A gentleman fleeing the bonds of loveless marriage and a lady in desperate need of a champion join forces to defend an ancient legacy.

Jacqueline Tregarth, lady and guardian of Nimway Hall, is devoted to protecting her people, the Hall, the estate’s wood, and its farms. She yearns for a husband to help her meet the challenges, but all those seeking her hand are interested only in controlling her lands. With the estate’s stream running dry and summer looming, she sets men digging to reopen an old spring. Her workers discover a dirt-encrusted ornament buried at the spot; once removed, water flows and fills the old lake–and Jacqueline realizes the ornament is some kind of ancient orb.

Meanwhile, Lord Richard Devries, overly-eligible darling of the ton, fights free of kidnappers seeking to force him to offer for some lady’s hand. Escaping into the countryside, he gets lost in Balesboro Wood and stumbles on a covert scheme to divert a stream. Later, he finds his way to Nimway Hall, where the household is celebrating a spring running again.

Richard is welcomed and meets the fascinating Miss Tregarth. That his youthful hostess is disinclined to bat her lashes at him piques his interest, yet after his recent experiences, he feels safe in her company–for him, an unusual and comforting experience. Indeed, everything about Nimway Hall is calming and soothing.

Then Richard makes the connection between what he saw in the wood and the Hall’s recent water shortage and leads Jacqueline and her men to the diversion in the wood. Subsequently, he learns of the various men pursuing Jacqueline, and recognizes the danger to her and to the Hall. Although self-protective instinct presses him to travel on, his lamed horse has yet to recover, and despite all inner warnings, Richard feels compelled to step into the role of a supportive protector.

Aided and abetted by the household, the estate community, Balesboro Wood, and the ancient orb, propinquity works its magic, seducing Richard with a role into which he and his talents fit perfectly, and tempting Jacqueline to hope that her champion has finally found his way to her side. If the tales told of those snared by Balesboro Wood and sent to the Hall are true, then …

Yet true love never runs smoothly, and both Richard and Jacqueline must search within, embrace their destinies, and find the courage to seize their heart’s one true desire–all just in time to foil a dastardly plan that would wreck all they and the Hall’s people hold dear.

Unexpected love–plus passion, intrigue, and danger–challenge our hero to embrace his true nature.

#1 New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Laurens continues the Adventurers Quartet, a riveting blend of Regency-era high seas adventure, a mystery shrouded in the heat of tropical jungles, and the passionate romances of four couples and their unexpected journeys into love.

After a decade of captaining diplomatic voyages for Frobisher Shipping alongside covert missions for the Crown, Captain Robert Frobisher decides that establishing a home–with hearth and wife–should be his next challenge. But an unexpected mission intervenes. Although Robert sees himself as a conservative businessman-cum-diplomat and this mission is far from his usual sphere, it nevertheless falls within the scope of his abilities. As matters are urgent, he agrees to depart for West Africa forthwith. To Robert, his way forward is clear: get to Freetown, determine the location of a slavers’ camp, return to London with the information, and then proceed to find himself a wife.

Already in Freetown, Miss Aileen Hopkins is set on finding her younger brother Will, a naval lieutenant who has mysteriously disappeared. Determined and resolute, Aileen is not about to allow anyone to turn her from her path. But all too quickly, that path grows dark and dangerous. And then Robert Frobisher appears and attempts to divert her in more ways than one.

Accustomed to managing diplomats and bureaucrats, Robert discovers that manipulating a twenty-seven-year-old spinster lies outside his area of expertise. Prodded by an insistent need to protect Aileen, he realizes that joining forces with her is the surest path to meeting all the challenges before him–completing his mission, keeping her safe, and securing the woman he wants as his wife.

But the villains strike and disrupt their careful plans–leaving Robert and Aileen no choice but to attempt a last throw of the dice to complete his mission and further her brother’s rescue. Compelled to protect those weaker than themselves and bring retribution to a heartless enemy, they plunge into the jungle with only their talents and inner strengths to aid them–and with the courage of their hearts as their guide.

The first voyage is one of exploration, the second one of discovery. The third journey brings maturity, while the fourth is a voyage of second chances. Continue the journey and follow the adventure, the mystery, and the romances to the cataclysmic end.

#1 New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Laurens returns to the Cynsters’ next generation to bring you a thrilling tale of love, intrigue, and fabulous horses.

Prudence Cynster has turned her back on husband hunting in favor of horse hunting. As the head of the breeding program underpinning the success of the Cynster racing stables, she’s on a quest to acquire the necessary horses to refresh the stable’s breeding stock.

On his estranged father’s death, Deaglan Fitzgerald, now Earl of Glengarah, left London and the hedonistic life of a wealthy, wellborn rake and returned to Glengarah Castle determined to rectify the harm caused by his father’s neglect. Driven by guilt that he hadn’t been there to protect his people during the Great Famine, Deaglan holds against the lure of his father’s extensive collection of horses and, leaving the stable to the care of his brother, Felix, devotes himself to returning the estate to prosperity.

Deaglan had fallen out with his father and been exiled from Glengarah over his drive to have the horses pay their way. Knowing Deaglan’s wishes and that restoration of the estate is almost complete, Felix writes to the premier Thoroughbred breeding program in the British Isles to test their interest in the Glengarah horses.

On receiving a letter describing exactly the type of horses she’s seeking, Pru overrides her family’s reluctance and sets out for Ireland’s west coast to visit the now-reclusive wicked Earl of Glengarah. Yet her only interest is in his horses, which she cannot wait to see.

When Felix tells Deaglan that a P. H. Cynster is about to arrive to assess the horses with a view to a breeding arrangement, Deaglan can only be grateful. But then P. H. Cynster turns out to be a lady–one utterly unlike any other he’s ever met.

Yet they are who they are, and both understand their world. They battle their instincts and attempt to keep their interactions businesslike, but the sparks are incandescent and inevitably ignite a sexual blaze that consumes them both–and opens their eyes.

But before they can find their way to their now-desired goal, first one accident, then another distracts them. Someone, it seems, doesn’t want them to strike a deal. Who? Why?

They need to find out before whoever it is resorts to the ultimate sanction.

Set in Regency England, Stephanie Laurens’ New York Times best-selling Bastion Club series evokes a bygone era where romantic entanglements rule the day-and inflamed desires rule the night. In A Fine Passion, Jack, Baron Warnefleet, narrowly avoids marriage when he flees London for the refuge of his estate. But there waits Lady Clarice Altwood, whose beauty is impossible to ignore.

In this sizzling Regency from New York Times best-selling author Stephanie Laurens, Viscount Torrington is the hottest commodity in town as London’s matchmaking season begins. But the viscount only has eyes for the penniless Widow Carrington, who has recently been accused of murder. “Well plotted, wickedly sensual, and suspenseful .”-Library Journal

Stephanie Laurens’ scandalous fiction is savored by romance addicts around the world who can’t get enough of her dashing rakes and ravishing debutantes. This sultry addition to her New York Times best-selling Bastion Club series presents an unforgettable tale of rekindled love and unbridled passion. As betrayal and intrigue swirl around her, Lady Penelope finds herself inexorably drawn into the strong arms of the man she cannot resist.

New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Laurens returns to rugged Scotland with a dramatic tale of passionate desire, unwavering devotion, and a match too powerful to deny.

Restless and impatient, Marcus Cynster waits for fate to come calling. He knows his destiny lies in the lands surrounding his family home, but what will his future be and with whom will he share it? Of one fact he feels certain: his fated bride will not be Niniver Carrick. His elusive neighbor attracts him mightily, yet he feels compelled to protect her–even from himself. Fate, he’s sure, would never be so kind as to decree that Niniver should be his. The best he can do for them both is to avoid her.

Niniver has vowed to return her clan to prosperity. The epitome of fragile femininity, her delicate and ethereal exterior cloaks a stubborn will and an unflinching devotion to the people in her care. She accepts that she cannot risk marrying and losing her grip on the clan’s reins to an inevitably controlling husband. Unfortunately, many local men see her as their opportunity. Soon, she’s forced to seek help to get rid of her unwelcome suitors. Powerful and dangerous, Marcus Cynster is perfect for the task. Suppressing her wariness over tangling with a gentleman who excites her passions, she appeals to him for assistance with her peculiar problem.

Although at first he resists, Marcus discovers that, contrary to his expectations, his fated role is to stand by Niniver’s side and, ultimately, to claim her hand. Yet in order to convince her to be his bride, they must plunge headlong into a journey full of challenges, unforeseen dangers, passion, and yearning, until Niniver grasps the essential truth–that she is indeed a match for Marcus Cynster.

Stephanie Laurens authors USA Today best-selling historical romance novels such as Devil’s Bride. Exciting and deeply sensuous, A Rake’s Vow continues the Bar Cynster series. Unlike his brothers, Vane Cynster vows to never marry. The eligible women of London have different plans for him, however. Seeking safety at Bellamy Hall, the residence of his eccentric godmother, Vane doesn’t expect to meet any new unmarried women. But upon his arrival, he encounters the voluptuous Patience Debbington in the garden. When their gazes meet for the first time, she is filled with a sensation that leaves her quivering. Thoroughly overwhelmed, Vane realizes that he has never met a woman quite like Patience Debbington. As Vane’s seductions prove more and more irresistible, Patience’s oath to never open herself to heartache may soon be broken. Simon Prebble narrates this tale with the intuitive boldness and sensitivity of a true master.

