Bøker av Sandra Sookoo

Nothing ushers in the holidays like mistletoe... and murder. Widow Mary Tomlinson isn't looking for romance. At four and thirty, she's content enough to keep house for her brother in London, but when the opportunity to act as chaperone for her niece at a Christmastide house party comes her way, she jumps at it. Even more when she discovers the party is hosted by Viscount Stanwick, a man she used to fancy in her youth. The fly in the ointment is his brother and the troubling attraction for him she can't quite ignore. Inspector Gabriel Bright is attending his brother's house party in the countryside to help his son enter society. He cares not for ton life or for settling down; he feels most vital while working cases for Bow Street, but when the butler turns up dead shortly before dinner one night and Gabriel's son is found with the murder weapon, he's thrown into action. This plus an impromptu kiss with a woman in the stables that excites his imagination in fires his libido might prove the company not as dull as he thought. Possessed with organizational skills and an affinity for broken things, Mary soon is recruited to act as the inspector's assistant as they investigate. Heat and desire simmer between them, but the two have more in common than they think when secrets from their pasts come to light during the case. If they wish to explore a life together beyond the boundaries of their torrid Christmastide affair-as well as solve the case-they'll need to stay one step ahead of the killer.

He's heat and sin. She's ice and proper. Between them, a storm of passion is brewing.On the shelf Miss Amelia Hasting has no time for frivolity. Companion to a willful nineteen-year-old nouveau riche heiress seeking a match with a titled gentleman, Mia's only task is steering her charge away from rogues and scoundrels, but when it's her peace of mind that is threatened by an overly handsome and very wicked viscount, she must do something, and fast, to keep both herself and her charge out of his bed, even if she's curiously tempted by him.Rakish Nicholas Devlin, Viscount Wycliffe, is suffering from ennui. Now that the war is over and there's no need for his smuggling services, he requires a fortune, which means sacrificing himself to parson's mousetrap with a young woman who has more bosom than brains. Despite his protests, when he meets a stubborn, companion indifferent to his charm, he forgets the heiress into order to knock Amelia from her icy pedestal and discover her fire.Though Mia's protective of her charge, it's obvious his attention has been on her all along. The more she fights the forbidden attraction, the more he teases. Knowing he's met his match in all the ways that matter, forced proximity ensures Nicholas' seduction attempts with the fascinating companion, thinking his insistent pursuit will wane once he beds her, yet that act only brings more complications for the enemies to lovers. Passion grows, threatening to shatter them both, unless they accept the truth-they're in love......despite the scandal that will surely follow.The Hasting SistersBook 1 - The Devil's GameBook 2 - A Second Summertime CourtshipBook 3 - An Impossible Match

In need of redemption... Thomas Prestwick, Viscount of Ashbury, has left the thought of love and romance behind. Never again will he allow himself that vulnerability and has, instead, kept himself busy with various vices every fine gentleman of the beau monde indulges in. If only he'd stayed away from the tables at the famed Lyon's Den gaming hell that night, he might not have been caught up in fate's unfortunate web, which brought him face-to-face with the past. In want of vengeance...Miss Olivia Rose Jameson wants nothing to do with men-whether related to her or not. With her parents dead and her worthless brother losing everything of value at the gambling tables, she's incensed when her hand is bartered for his freedom. That complication will not help her cause of having revenge on the man who killed her best friend, until chance matches her with the object of her ire. Forgiveness has a way of changing everything... With no choice but to wed at the order of the mysterious Mrs. Dove-Lyon, the pair ushers in the Christmastide season as a married couple. No matter that Ashbury's heart is locked away and Olivia wishes to carve it from his chest, more than compassion and secrets are shared between the enemies-to-lovers one snowy evening in the viscount's library. As desire gives way to romance, fate once more intervenes. For one terrible night, everything hangs in the balance, and nothing short of a miracle-or love-can save them. Because doesn't the house-and Mrs. Dove-Lyon-always win?

