Showing results by narrator "Susan Duerden" in All Categories

December 1941. Soon after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Winston Churchill arrives in Washington, D.C., along with special agent Maggie Hope. Posing as his typist, she is accompanying the prime minister as he meets with President Roosevelt to negotiate the United States’ entry into World War II. When one of the First Lady’s aides is mysteriously murdered, Maggie is quickly drawn into Mrs. Roosevelt’s inner circle—as ER herself is implicated in the crime.

Julia Lovat walks away from her seven-year affair with Michael with a broken heart and his final gift to her - an antique book full of secrets. The book is the diary of Catherine Treganna, who was kidnapped by pirates and sold into slavery in Morocco 400 years ago. When Julia travels to Morocco to discover Cat's fate, she is quickly lost in an exotic and vibrant land. Her guide is Idriss, a man so charismatic and beguiling that their meeting feels like destiny. And so, in the heat and dust, two love stories, separated by four centuries, entwine and blossom....

World War II rages on across Europe, but Maggie Hope has finally found a moment of rest on the pastoral coast of western Scotland. Home from an undercover mission in Berlin, she settles down to teach at her old spy training camp, and to heal from scars on both her body and heart. Yet instead of enjoying the quieter pace of life, Maggie is quickly drawn into another web of danger and intrigue.

Lavinia Tempest has been eagerly anticipating a spectacular season. But one disastrous pile-up on the Almack's dance floor derails all her plans. Added to that, the very stunning revelations about her mother's scandalous past have become the ton's latest on dits. Lavinia's future has gone from shining bright to blackest night in one misstep.

World War II has finally come home to Britain, but it takes more than nightly air raids to rattle intrepid spy and expert code breaker Maggie Hope. After serving as a secret agent to protect Princess Elizabeth at Windsor Castle, Maggie is now an elite member of the Special Operations Executive–a black ops organization designed to aid the British effort abroad–and her first assignment sends her straight into Nazi-controlled Berlin, the very heart of the German war machine. Relying on her quick wit and keen instincts, Maggie infiltrates the highest level of Berlin society, gathering information to pass on to London headquarters. But the secrets she unveils will expose a darker, more dangerous side of the war–and of her own past.

Delusion's Master is the third book of the stunning arabesque high-fantasy series Tales from the Flat Earth, which, in the manner of The One Thousand and One Nights, portrays an ancient world in mythic grandeur via connected tales. Come within this ancient world of brilliant darkness and beauty, of glittering palaces and wondrous elegant beings, of cruel passions and undying love. Discover the exotic wonder that is the Flat Earth.

Her Aunt Allegra said, "A young lady with a fortune is subject to all sorts of untoward attentions by the worst sort of vagrants." It is a lesson Tabitha Timmons, a penniless spinster, has never needed to heed. That is, until she is left a vast fortune payable only upon her marriage to the very respectable Mr. Barkworth - a match that offers little chance of discovering exactly what her aunt means by "untoward attentions." But the same can't be said when the Duke of Preston happens along Tabitha's path....

After her mother's suicide, Abbie Myers returns home to the Lake District with her young child - and no wedding ring. Estranged from her turbulent family for many years, Abbie is heartbroken when she hears that they blame her for this tragedy. Determined to uncover her mother's past, Abbie approaches her beloved grandmother, Millie, in search of answers. The old woman reveals the story of how she travelled to Russia in 1911 as a young governess and became caught up in the revolution.

Deceptively fragile-looking, Eleanore of Ashlin had promised her life to God...until fate intervened. With her brother's untimely death, Eleanore - known as Elf to those who love her - becomes the heiress of an estate vital to England's defenses. She is ordered by royal command to wed one of the king's knights rather than take her final vows. With resistant heart, but ever obedient to King Stephen's will, she complies.

