Cirrus@Austlit

'London, 1817

'When Miss Joanna Dalrymple’s father inherits a fortune from a relative, he sells his haberdashery and turns his attention to seeing his beloved daughter settled in the manner he’d promised her mother. He leases a townhouse in Mayfair for the Season and engages a lady to ease their way into Society. At her first ball, Jo makes a new friend, Letitia Cartwright, who introduces her to the baron, Lord Reade. Dark-haired and handsome, he towers over most men, and his teasing manner is not what one finds on a ballroom dance floor. Jo learns from Letty that Reade is not looking to marry. It intrigues Jo. There is something mysterious about the baron. An air of danger surrounds him. But Jo has decided her husband must be a quiet gentleman who would welcome her widowed father into their house, so when the elegant Mr. Ollerton, pursues her, Jo welcomes his advances.

'Gareth, Baron Reade, an agent for the crown, is investigating the disappearances of several young women at the request of the Prince Regent. The lovely redhead, Miss Joanna Dalrymple, has captured Reade’s attention. Against his better judgement, his interest in her deepens. His good friend, Brandon Cartwright, has the annoying tendency to read Reade’s mind, and to voice what’s on his. Brandon urges Reade to marry and cast aside the low spirits which have plagued him since Waterloo. But Reade refuses to inflict his dark moods and nightmares on a wife. Trouble is, Joanna, a forthright young lady, becomes increasingly difficult to ignore. Especially when it appears she might be in danger. Has she become involved with the Virden’s, the couple Reade has under suspicion? While he has no intention of caring for anyone again, he becomes determined to protect her.

'Will it take a matter of life and death for them to realize they cannot live without each other?'

'Lady Nellie Dountry, and Charles, His Grace, Duke of Shewsbury have had their hearts broken in the past. Neither is prepared to chance love again. When they are compelled to marry because of an agreement made long ago by their fathers, they are both determined to resist falling in love. Convinced that it’s mere desire which draws them together, both are surprised by their jealousy.

'Nellie finds Charles irresistibly attractive, but other women do too. They circle like sharks. Aware that Charles’s former fiancée who had broken his heart some years ago is now a widow and on the hunt for a lover, Nellie struggles to trust him while she fears she is falling in love with him.

'Charles was more than pleased with his choice of bride, but he wishes she wasn’t so difficult to understand. One minute she’s hot for him, the next as remote from him as a chalet in the alps. Why he wants to get close surprises him, he planned for his marriage to be little more than one of polite indifference. But Nellie is so dashed beguiling!'

Source : publisher's blurb

'Julian Winter has had his heart broken a time or two. And he’s tired of his well-meaning family trying to set him up with yet another vapid debutante. His attitude to attending a winter house party is frosty indeed until he meets fellow guest Caroline, a widow with a young son.'

Source : publisher's blurb

'Free-spirited Opal Jones and straight-laced Peter Ravenshaw are childhood friends growing up in India, away from the structured mores of English society. But all good things must come to an end. The friends are sent to England and go their separate ways.

'Years pass but not Opal’s love for Peter. Opal is determined to get her man, but she will need the help of Lady Dove-Lyon, the most notorious matchmaker in London.

'The Lyon’s Den will host a most unusual game: He who can stay awake the longest, wins the hand of the fair Miss Opal Jones. Peter is horrified that his beautiful, headstrong friend would give herself away on a game of chance, not realizing that Opal already holds all the cards.'

Source : publisher's blurb

'David Manston has left his smuggling days behind. He is happy with his smallholding by the sea and his burgeoning romance with Alexandra Gedding, the daughter of impoverished gentry.

'Alexandra, however, is not averse to going out to help her twin brother Phillip smuggle in goods to help the townsfolk. She is even known to be quite handy with a rapier.

'However, Phillip has fallen in with a seriously bad crowd which has graduated from ‘honest’ smuggling to the murderous evil of wrecking.

'Alexandra talks to David, unsure what to do. If she involves the authorities, the townsfolk will see it as a betrayal and she also risks seeing her brother hanged.

'David tries to find out more about the wreckers from his old confederates including Nathaniel ‘Nate’ Payne, whom he hasn’t seen in years. Alexandra, meanwhile, has decided the best way to keep an eye on her twin is by involving herself even more in his plans.

'Nathaniel agrees to help and introduces Adam Hardacre as a fellow smuggler to David and Alexandra. Between the four of them, they must try to save Phillip from himself and stop the wreckers for good.'

