she was an appealing available female to be conquered with all his seductive skills. For an upright gentleman like the Earl of Bradford, she was a young woman whose show of virtue clearly masked the most devious designs. And for the Prince of the Realm himself, she was a subject from whom he expected the most proper obedience to his own most improper wishes. Clearly Lady Julia had to be on guard against the strength of the passions she inspiredand against her own unexpected weakness.

Jessica O'Neill had made a desperate bid to save her family from ruin-and was likely to bring it on herself. Not only had she become a remarkable talent on the London stage, but she was sought by one of society's darlings, the handsome, wealthy Earl of Linton-as his mistress. Oh, what a tangled web we weave… Regency Romance by Joan Wolf; originally published by Signet

The impossible Mr. Gower Lady Rachel Palmer was quite used to men falling helplessly in love with her. Every gentleman in aristocratic society, including her devoted fiancé, Lord Algernon Rivers, fell a willing victim to Rachel's dazzling beauty and bewitching charm. Every gentleman, that is, except Lord Rivers' closest friend, the studiously unfashionable and splendidly handsome Mr. David Gower. Mr. Gower made it clear that the ravishing Rachel represented everything he scorned, and that he was the very last man in the world she could ever ensnare. It was a challenge Rachel could not ignore - from a man she could not resist ….

A Convenient Stranger. In the wake of her husband's death, Emily Fairfield is left with mounting debts and the future of Fairfield Hall at risk. To salvage the social standing of one of the most respected names in Shropshire, Emily has only one recourse: to accept a proposal of marriage from Sir Rafe Warrender, a man whose enormous wealth is exceeded only by his poisonous reputation. Then fate offers Emily a welcome surprise in the guise of a penniless drifter. With his piercing blue eyes, rugged bronze skin, and aggressively sensual nature, Jack Lincoln seems as out of place in London's high society as he is in Emily's passion-filled dreams. Bus his appearance is not by chance. Newly returned from Peru, the adventurer has mysterious ties to Emily's past. He is also Sir Rafe's greatest threat - and the last chance for a woman falling helplessly, and hopelessly, in love ....

Celebrate the most joyous of seasons with these original stories of holiday romance from five of today's most beloved award-winning Regency authors. Each tale is set on Christmas Eve, capturing the season's true spirit of charity and goodwill, proving time and again why love is the greatest gift of all. This special collection is a perfect present for friends and lovers who find themselves looking forward to the holiday with delicious anticipation, wondering what awaits them under the tree--and under the mistletoe .... Little Miracles – Barbara Metzger Two rodents try to save a church by sharing a secret only they remember, while bringing love and happiness to the vicar and the local lord. Marriage Stakes - Allison Lane Miss Sophie Landess is returning home with her widowed and very pregnant sister when they have a carriage accident and are saved by the Earl of Westlake. Soon, Sophie finds herself helping him finding the right bride after they are invited to stay at his home during the holiday season. The Gift of the Spoons – Nancy Butler A man, desperate to save his son, goes in search of a healer he has heard about, but finds her daughter instead. The enmity between the two is immediate, but she eventually agrees to go and see his son leading to healing the rift between father and son and the developing of warmer feelings between the two.- The Reckless Miss Ripley – Diane Farr A hero finds himself helping Miss Claudia Ripley reach Bath safely. A humorous and warm romance The Christmas Thief – Edith Layton The hero, a former captain in the army, believes to hae lost all his fortune due to an embezzler and tries his best to arrange a happy Christmas for his niece, even if the means stealing a doll or pawning his hat and boots. He also frees his fiancée from their commitment due to his financial situation. but will they have a happily ever after? [Aneca-Goodreads]

When spoiled Lady Alicia Alston, privileged daughter of a duke, is accidentally tossed into a ravine after a wild gallop with Ian MacClain, Earl of Cairnyllan, she expects a proposal as soon as is convenient. The stubborn Scot has other ideas. It takes a headlong journey to prevent an elopement to give Alicia and Ian a chance to clear up misunderstandings and figure out what they find so damnably passion-inducing about one another....

She had resisted scandalous seduction once before, but now Lady Harriet Wingham was wealthy, experienced, and widowed. Lord Tenby still wanted Harriet as his mistress, but she doubted that she could surrender her body without losing her heart.

