You've met the men of the wildly popular Survivors series. Now meet the charming friends and relatives who walk the streets of London with them. Kisses and Scandal features three exciting novellas set in the Survivors' world, including one never-before-published story.
Kisses and Scandal
Lady Philomena is the sister of the Duke of Mayne. She's beautiful and sought-after, but she's made the mistake of falling in love with . . . the footman. James Finnegan loves his lady but has a secret that won't only break Philomena's heart. It just might endanger her life.
Counterfeit Scandal
Now that Bridget Lavery is free from debtor's prison, she wants to reunite with the son she had to give up. Caleb Harris is a man with a price on his head. Before he left for the war, he and Bridget had a passionate affair. Finding her again means everything to him, but loving her might just be too perilous for either of them.
How to Brew a Perfect Kiss
Raeni Sawyer is penniless and alone in a foreign country. When she finds a job at a coffee shop on Bond Street, she hopes it's the beginning of a new life. Thomas Gaines is intrigued by his new server-until she spills coffee all over him. Despite her clumsiness, he sees her potential to be more. But will Raeni's treacherous past ruin their bright future?
Contains mature themes.
Just because they've run away . . .
Ines Neves and Emmeline Wellesley have both run away. Ines hid in a carriage from a tedious suitor, only to find, too late, the carriage had traveled out of London, not just around the block. To make matters worse, the carriage is that of a stranger: a handsome Highlander. Emmeline Wellesley has had four Seasons and cannot tolerate another. To force her mother to listen to her, she's run away. But things haven't gone well. She's been locked in a closet, had all her money stolen, and somehow adopted a dog. When an old family friend shows up to save her, she doesn't exactly welcome his help.
Doesn't mean they don't want to be found.
Duncan Murray doesn't know what to make of the Portuguese-speaking woman in his carriage. She refuses to return to London, so he takes her to meet Nash Pope, a so-called friend who speaks Portuguese. On the way, he meets up with former soldier Stratford Fortescue, and Stratford's opinionated distant cousin, Miss Wellesley. The four travel together to Nash's estate, and that's when everything goes really wrong. On the run to Scotland, Duncan finds himself increasingly attracted to Ines, even though he knows he can never marry her. Stratford has always wanted Emmeline, but his family secret means he doesn't deserve her.
Contains mature themes.
When a master of disguise marries a woman who sees right through him . . .
Lady Daphne, daughter of the Duke of Warcliffe, is one of the Three Suns. Society revolves around her. But there's one person who doesn't seem to know she's alive-her own husband. Lady Daphne was thrilled to marry Colin FitzRoy, the son of her mother's dear friend, seven years before. But then he left for the army and their marriage never really had a chance. Now she's in trouble, and Colin has reentered her life. She's determined to refuse his help, especially after the way he's treated her, but Colin can be persuasive . . . especially when he has her alone.
Baring it all is part of the seduction.
Colin FitzRoy was known as The Pretender during the war. He's an expert in the art of disguise, but even when he takes off the mask, he hides who he really is. Colin pretends he doesn't have feelings, but when he's thrust together with his estranged wife, his buried emotions resurface. Before long Colin is juggling an elderly pug, a wife-hunting Scotsman, and a duplicitous street urchin in an effort to keep Daphne safe. But his greatest challenge is not only to seduce her but to win her heart.
Contains mature themes.
Phineas Duncombe, ninth Duke of Mayne, should not be the duke. After all, he had four-count them-four older brothers! Phin never wanted the dukedom, and the suspicious circumstances of the eighth duke's death lead Phin to question the Countess of Longstowe. The beautiful widow isn't at all what Phin expected. He's intrigued by her and determined to seduce her. The countess is not interested in Phin romantically, but when she comes to him with another request, he can't deny it. A few days in the country with Lady Longstowe reveal two truths to the new duke. One, he cares for the countess much more than any other woman he's ever known. Two, Phin either has very bad luck or someone is trying to kill him.
