"People must have something to talk about… And I do make for a good tale." After escaping an unhappy marriage, Lady Riverton enjoys her notoriety among the ton…even if her reputation isn't deserved. But when she's caught in a most compromising position with Andrew Robson, for the first time the truth is even more scandalous than the rumors! And yet, in Andrew's arms, Beatrice finds she's no longer defined by her reputation and is free to be the woman she truly is. Is it time for Beatrice to trust in Andrew and end her reign of scandal once and for all?
“Julie Anne Long reinvents the historical romance for modern readers, delivering intense, passionate characters and high adventure. Her writing glows.” —Amanda Quick “You will LOVE the Pennyroyal Green series.” —Julia Quinn A notorious lady learns just how wicked a good man can be in the latest installment of RITA Award nominee Julie Anne Long’s emotionally charged Pennyroyal Green series. A Notorious Countess Confesses is absolutely unputdownable historical romance for fans of Karen Hawkins and Sabrina Jeffries; another gem in the bestselling series set in Regency England and centered on a long-standing feud between members of two wealthy Sussex families, the Eversea and Redmond clans. The breathtaking romantic adventures of a former courtesan-turned-noblewoman, A Notorious Countess Confesses stokes the Pennyroyal fires hotter than ever before, providing readers with all the passion, scandal, and true love they could possibly hope for.
"People must have something to talk about... And I do make for a good tale." After escaping an unhappy marriage, Lady Riverton enjoys her notoriety among the ton...even if her reputation isn't deserved. But when she's caught in a most compromising position with Andrew Robson, for the first time the truth is even more scandalous than the rumors! And yet, in Andrew's arms, Beatrice finds she's no longer defined by her reputation and is free to be the woman she truly is. Is it time for Beatrice to trust in Andrew and end her reign of scandal once and for all?
A Parliamentarian described his feelings towards Charlotte de La Trémoïlle when he wrote in the journal the Parliamentary Scout “three women ruined the Kingdom Eve, The Queen and the Countess of Derby”. This historical biography uses the letters found in the Chateau at Thouars and preserved in the French National Archive in Paris to piece together an account of her ideas and actions. Eyewitness writings are used to describe her activities during the siege by Parliamentary forces of the Royalist Lathom House. Following the end of the siege, she was exiled to the Isle of Man. A Huguenot, Charlotte lived at a time of religious and political upheaval in both France and England. She was related by birth and marriage to European royalty and aristocracy. She was the only woman sequestered by the Parliament of Oliver Cromwell and King Charles II promised her the position of Governess to his children.
A “brilliant” novel of Elizabeth Bathory, the notorious sixteenth-century Hungarian aristocrat who bathed in the blood of virgins (St. Petersburg Times). Turmoil reigns in post-Soviet Hungary when journalist Drake Bathory-Kereshtur returns from America to grapple with his family history. He’s haunted by the legacy of his ancestor, the notorious sixteenth-century Countess Elizabeth Bathory, who is said to have murdered more than 650 young virgins and bathed in their blood to preserve her youth. Interweaving past and present, The Blood Countess tells the stories of Elizabeth’s debauched and murderous reign and Drake’s fascination with the eternal clashes of faith and power, violence and beauty. Codrescu traces the captivating origins of the countess’s obsessions in tandem with the emerging political fervor of the reporter, building the narratives into an unforgettable, bloody crescendo. Taut and intense, The Blood Countess is a riveting novel that deftly straddles the genres of historical fiction, thriller, horror, and family drama.
New York Times bestselling author Karen Hawkins sets Scottish hearts afire in this delightfully witty and sexy Regency romance, the first in her Duchess Diaries series. Urged by her favorite nephew, the intimidating Duchess of Roxburghe agrees to transform a thorny Scottish rose into a lovely bloom. But even she isn’t prepared for fiery Rose Balfour. At seventeen, Rose fell wildly in love with Lord Alton Sinclair, known as Lord Sin for his wicked ways. Stung by his indifference, the starry-eyed girl tried to win an illicit kiss, but then panicked and pushed the notorious rakehell into a fountain. Leaving Lord Sin floating among the lily pads to the mocking laughter of his peers, Rose escaped back to the obscurity of the Scottish countryside. Six years later, Sin convinces his aunt, the Duchess of Roxburghe, to invite Rose to her annual house party, where he plans to get revenge by making Rose the laughingstock of polite society. To his astonishment, he finds she has become an alluring woman who threatens to turn the tables on his nefarious plans. Thus Sin and Rose begin an epic battle of the sexes that becomes more passionate at every turn. Eventually, one will have to surrender…but to vengeance? Or to love’s deepest passion?