Stephanie Laurens authors USA Today best-selling historical romances such as A Rake’s Vow, Devil’s Bride, and Scandal’s Bride. The fourth novel of her hot and exciting Bar Cynster series is riveting, Regency-era romance at its very best. Wealthy and roguish, Demon Cynster is perfectly content without love. Having witnessed his Cynster brethren driven to their knees by women, he knows all too well what the power of love can do to a man. But he never banked on meeting Felicity Parteger, a luscious, curvy beauty in desperate need of help. Could this tempting woman be the one? Felicity knows he will never pledge her his love–can passion and lust alone suffice? Driving Laurens’ tale toward its climax, Simon Prebble’s powerful narration takes listeners to a new pinnacle of pleasure.

Estas cordialmente invitado a la boda de Miss Heather Cynster… pero no antes de que ella se encuentre con secuestradores, peligro y un osado rescate a manos del Vizconde Breckenridge. Decidida a cazar su propio heroe, el que la cautivara y llevara a la dicha matrimonial, y al perder las esperanzas de encontrarlo en los bailes de salon de Londres, Heather Cynster sale de su mundo familiar y asiste osadamente a una atrevida velada. Pero su prometedora caza se ve estropeada por el sumamente entrometido Vizconde Breckenridge, quien la saca rapidamente del escandalo y directo al peligro, cuando un misterioso enemigo aprovecha, la mete en un coche y la lleva fuera de Londres. Ahora es el turno del celebre Breckenridge de demostar ser el heroe que ella ha estado buscando todo este tiempo…

Author of such titles as Devil’s Bride (L1024) and A Rake’s Vow (L1023), Stephanie Laurens is a favorite around the globe. In A Secret Love, a mysterious and sensual woman, shrouded in a heavy black veil, begs Gabriel Cynster to help protect her family’s home from the unscrupulous man trying to steal it. Unable to resist a challenge, he agrees-but protection comes with a price. From one searing kiss to the next, the truth of her identity could be revealed, which could cost both of them everything-including their passion.

All About Love continues USA Today bestselling author Stephanie Laurens’ Bar Cynster series. Determined to escape the matchmaking skills of London society, Alasdair Cynster-better known as Lucifer-heads for the English countryside. But his flight from London leads him straight to Phyllida Tallent, a beautiful, strong-willed young woman who is as equally determined as he is to remain unmarried. “Phyllida and Lucifer are rich, engaging characters, and Laurens’s writing shines.”-Publishers Weekly

New York Times best-selling author Stephanie Laurens is adored for her titillating Regency romances that have garnered her countless fans. Gyles Rawlings, the Earl of Chillingsworth, is a man determined to stay in control of his destiny. Even as he vows to wed a dutiful, blue-blooded lady for the purpose of fostering progeny, he deviously plans to fulfill his most sinful pleasures with a brazen strumpet. But standing at the altar on that fateful day, he unexpectedly finds himself falling in love with his beautiful bride-to-be.

With his older brother’s betrothal announced, Lord Michael Cynster is freed of all familial expectations. But the allure of his previous hedonistic pursuits has paled. Then he learns of the mission his brother and his fiancee have been assisting with and volunteers to help by hunting down a hoard of gunpowder now stashed somewhere in London.

Michael’s quest leads him to the Hendon Shipping Company, where his sole source of information is the fetchingly attractive Miss Cleome Hendon. When Michael asks about the carters who transported the gunpowder, Cleo offers him a bargain: she will lead him to the carters he seeks, but only if he agrees to include her as an equal partner in the mission.

But their investigation proves dangerous, and the further they go in tracing the gunpowder, the more deaths they uncover. Soon Michael and Cleo find themselves tangled in a fight for their lives–one that forces them to face what has grown between them, to seize and defend what they both see as their path to the greatest adventure of all: a shared life, a shared future, a shared love.

New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Laurens returns to another utterly irresistible branch on her beloved Cynster family tree in And Then She Fell.

Set in Regency England, London’s Henrietta Cynster, known as “The Matchbreaker” has a special talent for making sure that bad marriages never happen. After breaking up one ill-suited couple, Henrietta is obligated to find the perfect bride for the debonair James Glossup.

The assignment proves to be a challenging one for the single-minded Henrietta, who believes that finding love isn’t in her own stars. But Henrietta discovers–in spite of her personal denials of love–that both she and James are indisputably drawn to each other.

Fans of Stephanie Laurens’s Cynster books and readers of smart and compelling historical romances will be transported and entertained by And Then She Fell.

A little bit wild and undeniably brave, the gentlemen of the Bastion Club have pursued adventures far and wide. But their exploits at home could prove to be the riskiest of all as they hunt an elusive target: the perfect bride.

In a moment of recklessness, Gervase Tregarth, sixth Earl of Crowhurst, swears he’ll marry the next eligible lady to cross his path. Cloistered at his ancestral castle in Cornwall, with nary a suitable woman for miles, he never expects he’ll have to fulfill his pledge, at least not until the London season begins. But then he meets his neighbor, the very appealing Madeline Gascoigne.

Years of secret service to the Crown have taught Gervase the value of always having a loophole—there will be no wedding if he and Madeline are not compatible in every way. So he sets out to prove that they would make a most dreadful match by luring her into his arms and, ultimately, his bed. From their very first kiss, Gervase discovers that the headstrong and independent Madeline is no meek country miss—and that the fire between them will burn long beyond that first seduction.

#1 New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Laurens returns to romantic Scotland to usher in a new generation of Cynsters in an enchanting tale of mistletoe, magic, and love.

It’s December 1837, and the young adults of the Cynster clan have succeeded in having the family Christmas celebration held at snowbound Casphairn Manor, Richard and Catriona Cynster’s home. Led by Sebastian, Marquess of Earith, and by Lucilla, future Lady of the Vale, and her twin brother, Marcus, the upcoming generation has its own plans for the holiday season.

Yet where Cynsters gather, love is never far behind. The festive occasion brings together Daniel Crosbie, tutor to Lucifer Cynster’s sons, and Claire Meadows, widow and governess to Gabriel Cynster’s daughter. Daniel and Claire have met before, and the embers of an unexpected passion smolder between them, but Claire–once bitten, twice shy–believes a second marriage is not in her stars. Daniel, however, is determined to press his suit. He has seen the love the Cynsters share, and Claire is the lady with whom he dreams of sharing his life. Assisted by a bevy of Cynsters, innate matchmakers every one, Daniel strives to persuade Claire that trusting him with her hand and her heart is her right path to happiness.

Meanwhile, out riding on Christmas Eve, the young adults of the Cynster clan respond to a plea for help. Summoned to a humble dwelling in ruggedly forested mountains, Lucilla is called on to help with the difficult birth of a child, while the others rise to the challenge of helping her. With a violent storm closing in and severely limited options, the next generation of Cynsters face their first collective test–can they save this mother and child–and themselves, too?

Back at the manor, Claire is increasingly drawn to Daniel, and, despite her misgivings, against the backdrop of the ongoing festivities their relationship deepens. Yet she remains torn–until catastrophe strikes, and by winter’s light she learns that love–true love–is worth any risk, any price.

They meet in a clash of swords, drenched in the moonlight of Britain’s rugged eastern coast: Captain Jack, his handsome features etched in silver and shadow, his powerful physique compelling “Kit” Cranmer to surrender. He is her dream lover come vividly alive, and his command of the smuggling gang is absolute. His all-knowing gaze penetrates her disguise as the male leader of a rival gang with frightening ease, and his “punishment” with kisses leaves her maidenly modesty in tatters. Suddenly Kit finds she’s only too delighted to explore with Jack the pleasures conventionally reserved for married ladies–little knowing what dangerous forces she’s unleashing, for even as Kit revels in midnight gallops and cottage rendezvous, Captain Jack is laying a gentle trap that will curtail her freedom and bind her to him with a ring, a promise–and ties of devotion and desire.

Bold, daring, larger-than-life heroes and feisty, intelligent heroines burst from the pages of Stephanie Laurens’ exciting historical romance novels. Devil’s Bride is rich with engaging plot and sensuous character development. Governess Honoria Wetherby values her independence. She would rather travel the world than marry and give some man control of her life. Then one stormy evening fate changes all her plans. She stumbles upon a mortally wounded young man in the woods. When the stranger dies, she is trapped in a cabin with his body and with his newly-arrived cousin, Devil, whom she soon learns is aptly named. He insists that their unchaperoned night together has compromised her honor, and, therefore she must marry him. Narrator Simon Prebble tantalizes listeners as he breathes life into these intriguing characters. Tension levels run high as Honoria plots to thwart Devil’s marriage plans and tries to help him find his cousin’s killer…the same madman who is now plotting to murder Devil.

A gentleman searching for a purpose in life sets out to claim his legacy, only to discover that instead of the country residence he’d expected, he’s inherited an eccentric community whose enterprises are overseen by a decidedly determined young lady who is disinclined to hand over the reins.

Gregory Cynster arrives at the property willed to him by his great-aunt with the intention of converting Bellamy Hall into a quiet, comfortable, gentleman’s country residence, only to discover the Hall overrun by an eclectic collection of residents engaged in a host of business endeavors under the stewardship of a lady far too young to be managing such reins.

With the other residents of the estate, Caitlin Fergusson has been planning just how to deal with the new owner, but coming face to face with Gregory Cynster throws her and everyone else off their stride. They’d anticipated a bored and disinterested gentleman who, once they’d revealed the income generated by the Hall’s community, would be content to leave them undisturbed.

Instead, while Gregory appears the epitome of the London rake they’d expected him to be, they quickly learn he’s determined to embrace Bellamy Hall and all its works and claim ownership of the estate.

While the other residents adjust their thinking, the burden of dealing daily with Gregory falls primarily on Caitlin’s slender shoulders. Yet as he doggedly carves out a place for himself, Caitlin’s position as chatelaine-cum-steward seems set to grow redundant. But Caitlin has her own reasons for clinging to the refuge her position at Bellamy Hall represents.

