A widow. A younger Man.And a midnight visit to the wrong bedchamber. THE LADYLady Asherton is proper, lovely and... lost; Widowed and thirty-- her engagement to an older gentleman may be her last chance to become a mother. THE RAKEThe Marquess of Rockingham is gorgeous, exciting and loyal to his family. He's never met a woman he can't have and the world is at his feet. He is young-- too young.She's engaged-- to his uncle. Two unlikely lovers are faced with a choice. Will they risk everything and embrace the passion of a lifetime or give in to society's dictates and forever endure the ashes of regret?

A woman holds the key to one man’s destiny in this classic Regency romance from the legendary New York Times bestselling author. Disinherited and disgraced, Reginald Davenport’s prospects cried for a dire end. But fate has given him one last chance at redemption—by taking his rightful place as the heir of Strickland, his lost ancestral estate. Davenport knows his way around women, yet nothing prepares him for his shocking encounter with Lady Alys Weston. Masquerading as a man in order to obtain a position as estate manager of Strickland, Alys fled a world filled with mistrust and betrayal. She was finished with men—until Strickland’s restored owner awakens a passion she thought she would never feel. A passion that will doom or save them both . . . if only they can overcome their pasts . . . Praise for Mary Jo Putney “Putney’s endearing characters and warm-hearted stories never fail to inspire and delight.” —Sabrina Jeffries “A complex maze of a story twisted with passion, violence, and redemption. Miss Putney just gets better and better.” —Nora Roberts “A gifted writer with an intuitive understanding of what makes romance work.” —Amanda Quick “No one writes historical romance better.” —Cathy Maxwell “Dynamite!” —Laura Kinsale

The marriage game is afoot in this clever blend of My Fair Lady meets Pride and Prejudice with a twist! Edward Stanhope, the icy Duke of Thornfield, likes his life in a certain order. Give him a strong drink, a good book, and his dog for company, and he’s content. But when he goes to his library and finds a woman sitting in his chair and petting his dog, a fiery battle of wits ensues—leading to a steamy kiss that could ruin them both if they were caught. Of course, that’s precisely when Edward’s aunt walks in, and introduces Miss Georgiana Bly...the future Duchess of Thornfield. Georgiana was content to be a spinster, spending her days reading and working to keep her family out of debt. But now her days are spent locked away with a growly duke and learning how to be the perfect duchess, and her nights are spent fighting the undeniable attraction to a man who was never meant for her. As their wedding day approaches, the attraction between them burns hot and fierce, but is it enough to melt the duke’s chilly facade? Each book in the Never a Wallflower series is STANDALONE: * The Spinster and the Rake * Much Ado About Dukes * The Duke's Secret Cinderella

DISHONORABLE INTENTIONS ON HIS MIND! Beatrice Dewey keeps falling for unsuitable men. She believes the man she loved, Hugh Kendrick, is lost to her forever, and now her new fiancé has canceled their wedding! But then Hugh reenters her life trailing rumors of illicit love affairs in his wake. Instead of marriage, he offers her a very public, passionate kiss! To succumb to his skillful seduction would be the ultimate road to ruin, but is there enough of the old Hugh left to convince Bea to give him another chance? "The sexual tension between the hero and heroine is palpable." —RT Book Reviews on The Wanton Bride

Lady Sophronia Sorrow considers herself an unlikely heroine. Why, just her name alone proves this. Sophronia Sorrow sounds like a girl from a gothic penny novel-the foolish miss who falls prey to a rake and becomes an object lesson for the true heroine to avoid. No, despite her mawkish name, Sophie refuses to spend her life invisible and unwanted, relegated to the margin of the text. Despite her eccentric, bluestocking ways, there must be a place where she is wanted. If only she could uncover the identity of her natural father, perhaps she would belong there?But one thing Sophie knows for sure-unlike that foolhardy miss in a novel, she will not succumb to a rake. No matter how thoroughly the rakish Lord Rafe Gilbert may tempt her.Lord Rafe Gilbert longs for freedom-freedom from his controlling father, freedom to live his life as he chooses. He knows playing the rake keeps his autocratic father in check, but Rafe longs to determine his own destiny. Case in point, he fell in love with Lady Sophie years ago, but his father's threats and his mother's health prevent him from pursuing Lady Sophie in earnest. So when Fate thrusts Sophie into his path, Rafe knows he must turn her away and distance himself. But doing the right thing has never been so impossibly difficult.Sophie and Rafe soon find themselves on a journey together from London to a castle in the Scottish Highlands. Along the way, can two kindred souls heal from past hurts and seize a second chance to write a love story of their own?

A duchess determined to love... Evie Montgomery, the Duchess of Somerset, has promised her grandfather she will marry for love, and she is determined to keep said promise. Only the man she loves is the most notorious rake in the country. And he hasn't spared her a glance in the seven years since she's known him. Winning his hand in marriage isn't hard, winning his heart, however, is another matter entirely. The rake she cannot forget... The last thing Gabriel, the Viscount St. Clare, wants in this life is marriage. However, when Evie appears on his doorstep, she proposes a bargain, he can't refuse. Marrying the duchess to gain her fortune is tempting, but not as tempting as the duchess herself. When the past comes a knocking, they realize that to keep love in their lives, they have to give up much more than either of them has bargained for.

Love at first sight can sweep you away into a ... She lost her heart to him the first time they met. He kept falling harder for her whenever their paths crossed. After her uncle secures her engagement to another gentleman, can they find their way back to one another? Gemma Holbrooke had waited anxiously to enjoy a Season in London and to fall magically in love. When her uncle granted her wish, she dreamed of the beautiful gowns she would wear, the dances around the ballroom floors, and of all the handsome gentlemen who would court her. Before they traveled to London, her uncle hosted a house party, and one guest in particular changed her every aspiration. A handsome lord who avoided her at all costs. His bold stare tempted Gemma to discover the depth of their burning attraction. When her uncle forbade any contact with her true love, Gemma defied the strictures of society. At every opportunity she risked her reputation to be held in in his arms, but too many obstacles stood in their way of happiness. Can Gemma outwit her uncle to secure the groom of her choice? Barrett Ralston scoffed whenever he heard anyone mention they fell in love at first sight. Such an act never existed. That was until he caught sight of Gemma Holbrooke. A siren disguised as an innocent debutante who lured him closer with every smile. Then everything he ever believed in changed in the blink of a kiss that knocked him to his knees. When her uncle issued a demand to stay clear from his niece, Barrett decided to tempt the beauty into a scandalous affair. At every secret rendezvous, their soft kisses and gentle caresses heated into a passion out of their control. But when Barrett's secret assignment to recover a stolen coin crossed over into their love affair, it broke their fragile connection. Can Barrett stop the threat from destroying Gemma's love for him? Soul mates meeting for the first time. A temptation that cannot be denied. A love like no other. Will Gemma and Barrett allow others to control their destiny? Or will they defy all the odds against them? How the Rake Tempted the Lady is the third book in Laura A. Barnes's Matchmaking Madness Series. If you enjoy reading love at first sight romances filled with steamy scenes, then you'll love Gemma & Barrett's romantic story full of temptation. Treat yourself to How the Rake Tempted the Lady today!