When Alabeth left London under a cloud of gossip as bride of notorious rake Robert Manvers, she thought never to return. But her beloved Robert was dead now, fallen in a duel encouraged by his supposed friend, Sir Piers Castleton, and Alabeth was free to come to London to guard her overly romantic sister Jillian from temptations that Alabeth knew only too well. But even Alabeth did not dream that Jillian would fall in love with so seductive a scoundrel as the handsome and heartless Piers Castleton himself. Even less did Alabeth expect to meet the very mirror image of her late husband in Count Adam Zaleski, the lover that every high-born lady in London vied for. Clearly it was Alabeth's duty to battle the man she hated to save her sister - and fight off the memory of the man she loved to save herself.

HOLIDAY CHEER TO WARM THE HEART... 'TIS THE SEASON WHEN LOVERS' EYES SHINE BY THE LIGHT OF A BLAZING YULE LOG, WHEN A QUICK KISS IS SHARED BENEATH THE MISTLETOE, AND WHEN LOVE IS THE MOST SPLENDID GIFT OF ALL... Savor the beauty and passion of Christmas with heartwarming stories by outstanding Regency authors... ELIZABETH MANSFIELD pairs a roguish Scot with a stubborn lass at a memorable country holiday. MARTHA POWERS unwraps true love that grew over the years between two friends--as they discover one Christmas Eve. JUDITH NELSON turns peaceful Wickly Manor upside down for the frenzy of Christmas--and discovers love within its festive halls. Plus two more dazzling tales of holiday escapades.

Possessed of an inquisitive and adventurous spirit, Lili Martingale has proved herself unsuitable for the daily grind of life on a farm. Fortunately, her family believes she'll thrive in London, where she can enter society and marry respectably. However, Lili's intolerance of the conceit of the ton is too evident to be ignored, and her outspoken nature seems to make her unsuitable among the gentry as well. Viscount Halpern is being groomed as the seventh Marquis of Braybourne, but he has yet to take a wife from the bevy of beautiful girls he encounters every season. Upon meeting Lili, he is taken aback by her brash, no-nonsense demeanor -- and finds it quite appealing. Halpern's parents, however, feel that Lili is too far beneath his station for consideration as a future wife. But true love respects no hierarchy.

DOING THE UNTHINKABLE Miss Jane Matthews could not believe this was happening. Michael Templeton, Viscount Fairfax, the handsomest lord in the realm and the catch of the London marriage mart, was actually proposing to her and not to her exquisitely beautiful cousin Honor Jamieson. Jane could believe her own response even less. Despite the viscount's looks, his wealth, his charm, his absolute perfection, and despite the fact that Jane madly loved him, she heard herself saying "No." It was clearly a triumph of will over wanting that would leave her pride intact but could well break her heart...

Together for the first time... Two beloved regency classics In Scandal in Venice, Lady Elizabeth Everdean flees to Italy after the man who was to be her husband is killed. Sir Nicholas Hollingsworth is sent by her brother to capture the runaway, but it is this rake's heart that is captured by Elizabeth... Carmen Montero falls in love with Peter Everdean, the Earl of Clifton, on a Spanish battlefield in The Spanish Bride. While each believes the other has been killed during the war, coincidence pulls these souls back together-but pride and dark secrets try to diminish their joy. Will love be victorious?

Will Jessica Sutton-Drew win the argument, or will she win his heart? Strong-willed and intelligent, Miss Jessica Sutton-Drew enjoys championing worthy causes such as women's independence, much like her formidable aunt, Susan Peele, London's most daunting bluestocking, and regardless of other relatives' protests against such unladylike behavior. But Miss Sutton-Drew may have met her match in Sir Brian Gregory, a shockingly wealthy mine owner and local magistrate, who is also handsome, brilliant, and charming. Convinced that Sir Brian is guilty of any number of social injustices, Jessica resists his enticing flattery and flirtation. But can she cease her battling ways long enough to listen to her heart? Or will oncoming scandal ruin everything before she recognizes the truth?

Lady Amelia Fairhaven and Lady Anne Fairhaven were twin sisters who shared more than their extraordinary beauty and their distinguished lineage as daughters of the Duke of Severn. They shared as well the same tastes, the same talents, the same deep fondness for each other, and the same bevy of suitors who swarmed around society's most sought after belles. But now they shared something else as well. A passionate attraction toward the Honorable James Galt, whom their father distrusted and neither of them could resist. Unfortunately, the good Mr. Galt could make only one of them the happiest young lady in the world - while breaking the heart of the other..

