Stephanie Laurens – författare

Never let it be said that a Cynster male can''t face up to the one unassailable truth: A successful marriage gives life its fullest meaning. To all of English society, Simon Frederick Cynster has a perfect life—one of enormous wealth and impeccable social status. His lean handsomeness turns the heads of naïve debutantes, while his sensual allure ensures he never lacks for more sophisticated partners for a night, or more, of pleasure. Yet despite all of this, Simon knows that there is something—or rather someone—missing in his life.

To achieve true contentment, Simon must find a lady accomplished enough to be his wife, someone who will spend her days as a member of one of England''s most influential families ... and her nights pursuing duties of a more private—and personal—nature.

But Simon knows what to expect if he reveals his intention to choose a bride; nothing could be more tiresome than having every blushing miss on the marriage mart thrust upon him. So he discreetly begins his search at a house party at Glossup Hall . . . and is astonished that the lady who immediately captures his interest is Portia Ashford.

Simon has never considered Portia as a potential wife. He''s known the raven-haired beauty since childhood; she''s willfully independent and has always claimed to be uninterested in marriage. But an unexpectedly heated kiss abruptly alters the rules of their decade-long interaction. Soon they begin to long for the moments they can spend in each other''s arms.

But all is not as it seems at Glossup Hall. As Simon and Portia begin to explore the depths of their mutual passion, a shocking murder is committed ... and it appears that the next victim will be Portia herself. And even more shocking than the fact that a murderer secretly walks among them is the realization that all of Simon''s considerable strength and influence may not be enough to protect Portia—his once and always perfect lover . . .

Simon Frederick Cynster has a perfect life -- one of enormous wealth and impeccable social status. His lean handsomeness turns the heads of naïve debutantes, while his sensual allure ensures he never lacks for more sophisticated partners for a night of pleasure.

However, Simon accepts that he must find a wife to achieve true contentment. Someone who will spend her days as a member of one of England''s most influential families ... and her nights pursuing duties of a more private nature.

So he discreetly begins his search at a house party at Glossup Hall ... and is astonished that the lady who immediately captures his interest in Portia Ashford. Simon has never considered Portia as a potential wife, but a heated kiss abruptly alters the rules of their decade-long interaction. As Simon and Portia begin to explore the depths of their mutual passion a shocking murder is committed, and it appears that the next victim will be Portia herself ...

Read by Katie Carr.

Michael Anstruther-Wetherby is a man destined for power. Except that Michael, for all his political skill and intelligence, lacks the most important element of success: a wife.

So he goes searching for his ideal bride, a gently bred, well-managed young lady. Michael discovers such a paragon, but finds a formidable obstacle in his path, the young lady''s beautiful, strong-minded aunt, Caroline Sutcliffe. Caro has lived through an unhappy political marriage, and wants nothing of the sort for her niece, especially as the young woman has already lost her heart to another.

Caro and the younger woman hatch a plot -- Caro will demonstrate why an inexperienced young lady is not the bride for him. In deflecting Michael''s matrimonial attentions away from her niece, Caro unwittingly focuses them on herself. And then it is Michael''s turn to be persuasive, a task that requires every ounce of his seductive charm.

A series of mysterious and dangerous accidents befall Caro -- it becomes clear that an assailant has stepped in with his or her own idea for Caro''s future -- one that could even involve murder. Before Caro can become Michael''s ideal bride, they must race to uncover the unknown''s identity before all hope of what they long for, and wish for, is destroyed.

Wealthy Cynster connection Penelope Ashford has devoted herself not to making a perfect society match, but to rescuing young orphans from London''s streets. But when her charges start disappearing, she turns to attractive Barnaby Adair for help. A deadly avenger in an elegant guise, Barnaby has solved crimes before, and can go where few others in society can.

Barnaby finds Penelope''s combination of beauty and brains irresistible. Together, they work to unravel the mystery of the missing children, uncovering a trail that leads them to the upper echelons of society. Soon, they face an enemy all too ready to destroy all they hold dear, including their newfound understanding of love . . . and the intrigues of the human heart.

In a moment of recklessness, Gervase Tregarth, 6th Earl of Crowhurst, swears he''ll marry the next eligible lady to cross his path. Cloistered at his ancestral castle in Cornwall, with nary a suitable woman for miles, he never expects he''ll have to fulfill his pledge, at least not until the London Season begins. But then he meets his neighbor, the very appealing Madeline Gascoigne.

