A Reedsy Discovery 5-star "Must Read"! 2024 Storytrade Book Awards Finalist!Bridgerton meets Jane Eyre in this spicy Regency romance between a scarred hero who feels he’s unworthy of love and the defiant governess who both challenges and tempts him.When John Thornton inherits his estranged father’s estate, he becomes guardian to his little half-sister Molly and head of a household that includes Miss Serafina Edgemont—a governess whose precarious circumstance now rests in his hands. Confronted with her new employer—a man who wears a mask over half of his damaged face—Serafina must concede that despite his irregular and sometimes rude manner, there is something about him that drives her to distraction.Serafina has sworn off marriage entirely, her distrust of men long since settled. As governess, she refuses to be intimidated by John’s authority. She speaks to him as if he were a person even though he knows he’s a monster. And when he encounters her in a darkened hallway one night, he is startled by the emotion she provokes in him. As scandal begins to threaten Serafina’s position and reputation, she must decide whether she can truly trust John with her life.

In Miranda Neville's Regency romance Lady Windermere's Lover, a rakish gambler risks everything to win the love of his estranged wife.Hell hath no fury . . . Damian, Earl of Windermere, rues the day he drunkenly gambled away his family's estate and was forced into marriage to reclaim it. Now, after hiding out from his new bride for a year, Damian is finally called home, only to discover that his modest bride has become an alluring beauty—and rumor has it that she's taken a lover. Damian vows to keep his wife from straying again, but to do so he must seduce her—and protect his heart from falling for the wife he never knew he wanted.Lady Cynthia never aspired to be the subject of scandal. But with her husband off gallivanting across Persia, what was a lady to do? Flirting shamelessly with his former best friend seemed like the perfect revenge . . . except no matter how little Damian deserves her loyalty, Cynthia can't bring herself to be unfaithful. But now that the scoundrel has returned home, Cynthia isn't about to forgive his absence so easily—even if his presence stirs something in her she'd long thought dead and buried. He might win her heart . . . if he can earn her forgiveness!"A smart, witty and emotionally dense love story that explores friendship and trust along its passionate and compelling journey." —Kirkus ReviewsThe Wild QuartetThe Importance of Begin WickedThe Ruin of a RogueLady Windermere's LoverThe Duke of Dark Desires

They are both pretending to be someone else for the night...When Catherine Forster asks a handsome stranger to lead her out of the ballroom and into the Tremberley gardens, she hopes to glimpse its renowned Roman ruins…and maybe steal a kiss. But when she and her delectable escort are discovered in a scandalous embrace, Catherine is horrified to learn that she has been kissing John Breminster, heir to the man who ruined her family.Given that the Forsters are his sworn enemies, John had no choice but to walk away from Catherine that night. But he has never been able to forget their close encounter—and, even years later, still longs for her touch. Worse, when his father dies, John, now the Duke of Edington, finds himself with a problem that only Catherine can help him solve.Catherine agrees to aid him in his quest…for a price. On their journey, they soon begin to give into temptation, even as they uncover troubling revelations about the past. Will John and Catherine overcome this shared history? Or will its secrets tear them apart forever?

Quebec, Canada, 1847. While trying to escape the Potato Famine, shipwrecked Irish immigrant Breanna Clarey awakens injured and alone on an unfamiliar beach. To make matters worse, she has been separated from her family, and her friend, Crow, is lying dead at her feet. But when Dawson Roberts, a reclusive fisherman with a guarded past and big dreams for his future, finds Breanna, he puts his plans on hold to offer her shelter and help find her family.But life for an Irish immigrant isn't easy. Facing a deadly quarantine station, dangerous immigration officials, and grief over her missing family, Breanna struggles to exert her independence and navigate her new world. While Breanna confronts an unknown future, Dawson is plagued by a painful past. They each must determine their own course, even if it means ignoring the pull they have on each other.When the future takes an unexpected turn, only the ocean that has brought them so much devastation can help them find their way back to where they belong.

From a New York Times–bestselling author, "intrigue, danger, and greed are up against integrity, kindness, and love in this engrossing western romance" (Booklist).When news arrived that there was trouble back in Texas, Holt McKettrick left a mail-order bride and his family on the spot. And he never looked back. He just prayed he'd be in time to save the man who had raised him as a son and keep his best friend from the gallows. He knew he'd encounter rustlers, scoundrels and thieves, but he'd never expected to find a woman like Lorelei Fellows.Setting fire to her wedding dress in the town square probably wasn't the best way to stand her ground. But Lorelei had had enough. She was sick of men and their schemes. All she wanted was to stake her claim on her own little piece of Texas. And with Holt McKettrick as a neighbor, things were beginning to look up. The man was a straight shooter with a strong will, a steady aim and a hungry heart."Highly enjoyable. . . . Strong characterization and a vivid western setting make for a fine historical romance." —Publishers Weekly

A nobleman trying to protect a woman's virtue discovers he longs to seduce her himself in this Regency romance from a New York Times–bestselling author.After the death of her dear father, Georgiana Hartley returns home to England—only to be confronted by the boorish advances of her wretched cousin. Knowing no one, she flees to Dominic Ridgely's estate, hoping the nobleman will bestow a neighborly kindness upon her.The haughty viscount hears Georgiana's plea to find her a position as a lady's companion with thinly veiled disgust. A lovely innocent such as Miss Hartley subjected to that base existence? The very idea was preposterous. Instead, he takes matters into his own hands and introduces her to his sister's influence.Suddenly, Georgiana is transformed into a lady who charms the ton with ease and draws a bevy of suitors at every turn. Everything is unfolding according to Dominic's plan . . . until he realizes that he desires Georgiana for his own.Praise for Stephanie Laurens"Laurens' writing shines." —Publishers Weekly"Stephanie Laurens' heroines are marvelous tributes to Georgette Heyer: feisty and strong." —Cathy Kelly, #1 Sunday Times–bestselling author of The Wedding Party"All I need is her name on the cover to make me pick up the book." —Linda Howard, New York Times–bestselling author of An Independent Wife