Calhoun Chronicles

Book 1 of the Calhoun Chronicles by #1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Wiggs. Boston and Rio de Janeiro, 1851 An awkward misfit in an accomplished Boston family, Isadora Peabody yearns to escape her social isolation and sneaks aboard the Silver Swan, bound for Rio, leaving it all behind. Ryan Calhoun, too, had a good family name. But he'd purposely walked away from everything it afforded him. Driven by his quest to right an old wrong, the fiery, temperamental sea captain barely registers the meek young woman who comes aboard his ship. To the Swan's motley crew, the tides of attraction clearly flow between the two. Teaching her the charms of a lady, they hope to build the confidence she needs to attract not only their lonely captain's attention, but his heart, as well. For everyone knows the greatest charms are not those of the formal lady, but rather the possibilities of a new world built on love. A historical romance.

Once a privileged son of the South, Hunter Calhoun now stands a widower shadowed by the scandal of his wife's death. Burying himself in his success with breeding Thoroughbred racehorses, he's left his family to crumble and forgotten how to comfort his grieving children. When a prized stallion arrives from Ireland crazed and unridable, Hunter is forced to seek help for the beast. Removed from the world of wealth and social privilege, Eliza Fylte has inherited her father's famed gift for gentling horses. And when Hunter arrives with his wild steed, her healing spirit reaches further yet, drawing her to his shattered family and to the intense, bitter man who needs her, just as she needs him. Eliza understands what Hunter refuses to see-that love is the greatest healer of all. But can her kind, humble being manage to teach such an untethered man what truly matters in life?

At a glittering White House gala, Abigail Cabot discovers the man of her dreams. Only, he's not interested...yet. So the gifted lady astronomer, whose passion for measuring stars has left her woefully lacking in social graces, seeks someone to educate her...someone who is a master at the art of seduction. Jamie Calhoun's handsome looks and easy charm have made him as popular on the Senate floor as he is with the capital's most attractive women. But secretly he loathes the cynical, manipulative man he's become. Initially, he befriends Abigail as a means to a political end. But somewhere along the way the plan goes awry. First laughter and then love take them completely by surprise in this wildly romantic story. For a man convinced he's incapable of love and a woman who believes she can reach the stars, could this be a match made in heaven?

Spousal abuse, illiteracy and disputed paternity are only a few of the contemporary issues that figure in this late 19th-century romance. When last seen in Wiggs' Halfway to Heaven, the scientific-minded Michael Rowan had broken off his relationship with hotheaded Helena Cabot, a society belle from an important family. Upon discovering she was pregnant, Helena accepted a marriage proposal from up-and-coming politician Troy Barnes. As this book opens, nine years have passed, Troy has discovered the deception right after the death of Helena's father and he has begun beating her. As readers will expect from one of Wiggs' resourceful heroines, Helena breaks from him and sets out on her own with her eight-year-old son. Her first impulse is to turn to Michael but, unaware that she's being abused and certain that his long-held secrets would repel her, he demurs. So she leases the rundown Moon Lake Lodge in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., and proceeds to create a haven for other women in trouble. One of them helps Helena overcome her inability to read while Michael bonds with his newly discovered son. Wiggs has a knack for creating engaging characters, and her energetic prose shines through the pages. However, the romance between Helena and Michael is curiously tepid compared to their earlier sparks. Although it's not vintage Wiggs, her latest should please her fans, and to a lesser extent, readers new to her work.

A gifted but troubled physician, Blue Calhoun runs a thriving medical practice from his Nob Hill mansion in San Francisco while raising his son alone after an unthinkable tragedy. Then one day a female fugitive with a gunshot wound appears in Blue's surgery. Even though she holds a pistol aimed at his heart, the desperation in her eyes awakens Blue's compassion. Reluctantly he is drawn to her fragile beauty, her nerves of steel and the mystery surrounding her circumstances. Isabel Fish-Wooten has spent most of her life on the run, but everything changes when she forces a stranger to save her life. Yet her rescue comes with an unexpected price. As Isabel recovers from her wounds, she finds herself touched by this remarkable man and yearns to reach out to him and his rebellious son. From danger-filled back alleys to the glittering ballrooms of high society, Isabel and Blue confront the violence and corruption that threatens their newfound passion. Theirs is an unforgettable quest to discover a rare and special love, and the precious gift of a second chance at happiness.