Lord Love a Lady

A London deb and a military hero meet at a ball and fall in love. Years later, a chance meeting reveals the truth of the past and yet the impossibility of a future together. Can they surpass love's barriers the second time around? THE DUKE-After managing a dukedom and serving in the House of Lords for nearly a decade, Michael Cortland has finally become betrothed to the perfect lady, Natalie Spencer. While traveling to London for the 1824 parliamentary season, a highway robbery leaves him stranded and mired in mud. All of his strategic plans are called into question when his first love happens along to "rescue" him. THE WIDOW-Widowed after enduring a forced marriage for eight years, Lilly Beauchamp is returning to London to present her stepdaughter to society. Unable to resist, she finds herself aiding the man who betrayed her years ago. As the facts behind their estrangement emerge however, blame shifts and passions are reignited. Amidst political and social intrigue, Lilly discovers her inner strengths while Michael reconciles a gentleman's honor with his heart's desire and his conscience. There is a choice after all, but do they have the strength and courage to choose each other?

It's not fair. Rakes are almost always given the benefit of the doubt, but debutantes who take the slightest misstep get sent to the country, which is where Lady Natalie Spencer is stuck after jilting her betrothed one week before the wedding. Frustrated with her banishment, in spite of trying to be a good girl all the time, she's ready and willing to take a few chances with her reputation. Luckily she has brothers and even luckier, one of them has brought home a friend, known rake and libertine, Garrett Castleton. Recently coming into his title as the new Earl of Hawthorne, Garrett is determined to turn over a new leaf. A break from the ton is exactly what he needs while setting his resolve to give up the roguish lifestyle he had adopted years ago. In other words, he wants to be good and she wants to be bad. Will either of them succeed? Sparks fly as they both war with society's strict standards and their growing attraction to each other. Can love work out a compromise between the two, or will their stubbornness get them into even more trouble?