Showing results by author "Valerie Bowman" in All Categories

Certain that no man wants a bluestocking for a wife, Miss Jane Lowndes is careful to wield her books and her spectacles as weapons against matrimony. Convincing her ambitious mama that she's content to stay a spinster is easier said than done, however. It's a good thing that Jane is not above a bit of manufactured scandal if it will keep her from the altar and the argumentative, contrary Lord Garrett Upton....

Every fortune-hunting female in London is after the newly titled Earl of Drake, but he's intent on finding a wife whose heart is true. So, while drunkenly jesting with his friends in a pub one night, he has an idea - what if the ladies of the ton didn't know he was a wealthy earl? All he has to do is pose as a servant at his friend's summer country house party and make sure the guest list is full of beautiful, eligible debutantes. What could possibly go wrong?

A dutiful lady's maid, Miss Madeline Atwater knows precisely what her future holds: countless nights of dressing her mistress in silk gowns, pinning her hair in elegant curls, and selecting the perfect pair of slippers before sending her off to the ball. But Madeline harbors a secret dream. Just once, she'd like to be the one who attends the grand party—and tonight could be her chance. All she needs to do is borrow her mistress's cast-off dress and sneak downstairs during the Twelfth Night Ball . . .

Lady Upton's tongue may be too sharp to attract suitors, but her heart is good, and when her painfully shy friend Cassandra needs help, she devises a brilliant scheme to help her discourage an unwanted suitor, the Duke of Claringdon. Lucy will hide behind the hedgerow and tell Cass just what to say...but it turns out that he's made of sterner stuff than either of them anticipated. And Lucy is shocked to discover that tangling with the tenacious man is the most fun she's had in ages.

Rhys Sheffield, the Duke of Worthington, has bet his friends an ungodly sum of money that despite his loftiness, he can pass himself off as a servant at the house party of the Season. But when his ex-flame arrives and recognizes Rhys pretending to be a groomsman, she realizes it's the perfect opportunity to pay him back for breaking off their engagement.

When Veronica said "I do" to Sebastian Sinclair, Duke of Edgefield, she thought all her dreams had come true. He was dashing and doting, and she absolutely adored him—until he betrayed her trust, shattering their marriage, and her heart, into a million tiny bits. She hasn't seen her husband in the two years since, and she'd just as soon make it twenty. But when she learns that her beloved grandfather's dying wish is for her and Sebastian to attend the family's Christmastide celebration, she swallows her pride and asks him a favor: to pretend they're the happy couple they once were.

A duchess awaiting trial for her vile husband's murder is the most delicious gossip the ton has heard in years. But for Kate Townsende, the woman in question, it could be a matter of life and death. And when a shrewd and handsome nobleman offers to publish her side of the story while arranging for a barrister to take her case, she's tempted by much more than the chance to defend herself. James Bancroft, Viscount Medford, tells himself he's only interested in a best-selling pamphlet, but Kate's stubborn determination is captivating. Could the accused widow be telling the truth?

Fresh off the battlefield, Captain David Ellsworth has returned home to discover the shocking and unwelcome news that he's the new Earl of Elmwood. Though David had no idea he was in line for a title, he and his sister must now navigate the snark-infested waters of the London ton. He knows how to be a soldier, an officer, and a brother, but he hasn't a clue how to be an earl. David will need all the help he can get. Even if it comes from the undeniably beautiful woman...who is the darling of the world he detests.

Ewan Fairchild, Viscount Clayton, has been busy ticking off the boxes for a bright future. Become a rising star in Parliament? Check. Find a lady he intends to marry? Check. Make his stables the envy of every man in London? Check, thanks to the prize Arabian thoroughbred he's just won at auction. Clayton's on his way to having it all and won't change course for anyone - not even the beautiful young woman next door.

All of London knows Beau Bellham as the marquess of Bellingham, but only a trusted few know he also works for the Home Office. His specialty? Scouting out traitors to the Crown. So, when one of his friends pretends to be a footman at a house party in order to find a wife, Beau decides posing as a valet at the same gathering will be the perfect cover for him to spy on the men he suspects of treason. What Beau doesn't count on, however, is butting heads with a far-too-certain-of-herself maid who gives him hell at every turn.

