Members’ Regency Fiction Releases for 07/2021

“If…looking for something new with Austen’s spirit, humor, and dashing heroes, they can’t do better than MacGregor.” -Entertainment Weekly

A Duke in Time is the first book in a three-story arc that will have you rooting for leading heroines, searching for lost dowries, and falling for swoon-worthy heroes.

Katherine Vareck is in for the shock of her life when she learns upon her husband Meri’s accidental death that he had married two other women. Her entire business, along with a once-in-a-lifetime chance to be a royal supplier, is everything she’s been working for and now could be destroyed if word leaks about the three wives.

Meri’s far more upstanding brother, Christian, Duke of Randford has no earthly clue how to be of assistance. He spent the better part of his adult years avoiding Meri and the rest of his good-for-nothing family, so to be dragged back into the fold is…problematic. Even more so is the intrepid and beautiful Katherine, whom he cannot be falling for because she’s Meri’s widow. Or can he?

With a textile business to run and a strong friendship forming with Meri’s two other wives, Katherine doesn’t have time for much else. But there’s something about the warm, but compellingly taciturn Christian that draws her to him. When an opportunity to partner in a business venture brings them even closer, they’ll have to face their pasts if they want to share each other’s hearts and futures.

A heartfelt and funny coming-of-age story, this magical-realism drama, adventure and romance sweeps from Spain to the Scottish Hebrides.

Can a girl who wants to heal others heal her own heart?

Spain, 1825. The young and poetic Sofia-Elisabete Fitzwilliam, a British-Portuguese girl, lives in a world of restrictions and expectations, where repression is the order of the day. Her acts of freedom are to find humor in the absurd and to see magic in the mundane. The girl is drawn to a longing to heal others, but her own heart is troubled. Once abandoned by her mother, she struggles to trust people, and doubts whether she’s worthy of love. When her mother attempts to sell her into an arranged marriage, she feels betrayed.

With family ties pulling her in different directions, Sofia-Elisabete rebels against tradition by running away. Ferdinand VII’s Spain is certainly no female paradise for one so bold as she, or a girl who is forever finding trouble and prone to misadventure. Sofia-Elisabete loves a Scotsman, Kitt Munro, who treats her as an equal and can offer her a new life in England. But Kitt is torn between family duty and his love for her. Can she ever let go of her past and trust Kitt’s love and the healing power in her hands?

A remarkable, sweeping historical novel based on the incredible true life story of Dorothy Kirwan Thomas, a free woman of color who rose from slavery to become one of the wealthiest and most powerful landowners in the colonial West Indies.

Born into slavery on the tiny Caribbean island of Montserrat, Doll bought her freedom—and that of her sister and her mother—from her Irish planter father and built a legacy of wealth and power as an entrepreneur, merchant, hotelier, and planter that extended from the marketplaces and sugar plantations of Dominica and Barbados to a glittering luxury hotel in Demerara on the South American continent.

Vanessa Riley’s novel brings Doll to vivid life as she rises above the harsh realities of slavery and colonialism by working the system and leveraging the competing attentions of the men in her life: a restless shipping merchant, Joseph Thomas; a wealthy planter hiding a secret, John Coseveldt Cells; and a roguish naval captain who will later become King William IV of England.

From the bustling port cities of the West Indies to the forbidding drawing rooms of London’s elite, Island Queen is a sweeping epic of an adventurer and a survivor who answered to no one but herself as she rose to power and autonomy against all odds, defying rigid eighteenth-century morality and the oppression of women as well as people of color. It is an unforgettable portrait of a true larger-than-life woman who made her mark on history.

If Maeve Pendleton, Lady Alymer’s mother, attempts to introduce her to one more useless nobleman, Maeve will do her bodily harm. Married to a man thrice her age once was enough for widow now young to appreciate her independence.

