A Most Inconvenient Earl

Eurydice Goodenham is convinced that a marriage of convenience with the notorious Sebastian Montgomery, Earl of Rockmorton, would be ideal: in exchange for one child, she can retreat to the library of his country house to write, while he continues his scandalous life in London. But when she finds herself falling in love with her unpredictable, mischievous and secretly honorable husband, does she have any hope of claiming his heart? Sebastian is bored with the world’s amusements, until his friend’s ward makes a startling proposal. He can’t help but challenge Eurydice’s expectations in return. A wild escape to Gretna Green convinces him that his unexpected bride is perfect for him—except that Eurydice doesn’t believe in love. Can Sebastian win this bluestocking’s reluctant heart in time to save a Christmas—and a marriage—going awry?

The earl she loved to hate …until she stayed in his mansion! Sophie Gilbert has thwarted the standoffish new earl’s plans to sell his country estate and the quaint village that forms part of it. But when disaster strikes and he offers her refuge, she must reconsider everything about this vexing, determined man. After the heartbreak in her past, it’s a revelation to feel her pulse racing and her body yearning for his touch… From Harlequin Historical: Your romantic escape to the past. A Very Village Scandal Where love can be found at every turn Book 1: The Earl's Inconvenient Houseguest

The Brides of North Barrows includes all four Regency romance novellas in the Brides of North Barrows series by Claire Delacroix. In this series, two orphaned sisters are inspired to make love matches and dream of future happiness. In Something Wicked This Way Comes, Sophia is disguised as the governess of Daphne and Eurydice when she meets Lucien again, the man who broke her heart, and he sees through her charade. She dreams of a second chance at love, but Lucien has made a deal with a demon to see her avenged and the demon will collect his due on All Hallow’s Eve—can they join forces to break the curse and win a future together? In A Duke by Any Other Name, Daphne is on the way to Christmas wedding and dreams of her own nuptials. When she encounters a foppish duke, she’s determined to make the most of a rare opportunity. But there’s much more to Alexander than meets the eye, and Daphne is the one to pierce his disguise. Will the beguiling maiden jeopardize his mission for the crown, or will they corner the jewel thief together? In A Baron for All Seasons, Anthea accepts her brother Alexander’s invitation to leave Scotland for London to organize his wedding to Daphne. She hasn’t visited town since she was accused of theft, but discovers that Rupert, her brother’s friend, has been working valiantly to clear her name. They join forces to locate the last missing gem, and their love blossoms. Anthea would wed Rupert for love, but he has no inheritance and won’t ask her to live with less—will these two star-crossed lovers find a way to be together? In A Most Inconvenient Earl, Eurydice is convinced that a practical match will suit her best. She resolves to wed a wealthy rogue and let him do as he will in town while she writes in his country house. Alexander’s friend Sebastian is the ideal choice, so she proposes to him. Sebastian is astonished and intrigued by this unconventional offer and accepts out of curiosity. The couple elope and flee to London, finding adventure, romance and love along the way. But can a smitten Sebastian convince Eurydice to make their marriage of convenience into a real one? The Brides of North Barrows includes four Regency romance novellas, brimming with disguises and mistaken identities, hidden heirs, second chances and a marriage of convenience that becomes so much more. Join Daphne and Eurydice for romance, intrigue and love forevermore! *** You can download a free family tree for the series on my website: http://Delacroix.net/North-Barrows

In this Regency romance, friends become lovers when a debutante from a notorious family enters a marriage of convenience with her brother’s best friend. Temperance Lattimar is too scandalous for a Season, until finally she’s sponsored by Lady Sayleford. The whole charade feels wrong when she doesn’t want a husband, but Temper feels awful when MP and aristocrat Gifford Newell is appointed to “protect” her at society events. With her past, she knows she’s not an ideal wife . . . but when a marriage of convenience to Giff becomes her only option, both are surprised to discover their very real feelings for each other.

