THE IMPOSSIBLE MR. GOWER

Lady Rachel Palmer was quite used to men falling helplessly in love with her. Every gentleman in aristocratic society, including her devoted fiancé, Lord Algernon Rivers, fell a willing victim to Rachel's dazzling beauty and bewitching charm.

Every gentleman, that is, except Lord Rivers' closest friend, the studiously unfashionable and splendidly handsome Mr. David Gower.

Mr. Gower made it clear that the ravishing Rache represented everything he scorned, and that he was the very last man in the world she could ever ensnare. It was a challenge Rachel could not ignore-from a man she could not resist…

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FIRE AND ICE

Rachel had never been held thus, against the full, warm length of a man's body. And she had never been kissed thus, with lips that moved over hers, parting and persuading hers to do the same. But she knew this was right. This was the way it must be.

Then she felt David's hold loosen.

"I have given into a temptation I thought I had under control," he said. "I had determined never to touch another woman this way until she had consented to be my wife."

"I can marry you," Rachel said eagerly.

He shook his head. "No, Lady Rachel, we can never marry."

Rachel's face was becoming stormy. "Give me one reason why I may not marry you."

"Because I am not asking you," he coldly replied.

Signet, North American Library, Signet

Copright 1989

And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:

And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

-Matthew 6: 28-30

Dentro de la antología `It Happened One Night` (Sucedió una noche) que contiene relatos de Stephanie Laurens, Mary Balogh, Jacquie D’alessandro y Candice Hern.

Sucedió una noche… ¡Y nada volvió a ser igual desde entonces!

Érase una vez que a cuatro Cuentacuentos increíbles…

Stephanie Laurens, Mary Balogh, Jacquie D’Alessandro y Candice Hern, se les ocurrió una deliciosa idea. ¿Y si cada una escribía una historia sobre una joven decente que se queda atrapada en una posada lejos de las restricciones de la sociedad? ¿Qué sucedería? ¿Y cuánto tardaría en sucumbir al deseo?

En estos cuatro asombrosos relatos, cuatro heroínas se enfrentarán con el hombre del que huyen… y descubren que, en lugar de ira, continúa habiendo una apasionada conexión que no pueden negar. Y aunque la vida de cada una es muy diferente y sus pasados son absolutamente únicos, realizarán un descubrimiento común: que una noche puede cambiarlo todo… para siempre.

Four romance novellas put a paranormal gloss on elements from Austen's work. Bestseller Balogh (A Precious Jewel) turns in the plodding "Almost Persuaded," wherein Jane Everett and Capt. Robert Mitford realize they're reincarnated soul mates. Gleason makes reference to her Gardella Vampire series with "Northanger Castle," in which pert Caroline Merrill, lover of vampire novels, suspects handsome Mr. Blanchard of being a bloodsucker. Krinard (Bride of the Wolf) sets "Blood and Prejudice" in New York where bookstore staffer Elizabeth Bennet encounters pharmaceutical CEO Charles Bingley and an unusual variety of vampires. Mullany (Jane and the Damned) gives us a witchy Emma Woodhouse running a dating service for Washington D.C.'s supernaturals in "Little to Hex Her." Though none show Austen's gift with character, humor, or irony, all but Balogh's are lively, and Mullany's sparkles with genuine wit.

What if Austen had believed in reincarnation and vampires? Join four bestselling romance authors as they channel the wit and wisdom of Jane Austen.

Almost Persuaded

In this Regency tale of Robert and Jane, New York Times bestselling author Mary Balogh brings together former lovers who have seen beyond the veil of forgetfulness to their past mistakes, and are determined to be together in this life, and forever.

Northanger Castle

Caroline's obsession with Gothic novels winds up being good training for a lifetime of destroying the undead with her newfound beau, in this Regency by Colleen Gleason.

Blood and Prejudice

Set in the business world of contemporary New York City, Liz Bennett joins Mr. Darcy in his hunt for a vampire cure in New York Times bestselling author Susan Krinard's version of the classic story.

Little to Hex Her

Present-day Washington, D.C., is full of curious creatures in Janet Mullany's story, wherein Emma is a witch with a wizard boyfriend and a paranormal dating service to run.

