Marian is in her mid-thirties, and trying to get over the shock of her eighteen-year-old twins leaving her to live with their father in the USA. As a distraction she takes a job looking after a younger woman, Stella, on a coach tour to Greece. It seems to be the answer to all her worries - financial and otherwise - although there is some mystery surrounding Stella's background. As the tour gets underway, strange things begin happen, including some serious accidents. People become suspicious, and nobody is at all sure whom they can trust. Marion becomes increasingly worried, both for her own sake and for Stella's, and at the same time tries to resist her increasing attraction to a friendly classics professor who is also on the tour. A suspenseful thriller, tense and concise, that builds interesting characters with ease.
When spirited Kate Warrender embarks on a dangerous impersonation she puts her family and home in jeopardy. In this enthralling new regency novel, first published in 1977, Jane Aiken Hodge, master of romance, sets the head-spinning love entanglements against the perils of England on the brink of revolution.
Juana Brett's hapless father has dragged her to England from her beloved home in Portugal. In Portuguese, she is not hindered by the stutter that plagues her when she speaks in English, and she is not at the mercy of her teasing stepsisters and icy stepmother. When Gair Varlow fixed his political machinations on her, he never expected to fall in love with her too. Pulling strings to get her an invitation back to Portugal, he knows he is sending her into danger. For Juana, nothing could be better than going home. But as the threat of invasion by France hangs over her return, she has no idea how completely the political intrigue has taken hold of her Castle home, and soon finds herself amidst terrorists and spies. Juana can trust no one, which is made all the more difficult when she is caught between the persistent courtship of her handsome cousin, and the draw she feels towards Gair Varlow. But all this is dimmed by the mystery and terror of the winding stair... This swift historical romance was first published in 1968.
At the height of the American War of Independence, Hart Purchis, captain of a privateer, marries the rebellious spy Mercy Phillips, rescuing her from the wrath of the British in Savannah. But it is not long before the wide waters of the Atlantic separate the lovers: Hart's ship is captured by the British and Hart himself falls under the spell of his evil cousin Julia in London. Mercy, it seems to him, is lost to him forever. Or is she? Back in Philadelphia Mercy has met a mysterious but charming young Frenchman and is now laying her own plans...
When Caterina Gomez returns to her beloved home of Oporto, Portugal, her troubles have only just begun. The country is at war with France and, even though Oporto is no longer in French hands, it is a shadow of its former self. The scandalous cloud that Caterina left under is still not forgotten, and her cruel and distant father insists on a hasty marriage or the convent. Half English and half Portuguese, she must walk a fine line between both societies, which is all made near impossible considering her troubled past. Thankfully, her dear friend Miss Harriet Brown and cousin Jeremy Craddock have accompanied her from England. But Harriet can only offer comfort whilst sharing in her fate, and Jeremy, who is seeking treatment for his ill health, becomes distracted by his fair and pretty healer. Then Caterina's past resurfaces in a most confusing manner in the shape of Luiz, her childhood sweetheart, drawing her further into the tangles of political intrigue. Romantic as the adventure is, Caterina must try to keep a cool head in order to find out quickly those who can be trusted, and those who are not what they appear. For she has a secret, one that must be guarded at all costs... Whispering, first published in 1995, is another great historical romance from the master of the genre – Jane Aiken Hodge.
First published in 2000, this is a tale of Mrs. Feathers, who, taking a liking to her granddaughter, Patience, changes her will, leaving her fortune to the girl. Then Mrs. Feathers is found poisoned, and it seems that only one person has a financial motive. Fifty years later, the mystery remains unsolved.
Napoleon's shadow hangs heavy over Europe, and all is not well in the tiny principality of Lissenberg. Martha, its new princess, discovers just how bad things are in a moment of terror among the summer vineyard. But where can she turn for help? Her husband is in Napoleon's clutches, and her friend Cristabel, the prima donna, is involved in a disastrous marriage. Old enemies reappear, as well as old friends, and soon Martha's marriage is threatened along with her crown. Winter is coming and snow will soon close the frontiers. When Napoleon himself irrupts into Lissenberg the future looks black indeed.
Set against the background of war-torn Savannah during the Revolution, this enchanting novel unfolds the saga of a family divided – and a beautiful heroine, Mercy Phillips, caught desperately between the passions of Rebel and Tory. Mercy Phillips was a penniless English orphan when Hart Purchis, wealthy young heir to the Winchelsea Plantation rescued her from the mob. Hart did not know it then, but Mercy was to play a part in his life that would shape not only the future of Winchelsea but the whole American Revolution itself.
When tragically widowed opera singer, Anne Paget, is told by a doctor that she has only a few months to live she is devastated. Instead of withering quietly into her fate she decides to take a risk and a final challenge, accepting a surprise offer to perform in an opera to be staged in a hidden principality in the Alps, to celebrate an international peace conference. But as she rises quickly from an understudy to a star, she realises that her life is not only threatened by her illness but also by mysterious intrigues and dangerous crosscurrents that underline the high society of Lissenberg. There is sabotage and murder and Anne soon realises that nothing is as it seems, and that she cannot trust any of the men that offer her protection. In Last Act, first published in 1979, Jane Aiken Hodge combines all the elements of a thrilling romance – her heroine is enchanting, the setting glittering, and the men are handsome but dangerous...