Annabel was barely eighteen when she was married to the elderly Earl of Longstowe. A harsh, sadistic man, the earl's death was not something Annabel mourned. Now in her mid-forties, Annabel enjoys her widowhood and has no desire to ever be under a man's thumb again. Not even a handsome duke like Mayne, who is far too young for her anyway. Annabel's one desire is to find the daughter who was taken away from her. For that she needs a man with power and status. She needs the Duke of Mayne. When the two are thrust together, Annabel struggles to fight her attraction to the charming Phin.
Contains mature themes.
Dear Friend,
You were right: desperation is a dangerous state of mind. It was desperation that drove me to London to salvage my family's reputation and finances in the first place. And it is desperation-and perhaps a little desire-that has gotten me into the situation I find myself in now.
You see, I've become ensnared in the investigation of a traitor by Lord Dewhurst-the most insufferable, sinfully handsome man I've ever met. I know it is shocking, but in order to catch this spy and clear my name, I've no choice but to play the agent's bride. Now I'm desperate again to avoid his seductive words and searing looks. I pray that I can resist him, but I can make no promises. Oh, my dear friend, I know he and I are merely pretending to be wed, but the blush he can send all the way to my petticoats feels far too real!
Yours truly, Charlotte
Contains mature themes.
Alex Scarston, Earl of Selbourne. Rake. Spy. With his efforts for England in the war against the French suspended, family obligations compel him to investigate the disappearance of Viscount Brigham's son. When the viscount's daughter becomes involved as well, Alex finds himself entangled in a venture that risks both heart and soul.
It's not that Lucia Dashing, youngest daughter of Lord Brigham, wants Alex to go away. She just wishes he wasn't always so close-perhaps a few rooms, or streets, or continents between them would bank the heat of her attraction. But when her brother disappears, she's no choice but to engage the earl in a battle risking her brother, her country, and her love.
Contains mature themes.
What happens when a marriage of convenience isn't so convenient?
Lieutenant Colonel Benedict Draven has retired from the army and spends most of his days either consulting for the Foreign Office or whiling away the hours at his club with his former comrades-in-arms. He rarely thinks about the fiery Portuguese woman he saved from an abusive marriage by wedding her himself. It was supposed to be a marriage in name only, but even five years later and a world away, he can't seem to forget her.
Catarina Neves never forgot what it felt like to be scared, desperate, and subject to the whims of her cruel father. Thanks to a marriage of convenience and her incredible skill as a lacemaker, she's become an independent and wealthy woman. But when she's once again thrust into a dangerous situation, she finds herself in London and knocking on the door of the husband she hasn't seen since those war-torn years in Portugal. Catarina tells Benedict she wants an annulment, but when he argues against it, can she trust him enough to ask for what she really needs?
Contains mature themes.
Honoria Blake knows she must have had a moment of madness when she accepted a summons by the Scarlet Pimpernel to travel to revolutionary Paris and help his League. She's an expert forger and glad her services can be of use, but the violence of the Reign of Terror has her longing for her quiet, unobtrusive life in London. Then a bloody man staggers to the door of the house where she's hiding, claiming he was sent by the Pimpernel. Recently escaped from La Force prison, the former Marquis de Montagne is sinfully handsome and charming. He's also desperate enough to kidnap Honoria. So much for her return to the quiet life.
Laurent is a consummate rake, but even he is captivated by the beautiful Honoria. Laurent cares almost nothing for his own life, but he was always close to the royal family and the little princess was like a sister to him. He will risk everything to save her from a life of imprisonment and possible execution. His plan is risky and surely doomed, but if he can convince Honoria and the League of the Scarlet Pimpernel to help him, it just might succeed. The only question is how far he's willing to go and whether he's willing to risk the life of the only woman he's ever loved to save a doomed princess.
Contains mature themes.
When Tristan Chevalier joined the French revolutionaries to fight for brotherhood, equality, and liberty, he was full of hopes and dreams of what the revolution could accomplish. But after several years of serving as the bloodthirsty Robespierre's second, Tristan is having doubts. When Tristan tries to halt Robespierre's Reign of Terror, he inadvertently steps into a trap laid by the League of the Scarlet Pimpernel and orchestrated by the lovely Alexandra Martin. Tristan is no one's pawn, but he thinks by playing along, he might be able to give his superiors information leading to the capture of the League. He could end the Pimpernel's antics once and for all. There's just one problem-no matter how much Tristan despises Alexandra, he can't quite stop wanting her.
