Lady Clara Harkhams wasn't a great beauty, but men clamored for her hand. She practiced the art of flirting with gay abandon, but she'd long ago given her body and soul to Lucien Bryland, the viscount she was promised to at birth. Now, after years abroad, Lucien returned a different man: dark, brooding, his piercing gaze setting her afire. His lips possessed her, his strong arms claimed her even as she refused to marry the stranger he'd become. Lucien knew he could never trust the coquette. But he planned the ultimate revenge--in marriage. Soon, he was sure Clara would be pregnant and tucked away in the country as he returned to London, his mistress, and the ton. So he'd wagered at White's. But the woman he tried to hate obsessed him. He had set out to enslave her, to make her want him as he wanted her. Yet the opposite seemed to be happening. Clara was an opiate and he was completely addicted. He could compel her to marry him--but he would have to win her love once again....
In the New York Times–bestselling author’s tale of romantic suspense, a woman returns home to find her father’s killer and gets caught in a web of deceit. Twenty years ago, Sarah Whitman’s father Frank disappeared from Marmet, Maine, after stealing a fortune from the local bank, leaving his wife and daughter to face the town’s vitriol. Now, Frank Whitman’s body has been found at the bottom of Flagstaff Lake, leading Sarah back home, determined to find the real thief-turned-killer and clear her father’s name. But there are those in Marmet who aren’t keen on Sarah stirring up the past. And what she uncovers will put a target on her back. Her childhood crush, Tony DeMarco, claims to be concerned for her safety. But Sarah isn’t sure she can trust anyone in a place where everyone has something to hide . . . “Sala keeps the tension high and the pace hopping” in this suspenseful romance that reveals the depths to which greed can sink a human soul (Publishers Weekly).
New York Times bestselling author Jodi Thomas takes readers to the Old West, where an emotionally wounded man and woman discover the true nature of love and marriage in the first romance in the Wife Lottery series. Thrown off a wagon train with two other women and trying to avoid jail for a murder they committed, Bailee Moore agrees to enter a “Wife Lottery”—a ploy concocted by the Cedar Point sheriff to secure wives for the men in the small Texas town. For the sensible Bailee, however, marrying Carter McKoy is like exchanging one life sentence for another—especially since her new husband hasn’t even seen fit to utter a single word in her presence. But still, she can’t help thinking that something about this strong, silent farmer could be the key to leaving her troubled past behind...and making a worthy wager with her heart.
From the banks of Texas's Buffalo Bayou to the blue waters of Hawaii, this powerful novel from acclaimed author Anita Bunkley tells the story of one resilient woman's fight to save a family legacy--and create a future for herself and her daughter. . . When tropical storm Allison hits Houston's historic black community, it nearly wipes out Camille and Max Granville's hard-earned home and restaurant, Vendora. But it is just a foreshadowing of the disasters to come. Without flood insurance, the Granvilles' bills pile up, while their savings dwindle. Desperate to save Vendora and pay their daughter Jaiden's college tuition, Max takes a risk that involves turning over control of Vendora to a slick Los Angeles businessman with a shady past. Miraculously, the move pays off. Once again, the Granvilles' future looks bright--until a celebratory cruise turns tragic. When a fire on board separates the couple and takes Max's life, it rests with a grieving Camille to regain Vendora--and deal with a rebellious daughter who blames her for her father's death. Yet just when all seems lost, astonishing information about Max's last act surfaces from the depths of the catastrophe. The details of what happened in Max's final moments could change everything for Camille, for Jaiden, and for Vendora--if Camille can find out exactly what happened and how. But Camille's good fortune may mean someone else's ruin. Someone desperate enough to do anything to stop her from getting to the truth. . . Praise for Anita Bunkley and Mirrored Life "A breakout. . .Anita Bunkley's believable characters and absorbing story will take you through a journey of mistakes and second chances you won't be able to put down." --Tananarive Due "So well crafted are Bunkley's characters. . .that their appeal is universal." --Booklist "Entertaining, fulfilling and a joy to read." –Connie Briscoe Anita R. Bunkley has spent more than a decade writing fiction and nonfiction, while lecturing on topics related to career advancement, personal promotion, attitude adjustment, and making dreams come true. She is the author of eight novels, two novellas, two nonfiction books, and a short story written exclusively for the Internet. She is also an NAACP Image Award (2000) nominee for her contribution to the anthology, Girlfriends.
