NOV JAN Feb 27 2010 2012 2013 48 captures 27 Jan 02 - 27 Jan 12

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Temporary Arrangements

Joan Aiken, The Five-Minute Marriage.
Lady who agreed to a pretend marriage in exchange for money discovers it's binding.

Barbara Allister, Temporary Husband.
Lord and lady agree to a marriage in name only.

Cynthia Bailey-Pratt, The Temporary Bride.
Lord who needs his inheritance and lady who needs money agree to a sham marriage.

Elizabeth Bailey, The Captain's Return.
A captain is surprised to find his lost life living the life of a widow with a child and agrees to pose as her husband returned from the war.

Rebecca Baldwin, A Tangled Web.
Lady convinces an old friend to pose as her fiance to attract a dashing gentleman's attention, but finds she is developing feelings for her friend.

Mary Balogh, A Counterfeit Betrothal.
Lady asks a lord to pose as her betrothed to bring her separated parents together.

Mary Balogh, The Temporary Wife.
Marquess hires a lady to be his wife in order to enrage his father.

*Sarah Baughman, Penelope's Hope.
A secret artist and a young man enter a mutually beneficial engagement, with some light mystery and strong Christian themes. Self-published. 

Anne Barbour, A Pressing Engagement.
Earl threatens a lady with prison unless she poses as his fiancee.

Donna Bell, A Tangled Web.
A lady puts off her tiresome mama's inquiries about her prospects by pretending an attachment to a widower.

Jo Beverley, Deirdre and Don Juan.
Earl who wants a quiet wife after his first abandoned him ends up in a sham engagement with a lady who loves another.

Diana Campbell, The Counterfeit Countess.
Lady poses as the wife of an earl who wants to win his grandmother's approval and money.

Marilyn Clay, Miss Eliza's Gentleman Caller.
Lady tries to show her widowed father that a much younger lady is an unsuitable second wife by pretending an engagement to a much older man.

Susan Clitheroe, The Devil's Protection.
Vicar's daughter who received a surprise inheritance and an unwanted proposal from a greedy relative agrees to accompany a rakish earl to Vienna posing as his wife.

Caroline Courtney, Abandoned for Love.
Duke decides to choose a bride from among 3 ladies by testing their reactions when he introduces a nobody from Yorkshire as his duchess.

Ann Elizabeth Cree, A Bargain with Fate.
Lord who needs a lady to pose as his fiancee asks a lady whose family estate he won in a card game.

Jasmine Cresswell, The Blackwood Bride.
Viscount picks a supposedly dying woman from a workhouse for a brief marriage but she turns out to be sturdier than he thought.

Jasmine Cresswell, The Danewood Legacy.
A lady fleeing an arranged marriage is entrapped by a madame and sold to an aristocrat who forces her to pose as his wife.

Marian Devon, Miss Armstead Wears Black Gloves.
Lady trying to avoid an unwanted marriage pretends to be engaged to a naval hero presumed lost at sea -- but then he returns.

Sarah Eagle, The Bedeviled Baron.
Lady who loves writing and a baron who loves the sea pretend to fall in love to please their parents.

Rachelle Edwards, The Marriage Bargain.
Lady who loves another agrees to be the perfect wife for one year, when her husband promises he'll divorce her.

Rachelle Edwards, Lord Trenton's Proposal.
Scholarly chaperone accused of theft is rescued by a lord who proposes to her but then announces that their betrothal was an effort to catch the real thief.

Dorothy Elbury, A Hasty Betrothal,
A lord agrees to a temporary betrothal to help a lady escape an unwanted marriage but a series of events including an abduction lead to a more permanent arrangement.

Zabrina Faire, Midnight Match.
Lady agrees to wed a man who was shot rescuing her from an abduction and who expects to die of his wounds, but he survives and she finds herself married to a stranger.

Mona Gedney, Frost Fair Fiance.
Calling off her wedding to an older man after falling in love with someone else, a lady is subsequently jilted and enlists the help of a bookish gentleman to pose as her fiance.

Barbara Hazard, The Singular Miss Carrington.
Lord asks lady who shuns marriage to pose as his fiancee.

Barbara Hazard, Mad Masquerade.
Lord and lady confronted by intrigue in Italy must pose as newlyweds on their honeymoon.

Georgette Heyer, Cotillion.
Heiress who must choose one of her cousins as a husband asks one to poses as her fiance in order arouse jealousy in the cousin she loves but who is indifferent to her.

Cindy Holbrook, The Actress and the Marquis.
Lady pretending to be an actress to save her brother from financial ruin is hired to play an earl's fiancee to foil his grandmother's matchmaking.

Samantha Holder, Temporary Wife.
Lady who's turned down several offers is snowbound at an inn with a new earl who needs a temporary wife.

Emma Jensen, Choice Deceptions.
Lady is hired to play a lord's fiancee.

April Kihlstrom, An Outrageous Proposal.
Lady who disdains marriage agrees to a sham betrothal not realizing it is a scheme to win her heart.

Valerie King, Reluctant Bride.
When her suitor treats her cousins rudely, a lady accepts his proposal with the intention of leading him a marry chase then jilting him publicly.

Martha Kirkland, The Honorable Thief.
Honorable lady ends up stealing from a stranger then spending the night at an inn posing as his wife.

Allison Lane, The Impoverished Viscount.
Inexperienced lady pursued by a rake accepts the help of a lord who wants her to pose as his fiancee.

Emma Lange, The False Fiancee.
Duke hires a lady he thinks is an actress to be his fiancee in order to uncover a plot against his life.

Lillian Lincoln, Fine Feathers.
A wealthy, naive lady is rescued from a fortune hunter by a lord's false proposal.

Dorothy Mack, The Mock Marriage.
Lady who impersonated an actress on the stage is asked by a gentleman to pose as his fiancee to fool his grandmother.

Dorothy Mack, The Temporary Betrothal.
Captain proposes a fake betrothal to the cousin of the married lady he loves.

Elizabeth Mansfield, The Counterfeit Husband.
Countess asks a merchant seaman to play her husband.

Michelle Martin, The Mad Miss Mathley.
Lady who is ordered to accept the next proposal she receives hopes to change her parents' minds by entering a false betrothal with a notorious rake in exchange for giving him entree back into society.

Dorothy Mack, The Gold Scent Bottle.
Lady must pose as a gentleman's fiancee in order to get her gold scent bottle back.

Mary Morrow, An Innocent Ruse.
Canadian orphan returns to England and avoids an arranged marriage by pretending to be engaged but falls in love with her fiance's brother.

Lindsay Randall, Lady Lissa's Liaison.
Lady plagued by fortune hunters invents a liaison with an earl of frightful reputation.

Ellen Randolph, The Rushden Legacy.
Lady fakes a betrothal to avoid an unwanted marriage.

Joy Reed, Twelfth Night.
Lady escapes an abduction to Gretna Green only to find herself snowbound with a rake who suggests a false betrothal to save her reputation.

Madeleine Robins, The Spanish Marriage.
A gentleman escorting a lady home from Spain suggests they wed to avoid scandal and have the marriage annulled later.

Melynda Beth Skinner, Miss Grantham's One True Sin.
A runaway heiress mistakes a rake for a gentleman and asks him to pose as her fiance, while he in turn decides to marry her for her fortune.

Melynda Beth Skinner, Lord Logic and the Wedding Wish.
A lady descended from gypsies is mistaken for a proper lord's mistress and enters a false engagement with him to preserve their reputations.

Joan Smith, Wife Errant.
When her mother starts flirting with beaux to put her husband in his place, a lady tries to stop her by inventing an affair of her own with a known rake.

Annette Summers, The Surprising Lady Rochdale.
Daughter of a doctor in India agrees to a one-year marriage to a lord but does not divulge her plans for the money he intends to settle on her.

Margaret Summerville, The Infamous Earl.
Lady tries to get her parents to accept the man she loves by pretending to make a disastrous match with a rake.

Julie Tetel, The Temporary Bride.
Lady on her way to a governess position is waylaid by a gambler who wants her to pose as his wife to flush out the criminal who holds the key to his past.
 
 

Marriages of Convenience

Barbara Allister, An Amiable Arrangement.
Lady whose first fiance jilted her because of her injuries agrees through an exchange of letters to marry a man whose wife apparently died in mysterious circumstances.

Barbara Allister, A Marriage of Convenience.
Companion to the mother of the fiance who jilted her when her family lost their money marries the friend who always loved her but who may have rabies.

Barbara Allister, The Prudent Partnership.
To protect her family fortune, a lady enters a marriage of convenience with a gentleman noted for his amorous escapades.

