{2022 WATTY SHORTLISTER} {18+ COMPLETED} England, 1842 Lady Hutton, otherwise known as Penelope Chapman, cares not that her husband has a wandering eye. That is, until he wanders away completely--all the way to the continent with his mistress, where he's been for the last five years. Abandoned, Penelope decides she shall not spend her life living without the occasional night of casual companionship. But then Penelope meets British naval officer Beckett Ash, and she realizes that there isn't anything casual about him. The man who has been assigned to protect her whilst uncovering a smuggling operation at her summer house party is strikingly handsome, and their connection is increasingly difficult to ignore. There are only two problems. Firstly, Beckett hasn't a clue that Penelope already has a husband. And secondly, his best friend and fellow naval officer is Penelope's protective half-brother. What happens when Beckett decides to marry an already married woman?

"They may see you as how you try to be, but what I see is what you try not to be." SHE IS A BASTARD... Maxine Theobald hid from the rest of society to protect her father's name. But as she grows tired of her role-playing games every year during the famous Theobald weekend parties, she starts to question how she has been living her life. She starts to wonder about the other part of her that she was deprived of--her mother and why she left her. A DISGUISE... Having finally found the courage to search for the one thing that she believes can help her understand her true nature, Maxine cuts her hair, puts on her breeches, and runs away from the only home she has ever known. She travels to the affluent town of Wickhurst and found herself employed as the valet of the famous rake Nicholas Everard, a game she will later find to be quite dangerous. SOMETHING DIFFERENT... Maxine set out into an adventure with none but one goal, yet found herself stumbling upon an unlikely find for the search of something else--romance. Still set in the fictional place of the Town, this fifth book in the Everard Family series follows one heroine who has chosen to defy the norm and her own fears in an attempt to understand her own nature, the first step to a discovery of not just about her lineage, but of love so unexpectedly, irritatingly and undeniably powerful. (This story is a standalone title in the Everard Family series.)

"A love not shown is more painful than a love rejected." SHE IS DETERMINED... The town of Wickhurst sees Ysabella Everard as a spoiled, rich young girl. What Ysa believes on the other hand is that she will someday get the man of her dreams and that is no other than the elusive rake William Hayward, the Lord of Wakefield. He also happens to be her brother's friend and the man she had been secretly writing letters to for years as Lady Weis, letters that started in a foolish wager with a friend. But one problem is at hand: he does not know she is Lady Weis, the woman he has fallen in love with, in letters. HE AVOIDS HER AT ALL COST... Wakefield has many rules, but one stands out the most: never dally with a friend's sister or relative, most particularly Ysabella Everard. As the sister of his friend, she is not to be touched at all costs. She has never been on his list from day one and he is quite determined to keep it that way. But years of her obsessive chasing and his desperate attempts to avoid it have not tired the woman at all. She has suitors she ought to focus her attention on and Wakefield cannot understand what she sees in him to waste her precious time over. He cannot be with her for many reasons and one of them was the fact that he was utterly in love, for the first time in his life, with one woman: Lady Weis. THE CHASE BEGINS... Her chase for the man she loves continues. His chase for the identity of the woman he is willing to sacrifice everything for begins. It is merely a matter of time for the truth to be revealed and how they face it has great potential for yet another Wickhurst scandal. Still set in the fictional place of the Town, this fourth book in the Everard Family series follows one heroine who is determined to win her game and her love for the man who might very well be her first ever failure. (This story is a standalone title in the Everard Family series.)

When Margaret Everard is asked to investigate the man she once loved for the murder of the Prime Minister, she knows he's innocent, until clues start to prove otherwise. ***** Years ago, Margaret Everard was engaged to be married to Cole Devitt, but a series of tragic events ruined it all. Now, ten years later, she's forced to infiltrate his life for reasons other than romance. Cole Devitt is the prime suspect to the murder of the Prime Minister and Margaret can hardly believe it. But as a member of a secret elite group of spies, she's given one difficult task: spy on him. Taking on the challege, Margaret has to fight old feelings buried in layers of pain of the past. But when she stumbles upon more clues, she realizes that the case she's working on is more complicated that it seems. As secrets of the past and their feelings start to unravel, Cole and Margaret have to learn how to trust again. However, one of them is bound to betray the other. Trigger warnings: abuse, violence, mental trauma, sexual assault, mental health illness

The fate of the entire kingdom lies in the hands of the masters of the game. And they are all women. ***** When Ellise St. Vincent takes on a role she never asked for, she is forced to use her cunning wit to be one step ahead of the game, all the while navigating a simple yet interesting love affair. But she is not the only master in the game. Others are at play, all equally capable, and all eager to win. Manipulation is delicate more than ever in this fourth and final installment of the Sutherland Series.

