A fate already set in motion may hold unexpected surprises.A lady betrayed by her betrothed. A gentleman set out for destruction. Would his scandalous proposition entice her to surrender to the passion swirling around them?Noel Worthington’s happily ever after was only weeks away. She had finally secured herself a match with a divine earl who doted on her at every opportunity. However, Noel questioned if she should give her heart to him after he betrayed her with his deception. When her groom stays absent, she does what any lady in her position would do and confronts him, stating her demands. Noel flees when he responds with his own sinful suggestions. Soon Noel finds herself kidnapped in proximity with her scoundrel of a fiancé and she was powerless to deny the desire surrounding them. Would Noel ever trust her true love enough to give him her heart?Gregory Ravencroft allowed his shame to keep him from securing his bride-to-be’s safety. When he arrived in London, it was to seek help to destroy his enemy. Instead, he fell for a proper lady who portrayed every character he desired in a wife. However, he couldn’t be more mistaken. When Noel declared what she expected of him, he realized his meek fiancée was a passionate lady who had kept her desires at bay. After he seduced her with his scandalous propositions, he discovered how he wasn’t the only one who had kept secrets. Can Gregory convince Noel that the love he holds for her is true?A couple who navigates their engagement with polite indifference learn their fate entwined them for eternity with their undying love for one another. Can they defy the odds and allow trust to enter their hearts? Or would their deception keep them apart?The Seductive Temptress is the second book in Laura A. Barnes’s Fate of the Worthingtons Series. If you love a romance filled with passionate intrigue, then you’ll love Noel and Gregory’s love story.Read The Seductive Temptress to continue your journey with the Fate of the Worthingtons.

What harm could one night of pleasure do? Cybil Bythesea is imprisoned in a marriage that ended ten years ago. That’s when she fled the cruelty of her husband, Lord Falstone, and took refuge at her father’s estate in Northumberland. Since then, her family’s money has kept the villain at bay, and she’s been able to pursue her creative passion—writing. But freedom, true freedom, has been beyond her grasp.Except for her clandestine liaisons with Will.Will Chisolm is haunted by the past, the tragedy of his family’s eviction from their ancestral Highland farm, then his own foolish descent into political radicalism. Even now that he’s gained wealth and respectability as the manager of a set of spinning mills in Glasgow, he’s burdened with more responsibility and guilt than anyone knows.But there’s something about Cybil—a lightness, a kinship that, at least temporarily, makes all Will’s troubles fade away. It’s a dangerous game. Cybil is his employer’s sister, the wife of his political enemy and for the last four years, his lover.She’s also with child. Will’s child. And their world, their lives, will never be the same.“...an achingly beautiful world of love, desperation, intrigue, a reckoning with the past, and a twisty, emotional journey. I loved it from start to finish and continue to think about it days later in the best possible ways.” - Reader reviewA Radical Affair is the third book in the Darnalay Castle Series, although all of the books in the series can be read as standalones. It contains themes which may be disturbing to some readers (see the author’s note in the sample pages), and several spicy open-door scenes.

Two worlds. Two hearts. Can they ever meld together as one?Eliza Rose is the perfect lady—accomplished in pianoforte, riding, and multiple languages—until a scandal disrupts her privileged world. The fallen Rose family has struggled to regain their standing until a fortuitous connection helps Eliza re-secure her family’s place in Society, giving her everything she believed she wanted.Eliza’s return comes at a bittersweet price, however, as she unexpectedly loses her heart to the town blacksmith. She yearns to follow her heart, but fears condemnation. Her mother would give anything to remain among her friends—and Eliza cannot be the reason her family falls from grace once again.Jacob Ridley is a humble blacksmith, haunted by a past betrayal from a lady he thought he loved. He has come to Harewood to begin anew, with a rule to guide and protect himself—he will avoid women of quality. But Eliza is impossible to ignore, forever needing his help. He might not be a gentleman by Society’s standards, but he cannot refuse her when she is in need.As their feelings mount, they must confront an impossible choice—remain loyal but lonely in their disparate spheres, or bravely come together despite the formidable barriers, threat of scandalous gossip, and pain of family objection. These two unlikely hearts are torn between love and obligation. Will the right choice come at too dear a price?Book one in the Hearts of Harewood series, To Forge Her Fate is a sweet and clean Regency romance of unequal social status and forbidden love.

