As a woman with a peculiar talent for wielding scalpels in 1800s’ London, Ms. Rielly is no stranger to delving into the taboo side of life and death. Determined to find her missing friend, Ms. Rielly steps inside Ainsley Manor and into an investigation involving murder and the strange affliction cast over its lord. She promptly realizes that striking a bargain with him is inevitable and will require all of the skills she has secretly nurtured as a back-alley biologist. Will living with the man possibly responsible for the atrocities she finds yield the answer she sought in the beginning? Or will it plant seeds of doubt about herself? As the city streets gradually become more dangerous and the boundaries between them more indistinguishable, Rielly and Lord Ainsley find the truth may only be released with the blood within their veins. Whether or not by choice…

As a woman with a peculiar talent for wielding scalpels in 1800s' London, Ms. Rielly is no stranger to delving into the taboo side of life and death. Determined to find her missing friend, Ms. Rielly steps inside Ainsley Manor and into an investigation involving murder and the strange affliction cast over its lord. She promptly realizes that striking a bargain with him is inevitable and will require all of the skills she has secretly nurtured as a back-alley biologist. Will living with the man possibly responsible for the atrocities she finds yield the answer she sought in the beginning? Or will it plant seeds of doubt about herself? As the city streets gradually become more dangerous and the boundaries between them more indistinguishable, Rielly and Lord Ainsley find the truth may only be released with the blood within their veins. Whether or not by choice...

A man seeking vengeance in Scotland instead finds a reckless beauty in this Regency romance by the USA Today–bestselling author of The Matchmaker. When Sarah Palmer is caught trying to elope with a fortune-hunting cad, her family has finally had enough of her scandalous exploits. To teach her a lesson and save her reputation, Sarah is shipped off to stay with her married half-sister in the Scottish countryside. But upon her arrival, Sarah discovers her sister has left for Glasgow. Now without a chaperone, she is determined to show her family she can indeed be a good girl. However, a mysterious American is about to change everything . . . A shocking discovery sends boxer and businessman Marshall MacDougal from Boston to Scotland in search of justice and revenge. But when he sets eyes on Sarah, she stirs a fire in his heart. Sarah, too, feels something inside her after meeting Marshall yet knows she must resist. When she discovers Marshall’s visit to Scotland could mean trouble for her family, however, the pair are soon enveloped in a dangerous game of seduction. Perfect for fans of the Bridgerton series! Praise for the Matchmaker Series “If you like your heroes dark and flawed, then run, don’t walk, to buy The Matchmaker. . . . Becnel gives us true insight into the human spirit and does not stint on creating the ideal atmosphere and recreating the era to near perfection. A powerful love story and a thinking reader’s book.” —RT Book Reviews on The Matchmaker “Once again, Rexanne Becnel delivers a special reading treat. . . . The supporting cast is fantastic, and the story . . . will richly entertain you and have you clamoring for more works by the talented Rexanne Becnel.” —The Belles and Beaux of Romance on The Matchmaker

A devilish rake will do anything to learn the secret of a straitlaced schoolmarm in this Regency romance by the bestselling author of The Troublemaker. Word has it that every awkward young lady sent to Mrs. Hester Poitevant’s Mayfair Academy inevitably becomes marriage material. With her students going on to have any eligible bachelor they wish, Hester is able to live comfortably and in the background. And no one knows that under the guise of a stuffy widow, she is a beautiful woman who has never been married. Although Adrian Hawke is a dashing and successful businessman, his scandalous birth makes him a less-than-ideal candidate for a husband. When he draws attention from one of Hester’s favorite students, the prim Mrs. Poitevant forcefully puts a stop to it—and falls victim to his charms herself. Adrian, meanwhile, is not fooled by the feisty widow’s facade. Intrigued, the clever rogue is determined to uncover what Hester is hiding in more ways . . . than one. Perfect for fans of the Bridgerton series! “With this sparkling romance between a highly regarded widow and a thoroughly charming rake, Becnel . . . breathes life into the rigid Regency-era romance genre. . . . Hester’s spirited personality and Adrian's devil-may-care attitude will appeal to a broad readership. Playful in tone and rich in character, this book is fun, breezy entertainment.” —Publishers Weekly “A real treat.” —Booklist

Shy Prince Edmund, gifted with rare magic and burdened by his nation's expectations, finds unexpected love with the Seer Lord Aubrey Ainsley, and together they must overcome war and dark sorcery to save their homeland.

The thirteen repulsive sculptures rose from floor to ceiling, part statue and part pillar. Twelve of them were identical, with their hideous depictions of ancient evil, in the form of a terrible mixture of wolf and elf. The Ancients, Ainsley despaired. Behind her was a half circle carved into the stone wall, a portal edged with silver and engraved with runes that glowed a sickly green. Directly opposite the portal, on the other side of the room, the thirteenth statue hulked, larger than the rest, and more horrific. Ainsley gasped as she gazed upon the nightmarish face with its fang-filled maw. The haughty expression and the supercilious stance were familiar to her, dredging terror from the darkest recesses of her memory. The bat-like wings and the curling horns were new, but she remembered clearly the ugly creature from their battle at the palace of Oben-Odi. The thirteenth statue was a near likeness to the creature that Velinor had become, and the deep indentation that looked like a gaping wound in the approximate place where its heart should rest, was filled by the Lyrestone in the chest of the former Lord of Kopeth.

A fantastic collection of stories of love and intrigue that focus on the trappings of the popular Victorian era, enlivened with fantastical elements and incorporating some noir and detective pieces, by O. M. Grey, Leanna Renee Hieber, N. K. Jemisin, Eliza Knight, Sarah Prineas, Delia Sherman, Genevieve Valentine and many more. Full list of contributors: Vivian Caethe; Leanna Renee Hieber; Seth Cadin; Tiffany Trent; Eliza Knight; Sara Harvey; Rick Bowes; Genevieve Valentine; Nisi Shawl; Maurice Broaddus; Ella D’Arcy; E. Catherine Tobler; Sarah Prineas; Barbara Roden; Mary Braddon; Mae Empson; Caroline Stevermer; Delia Sherman; Tansy Roberts; N. K. Jemisin; O.M. Grey.

Spense might have saved his country of Telridge and won the heart of the faerie princess. But he doesn’t feel like a hero—not while Dewy is stuck in the Winter lands, all because of a bargain she made on his behalf. After months of fruitless research, Spense abandons the libraries of Telridge and turns to the Faerie Oracles to seek a solution. Meanwhile, Dewy is no damsel in distress. She is on a journey of her own, diving deeper into her magic, and finding alliances in the most unexpected of places. As they each seek the Winter Heir, they face unsettling truths about themselves, their world, and the steep costs of magic.

A MOST INDECENT PROPOSAL Annabelle Green needs a husband-and quickly. To inherit the only home she's ever known, she must be married by her twenty-fifth birthday. But finding a suitor has been next to impossible after a reckless rogue named Quinton Carlisle seduced her into a scandalous midnight tryst. Her reputation in ruins, Belle now needs a rather large favor. And she knows just who to turn to . . . Quinn can hardly believe that the shy bookish girl he teased as a child has grown into such a brazen beauty. The very idea of marrying Belle to right the wrongs of his past is downright shocking . . . and deliciously tempting. Too bad marriage, convenient or otherwise, is the last thing Quinn wants. He'll help Belle find a husband and be on his way. But if he can't control his attraction to the bride-to-be, this marriage could go up in flames-of wicked desire.