Childhood sweethearts become forbidden lovers in this Shakespearean-esque second chance romance where secrets and lies throw two opposing families into turmoil. Romeo and Juliet, meet Henry and Caroline... Caroline Gardner has always had her very own white knight. Her childhood sweetheart, Henry Gardner, is handsome, kind, and passionately in love with her. Or so she believes, until one day she is told everything she knows about Henry is a lie. In an instant, their long-time engagement is broken and Caroline's world is shattered. Henry Gardner has been told that the girl he's loved all his life has cruelly betrayed him. But no matter what she may have done, his love for her will not dim. The only problem? She's about to marry someone else. Less than twenty-four hours until he’ll lose her for good... Stealing an earl's bride on the eve of her wedding might be an insurmountable challenge for some men, but Henry is determined to make sure Caroline knows that forever is a promise he means to keep. Even if doing so comes at a perilous price. One boy. One girl. One future they must fight for together. Her one true love may have returned, but after all he's put her through, Caroline has no intention of falling back into his arms. But when she stumbles onto a terrible family secret, Caroline must make a leap of faith and put her heart in the hands of the one man she swore she'd never trust again. Book Details Please Note: Masks of Desire was previously released as a free short story of five-thousand words. This fifty-thousand-word-plus novel contains many revisions as well as new revelations and insights for readers of the Gardner Girls series. It may be read as a prequel or a final sequel to the series.

In the sleepy country village of Bedford, the promise of love can transform the most world-weary rake, and the power of passion can move a proud young woman to repent of even her most stubborn prejudices. A cynical rake... The arrival of Thomas Campbell and his elder brother has the village of Bedford abuzz with excitement. Not only is Thomas tall, dark, and handsome, he is also rumored to be a most notorious rake. Claire Gardner is young, innocent, and completely infuriating. Yet given an opportunity, Thomas can't help teaching the headstrong beauty a lesson in desire. A quiet life for a lady... Content with a simple rural life, Claire Gardner has no wish for a season in London, nor is she eager to wed. But after a catastrophic mistake compromises her honor, Claire finds herself ensnared in scandal. Claire is quite certain reformed rakes do not make the best husbands. She would rather face shame than lose her freedom to a man she is convinced does not love her. But as rumors swirl regarding her ruined reputation, the condemnation of her neighbors becomes more than she can bear. Tormented by a bitter betrayal, Thomas has steeled himself against ever loving again—but he harbors a secret which leaves him in need of a wife. Will the truth about the other woman in Thomas’s life destroy their marriage before it has even begun? Mistakes Not to Make When Avoiding a Rake is a standalone story. No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a happily ever after. Series: The Gardner Girls, Book 1 (However, each book is a complete story which may be read in any order.) Heat Level: Sweet-with-Heat, Slow Burn

Meet the Gardner Girls: Four devoted sisters must face pride, peril, and adventure before each finds a love that conquers all. Sometimes love is an accident As Angel and Gwendolen are about to discover, love can be found in the strangest places—such as in the dead of night, on a bridge, when a drunk duke stumbles across a knife-wielding woman. A lady with a secret Standing at danger's threshold, Lady Gwendolen Gibson (née Gardner) has no idea that love is about to beckon her in. Hiding from a man who seeks to destroy her life and steal her child, the countess has lived for years with a secret past. Now widowed and threatened with the loss of her home, a guardian angel rescues her and makes her an offer she can't refuse. Out of options and weary of running from her past, Gwendolen wants nothing more than the chance to build a new life for herself and her son. But Gwendolen's secrets will not stay hidden, and as her dangerous adversary steps into the light, he threatens her present, her future, and all she holds dear. A scoundrel with honor Angel Beaumont, the Duke of Englefield, lives up to his name. A golden Adonis, his looks leave women swooning in his wake, while his fortune is greater than Croesus'. Returning to England after being betrayed on the battlefield, Angel seeks to alleviate the dullness of his privileged life with the usual womanizing, drinking, racing, and gambling. Until the night he steps across Blackwater Bridge and discovers a mysterious woman in desperate circumstances. Deciding only he can keep her safe, Angel makes a gallant proposition, offering himself as her protector in a marriage of convenience. But, although Angel believed he could remain aloof to Gwendolen's charms, this wild-living nobleman finds he cannot steel his heart to a woman who is more than she seems and everything he never knew he needed.

