A deliciously told group biography of the young, rich, American heiresses who married into the impoverished British aristocracy at the turn of the twentieth century – the real women who inspired Downton Abbey Towards the end of the nineteenth century and for the first few years of the twentieth, a strange invasion took place in Britain. The citadel of power, privilege and breeding in which the titled, land-owning governing class had barricaded itself for so long was breached. The incomers were a group of young women who, fifty years earlier, would have been looked on as the alien denizens of another world - the New World, to be precise. From 1874 - the year that Jennie Jerome, the first known 'Dollar Princess', married Randolph Churchill - to 1905, dozens of young American heiresses married into the British peerage, bringing with them all the fabulous wealth, glamour and sophistication of the Gilded Age. Anne de Courcy sets the stories of these young women and their families in the context of their times. Based on extensive first-hand research, drawing on diaries, memoirs and letters, this richly entertaining group biography reveals what they thought of their new lives in England - and what England thought of them.

The hunt is on for the perfect husband . . . Beneath Livy Monteith's icy blonde exterior beats a passionate heart, a heart that will not abide by society's rules. No, Livy will simply not marry the proper young man her parents have chosen for her husband. She'd rather die! But even her friends at Miss Debenham's Finishing School are shocked by the man she desires. Lord Dominic Lacey, the man they call Wicked Nic, is quite handsome, even more notorious, and every bit a scoundrel. Nic thinks he knows all about Livy. She's a proper young lady from an upstanding family, the kind of woman any respectable man would be thrilled to take as his bride—but Nic is not a respectable man. For Livy, even being seen with him would lead to certain scandal. So why is the ravishing innocent doing everything in her power to seduce him? Bedding her would be a delight. But a sinful night with a man like Nic would lead a girl very far astray indeed . . .

The adventurous young women who sailed to India during the Raj in search of husbands. From the late 19th century, when the Raj was at its height, many of Britain's best and brightest young men went out to India to work as administrators, soldiers and businessmen. With the advent of steam travel and the opening of the Suez Canal, countless young women, suffering at the lack of eligible men in Britain, followed in their wake. This amorphous band was composed of daughters returning after their English education, girls invited to stay with married sisters or friends, and yet others whose declared or undeclared goal was simply to find a husband. They were known as the Fishing Fleet, and this book is their story, hitherto untold. For these young women, often away from home for the first time, one thing they could be sure of was a rollicking good time. By the early 20th century, a hectic social scene was in place, with dances, parties, amateur theatricals, picnics, tennis tournaments, cinemas and gymkhanas, with perhaps a tiger shoot and a glittering dinner at a raja's palace thrown in. And, with men outnumbering women by roughly four to one, romances were conducted at alarming speed and marriages were frequent. But after the honeymoon, life often changed dramatically: whisked off to a remote outpost with few other Europeans for company, and where constant vigilance was required to guard against disease, they found it a far cry from the social whirlwind of their first arrival. Anne de Courcy's sparkling narrative is enriched by a wealth of first-hand sources - unpublished memoirs, letters and diaries rescued from attics - which bring this forgotten era vividly to life.

A surrogate mother’s unborn baby may be the key to claiming her inheritance in this classic romance by a USA Today bestseller. Race to the altar—Maxie, Darcy and Polly are The HUSBAND Hunters! The terms of the will: Maxie, Darcy and Polly have each been left a share of their godmother’s estate—if they marry within a year and remain married for six months . . . The hunter: Polly became a surrogate mother to pay for her mother’s life-saving operation. Now she’s discovered her pregnancy was fathered by handsome Venezuelan businessman Raul Zaforteza . . . The husband? Raul will do anything to keep his baby—he’ll even marry Polly. But will she give in to the desire that burns between them to make this marriage more than in name only? Originally published in 1998

You never know where the love of your life might turn up. When Matt Connelly suggests to his best buddy Cody Mook that they head to downtown Seattle to audition for the gay reality TV show Husband Hunters, both agree the experience might be a lark and a chance to grab their fifteen minutes of fame. What they don't know is that the show, modeled after HGTV's House Hunters, will open doors of longing neither expected. For Matt, the secret love he has long harbored for Cody might be thrust into the spotlight. Cody might realize his search for his perfect-forever-man extends no farther than the man who's always been at his side. Husband Hunters promises laughter, tears, and, just maybe, a happy ever after. Will Cody and Matt's story be one of best-friends-to-lovers -- or an outright disaster?

Read this classic romance by USA Today bestselling author Lynne Graham, now available for the first time in e-book! Race to the altar—Maxie, Darcy and Polly are The HUSBAND Hunters! The terms of the will: Maxie, Darcy and Polly have each been left a share of their godmother’s estate—if they marry within a year and remain married for six months… The hunter: Maxie is faced with paying her father’s gambling debts. Her godmother’s bequest could be the answer to her prayers… The husband? Greek tycoon Angelos Petronides has waited three long years to bed Maxie, and mistakenly assumes she will be his the instant he asks… Only, Angelos finds that marriage is the price he must pay to make Maxie his! Originally published in 1998

Advertising for a husband reunites a single mom with a former one-night stand in this classic marriage of convenience romance by a USA Today bestseller. Race to the altar—Maxie, Darcy, and Polly are the Husband Hunters.The terms of their godmother’s will: Maxie, Darcy and Polly have each been left a share of her estate—if they marry within a year and remain married for six months . . . The hunter:Darcy Fielding, a single mom, decides she must ADVERTISE for a husband! But the consequences of one night of unforgettable passion are about to return to haunt her . . . The husband? Gianluca Raffacani has finally traced the mysterious beauty who disappeared from his bed. She is advertising for a husband—his perfect opportunity for revenge . . . Only, Luca finds he’s married the mother of his secret child! Originally published in 1998.