Seduction Becomes Her

This “entertaining mix of gothic romance and suspense is a pleasure to read” from the New York Times–bestselling author of Scandal Becomes Her (Booklist). As guardian to her two young siblings after her parents’ death, Daphne Beaumont struggles to keep the family together. But when Daphne’s brother suddenly inherits a sizable estate from a distant relative, they are able to leave London behind for a prosperous new life in Cornwall. Devoted to her charges, Daphne doesn’t believe marriage is in her future, despite her newfound wealth and striking beauty—until she meets the intriguing Charles Weston . . . A long-buried secret brings Charles to Cornwall, where he encounters the alluring Daphne while walking on the beach. When a sudden rockslide strands the two in a cave, their shared captivity is sure to invite scandal. Charles knows he must act honorably and propose to Daphne—an easy prospect for him considering he has fallen for her. The real challenge now lies in Charles winning Daphne’s heart—and showing her how wonderful love’s spell can be . . . Praise for Shirlee Busbee and Scandal Becomes Her “A delightful romance—altogether a wonderful book.” —Roberta Gellis “A scandalously delicious read that left me wanting more!” —Bertrice Small “One of the best romantic writers of our time.” —Affaire de Coeur “Busbee is back and better than ever!” —Julia Quinn

Passion and intrigue collide in a suspenseful Regency romance from the New York Times–bestselling author of Seduction Becomes Her. Reliable. Trustworthy. Dignified. A few of the characteristics supporting Marcus Sherbrook’s reputation as the perfect gentleman. Or almost perfect, as there is one significant smirch on his record: the rebellion of one Miss Isabel Dunham who, at the age of seventeen, defied Marcus’s guardianship, eloped, and fled to India. The widowed Isabel returned to England ten years ago, and has been making Marcus’s cool gray eyes flash ever since . . . not that he’d give her the satisfaction of knowing it. But when Isabel is threatened by the schemes of a blackmailer, Marcus’s attempts to protect her lead to yet another spontaneous marriage—and kindle the embers of a desire never acknowledged, but now impossible to deny . . . Praise for Shirlee Busbee and Scandal Becomes Her “A walloping good story. Don’t miss it!” —Catherine Coulter “A delightful romance—altogether a wonderful book.” —Roberta Gellis “A scandalously delicious read that left me wanting more!” —Bertrice Small “Busbee is back and better than ever!” —Julia Quinn

A chance meeting, a forced marriage, a surprise love in “a walloping good story” from the New York Times–bestselling author (Catherine Coulter). Nell Anslowe and Julian, Earl of Wyndham, are an unlikely couple in every respect. Injured in a riding accident ten years ago, Nell was left with a fiancé who abandoned their engagement and the firm belief that she will never marry. The abrupt end of Julian’s unhappy marriage formed his resolve to remain a bachelor until the end of his days. But as Julian chases down his reckless stepsister, he seeks shelter from a summer storm in a cottage—and finds it occupied by Nell, who has escaped from a fortune-seeking libertine bent on carrying her off to Gretna Green. Discovered together by Nell’s family, the couple’s hasty wedding is the only way to save Nell from scandal. But the polite union each of them expects soon ignites into something much more powerful . . . “Scandal Becomes Her is a delightful romance—altogether a wonderful book.” —Roberta Gellis, bestselling and award-winning author “A scandalously delicious read that left me wanting more!” —Bertrice Small, New York Times–bestselling author “Busbee seamlessly meshes Regency romance with haunting suspense, keeping fans riveted to the end.” —Booklist Exciting Sneak Peek Inside!

The steamy conclusion to the Risande Family trilogy chronicles the intertwined fates of Lady Tanon Risande of England and Prince Gareth ap Owain of Wales, who first met in childhood. As one of the king's favorites, Lady Tanon Risande never imagined she'd be traded to a savage Welsh prince as a gesture of Norman goodwill. Gareth ap Owain may call himself a prince, but his untamed sensuality confirms he is no gentleman. As her wedding night approaches, Tanon is torn between fear and her budding desire. Readers will enjoy having a front-row seat as Tanon and Gareth's passion translates to love.