After leaving the army and falling out with his family, the Honorable Catesby Burgoyne is drowning his sorrows when he comes across a woman being attacked by thugs. A fight is just what he needs, but little does he realize the lady he rescues will change his life. For Prudence Youlgrave is not just the victim of ruffians. Her life has been made a shambles by her selfish brother and brutish fiancé. But she has a bold and courageous spirit Catesby can’t resist, and before he knows it, he finds he has rescued her again by marrying her himself. A reckless adventurer may be forgiven for such an impulse. But when Catesby’s older brother suddenly dies, he finds himself Earl of Malzard, and Prudence is suddenly a most unlikely countess. Neither she nor Catesby are prepared to face the shock of his family. Still almost strangers, they have no one to turn to but each other, and it is in each other’s arms that they find a love neither ever expected. "Another jewel in Beverley’s heavily decorated crown."—The Romance Reader "A delightful blend of wit, intrigue, and emotional victories."—The State (Columbia, SC)
'A scintillating story superbly told... [Ostler] packs every paragraph with eye-opening detail' The Times 'A rollicking read... [Ostler] tells Elizabeth's story with admirable style and gusto' Sunday Times 'Terrifically entertaining: if you liked Bridgerton, you’ll love this...and her research is impeccable' Evening Standard 'Fascinating. Magnificent. Sensitively told' Hallie Rubenhold, author of The Five 'Catherine Ostler’s superb, gripping, decadent biography brings an extraordinary woman and a whole world blazingly to life' Simon Sebag Montefiore When the glamorous Elizabeth Chudleigh, Duchess of Kingston, Countess of Bristol, went on trial at Westminster Hall for bigamy in April 1776, the story drew more attention in society than the American War of Independence. A clandestine, candlelit wedding to the young heir to an earldom, a second marriage to a Duke, a lust for diamonds and an electrifying appearance at a masquerade ball in a diaphanous dress: no wonder the trial was a sensation. However, Elizabeth refused to submit to public humiliation and retire quietly. Rather than backing gracefully out of the limelight, she embarked on a Grand Tour of Europe, being welcomed by the Pope and Catherine the Great among others. As maid of honour to Augusta, Princess of Wales, Elizabeth led her life in the inner circle of the Hanoverian court and her exploits delighted and scandalised the press and the people. She made headlines, and was a constant feature in penny prints and gossip columns. Writers were intrigued by her. Thackeray drew on Elizabeth as inspiration for his calculating, alluring Becky Sharp. But her behaviour, often depicted as attention-seeking and manipulative, hid a more complex tale – that of Elizabeth’s fight to overcome personal tragedy and loss. Now, in this brilliantly told and evocative biography, Catherine Ostler takes a fresh look at Elizabeth’s story and seeks to understand and reappraise a woman who refused to be defined by society’s expectations of her. A woman who was by turns, brave, loving and generous but also reckless, greedy and insecure; a woman totally unwilling to accept the female status of underdog or to hand over all the power, the glory and the adventures of life to men.
An earl pursues a female bandit and winds up falling for her in this Regency-era romantic suspense. It’s Brandon Wycroft’s duty as the Earl of Stockport to catch the “Cat,” a notorious thief who is stealing from rich local homes to feed the poor. Discovering that the Cat is a woman, he changes his plan of action—to a game of seduction! Mysterious and tempting, she teases him. And, as the net closes around the Cat, Brandon realizes he wants to protect her as well as bed her. But the only way to catch her is to spring the parson’s mousetrap—and make her his countess!