What follows is a dance of revelations, both of others and also of themselves, for Gregory, Caitlin, and the residents of Bellamy Hall. Yet even as they work out what their collective future might hold, a shadowy villain threatens to steal away everything they’ve created.

Arguably Regency England’s most scandalous family of misbehaving rogues and ladies, the Cynsters are back! New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Laurens continues her delectable new historical romance series with In Pursuit of Eliza Cynster, focusing on the first of three Cynster sisters, each on a determined quest to find a hero who’s her match in every way possible. When Eliza is kidnapped from her sister’s engagement ball, the plucky miss refuses to be daunted–and her escape leads her straight into the arms of a most unlikely champion. Devoted Laurens and Cynster fans, as well as readers of the acclaimed romance fiction of Lisa Kleypas, will find pursuing Eliza Cynster to be an exceptional delight!

New York Times bestselling historical romance superstars Stephanie Laurens and Mary Balogh, along with beloved fan favorites Jacquie D’Alessandro and Candice Hern—the four authors who brought you It Happened One Night—are back with It Happened One Season. Even more inventive than their bestselling first anthology, It Happened One Season presents four love stories set during an unforgettable Regency social season—each passion-rich novella based on the same themes chosen by readers during a month-long online contest…yet each one surprisingly, delightfully unique!

#1 New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Laurens brings you a heartwarming tale of a long-ago country village Christmas, a grandmother, three eager grandchildren, one moody teenage granddaughter, an earnest young lady, a gentleman in hiding, and an elusive book of Christmas carols.

Therese, Lady Osbaldestone, and her household are quietly delighted when her younger daughter’s three children, Jamie, George, and Lottie, insist on returning to Therese’s house, Hartington Manor in the village Little Moseley, to spend the three weeks leading up to Christmas participating in the village’s traditional events.

Then out of the blue, one of Therese’s older granddaughters, Melissa, arrives on the doorstep. Her mother, Therese’s older daughter, begs Therese to take Melissa in until the family gathering at Christmas–otherwise, Melissa has nowhere else to go.

Despite having no experience dealing with moody, reticent teenagers like Melissa, Therese welcomes Melissa warmly. The younger children are happy to include their cousin in their plans–and despite her initial aloofness, Melissa discovers she’s not too old to enjoy the simple delights of a village Christmas.

The previous year, Therese learned the trick to keeping her unexpected guests out of mischief. She casts around and discovers that the new organist, who plays superbly, has a strange failing. He requires the written music in front of him before he can play a piece, and the church’s book of Christmas carols has gone missing.

Therese immediately volunteers the services of her grandchildren, who are only too happy to fling themselves into the search to find the missing book of carols. Its disappearance threatens one of the village’s most valued Christmas traditions–the Carol Service–yet as the book has always been freely loaned within the village, no one imagines that it won’t be found with a little application.

But as Therese’s intrepid four follow the trail of the book from house to house, the mystery of where the book has vanished to only deepens. Then the organist hears the children singing and invites them to form a special guest choir. The children love singing, and provided they find the book in time, they’ll be able to put on an extra-special service for the village.

While the urgency and their desire to finding the missing book escalates, the children–being Therese’s grandchildren–get distracted by the potential for romance that buds, burgeons, and blooms before them.

Yet as Christmas nears, the questions remain: Will the four unravel the twisted trail of the missing book in time to save the village’s Carol Service? And will they succeed in nudging the organist and the harpist they’ve found to play alongside him into seizing the happy-ever-after that hovers before the pair’s noses?

Three years after being widowed, Lady Therese Osbaldestone finally settles into her dower property of Hartington Manor in the village of Little Moseley in Hampshire. She is in two minds as to whether life in the small village will generate sufficient interest to keep her amused over the months when she is not in London or visiting friends around the country. But she will see.

It’s December, 1810, and Therese is looking forward to her usual Christmas with her family at Winslow Abbey, her youngest daughter, Celia’s home. But then a carriage rolls up and disgorges Celia’s three oldest children. Their father has contracted mumps, and their mother has sent the three–Jamie, George, and Lottie–to spend this Christmas with their grandmama in Little Moseley.

Therese has never had to manage small children, not even her own. She assumes the children will keep themselves amused, but quickly learns that what amuses three inquisitive, curious, and confident youngsters isn’t compatible with village peace. Just when it seems she will have to set her mind to inventing something, she and the children learn that with only twelve days to go before Christmas, the village flock of geese has vanished.

Every household in the village is now missing the centerpiece of their Christmas feast. But how could an entire flock go missing without the slightest trace? The children are as mystified and as curious as Therese–and she seizes on the mystery as the perfect distraction for the three children as well as herself.

But while searching for the geese, she and her three helpers stumble on two locals who, it is clear, are in dire need of assistance in sorting out their lives. Never one to shy from a little matchmaking, Therese undertakes to guide Miss Eugenia Fitzgibbon into the arms of the determinedly reclusive Lord Longfellow. To her considerable surprise, she discovers that her grandchildren have inherited skills and talents from both her late husband as well as herself. And with all the customary village events held in the lead up to Christmas, she and her three helpers have opportunities galore in which to subtly nudge and steer.

Yet while their matchmaking appears to be succeeding, neither they nor anyone else have found so much as a feather from the village’s geese. Larceny is ruled out; a flock of that size could not have been taken from the area without someone noticing. So where could the birds be? And with the days passing and Christmas inexorably approaching, will they find the blasted birds in time?

New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Laurens immerses you in the simple joys of a long-ago country-village Christmas, featuring a grandmother, her grandchildren, her unwed son, a determined not-so-young lady, foreign diplomats, undercover guards, and agents of Napoleon.

At Hartington Manor in the village of Little Moseley, Therese, Lady Osbaldestone, and her household are once again enjoying the company of her intrepid grandchildren, Jamie, George, and Lottie, when they are unexpectedly joined by her ladyship’s youngest and still-unwed son, also the children’s favorite uncle, Christopher.

As the Foreign Office’s master intelligencer, Christopher has been ordered into hiding until the department can appropriately deal with the French agent spotted following him in London. Christopher chose to seek refuge in Little Moseley because it’s such a tiny village that anyone without a reason to be there stands out. Neither he nor his office-appointed bodyguard expect to encounter any dramas.

Then Christopher spots a lady from London he believes has been hunting him with matrimonial intent. He can’t understand how she tracked him to the village, but determined to avoid her, he enlists the children’s help. The children discover their information-gathering skills are in high demand, and while engaging with the villagers as they usually do and taking part in the village’s traditional events, they do their best to learn what Miss Marion Sewell is up to.

But upon reflection, Christopher realizes it’s unlikely the Marion he was so attracted to years before has changed all that much, and he starts to wonder if what she wants to tell him is actually something he might want to hear. Unfortunately, he has set wheels in motion that are not easy to redirect. Although Marion tries to approach him several times, he and she fail to make contact.

Then just when it seems they will finally connect, a dangerous stranger lures Marion away. Fearing the worst, Christopher gives chase–trailed by his bodyguard, the children, and a small troop of helpful younger gentlemen.

What they discover at nearby Parteger Hall is not at all what anyone expected, and as the action unfolds, the assembled company band together to protect a secret vital to the resolution of the war against Napoleon.

#1 New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Laurens brings you the delights of a long-ago country-village Christmas, featuring a grandmother, her grandchildren, an artifact hunter, the lady who catches his eye, and three ancient coins that draw them all together in a Christmas treasure hunt.

Therese, Lady Osbaldestone, and her household again welcome her younger daughter’s children, Jamie, George, and Lottie, plus their cousins Melissa and Mandy, all of whom have insisted on spending the three weeks prior to Christmas at Therese’s house, Hartington Manor, in the village of Little Moseley.

The children are looking forward to the village’s traditional events, and this year, Therese has arranged a new distraction–the plum puddings she and her staff are making for the entire village. But while cleaning the coins donated as the puddings’ good-luck tokens, the children discover that three aren’t coins of the realm. When consulted, Reverend Colebatch summons a friend, an archaeological scholar from Oxford, who confirms the coins are Roman, raising the possibility of a Roman treasure buried somewhere near. Unfortunately, Professor Webster is facing a deadline and cannot assist in the search, but along with his niece Honor, he will stay in the village, writing, remaining available for consultation should the children and their helpers uncover more treasure.

It soon becomes clear that discovering the source of the coins–or even which villager donated them–isn’t a straightforward matter. Then the children come across a personable gentleman who knows a great deal about Roman antiquities. He introduces himself as Callum Harris, and they agree to allow him to help, and he gets their search back on track.

But while the manor five, assisted by the gentlemen from Fulsom Hall, scour the village for who had the coins and search the countryside for signs of excavation and Harris combs through the village’s country-house libraries, amassing evidence of a Roman compound somewhere near, the site from which the coins actually came remains a frustrating mystery.

Then Therese recognizes Harris, who is more than he’s pretending to be. She also notes the romance burgeoning between Harris and Honor Webster, and given the girl doesn’t know Harris’s full name, let alone his fraught relationship with her uncle, Therese steps in. But while she can engineer a successful resolution to one romance-of-the-season, as well as a reconciliation long overdue, another romance that strikes much closer to home is beyond her ability to manipulate.

Meanwhile, the search for the source of the coins goes on, but time is running out. Will Therese’s grandchildren and their Fulsom Hall helpers locate the Roman merchant’s villa Harris is sure lies near before they all must leave the village for Christmas with their families?