When a lady snubs love and romance in favor of being ruined, all hell will break loose. Lady Katharine "Kitty" Gibson is the youngest child of the Earl of Armestead. At six and twenty, she wants no part of living a fairytale and desires love even less. She has dreams for her life that do not include romance, but tolerating a man long enough to see herself ruined would be a lovely addition to her existence and might allow her past society's dictates that domestication and a good match is all she should aspire toward. Mr. Reginald Healy made his first fortune with the East India Company and his second importing beautiful silk fabric and selling it to ladies of the beau monde. All he has ever wanted in his life is to be respected as a gentleman instead of the "earl's fool" he's been nicknamed. But when he purchases a rundown manor house in the countryside and meets a winsome blonde who is not in his usual style, his dream shifts to include a wife and possible family. While Reginald isn't exactly the typical hero type, he tries his best to be more to Kitty than a gentleman with benefits. She thinks him endearing and a tad embarrassing, but the longer his clumsy attempt at wooing continues, romance creeps in to mar her lovely no-strings-attached affair. Terrified and confused, she sets out one night to flee into obscurity, but as Reginald gives chase, unexpected peril on the road makes them both face their biggest fears and has the capacity to show them both that falling in love can be whatever they need it to be... ...unless society-and her brother-say otherwise.

Jonathan Banshire, Viscount Trewellain, has become a bitter, sarcastic lord and against anything remotely smacking of romance. Though engaged to a woman whose hand he'd won in a game of cards years ago, he hasn't thought of her in years. But he's also a king's agent, and as his duty to the Crown, he's being sent to Spain to track down a missing peer. He goes to escape his personal life. Miss Sophia Wickham is tired of men deciding her future. She's on a mission to live her life on her terms, but can't due to an ambiguous engagement to the Viscount Trewellain. Determined to gain her freedom, she sneaks onboard the ship intent to have Jonathan release her from that old promise. When he refuses in a fit of pique, she's stuck as a stowaway, bound to the one man she can't stand. In Madrid, they search for not only the missing lord, but also stolen Spanish crown jewels and an ancient relic. Through crashing a glittering ball to hunting down clues to exploring the hidden catacombs and caves beneath Barcelona, the unlikely pair comes to an understanding. Vulnerable and trapped, truths are revealed as well as the fragile state of their hearts. But machinations of a madman bent on revenge could destroy a budding romance, and when the specter of death makes an appearance, Jonathan must finally decide what it is he desires the most.

When a scandalous rumor sweeps society, what's a girl to do except behave even more improperly to match her tattered reputation? Edward Marlowe, 5th Duke of Lockwood, has struggled to put his time in the war behind him. Tired of hiding within the halls of the Rogue's Arcade club, when he attends a society event with the intention of perhaps charming a lady into his bed, he's caught off guard as a petite beauty in a hurry, plows into him, tumbling them both to the floor, seconds before she begs for his help. When Miss Juliet Gillingham finds a diamond brooch the size of a pigeon's egg in a hollowed-out book at her father's book shop, she's curious. Though her mind spins a few tales about its origin, three days later, she's branded as a brazen jewel thief in the papers. She didn't commit the crime, and she certainly won't pay the penalty, especially if she can enlist the assistance of a handsome war hero who happens to be a duke... and a former thief himself. They attempt to discover the rightful owner of the bauble while dodging the mysterious party who wants it-and them dead. With desire simmering between them, they're forced to keep to the shadows throughout London in order to evade detection and danger. Only by taunting the original thief by bringing the diamond into the open will they have a chance at removing themselves from scandal, but by then, even love might not be able to save them.

