A Little Dare When Shelly Brockman walks into his office, Sheriff Dare Westmoreland can almost taste the sweet, steamy passion they'd once shared. Then she informs him that he is the father of her son, the unruly preteen Dare arrested earlier that day, and his fantasies turn to fury. Shelly has returned to her Georgia hometown to get her son away from the mean streets of Los Angeles, and she hopes that getting to know his father will do her child a world of good. But will being so close to Dare—the only man to ever make Shelly's heartbeat race—reopen old wounds, or will this be her last chance to secure his love forever? Thorn's Challenge One sizzling kiss from Thorn Westmoreland isn't enough to convince Tara Matthews to risk her heart again…or is it? The beautiful doctor and the hard-driving motorcycle tycoon mix like oil and water. Why, then, can't Tara erase the memory of the sexy racer from her head, or thoughts of his passionate caresses from her body? Thorn has wanted Tara since the day they met. His plan is to seduce the prickly doctor and indulge in a casual affair. But before he can savor the success of their passion, she turns the tables on him. Now instead of working her out of his system, Thorn is hell-bent on winning Tara's love….

"Vivacious lady Perdita Brooke prides herself on her social poise ... except when faced with devastatingly dashing Alistair Lyndon. The dreamy young man Dita once knew is now a hardened rake, who clearly does not remember their passionate night together ... however much it's emblazoned on her memory! Now Dita has the perfect opportunity to remind Alistair of their sizzling chemistry. But soon she is in over her head. Provoking him is supposed to be a deliciously wicked game, with her holding all the cards -- until Alistair reveals the ace up his sleeve!"--Publisher.

In this novel exploration of Reformed spirituality, Belden C. Lane uncovers a "green theology" that celebrates a community of jubilant creatures of all languages and species. Lane reveals an ecologically sensitive Calvin who spoke of himself as ''ravished'' by the earth's beauty. He speaks of Puritans who fostered a ''lusty'' spirituality in which Christ figured as a lover who encouraged meditation on the wonders of creation. He presents a Jonathan Edwards who urged a sensuous ''enjoyment'' of God's beauty as the only real way of knowing God. Lane argues for the ''double irony'' of Reformed spirituality, showing that Calvinists who often seem prudish and proper are in fact a people of passionate desire. Similarly, Reformed Christians who appear totally focused on divine transcendence turn out at times to be closet nature mystics, exulting in God's glory everywhere. Lane also demonstrates, however, that a spirituality of desire can be derailed, ending in sexual excess and pantheism. Ecologically, holy longing can be redirected from a contemplation of God's splendor in the earth's beauty to a craving for land itself, resulting in disastrous misuse of its resources. Between the major chapters of the book are engaging personal essays drawn from the author's own love of nature as a Reformed Christian, and providing a thoughtful discussion of contemporary issues of species diversity and the honoring of an earth community.

FORBIDDEN LOVE Davina Montgomery is no ordinary English lady. For her own protection, she's been locked away from society, her true identity the Crown's most closely guarded secret. Until a shocking betrayal--and a bold rescue--land her in the arms of a fierce Highlander, a powerful warrior whose searing gaze and tantalizing touch awaken her body and soul. UNDENIABLE DESIRE As the firstborn son of a powerful Scottish laird, Robert MacGregor has no loyalty to the English throne, but he's not the kind of man to leave a woman in distress, even if she is English. He vows to deliver Davina to safety, unharmed and untouched. Yet one stolen kiss leaves them both smoldering with desire...and desperate for more. With Davina's secret threatening to destroy his clan, Rob must choose between everything he holds dear and the one woman he can't live without. RAVISHED BY A HIGHLANDER

"Single, childless, I went in the fall of 2015 to Rome for the Synod on the Family.My model was Catholic Worker co-founder Dorothy Day who during the Second Vatican Council, sailed from NYC by freight boat, took a room in the poor quarter of the city, and for ten days fasted on bread and water and prayed. It wasn’t exactly like that for me. Still, I ate simply. I more or less kept silence. I walked along the banks of the Tiber, and pondered. I thought of how Dorothy had given up the love of her life, an atheist who objected to the baptism of the child they’d conceived. She laid down her life for the poor, the marginalized, the hungry. She remained celibate for the rest of her life.I thought of how the word “mother” comes from the same root as matter. I pondered the line from Luke’s Gospel where the women who followed Christ “ministered unto him of their substance.”From their matter, their essence. Their bodies and blood.These essays are part of my own body and blood that have been poured out--through a lifetime of romantic anguish, a divorce, three abortions, and since the mid-‘90s, a fervent and ongoing conversion. I can’t find a place for myself--as a woman, as a human being--in contemporary culture. For any man or woman who feels the same--take this book. And eat"--Back cover.