Can true love die? Or, neglected, does it lie dormant until the object of true desire is again within reach? Denied, does passion smolder, like embers waiting for the right conditions to flare into an all-consuming conflagration?

New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Laurens delivers the thrilling conclusion to the acclaimed Adventurers Quartet series, a passionate Regency-era drama played out on the high seas and in the sweltering heat of tropical jungles, reaching a scintillating climax in the glittering ballrooms of Mayfair.

The eldest of the Frobisher brothers and widely known as the lord of the privateers, Royd Frobisher expects to execute the final leg of the rescue mission his brothers have been pursuing. What he does not expect is to be pressured into taking with him his emotional nemesis, childhood sweetheart, ex-handfasted bride, and current business partner, Isobel Carmichael. But is it Isobel doing the pressuring or his own restless, unfulfilled psyche?

Isobel, resolute, determined, and an all but unstoppable force of nature, has a mission of her own: find her cousin Katherine and bring her safely home. And if, along the way, she can rid herself of the lingering dreams of a life with Royd that still haunt her, then well and good.

Neither expects the shock that awaits as they set sail aboard Royd’s ship, much less the new horizons that open before them as they make port in London and then embark on a full-scale rescue and assault on the mining compound buried in the jungle.

Yet even with the support of his brothers and their ladies and all the rescued ex-captives, Royd and Isobel discover that freeing the captives is only half the battle. In order to identify and convict the backers behind the illicit enterprise–and thus protect the government from catastrophic destabilization–they must return to the ballrooms of the haut ton and, with the help of a small army of supporters, hunt the villains on their home ground.

But having found each other again, having glimpsed the heaven that could be theirs again, how much are they willing to risk in the name of duty?

Learn the answer and revel in the action, drama, intrigue, and passion as the Frobishers–with help from Wolverstone, the Cynsters, and many familiar others–steer the adventure to a glorious end.

#1 New York Times bestselling author returns with another thrilling story from the Casebook of Barnaby Adair . . .

Miraculously spared from death, Malcolm Sinclair erases the notorious man he once was. Reinventing himself as Thomas Glendower, he strives to make amends for his past, yet he never imagines penance might come via a secretive lady he discovers living in his secluded manor.

Rose has a plausible explanation for why she and her children are residing in Thomas’s house, but she quickly realizes he’s far too intelligent to fool. Revealing the truth is impossibly dangerous, yet day by day he wins her trust, and then her heart.

But then her enemy closes in, and Rose turns to Thomas as the only man who can protect her and the children. And when she asks for his help, Thomas finally understands his true purpose, and with unwavering commitment, he seeks his redemption the only way he can–through living the reality of loving Rose.

The men of the Bastion Club proved their bravery secretly fighting for their country. Now their leader faces the most dangerous mission of all: finding a bride.

As the mysterious leader of the Bastion Club, known as “Dalziel,” Royce Varisey, tenth Duke of Wolverstone, served his country for decades, facing dangers untold. But as the holder of one of England’s most august noble titles, he must now take on the gravest duty of all: marriage.

Yet the young ladies the grande dames would have him consider are predictably boring. Far more tempting is his castle’s willful and determinedly aloof chatelaine, Minerva Chesterton. Beneath her serene façade lies a woman of smoldering sensuality, one who will fill his days with comfort and his nights with sheer pleasure. Determined to claim her, he embarks on a seduction to prove his mastery over every inch of her body—and every piece of her heart.

A story of two people thrown together on a journey of discovery that defines what each most want of life, love, and family: a gentleman wishing to buy a fabulous horse and a lady set on protecting her family find common ground while pursuing a thief who upends both of their plans.

Nicholas Cynster rides up to Aisby Grange determined to secure the stallion known as the Barbarian for his family’s thoroughbred breeding stable, only to be turned away by the owner’s daughter. Nicholas retreats but is not about to be denied by any lady, no matter how startlingly beautiful and distracting.

Lady Adriana Sommerville knows Nicholas will be back and resigns herself to having to manage his interaction with her aging father. She successfully negotiates that potential quagmire only, at the very last moment, to discover that the horse is missing.

Stunned, Addie insists on setting out in pursuit and is not so silly as to refuse Nicholas’s support. But as they follow on the heels of the Barbarian, their adventures and encounters open their eyes to the prospect of a more enduring partnership.

Yet before they can follow that trail farther and before they can lay hands on the horse, through shock after shock, their pursuit uncovers a complicated plot that strips away masks and rescripts everything Addie and her siblings thought they knew about the Sommerville family.

Laurens, a New York Times best-selling author, thrills millions of fans with each book in her sensuous Bar Cynster series. Both beautiful and headstrong, Amelia Cynster has decided to marry the man of her dreams. Lucien Ashford is handsome and sexy-but Amelia is tired of waiting for him to make the first move. So slowly, carefully, she begins to lay her trap .

New York Times best-selling author Stephanie Laurens is praised for her sultry romances. On a Wild Night may be her most uninhibited Bar Cynster book yet. It’s 1825 in London, and the two curvaceous and blonde 23-year-old Cynster twins Amanda and Amelia are very eager to get married. This passionate tale features an enticing narration from Simon Prebble.

Stephanie Laurens authors USA Today best-selling historical romances such as A Rake’s Vow (L1023) and Devil’s Bride (L1024). Lauren’s Scandal’s Bride is the hot and exciting third novel in her riveting Bar Cynster series. Cynster men are invariably handsome rogues, and Catriona Hennessy, Scottish Lady of the Vale is well aware of their reputation. She is aghast when it is decreed by her guardian that she must marry the scandalous Richard Cynster within one week’s time. Like her mother before her, Catriona is a beautiful, independent woman who needs no man to rule over her or the Vale. But what she does need is an heir–will the charming Richard Cynster be willing to give her what she wants? Facing unavoidable marriage, Richard savors the challenge of taming spirited Catriona. Simon Prebble’s masterful narration of Laurens’ tale will leave listeners feeling exhilarated.

Three spectacular stories all set on New Year’s Eve. First, Stephanie Laurens enthralls us with a New Year’s scandal, when a rake awakens in the bed of the temptress who seduced him years before. Then, Victoria Alexander enchants with her tale of a love promised, then foiled and then rekindled on another midnight. And Rachel Gibson delights with the reunion of two estranged friends and the passionate sparks that fly when the clock strikes twelve.

Readers and critics alike succumb to New York Times best-selling author Stephanie Laurens’ Regency-era romances. In Temptation and Surrender, strapping gentle – man Jonas Tallent auditions managers for the inn on his family’s estate. Though he is at first flabbergasted by the idea of a lady-much less a fetching one-running the inn, Jonas finds that Emily Beauregard makes a tantalizing case.

Stephanie Laurens continues her bestselling Cynster series with Temptation and Surrender, the story of Jonas Tallent, brother-in-law of Lucifer Cynster, who leaves the ballrooms of London to manage his family’s estate, and his romance with lady innkeeper Emily Beauregard.

#1 New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Laurens continues the bold tales of the Cavanaugh siblings as the sole Cavanaugh sister discovers that love truly does conquer all.

A lady with a passion for music and the maestro she challenges in pursuit of a worthy cause find themselves battling villains both past and present as they fight to secure life’s greatest rewards–love, marriage, and family.

Stacie–Lady Eustacia Cavanaugh–is adamant marriage is not for her. Wealthy and well-born, she needs for nothing, and with marriage off the table, to give her life purpose, she embarks on a plan to further the careers of emerging local musicians by introducing them to the ton via a series of musical evenings. Yet despite her noble status, Stacie requires a musical lure to tempt the haut ton to her events, and only one musician commands sufficient cachet–the reclusive and notoriously reluctant Marquess of Albury.

Frederick, Marquess of Albury, has fashioned a life for himself as a musical scholar, one he pursues largely out of sight of the ton. He might be renowned as a virtuoso on the pianoforte, yet he sees no reason to endure the smothering overattentiveness of society. Then his mother inveigles him into meeting Stacie, and the challenge she lays before him is … tempting. Enough for him not to immediately refuse her.

A dance of subtle persuasion ensues, and step by step, Frederick finds himself convinced that Stacie’s plan has real merit and that it behooves him to support her. At least for one event.

Stacie’s first musical evening, featuring Frederick as the principal performer, is a massive success–until Fate takes a hand and lands them in a situation that forces them both to reassess.

Does Frederick want more than the sterile, academic life he’d thought was for him?

Can Stacie overcome her deepest fears and own to and reach for her girlhood dreams?

Impulsive, arrogant, and used to getting his own way, Frederick finds his answer easily enough, but his new direction puts him on a collision course with Stacie’s fears. Luckily, he thrives on challenges–which is just as well, because in addition to convincing Stacie that love can, indeed, conquer all, he and she must unravel the mystery of who is behind a spate of murderous attacks before the villain succeeds in eliminating all hope of a happy ending.

“Fabulously entertaining….Laurens adds a dash of exotic spice to her always reliable mix of sexy romance and risky intrigue.”

—Booklist

The third book in New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Laurens’s sensational Black Cobra Quartet, The Brazen Bride ingeniously blends intrigue and danger with sizzling, passionate love. With ties to Laurens’s wildly popular Cynster novels, The Brazen Bride—and the other breathtaking installments in her magnificent four-book adventure—will enthrall her devoted fans and every reader who craves historical romance rich in excitement and peril.

“Laurens’s lush sensuality takes my breath away!”
–Lisa Kleypas

Stephanie Laurens fans simply cannot get enough of the Cynsters–the New York Times bestselling author’s wickedly seductive family of sexy rogues and headstrong young ladies. With The Capture of the Earl of Glencrae, Laurens’s enthralling historical romance miniseries featuring the Cynster Brides comes to a wild and satisfying conclusion–as lovely, determined Angelica Cynster recognizes her ideal match across a candlelit ballroom…only to find herself suddenly kidnapped by the man, spirited off to the Scottish Highlands, and engaged to be married!

