Showing results by narrator "Sasha Higgins" in All Categories

Edward Stanhope, the icy Duke of Thornfield, likes his life in a certain order. Give him a strong drink, a good book, and his dog for company, and he’s content. But when he goes to his library and finds a woman sitting in his chair, petting his dog, what starts as a request for her to leave turns quickly to a fiery battle of wits, leading to a steamy kiss that could ruin them both if they’re caught. So, of course, damn it all, that’s when Edward’s aunt walks in and, thereafter, announces Miss Georgiana Bly as the future Duchess of Thornfield.

The beloved "sunshine" of the ton, Miss Charlotte Chapman, is trapped in the carriage with an utter madman. There's simply no other explanation for it. Why else would the rough, reclusive Earl of Trevelyan—her deceased brother's most beloved friend—sweep her away during a terrible snowstorm without explanation? All she knows is that his rather boorish behavior somehow involves her pending betrothal . . .

No-nonsense Jane Delaney divides her time between her grandfather's beloved bookstore and writing newspaper columns, determined to overcome a past that's left her with scars on her face and in her heart. But when the store ends up in unexpected financial jeopardy and Jane's secrets are threatened by a mysterious blackmailer, she finds herself in desperate need of money. All seems lost until a temptation like no other presents itself.

Artemis Jones—respectable finishing-school teacher by day and Gothic-romance writer by night—has never lost sight of her real dream: to open her own academic ladies' college. When she’s unexpectedly called upon by a dear friend, a fellow Byronic Book Club member, to navigate her first London Season, she comes at once—who knows, perhaps she can court the interest of a wealthy patron for her school. It’ll all be fine as long as she can avoid her high-handed aunt's schemes to marry her off.

Marianne Carstairs has unexpectedly inherited a fortune from a father she has never known. In the will, her trustee—Marquess Justin Raymond—is tasked with introducing her into respectable society. But as the manager of her family's farm, Marianne is reluctant to leave behind a life of freedom. What's more, she finds Justin high-handed and stubborn. At the insistence of her grandfather, Marianne agrees to stay with Justin and his family at their Somerset estate. As their relationship grows stormy, Justin sees that it might prove impossible to turn his ward into a debutante.

Miss Lucy Bertram is content to spend her days writing scientific articles or curling up with a Gothic romance novel. Indeed, she'd rather stick a hatpin in her eye than attend a ball. But when her father, the eccentric botanist Sir Oswald, insists she accept the suit of a wealthy but stiffer-than-a-poker industrialist to save the family from penury, Lucy decides to act. She's certain her disowned brother, Monty, will take her side. But first she must find him in St. Giles's cutthroat rookeries.

As far as William Easton—the Duke of Blackheath—is concerned, love can go to the devil. Why would a man need passion when he has wealth, a stately home, and work to occupy his mind? But no one warned the duke that a fiery and frustratingly strong-willed activist like Lady Beatrice Haven can also be a stunning dark-haired siren who tempts a man’s mind, body, and soul.

She wanted to write the story of a killer. But some stories can kill you. Journalist Ann Stackhouse is writing a true-crime book about Maxine Adams, the woman accused of five brutal murders before vanishing from the headlines. When Maxine finally agrees to meet, Ann can't believe her luck—this...

Lady Melanie Rutherford has spent the last year avoiding society's harsh glare. After a devastating family tragedy, she's become more comfortable in the shadows than in the spotlight—until a scandal threatens to destroy her family for good. Desperate to protect her loved ones, she makes a shocking proposal to the Duke of Malum: a fake betrothal to quiet the gossips. The Duke of Malum thrives on defying society's expectations. With a mysterious past, a dangerous reputation, and a brothel to his name, he's the last man anyone would expect to play hero.

Dark Magic comes at a cost, but Maeve Sinclair is willing to sacrifice more than just her Magic in exchange for freedom. She is the only witch with the ability to jump through minds. She and her magical world live in hiding on Earth, desperately waiting for the rise of the prophesied Dread Descendant. While praying for this Prince of Darkness to return them to their ancient home realm, the humans wage wars that threaten magic's very existence on Earth. 