The Beast captures a BeautyThe reclusive Lord Edward, Earl of Greenwich, never shows his face in London Society. Gossip pages claim he’s mad, so it's no wonder Lydia Montgomery is horrified when she’s packed off to his estate for a marriage of convenience, but she’ll do anything to save her mother.Can they set each other free?Lydia would rather devote all her time to her art, but a deal’s been struck with the phantom lord—the first man who understands her need to paint. With the passage of time, an undeniable passion grows. And if love is what she wants, Lydia must unmask the man everyone believes is a beast…or lose him forever.

The past isn't over; it's an opening. The future isn't hidden; it's a trap.If she ever wants to see him again, she'll have to take the risk."Engaging, Funny, Romantic & Harrowing" ~Publishers Weekly Starred Review After reconnecting with the one-that-got-away—and then losing him in a pandemic—middle-aged Iz struggles to survive in a remote mountain cabin. As loneliness and despair set in, she finds hope in caring for abandoned pets—until a man appears and offers her a one-way trip to the past.With humanity teetering on the edge, she gives up everything in an attempt to alter the dystopian present—and see her missing lover once more.As time runs out, she's whisked into a coffin-like machine set to plunge deep into her past. (A neural net insists she is humankind's best hope. No one knows why.) They neglect to mention the time machine has been activated once before—with deadly results.Miraculously, she awakens on a pristine beach—buck naked and suffering radiation-like side-effects—but 20 years younger! With only hours to live, she must persuade a young man to modify their future relationship and thereby set off a chain of events that will prevent the pandemic.Our young hero falls hard for her (what guy could resist a smart, middle-aged woman in a newly acquired vixen's body?) until she blurts out that she's from the future and here to "fix" him.Turns out, it's not him that needs fixing; it's her—and it's far too late for that.Or is it?Content WarningThis book contains material that may be disturbing to some and, in movie form, would be rated NC-17 for strong language, nudity, sexual situations, and violence. It includes attempted sexual assault, abduction, intense physical danger, miscarriage, confinement, a pandemic, religious fanaticism (Christian), government incompetence bordering on malice, mistreated animals, gun violence, near drowning, and (human) death.Genre WarningCrossing in Time is a smart, character-driven love story told from 3 points of view (in 1st-person, present tense): our plucky heroine's, her steadfast lover's, and a gay British physicist's. At times, the gentle reader must keep track of 3 intertwining storylines. If you prefer your fiction to be light, this is probably not the book for you. (But the audiobook might be. The dual narrators are effing awesome.)Although the book contains a love story, it does not have a Happily Ever After ending and is not a genre romance: There's no alpha male or damsel in distress. If you're inclined to assume smart, head-strong women are annoying—or thoughtful, empathetic men are weak—this is likely not the book for you.Even though the story contains a time machine, no laws of physics are violated. But if you're looking for hard sci-fi that focuses on gadgets and world-building (or you dislike the word breast, for instance), skip this one.This is NOT a YA novel. If you can't imagine being in love with someone you haven't seen in 20 years, pick another book.Also, there's profanity, blaspheme, alcohol consumption, frosted donuts, and a bowling alley (but no smoking—except for the time machine.)Finally, the story jumps between a dystopian action-adventure, a sci-fi techno-thriller, a time travel suspense mystery, and a tumultuous love story. Steer clear if you prefer your fiction fit into neat and tidy genres!This is the 1st book in the Between Two Evils series (5 total), and all will be revealed in the end. I ask for your indulgence as I tell the story in the best way I can. I know how it all ends, and I think you'll like it.If you made it this far, woohoo. I think you might like the book. TLDR: Reader discretion advised.