Showing results by narrator "Stevie Zimmerman" in All Categories

Miss Melpomene Rand's only refuge from a life of monotony and cruelty is the extensive library left to her by her grandfather. The fantastic notions and romantic heroes contained in those books are the only thing that distracts her from the abuse of her adopted family. But then a mysterious stranger, the Earl of Austell, finds they have a mutual malady of boredom, and he endeavors to rescue them both.

Verbena Barnes and Damon may have lived in the same village, but the lines between their two families are harshly enforced. The Therns own most of the village, while Mr. Barnes is merely a sailor. Once, six years before, Damon's older brother Andrew had dared to marry across those lines - to Verbena's older sister Edeline. The Barnes have since fallen upon hard times. Then Andrew dies, leaving Edeline in a world that no longer has any use for her. Without her husband, she has no one to guarantee her the status she once had.

Oliver York returns from war to find his father dead, his finances in arrears, and himself the new Earl of Carlisle. If he doesn't marry an heiress—and fast!—he and his tenants are going to be pitching tents down by the Thames. He definitely shouldn't be trading kisses with a penniless debutante... no matter how captivating she is!

It's warring nations, dueling philosophies and the battle of the sexes as American-born Miss Liberty Baylis takes on Simon Lansing, Viscount Brodham, in the fight for her friend's happiness. Brodham wants only to retire to the peace and quiet of his country estate, but he'll take on the cheeky American chit if that's what it takes to keep his nephew safe and happy.

When Victoria Barclay, privileged daughter of the Viscount Grantham, has a life-altering experience as a young girl, it sets the course for the rest of her life. She is determined to make a difference in the world, no matter the consequence, and becomes a highwayman - or woman, as it were - robbing the rich and donating her pilfered gains to the poor. Life-long friend and neighbor, Phineas Dartwell, Earl of Leyburn, suspects his dear friend is up to no good. She's become evasive, and even worse, he cares that she's become evasive.

Thomas Barclay has had a rough year, to say the least. After being jilted by the only woman he ever loved, he's sworn off love for good, along with any semblance of respectability, by attempting to drink away his sorrows. However, when his meddling sister sends him off to the country to pull himself together once and for all, he finds himself trapped with the most vexing and obstinate creature he's ever been forced to encounter.

Darcy: A woman as brilliant, beautiful, and witty as Elizabeth Bennet deserves a good match. One better than her silly cousin, or that irredeemable rake, Wickham, who I know to be much different from the image he presents to the world. Can I save her from committing herself to a disastrous marriage? Elizabeth: Considering he finds me merely tolerable, the unpleasant Mr. Darcy is unduly obsessed with the gentlemen who wish to court me. I cannot imagine why Darcy thinks his opinions would sway me, nor can I understand why I cannot stop thinking about the infuriating man.

A new duke moving into their sleepy village doesn't interest Julia, especially when she hears all about his scandalous behavior in London. Rumors of gambling debts, illicit liaisons, and pub brawls surround the far-too-handsome Duke of Weston. And the far-too-handsome duke happens to want to build a mill on her favorite nature spot, meaning Julia's beloved otters will be homeless.

Miss Felicia Easton, holed up happily at Easton Manor, was quite content with her unchaperoned state, thank you very much. The last thing she needed was to be summarily fetched to see her ogre of a guardian, the elderly Duke of Somerset. And so she fled with her childhood friend, Scott - only to run into a highwayman!

Leaving her first love behind was the hardest thing Regine, Duchess of Heartwaite, had ever done. Her marriage of convenience to another man saved her family, even as it laid waste to her heart. That was years ago, however. Now widowed, she’s ready to begin her life anew. But all it takes is one glimpse of her former sweetheart to realize the feelings she buried so long ago are still there, stronger than ever. Unfortunately, his feelings for her are decidedly colder....

Staring down life as an old maid, newly jilted Clare flees to a country home she's inherited from her grandmother. She doesn't count on clashing with her handsome neighbor, whose gentlemanly manners and education are at odds with his workingman image. As their relationship unfolds, however, she discovers the mysterious Meriweather Holcroft is not at all what he appears to be.