Years of secret service to the Crown have taught Gervase the value of always having a loophole—there will be no wedding if he and Madeline are incompatible in any way. So he sets out to prove that they would make a most dreadful match . . . by luring her into his arms and, ultimately, his bed.

From their very first kiss, Gervase discovers that the headstrong and independent Madeline is no meek country miss . . . and that the fire between them will burn long beyond that first seduction.

The men of the Bastion Club are powerful, loyal, and not averse to overcoming danger if they must. Now, after years of loyal service to the Crown, they each -- one by one -- must face that greatest danger of all ...love.

The last of his line, Jack, Baron Warnefleet, has fled London after nearly being compromised into marrying a dreadful female. Turning his back on the entire notion of marriage, he rides home to the estate he has not seen for years, determined to set in motion an alternative course of action.

But then in the lane before his gate, Jack rescues a startlingly beautiful lady from a menacing, unmanageable horse. However, while he begins by taking command, the lady continues by taking it back. Lady Clarice Altwood is no meek and mild miss. She is the very antithesis of thewoolly-headed young ladies Jack has rejected as not for him. Clarice is delectably attractive, beyond eligible, undeniably capable, and completely unforgettable. Why on earth is she rusticating in the country?

That enigma is compounded by mystery, and it''s quickly clear thatClarice is in danger. Jack must use every ounce of his cunning and wit to protect this highly independent and richly passionate woman ... who has so quickly stolen his heart.

The Season has yet to begin, and the second member of the Bastion Club, tall, handsome Anthony Blake, Viscount Torrington, is already a target for every matchmaking mama in London. None of their flighty daughters can fix his interest, but a certain lady does...

Alicia is living a deception. Desperation has caused the determined but penniless lady to boldly launch her ravishing younger sister into the ton and have her make a spectacular match. By masquerading as the widowed "Mrs. Carrington" Alicia can act as the perfect chaperone…but fashionable ladies are not accused of murder...

When Tony Blake discovers Alicia standing over a dead body in his godmother’s garden, every instinct tells him she is innocent. His connections allow him to take control of the investigation, his social prominence provides her public support, but it is more than honor that compels him to protect her and to do everything in his seductive power to make her his.

Michael Anstruther-Wetherby is a rising member of Parliament—a man destined for power. Aristocratic, elegant, and effortlessly charming, he is just arrogant enough to capture the interest of the ladies of the ton. And with his connections to the wealthy and influential Cynster family—his sister is married to Devil Cynster, the Duke of St. Ives—his future appears assured.

Except that Michael lacks the single most important element of success: a wife.

Political pressure sends him searching for his ideal bride, a gently bred, malleable young lady, preferably one with a political background. Michael discovers such a paragon but finds a formidable obstacle in his path—the young lady''s beautiful, strong-minded aunt—Caroline Sutcliffe.

One of London''s foremost diplomatic hostesses, Caro has style and status but, having lived through an unhappy political marriage, wants nothing of the sort for her niece, who has already lost her heart to another.

So Caro and the younger woman hatch a plot—Caro will demonstrate why an inexperienced young lady is not the bride for Michael. She succeeds in convincing him that what he really needs is a lady of experience by his side.

And the perfect candidate is right under his nose—Caro herself. Then it is Michael''s turn to be persuasive, a task that requires every ounce of his seductive charm as he tempts and tantalizes Caro, seeking to convince her that becoming his bride will bring her all her heart desires . . . and more.

But then a series of mysterious, and dangerous, accidents befall Caro—an assailant has stepped in with their own idea for Caro''s future—one that could involve murder. Before Caro can become Michael''s ideal bride, they must race to uncover the unknown''s identity before all hope of what they long for, and wish for, is destroyed.

Tristan Wemyss, Earl of Trentham, never expected he''d need to wed within a year or forfeit his inheritance. But he is not one to bow to the matchmaking mamas of the ton. No, he will marry a lady of his own choosing. And the lady he chooses is the enchanting neighbor living with her family next door. Miss Leonora Carling has beauty, spirit and passion; unfortunately, matrimony is the last thing on her mind . . .