Source : publisher's blurb

'Andrew, the Duke of Harrow, has returned to his Oxfordshire estate after years away in Vienna on a diplomatic engagement. He left England after losing his beloved wife in childbirth. But his children consider him a stranger, and the new governess disapproves of him.

'In hope of restoring his family, he has invited a German baroness who may become the new Duchess of Harrow, and her brother, as his guests. Andrew’s plans do not go to order. Were there three attempts made on his young son William’s life, or are they a string of amazing coincidences? Why would anyone want to harm William? Andrew finds himself working with the governess to discover the truth while keeping his son safe, and disconcertingly, comes to depend on Miss Harrismith, as his respect for her deepens. When the truth finally becomes clear, Andrew faces his feelings, but then finds his chance of happiness snatched away.

'Miss Jenny Harrismith, the daughter of an impoverished baron from Yorkshire with six children, leaves home after a disagreement with her father, taking a position as governess to the Duke of Harrow’s two children. After a year at Castlebridge, when the duke barely makes an appearance, she has found a certain peace, and become very fond of her charges. But the duke has arrived home to stay, and suddenly, there is no peace to be found. Frightening things begin to happen. As she fights to keep the duke’s son safe, she finds herself falling in love with his father.

'Thrust into danger, and coming close to death, she realizes she must face the truth of what she left behind in York.'

Source : publisher's blurb

'Rakes are intent on something a young debutante must never give them… their virtue!

'Armed with this advice from her aunt, Letitia Bromley embarks on her first Season in London. Fresh from the country, she is intent on a romantic adventure after reading the diaries of her great-great Aunt Lydia, who sailed the high seas with a pirate. But when Letty’s kind patroness begs for her help to right a wrong done to her dead husband, Letty can only respond to the lady’s distress. Can it be true that the rakish Brandon Cartwright spies for the French? Danger lurks, and Letty becomes unsure whom to trust. Her head urges her to be sensible, to go home to the man everyone in her village expects her to marry, but her heart says otherwise.

'Declared the family’s black sheep by his father after a tragedy, Brandon is drawn into the spying business. He has had little regard for his life, taking on dangerous assignments, until circumstances change when he becomes involved with a stubborn young lady who is determined to help her chaperone. Brandon can’t help but admire Letty for her bravery and compassion, but while he’s intent on keeping her safe, he has no intention of drawing her into his disreputable life.

'Once he sees her safely on her way back to Cumbria, he can pick up the threads of the life he lived before she came into it… or will he follow his heart – and her?'

Source : publisher's blurb

'1629 A.D. -Gabriel Hardacre is one of three orphan brothers with a talent for acrobatics and performing.

'It’s how they make their living… mostly. If a few jewels and trinkets make it into their hands from time to time… well, a man has to eat after all. Their haunt is the Wharf Street Tavern at the docks in Barnstaple.

'Perspicacity Glenwood, known as Cassie to her friends, is a forthright and determined young woman. She runs a small school that teaches the children of the docks – as well as some of the adults – who want to learn to read and write.

'One of her older students is the handsome Gabriel, but a burgeoning romance between them is thwarted when Cassie receives word that an ailing aunt in Ireland needs her care.

'The voyage across the Irish Sea is a short one and ought to be without peril, but the evil Dutch pirate Jan Janszoon controls Lundy Island just outside the Bristol Channel, picking off ships for their bounty of goods – and people to sell as slaves in North Africa.

'Gabriel learns from a mysterious man, who simply calls himself de Wolfe, that Cassie’s ship has been taken. The man’s wife is also among the captives and he’s putting together ‘a wolf pack’ to destroy Janszoon’s base of operations for good.

'The mission will be hazardous, it will be deadly – and it has to be done within the next two weeks before Cassie and the other captives are taken out of reach forever.

'Can Gabriel save the woman he’s fallen in love with?'

Source : publisher's blurb

'Long believing himself an orphan, Privateer Captain Kit Hardacre is persuaded by his wife to learn more about his family. At the same time, Naval veteran and retired spy Adam Hardacre learns he has an adult son he never knew existed.

'Thrown together one Christmas, by circumstances beyond their control, father and son must find mutual ground on which to come to terms with the past. Life is too short to hold on to regret, and a greater regret awaits if the two men cannot work together to save a life. Love comes in many forms… and none more strongly than the love from father to son.'