Sensible gentleman of means seeks a sensible lady of good breeding for correspondence, and in due consideration, matrimony. Which is exactly the sort of advertisement that makes practical-to-a-fault Daphne Dale's heart flutter. A sensible gentleman, in her estimation, is the perfect match, and she's even more convinced once she's exchanging sensibly romantic letters with her very appropriate suitor. That is, until Lord Henry Seldon strays into her path.

The Jacobs family has lived at Orley Court for generations. But when Vanessa Jacobs is widowed and left to manage the property, she finds costs spiralling out of control. In order to stay in their beloved home, she and her daughters will have to sell part of it off - a decision that drives a wedge between Vanessa and her mother-in-law. The new owners of the north wing are Laurence Sturridge and his father, Marcus. Both of them long for an escape: Laurence from the monotony of his City career; Marcus from the grief of losing his wife.

When a young British girl, born and reared in India, loses her neglectful parents in an earthquake, she is returned to England to live at her uncle's castle. Due to the loss of his wife ten years before, her uncle is very distant and, once again, the girl finds herself ignored. As she grows accustomed to the house and its inhabitants, she begins exploring the estate and discovers a garden, the doors of which have been locked.

Chloe Benson wakes up kidnapped and bound in an underground tomb with no memory of how she got there

A built-in family is not what Lady Cassandra Worth intended to take on, especially after having sworn never to marry again. But that is what the reckless, destitute special agent for the crown Colonel Quinten Beckham offers. When he inherited the title Earl of Rosemont, he was left not only a rundown estate and a mountain of debts, but his brother's two young children. Now he must find a way to raise his two nieces, keep his estate afloat, and continue his dangerous undercover work.

"People your age belong at home," 73-year-old Mrs. Perivale is told when she tries to volunteer. With her son grown and gone, and her community turning their backs on her, the gravity of no longer being needed sinks her spirits deeply. She wonders if she has outlived her usefulness until a mystical little creature sneaks into Alice Perivale's home and begs her to come with him; there is a prophecy about her, and she must help save his world!

Giles has a golden touch - investments, horses, connections, but when he falls...hard for Suzanna, she turns him away, despite the passion sparking between them. At wit's end, Giles wagers her that not only will she marry him, but he'll make her fall in love with him. If Suzanna wins, she gains a sizable fortune for her favorite charity but she faces a loveless marriage to a titled man.

Lady Elizabeth is hiding in plain sight...and very plain dresses. To escape her traitorous father's reputation, she's left behind the glittering balls of London Society to act as a governess. For the first time in her life, she's independent and taking care of herself. All is fine...until the irresistible Lord Hawkins arrives at her employer's house.

Leander, Lord Charrington has a problem. Raised to be a charming diplomat, women fall in love with him. He, however, seeks a marriage of convenience with a sensible woman with whom he can live on honest terms. The impoverished widow, Judith Rossiter, Angel Bride of poet Sebastian Rossiter, seems ideal. Still dressing in black, she remains devoted to her dead husband, and she has children to provide for. Judith Rossiter thanks heaven for the earl's offered escape from disaster.

After leaving the army and falling out with his family, the Honorable Catesby Burgoyne is drowning his sorrows when he comes across a woman being attacked by thugs. A fight is just what he needs, but little does he realize the lady he rescues will change his life. For Prudence Youlgrave is not just the victim of ruffians. Her life has been made a shambles by her selfish brother and brutish fiancé. But she has a bold and courageous spirit Catesby can't resist, and before he knows it, he finds he has rescued her again by marrying her himself.

The death of her husband freed Serena Riverton from life as an abused sex object. Now, her brother plans to sell her to another vile man. This time, Serena flees, but finds herself stranded and near penniless. When a passing gentleman offers help, Serena accepts, and develops a new plan: become a rich man's mistress so she can leave at any time. Believing herself barren, Serena initiates a passionate encounter with her rescuer. However, Francis, Lord Middlethorpe, is already committed to a lady. Then Serena discovers she's pregnant. Is there any hope for the future they both seek?