When being a rake wears thin...Edmund Ashdowne-Viscount Evermore-has been accustomed to getting by on his handsome face and his scandalous reputation, but now that he's been ordered to reform by his brother, he's rebelling. Tired of the games and restrictions of the beau monde, he needs an escape. When he meets a woman who isn't charmed by his looks, his interest is piqued, and a new idea takes hold.One doesn't need sight to see it's time for a change...Miss Theodosia Standish is an heiress in her own right. As the only living child to a wealthy baronet, her existence has been lonely, but what she longs for is love. Much in demand of fortune hunters, the fact she was born mostly blind puts many potential suitors off. In order to meet the goals she has for her own life, she will take a chance on an unconventional offer.When marrying in haste doesn't exactly go to plan... As their Christmastide nuptial trip to Brighton gets underway, Edmund realizes that his marriage of convenience won't be as easy-or as convenient-as he thought. Challenges arise between the unlikely pair that go deeper than initial attraction, and when Theodosia wants more than he gives, she fears she might have made a mistake.Unless they both truly listen to each other and are honest about expectations, they'll never discover their potential for change-together.Willful WinterbournesRomancing Miss QuillPursuing Mr. MattinglyCourting Lady YeardlyTeasing Miss Atherby - NovellaGuarding the Widow PellinghamBedeviling Major KentonCharming Miss Standish

When destiny calls, you can run, or stand and fight for what you've always wanted. Either way you'll have no choice but to change.Mrs. Ava Southerly, apothecary assistant and widow, lives in fear. She's become an expert at hiding to keep second sight visions at bay. In the year 1885, such things as witches surely don't exist anymore, regardless of her ancestry. If she doesn't emotionally engage her heart, those otherworldly powers will stay dormant and the people she cares for won't be hurt, but she longs for acceptance and romance. Douglas Wallace, an American doctor and descendant of a Scottish witch hunter, is in London to deliver a series of lectures on new medical advancements and techniques. As he meets the passing glance of a blonde beauty in a restaurant window, he's compelled to follow her, as if their lives are linked on a supernatural level. Though he believes in logic and the evidence of his own eyes, spending time in Ava's company shows him how wrong his thinking is.When a three-hundred-year-old evil spirit possesses Douglas in an effort to kill Ava due to her witch status, she and the doctor must find a way to thwart the threat from beyond the grave despite personal peril. As their relationship evolves into something deep and abiding, they'll discover just how powerful a force love truly is.

When a kiss at a masquerade ball leads a roguish lord to Lady Peacock-London's most curious member of the beau monde-will he have what it takes to keep her for more than a midnight tryst? If she were honest with herself, Lady Nora Riley is done with marriage and romance. They only proved a disappointment. Having suffered through a lukewarm union of eighteen years, the last thing she wants is another husband. However, after a sensual dance with a stranger, she wouldn't mind entering into a torrid affair. Giles Billingsley-11th Viscount of Hadley-is an unrepentant rogue. He's prided himself on never falling in love, entering parson's mousetrap, or being with a woman for more than one night. But the moment he meets a mysteriously fascinating woman while at a summer masquerade ball, all of those things start to lose their luster. What was supposed to be a midnight tryst proves too tempting. Over the course of a month, the two conduct a passionate relationship where they discover truths about each other and themselves that throw their current thinking into jeopardy. But when an innocent stroll through Hyde Park one evening becomes harrowing, only they can decide what their futures will hold and whether love will feature into those plans.

Nothing found in the sands of Egypt is as valuable as the treasure of the heart.Crispin Herrick, the newly minted Duke of Litton is anxiously awaiting his first mission as a King's agent. Until then, a dig in the King's Valley he's sponsoring occupies his time... until he chases down a criminal at the Antiquities Museum. Once he catches her, he's shocked and delighted to discover she's the same woman he flirted with in London a year ago, but now she's as skilled in lying as she is in keeping secrets. Miss Juliana Barrington lives under an assumed identity in Cairo, exiled there when her last mission for the Crown went catastrophically awry. All she wants is to redeem herself by finding a powerful relic before her enemies can, but when her path crosses that of the handsome ex-pawn broker, she can't help but panic. No matter how her heart twinges, mixing desire with duty is a horrible idea.Crispin and Juliana join forces to find the pieces of the Staff of the Gods, allegedly belonging to Moses himself. Danger dogs their footsteps while romance flickers to life as the days go by, and when the trail leads to a mysterious tomb in the Valley of the Kings, treasure hunting evolves into running for their lives. Staying ahead of disaster is critical; evildoers and death are powerful foes, but hard-fought victory might bring happy endings... if they can survive long enough.

