Towards the end of the nineteenth century and for the first few years of the twentieth, a strange invasion took place in Britain. The citadel of power, privilege and breeding in which the titled, land-owning governing class had barricaded itself for so long was breached. The incomers were a group of young women who, fifty years earlier, would have been looked on as the alien denizens of another world - the New World, to be precise. From 1874 - the year that Jennie Jerome, the first known 'Dollar Princess', married Randolph Churchill - to 1905, dozens of young American heiresses married into the British peerage, bringing with them all the fabulous wealth, glamour and sophistication of the Gilded Age. Anne de Courcy sets the stories of these young women and their families in the context of their times. Based on extensive first-hand research, drawing on diaries, memoirs and letters, this richly entertaining group biography reveals what they thought of their new lives in England - and what England thought of them.

A surrogate mother’s unborn baby may be the key to claiming her inheritance in this classic romance by a USA Today bestseller. Race to the altar—Maxie, Darcy and Polly are The HUSBAND Hunters! The terms of the will: Maxie, Darcy and Polly have each been left a share of their godmother’s estate—if they marry within a year and remain married for six months . . . The hunter: Polly became a surrogate mother to pay for her mother’s life-saving operation. Now she’s discovered her pregnancy was fathered by handsome Venezuelan businessman Raul Zaforteza . . . The husband? Raul will do anything to keep his baby—he’ll even marry Polly. But will she give in to the desire that burns between them to make this marriage more than in name only? Originally published in 1998

The hunt is on for the perfect husband . . . Beneath Livy Monteith's icy blonde exterior beats a passionate heart, a heart that will not abide by society's rules. No, Livy will simply not marry the proper young man her parents have chosen for her husband. She'd rather die! But even her friends at Miss Debenham's Finishing School are shocked by the man she desires. Lord Dominic Lacey, the man they call Wicked Nic, is quite handsome, even more notorious, and every bit a scoundrel. Nic thinks he knows all about Livy. She's a proper young lady from an upstanding family, the kind of woman any respectable man would be thrilled to take as his bride—but Nic is not a respectable man. For Livy, even being seen with him would lead to certain scandal. So why is the ravishing innocent doing everything in her power to seduce him? Bedding her would be a delight. But a sinful night with a man like Nic would lead a girl very far astray indeed . . .

The adventurous young women who sailed to India during the Raj in search of husbands. From the late 19th century, when the Raj was at its height, many of Britain's best and brightest young men went out to India to work as administrators, soldiers and businessmen. With the advent of steam travel and the opening of the Suez Canal, countless young women, suffering at the lack of eligible men in Britain, followed in their wake. This amorphous band was composed of daughters returning after their English education, girls invited to stay with married sisters or friends, and yet others whose declared or undeclared goal was simply to find a husband. They were known as the Fishing Fleet, and this book is their story, hitherto untold. For these young women, often away from home for the first time, one thing they could be sure of was a rollicking good time. By the early 20th century, a hectic social scene was in place, with dances, parties, amateur theatricals, picnics, tennis tournaments, cinemas and gymkhanas, with perhaps a tiger shoot and a glittering dinner at a raja's palace thrown in. And, with men outnumbering women by roughly four to one, romances were conducted at alarming speed and marriages were frequent. But after the honeymoon, life often changed dramatically: whisked off to a remote outpost with few other Europeans for company, and where constant vigilance was required to guard against disease, they found it a far cry from the social whirlwind of their first arrival. Anne de Courcy's sparkling narrative is enriched by a wealth of first-hand sources - unpublished memoirs, letters and diaries rescued from attics - which bring this forgotten era vividly to life.

Read this classic romance by USA Today bestselling author Lynne Graham, now available for the first time in e-book! Race to the altar—Maxie, Darcy and Polly are The HUSBAND Hunters! The terms of the will: Maxie, Darcy and Polly have each been left a share of their godmother’s estate—if they marry within a year and remain married for six months… The hunter: Maxie is faced with paying her father’s gambling debts. Her godmother’s bequest could be the answer to her prayers… The husband? Greek tycoon Angelos Petronides has waited three long years to bed Maxie, and mistakenly assumes she will be his the instant he asks… Only, Angelos finds that marriage is the price he must pay to make Maxie his! Originally published in 1998

Advertising for a husband reunites a single mom with a former one-night stand in this classic marriage of convenience romance by a USA Today bestseller. Race to the altar—Maxie, Darcy, and Polly are the Husband Hunters.The terms of their godmother’s will: Maxie, Darcy and Polly have each been left a share of her estate—if they marry within a year and remain married for six months . . . The hunter:Darcy Fielding, a single mom, decides she must ADVERTISE for a husband! But the consequences of one night of unforgettable passion are about to return to haunt her . . . The husband? Gianluca Raffacani has finally traced the mysterious beauty who disappeared from his bed. She is advertising for a husband—his perfect opportunity for revenge . . . Only, Luca finds he’s married the mother of his secret child! Originally published in 1998.