Caroline Arnett, Clarissa.
Lady accepts a marriage of convenience to a mysterious man to escape life as companion to a cruel lady.

Elizabeth Bailey, The Veiled Bride.
A lord with a badly scarred face places an advertisment for a wife.

Rebecca Baldwin, The Cassandra Knot.
Lady proposes a marriage of convenience to the man she loves to escape her greedy relatives.

Mary Balogh, The Obedient Bride.
Lady falls in love with her husband who intends to keep his mistress.

Mary Balogh, The Ideal Wife.
Earl plagued by matchmaking mamas proposes to a lady who comes asking for work.

Mary Balogh, Dancing with Clara.
Paralyzed lady pays a gentleman's debts in exchange for marriage and intimacy.

Mary Balogh, The Famous Heroine.
Country girl marries a fop thinking he's not interested in women.

Blair Bancroft, The Lady and the Cit.
A lady who needs a husband to own her land accepts an offer from a businessman who wants a seat in Parliament.

Elizabeth Barron, An Amicable Arrangement.
Actor-lord agrees to a marriage of convenience with a compromised lady.

Jo Beverely, Christmas Angel.
Lord and widow expect a comfortable marriage of convenience.

Meredith Bond, Miss Seton's Sonata.
A lady who finds herself in a marriage of convenience with a man who vows never to love again uses the power of music to change his mind.

Irene Loyd Black, A Determined Lady.
In order to have her novel published, a Boston bluestocking answers an ad for a "plain Jane" to marry a wealthy lord who loves another.

Diana Brown, The Emerald Necklace.
Lady marries a self-made man of illegitimate birth to save her father from debt, but when she comes to love her husband she fears she has mistreated him for too long.

Diana Campbell, Lord Margrave's Deception.
Poor lady accepts a sham marriage to a lord who wants to avoid scheming ladies.

Sarah Carlisle, Widow Aubrey.
Widow who marries a lord to help her sister is surprised to find she's happy until an old beau turns up.

Elizabeth Chater, Miss Cayley's Unicorn.
A lady trying to avoid marrige to a slaver and a lord trying to avoid his mother's matchmaking agree to a marriage of convenience.

Marion Chesney, The Marquis Takes a Bride.
Marriage of convenience leaves a lady free to flirt, but she's drawn to her husband.

Marion Chesney, Quadrille.
Country mouse whose husband married her for her dowry tries flirting with another man to get her husband's attention.

Marion Chesney, A Marriage of Inconvenience.
Lady disguised as an ice princess to thwart unwanted proposals nevertheless becomes engaged to a man who is himself disguised as a mincing dandy.

Cathleen Clare, A Priceless Acquisition.
Divorced duke who thinks his daughter is flawed by a small scars offers a loveless marriage to her governess, only to find out how priceless they both are to him when they are kidnapped for ransom by his ex-wife.

Catherine Coulter, An Honorable Offer.
Lady who's disliked men since her brother-in-law accosted her marries a man with many mistresses thinking he'll leave her alone.

Rebecca Danton, The Ruby Heart.
Lady who scorns men must marry the fellow godparent of her nephew to save the boy from greedy relatives.

Rachelle Edwards, Marriage a la Mode.
Lord takes revenge on the mistress who jilted him by marrying the poor relation she sent to break the news.

Ellen Fitzgerald, Lord Caliban.
Disheartened by the disappearance of her true love, a lady agrees to a loveless marriage with the man who once saved her life.

Violet Hamilton, An Officer's Alliance.
Lady marries a rakish captain in order to spy for England.

Barbara Hazard, The Calico Countess.
Lady saves her sister from an arrogant man but is herself forced into a marriage in name only with him.

Barbara Hazard, Autumn Hazard.
Lady vows not to let the man who married her to fulfill a promise to his mother know that she loves him.

Sandra Heath, Marigold's Marriages.
Impoverished lady at the mercy of her husband's greedy relatives accepts a proposal from a lord who believes in an ancient curse.

Sandra Heath, Second Thoughts.
A widow with a son who is governess to a lord's daughter accepts her employer's offer of a marriage of convenience.

Betty L. Henrichs, A Convenient Bride.
Lord marries a drab country miss so he can pursue his pleasures not realizing she'll become a Toast.

Georgette Heyer, The Convenient Marriage.
Lady who offered herself to an earl in place of her sister doesn't realize she loves her husband until she finds herself deep in a dangerous intrigue with his enemy.

Georgette Heyer, Friday's Child.
Viscount marries his childhood friend to get his mother off his back.

Fiona Hill, The Country Gentleman.
Independent society lady who loses her money must retire to her farm and accepts marriage as a business arrangement with her bumbling neighbor.

Betty Hale Hyatt, Portrait of Errin.
Uncle's gaming forces a lady to leave her fiance and accept a marriage of convenience with a distant relation in Cornwall.

Carla Kelly, With This Ring.
Lady eclipsed by her sister agrees to a wounded soldier's proposal.

April Kihlstrom, Twice Betrothed.
American lady whose love was lost at sea accepts a proposal from a gentleman only to learn he is marrying to make his love affair easier.

Amy Lake, The Earl's Wife.
A lady with an urgent need to wed enters inot a marriage of convenience with a lord who has his own reasons to marry, but when her carriage found overturned he is frantic to find her.

Allison Lane, The Rake's Rainbow.
Vicar's daughter marries a rake who is in love with another man's wife.

Judith Lansdowne, Balmorrow's Bride.
Lady agrees to marry a widower sight unseen to save her brother from financial ruin.

Alice Chetwyn Ley, A Conformable Wife.
A dashing gentleman seeking a conformable wife proposes to a spinster in Bath.

Anthea Malcolm, A Sensible Match.
Unromantic lady and gentleman make a sensible match but find their passion for each other inflamed while seeking to divert a royal scandal.

Elizabeth Mansfield, A Brilliant Mismatch.
Lady who vows to marry the first man she sees must marry a mysterious 'vagrant.'

Laura Matthews, Lord Greywell's Dilemma.
Lady runs her husband's household, cares for his sickly son and hosts his parties but insists he keep his promise not to touch her.

Lois Menzel, In the Shadow of Arabella.
Lady marries an earl to free herself and her sister from their stepfather, but the shadow of her new husband's late wife hangs over their marriage.

Barbara Metzger, Bething's Folly.
Lady marries in order to be able to enter her horse in a race.

Patricia Oliver, Lord Harry's Angel.
Couple in a marriage of convenience intend to flirt with others but fall for each other.

Patricia Oliver, An Immodest Proposal.
Rich widow proposes marriage to an indebted soldier.

Nina Porter, Design for Love.
Lady who secretly yearns for another agrees to marry an earl to escape her cousin.

Mona Prevel, Educating Emily.
A marriage of convenience turns out to be much more.

Rosina Pyatt, An Unquestionable Lady.
Impoverished lady answers a rake's ad for a wife.

Janet Radcliffe, The Topaz Charm.
British lady marries a French marquis for protection against one of Napoleon's spies.

Debbie Raleigh, A Convenient Marriage.
A plump, shy lady is thrilled when a lord asks for her hand, but after they are married she learns he needed her fortune.

Debbie Raleigh, A Scandalous Marriage.
When a midnight rendezvous with the wrong man leads to a marriage of convenience, a headstrong lady and a notorious rake must cast aside their differences to overcome danger and find unexpected love.

Lindsay Randall, Miss Meredith's Marriage.
To avoid her aunt's marriage schemes, a lady decides to enter a marriage of convenience with a shy lord but accidentally proposes to his twin brother.

Joy Reed, Lord Wyland Takes a Wife.
Lord who was rejected by an older lover finds her interests renewed when he inheirits a title, but he marries a prim governess who thinks he's a libertine instead.

Patricia Rice, Indigo Moon.
Lady agrees to a marriage in name only with a rake but finds herself desiring him.

Janet Louise Roberts, A Marriage of Inconvenience.
Bluestocking and an earl enter into marriage as a business arrangement.

Janet Louise Roberts, My Lady Mischief.
Furious when she arrives at her fiance's home only to find him wed to another, a lady impulsively accepts his older brother's proposal.

Janet Louise Roberts, The Cardross Luck.
Heiress proposes marriage to an impoverished lord to gain her freedom.

Elizabeth Rolls, The Dutiful Rake.
A rake offers a marriage of convenience to a lady whose reputation he jeopardizes, and is surprised when she becomes a Toast of society.

Marcy Elias Rothman, The Divided Heart.
Frigid lady offers to marry and have an heir for a lord.