Source : publisher's blurb

'Cornwall, 1805

'Rescued from the French prison in which he’s been held captive, Nathaniel Payne returns to the life of a smuggler in Cornwall, bringing with him boatload of brandy. However, he is startled to find his usual contraband hideaway, The Queen’s Head Inn, has a new owner.

'As much as Nate has a past to hide, it seems young widow Susannah Linwood has even more reason to cover up her own background. She is distant and cautious. Her only companion is her maid Peggy and the woman is highly protective of her mistress. What’s more, Susannah does not approve of smugglers and threatens to call the revenuers unless Nate removes the contraband.

'Even so, he is intrigued as well as attracted to Susannah who begins to warm to him. However, his on-again, off again married lover, Lillian, is jealous of his interest in the new inn owner and sets out to find out what she’s hiding, certain it is a great scandal. And complicating matters is that Susannah has also attracted the jealousy of the local magistrate’s wife.

'In the brewing storm, Nate thinks nothing at first of the arrival of a lodger at the inn called Hardacre. He claims to be a bird watcher and painter, but is, in reality, more interested in something else Nate brought back from France – intelligence about troop movements.

'Meanwhile, Susannah is preparing to act on her growing feelings towards Nate. Then a mysterious man appears who claims to know all about her past and threatens blackmail over the circumstances of her husband’s death.

'Nate is persuaded to return to France to help rescue stranded English agents, but there may be a more pressing rescue mission at home.

'Betrayal is closer than either Nate or Susannah imagine.'

Source : publisher's blurb

'When a widow must fight for herself… and her love.

'A widow in dire circumstances, Lady Althea Brookwood fights to hang on to the one thing left to her, Owltree Cottage. When faced with a ruthless enemy, she must turn to a man for help. But her former life with her cruel husband has made her distrust men. When a gentleman she seeks assistance from is murdered, Althea finds herself caught up in a conspiracy. Unfortunately, she must turn to the last man on earth she would trust with her virtue….

'Leaving behind his sad past in Ireland, Keiran Flynn, Viscount Montsimon, has become a renowned diplomat and close confidant of King George IV. A handsome rake many women of the ton wish to take to their beds, Flynn treats women lightly until he meets a lady who resists his charm. When the king sends Flynn on a secret mission, he finds that this lady, Lady Brookwood, is in some way involved. It is a puzzling situation as well as a dangerous one. He is determined to protect her even though the stubborn lady resists him at every turn.

'Althea and Flynn find themselves thrust into the midst of a hazardous intrigue while fighting an attraction which could cause them to lose focus and possibly their lives.'

Source : publisher's blurb

'John Haldane, Earl of Stathairn, first met Lady Sibella Winborne before he left to fight Bonaparte on the Peninsular. He intended to pursue her upon his return, but his war experiences ruined that plan. Instead, disturbed by nightmares, he chooses to associate with tavern wenches and gambles his time away while he continues to spy for the Crown.

'But the lady remains on his mind.

'He can’t quite let Lady Sibella go. Amazed that she has not yet married, John keeps her close as a friend, seeking her out at balls and riding with her in the park. But any thoughts he might have harbored about marrying the beautiful and smart Lady Sibella vanish after his friend and fellow spy is slain.

'The game changes.

'Determined to find his friend’s murderer, Strathairn faces a new mission – has the treasonous Frenchman, Count Forney, returned to wreak havoc? It is believed he drowned escaping England years ago. Or, worse… is there a new plot afoot to drive the people to revolution?

'Lady Sibella Winborne has remained single well past her first season, despite several offers of marriage. Her many siblings have always aided her to deter unwanted suitors, but the family now believes it’s time she wed. Her elder brother, Chaloner, Marquess of Brandreth, insists on it. He has found the perfect suitor, Lord Coombe, but Sibella doesn’t warm to him. Is it because she harbors a strong affection for a blond-haired gentleman? Strathairn makes every other man seem ordinary. While she wants to set up her own household and have children, she can’t give up on Strathairn. When they’re together, the air sizzles. But does he look at every woman the way he looks at her?

'Join John and Sibella on their unforgettable journey to their happily ever after!'

Source : publisher's blurb

'London 1816

'Guy Fortescue comes to England to claim his inheritance, Rosecroft Hall, abandoned over thirty years ago when his father fled to France after killing a man in a duel. But England proves to be a dangerous place – someone wants Guy dead. As Guy seeks to discover who lies behind the attacks on his life, he arranges a faux betrothal with Miss Horatia Cavendish.