In the heat of a battle in the war against Napoleon, Major Lord Tyverne is wounded and trapped behind enemy lines. Then a redcoat comes to Ty's aid and insists the peer ride his horse to safety. Later, horrified to learn of his rescuer's death, Ty vows to live up to the brash young soldier's parting challenge to save someone else's life. To repay the debt of honour, Ty offers his hand in marriage to the dead man's sister. And Delia Croft is certainly in need of help. For the retainer her cousin provides is barely enough to keep her and her dependents clothed and fed. But Delia longs for a union of love, not obligation - a union that the handsome officer may not even believe in...

Siblings Katharine and Edwin Whittingham have just inherited a mansion from a great-uncle they never met. But before Edwin can sign the deed to Bryce House, his uncle's will requires him to spend one full month there, nights included. But the will failed to mention one thing. Bryce House is already inhabited--by a family of ghosts. Now practical Katharine must convince herself that the phantoms she sees are mere tricks of the light.

Ariel goes to London pretending to be a young widow, with her cousin Clare in tow. Not only is Ariel trapped in this role, but she's forced to take on another -- one which could ruin her reputation, and any chance to be with her beloved Lord Dexter.

LOVE'S DANGEROUS DREAM From the moment that lovely young Lady Catherine Cahill set eyes on Lionel Eden, Viscount Benning, she knew that he was the only man she could ever love. What matter if this lord was society's most handsome, sought-after gallant? What matter if disquieting rumors of his debauches reached even Catherine's innocent ears? What matter if he displayed a supreme indifference toward her girlish ways and lack of worldly wisdom? If she had to turn herself into a bewitching charmer who could stir even Lionel's jaded senses and storm the impregnable citadel of his heart, she would--in the most perilous campaign of conquest a young lady ever waged to win the lord of her dreams....

After a heated public debate ends her engagement, Lady Lucianne Gordon has to endure the humiliation of a fourth season. To save herself from her encroaching reputation as a spinster, Lucy must obey her godmother--who just happens to be Queen Charlotte--and be paired off with an eligible bachelor at Her Majesty's masquerade ball. Lord Oxenby has always prided himself on being a friend of the Queen, but is perplexed when she first orders him to join Lady Lucianne as "Lord and Lady of the Masquerade," and then later as her husband. Oxenby and Lucy have never been friends--not since a miscommunication between them years ago--and to be forced into marriage is difficult for both of them. But living together as man and wife just may be what the couple needs to fall in love...

RAGE AT FIRST SIGHT The first sight that Miss Susan Wyndham and Miss Marianne MacClain had of each other was enough to make their eyes blaze. For both were arriving at the first grand ball of the season at the same time--in identical gowns. But even this flurry of fury paled beside the emotion that each young lady felt when she saw the gentleman who stepped in to make peace between them. He was Randal Kenyon, Baron Ellerton, the most supremely handsome, charming, elegant, and eligible lord in London. And far from making peace, he sparked a battle between a pair of dazzling young beauties who had always had everything they wanted, and who now wanted only him....

When his betrothed leaves him stranded at the altar, Lord Galen Woodbridge is more embarrassed than broken-hearted. Desperate to deflect attention from his humiliating plight, he decides to stir up a bit of a scandal -- by wedding London's most eligible and elusive songstress, the magnificently sensuous Margot Montclaire. After Galen proposes, Margot confides that her sexy demeanor is merely an act. A baron's daughter, she took to the stage to escape the clutches of a diabolical uncle -- and reluctantly left her fragile young brother behind in his care. To win Margot's hand, Galen agrees to save her sickly sibling -- but in this marriage of mutual convenience, he never planned on losing his heart... (synopsis from publisher)

Regency Romance - Lady Charlotte Winterbourne has long managed Harcourt for her brother and herself. When her long-absent father dies, grasping Cousin Cecil has designs on the estate. But Charlotte’s father had appointed bachelor Maximillian Stanford, Marquess of Lydon, as guardian to his children. Charlotte forces the reluctant marquess to discharge his duties, but William, being the heir, is in danger and Max must protect him—and his sister.