Eva Rutland, Matched Pair.
Gentleman plagued by matchmaking mamas and a lady who wants to save her family's racing stables enter into and engagement as a business arrangement.

Eva Rutland, The Vicar's Daughter.
To get her father the medical attention he needs, a lady agrees to marry an earl's profligate son.

Irene Saunders, The Contentious Countess.
Lady cannot understand why a dashing earl proposed to her instead of her dazzling sister until she realizes her husband wants a wife who won't object to his mistress.

Martha Schroeder, Lady Meg's Gamble.
To save her family estate a lady marries a wealthy man who ran away to sea to escape his past and now yearns for a home.

Hayley Ann Solomon, Seducing Lord Sinclair.
Lady and marquis join forces to help a couple in a marriage of convenience realize their love for each other.

Mira Stables, No Impediment.
Gentleman enters a marriage in name only with a lady who treated him when he was injured, but when his mother finds out she determines to bring them together.

Judith Stafford, A Hero's Welcome.
Lord stops a desperate lady from throwing herself into the Thames by proposing she marry him and care for his daughter while he is at war, but when he returns 3 years later he is cold and remote.

Lois Stewart, A Marriage of Convenience.
Widow accepts marriage to a man who needs her fortune in order to give her sisters an opportunity to make good matches.

Penelope Stratton, The Unromantic Lady.
Two cynics agree to a marriage of convenience but find themselves engulfed in passion.

Marlene Suson, Lady Caro.
Gentleman who marries a hoyden to produce an heir though his heart belongs to a lady he cannot have is puzzled when his wife blossoms into the Toast of the Town.

Marlene Suson, Devil's Bargain.
Arrogant duke proposes marriage soley for the purpose of producing an heir.

Patricia Veryan, Married Past Redemption.
To save her family from financial ruin a lady agrees to marry a wealthy man of questionable background, but trouble begins when a past suitor continues to pursue her.

Barbara Whitehead, The Caretaker Wife.
Naval officer marries a lady to care for his children and estate in his absence.
 
 

Arranged & Forced Marriages

Janice Bennett, The Matchmaking Ghost.
Captain who seems to have given up on life keeps his promise to marry a fellow officer's sister.

Sara Blayne, A Nobleman's Bride.
Lady betrothed as an infant tries to put off her fiance by acting like an idiot but he figures she'll do as well as anyone.

Gayle Buck, Mutual Consent.
Lady whose father married her off to an impoverished earl is tired of being used.

Julie Caille, The Rake and His Lady.
Forced into marriage to cover her family's debts, a lady finds love with an infamous rake.

Marion Chesney, Lessons in Love.
Lady who was betrothed at the age of 10 to a gentleman who kidnapped her blossoms into a beauty.

Sydney Ann Clary, The Duchess and the Devil.
Lady forced to marry a devilish duke vows never to submit to him.

Alana Clayton, A Devilish Husband.
A lady's indebted stepfather forces her to accept the proposal of a rake who intends to ignore her.

Catherine Coulter, Lord Deverill's Heir.
Lady is shocked when the man she mistook for a vagabond turns out to be her father's heir whom she must wed.

Corinna Cunliffe, Play of Hearts.
Lady whose father was an actor must call upon her own acting skills to pretend her duty marriage is a love match.

Teresa DesJardien, A June Bride.
Lady's father makes her marry after her public indiscretion and will only allow her an annulment if she spends a month in her husband's bed without consumating the marriage.

Teresa DesJardien, The Marriage Masquerade.
Forced to marry a man she despises, a lady is stunned when she finds herself falling for her unwanted spouse.

Charlotte Louise Dolan, The Substitute Bridegroom.
Betrothed lady is forced instead to marry an arrogant man she barely knows.

Marjorie Farrell, Lady Arden's Redemption.
Arrogant lady whose barbed wit has driven away any potential suitors is forced to marry a lowly captain who turns out to be a marquess.

Jo Ann Ferguson, An Undomesticated Wife.
Intelligent diplomat's daughter with no domestic experience is wed by proxy to a lord who only wants someone to run his household.

Ellen Fitzgerald, An Unwelcome Alliance.
Lord and lady who are in love with other people when they wed find that marital duty leads to unexpected desire.

Lauren Giddings, Bartered Bride.
Lady loves but doesn't trust a man who married her for her money and she refuses to fulfill the condition that they produce an heir within a year.

Vanessa Gray, The Reckless Gambler.
Lady is infuriated when her grandfather gives her hand in marriage without asking her approval, and is even more outraged when her fiance eschews a proper courtship and instead becomes involved in affairs of state.

Barbara Hazard, Taming Eliza.
Spoiled lady is sent to Yorkshire to wed an earl she hasn't met.

Elizabeth Hewitt, False of Heart.
Lady forced to marry a legendary rake determines to be a troublesome bride.

Elisabeth Kidd, The Rival Earls.
Lady is forced to marry a man she hates.

Mary Kingsley, Marrying Miss Bumblebroth.
A lady dubbed "Miss Bumblebroth" because of her clumsiness enters into an arranged marriage with a lord who is determined to change her ways but learns to love her.

Janis Laden, Sapphire Temptation.
Outspoken lady is forced to wed man who intends to teach her to obey.

Emma Lange, The Cost of Honor.
The most sought-after lord in London is forced to marry a girl devoted to helping others.

Dorothy Mack, The Blackmailed Bridegroom.
A lady gets more than she bargained for after blackmailing an earl into marriage.

Melinda McRae, Married by Mistake.
Lady finds herself married to her fiance's rakish older brother as the result of a devious plot.

Clarice Peters, Contrary Lovers.
Lord and lady try to find a way out of their arranged marriage, yet she feels strangely bereft when he elopes with her sister.

Nina Porter, His Lordship's Filly.
Lady refuses to give her heart to the lord she is forced to marry after her father wagers her entire fortune on a horse race.

Nina Pykare, The Scandalous Season.
Lady marries the man her father chooses but cannot please him no matter how hard she tries.

Janet Radcliffe, The Blue-Eyed Gypsy.
Lady who fled her cruel stepfather as a child and lived with the gypsies is found by him and auctioned in marriage to a lord.

Janet Radcliffe, A Gift of Violets.
Italian man who has a mysterious hold over a lady's ambassador father demands her hand in marriage.

Rebecca Robbins, Lucky in Love.
A lady whose marriage to a duke was arranged to settle a feud between their families vows never to give him her heart.

Janet Louise Roberts, The Dancing Doll.
Lady despises her husband, who rescued her from a Paris dance hall, and flees into the arms of another only to realize she has jeopardized her husband's life by her actions.

Jeanne Savery, Lady Serena's Surrender.
Lady is forced by her abusive father to marry a man who must slowly win her trust.

Amanda Scott, The Kidnapped Bride.
Lady is forced to marry an earl who kidnaps her for her money but falls in love with his uncle.

Amanda Scott, Ravenwood's Lady.
Lady agrees to marry the man her father chooses but vows not to give him her heart.

Mira Stables, A Marriage Arranged.
After a disastrous first Season, a lady enters into an arranged marriage and is determined to win her husband's love even if she must flirt with another.

Joan Wolf, A Difficult Truce.
Irish aristocrat taken captive by the British must marry a duke but refuses to surrender to love.
 
 

Deathbed Marriages & Promises

Janice Bennett, An Eligible Bride.
Duke keeps his promise to look after a captain's children.

Rebecca Danton, Amythest Love.
Man marries the lady he promised to take care of but turns out to be a rake and a gambler.

Jean R. Ewing, Virtue's Reward.
Captain promises he'll wed his dying comrade's fiancee.

Sandra Heath, A Matter of Duty.
Lord promises a dying friend he'll marry his sister.

Anne Herries, A Matter of Honour.
An heiress believes she can be selective in choosing a husband not realizing that her late brother asked one of his friends to marry her.

Georgette Heyer, The Reluctant Widow.
Governess who mistakenly arrives at the house of a debauched rake agrees to marry him on his deathbed to avert suspicion that his cousin's family murdered him for his estate.

Janeane Jordan, Kenton's Countess.
Earl who thinks he's going to die marries a lady who loves another in order to get an heir.

Martha Kirkland, The Ruby Necklace.
Lady talked into marrying a dying man is pursued by his heir & a thief.

Barbara Metzger, A Debt to Delia.
Rescued from behind enemy lines by a fellow soldier, a major is horrified to learn that his rescuer has been killed in process and offers to marry the dead man's sister, a lovely young woman desperate to care for herself and her dependents.

