A drunken laugh, a roll of the dice... and Aurora Sprague finds herself a child bride, married in haste to a young man she's never met to settle her father's gaming debt. Moments after the ceremony, the new groom gallops off to the army and Aurora is banished to a remote estate, married in name only. Years later, Alex Fenimore, now a top intelligence officer, is on a secret mission when a fiery young lady helps him escape attack. He has no idea that the woman is his wife or that the sparks of desire between them are about to ignite a dangerous passion. AWARDS: Best Regency of the Year Nominee, 2000 REVIEWS: "...lush romance mixed with great humor and a touch of human frailty." ~RT magazine SCANDALOUS SECRETS SERIES, in order The Banished Bride Lady of Letters The Major's Mistake LESSONS IN LOVE, in series order The Defiant Governess Second Chances The Storybook Hero

Seven years ago, a malicious lie caused Lady Miranda Grosvenor's husband, the Marquess of Sterling, to cast her off. Shunned by Society, Miranda lives as a recluse until Sterling returns home from war and discovers he has a young son. As an uneasy truce begins, Sterling and Miranda must confront their shared past—and the unexpected reawakening of their passion. AWARDS: RT Magazine "Top Pick" REVIEWS: "...richly textured characterization for our reading pleasure." ~RT magazine SCANDALOUS SECRETS SERIES, in order The Banished Bride Lady of Letters The Major's Mistake LESSONS IN LOVE, in series order The Defiant Governess Second Chances The Storybook Hero

Penniless and alone, Octavia Hadley accepted a governess position that took her to faraway Russia. Now she and her young charge are caught up in Napoleon’s invasion of Moscow. Fleeing for their lives, the pair embark on a perilous trek northward, and to Octavia's dismay, the only way to reach the safety of St. Petersburg is to join forces with a roguish Englishman and his young nephew. With the French army at her back and safety miles and miles ahead, the greatest danger just might be Alex Sheffield and the passion sparking between them. Awards: RWA RITA Finalist, 2002 REVIEWS: "...exciting adventure and an entertaining romance. A real page turner." ~The Romance Reader LESSONS IN LOVE, in series order The Defiant Governess Second Chances The Storybook Hero Also by Andrea Pickens... DANGEROUS LIAISONS SERIES, in order A Diamond in the Rough Sweeter Than Sin Devil May Care INTREPID HEROINES SERIES, in order Code of Honor The Hired Hero A Stroke of Luck Pistols at Dawn SCANDALOUS SECRETS SERIES, in order The Banished Bride Lady of Letters The Major's Mistake

A duchess awaiting trial for her vile husband's murder is the most delicious gossip the ton has heard in years. But for Kate Townsende, the woman in question, it could be a matter of life and death. And when a shrewd and handsome nobleman offers to publish her side of the story while arranging for a barrister to take her case, she's tempted by much more than the chance to defend herself... James Bancroft, Viscount Medford, tells himself he's only interested in a bestselling pamphlet, but Kate's stubborn determination is captivating. Could the accused widow be telling the truth? At first, James isn't sure of anything besides his growing desire for her—but before long he's willing to risk much more than his reputation to make the infamous beauty his wife... Secrets of a Scandalous Marriage is the third Secret Brides novel from Valerie Bowman.

Banished from his bed Bound by a scandalous secret! Believing she betrayed him, Rocco thought he’d said goodbye to his ex-fiancée, Mia, for good. So the revelation of his unknown heir throws his world into chaos. For a start, Mia was sure that he knew about their baby! Yet determined to raise his child in Sicily, Rocco suggests they wed. It’s for her son’s happiness alone that Mia agrees to Rocco’s proposal. She can’t risk falling under the Sicilian’s intoxicating spell again. But that’s easier said than done when their chemistry is more magnetic than ever before…

