AustLit

'A Lady with a scandalous secret, a Marquess who is also a spy, hidden letters, doubt and misdirection, an undeniable love.

'Lady Lily Gardenbrook, eldest daughter of the Duke of Elbury, is perilously close to being a spinster. After three Seasons, she still hasn’t accepted a suitor – but not for lack of candidates. Lady Lily has a secret – a secret which would lead to scandal, should it ever be revealed. A secret which relates to the thing which matters most in her life. She hopes for love, yet a husband would never want her, if that secret was known – to marry would mean losing everything.

'Trent Weatherton, Marquess of Canterford, serves the Crown as a gentleman spy, always monitoring those of the ton for anything untoward. He has never been one to socialise much, but his role requires it of him. Convinced that marriage and spying could never make a good mix, he is unprepared for his reaction to Lady Lily Gardenbrook, which makes him question every assumption.

'But when Trent’s men discover that secret correspondence travels in and out of Lady Lily’s family residence, he must investigate – for what if the woman he is coming to care for is a threat to the Crown?

'Can Trent discover what is really happening, before he loses his chance at love? Can Lily overcome her fears, and allow the possibility that love might not steal what is most important to her? Will they each discover that the other is not at all what they seemed, in the best possible way? Or will the chance for love be lost, and Lily be doomed to life as a spinster?'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'A Lord who finds society dull, a Lady with a sharp tongued reputation, an unexpected friendship, an unwanted suitor, blackmail and gossip, a triumph of love.

'Lady Hyacinth Gardenbrook has been labelled a shrew by society, and knows that the fault rests on her own shoulders. Yet she cannot but be herself – even though it means that few gentlemen stay interested in her, past a conversation or two, despite the size of her dowry. She does what she can to constrain her tendency to bluntly tell others the truth, but she despairs of ever finding a man who might see past her sharp tongue.

'Lord Kevin Loughbridge finds society dull – and more so each year. The young women coming out are all the same – pastel, faded, and uninspiring, incapable of an interesting conversation. So he challenges himself to approach the one woman whose reputation suggests that she would not be dull at all. And she isn’t dull – not in the least. But he is torn – more and more he is convinced that his father is hiding something, and that he is needed at the family home in the country, even whilst he wishes to stay in London, to spend more time with Lady Hyacinth.

'Can Lord Kevin see past Lady Hyacinth’s reputation, to the person she truly is? Can Lady Hyacinth accept Lord Kevin’s regular unexplained absences, without suspecting the worst? And when an unwanted suitor turns to blackmail, can Lord Kevin discover the truth, in time to save the woman he has come to love, or will a past moment of inattention cost Lady Hyacinth her life’s happiness?'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'A Bluestocking with unfashionable interests, a Baron with a deep investment in trade, an unscrupulous business rival, kidnapping, blackmail and rescue, love found in the face of danger.

'Evan Shoreham, Baron of Wrenton, is used to the ton finding his business interests not only incomprehensible, but also worthy of disdain. As a result, he has no expectation of marrying any time soon. Which does not stop him wishing for a woman who might care about the things that matter to him.

'Lady Rose Gardenbrook has tried hard to keep her bluestocking tendencies well hidden, in the hope of eventually meeting a man she might be willing to marry. So far, that hope has been unfulfilled. The only man she has met who is the least bit interesting is Lord Wrenton – but he shows no sign of interest beyond intellectual conversation…

'Can they each risk revealing their feelings and hopes, or will the conventions of society keep them apart? And, when Evan’s business rival decides to take an unscrupulous path towards profit, will Rose be a pawn in his game? Can Evan save her? Or will Christmastide bring sorrow instead of joy?'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'A Duke left bitter by past betrayals, a kind-hearted lady with secrets to keep, a family trapped by the mistakes of the past, blackmail and threats confronted, a love which heals the past.

'Damien Falton, the Duke of Blackwater, has been full of bitter anger since his father’s Will reading – which revealed that everything he thought he’d known about his life was a lie. Now, over a year later, with his mourning over, he must deal with society again, for the sake of his sisters, and their chances of finding men they wish to marry. The fact that he, too, will need to marry is something he doesn’t wish to contemplate – until he meets Lady Camellia Gardenbrook. Despite all expectations, she makes him want to believe that love without betrayal is possible.

'Lady Camellia Gardenbrook hopes that she will eventually find love, as her older sisters have – but she doubts that finding a man who will accept her secrets is possible. Still, she will not give those things up – what would her life be worth, without being able to help others? When she meets the Duke of Blackwater, for the first time, she finds herself truly intrigued by a man – for he is a contradictory, confusing combination of warmth and aloofness of manner, all in a sinfully handsome package.

