Mary Lancaster

Europe's most fearsome prisoner, Vlad Dracula, gifted military commander and one time Prince of Wallachia, the notorious Lord Impaler himself, is about to be released after twelve long years, in order to hold back the tide of Ottoman aggression. The price of his new alliance with his Hungarian captors is the king's cousin Ilona. Ilona does not wish to be married. In particular, she doesn't wish to marry Vlad. Gentle, faded and impossibly vague, Ilona is hardly fit for court life, let alone for dealing with so difficult a husband. But Ilona's wishes have nothing to do with Vlad's reputation and everything to do with a lifelong love affair that finally broke her. Ilona's family blame Vlad; Vlad vows to discover the truth and sets out by unconventional means to bring back the woman who once enchanted him. Among court intrigues, international maneuverings and political deceptions, Vlad reveals himself more victim than villain. But he's still more than capable of reclaiming his lost rights to both Wallachia and Ilona; and Ilona, when it counts, has enough strength for them both.

The Love Story of Vlad Dracula

A Prince to Be Feared

Violetta Rand

Young women in need of second chances find sympathy and assistance with the enigmatic Lady Whitmore in her seaside castle and village. The ultimate goal, to find husbands for these rejected ladies of the ton. Yet, not every young woman is motivated by the same emotions, for some of these ladies possess rakish hearts that can only be tamed by true love.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Her voice is pure, her motives wicked.Lady Sarah Merrington will never forget being spurned by the duke she was supposed to marry. After all, that is the very reason she finds herself as a personal guest to the enigmatic Lady Whitmore in her village on the coast, a place of sanctuary where a lady might learn new accomplishments and, perhaps, the necessary skills to charm the elites of society. And Sarah is determined to reinvent herself so she can seek satisfaction, if not a bit of feminine revenge against the Duke of Vexen.Leonard Blackmore, the Duke of Vexen, is invited to host a charitable event in a place he's never heard of before and by a lady he's never met. Pleased by the opportunity, he accepts the invitation only to find his gracious hostess, Lady Whitmore, is not only a fellow patron to the arts but provides second chances to young ladies who simply need a helping hand. Unexpectedly, the duke meets a beautiful woman who sings like an angel. He swears he's seen her before but can't quite remember where or when. It doesn't matter, for she's captured his deep interest, and he always gets what he wants.Sarah can't believe her duke has arrived, giving her the chance to fulfill her dream for revenge. But the more she's around him, the more she admires and likes him. And it's only a matter of time before he realizes who she is.Will Sarah take advantage of the perfect opportunity to fool her duke, or will she forgive and forget in order to give love a second chance?

How to Fool a Duke

Welcome to the new series Season of Scandal by USA Today Bestselling Author Mary Lancaster!Four innocent young ladies-in-waiting to the Princess of Wales spend the night sheltering from a wild party in her residence - only to discover in the morning that Her Highness was never there. And the news is already out.The ladies flee the scene to fight as best they can for their lost reputations. And to confront the man who tricked them. Pursued by the Rake (Book 1)If her reputation is false, is his?Hazel is ruined. With no money, no near family, and the stagecoach to her old governess's home vanishing into the distance, she is forced to accept the help of the one man she never wished to set eyes on again.To Hazel, the handsome and respected diplomat Sir Joseph Sayle is an infamous rake who took advantage of the princess she served. She hates his arrogance as much as his inexplicable effect on her senses. Under normal circumstances she would never have dreamed of setting foot in his curricle, least of all when he was, by his own admission, "not entirely sober" after a night's carousing.However, the journey in his relaxed company is unexpectedly fun, and when they reach their destination and are threatened by a parcel of eccentric children with a pistol, he enters the adventure with enthusiasm.It seems Sir Joe is much more than the man Hazel thought him. Amusing, kind, and passionate, he and his elegant pursuit provide exciting distractions to her woes. But flirting with him is a dangerous game, and by the time they face the trickster responsible for her ruin, her heart is already lost.Read for Free in Kindle Unlimited!Season of ScandalBook 1 - Pursued by the RakeBook 2 - Abandoned to the ProdigalBook 3 - Married to the RogueBook 4 - Unmasked by her Lover

Pursued by the Rake

Orphan, Gillie Muir, makes ends meet by holding genteel card parties for friends and visitors to the newly fashionable spa town of Blackhaven. But when Lord Wickenden, known as the Wicked Baron, makes her a shocking proposal, her world is turned upside down. Jaded and bored, Lord Wickenden has his own reasons for joining the house party at Braithwaite Castle. One of them is to oblige an ex-mistress by detaching her son from the local gaming den hussy who has ensnared him. But, confronted by Gillie's unexpected charm and innocence, Wickenden abandons his original plan of simply taking her for himself. Instead, he becomes embroiled in her bizarre problems, which include saving her reputation and her life, keeping the Watch away from her card parties, and hiding an injured smuggler who was once kind to her. The infuriating and devastating Wickenden soon has Gillie's heart in a spin. But when she discovers he means to fight a duel over her - and everyone knows the wicked baron never misses - she'll go to any length to save his life and his soul. Even elope with another man. The Wicked Baron is the first in the Blackhaven Brides series, set in a newly fashionable spa town on the beautiful Cumbrian coast, where the great and the bad of visiting Regency society turn local life upside down.

