Showing results by author "Lauren Smith"

The first three trimesters (and the fourth - those blurry newborn days) are for the baby, but the fifth trimester is when the working mom is born. No matter what the job or how you define work, you're going to have a lot of questions. When will I go back? How should I manage that initial "I want to quit" attack? Flex time or full time? How can I achieve 50/50 at home with my partner? What's the best option for childcare? Is it possible to look like I slept for eight hours instead of three? And why is there never a convenient space to pump?

For too long Miss Emily Parr has been subject to the whims of her indebted uncle and the lecherous advances of his repulsive business partner. Her plan to be done with dominating men forever is simple: find herself a kind husband who will leave her to her books.It seems an easy enough plan, until she is unexpectedly abducted by an incorrigible duke who hides a wounded spirit behind flashing green eyes.

Grigori Barinov is the eldest in an ancient line of dragon shifters and the guardian of his family's lands and fortune. Sworn to protect their history and magic, he won't rest until he neutralizes any threat to their existence. When he discovers an ancient manuscript that exposes that his family and their dragon lineage has fallen into a mortal woman's hands, he knows he must get the book back by any means necessary. If that means seducing a nosy American woman with an intoxicating scent, he is more than willing to carry her off to his palatial home deep in the heart of Russia.

Always prim and proper, lady's maid Gillian Beaumont has never acted with wild abandon the way her young, headstrong mistress does. But deep down she dreams of a life filled with love and a husband who will give her his whole heart even though she knows it's impossible. With a list of chores from her mistress, Gillian is given the chance to live the life of a gentle lady, and she clings to it, knowing that soon it will be over.

Audrey Sheridan is London's sweetheart, a position that allows her access to the ton and all its secrets. As the enigmatic writer, Lady Society, she is wild, reckless, and speaks her mind. She matchmakes wicked rogues with their perfect wives. But there's one thing she's failed to find since her debut. A husband for herself. And there's only one man she's ever wanted. There's just one problem: He doesn't want her. What's a lady to do to mend her broken heart? Run off to become a spy.

The second eldest in an ancient line of Russian dragon shifters, Mikhail Barinov had one job: protect one of the family hoard of jewels. Distracted by the English virgin queen Elizabeth, he lost everything. Five centuries of exile later, news that a massive trove of gold and jewels was unearthed sends him racing to London. Professional gemologist Piper Linwood can't wait to bury herself in her newest project, evaluating a hoard of Elizabethan-era treasure. But both her life and career are threatened when a mysterious, brooding man with a dangerous smile snatches the lot. 

The daughter of a Scottish lord with a dark and treacherous past, Rosalind Melbourne has spent years distancing herself from her past. After escaping her tyrannical father and marrying an aging English lord, she has become a powerful widow with a business empire at her command. Her business dealings are everything to her, leaving her no time for love. Especially not with her business rival, Ashton, a man with a scandalous reputation as striking as his blue eyes.

She's a servant masquerading as a lady... Gillian Beaumont never had a fairytale life: she was left penniless after her father’s death, forcing her into service as a lady’s maid. Luckily, her mistress is more adventurous than most ladies and soon Gillian is aiding her espionage. One such spy mission forces Gillian to masquerade as a high-born lady to infiltrate a Hellfire Club. But when she falls into the club’s trap, she’s rescued by gentleman rogue, the Earl of Pembroke. His heated kisses make her long for a different life, but she has a secret that could destroy everything… 

Cedric, Viscount Sheridan, is cursed. Once the ton's golden boy, the loss of his sight has left him a reclusive shell of man, his days of womanizing, horse racing, and pistol shooting lost forever. Offered the chance to recapture a small part of his old life, he can't refuse - even if it means accepting the shocking proposal of the infamous ice maiden Anne Chessley. Still reeling from her father's death, Anne's deepest wish is to avoid the hordes of fortune hunters who will soon be beating down her door.