'Unfortunately, things don’t go according to plan. An aspiring poet, Hetty proves to have a mind of her own but in spite of that, Guy finds her far too alluring.

'Dangerous….

'Headstrong and lovely, Hetty agrees to the betrothal because it allows her to go to London where she can attend literary societies with her aunt. While her affection for Guy grows deeper, she must not forget the betrothal isn’t real. Guy will choose a bride from the beau monde – it will not be a colonel’s daughter from Digswell.

'But Hetty is soon drawn in to Guy’s life, more and more, and not entirely against her will. He is handsome and brave, and the attraction between them is undeniable. Soon, she can no longer resist her desire for him and the fact that someone is out to kill him only feeds her innate protectiveness of the man she is betrothed to. As attempts are made on Guy’s life, Hetty and his sister ,Genevieve, work together to keep him alive, and a love that has been denied finally comes to fruition in the exciting conclusion.'

Source : publisher's blurb

'England, 1804

'Refused his rightful promotion, Adam Hardacre quits the Royal Navy in disgust and is quickly approached with an intriguing proposition to serve his country undercover.

'His first assignment takes him home to Cornwall to expose traitors plotting a French invasion of England. There, he meets newly unemployed governess, Olivia Collins, who has stumbled upon a hidden secret from Adam’s past – his youthful summer love affair with the local squire’s daughter. It is a tragic history that brings Adam and Olivia closer than is wise.

'However, with the attraction deepening to something more, neither realize that Olivia unwittingly holds the key to his mission.

'As Adam infiltrates the plot, Olivia finds out the shocking truth behind his lost love’s death many years ago, and both their lives are in danger. But their growing relationship is clouded by suspicion. Who can and cannot be trusted – anyone or no one?

'Or even each other?'

Source : publisher's blurb

'The Past Casts a Shadow Over a Second Chance For Love….

'Palermo, 1810

'Morwena Gambino is struggling to keep her family’s business going against mounting troubles. Her widowed father, once shrewd, is now increasingly forgetful, letting debts mount and disavowing his sons. Morwena runs the shop behind his back, forced to hide her enterprise not only from her father but also her bitter older brother.

'In Tunisia, Tewodros “Jonathan” Afua is struggling to stay alive. Once an Ethiopian prince, he is a captive of the corsairs who slaughtered his wife and children. When a US naval bombardment provides an opening for escape, Jonathan falls in with a seemingly deranged English pirate. Aboard Kit Hardacre’s rundown ship with its ragtag crew, Jonathan learns the real reason he was taken by slavers.

'Reluctantly joining Hardacre’s crew, he meets Morwena in Palermo. The fiery young Sicilian woman is the opposite of his quiet reserve, but he is attracted to her despite mourning for his late wife. As he and Morwena grow closer, it emerges that they have something in common – secret betrayal by those close to them – and they must count what they’re willing to risk for a future together.

Source : publisher's blurb

'Heav’n has no Rage like Love to Hatred turn’d, 
'Nor Hell a Fury like a Mother scorn’d.

'Rescued after two years as a concubine in an Ottoman harem, former debutante Laura Cappleman faces a difficult journey back to normal life. As she travels to Palermo aboard Kit Hardacre’s ship, the Calliope, she is deeply traumatized – and pregnant by her kidnapper.

'Laura rejects the emotional support of her long-time admirer, Calliope First Officer Elias Nash, and her cousin, Sophia, Kit’s wife. She withdraws into herself and her art. Finally, after giving birth, she decides to return to London, hoping to erase tormented memories.

'Emir Selim Omar died on the day of Laura’s rescue, but his wickedness lives on in his third wife, Rabia, in whose household Laura was held. The ruthless widow may yet hold on to the power she wielded as mother to the Emir’s only male heir. However, as opportunists begin to pick his empire apart, her child dies.

'When Rabia learns Laura has given birth to a boy, the solution is obvious – the concubine is stolen property and so is the child sired by her late husband.

'She will take the boy and kill anyone in the way.

'As Rabia’s assassins close in, Elias – both embraced and rejected by the damaged woman he loves, uncertain she will ever return, and alone in Palermo with the child he has given his name – must take the battle to the enemy.

'Otherwise, there may be nothing for Laura to come home to.'

Source : publisher's blurb