The Wicked Baron

Dragonblade Publishing

Unmarriageable? Or simply unusual?There can only be one reason for the proud Duke of Alvan's proposed visit to Audley Park. He means to offer for Lord Overton's beautiful daughter, Thomasina, thus saving the family's waning fortune. In the midst of the hectic preparations for his arrival, Overton's least marriageable daughter Charlotte remembers to collect her young brothers from school for the holidays. When fog forces them to spend the night at the Hart Inn, they are astonished to find the house deserted, save for one other enigmatic traveler who deals most capably with armed intruders. Drawn to their unconventional new friend, Charlotte enlists his help to solve the mystery. Amidst the upheaval of the duke's visit, to say nothing of the chaos caused by Charlotte's unmanageable pet terrier, the Hart becomes the focus of nefarious doings, kidnappings and romantic entanglements. For Charlotte is unwise enough to fall hopelessly in love with her sister's intended husband, and the duke hides too many secrets of his own.

Unmarriageable Series

The Deserted Heart

The Soldier’s Impossible Love

A little pleasure is a dangerous thing?Welcome to book 1 in the steamy new series from USA Today Bestselling author Mary Lancaster.Rollo Darblay has been going to the devil for most of his adult life, thanks to frustrated ambitions and natural hedonism. When his father dies, leaving him finally in charge of ruined finances and failing estates, there is only one solution left: to marry money. Except the available choices crush his free spirit.Gina Wallace, the dutiful daughter of a wealthy Manchester mill owner, is reluctantly betrothed to an ageing earl. But when she encounters the wickedly handsome Rollo at Renwick's Hotel, she is tempted to seek a little happiness before sacrificing herself to family obligation.Neither bargains for falling in love, or the ensuing tangle of duty, duels, and promises that cannot be broken. Will they abandon their families for true love? Or find a way that satisfies both?Note: This series is part of Dragonblade's Flame line, so this is a sexy, steamy, and scorching-hot read with multiple sex scenes. Be advised.

The Devil and the Viscount

It takes an artist to see the real woman... Aline has been many things in her life. She has faced countless dangers to keep her country and her family safe. But when quiet, handsome Stephen Dornan asks permission to paint her in a series of portraits, she is unprepared for the storm of feeling that erupts between them. Aline came to Renwick's Hotel at the edge of Maida Gardens in order to help out a friend. She stayed to avoid her son's uncle who wants to take the boy back to France without her. But it is Stephen's bullying father and brothers who are the catalysts for real trouble... Note: This series is part of Dragonblade's Flame line, so this is a sexy, steamy, and scorching-hot read with multiple sex scenes. Be advised. Gentlemen of Pleasure The Devil and the Viscount Temptation and the Artist Sin and the Soldier Debauchery and the Earl

Temptation and the Artist

"Exactly how desperate are you?"Escaping to Maida Pleasure Gardens for an evening of anonymous moonlight waltzing is bliss for Viola Dove, compared to the strained formality of her first London Season. But the excitement reaches fever pitch when an escaped convict is pursued through the gardens - wounded and in desperate need of help.So, of course, Viola hides him in her family's cellar.Lord Dominic Gorse, the rakehell son of a marquis, is ill-suited to confinement, whether in Newgate or a surprisingly comfortable cellar, cared for by the beautiful, intriguing Viola, a parcel of lively children, and a very large puppy.Viola sees beneath Dominic's layers of charm and trouble to the man beneath, and sets out to help prove his innocence. But is she right to trust the handsome, volatile stranger with whom she is falling hopelessly in love? Is he using her for his own ends, or is there a deeper, deadlier deceit at work?One they need to expose to have any chance of happiness?Pleasure GardenUnmasking the HeroUnmasking DeceptionUnmasking SinUnmasking the DukeUnmasking the Thief

Unmasking Deception

Welcome to Book 4 in the bestselling BLACKHAVEN BRIDES series! Notorious young rakehell, Lord Daxton, wakes up in Blackhaven with a monumental hangover - and a wife. Willa Blake, his old childhood friend and poor relation of his sworn enemy, has her own reasons for eloping with him to Gretna Green - not least the fact that she's been in love with him since she was fourteen years old. Now they both have to face the consequences of their hasty marriage, which include not only scandal but attempted murder, accusations of theft and several duels, not to mention the fury of Daxton's mistress and the determination of his mother to have the marriage annulled. Yet among all the chaos and unexpected fun of life with Daxton, Willa's childish crush deepens into adult love. But will Dax, a man of impulse and passion, ever face up to his responsibilities, let alone return her love?