Sometimes, the romance of a lifetime starts with one perfect night. It's the year 1885 and the world has just begun giving up its ancient secrets. Miss Charlotte Blakely is a librarian in Rome. She's researching evidence of the fabled Veil of Veronica, but her time abroad is drawing to a close. Her viscount father is dying and has called his children home, yet a chance encounter with a stranger one balmy night might change her direction. Mr. Everett Desmond is the English ambassador to Rome. He's dashing and would have been daring had he gone down a different path, but being jilted at the altar sent him far from England and sordid memories. Now, life has grown staid and boring. When he literally crashes into a pretty lady on the street, he's intrigued enough to further an acquaintance. Desire flares after a couple of moonlit strolls, and a kiss at the Trevi fountain irrevocably changes both of their lives. Budding romance blooms beneath the heat and they find themselves enchanted enough to land into potential scandal. Is it a love to last a lifetime or is it merely a moonlight indiscretion? Only they can decide what they truly want for the future.

Holidays are best spent with the ones you love, especially when adventure is in the offing. It's the Christmastide season, and the Hawkins family is at their country estate in Kent. Emmaline, the Countess of Archewyne, is excited, for it's her first Christmas with her little family as well as one of the few she's spent in England. Passing his leisure time with his loved ones gives Miles Lawrence Hawkins, the fifth Earl of Archewyne, great pleasure, as does anticipating their faces when they open his gifts. And he's found the most splendid thing for his wife-a fresh archeological dig of ancient Roman origin on his property. When plans for Christmas Eve preparations go awry and Miles is taken hostage at gunpoint, Emmaline is at her wit's end. Heartsick and worried, only a clue from some overly affectionate geese will be able to save her beloved's life. If she can reach him in time, they'll both find themselves beguiled on a Christmas morning.

As long as a lady has hope in her heart, it doesn't matter the obstacles she faces on the path to love. Miss Evelina Aston is the youngest child of a viscount. Through no fault of her own, she's fallen headfirst into the scandal of the Season. With her father on the brink of bankruptcy, when she's caught alone and in a compromising position with an earl, he calls for an immediate proposal. It doesn't matter that the man she's being forced to wed is a rake high on the instep, she has no say in the proceedings. Charles Bowling, Earl of Ethersham-and heir to the Duke of Tarkington-is in rather a spot of bother. Caught literally with his pants down in a lady's retiring room at a ball, he's mired in further disgrace when a woman-not the one he was waiting for-comes flying into the room, trips, and lands at his feet. Parental outrage ensues, and before he can protest, he's wedded to the shy lady, and they're bound for his father's country estate in the Lake District to begin their life of married inconvenience. With tarnished reputations and gossip trailing in their wake, both Evelina and Charles are forced to endure each other's company. As the July days go by, desire flares as hot as the summer sun while they explore the woodlands and fells, but differences and misunderstandings keep widening the gulf in their relationship. Unless they find trust and compromise, they'll never be able to build something worthy of the future and perhaps love.

Surviving the wilds of Cornwall is more life changing than they thought. Miss Caroline Sloane is on her way to Poughill, Cornwall. In highhanded fashion, her estranged grandfather has arranged a marriage for her to a sea captain she's met but once, and she wishes to convince him otherwise. She'll marry for love or not at all, but an accident with the crowded mail coach on which she's traveling throws her existence into chaos. Alan Blackmore, the Earl of St. Clair, has been summoned to his Devon estate by his ducal father. His engagement, designed by the duke years ago, has now come due and he must wed to merge holdings. The last thing he wants is a leg-shackling, for he enjoys his life of a rake too much, and he means to tell his father off, but one dark, rainy night on mud-slick roads changes his course forever. Lost and injured in windswept and rugged Cornwall, the first order of business is survival. As their wounds heal, Caroline and Alan come to know each other while living a simple, uncomplicated life. A friendship of necessity slowly grows into something passionate and scandalous, but when reality returns to rescue them, they both must decide what is more important: duty, tradition, or an unexpected love.

