Still unwed at 21, an unconventional high-spirited woman finds her affections sought by a handsome, devilishly charming earl, who is nicknamed "The Ideal" by the ton—for his combination of wealth and looks. Though at first she fights his advances, slowly she forms a heated alliance with him. But sparring with words soon turns into a succumbing passion.

Delirious with fever, Rosellen Lockharte summons all her strength to pen several letters from her attic deathbed. Soon all who set her willy-nilly on this path to perdition as a penmanship teacher will learn that in her final hour she forgave them. All except him. But why wait for Judgment Day to tell Viscount Stanford she thinks he is the most heinous of humans?

He's a master of disguises...but he can't mask true love. Spymaster Harry Harmon's new assignment is to spy on enemies at a country house party. To do that, he'll require a courtesan: learned, truthful, and beautiful.... Poor, sensible, smart Simone Ryland has come to Mrs. Burton's bawdy house in search of work. But instead, she finds Harmon in need of her special skills.

After the cold-blooded murder of her odious husband, Marisol Pendenning, a lovely but pregnant young widow, and Lord Kimbrough, the handsome aristocrat who had been the last to see the victim alive, are drawn into the search for a killer.

Viscount Aubrey "Stony" Wellstone is at the end of his rope - and the end of his family's once-great fortune. Desperate, he tries his luck at the gaming tables, where an offer to exchange his debts for a gentlemanly favor leads to a profitable new profession. The fiercely independent, flame-tressed Miss Ellianne Kane would normally have no use for an upper-class attendant - even one as striking as Stony - but she needs Aubrey's help.

A war hero's widow, Graceanne, still has her adorable three year old twin boys to love, until she receives a letter from her late husband's demanding cousin, Leland Warrington, the Duke of Ware. It seems that the duke, 32 years old, twice widowed, and with no forseeable plans to marry again, is in desperate need of an heir. And seeing that Graceanne has two boys, she could easily spare one.

Alone in the world, Amanda Carville has no dowry, no reputation left, and no one who believes her to be innocent of murder, since she was found holding the gun that killed her stepfather. Viscount Rexford also has his troubles. He's scarred by war, and cursed - or blessed - with the family trait of knowing the truth when he hears it, and his success at extracting the truth from military prisoners has left many doubting his honor and his methods. When Amanda tells him she didn't do it, he believes her.

Lord Galen Woodbridge decides to stir up a bit of a scandal by wedding London's most eligible and elusive songstress, Margot Montclaire. After Galen proposes, Margot confides that her sexy demeanor is merely an act. A baron's daughter, she took to the stage to escape the clutches of a diabolical uncle - and reluctantly left her fragile young brother behind in his care. To win Margot's hand, Galen agrees to save her sickly sibling - but in this marriage of mutual convenience, he never planned on losing his heart...

Lucinda's life was tragically cut short in a most scandalous manner, and her only means of entering heaven lies in saving Lord Stanford from hell. Perhaps while guiding the notorious rake onto a virtuous path, she can show him how true love will save his immortal soul....

Though barely out of the schoolroom, Melody Ashton was determined to save her mother from scandal. Guardian of several "orphans" (in actuality the illegitimate children of the ton!) poor Mama was accused of pilfering contributions. To make matters worse, the infuriatingly handsome Lord Coe had accused them all of blackmailing his sister, whose child resided with them!

Coryn, Earl of Ardeth, has spent an eternity in Hell. Fed up, he gambles with the Devil and wins a second chance: if he can find his heart, his soul, and his hourglass in six months, he can return to life. Then he meets Genie, a disgraced water-girl at the Battle of Waterloo. Now, her only hope is this crazy stranger - and she's half-terrified of and half-in-love with the eccentric earl. Together they have to find his humanity, her social acceptance, and overcome someone bent on destroying their lives.

Where was Uncle Albert? The day of Lady Whilton's nuptials was fast approaching, and the spiteful old lout had disappeared. Daphne Whilton, the bride's daughter, knew what happened. She had found him dead in his chambers and vowed to keep it a secret, fearing the miser's legacy would destroy her mother's glorious wedding.

When the local magistrate jailed Jacelyn Trevaine's pet dog as a public nuisance, the country miss knew he meant to blackmail her into socializing with his nephew. High-spirited Jacelyn decided to free her dog by kidnapping the precious nephew, but unfortunately she abducted the wrong gentleman! Her captive was none other than handsome Lord Leigh Claibourne - returned war hero and rake extraordinaire. And four hours alone with the libertine Earl was tantamount to social ruin. Of course, she was already ruined.

Give the gift of love this holiday season with five romantic, magical Christmas stories - and feel as if you've just been kissed beneath the mistletoe. Originally published in separate anthologies and out of print for many years, these Christmas-themed novellas by legendary Regency romance author Barbara Metzger are in one volume for the first time ever!

