Showing results by narrator "Jessica Bright" in All Categories

Anne Middleton never plays by the rules. She is willful when she should be obedient and unabashed when she should be decorous. Worse still, she can never resist a good wager . . . or a very naughty book. And Confessions of a Courtesan is about as risqué as a book can be. Michael Grey—Earl of Thornhill—had once courted Anne's sweet and modest sister. But whilst Anne is certainly no lady of decorum, her bold impulsiveness slips through his armor, and propriety is forgotten. Now he too is immersed in the book of forbidden delights, where each page is an invitation to sin.

Going undercover as a governess is a first for Cecilia Gilchrist. But once she's installed in Darlington Castle, discovering whether the mysterious marquess murdered his wife proves more daunting than she imagined. Dashing widower Gideon Rhys, marquess of Darlington, is clearly harboring secrets - but is it possible a cold-blooded killer lurks behind his devastating gaze? Trailing his every move only brings her closer to him. But if her heart misleads her, she could pay with her life....

In London's brothels and bawdy houses, sin and scandal run rampant. Yet as Emma Downing knows, worse perils lurk within the lavish homes of high society. Emma has been tasked with uncovering secrets at the Lymington family's country estate - the scene of a rash of mysterious disappearances. Samuel Fitzroy, Marquess of Lymington, is no easy mark, and Emma fears he may see through both her disguise and her feigned indifference to his seductive charm....

The Duke of Clyde has been a friend to many, but none can climb the walls around his heart. None can thaw the ice that he has wrapped his soul in. Until a bluestocking invades his castle and his life and threatens to upend everything he has ever known.

When Veronica said "I do" to Sebastian Sinclair, Duke of Edgefield, she thought all her dreams had come true. He was dashing and doting, and she absolutely adored him—until he betrayed her trust, shattering their marriage, and her heart, into a million tiny bits. She hasn't seen her husband in the two years since, and she'd just as soon make it twenty. But when she learns that her beloved grandfather's dying wish is for her and Sebastian to attend the family's Christmastide celebration, she swallows her pride and asks him a favor: to pretend they're the happy couple they once were.

The only thing Georgiana Harley despises more than chaos is bad behavior. So when the duchess of Kenilworth pleads for help to escape her witty, charming, handsome, heartless monster of a husband, she's come to the right place. Calm and logical, with nerves of steel, Georgiana is uniquely qualified to safely disappear the duchess, along with her young son. Her greatest challenge is Her Grace's brother, Lord Haslemere. An arrogant scoundrel, he keeps interfering with Georgiana's methodical plans.

She must become a companion to a recluse's sister in the wilds of Yorkshire, but the past wants to drag her back into the darkness. When she meets the Beast of Hardcastle, she doesn't know if her last chance is worth surviving the dark nights in his domain—until he begins to awaken her broken heart and tease her with the promise of pleasure.

A dutiful lady's maid, Miss Madeline Atwater knows precisely what her future holds: countless nights of dressing her mistress in silk gowns, pinning her hair in elegant curls, and selecting the perfect pair of slippers before sending her off to the ball. But Madeline harbors a secret dream. Just once, she'd like to be the one who attends the grand party—and tonight could be her chance. All she needs to do is borrow her mistress's cast-off dress and sneak downstairs during the Twelfth Night Ball . . .

Scandal. Intrigue. Love matches. The Governess Bureau was never supposed to be full of these things, but over the last few years, no fewer than five matches have been made. It's something the proprietress, Miss Vivienne Clarke, simply cannot allow to continue. With only one client remaining for the previously esteemed Governess Bureau now it has been called into disrepute, Vivienne has no choice but to take on the assignment herself; caring for the daughter of Edwin, Viscount Bysshe.

Lady Jessica Whitmoreland has been waiting for her first Season her entire life and she has her eye on the best catch of the season, but when the gentleman of her dreams turns out to be a nightmare, what's a debutante to do?

