The Marquess Langston has more important things to worry about than a group of literature-loving ladies. But Matthew's grand plan to rescue the family from ruin could be lost when he discovers Sarah hiding behind his bedroom curtain. What is this meddlesome woman up to? And why are his desires inflamed by a chit who is too inquisitive for her own good? Well, two can play at this game . . . and when Matthew captures the beguiling Sarah in all her naked glory, the night of mischief has only just begun.
]]>The last thing Daniel wanted was to be shackled by marriage vows. He lusted after Carolyn, sure, but he never imagined that once he lured her to his bed he'd never want to let her go. Yet only when a murderer targets his beloved will he be spurred to confess his true love . . . and claim Carolyn as his bride.
]]>At 25, Hayley Albright--the oldest of her orphaned family--firmly decides that she will not marry. Instead, she devotes herself to her household of boisterous siblings and eccentric servants, giving up her dreams of love and marriage until one moonlit night, when she comes upon a wounded stranger in the woods. Determined to save him, Hayley takes him home and nurses him back to health.
Lord Stephen Barrett awakens in an unfamiliar bedchamber to find he's been shot in what appears to be the second attempt on his life. Deciding that the Albright home is a safe place to recuperate while he works out a plan to catch his assailant, he conceals his true identity by telling his rescuer that he is a tutor en route to his next assignment. What Stephen won't admit, even to himself, is that Hayley's warmth of spirit, beautiful face, aquamarine eyes, and lushly curved six-foot-tall body is a powerful inducement for him to remain in Kent. Before long, however, Stephen can't deny that Hayley stirs a fierce passion in him while the rambunctious children and devoted servants threaten to melt the icy coldness of his heart. But he must leave the Albright home to identify and capture his would-be assassin, for to remain would place the family in jeopardy. Will Hayley forgive Stephen for deserting her--if only for a little while--and can Stephen come to terms with the depth of his feelings for the beautiful spinster?
In her debut novel, D'Alessandro pairs a moody, dark hero with a sunny, free-spirited heroine while demonstrating a marked talent for gathering a cast of lively secondary characters. The hero is endearingly obtuse about recognizing love and the heroine admirable in her determination not to pine for a man who refuses to realize their rare good fortune. --Lois Faye Dyer
]]>Victoria cannot believe her father would send her to the middle of nowhere, and just when the the Season was in full swing! And with Nathan Oliver, no less! Of course, he's dashing and more interesting than the fops she's acquainted with in Town, and it would be so easy to fall in love with him. But why does he insist on searching through her luggage in the middle of the night? And why does he insist their lives are in danger?
]]>Known as the Colonial Upstart by polite London society, American-born beauty Elizabeth has much larger problems than the question of her citizenship. After chasing an errant kitten through the bushes at a fancy ball and being discovered in a most undignified position, Elizabeth unexpectedly makes the acquaintance of no less than Austin Jamison, the Duke of Bradford, her reluctant host. Conspiring with Elizabeth to return the kitten to its worried mama and to sneak Elizabeth into her room the back way so as to spare her humiliation, Bradford is at first shocked then immediately suspicious of Elizabeth's questions about his brother William, who is reported to have died a hero's death while in service to his country. Bradford protects a secret that threatens to destroy his family, and he'll do anything to keep it a secret, even if it means keeping an eye on the lissome Elizabeth all day--and all night. Elizabeth is equally determined to use every advantage to protect Bradford from the menacing threat stalking him. Close quarters prove an irresistible temptation for the headstrong couple who eventually realize that their greatest strength, and their most useful gift, is their love for each other. Jacquie D'Alessandro's sophomore effort combines sensuality and humor in a tender tale that will leave readers clamoring for more, more, more! --Alison Trinkle
]]>Colin Oliver, Viscount Sutton, left his beloved Cornwall for London to find a bride—some comely, proper, wellborn lady to bear him an heir. Certainly not someone like Madame Alexandra Larchmont. Yes, she's the toast of the ton, and a rare beauty to be sure. But she's also a fortune-teller. And Colin has an excellent reason for keeping a sharp watch on this one . . .
The cards have warned Alexandra for years about a dark-haired stranger who would wreak havoc with her life, so when she sees him at a soiree, her first thought is to run. Unfortunately, she overhears a murder plot, and the only person she can turn to for help is a man she knows she should stay away from, a man who eyes her with an undisguised hunger.
But fate's strange turns are Alexandra's stock in trade. And if love is written in the cards, surely nothing is impossible!
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