Spoiled and ungoverned, Fitz was not suitable companion for a lady of fashion....And certainly no proper chaperon. Fitz begged to disagree - after all, a dog was a true incomparable as far as friendship, loyalty, and protection - and soon lovely Miss Sonia was plucked by her rusticated roots and packed off, dog and all, to London. Perhaps there she would find a husband to tame her free-spirited ways - and keep her out of trouble.

Ace Endicott, the Earl of Carde, needs a woman who will give him an heir, but he never expects to be engaged to three different women, or to become the laughingstock of the gossip columnists. Escaping this London nightmare, he takes a chance and comes up with a winning hand in the game of love.

Major Calborne Rutherford returns to England on the trail of an assassin, only to find he's become Lord Ashendon, with the responsibility for vast estates and dependent relatives. Cal can command the toughest of men, but his wild half-sisters are quite another matter. They might just be his undoing. When he discovers that Miss Emmaline Westwood, the girls' former teacher, guides them with ease, Cal offers her a marriage of convenience.

Alice, Lady Charlton, is finally free of her dominating husband, but on the verge of her new life, she is trapped when a blackmailer threatens to publish letters that could ruin her. To protect the secrets of her past Alice must find a lord for his daughter, Lucy, to marry. Alice reluctantly agrees to find the girl a noble husband but when Lucy arrives, she's difficult and uncooperative and has no interest in her father's scheme. A lord, she says, will only look down his nose at her-and she's having none of that! Desperate, Alice enlists the aid of her handsome young nephew.

After returning to London from his Grand Tour, serious-minded Jeremy St. Clair, the Marquess of Sather, attends a ball and meets a luminescent beauty who draws him out of his shell. They share a searing kiss - her first - and though he never planned to wed, Jeremy desires to make this young woman his. But his life takes an unexpected turn when he leaves her that night.

Lady Elizabeth Spaulding’s world has fallen apart. Despite living her entire life to please her demanding parents, the Duke and Duchess of Marwood, she has little to show for it. After Elizabeth’s second failed betrothal, her father’s debts and appalling acts of retaliation force him to flee the country, consigning Elizabeth and her bitter mother to a life of poverty and exile. But Elizabeth’s fortunes change one day when an elderly acquaintance makes her an offer she can’t refuse.

Hugo Wilde, the duke of Lindow, has a drafty castle, eight naughty children - and no wife. Ophelia, Lady Astley, has a fine house, one well-behaved daughter - and no husband. Hugo takes one look at Ophelia and loses his heart, but she doesn’t want more children or a castle. She takes one look at him and heads for her carriage. Desperate to find a duchess, Hugo identifies an appropriate lady to woo. Yet when he meets Ophelia again, the duke realizes that he will marry her, or no one.

Anna, a young countess, has lived in the glittering city of St Petersburg all her life in an ice-blue palace overlooking the River Neva. But when revolution tears Russia apart, her now-penniless family is forced to flee to England. Armed with an out-of-date book on housekeeping, Anna determines to become a housemaid and she finds work at the Earl of Westerholme's crumbling but magnificent mansion.

When Adeline, Dowager Countess of Wake, learns of her husband’s sudden death, she realizes she’s free. At last, she can do, go, and be as she pleases. Finally, she can have the life she has always dreamed of. She doesn’t need, or want, to remarry. Especially not the supremely dashing future Marquis of Marksworth, who makes Adeline yearn for his desire. Lord Lyonwood, son of a philandering marquis, will not be like his father. He wants to run his estates and watch them flourish - and find a wife who brings love to his life.

Thea Knight loves a spot of mischief. She especially loves her current mischief: masquerading as her sister, while finalizing her scheme to expose the dastardly knaves whose lies ruined her life. Then big, bad-tempered Lord Luxborough upends her game by maneuvering her into marriage. But it's her sister’s name on the license, so the marriage won’t be valid. Thea’s idea? Keep pretending to be her sister until she can run away.

Let the wicked be ashamed, and let them be silent in the grave. These ominous words, slashed from the pages of a book of Psalms, are the last threat that the darling of London society, Sir Edward Grey, receives from his killer. Before he can show them to Nicholas Brisbane, the private inquiry agent he has retained for his protection, Sir Edward collapses and dies at his London home, in the presence of his wife, Julia, and a roomful of dinner guests.

An expert in etiquette, Emma takes her pristine reputation most seriously. But the devilish Lord Marlowe is determined to prove that some rules of proper behavior are made to be broken....