To Leonora, Tristan''s kisses are oh-so-tempting, but once bitten, forever shy, she has determinedly turned her back on marriage. But Tristan is a seasoned campaigner who will not accept defeat. And when a mysterious man attempts to scare Leonora and her family from their home, Tristan realizes he''s been given the perfect excuse to offer his services—as protector, seducer and, ultimately, husband.

The seven members of the Bastion Club have served loyally in the perilous service of the Crown. Now they''ve banded together to support one another through their most dangerous mission of all: getting married.

When Charles St. Austell returns home to claim his title as earl, and to settle quickly on a suitable wife as well, he discovers that experience has made him impatient of the young ladies who vie for his attention—with the exception of Lady Penelope Selborne. Years ago, Charles and Penelope''s youthful ardor was consummated in an unforgettable afternoon. Charles is still haunted by their interlude, but Penny refuses to have anything more to do with him.

If controlling her heart was difficult before, resisting a stronger, battle-hardened Charles is well nigh impossible, yet Penelope has vowed she won''t make the same mistake twice, nor will she marry without love. But when a traitorous intrigue draws them together, then ultimately threatens them both—will Penny discover she has a true protector in Charles, her first and only love, who now vows to make her his own?

What would you do if you were kissed by the most handsome stranger you''d ever seen? And what if that man was a Cynster?

Every girl—even convent-educated ones—dreams of forbidden kisses. So when a man literally falls at Helena''s feet as she''s walking through the courtyard one moonlit Christmas Eve, the pretty, young comtesse d''Lisle knows he''s up to no good. He''s clearly a bit dangerous... and obviously caught in the middle of a clandestine rendezvous. Why else would he have risked his neck and jumped out of a window into the snow?

It''s wrong, it''s outlandish . . . and it''s the most utterly romantic gesture she''s ever seen. So when the good sisters rush up, demanding to know ifshe has seen a man on the grounds, Helena ignores the years of strict upbringing that insist she reveal his presence.

To lie would be a sin, but ''no one can be good all the time.

As a reward for her silence, the stranger takes her in his arms and enticingly, unforgettably kisses her—and then departs, leaving a lingering if unspoken promise of all that might be, should fate decree that they meet again. Although Helena doesn''t know it, her wild Englishman is Sebastian Cynster, Duke of St. Ives, a nobleman who will prove to be her destiny.

Seven years later, Helena has been transformed from a pretty schoolgirl to an aristocratic beauty. Her sparkling wit has made her sought after by London''s hostesses; her considerable dowry has made winning her hand the aim of many a gentleman . . . but she is deadeningly aware of how boring so many ofthese gentlemen are.

Her manipulative guardian has unexpectedly allowed her to find a husband of her own choosing, and she has no intention of marrying any man who tries to tame her. There must be someone perfect for her . . . someone who can live up to the promise ofthat long-ago kiss.

Then, at a ball, fate strikes. Once again, it is the Christmas season, and across the crowded room Helena stands transfixed . . . for there is the man whose kiss she has never forgotten, the man of her memory whom no other has ever been able to supplant. Her wild, mysterious Englishman, Sebastian Cynster, Duke of St. Ives.

One look, and he''s determined to reclaim her . . . .

Three spectacular stories all set on New Year′s Eve. First, Stephanie Laurens enthralls us with a New Year′s scandal, when a rake awakens in the bed of the temptress who seduced him years before. Then, Victoria Alexander enchants with her tale of a love promised, then foiled and then rekindled on another midnight. And Rachel Gibson delights with the reunion of two estranged friends and the passionate sparks that fly when the clock strikes twelve.

Where are all the exciting men in London?

After spending years in the glittering ballrooms of the ton, Amanda Cynster is utterly bored by the current crop of colorless suitors. Determined to take matters into her own hands, one night she shockingly goes where no respectable lady ever should, but where many an intriguing gentleman might be found.

But titillating excitement quickly turns to panic when Amanda discovers she′s quite out of her depth. She looks around for help -- and is unexpectedly rescued by the Earl of Dexter. Lean, sensuous, and mysterious, he has delayed re-entering society, preferring instead a more interesting existence on its fringes.

He′s the epitome of the boldly passionate gentleman Amanda has been searching for, but although his very touch makes it clear he′s willing to educate her in the art of love, Amanda has to wonder if such a masterful, lionized rake can be sufficiently tamed into the ways of marriage.