Martha Jean Powers, False Pretenses.
An officer hoping to be killed in battle agrees to marry a lady's pregnant sister and give her the protection of his name.

Mary Jo Putney, The Would-Be Widow.
Lady who wants to be a widow so she can take a duke as her lover marries an apparently dying soldier in need of funds to support his sister.
 
 

Indebted Lords & Cits' Daughters

Mary Balogh, A Christmas Promise.
Daughter of a Cit agrees to marry an indebted earl.

Catherine Blair, "The Rebellious Bride," in His Bride to Be.
Rich merchant's daughter and an impoverished lord are led to the altar.

Gayle Buck, The Desperate Viscount.
Lord whose hopes of an inheritance are dashed seeks to marry a rich Cit's daughter.

Gayle Buck, Mutual Consent.
Lady whose father married her off to an impoverished earl is tired of being used.

Rosemary Edghill, The Ill-Bred Bride.
Lord with an ancient lineage and numerous debts marries a wealthy Cit's daughter who lacks a proper sense of decorum.

Georgette Heyer, A Civil Contract.
An indebted viscount who must marry a wealthy Cit's daughter though he loves another comes to love his wife in a different way and manages to make his own fortune on the Exchange by having confidence in the victory at Waterloo.

Anne Hillary, The Bartered Bride.
When a social climber arranges the marriage of his daughter to the son of an indebted earl the lady is angry, but luckily the stranger she loves is really her fiance!

Mira Stables, Marriage Alliance.
To save his sister from being married off to an old lecher, a gentleman agrees to marry a Cit's daughter, but when Napoleon's escape from Elba calls him away, his wife pursues a career as a ballerina.
 
 

Ladies Lost in Card Games

Meg Alexander, The Reluctant Bride.
A lady forced to marry the man who took over her late father's estate in payment for gambling debts is puzzled by her new husband's concern for the plight of workers.

Rebecca Baldwin, Arabella and the Beast.
A lady is won as payment for her father's gambling debts by a man known as the Beast and discovers that he is hiding a dark secret.

Julie Caille, An Impetuous Bride.
Heiress posing as a rich widow loses her hand in marriage to a rake at cards.

Elisabeth Carey, Debt of Honour.
Boy loses his sister to a lord in a card game.

Elizabeth Chater, The Runaway Debutante.
When her father loses her in a card game to a libertine, a lady runs away and becomes a cook at an inn and is soon hired by a major.

Wilma Counts, The Wagered Wife.
A gentleman forced to marry a lady he won in a card game enlists in the military and goes to the Peninsula for seven years, and on his return he discovers his wife has become the Toast of the Town.

Rachelle Edwards, The Scoundrel's Daughter.
Lady's father promises her hand in marriage to settle a gambling debt.

Diane Farr, Fair Game.
Courtesan offers her gently reared daughter to a gentleman as payment of a debt.

Ellen Fitzgerald, A Streak of Luck.
Lady is thrilled when a lord asks for her hand but soon learns he was forced to after losing a card game to her father.

Olivia Fontayne, The Scandalous Wager.
Earl wins his friend's unwanted maiden aunt in a card game and discovers she's truly a prize.

Mona Gedney, Lady Diana's Daring Deed.
Lady disguised as her twin brother plays cards with a gamester and ends up losing her hand in marriage to him.

Candice Hern, The Bride Sale.
A gentleman with a notorious reputation buys a woman who is being auctioned to the highest bidder by her husband.

Brenda Hiatt, Daring Deception.
When an heiress learns her brother has promised her in marriage to an indebted earl as payment for a gambling debt, she disguises herself as a servant in the earl's household.

Ann Hulme, A Scandalous Bargain.
Lady is shocked to discover that the man she loves has offered her in marriage to a fellow officer in exchange for payment of his debts.

Mary Kruger, Wagered Hearts.
A lord awakes to discover he has won a lady in a card game.

Judith Laik, The Lady in Question.
A lady's father loses her in a game of cards to an earl who is not the scoundrel she believes him to be, but is a secret agent on a mission for the Crown.

Dawn Lindsey, Daughter of Fortune.
Country lady refuses to give in to a rake who won her in a card game.

Maggie MacKeever, Lord Fairchild's Daughter.
Lady flees when her father loses her in a card game, but finds herself in danger at the home where she sought sanctuary.

Clarice Peters, Rosalind.
A lady tries to dissuade an earl from accepting her niece as payment for a gambling debt from her scapegrace brother.

Janet Radcliffe, Lord Stephen's Lady.
Earl weds lady to repay a debt to her father and believes a vicious rival who tells him his wife is involved with a libertine.

Debbie Raleigh, "The Elusive Bride" in A Taste of Christmas.
A lady forced to marry to cancel her father's gambling debt tries to sell a lord her scrumptious jam cakes to repay him, but he has other ideas.

Ellen Rawlings, The Convenient Marriage.
A lady's father loses her in a card game to a kindly older man, but she finds herself falling in love with his nephew.

Nancy Richards-Akers, Lord Fortune's Prize.
A lord is determined to prove to the bride he won on a wager that he truly loves her.

Cynthia Richey, The Heart's Gamble.
Lady's father loses her in a card game to a lord.

Sheila Walsh, The Golden Songbird.
Lady's stepfather loses her to a marquis as part of wager.
 
 

Proxy Marriages

Barbara Allister, An Amiable Arrangement.
Lady whose first fiance jilted her because of her injuries agrees through an exchange of letters to marry a man whose wife apparently died in mysterious circumstances.

Jo Ann Ferguson, His Unexpected Bride.
A lady tries to win the love of the man she was married to by proxy as the result of a dastardly plot.

Jo Ann Ferguson, An Undomesticated Wife.
Intelligent diplomat's daughter with no domestic experience is wed by proxy to a lord who only wants someone to run his household.

Paula Tanner Girard, The Reluctant Groom.
American lady marries an Englishman whose estate she's inherited only to discover she's really entered a proxy marriage with his brother.

Melinda McRae, Married by Mistake.
Lady finds herself married to her fiance's older brother after a proxy marriage gone awry.

Paula Roland, The Rogue's Bride.
Twice-widowed lady conducts a proxy marriage but accidentally ends up married herself to an officer who is furious when he returns from war and finds himself wed to the wrong lady.
 
 

Mothers & Their Daughters' Beaux

Gayle Buck, The Waltzing Widow.
A widow who loved her much older husband thinks she has found the perfect match for her daughter.

June Calvin, The Duke's Desire.
Widow of an abusive man pushes her daughter at a duke but falls for him herself.

Cathleen Clare, "Chances of Love," in A Bride's Bouquet.
Lady intends to match her daughter with the man she herself once loved.

Monette Cummings, The Wicked Stepdaughter.
A widow asks a gentleman's help in bringing out her unruly stepdaughter.

Carola Dunn, "The Dower House," in A Mother's Joy.
When her late husband's heir arrives, a lady intends to match him with her daughter, but love has other plans.

Valerie King, "Blissful Betrothal," in A Mother's Love.
Lady finds herself attracted to the man she arranged for her daughter to marry.

Elizabeth Mansfield, Mother's Choice.
Lady falls in love with the man her daughter hoped to marry.

Evelyn Richardson, A Foreign Affair.
A timid and reserved lady  unexpectedly finds herself competing against her beautiful mother, who is a princess, for the affections of a major.

Patricia Wynn, The Bumblebroth.
Widow is drawn to the man she chose to wed her daughter.
 
 

Married Life

Beth Andrews, The Marplot Marriage.
Couple who despise one another must marry when caught in a compromising situation, but when the wife finds her husband may be straying she's determined to win his love.

Mary Balogh, A Masked Deception.
Shy lady with a bored husband masquerades as a seductress to tempt him.

Sheila Bishop, A Marriage Made on Earth.
A destitute lady agrees to marry the man to whom her godmother willed her fortune but is dismayed when her new husband always sides with another lady over her.

Catherine Blair, "The Rogue's Wife" in Untameable.
A lady who is humiliated by her husband's philandering ways sets out to seduce him.

Caroline Brooks, Marchman's Lady.
A lady marries an eligible gentleman and finds herself fighting for his love with a society belle.

Gayle Buck, Lady Althea's Bargain.
Lady who wants a happy marriage defies her husband by following him to Brussels.

Miranda Cameron, The Undaunted Bride.
Lady refuses to submit to her domineering husband.

Marion Chesney, My Dear Duchess.
Duke tries to tame his duchess while she realizes she'll do anything to keep him.

Cathleen Clare, A Family Affair.
Earl's new bride must contend with his domineering mama.