Sometimes long-held secrets are the very things that will eventually lead to freedom.Lady Amelia Jane Coventry-Smythe wants nothing more than to shut herself away to mourn in private all the people she lost from her life over the years. Unfortunately, peace is not hers, for the one man she never hoped to see again has just landed in her parlor by mysterious circumstances, with an invitation to her Christmastide house party in hand... and her addiction to him flares anew.Cornelius Matthew Edgerton, Marquess of Winchester, is perplexed thanks to the arrival of holiday invitation. He hasn't heard from Lady Amelia in thirteen years... not since he abruptly left her bed during an affair that he never forgot. Encouraged to attend by her cousin-his best friend-when he arrives at the manor house, his reception is decidedly cool, even though the heat between him and the lady still lingers.Underlying polite public interactions, desire builds and explodes into frantic need, but while the two of them draw closer in new understanding and friendship, danger threatens both of their lives. As Christmas morning arrives, emotions boil over to sour the blooming romance. Only a miracle-and perhaps forgiveness-can help them find the happily ever after they never had the first time around.

Love at Christmastide is wonderful... if the couple in question believes in the magic. Alistair Forsythe, the 12th Earl of Reardon, is the most sought-after man in the ton this Christmastide season. Handsome, of good character, and possessing a large fortune, he finally intends to do his duty to his title after being in India for years. In the market for a wife, he can now easily have his pick of any woman, yet none of them have snared his interest-not since Carole-but she is beyond his reach. Miss Carole Hazelton doesn't give two farthings about a man's position within the ton or his looks. In fact, she's not thought about the beau monde since that horribly embarrassing day five years ago when Alistair left her standing alone at the altar. Now making her living as a governess, she's both dismayed and furious to discover the neighbor who's returned to the townhouse next door is the man who'd jilted her-Alistair. As that old scandal recirculates, it throws their reputations into question. To repair the damage, the earl and Carole must practice forgiveness. While she's not quick to forget, he's not above employing charm and mistletoe to his advantage or drawing on their past romance, but when the feelings they both thought long dead come rushing back, that love just might ruin them both... or provide a second chance they never knew they needed.

Searching for answers... Widowed Lady Elizabeth Dunston, daughter of the Earl of Hallewell, has lived a quiet life for years at her father's country estate, for it was her beloved husband's last request that she find peace. The last thing she wants is an attraction to the intriguing former soldier asking for work. Too bad anxiety continues to bedevil her and makes tranquility-and indifference-impossible. Distracted by forbidden desire... Captain Christopher Mowbray is down on his luck. After an injury put an end to his cavalry career, he's knocked about England searching for purpose. Now, needing a paying job, he stuck around a rich nob's property hoping to become a jack of all trades. What he didn't expect was the instant desire for the pretty widow or the need to play father to her boy, and it's damn hard to hide his interest in both. Dodging threats to their lives... While they struggle to deny the tension between them, danger has the couple in its sights, and when two attempts on their lives fail, Christopher must do something to protect the little family. As forced proximity gives way to passionate meetings, they try to puzzle out who wants to harm them. Aren't they already broken enough? Answers come during a May Day ball and put the fragile, budding romance into jeopardy. If they stay strong, they might just grasp the dream they never knew they wanted. If they survive.

A proper gentleman. A desperate lady. One little indiscretion that will change their lives. Carew Harcourt Fitzwilliam-Duke of Edenthorpe-is dreadfully dissatisfied with his life. Engaged since childhood to a woman unsuited to him, he feels trapped and hopeless. What he needs is a distraction, which comes in the form of a possible jewelry heist. Too bad it has arrived with his best friend's sister, now a beauty he can't banish from his mind. Miss Leah Haddington, only daughter of Baron Langley, can square with being overlooked by men in the ton due to her auburn hair and freckles, but being left penniless by her father's gambling is beyond the pale. There's only one man who can help retrieve a stolen bauble-her deceased brother's best friend. It matters not that a forbidden attraction is brewing between them. He's engaged to another, so where is the harm in a partnership? As they plot and plan their way through ton ballrooms and a practice theft in a bid to snag a missing tiara, that desire ignites. A heated, passionate mistake, to be sure, for he's to wed someone else in mere days, but the need to belong was too strong to ignore. When the theft goes awry and danger is brought to bear, they must both decide what they want more from life-staid security based in expectation and tradition or unpredictable scandal born out of unexpected love.