A young lady accused of theft and the gentleman who elects himself her champion enlist the aid of Stokes, Barnaby, Penelope, and friends in pursuing justice, only for the investigators to find themselves tangled in a web of interfamily tensions and secrets.

When Miss Cara Di Abaccio is accused of stealing the Carisbrook emeralds by the infamously arrogant Lady Carisbrook and marched out of her guardian’s house by Scotland Yard’s finest, Barnaby Adair’s cousin Hugo Adair takes umbrage and descends on Scotland Yard, breathing fire in Cara’s defense.

Hugo discovers Inspector Stokes has been assigned to the case, and after surveying the evidence thus far, Stokes calls in his big guns when it comes to dealing with investigations in the ton–namely, the Honorable Barnaby Adair and his wife, Penelope.

Soon convinced of Cara’s innocence and, given Hugo’s apparent tendre for Cara needing to clear her name, Penelope and Barnaby join Stokes and his team in pursuing the emeralds and, most importantly, who stole them.

But the deeper our intrepid investigators delve into the Carisbrook household, the more certain they become that all is not as it should be. Lady Carisbrook is a harpy, Franklin Carisbrook is secretive, Julia Carisbrook is overly timid, and Lord Carisbrook, otherwise a genial and honorable gentleman, holds himself distant from his family. More, his lordship attempts to shut down the investigation. And Stokes, Barnaby, and Penelope are convinced the Carisbrooks’ staff are not sharing all they know.

Meanwhile, appointed Cara’s watchdog until the mystery is resolved, Hugo, fascinated by Cara as he’s been with no other, seeks to entertain and amuse her … and, increasingly intently, to discover the way to her heart. Consequently, Penelope finds herself juggling the attractions of the investigation and the Adair family’s demands for her to actively encourage the budding romance.

What would her mentors advise? On that, Penelope is crystal clear.

Aided by Griselda, Violet, and Montague and calling on contacts in business, the underworld, and ton society, Penelope, Barnaby, and Stokes battle to peel back each layer of subterfuge and, step by step, eliminate the innocent and follow the emeralds’ trail …

Yet instead of becoming clearer, the veils and shadows shrouding the Carisbrooks only grow murkier … until, abruptly, our investigators find themselves facing an inexplicable death, with a potential murderer whose conviction would shake society to its back teeth.

#1 New York Times bestselling author of the beloved Cynster novels, Stephanie Laurens takes you on a fresh journey with the Adventurers Quartet, a daring Regency-era adventure laced with mystery, tropical heat and passionate romance.

He has something to prove

Captain Caleb Frobisher, hedonistic youngest son of a seafaring dynasty, wants to be taken seriously. Seizing the next leg of the covert mission his brothers are pursuing, he acts decisively and effectively in securing the mission’s objectives. But responsibility has taken root, and he remains in the jungle to ensure the mission’s ultimate goal.

She will risk everything

Katherine Fortescue fled a life of poverty and came to Freetown as a governess, only to be kidnapped and forced to oversee the child workforce at a mine. Guarded by well-armed, well-trained mercenaries, the captives have lost all hope of escape. Then Katherine meets a handsome man–a captain–and he brings the sweet promise of rescue.

Together they will face the future

The sadistic mercenary who runs the mine has other plans, but Caleb’s true strength lies in extracting advantage from adversity, and through the clashes that follow, he becomes the leader he was always destined to be. The sort of man Katherine can trust–with her body, with her life, and with her love.

Race with the Adventurers Quartet as these passionate daredevils lead the way to the stunning and dramatic conclusion.

#1 New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Laurens returns with a new series that captures the simmering desires and intrigues of early Victorians as only she can. Ryder Cavanaugh’s stepsiblings are determined to make their own marks in London society. Seeking fortune and passion, THE CAVANAUGHS will delight readers with their bold exploits.

An independent nobleman

Lord Randolph Cavanaugh is loyal and devoted–but only to family. To the rest of the world, he’s aloof and untouchable, a respected and driven entrepreneur. But Rand yearns for more in life, and when he travels to Buckinghamshire to review a recent investment, he discovers a passionate woman who will challenge his rigid self-control…

A determined lady

Felicia Throgmorton intends to keep her family afloat. For decades, her father was consumed by his inventions and now, months after his death, with their finances in ruins, her brother insists on continuing their father’s tinkering. Felicia is desperate to hold together what’s left of the estate. Then she discovers she must help persuade their latest investor that her father’s follies are a risk worth taking…

Together–the perfect team

Rand arrives at Throgmorton Hall to discover the invention on which he’s staked his reputation has exploded, the inventor is not who he expected and a fiercely intelligent woman now holds the key to his future success. But unflinching courage in the face of dismaying hurdles is a trait they share, and Rand and Felicia are forced to act together against ruthless foes to protect everything they hold dear.

They proved their bravery fighting for His Majesty’s Secret Service and were rewarded with brides of great beauty and breeding. But one member of the Bastion Club has remained a bachelor—until now.

“Christian, I need your help. There is no one else I can turn to…L.”

When Christian Allardyce, sixth Marquess of Dearne, reads those words, his world turns upside down. Lady Letitia Randall is a woman like no other, and the day he left her behind to fight for king and country was the most difficult of his life. He never forgot the feel of her lips against his, but he never expected to see her again. Yet now she seeks his help, and Christian knows he will not resist her plea.

Letitia believes that Christian abandoned her when she needed him most, and she hates to call on his aid. But to clear her brother’s name, she has sworn to use every weapon at her command, even if it means seducing her ex-lover. Yet all the while, Christian is waging a war of his own—a campaign of pure pleasure and sweet revenge that will take them both beyond the edge of desire.

Stephanie Laurens, the phenomenal New York Times bestselling superstar is back with The Elusive Bride–the second book in her magnificent Black Cobra Quartet. Never before in print, this masterful blend of passion and intrigue follows The Untamed Bride, the first in the four-part historical romance series that Booklist calls, “fabulously entertaining.” A spellbinding tale of destiny, duty, desire, and peril–with ties to her popular Bastion Club novels and her well-loved romantic adventures featuring the endearing family of rogues, the Cynsters–The Elusive Bride confirms Laurens’s well-deserved standing as one of the genre’s premier storytellers.

#1 New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Laurens returns to the Cynsters’s next generation with an evocative tale of two people striving to overcome unusual hurdles in order to claim true love.

A nobleman wedded to the lady he loves strives to overwrite five years of masterful pretense and open his wife’s eyes to the fact that he loves her as much as she loves him.

Lord Devlin Cader, Earl of Alverton, married Therese Cynster five years ago. What he didn’t tell her then and has assiduously hidden ever since–for what seemed excellent reasons at the time–is that he loves her every bit as much as she loves him.

For her own misguided reasons, Therese had decided that the adage that Cynsters always marry for love did not necessarily mean said Cynsters were loved in return. She accepted that was usually so, but she believed she would never be loved for herself. Consequently, after falling irrevocably in love with Devlin, when he made it plain he didn’t love her yet wanted her to wife, she accepted the half love-match he offered, and once they were wed, set about organizing to make their marriage the very best it could be.

Now, five years later, they are an established couple within the haut ton, have three young children, and Devlin is making a name for himself in business and political circles. There’s only one problem: Devlin is no longer content with the half love-match he himself engineered. No fool, he sees and comprehends what the craven act of denying his love is costing both him and Therese and feels compelled to rectify his fault. He wants for them what all Therese’s married cousins enjoy–the rich and myriad benefits of marriages based on acknowledged mutual love.

Love, he’s discovered, is too powerful a force to deny, leaving him wrestling with the conundrum of finding a way to convincingly reveal to Therese that he loves her without wrecking everything–especially the mutual trust–they’ve built over the past five years.

Lord Drake Varisey, Marquess of Winchelsea, eldest son and heir of the Duke of Wolverstone, must foil a plot that threatens to shake the foundations of the realm, but the very last lady–nay, noblewoman–he needs assisting him is Lady Louisa Cynster, known throughout the ton as Lady Wild.

For the past nine years, Louisa has suspected that Drake might well be the ideal husband for her, even though he’s assiduous in avoiding her. But she’s now twenty-seven and enough is enough. She believes propinquity will reveal exactly what it is that lies between them, and what better opportunity to work closely with Drake than this latest mission with which he patently needs her help?

Unable to deny Louisa’s abilities or the value of her assistance and powerless to curb her willfulness, Drake is forced to grit his teeth and acquiesce to her sticking by his side if only to ensure her safety. But all too soon, his true feelings for her surface sufficiently for her, perspicacious as she is, to see through his denials, which she then interprets as a challenge.

Even while they gather information, tease out clues, increasingly desperately search for the missing gunpowder, and doggedly pursue the killer responsible for an ever-escalating tally of dead men, thrown together through the hours, he and she learn to trust and appreciate each other. And fed by constant exposure–and blatantly encouraged by her–their desires and hungers swell and grow…

As the barriers between them crumble, the attraction he has for so long restrained burgeons and balloons, until goaded by her near-death, it erupts, and he seizes her–only to be seized in return.

Linked irrevocably and with their wills melded and merged by passion’s fire, with time running out and the evil mastermind’s deadline looming, together, they focus their considerable talents and make one last push to learn the critical truths–to find the gunpowder and unmask the villain behind this far-reaching plot.

