Just how far is the lady willing to go… Lady Triana Abernathy knew she was destined to be a spinster ever since the scandal surrounding her father the night of her debut ball. It’s only through her brother’s good connections that their family is even accepted in polite society. While Triana cares nothing for the ton, the arrival of the Duke of Chiltern changes everything. He is everything she might have ever dreamed of in a husband, but she knows that something isn’t quite right about his sudden resurgence in London. Thankfully, she’s willing to do her part in uncovering his secrets. To learn what the gentleman is hiding? Gabriel Wilde, the Duke of Chiltern, is on an undercover mission to find out who is behind the illegal smuggling in the city. Upon his father’s death, he returns to society under the perfect guise of assuming the title, believing the culprit to be within the ton. With the help of a trusted colleague, Gabriel believes that when he’s done, he can move on with his life – away from England and the unpleasant memories that go along with it. But when he meets Triana, he finds he’s not quite as eager to leave as he once was. Unfortunately, the only problem is trying to keep her out of trouble. So he does the only thing he can think of to keep her occupied – seduction.

Fallon O’Malley is hoping to make a fresh start in Southampton following the recent death of her grandmother. She’s never had any love for the British, but when she has the chance to make a fresh start in England and reconnect with estranged family, she decides to leave her beloved homeland of Ireland. It isn’t until she arrives that she realizes that she might have just made a grave mistake. In a desperate attempt to return where things are familiar, she seeks out the assistance of a known rapscallion… Atticus Clare is a wealthy merchant by day, but by night he dons the guise of the Raven, an Irish sympathizer who assists the rebellion against England. Everything is working for his favor until he meets Fallon. He’s instantly drawn to her, even though he knows it would be dangerous in the extreme to form an attachment. But when unforeseen circumstances draw them closer, he realizes how foolish he’d been to think he could ever resist her allure. As things culminate, Atticus has to make a difficult choice, but nothing he does might save him from certain demise if all his secrets are revealed. Can his love for Fallon truly conquer the forces against them?

Davien Elswood, the Duke of Blackburn, isn’t an ordinary man. Twenty years ago he was cursed with the powers of an aswang, and now he’s forced to fight the beast within. But is it only metaphorical, or in truth? He is a member of the Order of the Friars of St. Francis, a cult where men of high standing perform any number of rituals. Because of these scandalous proceedings, they must protect the truth at all costs – even if it means sacrificing one of their own. Cosette du Bouir is a poor, French orphan who spends her nights toiling as a seamstress in London while calling a dilapidated workhouse home. The only key to her past is a plain, silver locket with the cryptic inscription – To Mine…Be Mine. One fateful evening she meets the duke. He’s fearsome and intimidating, and she prays that she never sees him again. However, this encounter sparks the return of her mysterious blackouts, where a phantom voice calls out to her. Thrown together in the midst of magic and secrets, their paths intersect amid desire and chaos, until it all comes to a dramatic end. But who will be crowned the victor of this miserable fate?

A common woman in Victorian London… Miss Victory Jones has dreamed of capturing the haunting images of death photography ever since she was an orphan, raised on the goodwill of Lady Goosebury. She never knew her parents, so she wants to give a measure of comfort to those who have suffered the pain of loss. But just as everything she’s worked for is so close at hand, she meets an intriguing man who fascinates her. While Victory may not have been looking for love, it found her just the same. A veterinarian on the brink of scientific discovery… Dr. Rhys Grayson is a respected scientist, a man who has devoted his life to the cure of disease by the study of rats. But that isn’t his only talent. With his recorder, he can “enchant”’ the rodents by his song, an ability that caused his betrothal to falter long ago. When he meets Victory by a chance of fate, his heart starts to beat again. He sees promise for a future that he thought was lost. But when enemies begin to creep out of the East End and threaten everything he holds dear, Rhys must make some difficult decisions… or risk losing the one woman who brought him back to life.

Lady Araminta Bevelstroke only wanted one thing from society, and that was to be recognized as an independent woman. Together with her three sisters, following the death of their father, the Duke of Marlington, she embarks on a journey to London to prove just that. Marriage certainly hadn’t been on her mind, but when a handsome earl begins to pay court to her, she has to wonder if this could be the true venture she might wish to embark on. Greyson Hartfield, the Earl of Somers, wasn’t sure what made Araminta different from all the other women he’d known, but when he made up his mind that she was going to be his future wife the instant he’d spied her at the theatre, nothing could shake it loose—even if the lady was particularly resistant to the idea. However, he wasn’t a rake for no reason and as the Christmas season steadily draws closer, he is determined to gain her as his holiday bride. But can he win her heart without risking everything?

