For her last novel's plot, Austen returns to the tensions of inheritance; but the once satisfactory solution security on a landed estate no longer applies. Here, Anne, the unappreciated middle daughter of the Elliots, has new choices to make, between the customs and traditions in which she was brought up and the excitement of the unknown.

Softcover Large Print edition of the first of Jane Austen s romances, begun in 1798 but not published until 1818. Austen began it as a satire of young ladies reading the romances of Mrs. Radcliffe, but it became a vastly better novel than the books it satirized. It tells the story of Catherine Morland, her social life and adventures in Regency Bath and at Northanger Abbey, where her relationship with the handsome Henry Tilney blooms, is broken and finally mended.

When Phoebe Caldicot loses her much-needed job as an instructress at a select Bath seminary, she knows exactly whom to blame. Sir Miles Saunderton, the elder brother of one of her pupils, is managing, infuriating and the last man she ever wants to see again. As she gazes into a candle flame, she wishes for security. Marriage seems her only option, but where can a penniless ex-schoolmistress find a suitable husband? The rippling water in a silver bowl stills, and Lady Xanthe Simms and her huge white cat Titus see the image of the desperate young lady. But desperation and wishes are what keep life busy and entertaining for the resourceful fairy godmother. With a melodic hum—and the fluttering to the floor of one of her gold-tipped wing feathers—Lady Xanthe sets forth to grant Phoebe the opportunity to make her wish come true. But opportunities are never certainties…

When Charlotte Lucas married Mr. Collins in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, she believed herself to be fortunate indeed. Her nuptials gained her a comfortable home and financial security. If she acquired these things at the expense of true love, it did not matter one whit. To Charlotte, love in marriage was nothing more than a pleasant coincidence.As the years of her marriage dragged by, Charlotte began to question her idea of love as she suffered continual embarrassment at her husband's simpering and fawning manners. When Mr. Collins dies, finally relieving everyone of his tedious conversation, she must work feverishly to secure her income and home. She gives no further thought to the prospect of love until her flighty sister Maria begs her to act as her chaperone in place of their ailing parents. Hoping to prevent Maria from also entering an unhappy union, Charlotte agrees, and they are quickly thrust into a world of country dances, dinner parties, and marriageable gentlemen.But when an unprincipled gentleman compromises Charlotte's reputation, her romantic thoughts disappear at the prospect of losing her independence. As she struggles to extricate herself from her slander, her situation reveals both the nature of each gentleman and of true love.

In Mary Balogh’s engaging and seductive new novel of drama and romance, a woman comfortable in her solitude allows temptation to free her heart, when a daring war hero shows her how truly extraordinary she is.   THE PROPOSAL   Gwendoline, Lady Muir, has seen her share of tragedy, especially since a freak accident took her husband much too soon. Content in a quiet life with friends and family, the young widow has no desire to marry again. But when Hugo, Lord Trentham, scoops her up in his arms after a fall, she feels a sensation that both shocks and emboldens her.   Hugo never intends to kiss Lady Muir, and frankly, he judges her to be a spoiled, frivolous—if beautiful—aristocrat. He is a gentleman in name only: a soldier whose bravery earned him a title; a merchant’s son who inherited his wealth. He is happiest when working the land, but duty and title now demand that he finds a wife. He doesn’t wish to court Lady Muir, nor have any role in the society games her kind thrives upon. Yet Hugo has never craved a woman more; Gwen’s guileless manner, infectious laugh, and lovely face have ruined him for any other woman. He wants her, but will she have him?   The hard, dour ex-military officer who so gently carried Gwen to safety is a man who needs a lesson in winning a woman’s heart. Despite her cautious nature, Gwen cannot ignore the attraction. As their two vastly different worlds come together, both will be challenged in unforeseen ways. But through courtship and seduction, Gwen soon finds that with each kiss, and with every caress, she cannot resist Hugo’s devotion, his desire, his love, and the promise of forever.