Sie ist ein Mauerblümchen auf der Suche nach einem Gewinn. Die bücherliebende Lady Elizabeth Whitmoreland hat kein Interesse daran, eine Debütantin zu sein. Sie sitzt lieber in Ruhe in einer Bibliothek, als mit einem Einfaltspinsel in einem Ballsaal zu tanzen. Doch als sie mitbekommt, wie eine Wette bei einer Schachpartie abgeschlossen wird, sieht sie ihre Chance, den selbstgefälligsten Lebemann der feinen Gesellschaft herauszufordern. Wenn er verliert, muss er eine ganze Saison lang vorgeben, ihr den Hof zu machen, um ihre unerbittliche Mutter von ihr fernzuhalten.

Lady Jessica Whitmoreland hatte schon immer einen klaren Plan für ihre erste Saison: einen passenden Ehemann finden und ihren Platz in der Gesellschaft sichern. Sie hat es auf den Fang der Saison abgesehen, den Duke of Thornbury, Aiden Thornton. Doch als er Jessica bei ihrer ersten Begegnung beleidigt, tut sie ihn als unhöflich und arrogant ab. … auf einen Duke mit Haltung trifft …

Miss Madeline Atwood, eine pflichtbewusste Zofe, weiß genau, was die Zukunft für sie bereithält: unzählige Abende, an denen sie ihre Herrin in Seidenkleider hüllt, ihr Haar zu eleganten Locken hochsteckt und das perfekte Paar Schuhe auswählt, bevor sie sie auf einen Ball schickt. Doch Madeline hegt einen geheimen Traum. Nur einmal möchte sie diejenige sein, die an einem großartigen Ball teilnimmt – und dieser Abend könnte ihre Chance sein. Alles, was sie tun muss, ist, sich das abgelegte Kleid ihrer Herrin auszuleihen und sich während des Dreikönigsballs nach unten zu schleichen.

Als Veronica Sebastian Sinclair, dem Duke of Edgefield, das Jawort gab, glaubte sie, alle ihre Träume seien wahr geworden. Er war schneidig und vernarrt in sie, und sie liebte ihn über alles – bis er ihr Vertrauen missbrauchte und ihre Ehe und ihr Herz in tausend kleine Stücke zerbrach. Jetzt hat sie ihren Mann seit zwei Jahren nicht mehr gesehen, und sie würde am liebsten zwanzig daraus machen.

A spirited lady facing spinsterhood. A common man with a noble mission. And a surprise that just might be waiting for them under the mistletoe in Kiss Me at Christmas by Valerie Bowman. Bow Street Runner Daffin Oakleaf abhors Christmas. Carol singing and holiday cheer only remind him of a dark time. When a close friend calls on him for help, Daffin is happy to capitalize on the distraction. But when he learns that the lovely Lady Regina is the one in danger, he’s to become bodyguard to the captivating woman.

Young, widowed, and penniless, Lily Andrews, the Countess of Merrill, has strong opinions on marriage. When she spots a certain engagement announcement in The Times, she decides to take action. She will not allow another hapless girl to fall prey to a man - particularly the scoundrel who broke her heart five years ago. Anonymously she writes and distributes a pamphlet entitled "Secrets of a Wedding Night," knowing it will find its way into his intended's innocent hands.

After defeating Napoleon at Waterloo, Captain Julian Swift is not quite ready to settle down and enter into his unwanted arranged marriage. Patience Bunbury is witty, independent, passionate, and, unbeknownst to him, the cousin of his current fiancée. When the truth about Cass comes out, will he surrender his heart to a woman who really is too good to be true?

Annie Andrews has her heart set on marrying a certain man. Now that her guardian and sister, Lily, is off on her wedding trip on the continent, Annie is about to make one last attempt to marry Arthur before her sister can stop her. But Annie doesn't count on the best friend of her new brother-in-law, Jordan Holloway, Earl of Ashbourne, fouling up her plans. Jordan has vowed to keep an eye on the mischievous Miss Andrews. He has two weeks to keep her out of trouble and to keep her from running away again.

Miss Sophie Payton might be engaged, but she's not in love. The only man who ever captured her heart was Phillip Grayson—a soldier who was slain a year ago. But when her stepmother decrees that Sophie will marry Phillip's cousin, the new Duke of Harlowe, she's in no position to refuse. The ton thinks Phillip Grayson died a hero on the battlefields of Europe, but he's very much alive, and he has returned to London. He doesn't understand how Sophie could have betrayed him; she can't forgive him for letting her believe he was dead. And yet neither can deny the attraction between them.

Lady Eliza Whitmoreland just wants to be left alone. A season and a husband are the last things she needs or wants. But when the ton's biggest rake tries to charm her, instead of rolling her eyes, she sees her chance. She challenges the blowhard to a game of chess. The prize? If she wins, he has to pretend to be her fiance for the rest of the season to get her mother off her back.