From the cozy confines of a tiny seaside village to the glittering crush of the a fashionable London soiree comes an enthralling tale of a thoroughly mismatched couple . . . poised to discover the rapture of love. There was no doubt about it. What Miss Harriet Pomeroy needed was a man. Someone powerful and clever who could help her rout the unscrupulous thieves who were using her beloved caves to hide their loot. But when Harriet summoned Gideon Westbrook, Viscount St. Justin, to her aid, she could not know that she was summoning the devil himself. . . . Dubbed the Beast of Blackthorne Hall for his scarred face and lecherous past, Gideon was strong and fierce and notoriously menacing. Yet Harriet could not find it in her heart to fear him. For in his tawny gaze she sensed a savage pain she longed to soothe . . . and a searing passion she yearned to answer. Now, caught up in the Beast’s clutches, Harriet must find a way to win his heart–and evade the deadly trap of a scheming villain who would see them parted for all time.

New York Times bestselling author Virginia Henley sizzles with three of romance's hottest talents. . . Virginia Henley, "Smuggler's Lair" Victoria Carswell will not be bound by society's dictates. She'll even risk skinny-dipping in view of an abandoned castle. At least, Victoria thinks it's abandoned, until a dashing smuggler lures her into an adventure that defies every rule. . . Sally MacKenzie, "The Naked Laird" The viscount's house party promises to be one of the season's highlights, and Lord and Lady Kilgorn are delighted to attend. If only the long-estranged couple had realized they were both invited--and assigned to the same bedchamber. . . Victoria Dahl, "Lessons in Pleasure" Newly married to her beloved James, Sarah Hood should be blissfully happy. . .yet close proximity to a man fills her with anxiety. But James plans to awaken Sarah to pleasure, in order to forge a true union of body and soul. . . Kristi Astor, "Swept Away" Vivacious Christobel Smyth is a gentleman's daughter, while brooding, proud John Leyden comes from a family of northern mill owners. The two could not be more different, yet as passion flares at a country party, Christobel finds he may be her match in every way. . .

From acclaimed New York Times bestselling author Madeline Hunter comes a dazzling tale of untamed passion, the first in a delicious quartet of regency romances… Armed with her cousin’s gun, Audrianna travels to an inn in Brighton to confront the mysterious “Domino”, a man who claims to have information that could clear her deceased father’s once good name. But the handsome man of commanding sensuality who shows up is not the Domino at all, but Lord Sebastian Sommerhays—one of her father’s persecutors. And when the gun accidentally fires, the secretive situation suddenly becomes mortifyingly public... There is only one way out of the scandal that erupts, and so these two passionate and headstrong adversaries find themselves joined in a marriage of necessity. Expecting a practical alliance, Audrianna quickly discovers she is helpless to resist Sebastian’s seductive persuasions as he teaches her the meaning of desire. But she remains determined to exonerate her father, even if it means risking her life, her marriage—and her heart.

An impulsive kiss between a libertine duke and a mysterious governess sparks a blaze of desire—and intrigue—in this breathtaking Regency romance from the award-winning author of Spy Fall. NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY THE WASHINGTON POST Adam Fairfax, the Duke of Sunderford, happily enjoys a different woman (or two) every night—or he did, until his wards landed on his doorstep. Ever since Sunny took in the seven-year-old twin girls and their prim and proper governess, Isabel Finch, his love life has been a shambles. But, as time goes by, Sunny catches himself getting lost in Isabel’s haughty blue eyes, or following the curves beneath her unbecoming dress. An unexpected kiss ignites a passion that shocks him into realizing how thin the line between love and hate can be. If Isabel’s hidden past were revealed, she could lose everything. Oddly enough, only when “Sinful Sunny” is near does she feel safe—or safe enough to speak up in defense of the girls. The duke’s decadent lifestyle is a disgrace, and clearly he considers Isabel a nuisance. Still, she can’t help admiring his sculpted cheekbones, strong-cut jaw, and tousled chestnut hair. When their lips meet, it’s almost as if he could kiss the secrets right out of her. Worse, she’s tempted to let him. . . . Praise for The Duke Who Ravished Me “[Diana] Quincy has created well-rounded characters in this hotly seductive Regency romance.”—Library Journal “The Duke Who Ravished Me was a page-turner. It was unexpected and refreshing to read. I was enthralled.”—OMGReads “In a genre saturated with clichés and tired plotlines, The Duke Who Ravished Me stands out as a refreshing take on a rake reformed with a surprising twist.”—Rainy Thursdays “Ms. Quincy excels at creating compelling characters and writing sparkling dialogue and witty banter.”—Romantic Historical Reviews Look for all of Diana Quincy’s enchanting Rebellious Brides novels: SPY FALL | A LICENSE TO WED | FROM LONDON WITH LOVE | THE DUKE WHO RAVISHED ME This ebook includes an excerpt from another Loveswept title.

An examination of the erotic ideal in ancient IsraelThis provocative work investigates the character of the erotic in writings from ancient Israel and how the erotic is connected to the experience of the divine.