In the hunt for relics of infinite value, perhaps the greatest treasure of all is family. Three months after the birth of his son, Miles Lawrence Hawkins, the fifth Earl of Archewyne, is attempting to acclimate to fatherhood, but he longs for adventure. Someone is masquerading as the heir to a powerful and ancient ducal title with the anonymous backing of other members of the ton, and Miles is asked to investigate. It would mean leaving his wife and child, yet he refuses to return to London without them. Emmaline Hawkins, the new Countess of Archewyne, is torn between wanting to be a good mother and wishing to recapture the excitement digging up relics and hunting treasures brings. Just as she thinks her adventuring days are over, she meets a young pawn broker questing after the legendary Lancelot Stone. Determined to retain the thrill of the chase, she stumbles upon solid proof the relic is in Paris, and convinces her husband they should investigate. As Miles and Emmaline chase shadows and investigate macabre sites, their steps are dogged by unsavory characters. The closer they move toward unmasking the duke's imposter heir as well as finding the fabled relic, the bolder a killer grows in attempts on their lives. As an unbelievable plot unfolds, their only recourse is to fight, side by side, and hope that leaving staid domesticity behind was the right choice.

A man rejected by society and cursed for life... Alexander Laurence Hayes-6th Duke of Everington has a horrible secret: he's forced to become a beast each night. But when he stumbles upon a secret gentleman's club in London that caters to men of his affliction, perhaps he'll finally have some answers. It matters not that a meeting with a beautiful woman might have sparked his desire, he has more urgent interests than bedding her. Perhaps. A woman who dreams of love but is skeptical of magic... Eleanor Riverton is not easily given to fancy. The sister of a Bow Street Runner, she relies on facts not fairy stories. So when she's chased through the Mayfair streets by what she assumes is a wolf and then meets a man who claims he's a duke in the same night, her curiosity is triggered. The fact he is stark naked and gorgeous makes no difference, or that her first instinct is to shoot him. Possibly. Opposites attract while fear and hope collide... With the new knowledge that experiencing the kiss of true love will break the curse, Alexander sets out to charm the woman he'd chased. While attraction flares hot and immediate, his beast won't go down without a fight, and Eleanor is livid when she discovers the duke's secret. Only by working together will they gain the freedom they both seek... unless they kill each other first. Definitely.

Sometimes, the greatest truths of life come on a midnight clear.Major Cecil Stapleton is struggling with his new life as a civilian after nearly twenty years in the military. Wounds received in the Battle of Toulouse left him angry, disfigured, and sent him home to England. All he wants now is to retire to the country and be left alone, especially since it's the Christmastide season. Finding his old lover in his cottage leaves him at sixes and sevens... and perhaps wanting more.Widow Sarah Presley has worked hard to conceal her existence in the Buckinghamshire countryside. She's looking forward to giving her seven-year-old son a special holiday, but that idyllic intention is shattered when a knock upon her door reveals the man she'd shared a night of exquisite passion with eight years ago-her son's father... and the man she never forgot.With no other choice, a tentative peace is struck, but memories intrude, as do new and confusing feelings, for their future is just as entwined. When a dangerous secret from Sarah's past comes back to haunt her, the dynamic with her and Cecil shifts once again. For the love of their son, as well as the sweet romance brewing between them, they'll need to work together to survive... and a Christmas miracle wouldn't hurt either.