Caroline Courtney, Duchess in Disguise.
Lady whose husband leaves her sequestered in the country while he visits his mistress in town disguises herself to win his love.

Rachelle Edwards, Lady of Quality.
When her husband takes up with an opera dancer a dowdy wife dons lowcut gowns & begins her own flirtation.

Ellen Fiztgerald, The Forgotten Marriage.
A lady must match wits with a scheming beauty to save her marriage.

Elizabeth Hewitt, Innocent Deception.
A married lady joins a circle of high fliers for secret reasons she will not reveal to her husband.

Georgette Heyer, April Lady.
Young wife gets further entangled while trying to hide debts from her husband.

Lynn Kerstan, "A Change of Heart," in A Mother's Joy.
Pregnant lady's emotional turbulence threatens to drive her husband away.

Elisabeth Kidd, My Lady Mischief.
Lady who longs for a child occupies her mind with her brother's mysterious fiancee and a plot to steal the Elgin marbles.

Mary Kingsley, "Gifts of the Heart," in A Mother's Love.
Lord whose parliamentary duties keep him in town resolves his differences with his wife who prefers the country.

Mary Kingsley, "The Runaway Duchess" in Flowers for Mama.
A duchess whose husband takes her for granted runs away in order to teach him a lesson, never expecting he'll pursue and court her.

Leslie Lynn, A Soldier's Heart.
After a whirlwind courtship and marriage, a young bride's husband goes off to war and returns a stranger.

Anne MacNeill, A Mind of Her Own.
A married lady who feels that something is missing from her life of privilege opens a home for poor children in the East End and gets involved in the struggle for workers' rights in Manchester.

Lois Menzel, In the Shadow of Arabella.
Lady marries an earl to free herself and her sister from their stepfather, but the shadow of her new husband's late wife hangs over their marriage.

Barbara Neil, Bella.
Lady hopes to rekindle the romance with her husband after he spent two years in Canada following the loss of their child.

Patricia Oliver, The Colonel's Lady.
Colonel weds a lady jilted by his brother to save her from scandal.

Nina Pykare, The Scandalous Season.
Lady marries the man her father chooses but cannot please him no matter how hard she tries.

Sheila Rabe, Lady Luck.
A lord finds that the shy, plain girl he married for money and left behind in London has not only become the proprietor of a high-class gambling house but a spirited beauty whom he must woo again.

Debbie Raleigh, A Proper Marriage.
A free-spirited lady marries a renowned goverment member whom she believes is very dull and boring, but she discovers a very different side to her new husband when he transforms himself into a dashing rake.

Alicia Rasley, "Allegra," in Lessons in Love.
Lady scarcely knows the dashing husband who returns to her from the war.

Joy Reed, "Christening Day," in A Mother's Joy.
Lady who has recently given birth fears her husband's attentions have wandered.

Nancy Richards-Akers, Lord Fortune's Prize.
A lord is determined to prove to the bride he won on a wager that he truly loves her.

Jeanne Savery, "Cupid's Ace," in Valentine Wishes.
Lady cannot understand why her husband is out of charity with her.

Amanda Scott, The Madcap Marchioness.
New wife wants to cut a dash in town, but her husband wants a quiet country life.

Donna Simpson, Lady Delafont's Dilemma.
Man and wife estranged by a misunderstanding five years earlier mend their marriage.

Sheri Cobb South, Brighton Honeymoon.
Newlyweds find their honeymoon cottage filled with people, including a disapproving dowager, a lady claiming to be Mr. Brundy's sister, and a skeptical dandy determined to expose her as an impostor.

Marlene Suson, The Errant Earl.
Earl who marries a gawky miss only to abandon her for six years to fight on the Peninsula returns to find her transformed into a beauty who wants no part of him.

Sheila Walsh, Minerva's Marquess.
Lady tries to melt her husband's icy reserve and win out against a rival for his love.

Margaret Westhaven, Spanish Coin.
Lady weds a stranger then suspects him when a valuable heirloom necklace disappears.

Margaret Westhaven, The Willful Wife.
A lady is anxious when her diplomat husband abandons her in Bath shortly after their wedding.

Joan Wolf, A Double Deception.
Widow of a man with a dark secret thinks she's found happiness at last but discovers her new husband is haunted by personal demons and may be a threat to her life.
 
 

Sibling Rivalry

Mary Balogh, Lady with a Black Umbrella.
Spinster is attracted to the gentleman she picked for her sister.

Elisabeth Barr, The Opal Pendant.
A lady flees from marriage to a man she finds repugnant and seeks refuge with his notorious half-brother.

Jo Beverley, An Arranged Marriage.
Lady forced into a compromising situation with a man has to marry his brother.

Jo Beverley, "Lord Samhain's Night" in All Hallow's Eve.
A childish superstition turns serious when a lady ends up engaged to the wrong brother, and only a ghost can sort things out.

Catherine Blair, Athena's Conquest.
A Frenchman in the secret employ of the foreign minister hides his love for a lady, causing her to believe he prefers her silly sister.

Audrey Blanshard, The Matchmakers.
A lady who loves Gothic novels meets an earl who writes them but becomes attracted to his brother.

Gayle Buck, Tempting Sarah.
When a lord assists two country sisters on their way to London, he is smitten with one while the other secretly loves him.

June Calvin, Siege of Hearts.
Lady who assumes a handsome lord is courting her beautiful sister refuses to marry him after they are forced to spend the night together on an island.

Diana Campbell, A Marriage of Inconvenience.
When a lady arrives at her fiance's home to find only his older brother, she is forced to accept his proposal; but when her fiance returns she's tempted by him.

Susan Carroll, Christmas Belles.
Guardian of four ladies proposes to the eldest, who loves another man, and finds himself developing feelings for her younger sister.

Philippa Castle, The Reluctant Duke.
Lady loves the duke who is courting her elder sister.

Catherine Huntington Chadwick, The Poor Relation.
Lady with a sought-after sister turns down the man she loves thinking she's his second choice, but he had only courted her sister to get her attention.

Marion Chesney, The Dreadful Debutante.
Hoyden loves a man who loves her beautiful, graceful sister, while a marquess enjoys observing the hoyden.

Marion Chesney, Plain Jane.
Lady overshadowed by her beautiful sister tries to solve the mystery of a lady who died in the house they've rented.

Marion Chesney, The Scandalous Marriage.
Lady determines to protect her sister from the rake their mama wants her to marry.

Marion Chesney, To Dream of Love.
Poor lady invites herself to the home of her vain, selfish sister and attracts the attention of the man her sister wants for herself.

Deborah Chester, French Slippers.
A lady whose father dies in a duel leaving a mountain of debts pretends he is still alive so as not to ruin her chance at marriage, but a French marquis suspected of being a spy knows her secret.

Deborah Chester, A Love So Wild.
A lord who releases a lady from jail and grooms her to be his wife turns out to be the brother of the villian who had her imprisoned.

Cathleen Clare, Clarissa.
Widow tries to stop her sister from flirting with an earl, but he's more interested in the widow.

Norma Lee Clark, The Perfect Match.
Lady chooses the perfect man for her beautiful younger sister but is attracted to him herself.

Norma Lee Clark, The Tyndale Daughters.
Two sisters are betrothed, though one's fiance is attracted to the other; the third sister is left to defend the estate when an unknown relative inherits.

Nicola Cornick, The Virtuous Cyprian.
Virtuous schoolteacher's sister is a notorious Cyprian who seems intent on undermining her sister's happiness.

Nicola Cornick, Miss Verey's Proposal.
Duke whose first marriage was a disaster tries to choose a wife for his younger brother but is attracted to the lady himself.

Wilma Counts, Miss Richardson Comes of Age.
A lady whose spurned suitors try to tarnish her reputation retaliates by writing a scathing satire about them and becomes entangled with the older brother of one of the suitors.

Jasmine Cresswell, Traitor's Heir.
Lord is determined to prevent his brother from marrying a traitor's daughter, even if it means marying her himself.

Lucia Curzon, The Dashing Guardian.
Lady who loves her childhood friend tries to convince his older brother of her feelings but ends up in love with him instead.

Clare Darcy, Gwendolen.
Lady who broke off an engagement to a naval captain is attracted to the lord both her sisters sought to marry for his money.

Georgina Devon, Scandals.
Marquis will do anything to stop his younger brother from marrying a widowed actress whose husband is rumored to be still alive.

Dorothea Donley, Gentleman's Choice.
Plain, practical lady falls for her sister's suitor while her sister ignores the man in favor of a most unsuitable beau.