"Burrowes is an unconventional storyteller who knows exactly how to touch a reader's heart and reach deep into the soul."—RT Book Reviews Lady Maggie Windham Has Secrets And she's been perfectly capable of keeping them...until now. When she's threatened with exposure, she turns to investigator Benjamin Hazlit to keep catastrophe at bay. But Maggie herself intrigues Benjamin more than the riddle she's set him to solve. As he uncovers more and more of her past, Maggie struggles to keep him at a distance, until they both begin to discover the truth in their hearts... Praise for The Soldier: "Captivating...Burrowes's straightforward, sensual love story is intelligent and tender, rising above the crowd with deft dialogue and delightful characters."—Publishers Weekly, Starred Review "There is a quiet, yet intense power to Burrowes's simple prose and such depth of feelings that it will be difficult to forget this marvelous story."—RT Book Reviews 4 ½ Stars, Top Pick of the Month "Burrowes continues her winning streak with a delicious, sensual historical romance capturing the spirit of the time."—Booklist "With lots of humor and steamy romance, these books are always a delightful read, a treat for fans of Regency romance at its best."—Night Owl Romance

Notes: This is an OCR reprint. There may be numerous typos or missing text. There are no illustrations or indexes. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. You can also preview the book there.

New York Times bestselling author Karen Hawkins presents the final book in her sparkling Scottish Regency series, featuring Egyptologist Michael Hurst.Renowned Egyptologist Michael Hurst has no time for silliness such as parties and balls. He and his intrepid assistant, Miss Jane Smythe-Haughton, are on a hunt to unravel the mystery that has consumed his life—to find the long-lost Hurst Amulet. But when the chase takes them to Jane’s birthplace, a place she’d sworn never to return, Michael realizes there’s more than one mystery at play—especially when everyone treats Jane like a long-lost princess. They must put all secrets aside and work together to not only find the Hurst family treasure, but also stop the threats from Jane’s past catching up to her once and for all.

Some scandals are meant to be . . . When Aurora Hyatt loses her journal in Hyde Park, her ruin is a foregone conclusion. After all, if anyone discovers her writings, they'll find scandalous fantasies involving the newest rake in Town alongside entirely-too-candid thoughts about her typical dreary suitors. Aurora will either be forced into a loveless marriage with the first nodcock to make an offer, or she'll be assigned a permanent position on the shelf. Oh, dear good Lord. What catastrophe will God smote down upon her next? If Niles Thornton, Baron Quinton, desires to maintain any semblance of his current lifestyle, he must fulfill the requirements his grandfather, Lord Rotheby, has set for him. First and foremost: he must marry and begin filling his nursery within the year. When he is nearly barreled over by a racing curricle and a journal flies out to land at his feet, his troubles are over. Inside the journals pages, Quin discovers a scandal waiting to happen. Surely a young lady who would write such brazen things in a journal (and then dare to lose it) must recognize the necessity of a hasty marriage, even if the gentleman making the offer is rather less-than-honorable. In a drunken haze, Quin kisses Aurora on a crowded ballroom floor, necessitating their immediate marriage. Quin's troubles are only beginning, however, as Aurora's writings are soon the focus of both gossip rags and drawing room conversation. When word arrives of an even greater scandal following in his wife's wake, will he prove himself a drunken abuser like his father, or will he become the loving husband of Aurora's fantasies?

Liberty Banks loves revenge almost as much as she hates one Mister Paul Grimes, whom she considers the most improper creature she has ever clapped eyes upon. But when her plans for revenge against Paul go bust, she suddenly finds herself walking down the aisle toward him. Once married, a battle of the wills breaks out as each tries to reform the other. Liberty wants nothing more than to have a proper husband. Much to Liberty's dismay, Paul will stop at nothing to have his all-too-proper wife do something--anything--to break the rules of society. Specifically, he would like her to break the biggest rule of their society and fall in love with a most improper man: her own husband.