Women of Worth

A vow to remain unwed and a bargain designed to find her a husband. What could possibly go wrong? Elsie and her two best friends made a childhood vow to never marry. But when Elsie begins her first season in London, her mother presents her with an irresistible bargain: if she says yes to each and every man's invitations and still remains unattached by the end of the season, she will receive her inheritance and become a free woman. She is thrown into the spotlight by increasing attention in the newspaper gossip articles, and keeping her end of the bargain seems impossible-especially when her best friend's tyrant of a brother, Lord Cameron, begins to make advances that Elsie literally cannot refuse. The gossip grows increasingly malicious, leaving destroyed reputations and broken homes in its wake, and Elsie can't seem to escape its focus. But it's her own blossoming feelings for Lord Cameron that pose the greater threat. If she can't keep him out of her heart, she's sure to compromise the bargain, break her vow, and lose her one shot at freedom for good.

Freya runs from her past, but trouble seems to follow her everywhere she goes. Years after discovering her parents' marriage was invalid, and she illegitimate, Freya continued to struggle with the scandal hanging over her head. When her father reappears with his real wife and daughter, Freya flees London entirely. With an inherited country house, Freya at least has somewhere to run. She looks forward to meeting her faithful steward, who writes the most diverting letters. However, Mr. Daniel Bryce is not the old gentleman she expected, but young, handsome, and eligible. Freya struggles with her growing feelings for her steward as they work together to renovate the only home she has left. When a stranger shows up and threatens to reveal Freya's past, will she find the strength to remove herself from the scandal's shadow?

Eleanor Wheeler married into misery. Now widowed, marrying again is the only way to save her sister and herself from their brother's drunken temper. Mr. Bancroft offers her such an escape if she can gain his mother's approval at the family's house party. Eleanor quickly discovers that obtaining Mrs. Bancroft's blessing is near impossible. A matter only complicated further when she stumbles across a fellow guest in the middle of the night. Despite fear of scandal, Eleanor cannot resist the Marquess' easy manner, which appeals to her heart in a way Mr. Bancroft never could. However, losing Mr. Bancroft would be disastrous to her sister's future. As her past begins to catch up with her, Eleanor desperately holds the Marquess at arm's length in an attempt to preserve her plans. As the house party draws to a close, she must choose between a safe bet or following her heart.

An arranged marriage. A tormenting neighbor. When Lydia's father tells her he's obtained a husband for her, Mr. Thornton, she doesn't know whether to laugh or cry. She'd only met the man once before, and he'd immediately left her stranded in a ballroom after asking her to dance. How could she marry a man who already deemed her forgettable? Edward Thornton has succumbed to the allure of gambling one too many times, to the point where he loses his house in a game of cards. But when the man who won his house offers him a deal he can't refuse, he agrees to marry the man's daughter in exchange for a chance to redeem himself. The newlyweds immediately travel to Thornton's country estate. But when someone starts leaving threatening notes on their door, Lydia and Edward must work together to determine who is in danger. Can love thwart the evil that threatens to destroy their relationship?

He cannot obtain his fortune without first obtaining a bride. Charlotte Clarke wants nothing more than to experience a London Season. But when she finds out she has to wait another year due to her sister's recent pregnancy, she is crushed. All is not lost as a letter arrives soon after summoning Charlotte to Danbury Hall to meet her new guardian, John Wilkins. With little choice but to go, she determines to contrive a way to convince her new guardian to take her to London in her sister's stead. John Wilkins spent the last four years running his family's plantation in the Caribbean. When he returns to England after his father's death, he learns that not only is he the guardian of his estranged cousin, but his father amended his will: John will not inherit anything until he marries or turns thirty. Eager to attend the Season and obtain a bride, he agrees to take Charlotte with him. Charlotte takes on the Season, searching for love while assisting Mr. Wilkins in finding a suitable bride. But what she doesn't count on is falling in love with him herself. A clean and wholesome Regency romance, Love in the Ballroom is the fifth book in the Women of Worth series. It can be read as a stand-alone romance, but is best enjoyed in proper order.