Only to discover that they have significantly less time than they’d thought, that the villain’s target is even more crucially fundamental to the realm than they’d imagined, and it’s going to take all that Drake is–as well as all that Louisa as Lady Wild can bring to bear–to defuse the threat, capture the villain, and make all safe and right again.

As they race to the ultimate confrontation, the future of all England rests on their shoulders.

Michael Anstruther-Wetherby is a man destined for power. Except that Michael, for all his political skill and intelligence, lacks the most important element of success: a wife.

So he goes searching for his ideal bride, a gently bred, well-managed young lady. Michael discovers such a paragon, but finds a formidable obstacle in his path, the young lady’s beautiful, strong-minded aunt, Caroline Sutcliffe. Caro has lived through an unhappy political marriage, and wants nothing of the sort for her niece, especially as the young woman has already lost her heart to another.

Caro and the younger woman hatch a plot — Caro will demonstrate why an inexperienced young lady is not the bride for him. In deflecting Michael’s matrimonial attentions away from her niece, Caro unwittingly focuses them on herself. And then it is Michael’s turn to be persuasive, a task that requires every ounce of his seductive charm.

A series of mysterious and dangerous accidents befall Caro — it becomes clear that an assailant has stepped in with his or her own idea for Caro’s future — one that could even involve murder. Before Caro can become Michael’s ideal bride, they must race to uncover the unknown’s identity before all hope of what they long for, and wish for, is destroyed.

New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Laurens has created some of romance’s most unforgettable novels. Now she has created her most provocative love story–and amazing hero–to date. This is the book that dares to ask the question: Who is this man’s ideal bride?

Michael Anstruther-Wetherby is a rising member of Parliament–a man destined for power. Aristocratic, elegant, and effortlessly charming, he is just arrogant enough to capture the interest of the ladies of the ton. And with his connections to the wealthy and influential Cynster family–his sister is married to Devil Cynster, the Duke of St. Ives–his future appears assured.

Except that Michael lacks the single most important element of success: a wife.

Political pressure sends him searching for his ideal bride, a gently bred, malleable young lady, preferably one with a political background. Michael discovers such a paragon but finds a formidable obstacle in his path–the young lady’s beautiful, strong-minded aunt–Caroline Sutcliffe.

One of London’s foremost diplomatic hostesses, Caro has style and status but, having lived through an unhappy political marriage, wants nothing of the sort for her niece, who has already lost her heart to another.

So Caro and the younger woman hatch a plot–Caro will demonstrate why an inexperienced young lady is not the bride for Michael. She succeeds in convincing him that what he really needs is a lady of experience by his side.

And the perfect candidate is right under his nose–Caro herself. Then it is Michael’s turn to be persuasive, a task that requires every ounce of his seductive charm as he tempts and tantalizes Caro, seeking to convince her that becoming his bride will bring her all her heart desires . . . and more.

But then a series of mysterious, and dangerous, accidents befall Caro–an assailant has stepped in with their own idea for Caro’s future–one that could involve murder. Before Caro can become Michael’s ideal bride, they must race to uncover the unknown’s identity before all hope of what they long for, and wish for, is destroyed.

Christopher Cynster has finally accepted that to have the life he wants, he needs a wife, but before he can even think of searching for the right lady, he’s drawn into an investigation into the distribution of counterfeit banknotes.

London born and bred, Ellen Martingale is battling to preserve the fiction that her much-loved uncle, Christopher’s neighbor, still has his wits about him, but Christopher’s questions regarding nearby Goffard Hall trigger her suspicions. As her younger brother attends card parties at the Hall, she feels compelled to investigate.

While Ellen appears to be the sort of frippery female Christopher abhors, he quickly learns that, in her case, appearances are deceiving. And through the twists and turns in an investigation that grows ever more serious and urgent, he discovers how easy it is to fall in love, while Ellen learns that love hasn’t, after all, passed her by.

But then the villain steps from the shadows, and love’s strengths and vulnerabilities are put to the test–just as Christopher has always feared. Will he pass muster? Can they triumph? Or will they lose all they’ve so recently found?

Sebastian Cynster knows time is running out. If he doesn’t choose a wife soon, his female relatives will line up to assist him. Yet the current debutantes do not appeal. Where is he to find the right lady to be his marchioness? Then Drake Varisey, eldest son of the Duke of Wolverstone, asks for Sebastian’s aid.

Having assumed his father’s mantle in protecting queen and country, Drake must go to Ireland in pursuit of a dangerous plot. But he’s received an urgent missive from Lord Ennis, an Irish peer–Ennis has heard something Drake needs to know and insists Drake attend an upcoming house party at his Kent estate so he can reveal his information face-to-face.

Sebastian has assisted Drake before and, long ago, had a liaison with Lady Ennis. Drake insists Sebastian is just the man to be his surrogate at the house party–the guests will imagine all manner of possibilities and be blind to Sebastian’s true purpose.

Unsurprisingly, Sebastian is reluctant, but Drake’s need is real. And with only more debutantes on his horizon, Sebastian allows himself to be persuaded.

His first task is to inveigle Antonia Rawlings, a lady he has known all her life, to include him as her escort to the house party. Although he’s seen little of Antonia in recent years, Sebastian is confident of gaining her support.

Eldest daughter of the Earl of Chillingworth, Antonia has abandoned the search for a husband and plans to use the week of the house party to decide what to do with her life. There has to be some purpose, some role, she can claim for her own.

Consequently, on hearing Sebastian’s request and an explanation of what lies behind it, she seizes on the call to action. Suppressing her senses’ idiotic reaction to Sebastian’s nearness, she agrees to be his partner in intrigue.

But while joining the house party proves easy, the gathering is thrown into chaos when Lord Ennis is murdered–just before he was to speak with Sebastian. Worse, Ennis’s last words, gasped to Sebastian, are “Gunpowder. Here.”

Gunpowder? And here? Where?

With a killer continuing to stalk the halls, side by side, Sebastian and Antonia search for answers, and all the while, the childhood connection that has always existed between them strengthens and blooms into something so much more.

Stephanie Laurens’ hot-blooded romances, including her New York Times best-selling Bar Cynster series, have earned her legions of loyal devotees. The beginning of an exciting new saga, The Lady Chosen introduces the distinguished war veterans of the Bastion Club, single gentlemen not entirely committed to staying that way.

“Laurens’s books are always synonymous with sensuality and strong-willed heroes and heroines.”
—Fresh Fiction

The #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Capture of the Earl of Glencrae, romance fiction superstar Stephanie Laurens has done it again with this passionate tale of an oh-so-proper lady and the dangerous man for whom she throws caution to the wind. The Lady Risks All in this delightfully sexy and sensuous historical romance novel from the creator of the recklessly romantic Cynster family–Regency England’s most irrepressible clan of sexy rogues and ladies–as well as the acclaimed Bastion Club books. The notorious Neville Roscoe, who lives boldly outside the bounds of proper society, is one of Laurens’s most unforgettable heroes–and the story of his seduction of prim, straight-laced Miranda Clifford is filled with intrigue, danger, and passion that will thrill not only Stephanie Laurens fans, but devoted readers of Lisa Kleypas, Johanna Lindsey, and Mary Balogh as well.

#1 New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Laurens presents the first book in the Adventurers Quartet, a riveting blend of Regency-era high-seas adventure.

How does marriage work? If convention is set aside and is no longer there to guide … what then?

The instant Captain Declan Frobisher lays eyes on Lady Edwina Delbraith, he knows she’s the woman he wants as his wife. The scion of a seafaring dynasty accustomed to success, he discovers that wooing Edwina is surprisingly straightforward–not least because she makes it plain that she wants him as much as he wants her.

Declan’s vision of marriage is of a gently-reared wife to grace his arm, manage his household, and bear his children. He assumes that the household, children, and wife will remain safely in England while he continues his life as an explorer sailing the high seas, and he gets his wish–up to a point. He and Edwina are wed, but the rest of his vision doesn’t turn out the way he expected.

Even before the knot is tied, Edwina shatters the illusion that her character is as delicate, ethereal, and fragile as her appearance suggests. Far from adhering to orthodox mores, she and her ducal family are even more unconventional than the Frobishers. Beneath her fairy-princess exterior, Edwina possesses a spine of steel–one that might bend but will never break. So mere weeks into their honeymoon, when Declan is required to sail to West Africa, Edwina knows she must accompany him.

A secret mission with unknown villains flings unexpected dangers into their path as Declan and Edwina discover that making an unconventional marriage work requires something they both possess: bold and adventurous hearts.

#1 New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Laurens pulls back the curtain on a world that has been hidden from us . . . until now.

Montague has devoted his life to managing the wealth of London’s elite, but at a huge cost: a family of his own. Then the enticing Miss Violet Matcham seeks his help, and in the puzzle she presents him, he finds an intriguing new challenge professionally . . . and personally.

Violet, devoted lady-companion to the aging Lady Halstead, turns to Montague to reassure her ladyship that her affairs are in order. But the famous Montague is not at all what she’d expected–this man is compelling, decisive, supportive, and strong–everything Violet needs in a champion, a position to which Montague rapidly lays claim.

But then Lady Halstead is murdered and Violet and Montague, aided by Barnaby Adair, Inspector Stokes, Penelope, and Griselda, race to expose a cunning and cold-blooded killer who stalks closer and closer. Will Montague and Violet learn the shocking truth too late to seize their chance at enduring love?

What happens when a love left behind doesn’t die?

Melissa North had assumed that after eight years of not setting eyes on each other, her youthful attraction to–or an infatuation with–Julian Delamere, once Viscount Dagenham and now Earl of Carsely, would have faded to nothing and gasped its last. Unfortunately, during the intervening years, she has failed to find any suitable suitor who measures up to her mark, and she is resigned to ending her days an old maid.