Myron Willgrubs is a pedantic professor at the Plattefield campus of a large Midwest university. When he discovers a body in Pilgrims Park, he calls 911, but for reasons of his own refuses to divulge his name and later denies making the call. Before the police arrive to investigate, John Olivier, a macho formerly with the Green Berets and now heir apparent to the campus chancellery, also discovers the body, which he knows is that of Carl Madewell. Olivier has been having a torrid affair with Carl Madewell's wife Penelope. In what he tells himself is the Hoffa solution, Olivier removes the body from the park and stashes it in the freezer in his basement for later interment. When Penelope Madewell reports that her husband is missing, the police spring into action, thus bringing together a lovelorn detective, Patrick Delaney, and Professor Willgrubs' niece, Emily Peterson, runner-up in the 1997 Alice in Dairyland beauty contest. Several zany characters soon join the action, impeding both the police investigation and Detective Delaney's quest for Ms. Peterson's affections. Old and senile, Hattie Ellie Guck was watching for blue herons in Pilgrims Park through binoculars when she saw a man dump a body in the trunk of his car (or was it the backseat? she later wonders) and speed away. Although she doesn't call the police, she does tell her crooked grandnephew, Elwood Smythe, what she saw. A loose cannon, Smythe swings wildly from one target to another in schemes of blackmail. Underhanded and incompetent, Philip Moran is Plattefield's most senior detective and Delaney's mentor. He longs to organize a SWAT team to wage war on campus potheads. He vows revenge when taken off the case by the Chief of Police. Detective Delaney's old flame, Gigi Lamour, off to Hollywood to become a star, makes a porno flick and gets mixed up with the mob. She scurries back to Plattefield to marry Detective Delaney for both his money and his protection. Having hated each other for years, Mabel Freitag and Sophie Gargano work in the outer office of the current chancellor. Both are secretly plotting to ensure that John Olivier becomes the new chancellor, each supposing the other will get the boot when Olivier gets the appointment. Both conceal evidence that Olivier has a motive for murder and is lying to the police. The mystery is resolved when a psychopath, Sonny Zitsow, comes to Plattefield to kill Detective Delaney and is subdued by the most unlikely people in a most unlikely way.

A tale of freedom, forgiveness, and saying exactly the wrong thing in bed. It was meant to be an easy job: remove a lord from the public eye until his title is usurped. Much harder to do when the lord turns out to be the same man Harry has been bedding on the sly for the past six months. Even more inconvenient when the lord himself has been asking him to do the very same: steal him from his rigid, terrifying future and find a way to set him free. Ralph, Viscount Elsternwick, doesn't need and cannot serve the earldom, his intellect and instincts wholly out of step with the impossible obligations of courtly life. What he needs is a means of escape, one he cannot avoid. Say, being stolen away by a heartless and hopefully handsome rogue, like the man he's been meeting in secret for months. But it takes more than shared desire and a fear of the past to make a life together. And some secrets are best left unspoken. Is Ralph's dearest wish about to come true? Or is the only man he trusts now his enemy? A passionate MM Regency Romance about a daydreaming earl-in-the-making who fears his own future and the soft-hearted thief who should never have met him, let alone fallen in love.

Ethan Silverton, the Lord of Edon, is very content with his life. He’s carefully sculpted it so that everyone thinks he’s a notorious rake. For years, he’s worked hard to build his reputation to secure his place as the most undesirable bachelor in London. And it’s worked. No decent lady will have him. But one simple error in judgment has just sealed his fate. His intention was to dissuade a horrid mother from matching him up with her equally horrid daughter. Seeing no one but Lady Catherine without a dance partner, he tells a lie. He approaches Lady Catherine as if they are betrothed, and the ploy works. The horrid mother and her daughter abandon their pursuit of him. Except Ethan’s mother spies his ploy and is so relieved that she’s found a way to marry him to a reputable young lady that she tells everyone of their engagement. To his horror, word spreads and it’s his duty to see the lie through. This is the worst thing that can happen, and no one but his mother is happy about it. Not Lady Catherine. Not her doting father. Not even Ethan. But his mother is sure it’ll all work out…eventually. Books in the Marriage by Scandal Series: Book 1: The Earl's Inconvenient Wife Book 2: A Most Unsuitable Earl Book 3: His Reluctant Lady Book 4: The Earl's Scandalous Wife