A lady's companion with no prospects. A duke who has turned his back on romance. A wild snowstorm that leaves them both stranded. It'll be a holiday neither of them will forget. Resigning herself to becoming a companion to an elderly peeress is Miss Hope Marie Atwater's last chance for a decent life. Though she's unwanted, undesired, and unloved at five and twenty, being on the shelf hasn't completely stolen her spirit. Her one wish at Christmastide is to stumble upon a man who will look past her drab life's circumstances to the spirited woman beneath, but that would take a miracle. Christmastide only brings maudlin memories he'd rather forget to Brook Gerard Clevenger, Duke of Denton. He wants to bury himself at his country estate, for the thought of merrymaking reminds him of all he's lost. A widower of three years, he's not looking for another romance; one was enough, and the pain will last a lifetime despite the fact he might welcome companionship or the chance for a stolen kiss. Travelling respectively through north Derbyshire-one coming, one going-misfortune is their lot. A fierce winter storm blows in and strands them at a posting inn where the situation isn't ideal. During a meeting in the courtyard, a common denominator takes them by surprise. As Christmastide nears, the class divide disappears, and the desire simmering between them explodes into something undeniably heated and intense. With three nights until Christmas, the wonder of romance might just be the gift they both need.

Nothing says Christmastide like a bit of intrigue, a lost treasure, and an unlikely romance. When widowed Amelia (Belle) Stanton-Lady Ravenscroft-finds a raggedy military man using her barn as refuge from December rains, she's not immediately concerned. Returning soldiers often crossed the countryside enroute to other destinations. However, there's something about the way the handsome man speaks and holds himself that makes her doubt his story, to say nothing about the immediate heat between them. The Honorable Montague Gabriel Hawkins is not on the attractive widow's land in the Wiltshire countryside by accident. Sent by the Home Office, he is to reconnoiter and retrieve a valuable painting and other treasures stolen by Napoleon but hidden when it became evident France would lose the war. Once belonging to French royalty, the return of said items would bring a hearty fortune and accolades, but instant desire for the widow might distract him. When the attempt to keep his mission a secret fails, Hawk is caught up in Christmastide activities. Belle is entirely too intelligent and soon she joins him on the quest. As they uncover clues and are waylaid by a torrid affair that ignites between them, danger follows closely in their footsteps. It'll take some clever planning and holiday play acting to keep not only the priceless heirlooms safe but also themselves alive. By Christmas night, love might be theirs if luck is on their side.

Jewels and treasures hold no worth when held against the lives of loved ones. Though thrilled to adventure again, the Countess of Archewyne worries their unexpected trip to India will delay her first official mission as a new king's agent. But when Emmaline is told she and her husband will trade a priceless diamond for the kidnapped daughter of a marquess, she's willing to make the sacrifice. Too bad no one knows exactly where the sought-after jewel is. Miles Lawrence Hawkins, the fifth Earl of Archewyne, is looking forward to being out in the field again and away from the ton. Defending England's interests from nefarious blackhearts is one of his favorite ways to spend time. But when he and his beloved wife embark on a fool's mission to steal the Third Eye of Shiva and they stumble upon troubling clues from his past during their arduous journey across the world, he can't help but think there should be a limit on men who wish his country ill. As Emmaline and Miles are introduced to the exotic life behind an Indian prince's palace walls, things aren't what they seem. A bid for power reveals who truly controls the area while an insidious lie puts them both in danger. As peril dogs their steps and desperation fuels their actions, they must use every wile and skill they have in order to survive. For the sake of their little family and their own romance, they will give it their all. What else besides king, country and love is worth the fight?

A dark and tortured soul... Montague Bassage-12th Earl of Pennington-wants nothing to do with romance or anything else, frankly. After the fickle threads of fate took his two fiancées, he retreated within himself. Over the years, he's made himself into the worst man in London-a true beast. A rake to be sure. In his cups more often than not. Skilled at wagering, absolutely. Most of his time is spent at the Lyon's Den gaming hell, where his only joy is winning at the tables. Besieged by rumor and innuendo...Mrs. Adriana Roberts nee Stapleton, eldest daughter of Baron Kentwood, is a widow accused of killing her reprobate husband. In the scandal that followed his death, she returned home, only to dance attendance on her much younger and more beautiful sister, for the chit still has a chance of a good match. But when that sister's hand is lost at a card table to the Worst Man in London, she has to do something. The past has a habit of retaining a grip... When the owner of the Lyon's Den arranges a devious marriage between them, they have no choice but to comply. As Montague acts like an enraged beast, Adriana vows to keep the union as a marriage of convenience despite the intense attraction present. But when understanding chips away at their defenses, romance might have a chance if they choose to trust after years of disappointment and hurt instead of locking themselves away into darkness. Or else Mrs. Dove-Lyon will make certain they get exactly what they want...

