Hessian Kettering, Earl of Grampion, is determined that his countess will be a settled, sensible lady with a spotless reputation. Lily Ferguson seems to fit Hessian's requirements beautifully, and if she also kisses like his most cherished private dreams, that's no reason to doubt his choice. And yet, the lady is not at all what she seems.

Jessica O'Neill was the toast of London society—a stunning actress who had appeared from nowhere to take the stage by storm. But not even her most ardent admirers suspected how brilliant an actress she was. Nothing that Jessica said or did betrayed her true identity as a high-born young lady risking her good name in a desperate gamble to save her family from total ruin. And when the dashing, handsome, immensely wealthy Earl of Linton made Jessica an offer that was simply impossible to reject, there was no way she could turn back on her dangerous path. Jessica O'Neill had to play the part of a wealth-hunting wanton to the hilt—but one thing was not in her script. Falling in love...

**Though set in a historical setting, this book contains BDSM themes.** When Claudia Rose Stafford made her debut in London, she was wealthy, headstrong, and beautiful. She was also spoiled, arrogant and ill-mannered. Without her father's presence, Claudia flaunted her disdain for rules. She defied the conventions of high society and didn't care if there were scandalous whispers because of her behavior. All that changed when her father returned from abroad with the announcement of her impending marriage. Lord Nathaniel Tarrington is the Earl of Brighton. He is also a member of a clandestine sect comprised of some of the most powerful and wealthy families in Europe. The very existence of their Order is cloaked in secrecy, and their activities carefully guarded. When the time comes for him to wed, his choice of a bride has life-altering consequences for Claudia Stafford. The Earl has demanding expectations for his wife, ones that include complete submission, and the understanding that her place is at his feet or in his bed, and never on his arm. Once Claudia weds Nathaniel, her life is not her own. Gone are the days of dancing and champagne. Harsh training and the expectation of immediate and utter obedience becomes the norm. Defiance brings punishment, but Claudia is unwavering, and must battle those who would have her be meek. Her fiery spirit rebels in the face of Nathaniel's rigid instruction, but the once willful and reckless woman struggles to fight her husband's sadistic demands. A fierce war begins between them; one fought for pride and dignity; that may leave both of their hearts in tatters. Will love ever stand a chance as Lord Nathaniel Tarrington strives to tame his wayward wife?

“Marvelous and entertaining.” —Julian Fellowes, creator of Downton Abbey Discover the true stories behind the women who inspired DowntonAbbey and HBO’s The Gilded Age, the heiresses—including a Vanderbilt (railroads), a LaRoche (pharmaceuticals), and a Rogers (oil)—who staked their ground in England, swapping dollars for titles and marrying peers of the British realm. Filled with vivid personalities, grand houses, dashing earls, and a wealth of period details and quotes on the finer points of Victorian and Edwardian etiquette, To Marry an English Lord is social history at its liveliest and most accessible. Sex, snobbery, humor, social triumphs (and gaffes), are all recalled in marvelous detail, complete with parties, clothes, scandals, affairs, and 100-year-old gossip that’s still scorching.

Historical events of the last three centuries come alive through these women’s singular correspondences—often their only form of public expression. In 1775, Rachel Revere tries to send financial aid to her husband, Paul, in a note that is confiscated by the British; First Lady Dolley Madison tells her sister about rescuing George Washington’s portrait during the War of 1812; one week after JFK’s assassination, Jacqueline Kennedy pens a heartfelt letter to Nikita Khrushchev; and on September 12, 2001, a schoolgirl writes a note of thanks to a New York City firefighter, asking him, “Were you afraid?” The letters gathered here also offer fresh insight into the personal milestones in women’s lives. Here is a mid-nineteenth-century missionary describing a mastectomy performed without anesthesia; Marilyn Monroe asking her doctor to spare her ovaries in a handwritten note she taped to her stomach before appendix surgery; an eighteen-year-old telling her mother about her decision to have an abortion the year after Roe v. Wade; and a woman writing to her parents and in-laws about adopting a Chinese baby. With more than 400 letters and over 100 stunning photographs, Women’s Letters is a work of astonishing breadth and scope, and a remarkable testament to the women who lived–and made–history. From the Hardcover edition.