Search results for ""author mary balogh""

He must be wealthy, well-born and want her more than he wants any other woman. Those are the conditions that must be met by the man Cassandra Belmont chooses for her lover. Marriage is out of the question for the scandalous widow who must now barter her beauty in order to survive. With seduction in mind, she sets her sights on Stephen Huxtable, the irresistibly attractive Earl of Merton and London's most eligible bachelor. But at first glance, Stephen is convinced the alluring Lady Paget is the ideal woman to share his bed. There is only one caveat: this relationship must be on his terms. But a single night of passion alters all the rules. Cassandra is now in danger of losing the one thing she vowed never to give. And Stephen, who wants Cassandra more than he has ever wanted any woman, won't rest until she has surrendered everything - not as his mistress - but as his lover and wife...

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When Jane Ingleby interrupts a duel in London's Hyde Park, Jocelyn Dudley, Duke of Tresham, gets shot, and Jane, late for work at a milliner's workshop, loses her job. She is angry enough to demand a new job of Jocelyn, and he is angry enough to hire her - as his nurse. Her blue eyes are the sort a man could drown in - if it wasn't for her imprudence. She questions his every move, breaches his secrets and touches his soul and soon the dangerous duke is offering her a different job - as his mistress.Jane tries to keep it strictly business, an arrangement she is forced to accept in order to conceal a treacherous secret. Surely there is nothing more perilous than being the lover of such a man. Yet as she sees through his devilish facade and glimpses the noble heart within, she knows the greatest jeopardy of all is the rising passion that could tempt her to risk everything. . .

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Kit Butler, cool and dangerous, is one of London's most infamous bachelors and marriage is the last thing on his mind. Desperate to thwart his father's matchmaking, Kit needs a bride . . . fast. Enter Miss Lauren Edgeworth . . .A year after being abandoned at the altar, Lauren has determined that marriage is not for her. When these two fiercely independent souls meet, sparks fly - and a deal is hatched. Lauren will masquerade as Kit's intended if he agrees to provide a passionate, adventurous, unforgettable summer. When summer ends, she will break off the engagement, rendering herself unmarriageable and leaving them both free. Everything is going perfectly - until Kit does the unthinkable: he begins to fall in love. A summer to remember is not enough for him. But how can he convince Lauren to be his . . . for better, for worse, for the rest of their lives?

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On a Flemish battlefield Lord Alleyne Bedwyn is thrown from his horse and left for dead, only to awaken in the bedchamber of a Brussels brothel. The dark, handsome diplomat has no memory of who he is or how he got there - yet of one thing he is certain: he owes his life to the angel of undoubtedly dubious virtue who is nursing him back to health. But like him, Rachel York is not who she seems. The havoc of war has forced Rachel to seek refuge with the 'ladies' of the house whilst devising a plan to restore her fortunes. The dashing soldier she rescued from near-death could be her saviour in disguise. In order to inherit, Rachel needs to be married and here is a man with no memory - and thus no ties - willing to do anything to help her. However on returning to England, their marriage charade draws them both into danger, scandal and a blossoming relationship that is ever so slightly sinful...

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'One of the best!' Julia Quinn, Sunday Times bestselling author of the Bridgerton seriesA new series by Mary Balogh, bestselling author of The Westcott series. If you loved Bridgerton, you'll adore Mary Balogh. The handsome and charismatic Earl of Stratton, Caleb Ware, has been exposed to the ton for his clandestine affairs-by his own son. As a child, Devlin Ware thought his family stood for all that was right and good in the world. They were kind, gracious, and shared the beauty of Ravenwood, their grand country estate, by hosting lavish parties for the entire countryside. But at twenty-two, he discovered his whole world was an elaborate illusion, and when Devlin publicly called his family to account for it, he was exiled as a traitor.So be it. He enlisted in the fight against Napoleon and didn't look back for six years. But now his father is dead, the Ware family is broken, and as the heir he is being called home. It's only when Gwyneth Rhys-the woman he loved and then lost after his family banished him-holds out her hand to help him that he is able make the difficult journey and try to piece together his fractured family.It is Gwyneth's loyalty, patience, and love that he needs. But is Devlin's war-hardened heart even capable of offering her love in return?Praise for Mary Balogh 'A grand mistress of the genre' Romantic Times'Balogh is the queen of spicy Regency-era romance, creating memorable characters in unforgettable stories' Booklist'Mary Balogh sets the gold standard in historical romance' New York Times bestselling author Jayne Ann Krentz'A romance writer of mesmerising intensity, Mary Balogh has the gift of making a relationship seem utterly real and utterly compelling' Mary Jo Putney

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The Survivors' Club: Six men and one woman, all wounded in the Napoleonic Wars, their friendship forged during their recovery at Penderris Hall in Cornwall. Now Flavian, Viscount Ponsonby, has left this refuge to find his own salvation ...Flavian was devastated by his fiancee's desertion after his return home. Now the woman who broke his heart is back - and everyone is eager to revive their engagement. Except Flavian, who, in a panic, runs straight into the arms of the nearest young woman. Agnes Keeping has never been in love-and never wishes to be. But then she meets the charismatic Flavian, and suddenly Agnes falls so foolishly and so deeply that she agrees to his impetuous proposal of marriage. When Agnes discovers that the proposal is only to avenge his former love, she's determined to flee. But Flavian has no intention of letting his new bride go, especially now that he too has fallen so passionately and so unexpectedly in love ...'Once you start reading a Mary Balogh book, you won't be able to stop.' Susan Elizabeth Phillips 'A romance writer of mesmerizing intensity.' Mary Jo Putney 'Mary Balogh just keeps getting better and better.' The Atlanta Journal-Constitution 'Balogh can always be depended on to deliver a beautifully written Regency romance with appealing, unusual characters.' Publishers Weekly