Revenge is never as sweet as the ability to find peace.The Honorable Olivia Beaumont, eldest daughter of Viscount Hereford, wants revenge. Following an ill-advised game of faro with a powerful duke, her father lost everything and then suffered a fatal heart attack. Now she wants that man to pay and suffer as much as her father did. But the only way she can do so is to enlist the help of the most shunned man in the ton-the disgraced Duke of Skeffington. It matters not that he's sinfully handsome, for she has a job to do.Lewis Arthur Sexton is a duke beaten down. Stripped of everything following a manufactured scandal against the Regent, he now wishes to drown himself at the bottom of a bottle. But when Miss Beaumont pays him a visit with the insane idea of humiliating the man responsible for her pain and his, he might just return to society to honor the request. If he ignores her bewitching attitude and alluring looks, he'll be fine.Except the scheme is far from fully formed, and friendship grows between them as a distraction. While she fights for revenge, he secretly protects her while they both try to regain honor in the glittering world of the ton. Yet the moment their relationship transitions into romance, everything unravels. When lives are put into jeopardy, they'll have to decide what they truly want, and if fortune is kind, it might prove to be a happily ever after.

Will the bonds of love prove stronger than a man back from the dead and bent on revenge? Miles Lawrence Hawkins, the fifth Earl of Archewyne, is determined to retire from life as a king's man. Working clandestine cases for the Crown might be in his blood, but keeping his family safe is a more paramount concern. When he and his wife are kidnapped, the chances of escaping slip away, especially when the man behind the insane plan is his brother, Nigel, who has been assumed dead for years. A mysterious note arrives following the unexpected death of her father blaming her husband for that event, and the Countess of Archewyne wonders what game is afoot. Doubts and fears add to growing ennui when Emmaline lands in a world of pain and confusion. A masked captor makes hideous demands unless she and the earl provide classified information. Through it all, she clings to her love for her husband while biding her time. Physical and emotional torture continues until the reason is finally revealed-to lure the Duke of Rathesborne into the web to answer for his alleged crimes against Nigel. As their world tilts on the whim of a mad man, they both battle to survive. Nothing short of a miracle can put their lives back together again or repair the damage gained in captivity, but fighting for the future is well worth any cost.

The quest to break a mummy's curse turns dangerous when a peer ends up dead. Miles Lawrence Hawkins, fifth Earl of Archewyne, is alone and the last of his line, save for a young daughter, and he's made peace with that...Yet unexpectedly finding an attractive female thief in his library gives him doubts. Drawn into the lady's insane plot to retrieve various stolen mummies from around London-including the British Museum-he accompanies her merely to see what will happen next. Being captivated by her quest and intrigued by her talent for skirting the law is a much needed distraction from the stress of his own life's misfortunes. Lady Emmaline Darling, skilled thief and only child to the Earl of St. Ives, is under a mummy's curse. Believing herself damned due to her father's penchant for removing antiquities from Egypt, she's vowed to return a pair of mummies to their eternal resting place in order to save his life and her own. Being caught by Miles wasn't in her plan, and neither was falling for his charm, but she'll do anything to see he's free of the curse as well, for their histories are too intricately connected for his ills to just be bad luck. When a peer with ties to them both ends up dead and Emmaline's jewelry is found at the scene, Miles is honor bound to offer for her and lend her his protection. Despite her refusal, desire pulls at them and scandal surrounds them, and when Miles is summoned to once more embark upon a secret mission for the Crown, he must shed everything that will become a liability, but keeping Emmaline out of trouble-and out of his mind-is easier said than done.