Showing results by author "Jess Michaels" in All Categories

Phineas Blanchard, the Earl of Delacourt, feels restless and he can’t place why. It’s like there’s some itch he can’t scratch as he goes through the motions of his duties to his title and the dissipated pleasures he finds as a rake in hells all over London. Until, that is, he encounters a mysterious woman one night. One who bewitches and challenges him in ways that keep him dreaming of her. Imagine his surprise when he later realizes she is the infamous masked female boxing champion only known as The Hellion.

Adelaide Longford is London’s most overlooked bluestocking wallflower and that is fine by her. Being ignored gives her the perfect opportunity to sneak out and secretly take on the persona of the most celebrated actress of the day, Lydia Ford. The thrill of walking the boards and hearing the applause of those who watch her is the most exciting experience of her life. Until Graham Everly, Duke of Northfield comes into her life. He is broken after the humiliating loss of his longtime fiancé to his supposed best friend and they enter into a lusty affair which sets her body on fire. Graham has no idea why he’s so attracted to both the bespectacled, prickly Adelaide and the passionate Lydia, but soon he is caught in a dance with them both and torn between which future he wants to pursue. When Graham finds out Adelaide’s secret identity will he be able to accept both parts of her? And will he be able to save her from a lurking danger that neither of them could have ever foreseen?

The wild and charismatic Duke of Abernathe is the kind of friend anyone would wish to have. He even formed the 1797 Club, consisting of 10 men who would all be dukes. But he has full-throatedly declared he will never marry and no one understands why. But Miss Emma Liston doesn't care why. A longtime wallflower with an absentee father who is a scandal waiting to happen, she needs to marry. Now. She decides to take a wild chance and ask the help of her friend Meg's brother James.

From Dickens's A Christmas Carol to the ghost stories of M.R. James, the tradition of a haunted tale at Christmas has flourished across the centuries. The twelve stories of The Winter Spirits are all centred around Christmas or Advent, boldly and playfully re-imagining a beloved tradition for a modern audience. Taking you from a haunted Tuscan villa to a remote Scottish island with a dark secret, and drawing inspiration from festive traditions from all around the globe, these vibrant haunted stories are your ultimate companion for frosty nights.

Recently widowed Charlotte may be the proper Countess of Portsmith to society, but when she is around Ewan, she still feels like the enraptured little girl who met him decades before when her brother was best friends with him and his cousin. A planned trip to spend Christmas with their families at Duke of Donburrow Ewan’s estate reunites the old friends. But when a storm keeps the others from arriving on time, Charlotte decides to stop living in fear and pursue the man she has desired and loved her entire life.

Lysandra Keates is running out of options. Her father is dead, her mother is ill, and her efforts to find respectable employment have ended in failure. With her small savings bleeding away, she swallows her pride - and her terror - and turns to Vivien Manning, an infamous courtesan, to match her with a wealthy protector. For years, Viscount Andrew Callis has lived a monastic existence at his country estate, hardening his body against the snobbish, lazy young man he once was...

When Claire found out a devastating secret about her family, the famous Woodley clan, she ran straight into the arms of a criminal and disappeared for years. But now she's desperate to escape his clutches and get back what he's stolen from her: her child. She turns to longtime family horse-master Warrick Blackwood, knowing his secrets can get her close to her target.

Lucas Vincent may be the Duke of Willowby but he’s never acted as such. He’s been too busy working for the war department as a spy. But years of dangerous work has finally caught up to him, and he was involved in a violent attack that nearly killed him. Diana Oakford was raised by a physician who served the King’s war department, and she knows better than most the dangers that job entails. She was also trained in healing, so when she’s asked to come and assist with Lucas’s recovery, she has a hard time refusing.

When Christopher “Kit” Collins’ father dies, he is devastated, but he must swiftly take on the title of Duke of Kingsacre and all the responsibility that comes with it. Including the care of his very young, illegitimate half-sister, who is now his ward. He is very upset when he discovers the governess his father hired for the child just before his death is Sarah Carlton. Sarah is equally disturbed by the arrival of her new employer, as she and Kit once had an unpleasant encounter when she was at her lowest point.

