When Cornelia Greystock received a proposal from Sir James Hawkston, she couldn’t bear it. It had been inspired, she knew, from pity and remorse—not love. Unable to face him afterward, she leaped at an offer of employment from the Countess, Lady Du’Breven. Serving as her companion, Cornelia struggles to adjust to the change in her social status, but the hard work distracts her from her broken heart. That is, until the Countess decides to hold a summer house party at her family estate and invites Sir James. Sir James has never recovered from his disappointment when Miss Greystock refused his proposal and then fled. When he grudgingly accepts an invitation to Lady Du’Breven’s house party, however, he is astounded to find Miss Greystock there. One thing is certain—this time he’ll court her the way he always should have. He is almost certain she returns his feelings, but he must tread carefully. If she refuses his proposal a second time, it would not be gentlemanly to ask a third. As time grows short and she continues to hold him at arms-length, will he find a way to at last win her hand?

He knows fighting attraction only makes it grow. And why would he when she has a secret he's determined to uncover? Lord Anthony is an outrageous flirt with a devil-may-care attitude. The last thing on his mind is settling down. When the Countess Du'Breven invites him to her house party, promising to see him married, Anthony finds the prospect diverting and accepts. But when he meets a damsel in distress unwilling to accept his help, Anthony realizes his attraction to her may be his downfall. Isabel Townshend is at her breaking point, caring for her ailing father and her innocent younger sister. She has a family secret to protect and no time for handsome young men, even at a house party with so many eligible bachelors. When Lord Anthony disturbs her well-laid plans, Isabel realizes her determination to protect her family may cost her future happiness. With hearts at odds and defenses drawn, will Isabel and Anthony be able to put aside their differences and find love at last? An Unlikely Courtship is one of five books in the Regency House Party Series. While each is a stand alone story, watch our characters mingle together with others from the books in the series. The stories can be read in any order.

Tying in with the 8-part prime time Channel 4 series, REGENCY HOUSE PARTY will follow 5 men and 5 women as they meet, flirt and court within the same strict protocols as Jane Austen's heroes and heroines, e.g. all women must be chaperoned, a woman should never encourage a man, a man should never touch a young lady, etc. Each participant will be designated a role and an income, which will dictate their social standing - although at any point this could change and one of the poorer guests could inherit a fortune, or a rich one suffer a crippling debt - and each chapter of the book will focus on a particular character or couple. The houseguests will take part in popular pastimes of the era: attending a public dissection, amateur dramatics, fencing and, of course, dressing up and attending balls. They will also hopefully manage to find a suitable marriage partner, whose wealth and social standing will enhance their own. There is a website at: www.regencyparty.co.uk

This book analyzes early twenty-first century film and television’s fascination with representing the Anglo-American eighteenth century. Grounded in cultural studies, film studies, and adaptation theory, the book examines how these works represented the eighteenth century to assuage anxieties about values, systems, and institutions at the start of a new millennium. The first two chapters reveal how films like Gulliver’s Travels (2010) or the remake of Poldark (2015) use history to establish the direct relationship between the eighteenth century and the twenty-first. The final chapters examine pairs of productions for how they address and legitimate different aspects of contemporary ideology such as attitudes toward race and gender, or the connection between technological and social progress.

This book provides a fascinating series of revelations, that will not only add to your knowledge of women's history, but will also enable you to have a greater understanding of female characters in any literary classics you read or see.

Featuring ordinary people, celebrities, game shows, hidden cameras, everyday situations, and humorous or dramatic situations, reality TV is one of the fastest growing and important popular culture trends of the past decade, with roots reaching back to the days of radio. The Tube Has Spoken provides an analysis of the growing phenomenon of reality TV, its evolution as a genre, and how it has been shaped by cultural history. This collection of essays looks at a wide spectrum of shows airing from the 1950s to the present, addressing some of the most popular programs including Alan Funt’s Candid Camera, Big Brother, Wife Swap, Kid Nation, and The Biggest Loser. It offers both a multidisciplinary approach and a cross-cultural perspective, considering Australian, Canadian, British, and American programs. In addition, the book explores how popular culture shapes modern western values; for example, both An American Family and its British counterpart, The Family, showcase the decline of the nuclear family in response to materialistic pressures and the modern ethos of individualism. This collection highlights how reality TV has altered the tastes and values of audiences in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. It analyzes how reality TV programs reflect the tensions between the individual and the community, the transformative power of technology, the creation of the celebrity, and the breakdown of public and private spheres.

Disguised as a governess, the last fairy in Britannia infiltrates the household of the Gloucester family to fulfil a vital mission on behalf of her exiled people. On the run after offending the Royal family, two infamous magical engineers set out to commit the crime of the century on behalf of a wicked enchantress. For one night only, the Gate Sinister can be opened between worlds, clearing the way to the long-lost Forest of Arden. For one night only, all things are possible… Gate Sinister is the first in a new gaslamp fantasy series of novellas by the author of Tea & Sympathetic Magic and The Frost Fair Affair.

Our honeymooning heroine must unmask a magical murderer. Happily married, Mrs Mnemosyne Seabourne travels to an island of no magic, for a relaxing honeymoon with her new husband Thornbury. But the magic-free Isle of Aster is not what it seems. There’s a monster roaming the hills, a royal scandal brewing on the horizon, and (of course!) an impossible, magical murder to be solved. On the night of the Midsummer Masque at the Queen’s country palace, Thornbury goes missing, leaving Mneme to unravel a web of secrets and lies involving her own husband. Who could commit magical murder on an island with no magic? Only a spellcracker... If you enjoy cozy magical mysteries, glamorous masquerade balls and the art of saucy letter writing, you’ll love this new Teacup Magic novella.

Spied beside the seaside: stepdaughter seeks scandal! Lady Liesl, fourth daughter of the Earl of Sandwich, always thought her fate was to marry well, and live a perfect life like her older sisters. Now she's had a taste of rebellion, and she likes it... Hunting a missing diamond in a remote seaside town on behalf of a runaway Countess, Liesl finds herself at the mysterious Aphrodite Villa, with a sinister lack of servants, and no household magic in sight... not to mention a parlour full of wild, bohemian artists, including the devilishly seductive Perdita. This is the Teacup Isles, where nothing is quite as it seems. Lady Liesl is about to uncover some surprising secrets about her family and herself. If you enjoy cozy magical mysteries, witty banter and Sapphic flirtation by the sea, you'll love this latest stand-alone novella from the author of Tea & Sympathetic Magic, The Frost Fair Affair and Spellcracker's Honeymoon.

Juno’s old curse has come back to haunt her… literally. After two blissful years of ghost-free marriage, the spirits have come knocking at her door again. Her late mother-in-law the Duchess has taken possession of her home, and her late husband is obsessed with solving his own murder. To top it all off, her current husband has disappeared on a mission so dangerous that it might make her a widow all over again. Most noblewomen get to put their feet up during a first pregnancy. Juno has a ship to commandeer, a mystery to solve, a husband to rescue (and another husband to exorcise) and a royal disaster to prevent. And she’s going to do it all with a horde of ghosts closing in around her, insisting she pay attention to their problems. How else can she prove herself worthy of the title Duchess of Storm? If you enjoy ghosts, cozy mysteries, and romance between people who are already married to each other, you’ll love the new Teacup Magic book.