After disappearing almost two years ago, Brandon Radcliff, Viscount Harlowe, is now recuperating at his sister’s home. The problem? He has no notion who bludgeoned him and left him on the road for dead. He’s determined criminal activity was afoot. Only he can’t remember if he was on the right or the wrong side of history.

Maeve has no care for her own reputation when the lives of two little girls are jeopardized, endangering her well-earned independence. But Harlowe steps in to save the day, being the hero he is… or is he?

“Edgy, fast-paced, sexy, is Kathy L Wheeler’s latest Rebel Lord of London.” ~USA Today and New York Times Bestselling author, Cheryl Bolen

She stole his heart, but can he walk away when another man claims to have married her first?

Thaddeus Berringer has reconciled himself to a future of great riches, but also unceasing responsibility as the Duke of Exeter’s only heir. He’s in no hurry to be leg-shackled, despite his cousin’s urging. But he’s keenly interested in bed sport with a certain spinster who’s proven more wanton than wallflower. Eugenia Hillcrest’s passions and expectations for a brief fling match his own completely, delighting him in every way. But just as he’s considering the advantages of a lasting connection with her, he’s stunned to learn his perfect lover was never his to kiss in the first place.

Eugenia has for years lived as a spinster, and is certain she’ll remain one. So it was with little hesitation that she begins a thrilling affair with the Duke of Exeter’s handsome heir, Mr. Berringer. She revels in every stolen kiss and caress, but expects to lose him to a wife one day. Never in a million years did she imagine she’d lose him to a husband. Her dead husband back from the grave. Confused and unconvinced, Eugenia is willing to do anything to keep control of her life—even if it means leaving her life and the man she loves more than she’d dreamed possible.

Pleasures of the Night is a full-length regency historical romance from USA Today bestselling author Heather Boyd. It’s the sixteenth book in the steamy Distinguished Rogues series but can be read as a stand-alone.

When a second chance at love comes with a new perspective, chase it with eyes—and a heart— wide open.

Julianna Leah Winslow, Lady Mayborne, is three years a widow. While packing items to clear clutter, she finds an antique jade elephant among her husband’s possessions. When a secret panel pops open revealing a cryptic note with the name of his best friend—the man she’d wanted to marry as a young girl—she summons James no matter that seeing him again will open old wounds not fully healed.

James Percival Holles, Earl of Braxton, has just turned forty-two. It’s time to marry and set up his nursery, but every relationship he’s had has ended in disaster. When an urgent summons comes from Julianna, he’s immediately wary but intrigued, and agrees to travel to the Berkshire estate to perhaps vent his spleen and air old grievances. He would not let the fact that he still had a tendre for her sway his attitude.

Emotions explode each time they’re together, to say nothing of her twenty-year-old son’s animosity toward James, yet when long-held secrets are brought into the light, both he and Julianna find a shaky peace and a new direction. As the August days pass, they give into the desire brewing between them, and trust is put to the forefront. If they can stop hiding their true selves and surrender to the strength and security found as a couple, they’ll have a chance to grasp a second chance at love.

What happens in The Soho Club, stays in The Soho Club. These novellas range from sweet, to spicy. The rules are few.

This collection of ten tales center around The Soho Club, an exclusive establishment in Regency London, offering a taste of everything, for anyone to sample.

Discretion is paramount, and scandals abolished – because if there’s one thing Regency-era lovers need, it’s a place to be who they are.

Tea is at four, and you’re welcome to do business, or indulge your pleasure.

Are you game?

Miles Notley returns home as the new Duke of Winslow after being sent away for accidentally killing his younger brother when he was ten years old, an act his older brother committed—and denied. With his brother’s death, Miles finds himself in unfamiliar waters. He has no idea how to run an estate, much less be a duke. Until he meets an intriguing young woman.