Only a girl as captivating as Catriona Maclan could have overcome the scandal of her birth to shine as the most sought-after young lady of the London season. Only a girl as daring as Catriona would have played with the fiery attentions of suitors as indifferent as the eminently eligible, handsome and proper Lord Wareham and the notoriously worldly and wicked Marquis of Hampton. Only a girl as stubborn as Catriona would have persisted in adoring the one man she could not have - the brilliant and iron-willed Duke of Burford, the guardian who saw her every fault and was so blind to all else....

Lovely young Sarah Howard had to decide: who was the real Nicholas Stanhope? Was he this dazzlingly handsome heir to a glittering title who won her heart with his wonderful kindness? Or was he a loathsome libertine who took advantage of her weakness after another man betrayed her?

Trapped by a fire at her modiste’s, fashionable society darling Lady Victoria Keyes vows that she will marry the man who saves her, even though her savior turns out to be a handsome lord who has been exiled from high society for years.

Lady Harriet Egerton is shocked by the handsome Earl of Kimbalton's frank proposal of marriage, an arrangement that would allow him to pursue relationships outside of his vows and provide her with a fortune. 1995 Romantic Times award for Best Regency Romance

The Uncommon Commoner Miss Cora Downes was only a merchant's daughter. But when she saved a duke's son from drowning, her reward was entry into London high society. Cora had a style of beauty and mode of manners that made her a fish out of water in that sophisticated world. But when she saved a highborn lady's poodles from disaster, she became the belle of every ball. Cora had never met a man like the exquisitely elegant, unabashedly blue-blooded Lord Francis Kneller. But when they found themselves in a position too compromising to conceal, nothing could save her from a marriage to a man who would surely disdain her as a wife. Nothing could save her then from the threat of heartbreak -- nothing, perhaps, except a most unlikely love....

Sir Greville Seton cannot abide women who work as companions. But when he meets his cousin's companion, the lovely Megan Mortimer, the Christmas spirit allows him to embrace the greatest gift of all.

Love With A Perfect Stranger Aurora Halle McPhee, a girl of humble (some might say unconventional) background, cannot believe her luck when she is betrothed to the dashing, well-bred Harland Podell. Aurora soon learns, however, that the match is too good to be true when the nuptials are interrupted--by the brother of the groom's wife! Kenyon Warriner, Earl of Windham, is determined to foil that bigamous bounder Podell, before he disgraces another innocent female as he did Kenyon's own sister. The earl will save Miss McPhee's honor. Even if he must wed her himself...

Enchantingly beautiful Catherine Renwick had good cause to despise darkly handsome, insufferably arrogant James Pembroke, Earl of Allandale. It was this deplorable man who on a night of wild debauchery caused Catherine to be abducted and brought to him at a country inn. It was he who took her virtue by force, and left her threatened with disgrace. True, he now was willing to make amends by giving her his name in marriage. And equally true, she had no choice but to accept. But Catherine was sure that nothing in the world could erase her hatred for him or her horror of his embrace. Marriage a la mode. By the standards of aristocratic London, the marriage between the Earl of Allandale and Catherine Renwick seemed the most perfect of pairings. After all, both of them each had the perfect partner. The Earl had ravishing, superbly sensual Lady Caroline Amberly not only as his mistress, but she was passionately in love with him. Catherine had her childhood sweetheart, Ian Maxwell, still totally enamored of her and willing to devote himself to her happiness. What more could a married couple want? The answer came as a shock -- not only to Regency gossips, but to a husband and a wife fighting against their own uninvited desires...

After being unofficially betrothed to Roger Hastings for many years, Lady Jane Sinclair finally receives a marriage proposal from him. But by that time, Jane is well aware of Roger's tryst with Lady Horton. Jane must lure Roger away from this woman before she destroys Jane's future.

FINE FEATHERS Miss Molly Marriott has left the stifling confines of her aunt's home to live with her uncle and cousin at Underhill House and take her rightful place among the ton. But when she falls victim to a highwayman and is left for dead, she's rescued by the magistrate Lord Cordrey. Molly knows there's a plot against her life, but isn't sure whether or not she can trust Cordrey with her life -- or her heart.... THE MAKESHIFT MARRIAGE Miss Laura Milbanke agreed to marry Sir Nicolas Grenville after he nearly died defending her honor in Venice. But after returning home to King's Cliff Manor, Grenville finds himself tempted by the presence of the beautiful Augustine Townsend. Now, Laura must decide whether to fight this ravishing rival -- or give herself to another man offering the love her husband has denied her.

