Misfits of the Ton

A thorn in his side, or the woman of his dreams? Henrietta Redford wishes she were a boy-after all, boys are masters of their own fate. Casting her dolls aside, she climbs trees, plays at swordfighting, and indulges in practical jokes. Once she's had her come-out, Henrietta has promised her father that she'll settle down and marry. Any eligible man might do, but it certainly won't be Giles Thorpe-the older boy from the estate next door, whose arrogant disdain of her tomboyish ways only increased as he grew into a man. Until they share a passionate kiss . . . After inheriting an earldom when his profligate father died, Giles understands the dangers of irresponsibility. The infuriating tomboy next door is the epitome of recklessness and the last woman he should associate with-no matter how fast his heart beats at the sight of her delectable form. When scandal threatens to ruin the Thorpe family name, Henrietta, unbeknown to Giles, is his best hope for salvation. But Henrietta will have to sacrifice everything-including the man she's grown to love. Contains mature themes.

An abandoned wife, a doubting husband . . . will the truth reunite them? Kept on a tight rein by her guardian ever since a failed elopement, Lady Beatrice Thorpe has no intention of falling in love again-until she meets a widower with kind eyes and a gentle touch. Augustus, the Earl of Hardwick, was widowed when his unfaithful wife died giving birth to her lover's child. On his return from exile abroad, he re-enters London society in search of the perfect, biddable bride. Beatrice catches his eye with her air of innocence, and her sorrowful gaze touches his heart. Still bitter from his first wife's treachery, Augustus struggles to trust again, and Beatrice, broken-hearted by betrayal, is unwilling to risk her heart. Neither can deny their desire for each other, which heightens with each scorching kiss. But passion without love is never enough. Will they risk their hearts to find the happiness they crave, or will their fears tear them apart? Contains mature themes.

Old sins cast long shadows when hearts are at stake. It's been fourteen years since Lavinia de Grande was evicted from her childhood home after her father lost his fortune. On entering her first Season courtesy of a cousin's charity, Lavinia vows to wreak vengeance on Earl Walton, the villain who orchestrated their ruination. Not even an alluring viscount-whose masterful touch and fiery kisses set her senses ablaze-will distract her from her plan to retrieve the family heirlooms lost at Walton's hands, by fair means or foul. Peregrine, Viscount Marlow, has been tasked with solving a mystery. A thief known as "the Phoenix" is targeting the ton and stealing seemingly unconnected treasures from different houses. During his investigation, Peregrine is distracted by the daughter of an impoverished viscount-a young woman unlike other debutantes, with a mind of her own and a body ripe for claiming. As Peregrine draws closer to his quarry, he unearths a secret that links the Phoenix to his own father, and Lavinia, who is falling for her would-be captor, soon learns that what began as a game, might cost her liberty-or even her life. Contains mature themes.

Eleanor Howard has never fit in. Constantly outshone by her younger sister, and continually criticized by her ambitious mother, Eleanor yearns to be loved for herself. Her secret infatuation with the Duke of Whitcombe-who'd never deign to notice, much less court her-would, if revealed, make her the laughingstock of the ton. Until he strides across a crowded ballroom and offers his hand. Montague FitzRoy, fifth Duke of Whitcombe, is unwilling to surrender the pleasures of bachelorhood. When his mother, insistent on finding him a duchess of the right pedigree, forces his hand, he decides on impulse to punish her by kneeling before the least desirable woman in the room. Only Miss Howard believes his proposal to be genuine. The solution? A false betrothal that keeps Monty's mother in check, and lifts Miss Howard's prospects. But beneath Eleanor's awkward exterior lies a passionate, intelligent woman, misunderstood and unappreciated, who challenges Monty's notions of duty, life, and love-and with whom he's falling in love himself. As the end of the Season, and their inevitable parting, approaches, Monty is faced with a choice-surrender to duty, or follow his heart. Contains mature themes.

Lady Arabella Ponsford has it all: wealth, beauty, a title-and the vilest temper in England. She takes pleasure from punishing anyone who offends her-including the arrogant gardener whose impertinent gaze sets her pulse racing. When he threatens to penetrate her façade to reveal the unhappy woman beneath, she destroys his belongings then evicts him without payment. Widowed father Lawrence Baxter staked his future on a gardening commission at a country estate. After a brief but scorching kiss, when Lawrence glimpses a passionate creature beneath her conceited exterior, she ruins his livelihood in a fit of spite, and he vows vengeance. When Arabella loses her memory in an accident and is left destitute by her treacherous family, Lawrence seizes the opportunity to take her home to work off her debt-provided he can stomach her foul temper, and she can manage his unruly family. But as Arabella adapts to a life filled with chores and children, Lawrence finds himself falling in love with the woman who rises to each increasingly difficult challenge he gives her. But their life is a lie. Lawrence owes Arabella the truth-even if the truth will cost him the woman he loves. Contains mature themes.

Debutante Juliette Howard's attempt to ruin her sister out of envy and spite ended badly-with Juliette herself ruined, disgraced, and pregnant. Consumed by regret, and reviled by Society, Juliette fled her family's disappointment to hide in obscurity in a remote seaside village. As an outsider, she's viewed with suspicion by all except the vicar with the gentle voice and kind eyes. Andrew Staines followed his calling when he entered the church. His is a lone voice speaking out against the injustices of the world-until a mysterious widow arrives with her young son. Her soulful eyes speak of past tragedy, but despite the hardships she endures, she becomes a champion for the cause of the downtrodden, and Andrew finds himself in danger of falling in love. Despite vowing to protect her heart, Juliette finds a soul mate in Andrew-a man struggling with his faith, as she struggles to reconcile herself with her past sins. But a fallen woman with an illegitimate child is no suitable match for a chaste vicar, a man revered as the model of morality. And when Juliette discovers Andrew's connection to her family, she realizes that some sins can never be forgiven. Contains mature themes.