Showing results by narrator "Jessica Bright" in All Categories

Lady Augusta Penworthy is in dire straights. Her father has spent every last coin, and she and her sisters cannot even afford coal. One chance encounter and a torn gown changes everything. While one might think a sudden marriage to a wealthy lord a relief if that marriage is to the Duke of Blacktower, one would be vastly mistaken. For no young lady wishes to be that infamous rake's bride.

When a governess of great talents is required, there is only one place the nobility of England go: the Governess Bureau. It was why Miss Meredith Hubert had worked so hard to gain her place there. Finishing with the Earl of Marnmouth's children, she is about to be given her next assignment—a Duke called Alfred Carmichael with a reputation to maintain and a half-brother who needs controlling. But Meredith has a secret to hide, and she's not the only one. Maids sent away in secret, items missing from the house—there is more than one mystery at Rochdale Abbey.

When Veronica said "I do" to Sebastian Sinclair, Duke of Edgefield, she thought all her dreams had come true. He was dashing and doting, and she absolutely adored him—until he betrayed her trust, shattering their marriage, and her heart, into a million tiny bits. She hasn't seen her husband in the two years since, and she'd just as soon make it twenty. But when she learns that her beloved grandfather's dying wish is for her and Sebastian to attend the family's Christmastide celebration, she swallows her pride and asks him a favor: to pretend they're the happy couple they once were.

“One of the year’s must-reads.” –ELLE “[A] provocative, heart-breaking, and frequently hilarious collection.” –GLAMOUR “Essential, vital, and urgent.” –HARPER’S BAZAAR In the vein of Roxane Gay’s Bad Feminist and Issa Rae’s The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl, but...

The young ladies of the Fairchild family have just learned that their stepfather has absconded with their late mother's fortune. Ava, the eldest, decides to take matters into her own hands and hunts down the notoriously wealthy rakehell Jared Broderick, the Marquis of Middleton and heir to a dukedom. Much to her shock and delight, the marquis sweeps her into a whirlwind romance and proposes marriage. But after their passionate wedding night, Ava discovers Jared has ulterior motives of his own.

A dutiful lady's maid, Miss Madeline Atwater knows precisely what her future holds: countless nights of dressing her mistress in silk gowns, pinning her hair in elegant curls, and selecting the perfect pair of slippers before sending her off to the ball. But Madeline harbors a secret dream. Just once, she'd like to be the one who attends the grand party—and tonight could be her chance. All she needs to do is borrow her mistress's cast-off dress and sneak downstairs during the Twelfth Night Ball . . .

To protect her family, she has done the darkest of deeds, and now she is determined to find the protection of a good marriage. A marriage that will let her pursue her dreams. A powerful friend has arranged for her to marry the Earl of Derby. But when she arrives, the earl does nothing as expected. He demands a trial. Drawn to the Earl, who seems to carry a shadow in his heart, she agrees. Margaret cannot deny her desire for him, but if he learns the truth, will he cast her out? When her heart begins to long for him, she is determined to keep him... and her secrets.

She is Catriona, Countess of Glenkirk, the dazzling green-eyed beauty whose silken sensuality fires the passion of men's very souls—making her a pawn in a dangerous game of royal intrigue. Wife to a count, unwilling mistress to the king, she has the undying love of the most courageous lord in all of Scotland . . .

Abducted from a life of privilege, she was sold into slavery in a distant land. For Lady Janet Leslie there would be no escaping the harem of the wealthy and powerful Sultan Selim. But from the moment the handsome ruler spied his breathtaking "Cyra," he was captivated—by the fiery desire that coursed through his veins. She belonged to him, body and soul-yet it was he who was enslaved.

When Fiona Hay offers Angus Gordon her virtue in exchange for a dowry for her sisters, she so intrigues the rogue that he demands a higher payment: She will be his mistress. Thus begins a battle of wills and sensual delights. Destiny soon draws the ardent lovers into the turbulent court of King James. But soon the king's political schemes force Fiona away from the man she loves...and into the arms of a wild and passionate highlander, The MacDonald of Nairn. Will this coldhearted and callous betrayal forever destroy Fiona's chance at happiness?

Lady Phillipa's heart is on the verge of being broken. The man she has exchanged letters with for months now refuses to answer her missives. That man, after the death of his older brother, is now the Duke of Grey, one of the most powerful lords in the land. When his sister invites Phillipa to the country, she jumps at the chance to discover why the duke forsook their love. When she arrives, she finds a broken, brooding man who insists keeping her away is for her own protection. But in his beautiful face, marred by scars, she sees the soul of the man she loves.

Lily Sutton has been running wild for years beneath her siblings’ noses. Born and raised in the rookeries, she is not afraid of anything or anyone. And she is most certainly not cowed by arrogant scoundrels like the owner of London’s most prestigious shop, Bellingham and Co. She is determined to right the wrongs of her world, even if it means resorting to devious methods, such as absconding with some overpriced fripperies and baubles.

When a governess of great talents is required, there is only one place the nobility of England go: The Governess Bureau. And one of the most trusted? Miss Anne Gilbert. She's known for keeping her employer's secrets, and when she is selected by the Earl of Clarcton, that is precisely why. Because the Earl, Timothy Lexington, has secrets. Secrets he has worked hard to keep from the world. While scandal waits in the wings, Clarcton Castle has entire wings that are shut off and the Countess is nowhere to be found.

Lady Philippa Shaw had it all - a husband who was madly in love with her, a sweet baby daughter, and a house in the most exclusive square in London - until a shocking discovery revealed that her happy life was a lie. After her husband's death, his past crimes return to haunt her, bringing danger, devastation, and the one man she’s spent the past few years despising.

Lady Greer Fairchild's only hope of avoiding marriage to the first bidder lies in journeying into the untamed Welsh countryside in search of an inheritance she's not sure even exists—one reportedly controlled by Rhodrick Glendower, Earl of Radnor, also known as the Prince of Powys. Rumor has it that the prince is rough, ruthless—even a murderer. But Greer never imagined that the brute would refuse to let her leave his remote castle until she has proven her identity.

Lady Phoebe Fairchild is well aware that the ton would be appalled to learn of a young lady of quality involved in a trade. Therefore, she resorts to selling her beautiful handmade gowns under a fictitious name: Madame Dupree. So when circumstances force her to visit the estate of William Darby, the Viscount of Summerfield, to design ball gowns for his sisters, she assumes Madame's identity. Phoebe's discomfort in her new position as hired help is nothing compared to her visceral attraction to the viscount himself.

The Duke of Clyde has been a friend to many, but none can climb the walls around his heart. None can thaw the ice that he has wrapped his soul in. Until a bluestocking invades his castle and his life and threatens to upend everything he has ever known.

Archer Tierney has devoted his life to becoming one of the most powerful men in London. He's cutthroat and merciless to anyone who crosses him and ruthless in his determination to always maintain the upper hand over friends and foes alike. There's no situation he can't control, no battle he can't win. Until one fierce woman enters his carefully guarded world, leaving danger and desire in her wake and bringing Archer to his knees.

Lady Eliza Whitmoreland just wants to be left alone. A season and a husband are the last things she needs or wants. But when the ton's biggest rake tries to charm her, instead of rolling her eyes, she sees her chance. She challenges the blowhard to a game of chess. The prize? If she wins, he has to pretend to be her fiance for the rest of the season to get her mother off her back.

She must become a companion to a recluse's sister in the wilds of Yorkshire, but the past wants to drag her back into the darkness. When she meets the Beast of Hardcastle, she doesn't know if her last chance is worth surviving the dark nights in his domain—until he begins to awaken her broken heart and tease her with the promise of pleasure.