{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?

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.

In Belcourt, they rear weapons no man can contend with: women. Sasha was never meant to be in the Court of Flowers, one of the most sought-after courts in Belcourt, but when she is suddenly placed there without warning, she discovers a world far from what she expected--one that reeks of passion, seduction, secrets, and betrayal. ***** Belcourt, an orphanage for young girls, keeps many secrets within its walls. Among those are the four courts that rear the kingdom's most powerful weapons: the Ladies of Belcourt. Sasha is safely tucked away in the Court of Libraries when Belcourt makes a sudden decision it has never done before in more than half a century. She is transferred into the Court of Flowers, the most famous court of all, where she is expected to service gentlemen who paid their way in for a Belle, a woman trained to please, seduce, and spy. Things take a turn when she is introduced to the mysterious West Blackwood who has a very different service in mind, one too tempting and one that may ultimately change Sasha's safe life in Belcourt. Torn between powerful forces, both the kingdom and Belcourt itself, Sasha will have to determine where her loyalties lie: to the man who not only infuriates her at every turn but also awakens sensations she never felt before? Or to the place that has always been her home since the day she walked away from a cottage with two dead bodies?

( COMPLETED STORY) What happens when the rakish Lord in the whole of London is truly falling in love with a simple, plain, and most ordinary girl, something he has been avoiding- his innermost fear. True love? Miss Amy Ott is London's newest riddle. . . She's the mysterious niece of one of England's wealthiest dukes, and is about to encounter her first season. Knowing nothing about the workings of corsets and country dances, she's looking for any help she can find... even when it comes from the most unlikely source... London's infamous rogue-an older Duke. Duke Wardington's face transformed into something... dark . "Don't fear, Miss Ott. I have no desire of you. What if I told you that I could make you the belle of the ball? In every ball. The entire season." Amy chuckled. "Me? The belle of the ball? Impossible!" ... Or was it? This catches the attention from the most unlikely, most alluring man in all of London. Lord Nathaniel Dawnton knows what he wants. Amy Ott. And... this is definitely not in a way that he could speak of in public. The scoundrel, who blackened his own soul, had met all sorts of women throughout his years, but none like Amy. He's intrigued and won't stop until he has her. When Nathaniel's pursuits meet the walls of Amy's strength, the young lord is ready to jump those walls blindly... But... he doesn't realize that a jump toward Amy might mean a fall toward love... something he has been avoiding-his innermost fear ... true love. Find out NOW!

A chance encounter between two people changes the trajectories of their lives forever. Cassian Kensington was a poverty stricken man, on the brink of starvation, before a chance encounter with a mysterious woman changes everything. Leaving him with only her name - Faith - and a purse full of coins, she tells him to make something of himself. But years later, fate is not finished with Cassian and Faith, and brings them together again ...

Kit Kensington was a boy born with nothing. Olivia Pendleton was a girl born with everything. While Kit was fortunate enough to be taken in and raised by a loving family, revolutionary Olivia was cast out and left to fight for her beliefs alone. After meeting as children, Kit and Olivia are reunited as adults, and are thrust into the world of politics, social justice, and royalty. But along the way, both find in each other was the other was lacking, and a forbidden romance begins to bloom.

To save her family from financial ruin, Annaliese Dawson agrees to marry a stranger. She knows that the arrangement would probably never lead to love, but as the two begin to trust each other, could it be that they have a chance at true love? ***** Matthew Cassidy is a widower baronet with three young children. Convinced that his children deserve a mother, a marriage is promptly arranged between Matthew and Annaliese, a pair that have never met, and are complete opposites. What will it take to bring these two together? They have but one chance to get it right. [[word count: 80,000 - 90,000]] Cover designed by Morgan Sangster

The Napoleonic Wars have kept Captain Luke Cassidy away from home, and away from his wife and son, for three years. There was nothing more in his life that Luke wanted than to see his son for the first time. There was nothing more in his life that Luke wanted than to reunite with his family after three long years apart. But just as Britain can begin celebrating victory, Luke suffers an injury at the hands of the French that will change his life, and the life of his family, forever. Can a marriage between two people that have spent more time apart than together survive such a test? Or will Luke and Isabella succumb to the obstacles in their way? Not everything is as it seems.

"For a place called Paradise City, this island sucks. I don't think a single day has gone by that I haven't thought about stabbing the shit out of myself," he said. "Especially since I'm forced to live with you every second of every day." "Sh. I'm trying to science," I said, not looking up from my binoculars. "See anything interesting?" "Not really. My vision's a little clouded from the fog and rain clouds you constantly emit." He laughed. "You never fail to amuse me, Rea." "But you just said-" "I just said you make me want to stab myself. Interpret that however you'd like." With a love for whales and all life (besides maybe humans), Reagan Winebrenner had never even seen an ocean until her senior year in high school. But the moment she saw her first humpback, she knew she had found her passion and future career. A few years later and an invitation to Paradise City in hand, Reagan has her entire summer laid out for her, working on the project of a lifetime. But with five other students completing their projects as well, will they discover something worthwhile, or will they end up a psychology lesson for future generations? A New Adult Watty Winner 2019