Emery Jenson came to Wildwood ten years ago with her parents, hired to be the estate’s steward and housekeeper. She has taken on more responsibility as her father’s mind grows weak and now runs the ducal country seat. When the new duke shows up, she schemes to hide her father’s deficiencies, believing the Duke of Winslow won’t remain long since the Season is in full swing and he will need to claim a bride and provide an heir.

But Miles isn’t going anywhere. He becomes captivated not only by Emery’s charm and confidence but admires her skills in making Wildwood a profitable estate. Miles decides no one but Emery can be his duchess—and he is up for the challenge, ready to convince the blunt beauty in the battle of wills that they can both come up winners—if she will only say yes.

Will Emery, who thinks she has found her place in the world and urges Miles to now find his, discover that the best place she can be is at the Duke of Winslow’s side?

French singer and spy Marie-Louise Fortier has spent her life protecting idealistic men like her father, who died trying to wrest France back from Napoleon. So when the British War Office asks her to safeguard a former naval captain in the little spa village of Grace-by-the-Sea from the emperor’s threats, she doesn’t hesitate, even if it means pretending to be engaged to the legendary Captain St. Claire to remain at his side.

Quillan St. Claire has been taking care of himself since he was a foundling. He’s fought Napoleon in battle and now smuggles the tyrant’s secrets from France to aid England’s cause. He’s certainly not willing to trust the pretty soprano with his life, yet her siren’s voice seems to call to him. As danger draws closer, these two must work together to protect the friendly little village that welcomed them, only to discover that protecting each other may mean risking their hearts for a real chance at love.

5 Stars! “The cozy village and its interesting people will always be in my heart.” Huntress Reviews

Regency Mid-Summer Mischief: Seven stories of Regency heroines and heroes finding love in the fact of obstructions: mayhem, malice, and mischief. Varying heat levels, both in the text and during the English summertime. Seven best-selling and award-winning authors team up to delight your summer holiday reading.

For Jack Beresford, Earl of Hawkenden, emotional entanglements are the path to pain. But when his brother brings his new wife and her best friend to his country home, everything changes. Lady Cecily Thornhill is both vibrant and beautiful, and Jack finds himself increasingly captivated by her sunny nature. Yet he must resist her charms, for in a month she’ll be gone— unless his frozen heart thaws before then…

By day, Lady Donnatella is a duke’s silly daughter.

So she can save London lives by night.

When she stumbles into something larger than a street fight, everything she’s balancing may come crashing down…

It’s another lonely season for Tella, dancing and gaming madly while keeping marriage away. She cannot tell her family or friends that her true self is the one battling danger in the city’s dark streets. Nor will anyone guess; she’s perfected her disguise.

Then her night-time alter ego is seen — just when she can no longer count on her best friend, or her beloved great-uncle. And the resulting fuss in the newspapers isn’t making any of this easier. Nor is the reporter who saw her.

Henry Fitzwilliam, third son of a marquess, left London society to serve in the wars, and won’t go back. He’s devoted his life to telling the stories Britain needs to hear, and perhaps this Caped Count falls into that category. He can’t be sure until he gets much, much closer.

Tella can handle a fight, but tracking a murderer makes for higher stakes. She might need someone at her back. Fitz might be the worst choice — or he might be more perfect than either of them suspects.

How to catch the perfect husband:

Find a man so busy with his life, he won’t interfere in yours. Dazzle him with the (useless) proper skills of a lady.

Ignore powerful dukes who sabotage your plans.

Priscilla Livingston has dedicated her life to social causes, fighting to right the cruel injustices the world ignores. Under the guise of a lord, she sends messages to Edmund Hawkins, the powerful Duke of Bradenton. He doesn’t know his informant is a lady, even as he investigates to uncover her identity. When her father demands she find a husband, she cannot choose Edmund, who would demand total surrender.

Only when he catches her spying, she may not have a choice.

Edmund is intrigued by the beautiful lady caught snooping through a dangerous lord’s home. Lady Priscilla may act the perfect duke’s daughter, but fiery mystery burns beneath the flawless façade. He sees the passion she cannot hide, the spirited woman who would make the perfect duchess. He will discover her every secret.