"I Will Never Marry!" Lady Caroline Waverly was but a girl when she vowed to remain unmarried, and even as a lovely young woman, she refuses to change her mind. Why should she? She is mistress of her own estate, and needs no man to support her. She has passionate, intellectual pursuits that a man would only mock. Let the handsome and gallant Lord Nicholas Daventry find his perfect match in the dazzling Countess Lavinia Welham. Caro would not dream of trying to best such a bewitching creature - until she finds the voice of reason drowned out by the longings of her heart...

Lady Alexandra de Montmorency masqueraded as a man to save everything her family owned. She was a skilled gamester who appeared cool and lucky to the London ton, but Lord Wrotham came a little too close to the truth for her comfort. Alex had to decide whether to play this game of fortune--or of the heart. Regency Romance by Evelyn Richardson; originally published by Signet.

Lovely young Linnet Carlisle is a lady from her toes to her fingertips. Totally innocent of impropriety and an heiress as well, she is a model future bride in the London marriage mart. Judith Jordan is her absolute opposite: stunningly sensual, she was the most sought after courtesan in the city. When Judith lays claim to handsome Lord Nicholas Fenton, she steals away the man who had stolen Linnet's heart and promptly launches a campaign to make Linnet the laughingstock of society. In response, Linnet must do the unthinkable, something only a woman in love would dare to chance.

Sebastian, Earl of Charrington, was betrothed to a most suitable match, but it was another woman who claimed his heart. Fortunately for everyone, especially his fiancee, the lady in question was just a beauty in a painting--a woman he didn't even think existed in real life. But then Sebastian commissioned the artist of his favorite work to paint a portrait of his wife-to-be. And was shocked to discover that the painting was a self-portrait--and that the hired artist in front of him was none other than the hazel-eyed woman who haunted his dreams.

Sophia is a talented artist who was raised by her scapegrace father to ride and shoot, before he was killed in a reckless cavalry charge. Now living in war-torn Spain with her mother and stepfather, a general in Wellington’s army, she is bemused when she meets Major Lord Mark Adair. He seems to understand her so well, and encourages her artistic ambitions. But why can’t he see that a beautiful condesa who has charmed him and the rest of the regiment is not worthy of his attentions? Sophia has to leave army life behind and travel back to England before she and Lord Mark finally recognize their true connection.

Miss Rosalind Carberry defied all warnings when she accepted Lord Philip Southvale's proposal. Her father distrusts the breathtakingly handsome, fabulously wealthy Englishman, and meanwhile rumors continue to run riot about his persisting passion for his beautiful first wife. Overshadowing everything is war fever between Philip's country and Rosalind's America. Nonetheless, Rosalind believes his warm words and her heart's ardent answer, and alone she sets sail to England to join him in wedlock. It is only when she lands that she discovers the awesome odds against her. She comes face to face with a rival who seems to hold all the cards in a game of love with no rules.

A Desperate Wager Katherine Oakes is a beautiful woman with a forbidden passion for all things equine. One day she sneaks into the stables to say good-bye to her favorite horse--and encounters the animal's new owner, the notorious Benjamin Whitbury! Although Katherine's spunky demeanor intrigues him, Benjamin resolves to avoid her at all costs. But then Katherine's secret fiance threatens to destroy what's left of Benjamin's reputation unless Benjamin agrees to take the troublesome bride-to-be off his hands. To save Katherine from her treacherous suitor and himself from social perdition, Benjamin proposes a temporary betrothal--and discovers that all bets are off in affairs of the heart....

In order to keep his bet with his dissolute companions, Lord Robert Monroyal is forced to wed the confirmed young spinster, Pamela Hancock, much against her will as well, until the two find they share the same passions

RUNNING RISKS Lady Jane Derwent faced formidable odds as she set out to win the furious coach race to Brighton. She had to defeat the famous team--and the infamous tricks--of the ruthless king of the road, Edward Chapman. She had to best the finest entry that her sport-besotted brother Henry could buy with his wealth. And she had to prove to Lord Lewis Ardenley - who had flagrantly betrayed her with a beauteous new darling--that he was wrong in rating Jane as too frail either to stay the course or stand off his advances. Lady Jane knew how hard it would be to win, and how easy it would be to lose so much--especially her heart....