An enforcer for his kind, Dominic’s job is to protect Succubi’s from other immortal races and hide them from the humans. His job simple, until a rogue female hits his radar and sets off every protective instinct he has.

When you wake up with no memories from the last ten years, what do you do? For Miss Rachel Herriot, she has only one option—to be sent to a quiet manor house with one charge, Violet, to care for. A little governessing and recuperation, that's all she needs. Unfortunately, that's not what she'll get. Waiting for her at Quintrell Hall is not the idyllic quiet country life she was promised, but a gentleman called Timothy Astor. Mysterious, frequently absent from his home, and kissing her passionately in corridors with no introduction, Mr. Astor is not what Rachel expected.

Raised in a foundling home and now proprietor of a successful club, Gabriel Cadieux hasn’t ever been welcomed by polite society. But when he discovers he’s the legitimate heir to a dukedom, he must make a choice: accept the debt-ridden title and the trappings of the peerage who shunned him or decline and leave his six rebellious half sisters to fend for themselves. As much as he hates the idea, Gabriel can’t abandon his siblings, even if it means making a deal with the most frustrating—and aggravatingly beautiful—woman he’s ever met.

When a governess of many languages is required, there is only one place the nobility of England go: the Governess Bureau. Of course, Miss Elizabeth Fletcher doesn't broadcast that information. Constantly under-estimated and treated like the children she's responsible for, all she wants is a duke assignment and the respect of her peers.

Miss Helena Patrick is not a governess. At least, not really. The famed and celebrated actress is a little down on her luck, and grasps the chance to masquerade as a governess until better luck comes around. Worse luck for her, she's stuck out in the country with a master who is afraid to leave his house with a wife who died but no one will speak of, his sister who mysteriously disappears whenever anyone wants her, and a brother who . . . a brother who absolutely should not be kissing her. Especially as he's a duke.

When a governess of great talents is required, there is only one place the nobility of England go: The Governess Bureau. And one of the most trusted? Miss Anne Gilbert. She's known for keeping her employer's secrets, and when she is selected by the Earl of Clarcton, that is precisely why. Because the Earl, Timothy Lexington, has secrets. Secrets he has worked hard to keep from the world. While scandal waits in the wings, Clarcton Castle has entire wings that are shut off and the Countess is nowhere to be found.

Struggling to support her family after her husband’s death, Caroline Harding attracts the attention of the ruthless Captain Francis Grafton who offers her a devil’s bargain to pay back her debts to him. Outwitting her enigmatic employer and unwillingly gaining his approval significantly changes her life for the better, but can she win his loyalty and his heart when he appears to care for nothing but profit?

Cold, arrogant, and demanding Henry Eldridge, Marquess of Riverton, would never dally with a mere servant. But when Henry is injured in a horrible fire, his pretty housekeeper Cassandra nurses him back to health, throwing them together, day and night. As he slowly heals from his burns, their friendship blossoms, and the class walls between them start to crumble. Cassandra is surprised by glimpses of a kind and thoughtful man beneath her employer's hard façade—and even more surprised when she develops tender feelings for him. But anything between lord and servant is impossible....

Infamous courtesan Julia Forsythe is the former mistress of a ruthless marquess. She's also expecting his child. But while she longs to flee from his cold clutches, the welfare of her unborn babe prevents it. Now she must find a way to remain a "mistress" in name, if not in deed. Fifteen years ago, Adam Radcliff once shared a close friendship with Julia. Now they stand worlds apart in both lives and statuses, sharing only the memory of that old friendship. But even as Julia slips out of the marquess's lascivious clutches, she finds herself seeking the pleasure of Adam's company.

In the vein of Roxane Gay’s Bad Feminist, but wholly its own, Girl is a provocative, heartbreaking and frequently hilarious collection of original essays on what it means to be Black, a woman, a mother and a global citizen in today’s ever-changing world. Black women have never been more visible or more publicly celebrated. But for every new milestone, every magazine cover, every box office record smashed, the reality of everyday life remains a complex, nuanced, contradiction-laden experience.