Alexandra Martin is an Englishwoman who's has been playing the part of a French actress for years. It's a clever cover for her real role as a member of the League of the Scarlet Pimpernel. Alex usually works in the background, but when she manages to snare one of the most important men in Robespierre's government, she's risking it all. So begins a harrowing adventure where Alex's most vile enemy must become her most trusted ally.
Contains mature themes.
Two morally compromised souls wage a battle of wits-and seduction-against the backdrop of the French Revolution in this slow-burn romance from bestselling author Shana Galen.
After her late husband leaves her in debt to some dangerous people, Lady Gabrielle McCullough is forced to become a thief. In the intervening years, her skills have not gone unnoticed. After being recruited by the Scarlet Pimpernel, the mysterious do-gooder spiriting aristocrats out of revolutionary France, Gabrielle crosses the Channel for the most daring mission of her life. Accompanying her is the Earl of Sedgwick, a thief in his own right and an enticingly masculine presence. The man is not to be trusted-nor is Gabrielle's body when he's near.
Ramsey Barnes would not say he is an honorable man. His whole life has been based on a lie; why change now? Although it pains him to deceive the tantalizing Gabrielle, he's working toward an altogether different objective: unmasking the Scarlet Pimpernel. If Ramsey fails, his blackmailer will ruin him. But when Ramsey's confronted with the carnage of the Reign of Terror, he seeks refuge in Gabrielle's heated embrace. Now he faces a terrible choice: betray the woman who's stolen his heart-or risk losing everything.
This masked lord . . .
Lord Jasper, younger son of a marquess, suffered horrible burns fighting in the Napoleonic Wars. He wears a mask to hide his face from the stares and screams and finds comfort in the shadows. Jasper is an exceptional bounty hunter, so when a woman summons him to her deathbed and asks him to find her runaway daughter before she passes away, he doesn't refuse. Jasper is close to his quarry when he's knifed by an assailant. Imagine his surprise when he regains consciousness in the arms of the woman he seeks. Except she's not at all what he expected.
. . . Is not the only one with scars.
On a remote cliff on the sea, Olivia Carlisle calls her five-year-old son in from an approaching storm. But the little boy is more interested in the man he's found on the trail to their hidden cottage. Olivia fears men and wants nothing more than to leave the injured man where she found him. But his knife wound is severe, and with the approaching storm, she knows leaving him will condemn him to death. As Jasper begins to heal, Olivia acknowledges her attraction to him, even though such emotions terrify her almost as much as returning to London. Jasper must convince her that her only chance at safety is to challenge the man who pursues her. They must travel into the lion's den-he to face his vulnerability and she to face her worst fears.
Contains mature themes.
Angelette, the recently widowed Comtesse d'Avignon, only invited Viscount Daventry to her country house party as a favor to her sister. When the handsome British lord arrives-two days late-he's full of unnerving tales of unrest and violence in Paris. Angelette assumes it's all exaggeration . . . until her chateau is attacked and her life threatened. Daventry rescues her, and the two are forced to run for their lives. But when danger closes in, will the viscount stand at her side or save himself?
Hugh Daventry visits France frequently to import wine for the family business. On his way out of the country, he stops at the comtesse's house party out of obligation. But after meeting the raven-haired beauty, he tries to persuade her to leave France with him. When the peasants attack, he realizes he's already too late, and now he must protect Angelette, whose sharp tongue is far from angelic. Too soon the couple is caught up in the rising revolution, dodging bloodthirsty mobs, hiding from soldiers, and embroiled in the attack of the Bastille. Hugh wants nothing but to leave tumultuous France for the calm of England. He knows Angelette is intelligent and resourceful-a survivor. But can Hugh survive without her?
Contains mature themes.
