Cerise DeLand’s books

SCARLETT AFFAIRS

Lord Ashley’s Beautiful Alibi ~ Scarlett Affairs, Book 1

He pretended he was her lover. She became his alibi…and his only love.
Augustine Bolton lives amid the social whirl and treachery of the stylish court of Josephine and Napoleon Bonaparte. When Gus’s dearest friend, Amber, disappears, Gus must find her before the deputy chief of police finds Amber and carts her off to his bed—or to la Force.

But Gus’s means are few and her own duties as an agent in Amber’s network mean she is also suspect. Gus needs help.

Kane Whittington is just the man for the job.

He has worked for London merchant-cum-spymaster Scarlett Hawthorne for years and welcomes Scarlett’s call to build a large espionage network in Europe. His first task is to find the missing head of Scarlett’s espionage network.

The best person to help him is the lady’s best friend whom he’s never met. But when he sets eyes on ravishing Augustine Bolton in Josephine’s salon, Kane recognizes the black-haired beauty as the one he kissed years ago on the road to Malmaison during a botched abduction of Bonaparte.

Kane must persuade the beautiful Gus to allow him to help her. He suggests the cover for their escapade is simple: They show the gossipy Parisian court they enjoy a mad love affair. Thus, Gus gains an ally—and Kane acquires an alibi.

But Gus’s ally is a darling man whose kindness thrills her. His alibi is a brave, beautiful woman he cannot give up. Can they find a way to fulfill their missions—and join together to claim their love for a lifetime?

Lord Ramsey’s Red-Headed Ruin~ Scarlett Affairs, Book 2

It’s dangerous to be an honest woman—and torture for the man who loves her.

It’s dangerous to be an honest woman.
Amber St. Antoine flees Paris—and her role in spying on Bonaparte. The deputy chief of police, a venal man, craves Amber as his mistress. He’ll do anything to seduce her, even imprisoning her friends and charging them with crimes.

Amber, rescued from neglectful parents as a child by her influential aunt, grew up in the shadow of the Terror and went to prison with her aunt and Josephine Beauharnais. Despising the tyranny of a few corrupt men, Amber learned to value freedom.

As a result, when she was approached to serve in an espionage network, she accepted—and excelled. Now in fear of Vaillancourt, she flees Paris, her home—her friends.

It’s torture for the man who loves her.
Godfrey duClare, Lord Ramsey, comes to Paris as part of the British diplomatic mission now that peace exists between his county and France. His first assignment by his superior Kane, Lord Ashley, is to find the elusive agent Amber St. Antoine and keep her safe.

Following gossip and logic, Ram finds the stunningly beautiful woman deep in the French countryside. He declares she needs his protection, especially since she refuses to leave France. Defiant, Amber agrees to his company, even if they must pretend they are married.

The two travel France, discovering in each other, each day, a delight that leads to a passion neither can deny.

But when they also find new evidence of Bonaparte’s warlike plans, they must change their own. Suddenly, Vaillancourt surprises them with a ploy neither Amber nor Ram considered.

But Amber decides to outwit him.
Ramsey is furious—and wild to save her from herself. What’s a man to do if he seems foiled at every turn?
Is he a fool to believe that love conquers all?

Lord Appleby’s Gorgeous Imposter~ Scarlett Affairs, Book 3

He’s the last man Viv wants to see.
Vivienne de Massé goes to Paris impersonating her oldest sister, the infamous Drury Lane actress, Charmaine Massey. Viv has a reason…and a plan to avenge the capture and death of their other sister during the Terror. Only one man can stop her.

Tate Cantrell is the only man who sees right through her.
Tate Cantrell bursts into her dressing room one night in Paris and calls Viv’s bluff. He reminds Viv she plays a role—and a dangerous game she cannot win alone.

He declares she needs him. She always has. Indeed, he’s spent the last decade helping the émigré Massé family—and falling in love with charming Viv. Now the Earl of Appleby, Tate works as a spy for Scarlett Hawthorne’s network on the Continent. He alone has the means and the connections to help her….if she’ll let him.

Haunted by their past, they’re desperate to save their future together… If they can survive those who would destroy them.

WANTED: MATRIMONY!

If I Loved You ~ Matrimony!, Book 1

Love does not advertise. Love counts no wrongs.

But when a young woman needs to escape an ogre, she’ll take an ad to find a man she can adore.
Verity Carr wants a new life in a new town far from her old home and the vile threat to her body and soul. She comes from a fine family, has a good education and a bold ambition to become a portrait artist. She’s ready to live her life with a man who will value her. A husband she can can respect and in time, hopefully love. Yet valiant though she is, she questions if she can escape her past and the one who will not let her go.

Can a gentleman to whom great wrong was done, build a new life with a true wife and leave the past behind?
Miles St. John Armstrong, Viscount Bellamy, never should have wed his first wife. He vows to select a new one with logic and careful investigation via advertisement. The young lady he selects is Verity Carr who is no ordinary woman. She has charm, wit and a beauty that sears his soul. No wonder theirs is a relationship built quickly on admiration and trust. No wonder their marriage becomes one built of mutual mad passion.

But devoted as they are, their past comes to call. And it asks of them the ultimate question, can their love withstand the tempest and survive the terror?

Because of You ~ Matrimony!, Book 2

Love does not advertise. Love is not proud.