Callie Eilbeck has always avoided Marisdun Castle; there's something about the place that has terrified her from even her youngest days. But after a chance encounter with the castle's new owner and falling rather fast for the handsome marquess, Callie vanishes without a trace just like the castle's former mistress. Is one of Bradenham's friends responsible for her disappearance? Or has the castle claimed another victim? And can the marquess find her before it's too late and she's lost forever?

Lady Patience Post is about to lose the one thing she really wants for Christmas - the sweetest kitten in all the world. But unless she can figure out a way to save the little ball of fluff, her brother will toss the cat unceremoniously out into the snow. Luckily, a summons from the Duke of Danby arrives at the perfect time for a feline reprieve. Now if only the little Angora can behave himself in Yorkshire over the holidays so she can devise the perfect plan to keep him.

With a duke and a viscount for brothers-in-law, Emma has found herself subject to increasing attention from the many eligible men of the ton. A new experience for this redheaded, freckled bluestocking, who would rather be doing something else - anything else - than dancing with men who are only interested in her connections. Marriage is not for her. At least it was not. Until a certain Lord Radcliff - and a true rake - decided to accidentally ruin her.

The last thing Daphne Cavanaugh wants to do is marry - well, perhaps not the last thing, but it's certainly not at the top of her list, especially if it's only to get her out of her guardian's hair. Aaron Lentz has faith in marriage - for other people, that is. Having been betrayed and made a fool once before, he has no inclination to walk down the aisle.. But perhaps a sprig of mistletoe, a dash of fate, and a shameless, meddling family (even in the form of an ancient duke), Michaelmas, 1816 might bring about a future they never expected.

Peter Gilbert, Duke of Sudworth, is a good man. He has inherited the title and the debt that his deceased brother and father created, having had to leave the home that he had set up away from his dysfunctional family. Facing bankruptcy, he has determined to keep the family home at whatever cost. Only those closest to him know that it is not for his own benefit. Rosalind, is the eldest daughter of Mr Johnson, a 'cit', a man who has earned his fortune through business. He is determined that his four daughters will marry the highest titles in the country.

After being thrown over for the second time in one season, Mr. Simon Appleton’s interest in courting another young lady is less than his interest in reconciling with his estranged brother. Entering into her third, and dare she hope final season, Miss Henrietta Hughes has a single goal: make it to August without becoming engaged, thus securing her sister’s promise of being allowed to become a spinster. But with the most scandalous woman to ever step foot in London acting as Henrietta’s chaperone and Simon’s undeniable urge to vex her every chance he’s afforded, they both might find themselves with new plans.

Hoping to put the shame of her father’s disgrace behind her, Jessica Brentwood is determined to be the epitome of decorum and propriety her first London Season. All is well until she’s discovered naked in the arms of a notorious rake, Crispin, the wicked Duke of Bainbridge. Though thoroughly compromised - through no fault of her own - Jessica refuses the enigmatic nobleman’s obligatory marriage proposal. She’d rather face certain scorn and ridicule than be forced into a marriage of convenience. Or rather, inconvenience.

One summer night, Sebastian Gentry, Lord Belgrave hauled the wrong young lady to Gretna Green. When her identity is exposed, the only obvious solution is to get an annulment. Only, just like his elopement plans, things didn’t go as planned and while she has reason to believe they are no longer married, he knows better. Wanting to make things right for her, he offers to help her find a husband…

Before there was an Alice, there was a Queen of Hearts. And before there was a Queen of Hearts, there was a girl who lost all heart. This is her story. Katy has spent the first twelve years of her life wishing time away. Until she finds herself sucked in a world completely out of time, a literal wonderland bursting with wild magic, beauty and technicolor dreams come to life. But this land also surges with an undercurrent of poisonous spells, dark forests, and deep evil. A place one could quite literally lose her head. It's a world at once familiar yet radically distinct. Wonderland before Alice first arrived.