Baldwin Undercross, Duke of Sheffield, has a secret he’s keeping from almost everyone he knows and loves. He is destitute, thanks to gambling by his late father and his own bad decisions. There is only one option now: marry for money, and do it soon. An opportunity presents itself when a rich American woman arrives in Society hunting for a title in trade for a huge dowry.

Do you dare open the door and enter a place like no other? In these three historical tales of sensual awakening, nothing that stimulates and titillates is taboo, ecstasy comes in many sizes, and pleasure is its own reward . . . a world of seduction and sensation, where inhibitions are unlaced...

Matthew Cornwallis, Duke of Tyndale, once loved a woman, but she died in a tragic accident he felt responsible for. Since then, he’s been playing pretend that he isn’t broken inside, even as he’s seen as London’s most sought after bachelor. He decides to drown his sorrows at the notorious Donville Masquerade where he encounters an alluring stranger who he spends the night with.

Lady Marianne has been a wallflower since her disastrous debut, but because since she always had a friend, Claudia, along the wall, she never minded much. But when Claudia dies and leaves her a beautiful jewelry box, and a hidden list of things her friend wanted to do in her life, everything is turned on its head. Marianne begins to question what she knows about herself, her dreams and what could be possible for her future. It all inspires her to try to complete her dear friend’s bucket list. If only she could find someone more experienced to help her…

Elise had her reasons for walking away from Lucien, reasons he doesn't understand. Back in Society, she's now financially desperate and is even considering becoming someone's mistress. But Lucien keeps appearing at the most inopportune moments and it's only a matter of time before the desire between them explodes. Time will tell if Lucien will be able to see past his lusty drive for revenge. And if Elise can convince him she's worthy of more, despite the past.

Simon Greene, Duke of Crestwood has been obsessed with Margaret Rylon for years. There is only one thing standing between them: her fiancé, who also happens to be his best friend. He is desperate not to destroy everything in his life by giving in to his desires, but when Meg and Simon are trapped alone together overnight during a storm, the resulting scandal not only breaks Meg's existing engagement, but forces Simon to offer for her instead.

Robert Smithton, Duke of Roseford, is known for his lusty appetites and his cold, cold heart. Still, thanks to his title and his fortune, everyone wants him, and he’s bored of it all. He wants something, but he cannot place what exactly that is. Until he meets Katherine, the Countess of Gainsworth.

A mistress should never be foolish enough to fall in love with her protector, nor trust him with her financial future. Mariah Desmond did both, and now her dearly departed protector has left her with nothing.Forced to seek another protector, she's determined that this time, she'll lead with her survival instinct-not her heart. But when she attends one of Vivien Manning's infamous parties, the familiar face of her late lover's best friend throws her for a loop.

Vivien Manning, the notorious Mistress Matchmaker, is tired. Tired of the parties, tired of the lovers, tired of being her. So she decides to leave London behind once and for all and start a whole new life. But before she goes, she must tie up some loose ends, and makes a list that includes a man she's never been fully able to let go - Benedict Greystone. Benedict was broken when Vivien broke off their affair years ago. When she comes back into his life - and his bed - he isn't certain of anything except the power of their desire.

Annabelle Flynn is the sister of London's two biggest libertines, and her reaction has been to become the picture of purity. But the sensual nature of her family has not been lost on her, and she is troubled by urges she dare not follow. She ignores the demands of her body and instead throws herself into two different activities. One is pursuing a proper marriage in society and the other is trying to save her broken brother by following him into the shocking Donville Masquerade, part of a hell run by the mysterious Marcus Rivers.

Criminal Jack Blackwood has plenty of problems, from his complicated relationship with his brother to the plethora of men coming to dethrone him as king of the underground. What he doesn't need is a rich, bored gentleman showing up to try to join his gang. Worse, he doesn't need that gentleman's sister, Lady Letitia Seagate, chasing after him demanding he keep her brother safe. If only the lady weren't so damned intriguing.