Then he will make her his.

In Where There’s a Will, a short story that kicks off A Duke in Time, first in a brand-new series from Janna MacGregor, a recent widow and her despicable, late-husband’s brother meet, with sparks flying almost instantly.

Prequel to A DUKE IN TIME

Katherine, Lady Meriwether Vareck, dreads attending the reading of her husband’s will, but she’s hoping she’ll at least have her dowry returned. And meet her departed husband’s half brother, the popular war hero duke, who seems to be everywhere, including her daydreams. Though the errant duke has never bothered to write or see her, Katherine decides to go to his house and introduce herself. Their first meeting shouldn’t be at a solicitor’s office, after all.

Even though he’s just returned home from the war, Christian Vareck, the Duke of Randford, is quite tired of all the ladies vying for his attention by throwing handkerchiefs his way. That is…until he catches a glimpse of her, the woman with a handkerchief in hand, walking to his front door. When she suddenly turns and leaves without introducing herself, Christian is surprisingly devastated. Determined to discover her identity, he plans to scour the streets of London until he finds her. But first, he must locate his late half brother’s missing will, then meet his late brother’s widow, too…

Andrew Charles Storme—ninth Earl of Hadleigh—has been in a monstrous temper for the better part of two years. Unable to join the fight against Napoleon due to the declining health and subsequent death of his father, his rotten mood worsened when his two brothers survived the war with life-changing injuries. Ashamed, Drew retreats to his country estate in Derbyshire to spare them his ire. Why the devil was he not worth more than his title?

Miss Sarah Copeland is a poor relation. In exchange for room and board, she’s become the governess to her great-uncle’s two rambunctious offspring. It was better than being tossed in the street, but only just. Freedom and imagination are found in playing a flute, especially since dreams of her future died long ago. When she meets her handsome, growling neighbor, she believes she’s finally found her purpose. After all, didn’t music soothe the savage beast?

While Drew battles with his guilt and anxiety, he finds safety and solace in Sarah’s company. As they enter into a surprising marriage of convenience, the earl’s temper slowly begins to improve, as does her outlook. But while an unexpected romance blooms over the summer weeks, responsibility to the title rears its ugly head, and his temper flares anew, threatening to tear apart everything they’ve built. Only patience, trust, and love will see them through to a happy ending.

Thomas, Lord Trent, was once the one bright spot in Lady Vivienne Denton’s dark life. But when she’s pushed to the brink of danger by her father, Trent is nowhere to be found. Instead, Lady Vivienne must accept the protective offer of his best friend.

Three years on, Vivienne, now Lady Worley, is a widow and once more vulnerable to her father’s abuse. Taking matters into her own hands, she regretfully vows to leave England behind and start a new life. But first she must deliver her late husband’s final words to his old friend—Lord Trent.

Wrecked by his friend’s betrayal and stung by Vivienne’s humiliating rejection, Trent buried his love for both beneath a thick layer of cool aloofness. That detachment is sorely tested when Vivienne shows up at what was meant to be a peaceful retreat on the Dorset coast. His resolve is shattered completely when he and Vivienne are stranded by a fierce storm and then must confront the monster who calls himself her father.

Conspirator or Protector?

Agent of the Crown Tristan Sheffield’s mission to uncover a traitor is complicated by an abducted child and the woman who believes him to be the kidnapper. Though she protests her innocence in the conspiracy, his chilldhood in the rookeries taught him that women are as capable of evil as men. Until he has proof he won’t let her out of his sight. Julia Dorsey’s heart goes out to Alice, the injured child who is the sole survivor of a fatal carriage accident. When she earns the crash was the result of a kidnapping gone wrong, Julia vows to protect her charge at all costs, even if it means dealing with the brute who has stolen them away to a hidden location. When their location is revealed and the traitor takes action, Tristan and Julia must join forces to hunt him down. In the race to save young Alice, their journey leads to unexpected discoveries and rewards.