What would you do for a little adventure? A rebellious young lady... Miss Rosalind Gardner's two older sisters are happily married, but she has no plans to follow in their footsteps anytime soon. Determined to see the world before settling down, she sets out on an ocean voyage to distant lands. Exuberant, warm-hearted, and ceaselessly optimistic, Rosalind has spent her life waiting for this opportunity. But it's one thing to dream about adventure and another thing to live it—especially when doing so means living in close quarters with the coldest, most arrogant man alive. ...and a heartless hero... Sir Philip Calvert has already lived two very different lives. A rebellious rake in his youth, he was thoroughly reformed when he fell in love with his first wife, only to lose her tragically. When he undertakes a perilous sea voyage, Philip is horrified to find himself boxed in with an uninhibited hoyden who has used his name to secure her passage. Having sworn off love and marriage, his resolve will be tested by this high-spirited woman whose passion and beauty threaten to pull him into uncharted waters. ...are about to set sail on a journey into love. Out on the deep blue sea, with nowhere to run and nowhere to hide, small berths and narrow decks bring hidden desires into the light... along with dark secrets better left buried. Meet the Gardner Girls: Four devoted sisters must face pride, peril, and adventure before each finds a love that conquers all. The Gardner Girls series is composed of standalone stories which may be read in any order. The Seafaring Lady’s Guide to Love is the third in the series chronologically. Book Details No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a happily ever after. Heat Level: Sweet-with-Heat, Slow Burn

Little Gracie Gardner is all grown up… When the youngest Gardner sister sets out to seek her fortune she finds more than she bargained for. For as soon as she steps into the mysterious primeval forest of Princewood, Gracie enters a realm in which myths and legends take on flesh and blood, and where new desires haunt her dreams. Abandoned in a blizzard and forced to seek shelter in the castle of a reclusive young man, Gracie has no idea she will soon become his captive. The castle's young master has a broken spirit and a proud, unfeeling heart which is rumored to be made of pure ice. The last of his line, he hails from a family renowned for tragedy and violence and spends his days brooding from behind walls of stone. Opposites in every way, no two people could be more wrong for each other. But as Gracie restores the castle to life and reawakens its owner's humanity, together they must face the darkness which haunts Princewood... as well as the dangerous passion which threatens to consume them both. This Christmas season, join Gracie as she brings new joy and light to a world of foreboding darkness.

The most wanted rogue in London… Hugh Cavendish—mischievous rogue extraordinaire—has been declared one of the season’s most eligible bachelors. The new title does not sit well with him…nor does the news that a former flame has announced her intent to “catch” him before the season is through. Determined to buy himself a temporary reprieve, Hugh conscripts a simple school miss into playing the role of his fiancée. What a lark! This was not the kind of solution she had in mind... Beatrice “Triss” Weston is a simple, practical young woman, who does not believe in putting up with nonsensical games—like the one proposed by this smooth-talking rogue. No respectable young lady would agree to such a bizarre offer, but desperate times call for desperate measures. As Triss is forced to give up her position as a teacher, accepting employ as part of Hugh’s sham becomes her only option. Courting more than scandal… But as Triss’s complicated past catches up with her, their ruse becomes a more shocking adventure than either of them could ever have anticipated. As Hugh’s faux fiancée’s secrets come to light, he faces a momentous decision: accept Triss for who she truly is or allow the woman he has fallen in love with to walk out of his life forever. Author's Note: Please note: How to Get Away with Marriage is a standalone-romance with a happy ending. However, the book concludes with a semi-cliff-hanger relating to secondary characters and which sets up the overarching mystery plot of the Must Love Scandal series. Content Warning: Mention of Infant Loss Heat Level: Sweet & Steamy