Roberta Eckert, My Lady Adventuress.
Lady who accepts a man but then has second thoughts is drawn to his brother who thinks she's an adventuress.

Rachelle Edwards, Love Finds a Way.
Lady is angered by a lord's plans to marry her sister.

Jean Ewing, Love's Reward.
Lord involved in political intrigues must marry the lady who ran away from school with his married brother.

Paula Tanner Girard, The Reluctant Groom.
American lady marries an Englishman whose estate she's inherited only to discover she's really entered a proxy marriage with his brother.

Vanessa Gray, The Innocent Deceiver.
Lady sent to the country in disgrace after an indiscretion with a masked stranger is courted by war hero and his seductively handsome brother.

Norah Hampton, The Heartbreak Triangle.
Lady accepts an invitation from a man she once had feelings for and finds herself attracted to his scandalous younger brother.

Sandra Heath, The Wrong Miss Richmond.
Bookish lady loses her heart to the man engaged to her beautiful sister.

Sandra Heath, Rakehell's Widow.
Widow warns sister away from the man she blames for her husband's death.

Anne Herries, Lord Ravensden's Marriage.
A gentleman pursues the lady who jilted him in order to save her from scandal, but then he meets her sister and is caught up in solving the mystery of a missing marchioness.

Georgette Heyer, The Convenient Marriage.
Lady who offered herself to an earl in place of her sister doesn't realize she loves her husband until she finds herself deep in a dangerous intrigue with his enemy.

Georgette Heyer, Devil's Cub.
Respectable lady takes the place of her sister whom a rake on the run is abducting to Paris with the object of making her his mistress; but when he insists they marry she refuses knowing he doesn't love her.

Anne Hillary, Compromised Love.
Lady flees an unwanted engagement with the help of a childhood friend, but when she is declared compromised it is her friend's disapproving older brother who must offer for her.

Charlotte Hines, The Earl's Fancy.
A lady who lost her chance for marriage hopes her sister will impress a wealthy earl and save the family from destitution, but he has other ideas.

Henrietta Houston, An Improper Betrothment.
Lady who jilted a man at their betrothal ball for keeping lightskirts is furious when he proposes to her sister.

Julia Jeffries, The Clergyman's Daughter.
Parson's daughter elopes with a dashing aristocrat, enraging his older brother; but when her husband dies the brother still wants to control her.

Valerie King, Cupid's Touch.
Lady tries to convince her sister's suitor he's chosen the wrong bride.

Judith Lansdowne, Mutiny at Almack's.
Lady declared a bore by the dandies at Almack's falls for a lord whose brother has already declared his love for her.

Elsie Lee, Second Season.
Eccentric lady in her second Season shocks everyone by turning down a duke, whom she thinks is the perfect man for her sister.

Lydia Lee, The Magnificent Mirabelle.
Lady masquerades as her twin and joins forces with her sister's betrothed to unmask an impostor duke.

Jane Lovelace, Rolissa.
When a lady's betrothed dies she refuses to marry his brother and wonders if rumors that he killed for the title are true.

Miriam Lynch, A Regency Rose.
Lady tries to help her sister win the man she loves, but he is more interested in her.

Prudence Martin, Wager on Love.
Rogue chooses his bride by wager then falls for her sister.

Laura Matthews, Miss Ryder's Memoirs.
Lady is shocked when a gentleman doesn't turn his back when he spies her bathing, but she is even more dismayed when he pays attention to her sister.

Melinda McRae, Married by Mistake.
Lady finds herself married to her fiance's older brother after a proxy marriage gone awry.

Lois Menzel, Celia.
Lady has attached a suitor who makes her the envy of her older sisters, but when her fiance's brother returns from the war her dreams of wealth and a title give way to love.

Lois Menzel, A Reckless Wager.
Lord loses a wager and must become betrothed to a lady of his godmother's choosing, but though he manages to extract himself from the engagement he can't forget the lady's younger sister.

Nadine Miller, The Misguided Matchmaker.
A rich man arranges for his daughter to marry a lord but she is attracted to his half brother who escorts her home from France.

Mary Morrow, An Innocent Ruse.
Canadian orphan returns to England and avoids an arranged marriage by pretending to be engaged but falls in love with her fiance's brother.

Patricia Oliver, The Colonel's Lady.
Colonel weds a lady jilted by his brother to save her from scandal.

Joan Overfield, A Christmas Affair.
Gentleman thinks he is doing the right thing by offering for a recently orphaned lady but her sister has other ideas.

Clarice Peters, Contrary Lovers.
Lord and lady try to find a way out of their arranged marriage, yet she feels strangely bereft when he elopes with her sister.

Sheila Rabe, The Accidental Bride.
When a plain lady switches costumes with her stunning sister at a masquerade, a gentleman who kisses her ends up having to offer for the wrong sister.

Lindsay Randall, Miss Meredith's Marriage.
To avoid her aunt's marriage schemes, a lady decides to enter a marriage of convenience with a shy lord but accidentally proposes to his twin brother.

Janet Louise Roberts, My Lady Mischief.
Furious when she arrives at her fiance's home only to find him wed to another, a lady impulsively accepts his older brother's proposal.

Irene Saunders, The Lucky Lady.
Lord intends to rescue his brother from the clutches of a mysterious lady who has opened a successful gaming house in London.

Amanda Scott, The Fickle Fortune Hunter.
Lady tries to save her sister from a rake by diverting his attention to herself.

Amanda Scott, Lady Escapade.
A lady tires of her demanding husband and is attracted to his brother.

Regina Scott, Lord Borin's Secret Love.
On the brink of financial ruin unless her sister marries before she turns twenty, a lady decides to spy the man who is the object of her sister's affection, but the tables turn when he catches her in the act.

Joan Smith, An Affair of the Heart.
Jilted lord intends to wed a beauty to make the lady who jilted him jealous but falls instead for the beauty's sister who thinks he's fickle.

Joan Smith, A Country Wooing.
When the man she loves dies leaving a mountain of debts she begins to realize his selfishness and see the goodness in his younger brother.

Joan Smith, Lovers' Quarrels.
Lord thinks a practical lady is the perfect match for his eccentric, scholarly brother but she prefers the lord.

Joan Smith, The Merry Month of May.
Lord tries to match up his widower brother with the woman his brother jilted years ago, but she seems to prefer himself.

Joan Smith, The Savage Lord Griffin.
Lord returns from five years in Brazil to find his fiancee engaged to another and is determined to win her back, not noticing that her little sister has blossomed.

Hayley Ann Solomon, "The Brambleberry Bride," in His Bride to Be.
Two brothers switch brides.

Olivia Sumner, A Most Unsuitable Bride.
Lady is attracted to her stepsister's fiance.

Katherine Talbot, Philippa.
Lady decides to marry a respectable earl but is drawn to his brother.
 
 

Twins

Sylvia Andrew, Rosabelle.
A lady who needs to escape London switches places with her twin sister in Berkshire, but her sister's neighbor begins to suspect something.

Sylvia Andrew, Annabelle.
A lady takes her twin sister's place in London and enjoys sparring with her late brother-in-law's heir but soon learns of the danger her sister faces.

Gayle Buck, Cassandra's Deception.
Lady separated from her twin at an early age has secretly kept in touch with her and switches places with her to learn more about her life.

Gayle Buck, Belle's Beau.
A lord is miffed when the lady he intends to marry does not recognize him, not realizing she is actually that lady's twin.

Shirley Callander, The Reluctant Heir.
Lady schemes to free herself and her sisters from their new guardian's dictates.

Susannah Carleton, Twin Peril.
A duke seeking a lady to love him for himself finds a perfect match but must contend with her scheming twin sister.

Marion Chesney, The Deception.
Lady switches places with her twin to save her from a lecherous man.

Marion Chesney, The Wicked Godmother.
The ton gossips when a baronet leaves his fortune and twin daughters in the hands of his spinster neighbor.

Norma Lee Clark, Mallory.
Lady is hired as the governess to hoydenish twins by a man who becomes engaged to a beauty whom the governess hates.

Alana Clayton, Heart's Deceit.
To save an earl from a plot against his life, a quiet lady must pretend to be her wild twin, who is the widow of the earl's younger brother.

Wilma Counts, My Lady Governess.
Lady fleeing an arranged marriage to an unsavory man disguises herself as a governess in the home of an eligible lord.

Caroline Courtney, The Masquerading Heart.
Spirited lady accepts her aunts' invitation for a London Season in the place of her gentle twin who loves a local man.

Megan Daniel, Miss Pennington's Choice.
A lady attending the Congress of Vienna meets a gentleman who has switched places with his twin, causing her to wonder just who it is she loves.

