A prim and proper widow gives in to her impulses at London’s notorious Aphrodite’s Club... and fulfils her wildest dream. As an honored widow and close companion to Queen Victoria, Lady Portia Ellerslie is captive to a life of public perfection. But privately, she still longs for the touch of a man. One lonely night, she gives in to her desires, and enlists Madame Aphrodite, the owner of London’s most exclusive and erotic bordello, to arrange a wild one-night-only affair. Donning an alluringly dangerous scarlet dress and a veil to mask her identity, Portia arrives at the club ready to surrender to the long-suppressed desires raging inside her. Instead, she’s shocked to lock eyes with Marcus Worthorne, the man she dreamed of in her former life as the vicar’s daughter. Marcus remembers the very proper Portia... but how did she become this mysterious, enticing lady in red? Marcus knows he can fulfill her most wanton fantasies; and he also knows that it will take more than one enchanted, evening; because one night of delight will never be enough for either of them!

They were once orphans from London's roughest slums. Now they are stuidents of Mrs. Merlin's Academy for Select Young Ladies, learning the techniques of spying and seduction. Bold, beautiful, and oh-so-dangerous, they are England's ultimate secret weapons... The most ladylike of "Merlin's Maidens," Sofia possesses a natural grace and grandeur to go along with her deadly arsenal of martial skills--which makes her the perfect choice for a dangerous assignment to investigate rumors of government corruption. She must spin through the glittering ballrooms of Mayfair and the sinister back alleys of the city in search of the truth. One misstep on her part could prove fatal as she works to unravel the tangled web of deceit...but keeping the sinfully sexy Deverill Osborne at arm's length is a real test of her mettle. Handsome, witty and charming, Osborne is the darling of the ton. So when he is asked by the Marquess of Lynsley to introduce a lovely young Italian contessa into Society, he is only too happy to oblige...however he soon has suspicions about the contessa. When he catches her stealing valuables from a gentleman's study, should he believe the worst? Or should he trust the tantalizing murmur of her words...and the sultry, sensuous whispers of her body. To unmask the conspirators, Sofia and Osborne will overcome hidden dangers, including their own growing passion...which may be the most dangerous force of all.

You've witnessed the power that obsession has over people. People will do anything for someone they are obsessed with. Fans will travel across the world to see a celebrity they are obsessed with. A person will become a slave to someone they are obsessed with. Many people are immune to subtle signs of manipulation. The only thing people are not immune to, is falling in love, and obsession. A person obsessed with you, is a person under your control. Scarlett Kennedy uncovers the real causes of obsession, how to take advantage of it, the common types of people in the world, and how you can make them obsessed with you. Because not one size fits all. Scarlett also creates personality profiles for her targets and documents what has worked and what hasn't worked. As well as the dangers of holding all the power in your hands.

DRIVEN TO WIN. DRAWN TO LOVE. Fresh from university, Eliza Hardison is determined to crusade for workers’ rights until her cousin Dexter, the Makesmith Baron, prevails on her to represent Hardison House in the American Dominion Sky and Steam Rally. The competition is fierce, but only one opponent really matters to Eliza. Dexter’s protégé, Matthew Pence, was always like a big brother to her. But now she’s grown up, and Matthew has made a break from Hardison House with his own business venture—and made his own entry in the rally. Matthew intends to win while keeping Eliza safe on the perilous route from New York to San Francisco. As the threats escalate through treacherous skies and uncharted American wilds, though, Eliza and Matthew must work together, discovering a bond deeper than either could have imagined…but is winning the rally more important than winning at love?

Now in paperback?a novel that ?handily fulfills its promise of intrigue and romance.?(Publishers Weekly) Determined to secure another London season without assistance from her new brother-in-law, Mary Alsworthy accepts a secret assignment from Lord Vaughn on behalf of the Pink Carnation. She must infiltrate the ranks of the dreaded French spy, the Black Tulip, before he and his master can stage their planned invasion of England. Every spy has a weakness and for the Black Tulip that weakness is beautiful black-haired women?his ?petals? of the Tulip. A natural at the art of seduction, Mary easily catches the attention of the French spy, but Lord Vaughn never anticipated that his own heart would be caught as well. Fighting their growing attraction, impediments from their past, and, of course, the French, Mary and Vaughn find themselves lost in a treacherous garden of lies. And as our modern-day heroine, Eloise Kelly, digs deeper into England?s Napoleonic-era espionage, she becomes even more entwined with Colin Selwick, the descendant of her spy subjects.

