United States

The Story of a Marriage: A Novel

Gone With the Wind

Sometimes only remembered for the epic motion picture and "Frankly ... I don't give a damn," Gone with the Wind was initially a compelling and entertaining novel. It was the sweeping story of tangled passions and the rare courage of a group of people in Atlanta during the time of Civil War that brought those cinematic scenes to life. The reason the movie became so popular was the strength of its characters--Scarlett O'Hara, Rhett Butler, and Ashley Wilkes--all created here by the deft hand of Margaret Mitchell, in this, her first novel.

Devil's Bride (Cynster Novels)

Setting: Regency England
Sensuality: 8

Governess Honoria Wetherby is determined not to marry; she plans to have adventures among the Egyptian pyramids in lieu of wedding a controlling husband. But even the best-laid plans can run afoul of luck and outrageous fortune, as is fatefully proven one stormy evening when Honoria happens upon a dying young man in the woods. After passing the night in a cottage alone with the corpse and his cousin, the rakish and very much alive Devil Cynster, it's decided--by the handsome rake--that Honoria has been compromised by the unchaperoned evening and the only remedy is to marry. Despite her flat refusal, Devil is determined to have the beautiful and feisty governess; his family is overjoyed that he's finally planning to marry. But Devil definitely has his work cut out for him as he attempts to convince Honoria to wed him and forego her plans for adventure. Luring Honoria to the altar is further complicated when she insists upon aiding him in the search for his cousin's killer. Which will Devil accomplish first: seducing Honoria or unveiling a murderer? Or will Honoria foil the first plan and solve the second before Devil can?

Devil's Bride is the first of several novels by Laurens that feature the members of the noble Cynster family in Regency England. The larger-than-life hero is bold, brave, daring, and determined and meets his perfect match in the heroine, who is plucky, intelligent, practical, and wise. Lush sensuality, deft plotting, and charming secondary characters make this novel a stellar beginning for the Bar Cynster series. --Lois Faye Dyer

When Devil, the Duke of St. Ives and the most infamous member of the notorious Cynster family, is caught in a compromising position with plucky governess Honoria Wetherby, he astonishes the ton by proposing marriage. No one ever dreamed this scandalous rogue would ever take a bride!

Honoria, however, isn't about to bend to society's demands and marry a man simply because they've been discovered together unchaperoned. She craves adventure and longs to see the world -- and though she's more than happy to assist him in solving the murder of a young Cynster cousin, once the crime is put to rest she intends to bid Devil farewell forever.

But she understimates the seductive power of this daring, dangerous man and the scalding heat of her own unsated desire. Does she dare let passion carry her into Devil's embrace...and into the most perilous, rapturous adventure of them all?

To Have...When Devil, the most infamous member of the Cynster family, is caught in a compromising position with plucky governess Honoria Wetherby, he astonishes the entire tom by offering his hand in marriage. No one dreamed this scandalous rake would ever take a bride. And as society mamas swooned at the loss of England's most eligible bachelor, Devil's infamous Cynster cousins began to place wagers on the wedding date....And To Hold..But Honoria wasn't about to bend society's demands and marry a man just because they'd been found together virtually unchaperoned. No, she craved adventure, and while solving the murder of a young Cynster cousin fit he ill for a while, she decided that once the crime was solved she'd go off to see the world. But the scalding heat of her unsated desire for Devil soon had Honoria craving a very different sort of excitement. Could her passion for Devil cause her to embrace the enchanting peril of a lifelong adventure of the heart?

Ashes in the Wind

A woman burdened by war...A doctor torn between passion and duty...A sweeping tale of love in the face of dishonor from the incomparable storyteller--Kathleen Woodiwiss.

Alaina MacGaren is forced to flee the devastation of her homeland in the guise of a young boy, only to find sanctuary in the arms of an enemy. Cole Latimer is a dashing Yankee surgeon who has served the Union faithfully, and his tender heart compels him to help a ragged, innocent "lad" in need--never suspecting the rags conceal a bewitching belle suspected of being a rebel spy.

But Alaina's masquerade does not fool Cole for long. And the strength, courage, and breathtaking sensuality of this woman whom it would be treasonous to love sets duty and desire at war within him. Yet Destiny has joined them for good or ill--and they both must follow where their hearts would lead them, if they are to build a glorious new life together out of the ashes of the old.

