Unmarriageable? Or simply unusual? There can only be one reason for the proud Duke of Alvan’s proposed visit to Audley Park. He means to offer for Lord Overton’s beautiful daughter, Thomasina, thus saving the family’s waning fortune. In the midst of the hectic preparations for his arrival, Overton’s least marriageable daughter Charlotte remembers to collect her young brothers from school for the holidays. When fog forces them to spend the night at the Hart Inn, they are astonished to find the house deserted, save for one other enigmatic traveler who deals most capably with armed intruders. Drawn to their unconventional new friend, Charlotte enlists his help to solve the mystery. Amidst the upheaval of the duke’s visit, to say nothing of the chaos caused by Charlotte’s unmanageable pet terrier, the Hart becomes the focus of nefarious doings, kidnappings, and romantic entanglements. For Charlotte is unwise enough to fall hopelessly in love with her sister’s intended husband, and the duke hides too many secrets of his own. Will they find their happily ever after with each other?

A sinister baron besieged by bad luck and bad tidings... can love save him?Read Book 2 in Mary Lancaster's latest hit series, The Unmarriageable Series!Lady Cecily, a daughter of a duke, has a habit of getting into trouble. Perhaps it's her natural curiosity or maybe, she likes excitement, especially where the notorious Lord Verne is concerned. When she's mistaken for a hussy at the Hart Inn-by every fault of her own-staring at the handsome lord through a partially opened door in a private parlor and watching him out of her chamber window in the middle of the night-is it any surprise he abducts her? Of course, she foolishly imagines her rank and her identity are enough to protect her.But her family name doesn't change Verne's mind, for he is still fascinated by Cecily. With her reputation hanging by a thread after spending the night in Verne's house, she's forced to make a fateful decision, face the consequences of her actions, which could mean utter ruin for her and her family, or agree to a fake engagement with the rakish lord.Lord Verne has a tragic past and his own dark secrets to contend with, making him a bad match for the vivacious Cecily and her powerful family. But once the news of their "engagement" gets out, neither one of them is in a hurry to call it off.Will they find their happily ever after with each other? Or will Verne's sinister past destroy everything?Books in Series: The Deserted HeartThe Sinister Heart

When convention clashes with love… Eager to outshine her older sisters, Henrietta Maybury is disappointed to discover the first man to make her heart race is the scion of a banking family, and therefore quite ineligible as a husband to a viscount’s daughter. But as it turns out, Captain Sydney Cromarty is even less marriageable than she first imagined. For beneath his respectable facade, he’s a notorious smuggler – as Henrietta discovers during a reckless evening at the Hart Inn. And the more she learns, the more he fascinates her. As Henrietta begins to doubt her values, Cromarty is forced to reassess his own. No one is more amused than he to discover he is now the Earl of Silford’s heir, a position he has no intention of embracing, but it becomes a situation that makes him dangerous enemies who are not above using his growing feelings for the charming Henrietta to destroy him. Will he accept his patrimony as a means to win Henrietta, or will they both succumb to the threats that surround them? The Unmarriageable Series: The Deserted Heart The Sinister Heart The Vulgar Heart

Danger, loyalty and loving the enemy… Shunned by society and even by her own family after the treachery of her late husband, Isabelle de Renarde has long given up any thought of love or remarriage. But desperate loneliness drives her to make an assignation at the Hart Inn – which is where, inevitably, everything changes. For the Hart is in turmoil once more, captured by a small group of French raiders led by the wildly reckless Captain Armand le Noir - who always succeeds in the end. Dazzled by Isabelle’s beauty, Armand regards her at first much like the task in hand – a distraction from his own pain. But the Hart seems to work its magic and inconvenient attraction gets in the way of both unwise assignation and the search for lost prisoners of war. With the raiders only partially foiled, the adventure sweeps from the inn to a neighborhood ball and then to France itself. Amidst the constant danger and the intensity of their growing love, Isabelle and Armand live on the edge of betraying each other or their own loyalties. But someone is manipulating them, the true enemy is unclear, and in the end they must both risk everything to be together. The Unmarriageable Series The Deserted Heart The Sinister Heart The Vulgar Heart The Broken Heart The Weary Heart The Secret Heart