For the first time together in one bundle, Valerie Bowman’s Scandalous Brides series: a secret pamphlet, an unlikely elopement, and a woman on trial for murder—scandalous marriages are far more interesting... SECRETS OF A WEDDING NIGHT: Lily Andrews, Countess of Merrill, is young, widowed, penniless, and has strong opinions on marriage; she refuses to allow another hapless girl to fall prey to a man, so she anonymously writes and distributes a pamphlet entitled “Secrets of a Wedding Night” to stop the wedding for the scoundrel who broke her heart five years ago. Except when the man in question, Devon Morgan, the Marquis of Colton, learns that his former fianceé is the author, he offers her a scandalous challenge impossible to resist. SECRETS OF A RUNAWAY BRIDE: With her overprotective family out of the country, nothing can prevent Miss Annie Andrews from eloping to Gretna Green with the man she loves—nothing that is, except for her brother-in-law’s best friend Jordan Holloway, the Earl of Ashbourne. Trusted with Annie’s protection, Jordan spirits her away to his country house to prevent her elopement, but as they spend time together, Jordan realizes he wants to run away with her himself... SECRETS OF A SCANDALOUS MARRIAGE: Awaiting trial for her husband’s murder, Kate Townsende is surrounded by gossipmongers who have no interest in her side of the story. But when the handsome James Bancroft, Viscount Medford, offers to publish her side of the story while arranging for a barrister to take her case, Kate is tempted by more than the chance to defend herself and James realizes he’s willing to risk more than his reputation to save Kate and make her his wife...

A Regency Historical Novel - Book One of the Scandalous Series As the head of his family, Robert Beckford, the Earl of Masten, was accustomed to dealing with various problems his siblings had caused of one sort or another. However he wasn't prepared when his cad of brother ruined and then abandoned a young lady. To right the wrong, Robert married the girl himself; but his chivalry only went so far. He didn't want a wife, and most certainly not a scandalous one. So after repeating his vows, he sent her packing, off to a secluded estate and expected her to stay put. After years of mistreatment at the hands of her family, Lydia was prepared to be an accommodating wife; but her rigid and unforgiving husband asked too much of her. After languishing for years in her opulent prison, Lydia leaves her country estate for the glamour and excitement of London-and unfortunately her husband's path.

New York Times bestselling author Christina Dodd spins the captivating tale of a nobleman whose path crosses again with the one woman he absolutely cannot resist . . . . A Disastrous Season A simple statue began the scandal. A Lady Concealed An innocent English miss conceived of it, her hands gliding across the clay, delineating each smoothly defined muscle and sinew, creating a sculpture of the man she worshipped. When the likeness was exposed, along with Miss Jane Higgenbothem's secret tendre for Lord Blackburn, the ton's gleeful contempt sent the lady back to the country in disgrace. A Gentleman Revealed Now, a decade later, she's back in London, as a chaperone to her beautiful niece. But to Blackburn, Jane's unwitting model, the cool, reticent spinster is still a challenge. She once made the arrogant rake a laughingstock; so why is he tempted to revive an affair that almost began so long ago, on that scandalous evening . . . ?

Before they became legendary writers, Charlotte Brontë, Emily Brontë, and Anne Brontë were detectors in this charming historical mystery... Yorkshire, 1845. A young wife and mother has gone missing from her home, leaving behind two small children and a large pool of blood. Just a few miles away, a humble parson’s daughters—the Brontë sisters—learn of the crime. Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Brontë are horrified and intrigued by the mysterious disappearance. These three creative, energetic, and resourceful women quickly realize that they have all the skills required to make for excellent “lady detectors.” Not yet published novelists, they have well-honed imaginations and are expert readers. And, as Charlotte remarks, “detecting is reading between the lines—it’s seeing what is not there.” As they investigate, Charlotte, Emily, and Anne are confronted with a society that believes a woman’s place is in the home, not scouring the countryside looking for clues. But nothing will stop the sisters from discovering what happened to the vanished bride, even as they find their own lives are in great peril...