From Madame de Pompadour, the famed mistress of Louis XV, to Pamela Harriman, who married into the English aristocracy and the American plutocracy, there is a rich history of women who have found glamour and wealth in the arms of a billionaire. But contrary to what you may think, fortune hunting is no idle pursuit. Like diving for treasure, it's a real job. Some women strive to be CEOs; others prefer to wed them. You'll meet today's dazzling successes in this book. What kind of woman does it take to make the Midas marriage? Exploring the lives of the great fortune hunters of our day, reporter and former gossip columnist Charlotte Hays answers this tantalizing question. You'll learn about the South Carolina woman who took a trip around the world with a shadowy shipping magnate, only to meet and marry a philandering marquis. You'll see what methods these women use to lure their powerful men, including one playful fortune seeker who, at a very high-society soirée, hurled a piece of bread at her intended beau, starting a food fight. You'll meet the New York socialite who remarried so quickly after a divorce, her ex claimed she was a bigamist. What are their recipes for riches? Can a genuinely nice woman pursue this career? What does love have to do with it? With original interviews and photos, Hays casts a light on the determination, skill, and---yes, sometimes---ruthlessness that have shaped some of the most successful---and lucrative---unions of our time.

Eugenie Belmont comes from a disreputable family. Despite her boasts to the Husband Hunters Club, the Duke of Somerton would never want to marry her, and yet that is the task she has set herself. After an unfortunate incident with a goat, things can surely only get better. Eugenie finds herself liking the arrogant duke more and more, especially when he agrees to accept the dares she sets him. And then one of her brothers upsets their budding romance, and Eugenia invites herself along with the duke on a rescue mission. Sinclair St. John, Duke of Somerton, is all too aware of his consequence. His boyhood dream of being an artist was swiftly brought to an end by his formidable mother, and now he is too important to indulge in romantic whims. Eugenie Belmont seems to bring out the worst in him. Or the best. He even begins to dream of a happier future…until Eugenie’s disreputable brother runs off with Sinclair’s spoiled sister. But what starts out as a race to save the girl’s reputation turns into a wild and romantic adventure.

To win the love of Sheridan Wolfe, Duke of Armitage, Miss Vanessa Pryde tries to make him jealous--a ploy that propels her into a scheme of an altogether different kind involving a pretend engagement and a mystery.

SOON TO BE A STARZ SERIES A Most Anticipated Novel by The Skimm * Cosmopolitan * SheReads * Frolic * PopSugar * BuzzFeed * Goodreads * E! Online * Betches * Crime Reads * Pure Wow * Book Riot * Bustle * and more! A Book of the Month Club Selection “Gossipy, scandalous housewives behaving badly might make this the juiciest read of the season."--Library Journal (starred review) "Sultry, salacious and utterly unpredictable....You'll devour it."--Riley Sager, New York Times bestselling author of Home Before Dark The Hunting Wives share more than target practice, martinis, and bad behavior in this novel of obsession, seduction, and murder. Sophie O'Neill left behind an envy-inspiring career and the stressful, competitive life of big-city Chicago to settle down with her husband and young son in a small Texas town. It seems like the perfect life with a beautiful home in an idyllic rural community. But Sophie soon realizes that life is now too quiet, and she's feeling bored and restless. Then she meets Margot Banks, an alluring socialite who is part of an elite clique secretly known as the Hunting Wives. Sophie finds herself completely drawn to Margot and swept into her mysterious world of late-night target practice and dangerous partying. As Sophie's curiosity gives way to full-blown obsession, she slips farther away from the safety of her family and deeper into this nest of vipers. When the body of a teenage girl is discovered in the woods where the Hunting Wives meet, Sophie finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation and her life spiraling out of control.