Lady Calliope is the most carefree and spirited of all the Bevelstroke sisters. With her fiery, copper locks and adventurous nature, she is determined to make a name for herself. In an effort to pursue her dream of independence, she sets out for the coast of Lyme Regis to search for rare fossils. The problem is a particular viscount who is always in her way… Sebastian Ford, Viscount Blakely, has a certain weakness when it comes to redheads and finds Calliope’s flirtatious personality quite irresistible. His sights are set on her, but she thwarts him at every turn, knowing him to be a complete scoundrel. When he arrives at the seaside town under the pretense that his curmudgeon of a grandfather wishes to take the waters for his health, the lady is furious, but it doesn’t take much persuasion for her to succumb to his charms… Unfortunately, their growing happiness is threatened by the Marquess of Abersheem. He doesn’t believe that Calliope is a good match for his grandson, and devises a plan to tempt Sebastian away. Is the passionate relationship Calliope and Sebastian have built strong enough to persevere? Or will they crumble under the first test of adversity?

Sometimes life’s travails… Travell Abernathy, Viscount Curdiff, has been a spy for the Home Office for a number of years and had no plans to retire. But when his father’s sudden resurgence puts a halt to everything that’s familiar, he’s forced to return to his estate, where he must deal with a man who is no longer like the one who left so abruptly seven years ago. As he tries to find a way to deal with this latest challenge, he soon finds solace in a woman he took for granted for far too long. Can bloom into something wonderful. Lady Alyssa Breyton is mourning the loss of her dear Aunt Pearl. Forced out of her home in London and sent to the country to live with a distant cousin and his wife, she makes plans to travel to America to embark on a new beginning. But when her best friend’s brother reaches out to her for help, how can she refuse? Especially when he offers her the use of his conservatory to tend to her roses, the only thing that gives her comfort. As they each come to terms with the past and the future, one thing becomes clear—they can’t live without one other.

Lady Isadora Bevelstroke has always been the most solemn and straitlaced of all of her sisters. But as the eldest member of the family, and with a particular head for business, from an early age she has learned not to distract herself with nonsensical behavior. She is determined to succeed as a woman of independent means, and no one doubts her ability to do so. She is quickly making a name for herself, and with the funds to help ease her entrée into a man's world, she is confident that nothing can stand in her way. There is one man, however, who causes the strangest sensations to course through her… Remington Fletcher, the Marquess of Osgood, has always respected the dark-haired beauty. She is intelligent, mature, and doesn't bother with flirtatious glances to get her way. She is direct and he finds her bold manner quite refreshing. The problem is that he can't seem to charm her into more than a friendly acquaintance. Deciding that he must content himself with a passing fancy, when fate continues to thrust them into each other's path, he realizes that there is quite a bit more to the lady than she wants to let on. She has given up everything at the expense of her own happiness, and he wants to show her that allowing someone to lean on isn't always a bad thing.

This is a collection of short stories that have been published over a particular span of time that I decided to put into one neat little collection. They include; “The Journey Toward Hope” “Love’s Frozen Kiss” “Love Out of the Ashes” “The Magic Shield” “Thistles & War” “Wands at the Ready” “A Bluestocking for Christmas” I hope that you enjoy all of these short tales! From fantasy to contemporary and historical, and mild to steamy, this is definitely a collection for every pallet!

It’s a battle of matrimony, but who will win in wedlock? Miss Dulcenia Hargrove is a bespectacled wallflower, who never thought that she would be fortunate enough to find a prospective husband. However, when she is approached by a celebrated matchmaker, she decides that it wouldn’t hurt to take her advice. When they travel to a house party to meet the suitor the lady has in mind, sparks immediately fly. But is his regard in truth? Lord Carew Fernvine, Marquess of Dalhousie, is a rake. He decided to attend a ridiculous house party to humor an older lady for his own amusement. He has no intention of marrying anyone, particularly a mousy woman that is known for being dull. However, he soon finds that Lady Dulcenia has much more to recommend her than he originally believed. It isn’t until his resolve is tested by a newcomer vying for the lady’s hand, that he has to decide if he’s as against marriage as he once thought.