A vivid and provocative literary criticism of famous women writers from Virginia Woolf to Zelda Fitzgerald by a “gifted miniaturist biographer” (Joyce Carol Oates) The novelist and essayist Elizabeth Hardwick is one of contemporary America’s most brilliant writers, and Seduction and Betrayal, in which she considers the careers of women writers as well as the larger question of the presence of women in literature, is her most passionate and concentrated work of criticism. A gallery of unforgettable portraits—of Virginia Woolf and Zelda Fitzgerald, Dorothy Wordsworth and Jane Carlyle—as well as a provocative reading of such works as Wuthering Heights, Hedda Gabler, and the poems of Sylvia Plath, Seduction and Betrayal is a virtuoso performance, a major writer’s reckoning with the relations between men and women, women and writing, writing and life.

Eugenie Belmont comes from a disreputable family. Despite her boasts to the Husband Hunters Club, the Duke of Somerton would never want to marry her, and yet that is the task she has set herself. After an unfortunate incident with a goat, things can surely only get better. Eugenie finds herself liking the arrogant duke more and more, especially when he agrees to accept the dares she sets him. And then one of her brothers upsets their budding romance, and Eugenia invites herself along with the duke on a rescue mission. Sinclair St. John, Duke of Somerton, is all too aware of his consequence. His boyhood dream of being an artist was swiftly brought to an end by his formidable mother, and now he is too important to indulge in romantic whims. Eugenie Belmont seems to bring out the worst in him. Or the best. He even begins to dream of a happier future…until Eugenie’s disreputable brother runs off with Sinclair’s spoiled sister. But what starts out as a race to save the girl’s reputation turns into a wild and romantic adventure.

Hell hath no fury like a lady of society scornedIsabelle Beaumont may be the most sought-after courtesan in London, but there's more to this beautiful seductress than meets the eye. Born to nobility, yet consigned to a life on the streets, Isabelle has done more than just survive. Hell hath no fury like a lady of society scorned.The Unexpected heirAs the new Earl of Digby, Francis Gilbert is determined to live up to his title. The last thing he needs is to become embroiled with the mysterious Belle Beaumont.A battle of willsAs attraction sparks between this unlikely pair, Francis fights his overwhelming desire while Isabelle grows even more determined to seduce the straitlaced earl. A battle of wills can only lead to one thing...his inevitable surrender. But there's more than just their hearts at stake. The devil lurks silently in the shadows, waiting for the opportunity to collect his dues.

Set in the post-Civil War South on Blue Brook Plantation, Scarlet Sister Mary tells the story of Mary, a fifteen-year-old orphan girl in a close-knit Gullah community. As she prepares to marry the charismatic but unreliable July, Mary finds herself torn between tradition and her own desires. Love, community, and superstition intertwine as Mary learns who and what truly matter to her. Scarlet Sister Mary, written at the height of the Harlem Renaissance, is notable for its depiction of African-American life, particularly the Gullah people; and especially so because it was written by a white author, something very unusual for the era. It won Julia Peterkin the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1929. The Pulitzer was not without controversy. The jury chair had spoken publicly of another candidate, Victim and Victor by John Rathbone Oliver, as his favorite for the prize, which was reported in Publishers’ Weekly as being the actual announcement of the winner. Shortly afterward, The New York Times published an article by the head of the Advisory Board refuting Publishers’ Weekly. Ultimately, the Advisory Board chose Scarlet Sister Mary as the winner and, subsequently, the jury chair resigned. Despite this, the novel remains a noteworthy part of the early 20th-century conversation on race and Southern literature. This book is part of the Standard Ebooks project, which produces free public domain ebooks.