But when a young woman has nothing left but pride, she places an ad and hopes for a husband to treasure.
Miss ‘Daisy’ Molyneaux is desperate. All her family is dead. Her home in Normandy, attacked by mobs. Now that the little general has abdicated, she has a chance to gain back her lands. But she needs a husband who will help her regain her rights. So she pays to post an advert for a husband.

When the man who answers is not one she could ever love, but his nephew could be, can she accept his proposal?
Garrick Ruxton appears to her like a golden-haired hero, a handsome creature who saves her from an imperfect marriage. Garrick vows to accompany Daisy to France and, in the bargain, solve his own problem. His shipments, meant for British forces on the Continent, constantly go missing. He knows not who or how or why the thieves steal his goods. Worse, someone has attempted to kill his uncle. Daisy, too.

Garrick must find all those guilty before he is accused of treason. Before Daisy loses all hope of regaining her rights.

And before they both lose the one chance they have to find happiness together.

You Made Me Love You ~ Matrimony!, Book 3

Love does not advertise.
Love extracts no price.

When a young widow wishes to marry again, will the man she grows to love ask more than she can give?

Mrs. Tynley Wallingford yearns for a quiet, comforting marriage to a man whom she can respect. She’ll go to any lengths to find the best candidate who can respect her, in turn. Even correspond with one fellow at length before she agrees that Kendryck Hollens is the man whose words awaken her desire for a husband she might grow to love.

Tynley takes a risk and sails to Wales with the best intentions. She finds in Kendryck a man with a noble ambition—and a family filled with age-old conflict and despair.

Kendryck Hollens returns home to Wales after fifteen years abroad, a stranger to his cantankerous family. He assumes his rightful title as baron of the legendary house of Strade and attempts to change the dastardly reputation of his ancestors, and put his siblings on the right path to a purposeful life.

Thrilled that Tynley has come to his home, he notices that her presence creates challenges among those in his family. But he feels assured she can help him obtain what he wants most in this world.

When a tragedy threatens to ruin his ambition and his family, he fears the price of endurance will ruin Tynley’s personal objective too—and drive her from him.

How much can one ask of one whom they love? Are any prices too high?

NAUGHTY LADIES

Lady, Be Wanton ~ Naughty Ladies, Book 1

The lady wants to be good.

Lady Imogen has reformed! She’s witty, from an old Irish family, in pursuit of a fine man to marry—and she swears she’ll never indulge in her little…um…peccadilloes again!

She’s arrived in Brighton with her two sisters and her cousin for the Season—and she’ll ignore anyone who gossips about Grandpapa’s notorious odd talents—or her own tiny scandal. After all, a lady can change.

The gentleman wants revenge.

Returning home after the wars, Lex Rowlandson, the Earl of Martindale, vows to find the cur who sold him and his father into the hell of Napoleon’s dungeons.

With a few clues to the identity of the creature who stole years from his life and caused the death of his father, Lex seeks out suspects at a Brighton ball. But he’s captured by the effervescent woman whose smiles light the dark corners of his heart.

He should not be distracted from his cause. Yet he cannot resist the lure of Imogen’s charm. When he witnesses her plight at the hands of one fellow who threatens her reputation, Lex saves it—and marries her.

Falling in love with her husband, Imogen sees that the best way to thank him for saving her is to commit the very crime she vowed never to repeat.

But can a man whose life was stolen from him love a wife whose skill is taking from others what is not hers?

Note: This series is part of Dragonblade’s Flame line, so this is a sexy, steamy, and scorching-hot read with multiple sex scenes. Be advised.”

Lady Behave ~ Naughty Ladies, Book 2

She was a Diamond with a few very tiny flaws—and the desire to be good.

He was a rogue with the sense to reform—and to help her to be bad.

Adelaide Devereaux flabbergasts most men she meets. She’s a Diamond, petite, mild-mannered—the perfect picture of a demure lady. She has one ambition—to kiss every man she likes until she finds one whose lips make her hear church bells chime.

In Brighton, she meets confirmed bachelor Gyles, Marquess of Heath, who is felled by her charm. Though he vows to kiss her until she’s felt the earth turn on its axis, he cannot claim her unless he fixes his parents’ refusal to accept her. They’re too high in the instep to accept a wayward Irish lass who’s the granddaughter of a notorious rascal.

Pride might stall their romance, and lust might motivate a scoundrel to try to carry Addy away, but when love is the only passion that matters, do not all objections fall before its power?

Note: This series is part of Dragonblade’s Flame line, so this is a sexy, steamy, and scorching-hot read with multiple sex scenes. Be advised.

Lady, No More ~ Naughty Ladies, Book 3

She’s through with love.

Lady Laurel Devereaux prided herself on her sterling reputation, even as she overlooked her two younger sisters’ foibles and their ailing grandfather’s little peccadilloes. She always adored frolicking in fountains and dancing before breakfast. But those were innocent delights compared to the one night she left a ballroom to play the piano alone—and a charming man joined her to play a duet that became a mad love affair.

He quickly proposed and just as quickly jilted her. Now she’ll marry only for friendship or security or children.

He’ll never give her up again.

Now Hadley, Viscount Grey, arrives in Brighton and vows to win Laurel back. But this time, his greatest problem is not overcoming his competition or challenging Laurel’s vow to remain a proper lady, but her decision to never love another man.

How can he convince her that she simply never stopped loving him?

Note: This series is part of Dragonblade’s Flame line, so this is a sexy, steamy, and scorching-hot read with multiple sex scenes. Be advised.

