I have a varied group of authors this month. The first book is on pre-order with such a gorgeous, colorful cover. Cecilia is a new-to-me author whom I hope you’ll enjoy. I have some old friends, and a boxed set. And my very last guest offers something a little different. Amy writes cozy mystery romance, and I thought you might be interested in her intriguing book.
Forever Her Bachelor by Cecilia Rene
Once they were friends.
Then they were more.
Now they are nothing.
Chauncey Bennett, The Duke of St. Clara, has known friendship and love only once until it slipped away. Now, in desperate need of a wife to gain his inheritance in order to pay his gambling debt, St. Clara turns to the only person he ever cared for. Miss Pippa Price. Will St. Clara allow the sins of the past to consume his present or will he fight for the woman he’s always loved?
Pippa Price has lost several things in her twenty-six years: her parents, her home, and the only man she ever trusted with her heart. Willing to sacrifice her freedom to save her aunt from ruin, she agrees to marry a man twice her age. But when her fiancé’s cruelty becomes unbearable, Pippa has nowhere to turn except into the arms of the man who shattered her heart nine years earlier: the Duke of St. Clara.
As their past collides with their present, St. Clara and Pippa must confront lies orchestrated by others or risk being torn apart again. Will they allow the past to dictate their future, or will they conquer it, together?
Lord Ashley’s Beautiful Alibi by Cerise DeLand
He pretended he was her lover. She became his alibi…and his only love.
Augustine Bolton lives amid the social whirl and treachery of the stylish court of Josephine and Napoleon Bonaparte. When Gus’s dearest friend, Amber, disappears, Gus must find her before the deputy chief of police finds Amber and carts her off to his bed—or to la Force.
But Gus’s means are few and her own duties as an agent in Amber’s network mean she is also suspect. Gus needs help.
Kane Whittington is just the man for the job.
He has worked for London merchant-cum-spymaster Scarlett Hawthorne for years and welcomes Scarlett’s call to build a large espionage network in Europe. His first task is to find the missing head of Scarlett’s espionage network.
The best person to help him is the lady’s best friend whom he’s never met. But when he sets eyes on ravishing Augustine Bolton in Josephine’s salon, Kane recognizes the black-haired beauty as the one he kissed years ago on the road to Malmaison during a botched abduction of Bonaparte.
Kane must persuade the beautiful Gus to allow him to help her. He suggests the cover for their escapade is simple: They show the gossipy Parisian court they enjoy a mad love affair. Thus, Gus gains an ally—and Kane acquires an alibi.
But Gus’s ally is a darling man whose kindness thrills her. His alibi is a brave, beautiful woman he cannot give up. Can they find a way to fulfill their missions—and join together to claim their love for a lifetime?
Once Upon a Winter’s Tale by Anna St. Claire
Can an unexpected encounter lead to love at first sight?
He wasn’t looking for a bride…
Albert Stanton, the new Duke of Kendall, is on a mission to assess each of his late father’s properties. Drawing closer to his family’s estate, he hears what sounds like a wild dog attack and speeds ahead to help. Before he can lend assistance, gunfire startles his mount, and his horse throws him. Landing in a large mud puddle, Albert finds himself looking into the surprised eyes of the most breathtaking beauty he has ever beheld and a snarling bullmastiff—the largest dog he has ever encountered.
She wasn’t looking for a hero…
Miss Brianna Thomas is sure of two things: her pet mastiff, Nero, can handle almost any altercation, and she does not need to be rescued by any man— even if he is tall, fair-haired, handsome, and with the most mesmerizing green eyes she has ever gazed into.
Stranger things have happened than two people from different backgrounds falling in love. But dark and deadly secrets begin to surface that could threaten Albert and Brianna’s chance at happiness, and they risk everything to uncover the truth.
Note: This story was first published as part of the Anthology set titled A Duke in Winter in December 2022.
The Scottish Duke by Jessica Clements
A Duke, A Musician, and A Mystery. Will they catch the killer before he kills again?
The Duke
Ioan Drummond, the Duke of Rathdrum, is on a mission—finding the person who killed his father and brothers. The trail leads him to London where he meets the enigmatic spymaster known as Tarleton. With the spymaster’s help, Ioan searches for clues pertaining to the possible assassination of his family.
The Musician
Lady Matilda Welsh, the goddaughter and niece of Lord Tarleton, is a brilliant code breaker—making up her own code in the music that she writes. Her intuition leads her to the door of the duke next door—by way of secret passageways in her home. After being found in a compromising position with the duke, ending with an impromptu wedding in her front hall.
Of Valor and Honor
With the help of his friends and Matilda, Ioan starts an investigative branch of Tarleton’s spy network, handling cases within Great Britain. His first case? Searching for his family’s killer. Why? His father and brothers were agents for Tarleton and had found a link to a rival spy ring known only as The Shadows.
Good versus Evil
Ioan and Matilda work together to find the killer, not realizing the killer is watching their every move—planning revenge upon the Valor and Honor Investigators.
Will they find him in time? Will they believe in each other as all they hold dear threatens to fall around them? Or will the Shadow agent kill yet again?
Note: This series is part of Dragonblade’s Flame line, so this is a scorching-hot read with open-door steam.
The Remingtons of the Regency by Ellie St. Clair
The Mystery of the Debonair Duke
There was one man Lady Emma vowed she would never marry. The rakish Duke of Warwick — brother to her very best friend. But one chance encounter on a balcony has Lady Emma questioning all she ever believed about the duke.
The Secret of the Dashing Detective
Lady Juliana knows she is in danger. But does she really need a bodyguard? How is she supposed to work for her secret society when she is being followed around by a dashing detective?
The Clue of the Brilliant Bastard
She wakes up in the arms of the one man she can never have…but is helpless to resist. Can their forbidden love survive all that threatens them?
The Quest of the Reclusive Rogue
Caught in a compromising position with the very man she suspects of threatening her family, will she risk scandal or agree to an arranged marriage with a monster?
Pineapple Wedding by Amy Vansant
USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Amy Vansant tries to marry off her detectives in this latest installment of the fun, thrilling, twisty Pineapple Port Mysteries!
A goat invasion at a local wedding venue pushes the owner to call on Charlotte and Declan of the Charlock Holmes detective agency for help. Short on funds, the new client offers to trade them a free wedding, pushing the detectives to search for other businesses willing to exchange mystery solving for wedding services. When someone murders a local celebrity chef, and his partner turns up as the suspected killer, they might have a caterer…
Charlotte and Declan aren’t the only ones working on their wedding. Mariska and Darla are determined to get Charlotte the perfect wedding gown, but that turns out to be more complicated than expected. Declan’s Uncle Seamus and his mysterious father want to help, too—but nothing is easy in Pineapple Port!
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