Pride versus passion Sir Marcus Dain lives for adventure. Most other things, including his large estates and his inevitable marriage, he considers wearily to be matters of duty rather than pleasure. Until he encounters fearless, intriguing governess, Miss Helen Milsom, at the Hart Inn. Sparks fly in terms of both temper and desire, but something in this quite unsuitable woman touches his cynical heart. Then old promises and devious, matchmaking mamas get in the way. Helen, having lost her chance of marriage ten years ago, is resigned to spinsterhood. Holding onto pride, which has seen her through many difficulties, she fights her inappropriate attraction, even when she is falsely accused and loses her position, and Sir Marcus offers her only safety. Misunderstandings and the villainous behaviour of Helen’s one-time betrothed, combine to part them, but Marcus will not give up and sets out to remove all the obstacles to their happy-ever-after.

Betrayal, temptation and an impossible love. The final book in the Unmarriageable series... Some suspect that Lily Villin is the true heart of the Hart Inn, a lucky house where love always seems to blossom, whatever the obstacles. But Lily has another secret. She is in love with an enigmatic nobleman, and no luck in the world can make such a marriage possible. Randolph, Lord Torbridge, is a man of many secrets, in pursuit of a well-born traitor. But his visits to the Hart have increasingly less to do with his vital work than with the innkeeper's beautiful daughter—until he discovers her gift for mimicry and enrolls her in a dangerous masquerade to unmask the enemy. Being with her brings temptations he struggles to resist, for he will not ruin her, and he cannot marry so far beneath his rank. For once, it is not Lily's talents, but his own, which are needed for this love to blossom—along with a little luck and ingenuity.

No room at the Hart Inn… After her first ever serious quarrel with her husband, Charlotte, the young Duchess of Alvan, flees to her parents’ home for Christmas, taking her baby son and her dog. However, when the road is blocked by snow, she has to seek refuge at the Hart—and all the rooms are full. In the end, she has to share an old stable with a highly suspicious neighbor, a thief and a depressed rake. But there are plenty of unexpected gifts that night, and love is the greatest of them all. (Note: This story was first published as part of the Bestselling Boxed set Stars are Brightly Shining, November 2019)

Enjoy a holiday collection from some of your very favorite Dragonblade Publishing authors in this collection of holiday-inspired tales! From the bedecked halls of Regency England to the cold and crisp air of Medieval England, and everything in between, welcome to the magic of a holiday collection that will bring the joy of the season into your heart and into your home. USA Today or Internationally bestselling authors bring you their twist on the holidays. This collection includes: Starlight Night by Alexa Aston - In the midst of celebrating the Christmas season with their family—and with love in their hearts for a child who needs them—can Luke and his countess convince a young, untrusting girl to become a part of their family? A Merry MacNaughton Mishap by Aubrey Wynne - Two feuding clans, one accidental encounter, a wee bit of holiday enchantment... A Christmas Kiss for the Highlander by Collette Cameron - He’s a prisoner of his past until she offers him freedom and a future...but can he pay the price? Warming Winter's Heart by Elizabeth Ellen Carter - A touch a kindness is all it takes to warm the coldest heart. Christmas Heart by Mary Lancaster - No room at the Hart Inn...But there are plenty of unexpected gifts. The Hope of Love by Meara Platt - Two lost hearts and a little holiday magic can bring about the hope of love. The Heart of Thanks by Paula Quinn - A story of love, forgiveness, Christmas miracles, and of course, Highlanders. From Dragonblade to you, we wish you a very happy holiday season! Note: These are previously published novellas, all filled with the holiday spirit!