Lady You’re Mine ~ Naughty Ladies, Book 4

She’d spent so many years acting like a proper lady, she’d forgotten how to be a woman.

He’s determined to help her remember.

Lady William Downs revels in her reputation as a Society dragon, a Diamond (still!) at her age, too—and a widow of independent means.

Colonel Lord Magnus Augustus Welles is home from the savagery of the wars. Heir to his ailing father the Duke of Ruscombe, Magnus wants a wife—and he knows just who that will be. But the lady doth protest too much.

To woo her is easy.

To win her he’ll persuade her with the best gifts of all—a new phaeton, horses—and, yes, himself. In all the racy ways she’s never enjoyed!

THE LYON’S DEN CONNECTED WORLD

The Lyon’s Share

She’d spend every last penny to marry again for security, comfort—or even friendship.

He’d win her wager, possess her, keep her for himself—even if he’d never win her love.

Adriana, Lady Benton, has many regrets—and one hope. To wed a good man to gain a life to which she is entitled. One free of sorrow, penury and ridicule. Appealing to Mrs. Dove-Lyon, Adriana hopes to attract one man who may appreciate her assets. But never need her love.

Colonel Sidney Wolf, once hailed as the ruthless ‘Hound of the Horse Guards’, vows to end Adriana’s hardships. He’s home from the wars and faces the daunting task of filling his father’s role as the Earl of Middlethorpe. Believing only Adriana will do as his helpmate, he strikes a deal with Dove-Lyon that brings him the one woman he admires. The one woman he tells himself he can live with—and never touch.

But the nearness of his funny, charming, beautiful bride drives him mad. Knowing she will never love other than her first husband, can he keep his hands—and his heart to himself?

And if he doesn’t, can she ever forgive him?

The Lyon’s Perfect Mate

Can two people who have learned how to fight for all they want and win push pride aside to save their love and their marriage?

Miss Priscilla Taunton has little to commend her. No looks, no titled family, no savoir faire. But her fortune can buy her a husband if she’s brave enough to use it.

Cilla has struggled to make a new life for herself. Years of ridicule and suppression at the hands of her parents mean she has had to live down the scurrilous reputation her elders cast upon her. But after creating herself anew, Cilla needs a husband of good cheer and spotless reputation. To make that a reality, she’ll use her money, all of it, if necessary, to hire Mrs. Dove-Lyon—and ask for herself only one special reward.

Captain Valerian Anderleigh has always won every battle. Hailed by his superiors as honorable, revered by his men as heroic, he is a legend.

When Val returns home from the wars to assume his family’s title, he meets challenges for which no battlefield prepared him. His estate is flooded. His stepmother and her two daughters spend every penny. His younger brother runs wild.

Val will do anything to resurrect his family’s pride. Even enter the Lyon’s Den and assume a terrible burden. Surprisingly, marrying a lovely, lonely woman becomes not a challenge but a greater joy than he anticipated.

Losing the love of his life in defeat is not an option.

FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FROLIC

Lady Fiona’s Tall, Dark Folly ~ Four Weddings and a Frolic, Book 1

She thought he’d forgotten her.

He remembered her every charm.

But when they find each other again and learn a secret from their past can they create a loving future together?

Lady Fiona Chastain goes to her Aunt’s and Uncle’s May Day Frolic to brighten her dull existence…and distract her from her poor marriage prospects. When her coach breaks down and the man who rescues her is the very one she’s yearned for these past six years, she’s angry with him for his dismissal of her. Still she falls for his easy charm. Then she learns his name and she’s appalled that dashing Rory Fletcher, the earl of Charlton, is the one man she must never love!

But her heart is committed. So is his! Can their love conquer old hatreds? Or are some family feuds too bitter to resolve?

Lady Mary’s May Day Mischief ~ Four Weddings and a Frolic, Book 2

Lady Mary had a skill at making matches for her friends…until her choices proved disastrous. Now the one man she wants for herself has come home from the wars and she’d like to claim him for herself.

But Lord Bridges cannot take a wife. He has too many responsibilities and too many aspirations that cannot include the devotion he’d like to lavish on Mary.

Can he find a way to keep his career and his commitments to his estate—and enjoy the charms of marrying the woman he loves?

And how difficult can that be for Mary whose mischievous past might ruin their hope of happiness?

Miss Harvey’s Horribly Lovable Fiancé ~ Four Weddings and a Frolic, Book 3

Theirs was to be The Wedding of the Season!
Until the bride ran away and…
The groom chased after her.
Then she tried to shoot him…
And thankfully aimed poorly.
How can this escapade end, if she’s marrying him for his titles?
And he’s marrying her for her money?
Yet their affair appears to be the Romance of the Year!

Miss Esme Harvey fell in love with the Marquess of Northington quite by accident. She’d never met him before that one night at a Christmas ball when she happened upon him in a dark salon. Certainly, she had heard of him, but never reached so far above her station as to think he might consider her marriage material. After all, he is the heir to a duke. And she? Ah, well. Merely the daughter of a lowly viscount.

But her Papa is rich as sin. And Northington’s Papa likes money. Lots of it.
So there is the rub.

Because the duke must sign the papers to truly make the ton accept Esme. And he refuses.
Northington seeks a way to convince the old man. But Esme takes matters into her own hands….

And runs away.

But the groom will have nothing for it but to follow her!
How he does it, when and why is a revelation to his father—and to Esme!
The Wedding of the Season should become The Romance of the Year!