But are the rewards enough to satisfy their deepest yearnings?

While hiding evidence of her father’s treason, Delphie Ballard is accosted by a persistent suitor who won’t take no for an answer. She fends him off, but her reputation is now in ruins, and she flees to the countryside in disgrace.

Charles, Lord Kingsdown, supported the French Revolution but barely escaped the guillotine. In England now, he must marry quickly or lose his grandmother’s estate. When he meets Delphie at a Christmas celebration, it’s love at first sight.

Then Charles learns about Delphie’s reputation. He feels duped and betrayed, but she can’t tell him the truth without revealing her father’s treason. Meanwhile, there are several attempts on Charles’ life. Can Delphie and Charles learn to trust one another and unmask the real traitor before it’s too late?

As the year 1818 comes to an end, Lady Theodosia Cavendish, only daughter to the Marquess of Armestead, pretends to enjoy society’s glittering ballrooms and endless rounds of parties, for she has other, more interesting projects to fulfill her. An opponent to the men who build their fortunes on the backs of the slave trade, she makes certain social injustice is always at the forefront in London… even at the expense of her life.

Mr. Samuel Johansen, son of an English lord and a high-born Jamaican lady, is a glassblower by trade and a pugilist by recreation. He’s as handsome as sin, which helps in navigating society, for he adores the life of a gentleman, but what he truly desires is a seat in the House of Commons, to fight discrimination, poverty, and class separation by helping to change laws… no matter his own personal battles.

While holiday gaiety mingles with dark hatred, one chance meeting between Theodosia and Samuel spark not only an unlikely romance but also conflict in their world. As their relationship deepens, they court intrigue and danger, and in the process provoke powerful men who wish their secrets to remain just that. When happiness is in their grasp, it’s dashed away in an egregious plan by a black hearted peer that changes their lives. Only with hope and love can they finally have their happily ever after.

Sixteen-year-old Susan Smithson – pretty but poor, clever but capricious – has just been expelled from a school for young ladies in London.

At the mansion of the formidable Lady Catherine de Bourgh, she attracts a raffish young nobleman. But, at the first hint of scandal, her guardian dispatches her to her uncle Collins’ rectory in Kent, where her sensible cousin Alicia lives and “where nothing ever happens.”

Here Susan mischievously inspires the local squire to put on a play, with consequences no one could possibly have foreseen. What with the unexpected arrival of Frank Churchill, Alicia’s falling in love and a tumultuous elopement, rural Kent will surely never seem safe again…

As the BookLife review put it for Publishers Weekly: “McVeigh’s prose and plotting are pitch-perfect. Emma mingles with Pride and Prejudice in a delightful confrontation between the two books’ worlds… This Austen-inspired novel echoes the master herself.”

Abigail Isaacs fears ever again falling under the power of love and dedicates her life to studying the heavens. However, upon her father’s demise she finds herself in reduced circumstances and must write to her brother, who has long been away at sea. When instead Captain Wentworth of the HMS Laconia sends a tragic reply, Abigail is asked to set aside her own ambitions and fulfill her brother’s dreams in the Viceroyalty of Río de la Plata.

In his relentless pursuit for justice, Lieutenant Raphael Gabay lends his sword to the Spanish American cause. But as he prepares to set sail with the others, he is entrusted with the care of a young woman. She is quite unlike anyone he has ever known, and Raphael wonders whether the brilliant astronomer will see beyond his frivolous façade and recognize his true nature.

Their destinies have been plotted beyond the celestial veil; their charts foretell of adventure. Can these two troubled souls be persuaded to heed the stars and find love—and their purpose— in this fledgling nation?

Set against the backdrop of Argentina’s struggle for independence, this Jewish historical fiction may be considered a prequel to Jane Austen’s Persuasion.