Cuando Elliott Wallace, el Vizconde Lyngate, llega a Throckbridge, la pequeña villa está alborotada por la llegada del baile del día de San Valentín. Las damas de la ciudad están ocupadas acicalándose para el baile y chismorreando acerca de la misteriosa llegada del vizconde, pero Elliot tiene asuntos más urgentes de qué ocuparse. Su regreso tiene como objeto ver a su pupilo, el conde de Merton, en tanto que la promesa que ha hecho de buscarse una esposa para Navidad tiene un gran peso en su mente.

Cuando Elliot conoce al reciente joven conde, Stephen Huxtable, y a sus tres hermanas, la desagradable Margaret, la alegre Katherine y la sencilla y viuda Vanessa, se queda absorto en la vida de la familia. Ante las quejas por parte del conde que alega que sus hermanas le vuelven loco con tantas exigencias, Elliot decide que le propondrá matrimonio a la hermana mayor.

Desesperada por rescatar a su hermana de un matrimonio sin amor, Vanessa Dew se ofrece en su lugar. Elliot acepta tan sorprendente proposición, al tiempo que se ocupa de su misión. Pero durante la noche de bodas suceden cosas de lo más extrañas: estos desconocidos sin nada en común parecen no ser capaces de quitarse las manos de encima. Ahora, mientras la intriga gira en torno a un secreto del pasado, que guarda una increíble relación con los Huxtable, Elliot y Vanessa descubren los gloriosos placeres del tálamo nupcial… y también, que cuando se trata de la dicha conyugal, el amor está muy presente.

His Vengeance Was Sweet

Judith Easton knew that even the spirit of Christmas wouldn't stop the Marquess of Denbigh from settling the score with her. For the beautiful young widow had injured Denbigh's rigid pride years ago by jilting him for another man.

Now that Judith was free from her nightmare marriage to that other man, the bold and handsome Marquess made no secret that he had her in his sights and wanted her in his arms.

But how could she trust the tender words on his lips when she could sense the hardness of his heart? And after she had made so grievous a mistake in love once, how could she ever trust her own heart's desire again?

The marquess slowed his pace, and Judith followed suit. She turned to him and fixed her eyes on the top button of his greatcoat as his gloved hands cupped her face. She lifted her hands and rested her palms against his chest. And she lifted her eyes to his and then closed them as his mouth came down to cover hers.

He was the man she had feared for so long. She tried to remember the impression she had had of his face until now-harsh, the eyes steel-gray, the lips thin. It was he who was kissing her, she told herself.

Was this the face of love? The face of hate? And did she, in this moment of abandoned ecstasy, any longer care?

Opowiadanie o miłości, która spełnia się w święta Bożego Narodzenia. Po licznych nieporozumieniach, konfliktach i przeszkodach, zdawałoby się, nie do pokonania, odnajdują szczęście, odkrywając, że kochają i są kochani, zdolni ofiarować siebie i swoje uczucie drugiemu człowiekowi.

It should have been the perfect marriage for beautiful young Georgiana Burton. The husband her parents bad Picked for her, Lord Ralph Chartleigh, was wealthy, handsome, noble, and kind.

Unfortunately, he did not measure up to Georgian's notions of what a man should be. He was uninterested in society, impervious to fashions, had the worst of tailors, knew little of women - and was wary of the little he knew.

Clearly Georgiana had to teach him a great deal about life and even more about love… forgetting until it was almost too late how much she had to learn herself…

Isabella jest gwiazdą londyńskich scen; Jack Frazer – znanym uwodzicielem, który musi porzucić hulaszczy tryb życia, by starać się o rękę panny, wybranej przez jego babkę-arystokratkę. Isabella i Jack byli kiedyś kochankami, bez szans na trwalszy związek – ona jako początkująca aktorka z trudem zarabiała wtedy na życie. Teraz, po latach, spotykają się. Cóż może z tego wyniknąć, zwłaszcza że kiedyś rozstali się w gniewie?

Różni ich wszystko. Christine Derrick i Wulfrick Bedwyn to dwa przeciwieństwa: ona żywiołowa i bezpośrednia, on chłodny i wyniosły. Lecz oboje czują, że nieodparta namiętność pcha ich ku sobie. Rozkwitające uczucie może jednak zniszczyć niegodna propozycja złożona przez Wulfricka. Co będzie musiał uczynić, żeby odzyskać utraconą miłość?

