Magic of Love

What would you do if you discovered the men you were dating were fictional characters you'd created long ago? Thirty-five-year-old Catherine Schreiber has shelved love for good. Keeping her ailing bookstore afloat takes all her time, and she's perfectly fine with that. So when several men ask her out in short order, she's not sure what to do ... especially since something about them seems eerily familiar. A startling revelation -- that these men are fictional characters she'd created and forgotten years ago -- forces Cat to reevaluate her world and the people in it. Because these characters are alive. Here. Now. And most definitely in the flesh. Her best friend, Eliza, a romance novel junkie craving her own Happily Ever After, is thrilled by the possibilities. The power to create Mr. Perfect -- who could pass that up? But can a relationship be real if it's fiction? Caught between fantasy and reality, Cat must decide which -- or whom -- she wants more. Blending humor with unusual twists, including a magical manuscript, a computer scientist in shining armor, and even a Regency ball, A Man of Character is a whimsical-yet-thought-provoking romantic comedy that tells a story not only of love, but also of the lengths we'll go for friendship, self-discovery, and second chances.

Can a man with a past and a woman from the future forge a love for all time? Nobody would blame widowed doctoral student Eliza James for giving up on Happily Ever After; at twenty-nine, she's suffered more loss than most people do in a lifetime. But Eliza's convinced her own hero is still out there, waiting for her, just like in the beloved romance novels she devours. Every Jane Austen-loving girl deserves a Darcy, right? Only Eliza doesn't dream of a modern-day affair: she wants the whole Regency experience. When a magical manuscript thrusts her back two hundred years into the arms and life of one Deveric Mattersley, Duke of Claremont, however, Eliza realizes some fantasies aren't all they're cracked up to be, especially when her duke proves himself less than a Prince Charming. Convinced he's at fault for the death of his wife, Deveric Mattersley has no interest in women, much less marriage. Determined to atone for his sins, he decrees himself content to focus on running his family's estates, and on raising his son-until the mysterious Mrs. James appears. Who is she? What does she want? And why does she make Dev's blood run hot in a way no woman ever has? A charming time-travel Regency romance full of wit and humor, A Matter of Time reminds us that, like books, you can't judge people by their covers, and that love often comes when least expected.

What if your soul mate doesn't want Happily Ever After? Independent, spirited Amara Mattersley may live under scandal's shadow, but at least the nineteenth-century Regency society judging her is familiar. That's all about to change when she finds herself in twenty-first-century Charlottesville, Virginia-and locking horns with one very befuddling, very male, UVA professor. Computer science professor Matthew Goodson has no time for love-no time for anything, actually, but his quest for tenure and his obsession with the screen. The last thing he expects is to get side-swiped by this adorably odd British miss. Yet something in her calls to him, pulls at him, in a way unknown-and uncomfortable. Can past and present blend together into a mutual future? Or will old wounds and new complications sabotage any chance at a twenty-first century happily ever after?

All three of Margaret Locke's highly acclaimed books in the Magic of Love series in one convenient box set! How far would you go for friendship, self-discovery, and second chances? A Man of Character: A thirty-five-year-old bookstore owner must choose between fantasy and reality after discovering the men she's dating are living versions of fictional characters she'd created long ago. A Matter of Time: A modern-day Austenite's dream comes true when she lands in the arms of a Regency duke, only to learn some fantasies aren't all they're cracked up to be when he proves less than a Prince Charming. A Scandalous Matter: A scandal-scarred duke's sister travels from Regency England to present-day Virginia in pursuit of the education and independence she's long desired, but unexpectedly finds herself entangled with a career-consumed professor. Can they blend past and present into a mutual future? Three independent novels with recurring characters. One laugh-evoking, tear-inducing, thought-provoking series.