Then she sees Julian across a crowded ballroom, and he sees her, and the intensity of their connection shocks her. She seizes the first chance that offers to flee, only to discover that she has jumped from the frying pan into the fire.

Within twenty-four hours, she and Julian are the newly engaged toast of the ton.

Julian has never forgotten Melissa. Now, having inherited the earldom, he must marry and is determined to choose his own bride. He had assumed that, by now, Melissa would be married to someone else, but apparently not. Consequently, he is not averse to the path Fate seems to be steering them down.

And, indeed, as they discover, enforced separation has made their hearts grow fonder, and the attraction between them flares even more intensely.

However, it’s soon apparent that someone is intent on ensuring their married life is cut short in deadly fashion. Through a whirlwind courtship, a massive ton wedding, and finally, blissful country peace, they fend off increasingly dangerous, potentially lethal threats, until, together, they unravel the conspiracy that has dogged their heels and expose the villain behind it all.

#1 New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Laurens brings you a tale of unexpected romance that blossoms against the backdrop of dastardly murder.

On discovering the lifeless body of an innocent ingenue, a peer attending a country house party joins forces with the lady-amazon sent to fetch the victim safely home in a race to expose the murderer before Stokes, assisted by Barnaby and Penelope, is forced to allow the guests, murderer included, to decamp.

Well-born rakehell and head of an ancient family, Alaric, Lord Carradale, has finally acknowledged reality and is preparing to find a bride. But loyalty to his childhood friend, Percy Mandeville, necessitates attending Percy’s annual house party, held at neighboring Mandeville Hall. Yet despite deploying his legendary languid charm, by the second evening of the week-long event, Alaric is bored and restless.

Escaping from the soiree and the Hall, Alaric decides that as soon as he’s free, he’ll hie to London and find the mild-mannered, biddable lady he believes will ensure a peaceful life. But the following morning, on walking through the Mandeville Hall shrubbery on his way to join the other guests, he comes upon the corpse of a young lady-guest.

Constance Whittaker accepts that no gentleman will ever offer for her–she’s too old, too tall, too buxom, too headstrong … too much in myriad ways. Now acting as her grandfather’s agent, she arrives at Mandeville Hall to extricate her young cousin, Glynis, who unwisely accepted an invitation to the reputedly licentious house party.

But Glynis cannot be found.

A search is instituted. Venturing into the shrubbery, Constance discovers an outrageously handsome aristocrat crouched beside Glynis’ lifeless form. Unsurprisingly, Constance leaps to the obvious conclusion.

Luckily, once the gentleman explains that he’d only just arrived, commonsense reasserts itself. More, as matters unfold and she and Carradale have to battle to get Glynis’ death properly investigated, Constance discovers Alaric to be a worthy ally.

Yet even after Inspector Stokes of Scotland Yard arrives and takes charge of the case, along with his consultants, the Honorable Barnaby Adair and his wife, Penelope, the murderer’s identity remains shrouded in mystery, and learning why Glynis was killed–all in the few days before the house party’s guests will insist on leaving–tests the resolve of all concerned. Flung into each other’s company, fiercely independent though Constance is, unsusceptible though Alaric is, neither can deny the connection that grows between them.

Then Constance vanishes.

Can Alaric unearth the one fact that will point to the murderer before the villain rips from the world the lady Alaric now craves for his own?

New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Laurens concludes the tales of the Cavanaugh siblings with the riveting story of the youngest brother and his search for a family of his own.

The scion of a noble house brought low by a storm and the lady who nurses him back to health strive to unravel a web of deception that threatens her family and forces them to fight for what they hold most dear–family, each other, and love.

Lord Godfrey Cavanaugh has no thoughts of marrying as he drives into North Yorkshire on a plum commission for the National Gallery to authenticate a Renaissance painting the gallery wishes to purchase. Then a snowstorm sweeps in, and Godfrey barely manages to haul himself, his groom, and his horses to their destination.

Elinor Hinckley, eldest daughter of Hinckley Hall, stalwart defender of the family, right arm to her invalid father, and established spinster knows full well how much her family has riding on the sale of the painting and throws herself into nursing the initially delirious gentleman who holds her family’s future in his hands.

But Godfrey proves to be a far from easy patient. Through Ellie’s and her siblings’ efforts to keep him entertained and abed, Godfrey grows to know the family, appreciating and, ultimately, being drawn into family life of a sort he’s never known.

Eventually, to everyone’s relief, he recovers sufficiently to assess the painting–only to discover that nothing is as it seems.

Someone has plans–someone other than the Hinckleys–but who is pulling the strings is a mystery that Godfrey and Ellie find near-impossible to solve. Every suspect proves to have perfectly understandable, albeit hidden reasons for their behavior.

Until the villain, panicked by their inquiries, strikes–directly at them–and forces them both to acknowledge what has grown to be the most important thing in their lives. Together they battle to save not just themselves, not just her family, but their futures. Hers, his, and theirs.

Simon Frederick Cynster has a perfect life — one of enormous wealth and impeccable social status. His lean handsomeness turns the heads of naive debutantes, while his sensual allure ensures he never lacks for more sophisticated partners for a night of pleasure.

However, Simon accepts that he must find a wife to achieve true contentment. Someone who will spend her days as a member of one of England’s most influential families … and her nights pursuing duties of a more private nature.

So he discreetly begins his search at a house party at Glossup Hall … and is astonished that the lady who immediately captures his interest in Portia Ashford. Simon has never considered Portia as a potential wife, but a heated kiss abruptly alters the rules of their decade-long interaction. As Simon and Portia begin to explore the depths of their mutual passion a shocking murder is committed, and it appears that the next victim will be Portia herself …

Read by Katie Carr.

Never let it be said that a Cynster male can’t face up to the one unassailable truth: A successful marriage gives life its fullest meaning. To all of English society, Simon Frederick Cynster has a perfect life–one of enormous wealth and impeccable social status. His lean handsomeness turns the heads of naive debutantes, while his sensual allure ensures he never lacks for more sophisticated partners for a night, or more, of pleasure. Yet despite all of this, Simon knows that there is something–or rather someone–missing in his life.

To achieve true contentment, Simon must find a lady accomplished enough to be his wife, someone who will spend her days as a member of one of England’s most influential families … and her nights pursuing duties of a more private–and personal–nature.

But Simon knows what to expect if he reveals his intention to choose a bride; nothing could be more tiresome than having every blushing miss on the marriage mart thrust upon him. So he discreetly begins his search at a house party at Glossup Hall . . . and is astonished that the lady who immediately captures his interest is Portia Ashford.

Simon has never considered Portia as a potential wife. He’s known the raven-haired beauty since childhood; she’s willfully independent and has always claimed to be uninterested in marriage. But an unexpectedly heated kiss abruptly alters the rules of their decade-long interaction. Soon they begin to long for the moments they can spend in each other’s arms.

But all is not as it seems at Glossup Hall. As Simon and Portia begin to explore the depths of their mutual passion, a shocking murder is committed … and it appears that the next victim will be Portia herself. And even more shocking than the fact that a murderer secretly walks among them is the realization that all of Simon’s considerable strength and influence may not be enough to protect Portia–his once and always perfect lover . . .

New York Times best-selling author Stephanie Laurens delights her many fans with steamy tales of Regency-era seduction and intrigue. In a quiet moonlit courtyard, Helena encounters a handsome and mysterious Englishman. Before parting, he rewards her with a special kiss-a delicious, enticing, unforgettable kiss that makes her whole body shiver with desire. Helena doesn’t yet know that she has met her destiny-and he is Sebastian Cynster, Duke of St. Ives. This luxurious tale of passion features a potent reading by narrator Simon Prebble.

Bold and clever, THE CAVANAUGHS are unlike any other family in early Victorian England. #1 New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Laurens continues to explore the enthralling world of these dynamic siblings in the eagerly anticipated second volume in her captivating series.

A Gentleman of Means

One of the most eligible bachelors in London, Lord Christopher “Kit” Cavanaugh has discovered his true path and it doesn’t include the expected society marriage. Kit is all business and has chosen the bustling port of Bristol to launch his passion–Cavanaugh Yachts.

A Woman of Character

Miss Sylvia Buckleberry’s passion is her school for impoverished children. When a new business venture forces the school out of its building, she must act quickly. But confronting Kit Cavanaugh is a daunting task made even more difficult by their first and only previous meeting, when, believing she’d never see him again, she’d treated him dismissively. Still, Sylvia is determined to be persuasive.

An Unstoppable Duo

But it quickly becomes clear there are others who want the school–and Cavanaugh Yachts–closed. Working side by side, Kit and Sylvia fight to secure her school and to expose the blackguard trying to sabotage his business. Yet an even more dastardly villain lurks, one who threatens the future both discover they now hold dear.

“A fabulously entertaining new quartet–with links to her popular Cynster series….Laurens adds a dash of exotic spice to her always reliable mix of sexy romance and risky intrigue.”
—Booklist

The fourth book in New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Stephanie Laurens’s sensational Black Cobra Quartet, The Reckless Bride is a brilliant mix of intrigue, danger, and historical romance from one of the very best in the business. A breathtaking adventure set in England’s Regency Era, The Reckless Bride continues the acclaimed romance novelist’s extraordinary chronicle of love and duty, as brave ex-officers of the Crown band together to destroy the traitorous fiend known as The Black Cobra.

New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Laurens returns to the world of the Cynsters’ next generation with the tale of an unconventional nobleman and an equally unconventional noblewoman learning to love and trust again.