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Enter the world of The Survivor's Club, where Regency England, in its drama and romance, comes vibrantly to life Six men and one woman, injured in the Napoleonic Wars, their friendships forged in steel and loyalty. But for one, her trials are not over ...Since witnessing the death of her husband during the wars, Imogen, Lady Barclay, has secluded herself in the confines of Hardford Hall, their home in Cornwall. The new owner has failed to take up his inheritance, and Imogen desperately hopes he will never come to disturb her fragile peace. Percival Hayes, Earl of Hardford, has no interest in the wilds of Cornwall, but when he impulsively decides to pay a visit to his estate there, he is shocked to discover that it is not the ruined heap he had expected. He is equally shocked to find the beautiful widow of his predecessor's son living there. Soon Imogen awakens in Percy a passion he has never thought himself capable of feeling. But can he save her from her misery and reawaken her soul? And what will it mean for him if he succeeds? 'Mary Balogh is the writer I read for pleasure' Susan Elizabeth Phillips 'A matchless storyteller' RT Book Reviews

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Only desperation could bring Duncan Pennethorne, the infamous Earl of Sheringford, back home after the spectacular scandal that had shocked even the jaded ton. Forced to wed in fifteen days or be cut off without a penny, Duncan chooses the one woman in London in frantic need of a husband: Margaret Huxtable.A lie to an old flame forces Margaret to accept the irresistible stranger's offer. But once she discovers who he really is, it's too late - she's already betrothed to the wickedly sensual rakehell. Quickly she issues an ultimatum: if Duncan wants her, he must woo her. And as passion slowly ignites, two people marrying for all the wrong reasons are discovering the joys of seduction - and awaiting the exquisite pleasure of what comes after...

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From the legendary New York Times bestselling author of Only a Kiss and Only a Promise comes the final book in the rapturous Survivor's Club series, where the future of one man will be decided by a lost - but never forgotten - love ...For the first time since the death of his wife, the Duke of Stanbrook is considering remarrying and finally embracing happiness for himself. With that thought comes the treasured image of a woman he met briefly a year ago and never saw again. Dora Debbins relinquished all hope of marrying when a family scandal left her in charge of her younger sister. Earning a modest living as a music teacher, she's left with only an unfulfilled dream. Then one afternoon, an unexpected visitor makes it come true. For both George and Dora that brief first encounter was as fleeting as it was unforgettable. Now is the time for a second chance. And while even true love comes with a risk, who are two dreamers to argue with destiny? 'Mary Balogh is the writer I read for pleasure' Susan Elizabeth Phillips 'A matchless storyteller' RT Book Reviews

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They meet in a ferocious snowstorm. She is a young teacher with a secret past. He is the cool, black-caped stranger who unexpectedly comes to her rescue. Between these two unlikely strangers, desire is instantaneousand utterly impossible to resist. Stranded together in a country inn, Lucius Marshall - the Viscount Sinclair - and Frances Allard share a night of glorious, unforgettable passion. But Frances knows her place - and it is far from the privileged world of the sensual aristocrat. Due to begin her teaching position at Miss Martin's School in Bath, Frances must try to forget that one extraordinary night - and the man who touched her with such exquisite tenderness and abandon. But Frances cannot hide forever. And when fate once again throws them together, Lucius refuses to take no for an answer. If Frances will not be his wife, he will make her his mistress. So begins an odyssey fraught with intrigue - one that defies propriety and shocks the strait-laced ton. For Lucius's passionate, single-minded pursuit is about to force Frances to give up all her secrets - except one - to win the heart of the man she already loves.

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When Susannah is introduced to the charming, handsome Peter Edgeworth, he instantly unsettles her with his seductive gaze and brash pursuit. Yet the more Peter advances, the more Susanna withdraws. Suspecting that Susanna is haunted by a tragic history, Peter is determined to defy the mysteries of her past for a future with this exquisite creature.

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Lady Gwendoline Muir has experienced her fair share of tragedies in her short life: she lost her husband to a freak accident and developed a limp after falling from horseback. Still young, Gwen is sure that she's done with love and that she will never be married again. Gwen tries to be content with her life as it is and to live through the happy marriages of her brother and her best friend, Viscountess Ravensberg. She's happy for them and for years that is enough for her ...until she meets Lord Trentham - a man who returned from the Peninsula Wars a hero but is unable to escape the bite of his survivor's guilt. For he might just be the man who can convince her to believe in second chances.

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Neville Wyatt, Earl of Kilbourne, awaits his new bride at the altar - when a ragged beggar woman races down the aisle instead. The cream of the ton see him stare, shocked, then declare that this is his late wife! One night of passion is all he remembers of Lily, the woman he'd wed, loved, and lost on the battlefield in Portugal. Now he must endeavour to honour his commitment to her - regardless of the gulf that lies between them.Lily wants only to start a new life - with a husband who truly loves her. She leaves Wyatt to learn how to meet his world on her terms and upon her return Lily soon becomes the toast of the ton, every inch a countess fit for the earl. Wyatt vows to prove to his remarkable wife that what he feels for her is more than desire, that what he wants from her is much more than simply one night for love . . .

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Lord Rannulf Bedwyn is a hard man to resist. To Judith Law, Rannulf is simply a dream come true, a heroic stranger with whom she will allow herself one night of reckless passion before she must settle for the dreary life of companion to her wealthy aunt. However, a shock is in store for her when that same stranger arrives at Harewood Grange to woo her cousin. Judith holds firm against Rannulf's advances, both honourable and otherwise. But then scandal rocks the household and threatens her name and her very liberty, and it is Rannulf who rides to her rescue. But can true love grow out of something ever so slightly wicked?

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