A Game of Passion . . . Miss Gwendolyn Wells was determined to win the Perfect Husband--and she found him while visiting London with her father. From the moment the spirited young American laid eyes on Jack Sommerton, Earl of Rexley, she knew he was The One--though he had vowed never to wed. So she secretly wagered that the notorious rake would soon be married. To her! But first she had to tempt and infuriate him, to drive the man who was the talk of the London "ton to passionate extremes. Then she said no--and he vowed to have her at any cost. . . . ...Played for Keeps... Her beauty dazzled him. Her bold laughter unnerved him. For the first time in his rakehell life, Jack Sommerton met a woman who touched his very soul. Gwendolyn Wells invaded his dreams, blinded him with her charms, drove him mad with desire, until he finally swept her into his arms. Love had nothing to do with it--until she said she'd settle for nothing less. . . .
A spin on the King Arthur classic of old, Sherrilyn Kenyon returns with her Dark-Hunters: Lords of Avalon: While carousing late one night with his friends, the infamous writer, Sir Thomas Malory runs afoul of Merlin the Magician, and learns the value of keeping secrets when dealing with sorcerers, knights of Arthur, and the Lords of Avalon.
Scandalous Wager is a short, sensual novella of approximately 17,000 words. Set against the backdrop of London's dangerous East End in 1888, Victorian propriety and passions collide when a spinster strikes a scandalous bargain with a detective caught up in the investigation of the Ripper mystery. Elizabeth Ainsworth has decided she will never marry. Years spent on the shelf have taught her plain looks and a distinct lack of ladylike talents won't win a proposal from any of the eligible young constables or inspectors her Detective Chief Inspector father invites to their home. Most of them are too busy staring at her younger, prettier sister anyway. And Lizzy is content to be a spinster, especially if it means she can continue with her charity work in Whitechapel. But she has one lingering regret. She wants to experience passion at least once in her life and, most of all, she wants to experience it with Ian Reed. Detective Inspector Ian Reed has aspirations to ascend the ranks of the Metropolitan Police, and he hopes proving himself to his superior, Detective Chief Inspector Ainsworth, will help him get there. A series of brutal murders plaguing Whitechapel have him working long hours, so when Ainsworth's daughter shows up on his doorstep and offers herself to him, he fears he might be dreaming. Fascinated with Lizzy from the moment he meets her, Ian is determined to spend more than one night in her arms, despite what it might cost both of them.
From the New York Times bestselling author of Deacon King Kong and The Good Lord Bird, winner of the National Book Award for Fiction: The modern classic that Oprah.com calls one of the best memoirs of a generation and that launched James McBride's literary career. More than two years on The New York Times bestseller list. As a boy in Brooklyn's Red Hook projects, James McBride knew his mother was different. But when he asked her about it, she'd simply say 'I'm light-skinned.' Later he wondered if he was different too, and asked his mother if he was black or white. 'You're a human being! Educate yourself or you'll be a nobody!' she snapped back. And when James asked about God, she told him 'God is the color of water.' This is the remarkable story of an eccentric and determined woman: a rabbi's daughter, born in Poland and raised in the Deep South who fled to Harlem, married a black preacher, founded a Baptist church and put twelve children through college. A celebration of resilience, faith and forgiveness, The Color of Water is an eloquent exploration of what family really means.
An RT Reviewers' Choice nominee for Best Regency Historical Romance Celebrate the 80th birthday of Regency Romance with great books from Sourcebooks Casablanca! The Stakes are High, the Game is Set... Lady Emma Tarrant possesses little but the gambling skills her dead husband taught her, but she's no match for a real gamester... Colin Wareham, Baron St. Mawr, gambles to distract himself from devastating memories. The gaming has long since lost its appeal, until he meets sparkling Lady Emma and finds that Praise for The Marriage Wager: "Exceptional characters and beautifully crafted...a delightful read for Judith McNaught and Mary Balogh fans."—Publishers Weekly "A riveting, emotional romance that will garner a place of prominence on anyone's keeper shelf."—Rendezvous
