WATTYS 2026 SHORTLIST She meant to trap one man. She ended up compromising another. After giving her heart to a man who never intended to marry her, Miss Alice Burton is done being made a fool of. If Fitzwilliam Montgomery won't honour his promises willingly, she'll make sure he has no choice. There's only one problem. Alice sneaks into the wrong bedchamber. Instead of her faithless former lover, she finds Adam Warble, the Marquess of Richmond. And by the time she realises her mistake, they've been discovered in a thoroughly compromising position. Marriage is inevitable. Adam is convinced Alice deliberately trapped a future duke. Alice is equally convinced he despises her. But beneath her new husband's cold reserve lies a desire he cannot hide forever... and secrets he is determined she will never uncover. Adam's solution is simple: marry Alice, save her reputation, and send her safely away before she discovers the truth about him. Alice has a rather different solution. She's staying.

Lord Adrian Warble has found solace from the pain of unrequited love as the captain of a merchant ship. Having watched the woman he loved marry another man, he has vowed never to risk his heart again. But when his friend, the Duchess of Winterbourne, asks him to take on a new cabin boy with no experience, Adrian reluctantly agrees, unaware that this decision will change everything. Miss Olivia Newton is tired of waiting for the man she loves to realise how she feels about him. When Dash leaves for America, she decides it's time for action-or he might return with a bride-so she decides to follow him across the Atlantic. To avoid detection, she disguises herself as a cabin boy and secures passage on Adrian's ship. But as she navigates the challenges of shipboard life and gets to know the enigmatic Captain Warble, Olivia starts to question everything she thought she wanted.

In a family of dark-haired children, blonde Ivy has always felt like the odd duck out. Always finding herself in trouble, she sees her potential redemption when the village's new visitor asks her to show him around. Everyone is sure to take notice when she's on the arm of a handsome man. But her new friend is more charming than she expected, and she soon hopes for a lot more than sightseeing. If only she could shake the feeling that he is hiding something from her... Sam Hemsworth is an agent working for the Rose Agency. A new case brings him to a picturesque village where any visitor is the latest news. The constant attention from the residents is not ideal when you need to discover someone's darkest secrets. Being attracted to the daughter of the family he's sent to investigate isn't overly helpful, either. He had better complete his mission as quickly as possible before Ivy's dog steals his wooden leg again... or the dog's owner steals his heart.

John Osborne has a promising career with the War Office and lacks for nothing. Except, possibly, a wife. Unfortunately, the woman he wants only has eyes for someone else. When a shared friend offers to help him win his love's heart--if only he will assist her on a case--he reluctantly agrees. He can put up with their grating presence if it affords him the chance of the happily ever after he so desperately craves. Lady Mary Kinson is happily counting down the days until she will officially be considered 'on the shelf'. Spinsterhood is looking rather appealing when getting married means giving up everything and trusting your husband to care for you. She'd rather use her dowry for a quiet life on her own. Until her younger sister does the unthinkable and Mary has to enlist the help of a friend to save her family from ruin.