Dead and dying women are surely an age-old narrative trope. While associations of femininity with death have become almost prototypical in literary criticism and are familiar fodder for cultural conversations, the editors of Death Becomes Her offer us an opportunity to investigate the values that underlie such associations. But from where does our tireless investment in what constitutes a feminine death, a feminine reaction to death, and death’s courting of women emerge? These essays give voice to the idea that power and victimization are not opposites, but rather are complements in an operatic fantasy of intrigue, agency, absence and presence that pervades American writing and experience. Each chapter of Death Becomes Her offers a different lens to investigate the nature of death as surely more than just an anatomical matter: The penny press obsessively covers the death of a beautiful prostitute in 1840s Chicago; a novel of seduction becomes also a narrative of autopsy; a story of haunting allows women outlets for sexual license and the polemics of desire. Overall this volume invites readers to explore the ways in which death is portrayed as both an ornamentation of femininity and an ontological reality of it: how, put simply, “death becomes her.” Essays include analyses of women’s deathbed scenes, suicides, murders, funerals, and autopsies in literature and other nineteenth-century media. As such, the chapters in Death Becomes Her show how the authorial and readerly interest in scripting and staging women’s deaths is both intricate and abiding. They tell us that death is never, of course, simply about death, and they make relevant other issues, from linguistics to politics, as they inform the literature and lives of women from the late-eighteenth to early twentieth-century America. Taken together, the pieces in Death Becomes Her allow us greater access to the surrounding culture out of which the American woman emerges, performs, lives and dies. In doing so, they offer fresh insight into the often unsettling and highly relevant role of death in feminism.

"Busbee is a pleasure to read." --Booklist An Irresistible Danger To save her village and what's left of her family fortune from her wastrel cousin, gently bred Emily Townsend secretly leads a ring of smugglers. With the king's forces and deadly rivals closing in, she has but one last shipment to acquire. But when her men rescue an injured stranger from the sea one stormy night, Emily faces her most formidable--and tempting--adversary ever. For Barnaby, the new Viscount Joslyn, is determined to uncover who tried to kill him the moment he set foot in England. Yet proving to Miss Townsend that he can also be trusted with her deepest secrets is an equally intriguing challenge. Now Barnaby and Emily's boldest gambit rests on unthinkable risk--and surrendering to an undeniable love. . . "Busbee spins a tale unusually well-balanced between its appealing central romance and lively action-adventure." --Publishers Weekly "Busbee is one of the grand dames of historical romance. Longtime readers and new fans will be captivated by her latest Becomes Her story." --RT Book Reviews, 4 Stars

Which sort of seducer could you be? Siren? Rake? Cold Coquette? Star? Comedian? Charismatic? Or Saint? This book will show you which. Charm, persuasion, the ability to create illusions: these are some of the many dazzling gifts of the Seducer, the compelling figure who is able to manipulate, mislead and give pleasure all at once. When raised to the level of art, seduction, an indirect and subtle form of power, has toppled empires, won elections and enslaved great minds. In this beautiful, sensually designed book, Greene unearths the two sides of seduction: the characters and the process. Discover who you, or your pursuer, most resembles. Learn, too, the pitfalls of the anti-Seducer. Immerse yourself in the twenty-four manoeuvres and strategies of the seductive process, the ritual by which a seducer gains mastery over their target. Understand how to 'Choose the Right Victim', 'Appear to Be an Object of Desire' and 'Confuse Desire and Reality'. In addition, Greene provides instruction on how to identify victims by type. Each fascinating character and each cunning tactic demonstrates a fundamental truth about who we are, and the targets we've become - or hope to win over. The Art of Seduction is an indispensable primer on the essence of one of history's greatest weapons and the ultimate power trip. From the internationally bestselling author of The 48 Laws of Power, Mastery, and The 33 Strategies Of War.

“A fast plot packed with clever twists keeps the action and passion blazing” in this intriguing Regency romance from the New York Times–bestselling author (Publishers Weekly). Forced to resort to a life of crime in order to support his siblings, Asher Cordell is now ready to walk the straight and narrow path. But when an old rival, the Marquis of Ormsby, infuriates him with his insipid arrogance, Asher cannot resist stealing the pompous fool’s famous diamond. However, he’s shocked to discover he isn’t the only intruder in Ormsby’s library. The culprit is none other than his beautiful neighbor, Juliana Greeley. Asher has known Juliana since childhood and has always harbored a secret affection for her. When she asks Asher to steal letters Ormsby is using to blackmail her sister, he’s happy to oblige. Embarking on a bold scheme that gives way to an equally fiery passion, the adventurous pair discover a love neither can live without . . . Praise for Shirlee Busbee and Scandal Becomes Her “A walloping good story. Don’t miss it!” —Catherine Coulter “A delightful romance—altogether a wonderful book.” —Roberta Gellis “A scandalously delicious read that left me wanting more!” —Bertrice Small “Busbee is back and better than ever!” —Julia Quinn