'As the Season progresses, it becomes increasingly obvious that all is not right, and that the secrets of the past are far from forgotten, but, instead, present a threat to the future – not just for the Duke, but for his sisters, and for the other family he never knew that he had.

'Can Lady Camellia discover the source of the threats, before the Duke’s sisters are ruined? Can the Duke protect his sisters, when the identity of the person who threatens them, and him, is unknown?

'And when it all comes out in one dramatic moment, can Lady Camellia and the Duke accept the truth of their feelings, and find love? Or will the shadows of the past steal their happiness in the future?'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'A Lady with a private passion, a merchant who loves above his station, a shared yearning for travel, a conflict of perception, an unexpected enemy, a love born in adversity.

'Lady Primrose Gardenbrook is obsessed by art, and is a talented artist herself – but she is also obsessed by Mr Gabriel Morton, a man that most of the ton regard as beneath her, for he is commoner born and a merchant. Nonetheless, she is determined to pursue a better acquaintance, no matter what it takes.

'Mr Gabriel Morton has been more than half in love with Lady Primrose from the moment that he met her – but is wise enough to know that a Duke’s daughter is most unlikely to consider him, no matter his wealth, or highly placed connections. When he discovers that Lady Primrose is as interested in travel as he is, he finds himself entertaining foolish dreams.

'But then, through unexpected circumstances, they find themselves sharing a journey away from England, and everything changes for them both. For weeks, they are together constantly, away from the prying eyes of the ton, with only the chaperonage of Gabriel’s brother and his wife. It seems perfect, idyllic, until it becomes obvious that evil lurks in paradise.

'Can Gabriel save Primrose from the threat? Can he overcome his doubts of his own worth, and fight for what he truly desires?

'Can Primrose find the determination to reach for everything she has ever wanted, no matter the risk?

'And, more challenging than anything else, can they both find the courage to defy society for their love?'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'An Earl on the edge of Scandal, a Lady disgusted by his failings, an attraction they both resist, an accidentally overheard conversation, a conspiracy to treason, a love found in the face of danger.

'Arryn Carrington, the Earl of Merryfield, is obsessive about truth and honesty. It’s an obsession that has just led to him being sent down from Oxford, which has put his father, the Marquess of Westerhazy, in a rather difficult position. Arryn has vowed to put things right, somehow, but when his father suggests that finding a young woman to marry would be a good start, Arryn flinches from the very idea. He has never met a woman with a true thought in her head - until he is introduced to Lady Violet Gardenbrook, whose every utterance upends his view of the world.

'Lady Violet Gardenbrook values books and study above all else – and the thought that a man, who has the privilege to study at Oxford would do something to get himself sent down horrifies her. A man who would do such a thing is obviously irredeemable. Why then, does she find herself steadily more intrigued by Lord Merryfield?

'When Lady Violet accidentally overhears a very private conversation, she becomes embroiled in a treasonous plot which threatens Lord Merryfield and his family, unbeknownst to him.

'Can Lady Violet discover enough for the plot to be foiled?

'Can Arryn uncover the truth of the threat, before his sister is ruined?

'And, when an impetuous act puts Lady Violet in terrible danger, will he reach her in time to save her?

'Through all of it, will they each find the courage to move past their prejudices, and admit the love they feel, or will everything they have every hoped for be lost?'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'A scandal, an interfering grandmother, an unavoidable marriage, dark family secrets revealed, an ever-present threat, a love that thrives despite it all.

'Lady Iris Gardenbrook has seen all of her sisters find love and marry. She hopes for the same, but has not met a man she would truly consider – until she sees the Marquess of Greenleigh play the pianoforte. A man who looks that good, who obviously shares her love of music, and who plays that well is perfect. She’s falling in love just watching him – but he is reclusive, and rarely seen in society. How will she ever attract his attention?

'Leon Atherton, Marquess of Greenleigh, is resigned to an unmarried life – at least for the foreseeable future. His family holds too many secrets, too many painful challenges, for him to ever consider inflicting that on a wife. But he cannot deny his attraction to Lady Iris Gardenbrook – if only….

'Music draws them inexorably together – until the intervention of relatives turns something innocent into a compromise. For which the only suitable resolution is marriage.

'Will Lady Iris survive the revelation of the secrets which Leon has been bound to hide?

'Will the attraction they both feel blossom into love? Or will that chance be destroyed by those who want to tear them apart?'

Source: Publisher's blurb.