Lady Willa’s Divinely Wicked Vicar ~ Four Weddings and a Frolic, Book 4

She believed she destroyed any man who loved her.

Lady Willa Sheffield had beauty, education, charm, a handsome dowry…and a curse for killing any man who proposed. When she falls for a man who has favor with someone who answers all prayers, she questions if she’s right.

He would move Heaven and Earth to marry her.

Reverend Charles Compton has everything a lady could require: wit, ethics, good family and stable position. But no money and no title. And for a lady who is an earl’s daughter to wed well, she needs a man of some gravitas. But a vicar of a small parish—with rousing political ideas and little income—must move Heaven and earth to make a good future.

Who can doubt the determination or the inventiveness of a man in love?

CHRISTMAS BELLES

The Countess of Marsden invites you to her house party! Seven nights and days of frolic, gossip, dancing…and match-making for her three nieces.
Sad, isn’t it, that none of the Craymore sisters wishes to wed?
Exciting, isn’t it, that three war heroes arrive who know precisely what they want for Christmas?
Wonderful, isn’t it, that each might gain the most precious Christmas gift of all?

The Earl’s Wagered Bride ~ Christmas Belles, Book 1

A lady bets her future.
Miss Marjorie Craymore wants to surprise her two sisters with a wonderful gift this Christmas. A house. A home! One they can call their own. After their father gambled away their dowries and drank away the family reputation, the three young women have lived with their Aunt Gertrude. While that lady’s generosity is most kind, her charity chafes their pride. This Christmas at their aunt’s house party, Marjorie plans to employ the one talent she learned well from her notorious papa. She’ll gamble at cards and dice against every wealthy guest—and win. But she encounters one big problem. The man she’s craved all her life appears on Aunt’s threshold and challenges her. Tested by combat, he’s bolder. Dashing. A distraction. And suddenly too charming to resist.

A gentleman weighs the odds.
Griffith Harlinger, the war-weary fourth earl of Marsden, returns home from his duties in Paris with the Duke of Wellington to celebrate the joys of the Season. At urgent request of his step-mama, he must stop her niece Marjorie from creating a scandal by fleecing her house guests! Griff’s thrilled to engage the one woman who’s tormented him and beguiled him all his life. So he makes Marjorie a bet she can’t refuse: he’ll play her for enough money to buy the house she wants.
But can he let her win if he loves her too much to let her go?
And who really wins when both want what’s best for those they love?

The Viscount’s Only Love ~ Christmas Belles, Book 2

She’s through with love.
Miss Delphine Craymore fell in love once and she’ll never fall again. Actually, she likes men, talking with them, dancing with them—and dreaming of what might have been. Most think she’s a flirt. Del’s merely intent on allowing herself a few happy minutes to substitute for the one lover she cannot forget.

At her Aunt Gertrude’s Christmas house party this year, the one man she does not wish to charm walks in and declares he’s ready to make amends. He’s wounded, charming and intent on wooing her.
But can she trust him? And if she falls for him again and he asks her to marry him, can she desert her two sisters who have been her stalwart companions through countless tragedies?

He’ll never want any other woman.
Neville Vaughn, Viscount Bromley, asks his friend the Earl of Marsden if he might accompany him to his step-mama’s house party in Brighton. It’s Christmas and Neville’s probably intruding, but he’s in a rush to change every aspect of his life. Years ago at another house party, he fell in love at first sight with delightful Del Craymore. He asked her to marry him—and then had to abandon her. Now he’s free of the shackles that bound him to a woman he did not love. And before he returns to France to a marvelous future with prestige and wealth beyond his dreams, he must convince Del to forgive him.

But she’s changed.

Can he not prove he’s a better man? And can the two of them make a stable future from the ashes of their past mistakes?

The Duke’s Impetuous Darling ~ Christmas Belles, Book 3

She’ll never wed so she catches crooks instead!
Belinda Craymore, shamed by her father’s gambling, believes herself unworthy of marrying the one man she’s always loved. While he is off to war, she seeks to improve her family’s reputation and earn a reward for it by catching smugglers! For her sleuthing, she can earn hundreds of pounds…if and when officials catch the culprits. She certainly hopes they do soon…before those crooks come after her!

Missing in action at Waterloo, Captain Alastair Demerest returns home and wants only two gifts this Christmas. Peace. And the love of his life.

Wounded in battle, Alastair suffers loss of his memory…except for the name of the young woman he adores. After months of recovering many of his faculties, he returns home to claim the one woman whom he knows waits for him. She’s bold and stubborn, but he has no wish to tame her. Only marry her. Yet she refuses!

Can he help her regain her pride? Or will she condemn them both to live a life without each other?

The Marquess’s Final Fling ~ Christmas Belles, Book 4

The Marquess of Tain has always followed every social rule. Obeyed his father. Remained faithful to his two departed wives. Been a devoted father. An expert steward of his lands and investments. But this Christmas, he’ll throw convention to the wind. He’ll seize the chance of his lifetime—and invite himself to a house party where he will woo and wed the only woman he has ever loved.
No matter the cost.

Lady Penelope Goddard has always followed every social convention. Married her first husband because her father ordered it. Married her second—and her third—because they were…well…charming. And she had no skills to make a living for herself. This Christmas when she attends her cousin’s house party, she is shocked to find her long lost love there. He’s seductive, intent on kissing her senseless. She chuckles when they’re discovered in the ladies’ retiring room, and the library, and the stairwell.
But will she marry him?

When she knows she can never give him the one gift which she never was capable of giving her three husbands?