Teresa DesJardien, Borrowed Kisses.
Lord in disguise steals kisses from ladies hoping to find the one whose kiss during a party game set him afire.

Georgina Devon, Betrayal.
Lady who seeks her twin brother among the wounded of Waterloo intends to clear him of a charge of treason even if it means losing the man she loves.

Marian Devon, Deck the Halls.
Mismatched couples gather at home for the holidays.

Marian Devon, Georgiana.
Lady shoots a lord to prevent him from duelling with her twin brother.

Gail Eastwood, A Perilous Journey.
Lady fleeing an unwanted marriage is helped by mysterious stranger.

Gail Eastwood, An Unlikely Hero.
Fiery twin tries to set up her gentle, epileptic sister with a quiet, scholarly gentleman.

Petra Nash, Heir Apparent.
Lady's cousin warns her against a mysterious Samaritan.

Mona Gedney, Lady Diana's Daring Deed.
Lady disguised as her twin brother plays cards with a gamester and ends up losing her hand in marriage to him.

Barbara Hazard, The Turnabout Twins.
Identical twins find themselves at odds when they both fall for the same man.

Georgette Heyer, False Colours.
Twins try to help their widowed mama save the family fortune.

Shirley Kennedy, The Rebellious Twin.
Lady falls in love with a neighboring lord but her jealous identical twin sister schemes to win him for herself.

Martha Kirkland, A Perfect Scoundrel.
A gentleman posing as his twin brother on a trip to his grandfather's cottage  finds his deception thwarted by his childhood friend whom he has loved for years.

Allison Lane, A Clandestine Courtship.
Man who returns to England to assume an earldom and find his older brother's killer is distrusted by the woman he once loved.

Lydia Lee, The Magnificent Mirabelle.
Lady masquerades as her twin and joins forces with her sister's betrothed to unmask an impostor duke.

Karen Lynn, Double Masquerade.
Lady disguises herself as her twin brother so she can ride out with the man whom she admires but who ignores her.

Nadine Miller, The Madcap Masquerade.
Lady agrees to impersonate her twin who is engaged to marry an earl.

Nina Pykare, The Innocent Heart.
A lady who became a recluse after a lord rejected her heads to London to save her twin brother from a loveless marriage.

Lindsay Randall, Miss Meredith's Marriage.
To avoid her aunt's marriage schemes, a lady decides to enter a marriage of convenience with a shy lord but accidentally proposes to his twin brother.

Irene Saunders, The Gamester's Daughter.
Lady finds her love for a viscount at risk when she is mistaken for her twin who has followed in their gambler father's footsteps.

Irene Saunders, The Impetuous Twin.
Lord finds himself the guardian of a reckless lady whose exploits include dressing as a boy to follow her twin brother to war.

Jeanne Savery, A Lady's Deception.
Lady poses as a man to escort her sister to Bath and find her a husband, but a friend of her late twin brother sees through her disguise.

Margaret SeBastien, Dilemma in Duet.
Beautful twins cannot choose among their very different suitors.

Margaret Summerville, A Deceptive Bequest.
Lord mistakes a governess for her long-lost twin sister who is an opera dancer.

Patricia Veryan, Never Doubt I Love.
Lady is invited to live with sisters who are involved in a sinister plot.
Comment: Hero is twin of hero of The Riddle of the Shipwrecked Spinster.

Patricia Veryan, The Riddle of the Shipwrecked Spinster.
After being forced into a compromising situation with an eligible bachelor, a lady is shipwrecked for a year and returns to England to discover that her intended has rescinded his offer of marriage.
Comment: Hero is twin of hero of Never Doubt I Love.
 
 

Children

Barbara Allister, A Moment of Madness.
Ugly-duckling-turned-Beauty succumbs to a night of passion at an inn with the man she had crush on 10 years ago and finds herself with child.

Jane Ashford, First Season.
Young widow with three children yet innocent of the ton is courted by two suitors.

Anne Ashley, Lord Exmouth's Intentions.
A vicar's daughter has a Season in Town and meets a widower with two young daughters.

Anne Ashley, The Reluctant Marchioness.
A lord is confounded when his wife, whom he accused of infidelity, returns after an eight year absence with a son she claims is his.

Mollie Ashton, Debt of Honor.
A lady whose family wants her to marry a rich old marquis convinces them to allow her to become a governess for a year and falls in love with her charge's father.

Elizabeth Bailey, An Angel's Touch.
Lady's companion rescues two children and berates their father when he admonishes them.

Elizabeth Bailey, The Captain's Return.
A captain is surprised to find his lost love living the life of a widow with a child and agrees to pose as her husband returned from the war.

Mary Balogh, "The Best Christmas Ever," in A Regency Christmas III.
Girl who has been mute since witnessing her mother's death wishes for a new mama for Christmas.

Mary Balogh, Christmas Beau.
Lord plans to seduce and drop the widow who jilted him years ago.

Mary Balogh, An Unacceptable Offer.
Lady refuses the man she loves when he offers her a loveless marriage.

Mary Balogh, A Promise of Spring.
Man marries an unwed mother but their love is threatened by the child's father.

Mary Balogh, "The Wassail Bowl," in A Regency Christmas Feast.
Christmas reunites a lord with the wife he thought played him false and bore another man's child.

Mary Balogh, Web of Love.
Lady whose husband died at Waterloo finds herself drawn to his injured friend and conceives a child by him.

Janice Bennett, An Eligible Bride.
Duke keeps his promise to look after a captain's children.

Sheila Bishop, A Speaking Likeness.
Widow adopts an illegitimate boy and meets a man who may be his father.

Catherine Blair, A Family for Gillian.
A lady caught in a compromising position is forced to marry a widower with three unruly children.

Sara Blayne, "The Singular Miss Marsh," in A Mother's Love.
Dowager summons her late daughter-in-law's cousin to help her son and his children recover from their grief.

Patricia Bray, Lord Freddie's First Love.
When a lady returns home with her nephew and gossip circulates that the child is really hers, the only person to offer her friendship is a childhood companion.

Mary Brendan, Gentleman's Mistress.
Widow becomes governess to a rake's children.

Mary Brendan, The Unknown Wife.
A colonel learns he has a son by a disgraced Society beauty who wants him to marry her for the sake of the child.

Nancy Butler, "The Gift of the Spoons," in A Regency Christmas Eve.
A man whose son has a wasting disease seeks out a woman rumored to have healing powers.

Julie Caille, "Journey's End," in A Mother's Heart.
When a lady refuses to give up her sister's orphan to the girl's paternal uncle, he invites her to come along.

Jeanne Carmichael, Lord of the Manor.
Lady is looking after the estate and child of her late cousin when the cousin's estranged husband returns
suddenly.

Judy Christenberry, Susannah's Secret.
Man is surprised when the governess he hired turns up with a baby of her own in tow.

Cathleen Clare, A Priceless Acquisiton.
Divorced duke who thinks his daughter is flawed by a small scar offers a loveless marriage to her governess, only to find how priceless they both are to him when they are kidnapped for ransom by his ex-wife.

Alana Clayton, A Gifted Lady.
Clairvoyant widow seeking her husband's killer is asked by a lord to help his daughter speak again.

Mary Chase Comstock, The Only Hope.
Lady takes a job as a companion to be near her late sister's child from whom her family is estranged.

Wilma Counts, "Christmas Joy," in Christmas Kittens.
A gentleman trying to help his daughter get over her mother's death brings her to a Christmas party and meets a bereaved widow.

Wilma Counts, The Trouble with Harriet.
An earl shares guardianship of a precocious girl with a troublesome lady.

Emily Dalton, A Heavenly Houseguest.
Lady joins forces with a lord to discover who left a baby on an Abbey doorstep.

Teresa DesJardien, The Reluctant Smuggler.
A widow who needs funds and a father for her young son encounters a lord who needs a woman for his money-making scheme.

Georgina Devon, "Midnight Lady," in A Mother's Heart.
Lady sneaks into the bed of the man she loves pretending to be his mistress and becomes pregnant

Carola Dunn, The Babe and the Baron.
Baron whose mother died in childbirth takes in his cousin's pregnant widow and is nervous about her health.

Monique Ellis, Dauntry's Dilemma.
While seeking the cause of ghostly apparitions at his father's estate, a man becomes intrigued with a widow who must scrub floors to support her son after her aristocratic inlaws seized her inheritance.

Monique Ellis, "The Year Father Christmas Came Calling," in Underneath the Mistletoe.
Mysterious couple steal from a lord and give to a lady who takes in orphans.

