Showing results by publisher "Recorded Books" in Victorian

Julia Hollis’ opulent life in Victorian London crashes to pieces when her husband passes away. Worse, she is told by his bankers that he gambled away their fortune. Now the family’s hope rests on The Larkspur, an old abandoned coaching inn in the quaint village of Gresham. Driven by dread and her desire to provide for her children, Julia decides to turn the dilapidated inn into a lodging house. But can she - who was accustomed to servants attending to every need - do what needs to be done and cope when boarders begin arriving? 

It has been 12 years since a dark, murderous figure stalked the alleys and courts of Whitechapel. And yet, in the summer of 1900, East London is still poor, still brutal, still a shadow city to its western twin. Among the reformers is an idealistic young woman named India Selwyn-Jones, recently graduated from medical school. With the help of her influential fiance - Freddie Lytton, an up-and-coming Liberal MP - she works to shut down the area's opium dens that destroy both body and soul.

Daisy Bumgarten isn't thrilled to be trying to catch a duke's attention while dressed like a flowerpot caught in a swarm of butterflies. But, after all, when in Rome (or, in this case, London society)... Since her decidedly disastrous debut among New York's privileged set, the sassy Nevada spitfire's last chance to "marry well" lies across the pond, here in England. If she must restrain her free spirit, not to mention her rib cage, so be it. She knows she owes it to her three younger sisters to succeed. Now, under a countess's tutelage, Daisy appears the perfect duchess-in-training.

The Bridgertons are by far the most prolific family in the upper echelons of society, both in deed and word, and now, for the first time, their most indelible quips and barbs have been gathered here for your pleasure. From Anthony’s arrogance to Hyacinth’s hijinks, the family has long been fodder for society gossips … and indeed even for This Author, who has come out of retirement to pen thirteen new columns, each more delicious than the last.

In the first of a brand-new series set in Victorian England, a young woman returns home from India after the death of her family to discover her identity and inheritance are challenged by the man who holds her future in his hands.

Diana Sommerville seems to have it all - beauty, brains, and vast wealth, thanks to her family's ownership of a diamond mine abroad. But when her beloved brother dies in battle and leaves a lion's share of his estate to his best friend, Diana finds herself in a situation that seems scripted for the stage: sharing her family home with the man she used to love - and now loathes. Worse, her unfaithful former fiance has already moved in... 

Calista Langley operates an exclusive "introduction" agency in Victorian London, catering to respectable ladies and gentlemen who find themselves alone in the world. But now a dangerously obsessed individual has begun sending her trinkets and gifts suitable only for those in deepest mourning - a black mirror, a funeral wreath, a ring set with black jet stone. Each is engraved with her initials.

Alice McNeil resolved at a young age to travel through life unencumbered by love or marriage, free to make her own decisions. A seasoned telegrapher, she's recently acquired a coveted position at an important trading firm, but when the company's ambitious junior director returns to London, things begin to change in ways Alice could never have imagined. For Douglas Shaw, years of hard work and ingenuity enabled him to escape a life of grinding poverty. He's also determined to marry into high society - a step that will ensure he never returns to the conditions of his past.

The Honorable Miss Fenella Grantley has a secret: She's been taking drama classes and longs to be an actress. Ladies of her standing don't appear on stage, but Fenella has never been one for society's rules. She's quite excited to take on the challenge of reading the leading role in a new play - until she meets the playwright. Toeing the line between infuriating and irresistible, his first impression leaves a lot to be desired. 

USA Today best-selling author and RITA Award winner Jennifer Ashley pens heart-pounding tales that keep listeners spellbound with torrid romance and finely crafted intrigue. Juliana St. John faces the ultimate mortification when she's stood up on her wedding day. But then fate places her face-to-face with her first love, Elliot McBride, and she finds herself falling for her half-mad former paramour.

Miss Clara Marie Stanton's family may be eccentric, but they certainly aren't insane. London, England, 1860: When Clara's ex-fiancé begins to spread rumors that her family suffers from hereditary insanity, it's all she can do to protect them from his desperate schemes, society's prejudice, and a lifetime in an asylum. Then Clara's grandfather Drosselmeyer brings on an apprentice with a mechanical leg, and all pretense of normalcy takes wing.

Emma Sutton knows she should be satisfied with her position at London's Central Telegraph Office. But ever since she was orphaned young, she's longed for a family of her own. Things look up when a handsome engineer is thrown into her orbit and he sends Emma the love note of her dreams. 

A widow at just thirty years of age, Rose Finlay is determined to put all ideas of marriage and family behind her and pursue an independent life. But when she notices a young woman about to be led astray by a roguish aristocrat, bitter memories from her past arise, and she feels compelled to intervene. The unintended consequences of her efforts will ultimately force Rose to reexamine her life in a new light.

Daniel Mackenzie lives up to the reputation of the scandalous Mackenzie family - he has wealth, looks, and talent, and women love him. When he meets Violet Bastien - one of the most famous spiritual mediums in England - he immediately knows two things: that Miss Bastien is a fraud, and that he’s wildly attracted to her.

Julia Bernay has come to London to become a doctor - a glorious new opportunity for women during the reign of Victoria. When she witnesses a serious accident, her quick actions save the life of barrister Michael Stephenson. He rose above his family's stigma, but can he rise to the challenge of the fiercely independent woman who has swept into his life?  

The Kern Secretarial Agency provides reliable professional services to its wealthy clientele, and Anne Clifton was one of the finest women in Ursula Kern's employ. But Miss Clifton has met an untimely end - and Ursula is convinced it was not due to natural causes.

Margaret Kingsley's routine revolves around invention not investigation—until her ordered world springs a gasket. London, England, 1895 Ambulatory wheelchair user Margaret Kingsley secretly crafts gadgets for the Daughters of Genius Society, a covert team of lady inspectors disguised as...

The youngest of four spirited American sisters, Sarah Bumgarten has studiously avoided her mother's attempts to find her a titled husband among London's aristocracy. Now, after an earl's very public rejection, it seems her ideal mate will be anyone but a duke, a marquis, a baron, or a viscount. Thankfully, there are no noblemen in sight at Betancourt, the country estate where Sarah takes refuge. Its rightful owner, the Duke of Meridian, sibling to Sarah's brother-in-law, has been absent for years.

Petra Rutherford is certain she isn't the first dreamy-eyed girl that devilishly handsome Baron Granville of Ashton has loved and left behind. But when her brother's political ambitions place her before him once more, she's determined to give Guy Granville his own taste of torment. What better way to best a scoundrel than by luring his interest - before bringing things to an abrupt, embarrassing end? The only flaw in her gem of a plan is her still powerful attraction to the dazzling nemesis....

When Frances Bumgarten encounters a handsome stranger in her kitchen in the middle of the night, her first impulse is to wallop the scoundrel on the head with a bread paddle. And when Frankie discovers he is "The Fox", a disarmingly arrogant purveyor of gossip among England's aristocracy, she's tempted to take a second swing. Never mind that Reynard Boulton, nephew of the Viscount Tannehill, is returning her inebriated uncle safely home. This chiseled intruder has sparked an infuriating physical sensation unlike anything the feisty Nevada silver heiress has experienced.