In Vicky Dreiling’s enchanting Regency romance debut, Tristan - the rakish duke of Shelbourne - wants to marry and sire an heir. To help him choose among the dizzying array of wealthy but witless candidates, he secures the services of prim and proper matchmaker Miss Tessa Mansfield. But as Tessa seeks the perfect mate, the duke finds himself distracted by Tessa’s considerable charms.

While most young ladies attend balls and hunt for husbands, Ophelia Hardwick has spent the last 10 years masquerading as a man. As the land steward for the Earl of Carlyle, she’s found safety from the uncle determined to kill her and freedoms a lady could only dream of. Ophelia’s situation would be perfect - if only she wasn’t hopelessly attracted to her employer.

New York Times bestselling author Christina Dodd spins the captivating tale of a nobleman whose path crosses again with the one woman he absolutely cannot resist....

Picking up 20 years after Pride and Prejudice left off, Mr. Darcy's Daughters begins in the year 1818. Elizabeth and Darcy have gone to Constantinople, giving us an opportunity to get to know their five daughters, who have left the sheltered surroundings of Pemberley for a few months in London.

Aurora Halle McPhee, a girl of humble (some might say unconventional) background, cannot believe her luck when she is betrothed to the dashing, well-bred Harland Podell. Aurora soon learns, however, that the match is too good to be true when the nuptials are interrupted by the brother of the groom's wife! Kenyon Warriner, Earl of Windham, is determined to foil that bigamous bounder Podell before he disgraces another innocent female as he did Kenyon's own sister.

Lord Galen Woodbridge decides to stir up a bit of a scandal by wedding London's most eligible and elusive songstress, Margot Montclaire. After Galen proposes, Margot confides that her sexy demeanor is merely an act. A baron's daughter, she took to the stage to escape the clutches of a diabolical uncle - and reluctantly left her fragile young brother behind in his care. To win Margot's hand, Galen agrees to save her sickly sibling - but in this marriage of mutual convenience, he never planned on losing his heart...

When the local magistrate jailed Jacelyn Trevaine's pet dog as a public nuisance, the country miss knew he meant to blackmail her into socializing with his nephew. High-spirited Jacelyn decided to free her dog by kidnapping the precious nephew, but unfortunately she abducted the wrong gentleman! Her captive was none other than handsome Lord Leigh Claibourne - returned war hero and rake extraordinaire. And four hours alone with the libertine Earl was tantamount to social ruin. Of course, she was already ruined.

Alone in the world, Amanda Carville has no dowry, no reputation left, and no one who believes her to be innocent of murder, since she was found holding the gun that killed her stepfather. Viscount Rexford also has his troubles. He's scarred by war, and cursed - or blessed - with the family trait of knowing the truth when he hears it, and his success at extracting the truth from military prisoners has left many doubting his honor and his methods. When Amanda tells him she didn't do it, he believes her.

Annalise Avery would rather run away than marry the despicable man her stepfather has chosen for her. All he wants is her fortune anyway. Escaping with two servants, Annalise takes employment at Lord Gardiner's town house, disguised as a housekeeper. No one suspects that the new housekeeper for his wild lordship's London pied-à-tierre is a diamond of the first water and a famous horsewoman.

Though barely out of the schoolroom, Melody Ashton was determined to save her mother from scandal. Guardian of several "orphans" (in actuality the illegitimate children of the ton!) poor Mama was accused of pilfering contributions. To make matters worse, the infuriatingly handsome Lord Coe had accused them all of blackmailing his sister, whose child resided with them!

Where was Uncle Albert? The day of Lady Whilton's nuptials was fast approaching, and the spiteful old lout had disappeared. Daphne Whilton, the bride's daughter, knew what happened. She had found him dead in his chambers and vowed to keep it a secret, fearing the miser's legacy would destroy her mother's glorious wedding.

Viscount Aubrey "Stony" Wellstone is at the end of his rope - and the end of his family's once-great fortune. Desperate, he tries his luck at the gaming tables, where an offer to exchange his debts for a gentlemanly favor leads to a profitable new profession. The fiercely independent, flame-tressed Miss Ellianne Kane would normally have no use for an upper-class attendant - even one as striking as Stony - but she needs Aubrey's help.

Spoiled and ungoverned, Fitz was not suitable companion for a lady of fashion....And certainly no proper chaperon. Fitz begged to disagree - after all, a dog was a true incomparable as far as friendship, loyalty, and protection - and soon lovely Miss Sonia was plucked by her rusticated roots and packed off, dog and all, to London. Perhaps there she would find a husband to tame her free-spirited ways - and keep her out of trouble.

Delirious with fever, Rosellen Lockharte summons all her strength to pen several letters from her attic deathbed. Soon all who set her willy-nilly on this path to perdition as a penmanship teacher will learn that in her final hour she forgave them. All except him. But why wait for Judgment Day to tell Viscount Stanford she thinks he is the most heinous of humans?