The Wicked Husband

Pride versus passionBook 5 in the Unmarriagable Series is now available! Read for FREE with Kindle unlimited!Sir Marcus Dain lives for adventure. Most other things, including his large estates and his inevitable marriage, he considers wearily to be matters of duty rather than pleasure. Until he encounters fearless, intriguing governess, Miss Helen Milsom, at the Hart Inn.Sparks fly in terms of both temper and desire, but something in this quite unsuitable woman touches his cynical heart. Then old promises and devious, matchmaking mamas get in the way.Helen, having lost her chance of marriage ten years ago, is resigned to spinsterhood. Holding onto pride, which has seen her through many difficulties, she fights her inappropriate attraction, even when she is falsely accused and loses her position, and Sir Marcus offers her only safety. Misunderstandings and the villainous behaviour of Helen's one-time betrothed, combine to part them, but Marcus will not give up and sets out to remove all the obstacles to their happy-ever-after.The Unmarriageable SeriesThe Deserted HeartThe Sinister HeartThe Vulgar HeartThe Broken HeartThe Weary HeartThe Secret Heart

The Weary Heart

Abandoned to the Prodigal is book 2 in the Bestselling series Season of Scandal by USA Today Bestselling Author Mary Lancaster.Who knew that love could be fun?Ruined and abandoned by her betrothed, Lady Juliet has no choice but to take the stagecoach home to her family in Yorkshire. Fortunately, she is protected on the journey by a handsome and amusing self-styled "wastrel".Daniel Stewart - together with his enormous, unruly mongrel dog - is reluctantly answering a summons to his grandfather's deathbed. But instead of the prodigal's traditional fatted calf, he is presented with the miserly baron's temper and a parcel of resentful relatives. Juliet faces recrimination and isolation in her own home.It isn't surprising that Dan and Juliet seek solace in secret meetings to cheer each other up. Neither expects to fall in love.But is the unconventional Dan the solution to Juliet's problems? Or just an added complication? For her powerful father seeks to rehabilitate her reputation through marriage, either to her faithless ex-betrothed or to the man who caused her ruin in the first place.Season of ScandalBook 1 - Pursued by the RakeBook 2 - Abandoned to the ProdigalBook 3 - Married to the RogueBook 4 - Unmasked by her Lover

Abandoned to the Prodigal (Season of Scandal Book 2)

The story of Hereward "the Wake", the 11th century hero who was the only Englishman to have defied and defeated William the Conqueror, and the mystery behind his brutal murder at the hands of his Norman guests.

An Endless Exile

Can the governess teach a damaged hero? Caroline Grey is devastated when she is dismissed from her post as governess to the Earl of Braithwaite's sisters. Finding temporary sanctuary at the eerie and neglected Haven Hall, she does not expect to enjoy the challenges presented by the house's dark and forbidding tenant, Javan Benedict, or by her mute and needy pupil. However, she is quickly intrigued by the oddly charming family and drawn into the several mysteries surrounding them and the hall. What tragedy lurks in Benedict's past, and why does his daughter choose not to speak? Who is trying to frighten them from the house? And most of all, what is the irresistible fascination of Caroline's troubled employer, and how does she help him without losing her heart and her reputation?

The Wicked Governess

A deadly quarrel, an impossible love On his way to rejoin Wellington's gathering army near Brussels, Major Giles Butler fights a duel with the opinionated Duke of Cuttyngham. It was never meant to be a killing affair, and yet the duke lies dead at his feet. Determined to contribute to the final victory over Napoleon before standing trial, Butler bolts for the coast. En route, he unwittingly aids the lovely young Duchess of Cuttyngham to escape her gilded cage. Desperate to live a useful life, Rosamund has left her husband's cold and stifling house with the intention of becoming a village herbalist. She no longer believes in love or romance, especially not for herself, and yet by the time she learns of her husband's death - and the identity of his killer - she is already falling in love. Hopelessly entangled with each other, family machinations, officers of the law, and an unusual pair of eloping young lovers - to say nothing of Bonaparte's threat to the peace of Europe - Giles and Rosamund finally arrive in Brussels. But can they defy scandal and the law to be together? After all, how can a widow love the duellist who shot her husband? The Duel Entangled Captured Deserted Beloved