A jilted noblewoman forced into a dual existence half in and half out of the ton is unexpectedly confronted by the nobleman who left her behind ten years ago, but before either can catch their breaths, they trip over a murder and into a race to capture a killer.

Lord Grayson Child is horrified to discover that the London Crier, a popular gossip rag, is proposing to expose his extraordinary wealth to the ton’s matchmakers, not to mention London’s shysters and Captain Sharps. He hies to London and corners the Crier’s proprietor–only to discover the paper’s owner is the last person he would have expected to see.

Izzy–Lady Isadora Descartes–is flabbergasted when Gray appears in her printing works’ office. He is the very last person she wants to meet while in her role as owner of the London Crier, but there he is, as large as life, and she has to deal with him without giving herself away! She manages–just–and seizes on the late hour to put him off so she can work out what to do.

But before leaving the printing works, she and he stumble across a murder, and all hell breaks loose.

Izzy can only be grateful for Gray’s support as, to free them both of suspicion, they embark on a joint campaign to find the killer.

Yet working side by side opens their eyes to who they each are now–both quite different from the youthful would-be lovers of ten years before. Mutual respect, affection, and appreciation grow, and amid the chaos of hunting a ruthless killer, they find themselves facing the question of whether what they had deemed to be wrecked ten years before can be resurrected.

Then the killer’s motive proves to be a treasonous plot, and with others, Gray and Izzy race to prevent a catastrophe, a task that ultimately falls to them alone in a situation in which the only way out is through selfless togetherness. Only by relying on each other will they survive.

#1 New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Laurens returns with the next in her Cynster Sisters series . . .

The Honorable Miss Mary Cynster always gets what she wants. As the last unwed Cynster of her generation, she is determined to remain in charge of her life and of the man she will marry. At the very bottom of her list of potential husbands is Ryder Cavanaugh, the daring and devastating Marquess of Raventhorne, an overwhelming and utterly unmanageable lion of the ton. But destiny has a different plan.

Ryder needs Mary as his wife, not just because she is delightful, fiery, and tempting, but because he values all she could be. When fate and circumstance hand him the chance, he claims Mary as his marchioness . . . only to discover what he truly desires is not just to take her hand in marriage, but to capture her heart.

Stephanie Laurens entices readers anew with each of her delectable Regency era novels, and this New York Times best- seller showcases Laurens at her captivating best. Charles Morwellan, eighth Earl of Meredith, knows he must marry, but he plans to do so on his own terms. So, after years of escaping the clutches of would-be wives, it is quite a shock when he is refused by the beautiful Sarah Conningham.

What happens when fate, love, and passion collide?

The #1 New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Laurens returns to Scotland with a tale of two lovers irrevocably linked by destiny and passion.

Thomas Carrick is a gentleman driven to control all aspects of his life. As the wealthy owner of Carrick Enterprises, located in bustling Glasgow, he is one of that city’s most eligible bachelors and fully intends to select an appropriate wife from the many young ladies paraded before him. He wants to take that necessary next step along his self-determined path, yet no young lady captures his eye, much less his attention–not in the way Lucilla Cynster does, even though she lives miles away.

For over two years, Thomas has avoided his clan’s estate because it borders Lucilla’s home, but disturbing reports from his clansmen force him to return to the countryside–only to discover that his uncle, the laird, is ailing, a clan family is desperately ill, and the clan healer is unconscious and dying. Duty to the clan leaves Thomas no choice but to seek help from the last woman he wants to face.

Strong-willed and passionate, Lucilla has been waiting–increasingly impatient–for Thomas to return and claim his rightful place by her side. She knows he is hers–her fated lover, husband, protector, and mate. He is the only man for her, just as she is his one true love. And, at last, he’s back. Even though his returning wasn’t on her account, Lucilla is willing to seize whatever chance fate hands her.

Thomas can never forget Lucilla, much less the connection that seethes between them, but to marry her would mean embracing a life he’s adamant he does not want.

Lucilla sees that Thomas has yet to accept the inevitability of their union. But how can he ignore a bond such as theirs–one so much stronger than reason? Despite several unnerving attacks mounted against them, despite the uncertainty racking his clan, Lucilla remains as determined as only a Cynster can be to fight for the future she knows can be theirs. And while she cannot command him, she has powerful enticements she’s willing to wield in the cause of tempting Thomas Carrick.

New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Laurens explores what happens when a gentleman intent on acquiring a business meets the unconventional lady owner, only to discover that she is not the biggest or the most lethal hurdle they and the business face.

Martin Cynster arrives at Carmichael Steelworks set on acquiring the business as the jewel in his industrialist’s crown, only to discover that the lady owner is not at all what he expected.

Miss Sophia Carmichael learned about steelmaking at her father’s knee and, having inherited the major shareholding, sees no reason not to continue exactly as she is–running the steelworks and steadily becoming an expert in steel alloys. When Martin Cynster tracks her down, she has no option but to listen to his offer–until impending disaster on the steelworks floor interrupts.

Consequently, she tries to dismiss Martin, but he is persistent, and as he has now saved her life, gratitude compels her to hear him out. And day by day, as his understanding of her and the works grows, what he offers grows increasingly tempting, until a merger, both business-wise and personal, is very much on their cards.

But a series of ever-escalating incidents makes it clear someone else has an eye on the steelworks. The quest to learn who and why leads Martin and Sophia into ever greater danger as, layer by layer, they uncover a diabolical scheme that, ultimately, will drain the lifeblood not just from the steelworks but from the city of Sheffield as well.

Bold, passionate, and possessive, the Cynster men let nothing stand in their way when it comes to claiming the women of their hearts.

Gerrard Debbington, Vane Cynster’s brother-in-law, is one of London’s most eligible gentlemen. Uninterested in marriage, his driving passion is to paint the fabled gardens of Lord Tregonning’s Hellebore Hall, an opportunity that is now at hand–if Gerrard agrees to create an honest portrait of Tregonning’s daughter as well.

Gerrard chafes at wasting his talents on some simpering miss, only to discover that Jacqueline Tregonning stirs him as no other. Certainly, she is beautiful, but it is her passionate nature that strikes sparks with Gerrard’s own, igniting desire, sweeping them into each other’s arms, and convincing Gerrard that he has found his ideal soul mate–the lady he must have as his wife.

But something is horribly wrong at Hellebore Hall. Evil and lies are reaching out to ensnare Jacqueline, and Gerrard will have to move heaven and earth to protect the remarkable woman who, for him, personifies the truth about love.

The first book in a brand-new series, The Black Cobra Quartet, from New York Times and USA Today bestselling romance author Stephanie Laurens, The Untamed Bride is the story of a bold, beautiful woman with a scandalous past and a battle-hardened, sinfully wealthy, completely unstoppable man who must join forces to fight a deadly foe known only as the Black Cobra–and who must also confront the dangers of the heart . . .

Stephanie Laurens’ New York Times best-selling Regency romances delight her countless fans. Visions of elegance and finery abound in her tales of temptation and unbridled passion. The distinguished veterans of the Bastion Club represent England’s finest eligible bachelors. Among them is Deverell, a strapping man about to meet his match in the alluring Phoebe Malleson.

The Cynsters are back in a brilliant new series from USA Today and New York Times bestseller Stephanie Laurens! Fans adore Laurens’s irrepressible fictional family of sexy scoundrels and passionate ladies and their amorous Regency Era exploits. In Laurens’s sensational new Cynster historical romance, it’s Viscount Breckenridge to the Rescue when feisty Heather Cynster steps out of her safe, dull social circle in search of a dashing hero to wed…and ends up kidnapped, scandalized and whisked out of London, with her only hope for salvation—and love—resting with a notorious rogue lord.

In Stephanie Laurens’s newest novel, a passionate man and
a daring woman confront the ultimate question

What Price Love?

Dillon Caxton, protege of Demon Cynster, is now a man of sterling reputation, but it wasn’t always so. Now impeccably honest, he is the Keeper of the Register of all racing horses in England. His standing and aloofness makes Dillon undeniably desirable to young ladies, but he remains uninterested.

Until Miss Priscilla Dalloway erupts into his life. Lady Priscilla affects Dillon as no other ever has, and what fascinates him is that she will do anything to see what’s in the Register. Her twin brother, Russell, who had left home to work with the finest racehorses, has disappeared. Priscilla knows clues to his whereabouts can be found in the tome Dillon Caxton refuses to let her see.

Dillon convinces Priscilla to tell him all and to trust him with her twin’s life. Together, Dillon and Pris locate Rus, only to discover that his life is threatened by the perpetrators of a massive betting swindle. They embark on a journey riddled with danger as they seek to overturn the swindle and expose Rus’s deadly enemies. And along the way they discover the answer to that age old question: What price love?

Performed by Elizabeth Sastre

Best-selling author Stephanie Laurens begins a promising new series that blends romance and mystery. Penelope Ashford, Portia Cynster’s younger sister, has devoted her life to the care of orphans. But lately, her charges seem to be disappearing without a trace. Penelope enlists investigator Barnaby Adair to solve the mystery. Adair agrees, intrigued by both the case and by Penelope.

Wealthy Cynster connection Penelope Ashford has devoted herself not to making a perfect society match, but to rescuing young orphans from London’s streets. But when her charges start disappearing, she turns to attractive Barnaby Adair for help. A deadly avenger in an elegant guise, Barnaby has solved crimes before, and can go where few others in society can.

Barnaby finds Penelope’s combination of beauty and brains irresistible. Together, they work to unravel the mystery of the missing children, uncovering a trail that leads them to the upper echelons of society. Soon, they face an enemy all too ready to destroy all they hold dear, including their newfound understanding of love . . . and the intrigues of the human heart.