All Arranged

Mother of three adult children, and Regency romance author, Louise Brooker (AKA Luella Linley) should feel satisfied that she has been instrumental in getting her two daughters happily settled. Her meddling was successful but came at a price, and husband, Russell, has advised she leave the children to their own devices.

But her eldest, Pete, is thirty-five, living back at home and discouraged. His fiancée left him days before the planned wedding and six months on, Pete still hasn''t recovered. Louise might be biased, but her responsible, hard-working and handsome son would make a good husband and father-but he''s given up after three failed relationships. He is a good catch, but unlikely to be fooled by his mother''s scheming and meddling as she did with his sisters.

This situation calls for something special. A direct approach. Just like in her novels. Let the parents do the arranging and sort out the wheat from the chaff. This method will take any risk of rejection out of the equation, and let''s face it, a mother can tell what''s needed for a successful long-term relationship.

Carrie Davis dedicated herself to her career long ago. Her one and only serious relationship was a disaster, put down mainly to her youthful naivety at the time. Up until the birth of her niece, Carrie had not considered she might even like a relationship, but now thoughts of loneliness are stalking her. Carrie''s sister, Ellen, knows and when she sees an odd advert in the classified ads she begins to wonder if this is a prank or an opportunity sent from heaven. "Wanted. For a social experiment. A family arranged marriage."