Alaina MacGaren, forced to flee her devastated Southern homeland in the guise of a young boy, finds sanctuary with Yankee surgeon Cole Latimer. But when the bewitching belle is unmasked, Cole must choose between duty and desire. A woman burdened by war...A doctor torn between passion and duty...A sweeping tale of love in the face of dishonor from the incomparable storyteller--Kathleen Woodiwiss. Alaina MacGaren is forced to flee the devastation of her homeland in the guise of a young boy, only to find sanctuary in the arms of an enemy. Cole Latimer is a dashing Yankee surgeon who has served the Union faithfully, and his tender heart compels him to help a ragged, innocent "lad" in need--never suspecting the rags conceal a bewitching belle suspected of being a rebel spy. But Alaina's masquerade does not fool Cole for long. And the strength, courage, and breathtaking sensuality of this woman whom it would be treasonous to love sets duty and desire at war within him. Yet Destiny has joined them for good or ill--and they both must follow where their hearts would lead them, if they are to build a glorious new life together out of the ashes of the old.

Sunset Embrace (Coleman Family Saga)

Only His

Escaping the ravages of the Civil War, a gently reared lady must leave behind everything she knows -- and trust her life and her future to a dangerous gunfighter with a passion for vengeance.

A team of prize Arabian horses is all that Willow Moran has left—and Caleb Black is the only man who can help her reach her brother in the Colorado Rockies. But she fears this stranger who burns to avenge the wrongs of treacherous men. For Caleb is as wild and unpredictable as the uncivilized land he loves. Yet, though she challenges him at every turn, the spirited southern lady knows this proud, enigmatic loner is her destiny. And no matter what peril awaits, they must face it together—for Willow has become a fever in Caleb's blood . . . awakening a need so fierce that he would defeat the devil himself to possess her.

Willow Moran must rely on gunfighter Caleb Black to lead her from her Civil War-ravaged home to her brother's refuge in the Colorado Rockies. In the course of their journey, this spirited Southern lady will become a fever in Caleb's blood - and Willow must also acknowledge that this wild man is her destiny. Read all of Elizabeth Lowell's historical novels of the American West: Only His; Only Mine; Only You; Only Love.

Savage Thunder

Newly widowed after a shockingly brief marriage to an elderly British lord, Jocelyn Fleming still aches with the pain of unexplored desire. And now her restless heart is leading her far from the protective bosom of polite London society to the perilous beauty of the American West . . .and to Colt Thunder.

Breathlessly exciting but dangerously unpredictable, Colt is a loner whose Cheyenne blood burns hotter than the blistering Arizona sun. Jocelyn's wealth and title mean nothing to this strange whose passion rules his actions and his heart. But neither the wild desert stallion nor the untouched English rose can deny their irresistible attraction. . .or prevent the firestorm of emotion that erupts when their vastly different worlds collide.

The Distant Beacon (Song of Acadia #4)

"Anne's sorrow over her husband's death has been eased by the unexpected discovery of his heritage in the Harrow family and by her marriage to a brilliant young theologian. But Nicole is as restless as ever and has decided to retutn to North America. Should she go to the Acadian family of her childhood in Louisiana's bayous? Or should she settle in Nova Scotia near her birth parents? The American colonies are in revolt against England, and Uncle Charles asks her to go to Massachusetts to oversee his extensive landholdings. The attentions of the ship's captain during the crossing touch a yearning deep within her, but she also realizes all her loyalties are about to be tested. Is she French? Is she English? Is she a supporter of the American cause? Nicole's unique legacy will allow her to play an extraordinary role in the unfolding historic events, but will she be able to find a home for her heart?"

A Passion Redeemed (The Daughters of Boston, Book 2)

Graced with physical beauty, though shallow of heart, Charity O'Connor is a woman who knows what she wants. She sets her sights on the cantankerous Mitch Dennehy, editor at the Irish Times, who has unwittingly stolen her heart. And although the sparks are there, Mitch refuses to fan the coals of a potential relationship with his ex-fiancée's sister. But Charity has a plan to turn up the heat and she always gets what she wants--one way or another. Is revenge so sweet after all? Or will Charity get burned? Full of intense passion, betrayal, and forgiveness, A Passion Redeemed will delight Lessman's fans and draw new ones.

One Wore Blue