The Penn-Leiths of Thistle Muir

As a young woman, Leah Penn-Leith fell hopelessly in love with Captain Fox Carnegie—the only irrational mark on her decidedly sensible life. Fox, unfortunately, did not return her regard. Their story should have ended there—Fox left for India and Leah returned home to Scotland to rear her much younger brothers. Twenty years later, Fox appears on Leah's doorstep—older, scarred, and world-weary—proposing a marriage of convenience between them.

Viola Brodure, gentlewoman and celebrated authoress, faces a personal dilemma suited for a novel—everyone wishes for her to make a love match with Ethan Penn-Leith, the famous Highland Poet. After all, the popular novelist and the famous poet are the perfect heroine and hero for their own love story. The problem is that Viola has never met Ethan, not in the flesh, at least. She has read about him and devoured his poetic writings, but does the man himself live up to his dashing reputation?

Ethan Penn-Leith is the most renowned poet of his day—his likeness so widely recognized, he is regularly accosted by adoring admirers. Everyone wants something from him—his time, words, charm, torn bits of his kilt . . . Everyone, that is, but Lady Allegra Gilbert. Twin sister to the authoritarian Duke of Kendall, Lady Allegra fights for freedom from her brother's iron-gripped control. She has a plan for her future, after all, one that does not involve her ducal twin. Ethan Penn-Leith with his knee-melting smiles and boyish charm is merely a pretty distraction along the path to independence.

Tristan Gilbert, the autocratic Duke of Kendall, has a clear plan for his future—destroy his father's memory, obliterate his enemies, and become Prime Minister. Fortunately, he can accomplish all three goals by convincing Parliament to prosecute the Scottish Earl of Hadley. Once Hadley is vanquished, surely the Queen will recognize Kendall's readiness for the role of Prime Minister. But in order to succeed, Kendall must first conquer his own unnerving attraction to Hadley's hoyden of a daughter—Lady Isolde Langston.

Living happily ever after should be easy. After all, Tristan and Isolde Gilbert, the new Duke and Duchess of Kendall, have overcome obstacles, confessed their love, married, and are eager to sail off into the sunset of their glorious future. But, of course, life rarely offers smooth sailing. After their honeymoon tour, an unexpected return to London sends the new couple reeling. Tristan struggles to balance his new Isolde-loving self with his former role as the autocratic Duke of Kendall. Upstart relatives and scurrilous accusations complicate his efforts to find a purpose.