And which she cannot give him?

The Butler’s Forbidden Fancy ~ Christmas Belles, Book 5

The vicar’s son and the earl’s daughter always broke the rules.
Now they must break bigger ones to win each other.
Do they have the courage?

She’s far above his touch…but has always remained in his heart.

Lady Eliza Kent, the only child of the Earl of Leith, is a wild beauty. Since birth, she’s broken nearly every rule. Catching frogs on the banks of the Thames. Riding bareback. Memorizing Shakespeare. Adoring the vicar’s youngest son.

Octavian Simms never conformed to his father’s rigid expectations. He loved wrestling, marksmanship, mathematics, French…and the local earl’s hellion daughter. During the wars, he put his talents to best use and disappeared into France to help his country defeat the tyrant Napoleon.

Home now that Napoleon lives in exile in St. Helena and weary of fighting, Octo ponders how to live the rest of his life. Then Eliza appears at his employer’s house party and challenges him to change his life completely.

Can he seize the dream he’d lost amid the turmoil of war? Or will he lose the one woman whose love he’s always craved?

Aunt Gertrude’s Red Hot Christmas Beau ~ Christmas Belles, Book 5

When The Countess of Marsden throws a house party, she expects to marry off her family and friends. Never herself. Not at her age!

At the Countess of Marsden’s house party, she plans to marry off her family and friends. But when the Duke of Harlow strides into her bedroom on Christmas Eve, Gertrude’s ready to continue the charming affair they began last summer. Even though she’s a lady of a certain age. Even though she’s never loved any man other then her dear departed husband!

Harlow’s enchanted by Gertrude. He’s done with mourning—and he’s ready to laugh again! But he wants more than a few nights with her. When he tells her, what will she say?

Can she love him? At his age? Imperfect as he is? Loving her as he does?

Christmas Belles Boxed Set ~ Christmas Belles

The Countess of Marsden requests the pleasure of your company at her home on the North Steyne in Brighton, December 21 to December 28, 1815.

She welcomes you to dining, dancing, charades, cards and match-making for her nieces and guests.

Even, dear me, herself!

Card-sharps, smugglers, lecherous lords are not invited. But many forlorn ladies in search of lost beaux are in attendance. One Shakespeare-quoting butler is shocked at his lady-love’s attendance. Sadly, a certain older gentleman whom the Countess adores has sent his regrets.

Yet she hopes he will appear!

DELIGHTFUL DOINGS IN DUDLEY CRESCENT

Her Beguiling Butler ~ Delightful Doings in Dudley Crescent, Book 1

A lady shouldn’t desire her butler. But what’s a woman to do when the man fascinates her? She must taste him…or dismiss him.
And how does a man kill his scandalous desire to kiss his charming employer? Especially when he must protect her from an unknown villain…as well as his dastardly need to possess her?
* * *
The lovely widow at No. 10 Dudley Crescent hopes to lead a merry life without any husband to replace the elderly one she recently buried. Yet Lady Ranford finds herself in a pickle. Her new butler, Finnley, is not only the most obstinate man she’s ever met, but he’s a virile enigma.

She’s never been lured to naughtiness with a man. Heaven knows, she certainly shouldn’t fantasize about the tall, dark, scowling creature who runs her household like a finely tuned clock.

But she can’t help herself. She needs to taste him—or dismiss him.

Finnley, poor fellow, has a few risqué dreams of his own about how he’d like to handle the delectable widow. Alone in his rooms, he resolves to deny how her humor riddles his mind and how her beauty steals his breath away.

None of his solutions are proper.

All of his desires are quite…dear me…scandalous.

But what’s a butler to do when the very life of his beloved employer is at stake? And he cannot control his need to protect her and…ahem…bed her?

***A spicy Regency romance!***

His Tempting Governess ~ Delightful Doings in Dudley Crescent, Book 2

A bemused earl. A governess disguised. A forbidden love and a terrible wrong that must be made right!

At No.18, Baldwin Summers, the Earl of Cartwell, deals with innumerable problems. At thirty-six, he’s changed. He’s no longer simply ‘Win’, that famous hero of Waterloo, but hailed as his profligate brother’s heir. He’s pensioned off his two mistresses and become oh, so bored with gambling. Yes, too, his mother presses him to marry—but he’d rather remove his spleen with a pickle fork than wed just any young peagoose.

Suddenly, he’s had thrust upon him guardianship of his friend’s eight-year-old daughter. Though she tickles him with her wit…and her exotic pets, the child needs a firm hand. With no idea how to mold her into a socially acceptable creature, he hires a governess.

However, that woman presents his most pressing problem—and his delight. She enchants his ward. But she’s beguiling him as well. And it’s a wonder because she is so very…odd. She knows (yes, indeed) bugs, defeats him every time at chess—and dances. In his upstairs hall. Alone. For the joy of it.

He cannot ignore her. He cannot control her. Worse, he cannot quell his mad desire to kiss her.

She is a temptation and a mystery. With a problem.

Stubborn, she refuses to allow him to help.

He won at Waterloo. But can we win the woman he loves?

His Naughty Maid ~ Delightful Doings in Dudley Crescent, Book 3

She’s on the run. He’s the lord whom once she adored.

Now she needs his help. But she will absolutely not be a cake about him…and fall for him again!

He’s determined to help her, keep her…and love her.

