THE DUKE’S WIDOW by Summer Hanford Cecilia is desperate to put the evils of her first marriage behind her, but as society’s most notorious and wealthy widow, she finds herself adrift in a sea of rakes, cads and fortune hunters. With each attempt at flirtation a greater disaster than the last, she despairs of ever leading a happy life, until the Duke of Solworth asks for her hand. Yes, he’s only looking for an heir and yes, he insists she must live in Egypt, but he’s kind, handsome, and steady. At least, he seems that way, until the moment Cecilia says ‘I will.’ THIEF OF BROKEN HEARTS by Louisa Cornell Seventeen years ago, after losing his mother and brothers in a horrific tragedy, Endymion de Waryn left his memories, his past, and the childhood friend he’d been forced to marry behind in Cornwall, vowing never to return. Now, as the Duke of Pendeen, he lives a very ordered life, just as he prefers. Having scheduled the months of August and September to conceive an heir, he summons his wife to London to do just that. When her answer is an emphatic No! he is left no choice but to break his vow and go to Cornwall to fetch her. However, a duchess who meets her husband at the door with one of Manton’s finest firearms needs more than a ducal command to be fetched. Seventeen years ago, Rhiannon Harvey, daughter of a wealthy coal merchant, made a devil’s bargain with a ruthless duke to marry his heir the boy she loved with all her girlish heart. Wedded, bedded, and left to run the ducal Cornwall estate, she becomes the keeper of her husband’s tragic memories, owner of the family’s secrets, and a duchess not to be trifled with. Her husband’s uninvited arrival introduces her to a man haunted by the past he cannot remember and one determined, God help her, to woo her into his bed. When Rhiannon’s life is threatened, she and Endymion must work together to discover why. His haunted memories and inept wooing may bring them together. But the secrets of the past promise to tear them apart and if they cannot overcome the lies and betrayals of their broken hearts, their newfound love may be stolen from them forever. HOUSE OF THORNS by Jude Knight Retired spy, Bear Gavenor has fled the marriage mart for the familiarity of his work; restoring abandoned country manors to sell to the newly rich. Never does he anticipate that his first task will be to deal with the thief he’s caught stealing his roses. Evicted from her home and ruined with claims she has a lover, Rosa Neatham fears she will soon be unable to care for her invalid father. When she returns to her former home to gather roses to brighten his room, her fortune worsens when she’s startled by the home’s new owner and injured in a fall. Bear takes her in, but when the rector confronts him about living with an unmarried woman, Bear decides to halt the rumormongers’ attempts to ruin her further and marries Rosa. He needs an heir. She needs a protector. Love needs to overcome the scandal, secrets and self-doubts that each brings to this marriage of convenience. THE BLUE SLIPPER by Erin Rye Olivia Mackenzie, disowned granddaughter of the Duke of Lennox, has only one foot in society and a tenuous one at that. One day at a garden party, she stumbles upon her soon-to-be fiancé in the arms of another woman. Revenge is sweet and immediate. Seizing the first stranger wandering past, Olivia plants a kiss full on his lips. Eight years ago, Lord Nicholas Blair turned to gambling and womanizing in an effort to hide his pain when his rival, Lord Randall, wed the woman he loved. But living the life of a rogue has grown dull.
Authors
Erin Rye fell in love with Scotland and historical romance the day she picked up Outlander. She's been dreaming of men in kilts ever since. She currently writes from the east coast, but suffers from wanderlust and doesn't stay in one place for very long. She also writes as Carmen Caine.
Louisa Cornell read her first historical romance novel, Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, at the age of nine. This inspired her to spend the next three years of her young life writing the most horrible historical romance novel ever written. Fortunately it has yet to see the light of day. As Louisa spent those three years living in a little English village in Suffolk (Thanks to her father's Air Force career.) it is no surprise she developed a lifelong love of all things British, especially British history and Regency-set romance novels. (And Earl Grey tea!) During those same three years, Louisa's vocal talent was discovered. Her study of music began at the London College of Music and continued once she returned to the States. After four music degrees and a year of study at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria, Louisa was fortunate enough to embark on a singing career in opera houses in Germany, Austria, and most of Eastern Europe. Now retired from an active career in opera, Louisa has returned to her first love – writing Regency-set historical romance. She has completed four books to date and A PERFECTLY DREADFUL CHRISTMAS is her publication debut. Two time Golden Heart finalist, three time Daphne du Maurier winner, and three time Royal Ascot winner, Louisa is a member of RWA, SMRWA and the Beau Monde Chapter of RWA. She lives in LA (Lower Alabama) with a Chihuahua so grouchy he has been banned from six veterinary clinics, several perfectly amiable small dogs, and a cat who terminates vermin with extreme prejudice. You can learn more about Louisa and her future publication plans at : www.louisacornell.com and https://www.facebook.com/RegencyWrite....
Summer Hanford grew up on a dairy farm in Upstate New York. She earned her bachelor’s degree in experimental psychology and went on to do graduate and doctoral work in behavioral neurology. Eventually turning away from long hours spent in research, Summer returned to her childhood dream of being an author. Summer writes in three genres; Epic Fantasy, Historical Romance, and Pride & Prejudice Variations. Summer’s complete five novel YA fantasy series, Thrice Born, was published by Martin Sisters Publishing and is available wherever books are sold. Starting in 2014, Summer was offered the privilege of partnering with fan fiction author Renata McMann on her well-loved Pride and Prejudice variations. Since then, they’ve had over a dozen amazon number one best sellers, in the US and several other countries, in both Europe and Latin America. In 2020, Summer launched her Crown & Dagger Historical Romance Series and in 2021, she launched her new Epic Fantasy Series, Rise of the Summer God. Summer’s Sweet Regency Romance Series, The Ellsworth Sisters Quartet, concludes in 2022 and is available on amazon. For more about Summer, visit www.summerhanford.com.
Have you ever wanted something so much you were afraid to even try? That was me ten years ago. For as long as I can remember, I've wanted to be a novelist. I even started dozens of stories, over the years. But life kept getting in the way. A seriously ill child who required years of therapy; a rising mortgage that led to a full-time job; six children, my own chronic illness… the writing took a back seat. As the years passed, the fear grew. If I didn't put my stories out there in the market, I wouldn't risk making a fool of myself. I could keep the dream alive if I never put it to the test. Then my mother died. That great lady had waited her whole life to read a novel of mine, and now it would never happen. So I faced my fear and changed it—told everyone I knew I was writing a novel. Now I'd make a fool of myself for certain if I didn't finish. My first book came out to excellent reviews in December 2014, and the rest is history. Many books, lots of positive reviews, and a few awards later, I feel foolish for not starting earlier. I write historical fiction with a large helping of romance, a splash of Regency, and a twist of suspense. I then try to figure out how to slot the story into a genre category. I'm mad keen on history, enjoy what happens to people in the crucible of a passionate relationship, and love to use a good mystery and some real danger as mechanisms to torture my characters. Dip your toe into my world with one of my lunch-time reads collections or a novella, or dive into a novel. And let me know what you think.