The fiercest of a royal line of Russian dragon shifters, Rurik Barinov spends most days defending his family's homeland from rival clans. By night, sins of the flesh-drinking, dancing, and sex keep his volatile warrior dragon in check. Barely. With his choice of mortal women to bed, he has no interest in changing his bad-boy ways - until a creature of molten sex poured into a tiny red satin dress steps into his nightclub. A jagged edge of raw desire nicks the impenetrable armor around his heart.

 Notorious rogue Lawrence Russell has no desire to marry - or, heaven forbid, fall in love. Although he enjoys his fair share of pleasure, Lawrence prefers to protect his heart. Yet when he comes to the rescue of a brave and passionate Persian princess, he discovers his heart may be at risk from the very thing he's always feared.... 

Horatia Sheridan has been hopelessly in love with Lucien, her brother's best friend, ever since he rescued her from the broken remains of her parents' wrecked carriage. His reputation as London's most notorious rakehell doesn't frighten her, for under his veneer of cool authority she has glimpsed a man whose wicked desires inspire her own.

Fenn Lockwood comes alive in the shadows. Though he might have physically survived the kidnapping that stole his childhood, the trauma and pain he lived through have marked him forever. Now the only place where Fenn can be himself is within the walls of his private BDSM world - a place of erotic obsession, where desire isn't just captured...it's bound.

For years Callie Taylor has been obsessed with two things: a man she can never have and escaping to Paris, where she can follow her artistic passions. But everything changes when Callie meets Wes Thorne, a wealthy, mysterious art collector and famous dominant. Despite all the nights she's spent dreaming of another man, it is Wes' predatory gaze that suddenly consumes her every thought and sets her body on fire.

Journalist Sophie Ryder has been following Emery Lockwood's story since she was a little girl. There has always been something in his haunted eyes that she couldn't resist, and now, when she's certain he holds the key to solving a string of kidnappings, she'll do anything to speak to him. Even if it means venturing deep into the seductive world of the Gilded Cuff, a luxurious BDSM club on Long Island's Gold Coast and Emery's personal playground.

Helen Banks is going to die. When her twin brother gambles away their fortune, she must save his life and take his place in a duel to satisfy the honor of a man her brother couldn't pay. Disguised as her brother, Helen faces the one man she's admired from afar, a widower with a dark past and eyes that scorch her very soul. Since Gareth Fairfax lost his wife, the darkness in his heart continues to grow. Lashing out at anyone who opposes him, Gareth is stunned to face a lovely young woman opposite his dueling pistol.

Lord Vaughn, Viscount Darlington, has a dark reputation for sinful pleasures, putting off even the most ardent mamas who crave his title for their unmarried daughters. They say he's dangerous enough to ruin a woman with just one look...but he can't resist the pleas of a woman who needs his help. This rogue might yet be redeemed. All of London adores Perdita Darby. She receives invites to every party and has eligible gentlemen willing to wait for her, but she has no desire to marry.

Ivy Leighton is no sweet English rose. Perhaps it's her gypsy roots, but she would rather make a spectacle of her independent spirit than sit quietly on the sidelines. If that means that the only place she'll ever have in society is firmly on the shelf, then so be it. But when Ivy runs into the handsome, rakish Leo, who's looking for a respectable, well-bred wife, she can't stop thinking about the troubles they can get into. Now she just has to convince him that a life with her is really what he needs.

Bookish museum curator Rebecca Clark has given up on dating. Real life men aren’t nearly as perfect as the men in the paintings and statues she sees every day at her job. But one night, she whispers a prayer to the universe to send her the perfect man. She had no idea a goddess is listening.... When Rebecca discovers a naked man in her art gallery instead of a priceless statue at midnight, she has no idea he’s the answer to her prayers. Aphrodite sent Devon to be Rebecca’s perfect man.

Owen Hadley needs a wife. Preferably a wealthy one. Alas, there aren't a great number of heiresses willing to marry a rogue of no particular fortune - luckily, if there is ever a gentleman capable of melting a lady's chilly heart, it's Owen. Milly has had enough of the marriage mart. If matrimony means giving up her freedom for a foppish husband, then society can take their idea of marital bliss and toss it. But when the ton's most notorious rogue mistakenly makes his way into her bedchambers, Milly finds herself unexpectedly and unwillingly at the altar....