But what will the ton say when a noble viscount abandons his wits and falls for the woman who was his maid? His life? His very breath?
* * * * * * * * * *
At No. 6, Viscount Rockingham humors his sister by taking on an extra housemaid. One he does not need. But no sooner does said woman stand before him when he rejoices at sight of the lovely creature who once made all his days sweet.

Jessica Archer needs a position…and a place to make a new life. In hiding. She’s not a housemaid but a renowned chef pâtissière, up from Brighton and escaping a man who would kill her for the crime she saw him commit one morning on the beach. Working for Charlie—(she really must call him Lord Rockingham)—is not ideal, but she will not make a cake of herself over him! As a girl, she loved him far too dearly and suffered a broken heart. Yes, of course, their sad affair left her with an iron backbone. She’s needed it to survive, prosper and carve her reputation as a talented cook.

But she’s frightened, shaken, recalling once before when another man destroyed another whom she loved.

So she’ll take safety in Charlie’s house. But even as Jess warns herself not to take comfort in his arms, she’s never found another who rivals his charm. Charlie has always been far above her touch, even though when they were young and promised each other undying devotion, class differences did not matter.

For Charlie, the intervening years have shown him that she’s the only one who can sweeten his bland days. As he works to protect her from a clever stalker, he vows that this time he’ll ignore any rule, break any barrier…or kill any man who’d hurt her and deprive them of the happiness they both so richly deserve.

But will he succeed?

And can he ignore the dictates of the ton to marry the famous cook?

Or will she leave him for personal success…and let him live alone in want of her love?

REGENCY ROMPS

Lady Varney’s Risquè Business ~ Regency Romps, Book 1

When a proper lady of the ton takes on a new client in her risqué matchmaking business, she discovers that he has one decadent demand. Spend the night with him!

Lady Kitty Varney runs a discreet business to support herself and pay off her late husband’s gambling debts. When Viscount Justin Belmont appears in her parlor, Kitty’s latest client is the very man she was forbidden to marry years ago. Kitty questions if she can find Justin a woman worthy of him…and if she can bear to help him wed any other woman.

Then Justin lists his criteria for a wife and Kitty is shocked to learn she is among the few candidates suitable. He demands each candidate spend one night with him.

Can Kitty deny herself the chance to enjoy the charms of the man she’s never forgotten? Lady Varney’s risqué business might be her saving grace—but it may well become her undoing.

Rendezvous with a Duke, Regency Romps, Book 2

She had nothing. He wanted to give her everything.
Could they find the man who had ruined her to assure their love would never die?

Anna Fournier secludes herself, scandal staining her family name and all her prospects for anonymity, employment and even love. But one afternoon she plays her newest composition in a piano shop—and one man who cannot forget her talents, refuses to be rejected by her. As he falls in love with her, he must right the wrong done her years ago and claim her as his wife.

Anna Fournier never intended to fall in love. Not with any man. Especially not a duke. But Hugh Lattimer persists in courting her despite the scandal that surrounds her—and the innuendo that could ruin him.

Can she escape her past and embrace a future as Hugh’s duchess? Or will the man who murdered her father return to ruin her future once and for all?

A Cinderella story, Regency style!

Masquerade with a Marquess ~ Regency Romps, Book 3

She searches for priceless treasures stolen from her. He agrees to help her. Together, they discover the most precious prize of all.

Sophia di Contini risks her life to sail to England alone and slip into the homes of those she suspects stole priceless treasures from her family during the wars. Discovered by Victor Cameron, she agrees to search for her art his way even though she’ll live in his house, yearn for his touch, pine for his kisses….

Five years ago, Victor had to give up Sophia. Now he vows to keep her near him and to protect her from men who would destroy her. He’ll help her find her precious art even if he risks the chance she’ll steal his heart away…again.

Interlude with a Baron ~ Regency Romps, Book 4

He’d lived without her touch for years. Now he wanted her kiss, her heart, her hand in marriage.
Yet she could surrender only a few nights in his arms.

After Waterloo, Drayton Worth watched the woman he loved suffer because of his failures. Riddled with guilt he tried to improve Emma Bedlow’s existence, while cursing his never-ending desire for her.

Five years later, when he finally has the chance to convince her to share his life, she declares no man will control her ever again. She desires only an interlude with the charming baron.

Dray must convince her they deserve more. They deserve forever.

Regency Romps Collection

Four gentlemen of the ton learn that falling in love is dangerous, but necessary to their happiness.
One man inherits a title and estate but will never enjoy both unless he can influence one stubborn lady to find him the most suitable bride! But she is his intended—and she has no intention of ruining his new life!

His friend, a duke, discovers the lady he cannot live without suffers under a terrible cloud of mystery. He must convince her that they can free her of the past to build a bright future together!

A third gentleman finds the lady he has always loved masquerading at his latest house party, looking for a lost treasure. They soon discover the prize they must reclaim together is their long lost love for each other.

Their other friend suddenly has the chance to persuade the one woman he adores to marry him. Yet he confronts his biggest challenge when she refuses to marry any man ever again.

THOSE NOTORIOUS AMERICANS

Wild Lily ~ Those Notorious Americans, Book 1

An American heiress with a fortune—and no desire to wed for a drafty castle—or a cold, indifferent husband.

A marquess with a dim view of marriage, debts—and a conscience that won’t let him wed for money.

Then he meets a woman whom he adores. Can he admit he loves her for herself?

Can she surrender to a man who fears the high price of love?

