Special Forces agent Carter Rawlings was back — and Dani Marlow's world was spinning in his wake. The local arson attacks for which she was being blamed were only part of the problem. The feelings Carter's reappearance had ignited threatened far more dangerous territory — a past she tried to keep hidden, especially from him. With the trouble on her land and Carter's tantalizing presence, Dani had to think about her future. Did she want to keep avoiding the truth — that she loved Carter and wanted to make a life with him — or could she finally face the stakes head-on, deal with her enemies and seal her heart to that of the only man she's ever loved?
Chloe Taggart has one goal – to leave Rocky Ridge (and the diner she runs with her father) as soon as possible and see the world. She has no desire to be under any man’s thumb when she could be sailing the Pacific or touring ancient Greek ruins. Rancher Austin Hayward is content with his life in Rocky Ridge, but it would be perfect if he could share it with Chloe Taggart as his wife. Unfortunately, even though Austin has loved Chloe for years, she has never looked at him as anything more than a friend. When Chloe’s father loses the diner to Austin in a poker game, Austin makes her a proposition she can’t refuse. But Chloe has a plan of her own – a plan that will give her what she wants in the end. If it works … and if Austin loves her enough to let her go.
Win, lose—or fall in love . . . After losing her mama and all she has, vagabond Patience “Patty” Sweet dreams of reuniting with her father in the New Mexico territory. So she teams up with a no-good gambler whose winnings enable her to get her closer to her destination. Patty hates hanging around saloons and poker parlors, pulling dishonest deeds. But when a game of five-card draw goes wrong in Lubbock, Texas, Patty gets offered up as collateral—to a handsome stranger who’s about to turn the tables . . . Lawyer Grant Kincaid has no intention of claiming his prize—a nearly nineteen-year-old petite beauty with sweet eyes—who has a hold on him he can’t deny. But as he tries to help Patty untangle herself from her shady partner, he discovers she’s not as innocent as she seems. For starters, she’s already stolen his hardened heart . . . “Real chemistry.” —RT Book Reviews on His Make-Believe Bride
Gareth and Brodie Hay have a not-so-shiny reputation in the highlands: brothers born just a twelvemonth apart, they are famous for their carousing in the local tavern: sampling the ale, teasing the wenches, and remaining unbeaten in games of chance. But when their mother Anna Hay becomes seriously ill, their father insists that one of them must take a wife to help run the keep and tend to his precious Anna. Neither wants to give up their free and easy lifestyle—so they decide to let a throw of the dice determine who will be the unfortunate groom. But then, who will he marry? The loser of the bet must choose from three young lasses presented by their eager families: Blair Menzies, Flora Forbes and Ailis Mackenzie. Blair looks singularly unimpressed by both lads, but seems capable of looking after their mother. Flora is a charming flirt that promises any man a lively time—but can she run a keep? And Ailis, with her regal bearing and cool exterior, could handle any crisis…but will she be a willing partner in the marriage bed? The ever-inventive Hay brothers come up with a solution that lands them in more hot water than they ever expected. The lass who is chosen soon lets them know she is not one to meekly accept the role of a passive highlands wife, and leads her new husband a merry dance before summer returns to the Hay Keep!
"A great read! The story moves right along..." Enjoy five fast-paced, engrossing stories about Highlanders and their brides. Book 1 The Highlander's Last-Minute Bride Jane MacKay has little choice: if she does not agree to wed lecherous old Laird Sutherland, her terrified younger sister Heather will be handed over to him in her stead. Jane cannot allow that to happen. With a heavy heart, she journeys to the Sutherland Keep to marry a man whose infamy has spread far and wide—a man who has already buried two wives. Book 2 The Highlander's High-Stakes Bride Gareth and Brodie Hay, brothers born just a twelvemonth apart, are famous for their carousing in the local tavern and love of gambling. When their mother becomes seriously ill, their father insists that one of them must take a wife to help out. Neither wants to give up his free and easy lifestyle—so they decide to let a throw of the dice determine the loser. But the bride is not at all impressed! Book 3 The Highlander's Substitute Bride Crissa and Owena Macleod, auburn-haired identical twins, have always been close. But after a tragedy, Crissa thinks she may never recover from losing both her husband and her darling child. She spends her days quietly in the Maclean Keep—until one day her twin, Owena, comes to her begging for help. Will Crissa take Owena’s place in an arranged marriage, so Owena can marry the one she truly loves? Book 4 The Highlander's Reckless Bride Owena Macleod, daughter of Laird Iain Macleod and twin sister to Crissa, has always yearned for an adventurous life. She falls in love with a brave and dashing King’s Spy, and is distraught when her father arranges her betrothal to Laird Kenrik Maclean. She pleads with her twin Crissa to take her place in the nuptials, and Owena takes her name and slips away… but life will not be kind to her…. Book 5 The Highlander's Rescued Bride Anice Gordon has been a sore trial to her parents from the day she was born. Headstrong, impulsive and forever in trouble, she is a lass who seems to attract disaster. Robert Ogilvy, her brother Donal's best friend, grew up having to rescue Anice from one mishap after another. He is fond of Anice, but when her father announces that the two shall be betrothed, Robert is dismayed.…
Jane MacKay has little choice: if she does not agree to wed lecherous old Laird Sutherland, her terrified younger sister Heather will be handed over to him in her stead. Jane cannot allow that to happen. With a heavy heart, she leaves behind her home (and her dreams) and journeys to the Sutherland Keep to marry a man whose infamy has spread far and wide—a man who has already buried two wives. At the pre-wedding dinner, she realizes that things are even worse than she fears. Her detestable husband-to-be clearly cannot wait to bend his young bride to his will—and his two sons appear to be cut from the same cloth. But fate takes a hand, and while Jane rejoices, her father is aghast when he learns that the new alliance seems doomed. He is not one to give up easily, however, and Jane’s relief turns to grim resignation when she discovers the plan the two families have hatched. It appears she will not so easily escape the Sutherland Keep… and the Sutherland men.