Ten Easy Steps to Be a Belle: 1. Lie 2. Be a very good liar 3. Believe the lie 4. Convince people of the lie 5. Find a comrade 6. Test your comrade 7. Remember the lie 8. Be seductive 9. Be smart 10. Kill a Belle

When the obnoxious doctor and notorious drunkard Oliver St. Vincent meets the woman he has always been set to find, he discovers her secrets and he is faced with a problem: is she the enemy, or is she love? ***** Set to return previous King Reginald to his throne, the gentlemen of the Royal Circus is in for an adventure with their biggest enemy thus far, and it is not the current King Louis but the institution that placed him there: Belcourt. An orphanage exclusive only to young girls, Belcourt keeps too many secrets, amongst them are the Belles, a group of women trained in the art of espionage and seduction. And in the middle of all this, drunkard and secret doctor of the Royal Circus, Oliver St. Vincent finds himself enamored and intrigued by one Belle because of a past they share. At the same time, Aliya, considered as the prime Belle of Belcourt, finds herself drawn to the bedraggled, obnoxious doctor she should consider her enemy. But unknown to all, Aliya holds a secret. And it is one that will fuel the game between the ladies of Belcourt and the gentlemen of the Royal Circus. Still set in the fictional world of the Kingdom of Sutherland, this story follows the first title of the series, Court of Flowers.

21-year-old Dean Clark, an architecture student, is struggling to balance his studies, two jobs, and a relationship that isn't as stable as he'd like. When he decides to find a roommate, the solution comes in the form of Isaac Nabokov, a 24-year-old Russian guy with unshakable confidence, influence, and a past that seems to hold more secrets than he's willing to share. From the very start, Dean's boyfriend and Isaac, seem ready to tear each other apart, and Dean finds himself caught in the middle of a tension that refuses to fade. But Isaac? He thrives on chaos. Especially when he's the one causing it. Dean and Isaac have nothing in common. Dean cannot stand him, and nothing could change that...Right? 🥇 #1 roommate 🥇 #1 manxman 🥇 #1 malexmale 🥇 #1 russianmen 🥇 #1 funny 🥇 #1 yearning 🥇 #1 australia 🥇 #1 gay 🥇 #1 spicy

Four years ago, Evelyn Wright's perfect life as a debutante in London was ripped away from her, and her family moved to the countryside. Since then, she has adjusted to the simple life, but one letter is about to send her to the city and back into the life of a socialite, forced to suffer through balls, matchmaking, scheming mothers and worst of all, despicable rakes. Evelyn wants nothing to do with this life, eager to return home, until a ​fateful decision throws her into the path of one of societies most daring rakes, Nathanial Blackmore, the Duke of Winchester. He is arrogant, rich and entitled, everything she despises about men, but as the unlikely pair begin to work together to avoid the hangman's noose, she discovers that there is a lot more to him than sinful smiles and dangerous promises. Can they escape the death sentence that hangs above them? Or is Evelyn more in danger of losing her heart, than her head?

{Shortlisted for the Wattys 2022} It's 1798 and The Lenoir family controls a significant part of London's dreaded and violent underworld. They reap the rewards in high-class society but Clarissa Lenoir has little interest in society or the people within it. Instead, she is following in her grandfather's footsteps as the leader and protector of The Strand, however, a problem, in the form of a silver-eyed man and rival leader, is about to throw her world into chaos. Clarissa is determined to best this entitled and immoral duke in any way she can and refuses to fall prey to his dashing looks and lavish words. Will she risk everything, including her own life to see this man crumble at her feet? Or is there something stronger than revenge in her heart?