Lily Hanniford is an American heiress with beauty, wits–and the unique desire to wed for more than a drafty castle and a loveless marriage.
The Marquess of Chelton needs money. A lot of it. Not an affair. Especially not with the delightful American who believes wedded bliss should include such ridiculous ideas as laughter—and love.
But they both desire what they should not want—each other. Too bad, passion has prices. And both Lily and Chelton are caught.
Is the cost of love too high a price to pay for Chelton?
And is the cost of surrender too dear a price to pay for Lily?

Daring Widow ~ Those Notorious Americans, Book 2

Marianne Roland is a widow who has left behind her past including memories of an intemperate husband and the hardships of the American civil war. Now she enjoys the comforts her wealthy Uncle Killian bestows on all his family. As she watches others fall in love, she decides to find an amusing lover for herself but only for one enchanting night.

Andre Claude Marceau, Duc de Remy and Prince d’Aumale, finds Marianne’s joie de vivre enchanting-and her plan for a temporary affair with him impossible.

He offers her one night in his arms, and to his delight, she craves another. But he needs more from her than a few hours of bliss. So when he shows her how to fill her days with passions that complement those they enjoy together at night, Marianne must choose.

Will she insist on a passing fancy? Or will she abandon the terrors of her past to embrace a brighter future beside a man who offers her a grand love affair with life?

Sweet Siren ~ Those Notorious Americans, Book 3

Tycoon. Robber baron. Builder of ships, dreams…and a fortune. Few women can resist the Irish rogue and industrialist, builder of dreams, Killian Hanniford.
But one woman tries. And when Killian learns why Lady Olivia Bereston shuns him, he must right a wrong.
But can she forgive him…even though she’s come to love him?

Killian Hanniford has everything he wants. Charming children, a growing empire and wealth beyond his hard-scrabble childhood dreams. He doesn’t need a wife. Doesn’t look for love from the women who only want to dip their hands in his wallet.

But one woman gives him the cut direct—and he wonders why she has the nerve.

Olivia Bereston knows the notorious American millionaire well. He’s ruthless, unprincipled. And she’s delighted to cut him down to size. But afterward, he finds her amusing. Intriguing? Is he mad? Or is he so unique, so forgiving, she might even learn to forgive herself for her own failures? And love him?

Scandalous Heiress ~ Those Notorious Americans, Book 4

She was his ruin.

Ada Hanniford is an oddity. An American heiress, a beauty, she’s sowed her wild oats and paid the price in sly rumors. Preferring politics to promenades, gardening to waltzing, she rebuffs the toffs who would seduce her for the fun of it or propose to marry her merely for her millions.

Embracing impending spinsterhood, she’s shocked to meet a man who fascinates her with tales his own adventures in exotic lands. She’s drawn to him, charmed by his kisses and his sense of honor.

Then one night, he braves society to save her reputation…and in the act, destroys his own.

He was her salvation.

Victor Cole is a survivor. A man who has worked diligently to overcome his lack of title and land, he has finally buried the disgrace of a wife so scandalous he had to sail thousands of miles away to wipe away her stain.

Then he meets Ada Hanniford. She’s so natural, so unique, he must court her and kiss her. But would he be wise to claim her? With each word, each sigh, he comes closer to loving her. But when the one man whom he should respect shames her, Victor cannot allow him to sully her. Rescuing her becomes his sole purpose. But to save her means he stirs scandal once more…and destroys his own bright prospects.

How can a man and woman who love each other overcome the slings and arrows of their scandalous pasts and build a life together if no one else can forget their sinful pasts?

Ravishing Camille ~ Those Notorious Americans, Book 5

She’d wanted him for years…and denied she cared.
As a step-brother, he’d loved her.
But she’s older now and even more delectable. Should he walk away? Can he?

Pierce Hanniford returns to England after tripling his fortune in China. He’s come for business. Not pleasure. And definitely not for love.
Camille Bereston decided years ago that Pierce was not for her. He’s her step-brother, famous, restless, a savvy Shanghai taipan and a menace…to her heart.
She has ambitions to marry. Funny that none of her candidates seems good enough.
Yet Camille excites him as no woman ever has and he must have her, no matter the cost.
But should she take an older, experienced rogue as her lover…and should she claim him forever as her only love?

If You Were the Only Girl in the World, Those Notorious Americans, Book 6

One starlit night, he saved her from tragedy and she saved him from disaster.

Years later, on a moonless night, he rescues her again—and they discover a love affair they cannot resist.

Now during the nightmare of war, each must decide if they’ll abandon all they worked for to claim the only person in the world they could love.

Katrina Schubert rejected what her father’s millions could buy—a title, a castle, a man who’d marry her for her money. Instead, she wanted to use her intellect and become a doctor.
Nathaniel, the Earl of Carbury, didn’t want what his family insisted he needed—a good woman who proved to him how beneficial a loving partner could be.
But one starless night in war-torn London, Nate saves Katrina from tragedy, the same way years before, she’d saved him from disaster. What began as friendship turns to a love affair they can’t resist.
Dare they risk their hearts to take all the riches enchantment can bring them?
Or will they reject the possibility that each remains alone, remembering the only other person they could adore?

DARING BELLES

The Raven’s Last Bet, Daring Belles, Book 1

She won’t be sold into marriage.
He won’t wed her for any amount of money. Only love.
If he can just figure out a way!

Harry Seymour arrives home from years of fighting abroad to learn he must clean up the family mess. His father demands Harry honor a deal he made with his best friend for Harry to marry the man’s daughter…for money.