Cressida Merriton is used to managing her own life as a diplomat’s daughter. When her father sends her back to England to live with her kind but reclusive godmother, she finds that her experiences make her stand out from the other debutantes. It is hard for her to understand then why her godmother’s handsome nephew seems to be immune to her lively charming nature.

Joanna Sherwood had been hopelessly in love with Adrian Delacourt, before he accused her of unfaithfulness and divorced her. Adrian's best friend saved Joanna by marrying her, but when she returned a widow, she learned that her name was still tarnished -- and that she still loved Adrian. Signet Regency Romance reissue.

Teenaged George Frobisher accidentally glimpses Olivia Henshaw in her bath. Transfixed, he can't forget her. Ten years later he meets her again at his sister’s house party. But Livy seems much different and he struggles to reconcile his feelings from his youth with the real woman in front of him.

NO MARRIAGE RING WOULD CHAIN HER When Beatrice wed Gareth Risborough, the Baron of Brook, she was forced to vow to love, honor, and obey him. Nothing, however, could force her to keep those vows. Never would she love this man who made it clear he had no love for her. Never would she honor this man whose past was anything but honorable. Never would she obey this man, even though he made her his virtual prisoner in a manor where his word was law and his will was iron. This arrogant lord would find that it was far easier to wed Beatrice than to win her love and loyalty, even as she discovered that it was as possible for her to be wrong as it was impossible to admit it.

LORD JUSTIN CARDYLE HAD RUINED VALERIA'S BROTHER. NOW IT WAS HER TURN. Valeria Stanton's older but definitely not wiser brother Harry clearly was no match for the Earl of Cardyle -- in drinking or gambling. The rakish Earl had led Harry to consume far more wine than Harry could handle, then to lose far more at cards than Harry could hope to pay. Now Lord Cardyle's eager hands held Harry's worthless promissory notes and, with them, Harry's good name. The only way that Valeria saw to get them back was to offer her own person in return. But if Valeria was willing to give herself to this man she loathed, she still had one problem remaining. For the undeniably handsome Cardyle could have any woman he wanted, and Valeria had to make him want her....

Miss Rosalind Lacey has spent all her 26 years in the country, quietly managing the lives of her widowed father and five younger siblings. When she learns she has contracted the illness that killed her mother, she decides to spend her last few months doing all the things she's never had the time or opportunity to experience. With the help of her worldly and notorious aunt, the simple country miss is transformed into a dashing Town sophisticate who cuts a wide and wild swath through London Society. Since she won't be around to face the consequences of her behavior, Miss Lacey does and says exactly what she pleases, even becoming involved with the infamous rake, Max Davenant. It is an exciting and heady time for the one-time country mouse, until she receives a fateful letter bearing news that turns her glittering new world upside down. The ballrooms and gaiety of the London Season form a backdrop for this sparkling tale of a young woman who hasn't lived enough, and a man who's lived too much.

While commissioned to help a pretty young woman find a husband, the lovely widow, Jeannie McVinnie, who shuns the institution of marriage, must keep herself from falling for the charms of her charge's dashing uncle.

To all appearances, Miss Omega Chartley is a school-teacher on holiday. In fact she is a gentlewoman fallen on hard times, left at the altar eight years earlier and forced to make her own way in the world after the loss of her family fortune. Omega’s modest tour of England is cut short when she comes to the aid of a runaway. Jamie Clevenden has fled the clutches of a brutal uncle, and Omega is determined to help him escape the law, as represented by Bow Street Runner, Mr. Timothy Platter. Aided by a kindly war veteran and his adopted daughter, the two fugitives arrive at the home of Jamie’s other uncle, the Viscount of Byford—none other than Miss Chartley’s disgraced fiancé, Matthew Bering. There Miss Chartley will finally learn the secret that Lord Byford has hidden from her all these years, the story of the dark chapter in his past that stands in the way of not only their happiness but that of his nephew. Now they must face the truth together, no matter how dire the consequences.

Miss Onyx Hamilton is on the verge of making what everyone agrees is a perfect marriage. The overwhelmingly respectable Andrew Littletree is so taken by her virtue and beauty that he's willing to overlook the scandal clouding her birth and her lack of family and funds. But then handsome, charming Major Jack Beresford comes galloping into Onyx's sheltered life. With his wealth and aristocratic blood, Onyx knows it's highly improbable that he would ever ask for her hand. Fortunately, the laws of probability have no effect on what Onyx is ready to give this supremely unsuitable gentleman. Her heart.