Every year, on her birthday, Laura gets a letter from a stranger. That stranger claims to know the whereabouts of her missing friend Bobby, but there's a catch: He'll only tell her what he knows in exchange for something...personal. So begins Laura's sordid relationship with her new pen pal, built on a foundation of quid pro quo. Her quest for closure will push her to bizarre acts of humiliation and harm, yet no matter how hard she tries, she cannot escape her correspondent's demands. The letters keep coming, and as time passes, they have a profound effect on Laura.

Lord Sorin Wincanton fled England's shores to avoid temptation in the form of Lady Eleanor Cramley, but upon his return from fighting Bonaparte, the impetuous young miss he escorted through her first season has grown into a stunning woman who still fires his blood. She sees him as a beloved older brother, and that's the way things need to remain for the sake of her reputation. Even if it means marrying her to another.

Released from the hospital with her memory still blurred, the only survivor of a horrific car crash meets the brother of one of the victims. They soon suspect that someone will do anything to hide the truth of what happened on the road that night—and why. A serial killer calls up a late-night radio DJ with a gruesome request. Ellie and Ash have moved into a beautiful old house—but it has a mysterious past, and their life in the countryside is about to take a dark turn. A woman is haunted by an event in her past—and tormented by a mysterious killer who won’t let her forget it.

Alexander Markby, the sixth Earl of Derby, is her brother's closest friend and is positively rife with roguishness. Too much money, too much time, and much too well-endowed...with good looks (obviously). He's the perfect cover to help Rose infiltrate his world. He has just one rule. In the name of "protecting" her, she must pose as his mistress. The very idea!

Taking shelter from a storm, Rose accidentally strays into a deserted fairy realm and finds herself trapped there with only a mysterious talking beast for company. Although initially reluctant to befriend her strange companion, Rose quickly finds herself growing closer to him. She names him Thorn, and as the castle blossoms into a place of beauty, so too does their friendship. But something else lurks within the walls, a dark force that will stop at nothing to be free once more....

Dressmaker Miss Lily Martin knows too well the sordid dealings of London's corrupt underbelly. She should have known borrowing from one of the city's most reviled moneylenders was risky. Now the loan has come due—and there's nothing standing between Miss Lily and her darling sister's ruin. Until a dashing American with flashing, defiant eyes intervenes.

In March 2011, a major police investigation was opened in the search for missing Swindon local, Sian O'Callaghan. When taxi driver Christopher Halliwell was arrested, Detective Superintendent Stephen Fulcher didn't expect what happened next. After the body of another missing girl, Becky Godden-Edwards, was uncovered, the police had two murders on their hands and one suspect, but how many more unsolved murders could Christopher Halliwell be responsible for? 

The day of 9 Thermidor (July 27, 1794) is universally acknowledged as a major turning-point in the history of the French Revolution. At midnight, Maximilien Robespierre was planning to destroy one of the most dangerous plots that the Revolution had faced. By midnight at the close of the day, his world had been turned upside down. He was an outlaw, on the run, and himself wanted for conspiracy against the Republic. He shot himself shortly afterwards. Half-dead, the guillotine finished him off. The Fall of Robespierre provides an hour-by-hour analysis of these twenty-four hours.

As the newly minted Lady Fairfax, she finds herself exiled to the tranquil but stifling confines of her husband's Derbyshire estate, her only companionship being that of a governess. Yet amidst the isolation, she encounters Mr. Darcy, the formidable Master of Pemberley, whose aloof demeanor belies a heart yearning for connection.

Miss Georgianna Eleanor Heyford may be naught but a gentleman's daughter, but even she's heard the rumors about the Earl of Stannis's exceptional charm and good looks. Surely she can cater his luxurious yacht party without getting swept away. But a terrible misunderstanding leaves Georgianna fired, furious, and with little recompense. Which is precisely when her opportunity for vengeance washes ashore.