Harry, who’s loved Sara Fleming since she was four, has no problem marrying her. He never did, even when she was denied him because she was the Whiskey King’s daughter.

But he won’t wed her for money.

Sara cannot accept the bargain her father made. She’s already left two men at the altar because she didn’t love either one. And if she can’t wed Harry for love, she’ll marry no one. But she wagers she’ll walk away a spinster…and happy if Harry will do her the favor of ruining her.

It’s a bet Harry can’t refuse.

Can he?

* * *

Bonus Book!
LORD STANTON’S SHOCKING SEASIDE HONEYMOON

She is so wrong for him.

Miss Josephine Meadows is so young. In love with life. His accountant in his work for Whitehall. Her father’s heir to his trading company—and his espionage network.

Lord Stanton cannot resist marrying her. But to ensure Wellington defeats Napoleon, they must save one of
Josephine’s agents.

Far from home, amidst a horrific storm, Stanton discovers that his new bride loves him dearly.

Can he truly be so right for her?

And she for him?

Second Chances, Daring Belles, Book 2

Many wish for another chance to find the one they love…and lost. Here are two novellas starring those who once loved wisely but not well—and make the most of a second chance at love and happiness!

The Widow’s Harvest Hope
The new Earl Barlow returns home from Waterloo, intending to live by his own rules. The woman he loved and lost years ago visits for the Harvest festival—and he plans to offer Vicky Wright what they both want. Can a lady who has lived by the rules throw them all away to seize her last chance for happiness?

The Beau of Christmas Past
Years ago, Alyssa and Declan were caught enjoying a Christmas kiss, which broke Alyssa’s betrothal to another man, and caused the pair to be exiled, far from their families and one another. Home for Christmas, will they find the past something to be overcome? Or fulfilled?

OTHER REGENCIES

Lady Starling’s Stockings

Lady Solange Starling has a special skill. But catching spies within her cousin’s embassy has never presented a challenge…until now.

One moonlit evening in a garden, Solange views a daring man she has not seen in years. A man she never forgot. A man, who even in his youth, carved his place in her life and her reverie.

Monsieur Noir, he calls himself. And so he is, a man living in shadows, dark and dangerous to her heart. As the two of them join together to weed out the nemesis who attempts to destroy their fight against Napoleon, Solange and Noir learn how rich grand passion can be.

Once more, they fight against cruel fate to give them what they most desire. Each other. Free of torment and loss. Free at last to love.

The Stanhope Challenge

4 Brothers, 4 Love Affairs, 4 Marriages
that Challenge the Family Curse!

Jack, Adam, Wes and Mark Stanhope fear falling in love. No wonder. No Stanhope has enjoyed a happy marriage in centuries. What does it take to change the family curse? Courage? Devotion? Love?

LORD STANHOPE’S IMPROPER PROPOSAL
Adam Stanhope is a politician who needs a wife. When he marries for convenience, he overlooks the fact that he cares for his lovely childhood friend more than he should.

LADY FEATHERSTONE’S FERVENT AFFAIR
Wes Stanhope is a national hero, but he’s wounded physically and emotionally. When the woman he loves wants to help him, he learns that the woman he adores can be just as courageous in the bedroom as he was on the battlefield.

MISS DARLING’S INDECENT OFFER
Jack Stanhope leads a carefree existence but when he meets Emma Darling, he realizes that in saving this woman from dastardly men is his saving grace.

THE BASTARD’S PASSIONATE PRIZE
Illegitimate Mark Stanhope expects nothing from his family, but when they save him, he in turn saves a young noblewoman who has the valor to stand against others who would abuse her.

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen and Cerise DeLand

The Dashwood sisters love too passionately…and, it seems, without reciprocal feelings from the men they choose. But lust can change a man…and a woman.If love is never sane, then lust certainly is all passion.

Elinor Dashwood cannot explain her affection for polite, reserved Edward Ferrars. In contrast, her younger sister Marianne endlessly extols the visage and virtues of dashing John Willoughby. Frustrated and lonely, Elinor yearns for Edward’s touch and some declaration of his regard. Yet she loves him.

Marianne eagerly surrenders to rapture in Willoughby’s arms—and cannot even consider the constancy of quiet, compassionate Colonel Brandon. Neither sister can escape the draw of lust. But as they learn more about those men they adore, they learn that love can be both sensible and sensational.

You only pay for the words our authors have added—not for the original content.

WRITING AS JO-ANN POWER

Heroic Measures

For Gwen Spencer, fighting battles is nothing new. An orphan sent to live with a vengeful aunt, Gwen picked coal and scrubbed floors to earn her keep. But when she decides to become a nurse, she steps outside the boundaries of her aunt’s demands…and into a world of her own making.

But that world has gone to war.

Volunteering for the Army Nurse Corps, Gwen promises to serve until the end of the conflict, no matter how long that is. She leaves her small hometown with her friends and sails away in the dead of night, chased by German U-boats. Ashore, she discovers her new world is dangerous and demanding, helping doctors heal thousands of sick and injured Doughboys in primitive conditions.

She’s determined to overcome the heartbreaks and the challenges. Becoming an expert at anesthesia, she volunteers to go to the front lines with an acute care team. Braving bombings and the madness of men crazed by pain and despair, she surprises herself when she falls in love with a man she admires—and should not want.

Amid the chaos, she learns the measure of her own bravery to bear any burden, pay any price and claim the one man she adores as she becomes all that she desires.