Piękny majowy poranek w posiadłości hrabiego Kilbourne. Młody lord oczekuje swej narzeczonej u stóp ołtarza. Nagle w kościele pojawia się nędznie odziana dziewczyna. A hrabia rozpoznaje w niej kobietę, którą kiedyś pokochał, poślubił i stracił, jak sądził, na zawsze. Teraz piękna Lily wraca. Lecz między nimi leży przepaść uprzedzeń i konwenansów. Pokonać ją może tylko miłość…

THE EARL OF RAYMORE WANTED NOTHING TO DO WITH LADIES

Once he had adored an angelic creature who had turned out to be a devilish minx in disguise. After that, the only females he cared to know were women who catered to his body without laying claim to his heart.

MISS ROSALIND DACEY WANTED NOTHING TO DO WITH GENTLEMEN

Unlike her best friend, the beauteous and biddable Lady Sylvia Marsh, Rosalind found flirtations a fearful ordeal and the game of love one that she could only lose. Better to be happy with herself than suffer a man who would only use her and mock her dreams.

Clearly Raymore and Rosalind were in perfect harmony in assiduously avoiding each other-until the night the unthinkable happened, and the impossible had to be faced…

Theirs should have been the perfect marriage. Sarah was as wildly in love with the Duke of Cranwell as he was with her…until, on their wedding night, Sarah was forced to reveal the secret of her past. And that, midst great public scandal, ended their marriage almost before it began.

Then in fashionable Bath their paths crossed again. The stunningly beautiful Sarah knew it was folly to think this dashing and sought-after lord would ever get over her shocking betrayal. His fury made it painfully clear that they should separate again, this time forever.

Sarah could find a thousand arguments against the wisdom -or likelihood- of so miserable an edict. For one, the duke's ridiculous masculine pride was no match for the sensuous power of her affection for him…as she counted on love to melt the last shred of his resistance to her passionate surrender…

Desterrada, en la indigencia, y tildada de asesina, Cassandra Belmont, lady Paget, llega a Londres en plena regencia, decidida a superar la reptación que la había precedido a fin de encontrar un rico caballero que pueda devolverla a la extravagante vida a la que estaba acostumbrada. Pone los ojos en Stephen Huxtable, conde de Merton, un hombre con posibilidades y de aspecto angelical, que no podría resistirse a ella.

Intrigado por el encanto de Cassandra, Stephen acepta convertirla en su amante. Pero a pesar de su aspecto y su encanto, Stephen no es ningún ángel, y Cassandra no tarda en darse cuenta de que hay que pagar un precio por intentar tentar a uno.

Alto, moreno y exquisitamente sensual, él es la personificación de la perfección masculina. No es que Claudia Martin esté buscando un amante. Ni un esposo. Como propietaria y directora de la academia de la señorita Martin en Bath, hace mucho que se resignó a vivir sin amor. Hasta que Joseph, marqués de Attingsborough, llega sin previo aviso y la tienta a arrojar por la borda toda una vida de decencia por una aventura que sólo puede conducirle a la ruina.

Joseph tiene sus propias razones para buscar a Claudia. Inmediata e irresistiblemente atraído por la delicada profesora, se embarca en un plan de seducción que los llevará a ambos a anhelar algo más. Pero, como heredero de un prestigioso ducado, se espera que Joseph continúe con el legado de la familia. Y Claudia sabe que no hay lugar para ella en su mundo.

Ahora, dicho mundo está a punto de verse sacudido por el escándalo. Un matrimonio concertado, un secreto que conmocionará a la sociedad y un hombre proveniente del pasado de Claudia, conspiran para separar a los amantes. Pero Joseph está decidido a hacer suya a Claudia a toda costa. Aunque ello signifique desafiar toda convención y romper toda regla por un amor que representa todo cuanto siempre ha deseado; un amor que es perfecto tal como es…

Miss Rebecca Shaw had lost her heart once in her young life — lost it and had it broken.

At last it had mended — mended enough for her to say yes when the handsome, high-minded young Reverend Philip Everett asked her to be his wife and share a life of the purest propriety and best of good works.

But now Christopher Sinclair had returned. He was free now of the marriage that had given him fabulous wealth at the price of leaving Rebecca behind and betrayed. He was free now to turn Rebecca's head again…away from the man who soon would be her lawfully wedded husband. And Rebecca was also free to change her mind- but was she foolish enough to turn toward a love that had proven faithless once and now could be utterly ruinous…?