Muses' Salon

Broken Promise, Broken Heart Aidan Somerville, Duke of Forster, is a rake, a spy, and a soldier, richer than sin and twice as handsome. Now he is also guardian to his deceased best friend's young son. The choice makes perfect sense-except that the child's mother is the lovely Sophia Gardiner, to whom Aidan was engaged before he went off to war. When the news reached him that she had married another, his ship had not yet even left the dock. Sophia does not expect Aidan to understand or forgive her. But she cannot allow him to stay her enemy. She's prepared for coldness, even vengeance-but not for the return of the heedless lust she and Aidan tumbled into ten years ago. She knows the risks of succumbing to this dangerous desire. Still, with Aidan so near, it's impossible not to dream about a second chance…

Heiress On The Run Lady Arabella Lucia Fairborne has no need of a husband. She has a fine inheritance for the taking, a perfectly capable mind, and a resolve as tough as nails. But what she doesn't have is the freedom to defy her cousin's will--and his will is to see her married immediately to the husband of his choosing. So is it any wonder that she dresses herself as a scullery maid and bolts into the night? Colin Somerville's current mission for the home office is going poorly. Who would have expected otherwise for a rakish spy tasked with transporting a baby to the care of the royal palace. But when, injured and out of ideas, Colin stumbles upon a beautiful maid who knows her way around a sickroom, it seems salvation has arrived. Until he realizes that though Lucy may be able to help him survive his expedition, he may not escape this ordeal with his heart intact…

A ZEBRA SHOUT FRESH NEW ROMANCE A DOUBLE LIFE Olivia Walgrave is finished with being a countess. Writing under a pen name, her controversial column for the scandal sheets provides her with some income and far more excitement than managing a country estate. Besides, in the three years since the wars have ended, her dashing husband hasn't spent one night under their roof. So Olivia has prepared a plan, and an annulment. All she needs is his consent… Harrison Walgrave, the Earl of Levesford, let his father coerce him into marriage, but his true devotion is to his Parliamentary career-and his secret work for the Home Office. Yet now, with freedom in his grasp, he finds he cannot so easily release his wife. Seeing her stirs a hunger no other woman has reached. A distraction now, when he is a breath away from revealing a ring of traitors, could be deadly. Still, wherever his investigations lead, the thought of Olivia lingers. It might be obsession. It might be treason. But the only way to escape the temptation is to succumb…

THE MARRIAGE PLOT Ophelia Elliot has delayed marriage long enough. Now, for the sake of her future, she must choose between three impatient suitors. But she's determined to use only the most rational of methods to make her decision. And when her dear friend, Sidney Mason, offers to help, how can the discerning debutante resist? Besides, spending time with him is no hardship-his dashing looks and irresistible laughter have delighted her for years. Not that Sidney is a suitable prospect. As a member of Parliament, he's already married to the state. No matter how chivalrous his attentions, falling in love with him would be most unreasonable . . . The fact is, Sidney finds Ophelia infuriatingly stubborn-and yet there is no other woman for him. Convincing her that she must marry for love-his love-will be a formidable challenge. So he concocts a clever strategy to expose her suitors' true natures-and show the strong-willed beauty that when it comes to marriage, it is imperative that she follow her heart-straight into his strong and loving arms . . .

NEWLYWED CHEER... Nothing is more romantic than being a newlywed during the holidays! And nothing is more festive than making Christmas plans with one's beloved. But as Lady Ophelia is about to discover, even the best laid plans can go awry. And as she knows very well, when it comes to matters of the heart, that is sometimes the greatest gift of all. True love, after all, can be full of surprises...

Lena Frost is a force to be reckoned with. A woman who has made her way in society without family or fortune, she's about to realize her first big success as an artist. . . . Until her business partner makes off with her money, leaving her with little more than her hopes-and a dead body in her studio. Now Lena is at the mercy of a strikingly handsome stranger demanding answers she dare not reveal . . . Is it her seductive eyes, or his suspicion that she's up to no good that have Clive Somerville shadowing Lena's every move? Either way, his secret investigation for the Home Office has him determined to uncover Lena's hidden agenda. But the closer he gets to her, the more he longs to be her protector. Is she a victim of circumstance? Or a dark force in a conspiracy that could destroy everything Clive holds dear? Discovering the truth could have dire consequences, not only for Lena, but for his heart . . .

Lady Emmeline Hartley has overcome every obstacle life has thrown her way. A spinster, disappointed in love, Em is on the brink of a marriage of convenience, when the man who rejected her heart reappears in need of her help. It gives Em a chance to escape, put to use one her most unusual talents-and perhaps convince him once and for all to risk his heart... Adam Montclair--one of the most successful agents at the Home Office--rubs elbows with the highest levels of society. Even so, he wasn't to the manor born. No matter how much he desires Em, as a match he is completely unsuitable. While it pains him to be near her, it's a punishment he richly deserves. Now on a mission to uncover a plot against the government, Adam knows Em's uncanny ability to recall voices will be essential. Yet as the two thwart the dangers in their path, it may become impossible to deny that Em is essential to happiness itself...