Entangled

False engagement - or true love?Book 12 in the Blackhaven Brides series is now available! Read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited.From the age of thirteen, Jess has been brought up by her irascible and reclusive guardian, Lord Viscral. Sheltered but spirited, Jess finally rebels when his lordship decides out of the blue that she should marry his estranged son and heir, Jonathan, whom she has never even met. Jess immediately makes plans to run away with the assistance of her childhood sweetheart, and make her living running a hat shop.But this is Blackhaven, where things rarely work out as planned. Lord Viscral has come to take the waters and to entice his black sheep of a son back into the fold, with Jess as bait. The black sheep, however, has no intention of being caught by either of them. Captain of a famous merchant ship, he only wishes to see that his father is well. However, when he encounters Jess out of her depth in a gaming hell, he is intrigued. And sees the possibility of an alliance to punish his tyrannical parent.Of course, it isn't that simple. Jess's sweetheart turns out to have feet of clay and brings more problems than he solves. Someone is stealing Jon's cargo. Someone else is trying to kill Jess and Jon. Cousin Hector alternately scolds and proposes. In the middle of it all, Bonaparte escapes from Elba, Jon begins to suspect blood is thicker than water, and worst of all, learns it's far too easy to fall in love with Jess...Blackhaven Brides SeriesBook 1 - The Wicked BaronBook 2 - The Wicked LadyBook 3 - The Wicked RebelBook 4 - The Wicked HusbandBook 5 - The Wicked MarquisBook 6 - The Wicked GovernessBook 7 - The Wicked SpyBook 8 - The Wicked GypsyBook 9 - The Wicked WifeBook 10 - Wicked Christmas (Holiday Novella)Book 11 - The Wicked WaifBook 12 - The Wicked HeirBook 13 - The Wicked CaptainBook 14 - The Wicked Sister

The Wicked Heir

A more intriguing option?Rebecca, Lady Cornish, is lonely. She comes to Maida Pleasure Gardens, masked and alone, just to feel part of a world that still dances and laughs. But she repels all company - until the mysterious Ludovic Dunne refuses to be dismissed. Intrigued and unwillingly attracted, Rebecca begins to wonder if he might become a friend.And she is badly in need of friends.Twice widowed by the age of two-and-twenty, Rebecca is shunned by the ton and reviled as "The Black Widow", convicted by rumor of murdering her husbands. She endures her isolation but refuses to give up her son to hostile family. Surely Ludovic, a solicitor who specializes in solving people's knotty problems, is the man to help her fight?Ludovic, however, is already on a mission to find evidence against her. Haunted by the past, he will never let his heart interfere with justice. By the time he proves the sin is not Rebecca's, he has lost her trust. But that will not stop him from helping her, even if she never knows.Mystery and danger culminate inevitably at Maida Gardens, but when Ludovic's past catches up with him, will love be enough to save him and the woman he loves beyond reason?Pleasure GardenUnmasking the HeroUnmasking DeceptionUnmasking SinUnmasking the DukeUnmasking the Thief

Unmasking Sin

Revealing the true love of her life! The thrilling conclusion to the Season of Scandal series!Lady Meg's parents decide that the best solution to the scandal breaking over her head, is to marry her to her old childhood friend, Harry. Meg will not allow it. Instead, she persuades Harry to take her secretly to her twin sister's house in Kent to ride out the storm.Captain Lord Harry de Vere, a brave and dashing veteran of the Peninsular war, has never forgotten the enchanting playmate who once won his heart and rejected him. He is happy to enter one more adventure with her, though he has no intention of falling in love with her again.But this is Meg, and inevitably their simple plan is quickly complicated. Her sister Martha is mysteriously missing. Her brother-in-law. Lord Calvert, talks her into masquerading as Martha - which might have been more amusing had she not once been Martha's rival for Calvert's heart and hand.But Lord Barden, the architect of the scandal that was supposed to ruin four innocent young women, is expected for Martha's masked ball. Meg and Harry prepare to bring him down once and for all - and invite the other three ladies and their new husbands to assist.Will Barden finally get his just desserts? And will Meg's feelings finally be unmasked by the man she never wanted to love?

Unmasked by Her Lover

Free to follow her heart...just not to her husband! Deborah needs a husband to protect her from the scandal breaking over her head; Christopher Halland, a radical and ambitious member of parliament, needs a wife to get at his fortune and Gosmere Hall. It is the perfect marriage of convenience. Or is it? She should have been warned off by the fury in his eyes on their first encounter when he almost rode over her. And by the whispered rumors of his women and loose living. Instead, she thrives as the lady of Gosmere Hall and her calm soothes her volatile husband throughout quarrels with his grandfather, and even when his black-sheep cousin, accused of murder, turns up wounded in the cellar. However, falling in love was not part of their agreement - at least not with each other - and they have to overcome many misunderstandings before happiness is within their reach. Only then, her scandal rears its ugly head once more, and the arrival of the reptilian Lord Barden threatens to ruin everything, and even take Deborah's life.

Mary Lancaster

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