Henrietta was no one's enemy. She came to London from Boston in search of her father-- a father thought lost to her until she discovered her aunt's treachery. Now armed with her mother's marriage papers, she set sail for England to prove her identity and, unknowingly, to gain a fortune--and a love--she had never dreamed of. Henrietta was too beautiful to ignore. Her wealthy father was enchanted with her. Her stepmother hated her on sight. And her stepbrother Cedric was an enigma. But nothing would stop Henrietta from becoming the talk of London society. At all the elegant parties, at fashionable Almack's, at masquerade balls, everyone was agog with the lovely young American girl. There were a few, however, who longed to see her ruined....
Juliet and Josephine were cousins who bore an astonishing resemblance to each other. Separated by life and war, fate had suddenly thrown them together again - two beautiful, desirable women playing out a deadly masquerade, as they compete for a man, not just any man, a man of talent and self-esteem, recovered alcoholic and retiree.
The Georgette Heyer bible...This is a must-have book for any Georgette Heyer lover." —Historically Obsessed An internationally bestselling phenomenon and queen of the Regency romance, Georgette Heyer is one of the most beloved historical novelists of our time. She wrote more than fifty novels, yet her private life was inaccessible to any but her nearest friends and relatives. Lavishly illustrated and with access to private papers, correspondence and family archives, this classic biography opens a window into Georgette Heyer's world and that of her most memorable characters, revealing a formidable, energetic woman with an impeccable sense of style and, beyond everything, a love for all things Regency. "One of the most beautiful books I know. Time and time again, on reading this book, I found myself breaking off to lift another dog-eared Heyer from the shelf and lose myself in the increased pleasure of a re-reading." —Washington Post Book World
Brett Renshaw has not been having much luck. Spurned by his fiancée and outcast from society, he has taken to his boat and escaped to the distractions of the Mediterranean. Here he is free to drown his sorrows and wallow in his misfortune. Rescuing two women from a Turkish Harem was certainly not part of the plan. For Phyllida Vanick, being rescued by such a disagreeable man is only bearable in stark comparison to the circumstances from which she is running. Phyllida has seen her father cut down before her eyes and lived through kidnap and the indignities of the harem. But she cannot go home now. Phyllida and her aunt are searching for her brother, Peter, an impetuous, idealistic young man caught up in the Greek War of independence. Reluctantly, Brett allows her to charter his yacht in aid of the search. A woman of determination, resolve, and beauty, she is more than a match for Brett Renshaw's tempers. This bold American heiress infuriates and charms the sarcastic aristocrat in equal measure. But they must learn to get along, as soon they will have to live through even greater trials. Together they must face down pirate kings, escape from a mountain fortress and survive wolves. Will love blossom between Phyllida and Brett, or will handsome pirates, stubborn pride and misunderstanding lead them off course? Greek Wedding, written by Jane Aiken Hodge, a master of historical romance, first published in 1970, is a sweeping romantic adventure, full of swashbuckling action and excitement.
Only a deathbed promise to her dying father could force Christina Tretton to travel to Tretteign Grange, the 'Dark House', and meet her estranged family for the first time. Having to fast-talk her way out of an encounter with smugglers on the way is only the beginning. Waiting for her is flighty aunt Verity, her two very different cousins – the stoic Ross and fawning Richard – and her formidable grandfather, who changes his Will every few days. Taking the neglectful servants in hand, Christina is soon managing the house, proving herself invaluable in her grandfather's eyes. This backfires when he decides he wants her as his heir, and only on the condition that she marries Ross or Richard. Outraged, she swears she will marry neither, but her cousins have different ideas. Should she marry the cousin she is drawn to, even if he appears to have no true feelings for her? Hanging over them is the constant threat of invasion, as Dark House looks over the sea to France, and Napoleon. When cousin Ross disappears, it is up to Christina to stand in his stead and take on the running of the estate - amongst some of his more disreputable duties. For as soldiers work to fortify the coast, Christina finds herself in the twisted intrigues of smugglers and spies. Watch the Wall, My Darling first published in 1966, is another great historical romance from the master of the genre – Jane Aiken Hodge.
Mysterious and fatal events mar the annual flower show at Hoblong's Hall and Detective Geoffrey Crankshaw must peal aware layer of history to get to the truth.
Quiet, shy and studious, Oxford graduate Susan Monkton has always felt she was on the outside, looking in at life. Then, a chance of further study in America seems an ideal opportunity to break away from her old image.
Seventeen-year-old Charlotte Comyn rejects the marriage proposal of her childhood companion, John Thornton, in favor of an exciting venture to Italy, where she finds a wealth of experience and the promise of true love
In a rule-governed society where a woman is a chattel of her father or her husband, romantic love is a game played for high stakes. This book shows how women strove for love in the colourful, politically turbulent Regency era. The unfortunate daughters of George III are part of this social history.
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