Rhona Maclean dreams of being swept off her feet by a highlands hero: a man who is handsome, strong and brave and loves her more than life itself. Those dreams collapse into ashes when she is stolen from her home one dark night and delivered into the hands of a warrior from a rival clan. Calum Stewart has long planned his revenge on the Macleans for the murder of his beloved sister and his brother, and he cares not for the feelings of one frightened lass. Rhona finds herself in the hands of people who loved Flora and Jaime Stewart—and who hate her with a passion. Warfare breaks out between the Macleans and the Stewarts and other clans take sides, with feelings running high. The King has to intervene, and Rhona becomes a pawn in Highland politics. She is forced to wed Calum Stewart, her cold and vengeful captor. Handsome and strong he might be, but the hero of her dreams he is not. Lonely, heartbroken and baited at every turn by Calum’s bereaved mother Moira, Rhona settles into her new life, bleakly certain that things could not be worse. Her new husband does not mistreat her, but nor does he love her. Her fate seems sealed. But in the Highlands, tempers run hot, passions ignite and Fate has a way of stepping in…
Sex and Punishment tells the story of the struggle throughout millennia to regulate the most powerful engine of human behaviour: sex. From the savage impalement of an Ancient Mesopotamian adulteress to the imprisonment of Oscar Wilde for 'gross indecency' in 1895, Eric Berkowitz evokes the entire sweep of Western sex law. The cast of Sex and Punishment is as varied as the forms taken by human desire itself: royal mistresses, gay charioteers, medieval transvestites, lonely goat-lovers, prostitutes of all stripes and London rent boys. Each of them had forbidden sex, and each was judged – and justice, as Berkowitz shows – rarely had anything to do with it.
Anne Maclean is a highlander’s daughter: born of a proud clan—and, like her aunt and uncle, a brave and loyal spy for the King of Scotland. The Maclean clan has many enemies, but none so vicious and determined to kill them all as Col Pearce, a King’s soldier who saw his career crumble by ill health after being wounded by Mairead Hay, Anne’s cousin. Col has vowed revenge, and does not hesitate when he gets his chance to kill Anne’s partner Hew and take her captive. But while Col Pearce has been following Anne, he himself is under scrutiny for his cruelty not only to Scottish clans but the English as well. The King of England has tasked Wade Harland with finding Col and taking care of the problem… but Wade has also heard whispers of Col’s vendetta against the Hay and Maclean clans. When Wade and his partner Robin find Hew’s body and evidence that he has taken a woman, they set out to find Col and rescue her. For Wade is convinced that the woman is Mairead Hay, a Scottish spy to whom he owes his life. When he finds that the woman is not dark-haired, level-headed Mairead, but a flame-haired Scottish spitfire who hates the English with a passion, he has to work hard to make her trust him. Worse, he knows that Col has vowed to kill them both. Wade and Anne find themselves not only fighting for their lives, but also fighting their feelings for each other… and denying a love that can never be. An English Lion and a Scottish spy… their relationship is surely doomed.
Desperate for a home and family, Beth Widdimore decides to become a mail-order bride a rancher in Montana. When she arrives, she’s devastated to learn that her groom-to-be has been murdered, and that a neighboring rancher has been trying to seize control of the ranch. To fulfil the promise he made to the man he considered a surrogate father, Nate Cadman offers to marry Beth, and with no other choice, she accepts. As the days and weeks go by, Beth’s feelings for Nate grow. She suspects he feels the same way but she doesn't understand why he is resisting his emotions. As the threats increase and the war between the two ranches reaches a climax, they must work together to survive, and to possibly give them a chance at a future together.