Elisabeth Fairchild, Captain Cupid Calls the Shots.
A sharpshooter returns from the war and travels to a friend's home in Cumbria, where he is "paired" as part of a Valentine's Day custom with a lady who has a child of uncertain parentage.

Kathryn Farland, Miss Monica Marries.
In order to save her inheritance, a lady enters a marriage of convenience with a lord who needs a mother for his four young wards.

Jo Ann Ferguson, "The Best Father in England," in A Kiss for Papa.
A widower is told by his son's tutor that he has over-indulged the boy.

Jo Ann Ferguson, "Lord Chartley's Lesson," in A Mother's Joy.
Strict lord chafes at sharing guardianship of his friend's child with a vivacious young lady.

Jennie Gallant, Friends and Lovers.
Lady fights for custody of her sister's children with their uncle.

Mona Gedney, "A Match for Lady Verity" in Flowers for Mama.
A lady's son presses her to marry a certain gentleman.

Mona Gedney, Merry's Christmas.
Determined bachelor becomes the guardian of a group of children whose older sister resents his meddling.

Paula Tanner Girard, A Father for Christmas.
Rakish lord escorts a widow and her son to a Christmas house party.

Paula Tanner Girard, A Husband for Christmas.
Someone leaves a baby in a lady's carriage, then the two of them are kidnapped by a bandit.

Anne Gracie, Tallie's Knight.
An orphaned lady caring for her cousin's children catches the eye of an earl who wants to set up his nursery.

Maria Greene, A Christmas Blessing.
A widower and legendary recluse finds his life forever changed by the arrival of his daughter's new governess, a war widow with a young son, and the ghost of his late father, who is determined to help his son open his heart to love.

Emily Hendrickson, The Dashing Miss Fairchild.
Bath tabbies' tongues wag at a spinster with a baby who keeps company with a rake.

Candice Hern, The Best Intentions.
Earl who lost his beloved wife determines to make a practical match for the sake of his children, but his plans go awry when he meets an unexpected houseguest.

Karla Hocker, "The Little Match-Seller," in Once upon a Time.
Lady working in her father's tobacco shop and raising her sister's child is not expecting to find love when a man from her past returns.

Cindy Holbrook, "The Present," in A Mother's Joy.
Three children kidnap a duke as a birthday present for their stepsister.

Kate Huntington, A Hero's Homecoming.
A captain reported missing in action returns home and discovers that he has a son.

Kate Huntington, His Lordship's Holiday Surprise.
A marquess offers to help a lady whose sister has disappeared, leaving behind three young children.

Kate Huntington, Lady Diana's Darlings.
Widow dislikes her late husband's arrogant and proper relatives, but when one gentleman takes an interest in her beloved son she unexpectedly loses her heart to him.

Melissa Lynn Jones, "The Butterfly Net," in A Mother's Love.
Lord selects a lady collecting money for an orphanage as the perfect mother for his child.

Carla Kelly, Miss Milton Speaks Her Mind.
Poor relation with a secret that prevents her from marrying takes care of a boy whose parentage is in question and receives help tutoring him from a neighbor with a secret of his own.

Carla Kelly, One Good Turn.
A duke who lost the woman he loved to another gets a second chance at happiness when he offers a ride to a Spanish lady and her child.

Shirley Kennedy, The London Belle.
Penniless lady takes a position tutoring the lonely son of an infamous rake.

Lynn Kerstan, "A Change of Heart," in A Mother's Joy.
Pregnant lady's emotional turbulence threatens to drive her husband away.

Elisabeth Kidd, My Lady Mischief.
Lady who longs for a child occupies her mind with her brother's mysterious fiancee and a plot to steal the Elgin marbles.

April Kihlstrom, The Soldier's Bride.
A lord who was believed lost at sea returns home to his wife and a child he does not think is his.

April Kihlstrom, The Widower's Folly.
A lord who has a mute daughter finds the only way to reach her is through the children's books written by a lady.

Valerie King, "A Father's Love" in A Kiss for Papa.
A widower proposes to his daughters' governess but she turns him down.

Mary Kingsley, "Gifts of the Heart," in A Mother's Love.
Lord whose parliamentary duties keep him in town resolves his differences with his wife who prefers the country.

Mary Kruger, An Angel's Wish.
A lord grants his daughter's wish and invites his estranged wife home for the holidays.

Anthea Malcolm, "The Perfect Mother," in A Mother's Heart.
Lady enters into a marriage of convenience with a man with two daughters.

Elizabeth Mansfield, Winter Wonderland.
Ten years after a lady haughtily turned down his shy request for a dance, a gentleman has the chance to hire the now-impoverished lady as a governess for his brother's children.

Lillian Marsh, The Forgotten Bride.
An impoverished lady impetuously marries a dashing stranger who then deserts her after one blissful night. Years later, she confronts her
errant husband, who is shocked to learn he has a wife... and son.

Paula Marshall, Miss Jesmond's Heir.
A gentleman arrives to inspect the property he inherited from his great-aunt and finds a widowed lady dressed in men's clothes playing with two children.

Laura Matthews, Lord Greywell's Dilemma.
Lady runs her husband's household, cares for his sickly son and hosts his parties but insists he keep his promise not to touch her.

Laura Matthews, A Very Proper Widow.
Widow left in charge of an estate and two small children resists the efforts of her husband's friend to manage her affairs.

Melinda McRae, "Hide-&-Seek," in Rakes and Rogues.
Lady who takes care of the illegitimate children of a man she loves goes to a masquerade to meet him incognito.

Melinda McRae, Lady Leprechaun.
Widow and a duke are thrown together chasing after runaway schoolboys.

Melinda McRae, An Unlikely Attraction.
Lord and lady whose spouses ran off with each other meet when the lady finds the lord's lost child, who bears a striking resemblance to her husband.

Barbara Metzger, "Christmas Wish List," in A Regency Christmas Present. Signet, October 1999.
Characters: Albrett Wouk, Earl of Boughton & Miss Geraldine Selden
Summary: Earl with a sick daughter tries to buy a kitten from a lady he nearly ran over and mistook for a lightskirt.

Barbara Metzger, Father Christmas.
Duke wants one of a war widow's twin sons as his heir.

Barbara Metzger, Lady Sparrow.
A young widow discovers that her late husband had twelve illegitimate children and decides to track down the orphans, including her own son whom she thought dead at birth.

Barbara Metzger, Lord Heartless.
When a lord discovers a baby on his doorstep he turns for help to a woman who was abandoned by her husband and must work to support her daughter.

Barbara Metzger, "Three Good Deeds," in A Regency Christmas [VIII].
Three boys trying to do good deeds to atone for a broken window bring their mother together with her former love.

Nadine Miller, The Unlikely Angel.
Daughter of a rich Cit runs an orphanage for society's byblows and is infuriated when the new owner of the orphanage raises her rent.

Anita Mills, The Duke's Double.
Duke who divorced his wife when he believed she played him false with his best friend is shocked to see her years later with a son that is obviously his own.

Gwyneth Moore, Love's Lady Lost.
Man stranded at "widow's" house in a snowstorm discovers her secret past.

Mary Nichols, The Incomparable Countess.
A lady whose love rejected her at the tender age of 17 meets him again years later when she is a Society hostess who has learned to hide her feelings and he is a widower seeking a mother for his children.

Patricia Oliver, Broken Promises.
Ten years after jilting her betrothed, a lady returns to London as a widow with two young sons and comes face to face with the man she had once left at the altar.

Patricia Oliver, Scandalous Secrets.
Divorced lady returning to England after many years helps a little girl with a handsome yet irritating father.

Andrea Pickens, The Major's Mistake.
Man who mistakenly believes his wife was unfaithful divorces her and goes to war for six years, but on his return he meets her and the son he never knew he had and wonders if he was too quick to judge her.

Andrea Pickens, Second Chances.
Lady has her own reasons for tutoring the son of an arrogant earl.

Dawn Aldridge Poore, A Perilous Attraction.
Lady stuck with an abandoned baby hooks up with a man with a stolen necklace.

Cynthia Pratt, A Yuletide Treasure.
A freespirited writer who finds himself saddled with a title, an estate, and a ready-made family attempts to make Christmas special for his nieces and gets a holiday surprise in the form of a damsel in distress.

Eileen Ramsay, The Mysterious Marquis.
A lady is determined to meet the mysterious father of a young boy she finds near her home in rural Scotland.

Joy Reed, "Christening Day," in A Mother's Joy.
Lady who has recently given birth fears her husband's attentions have wandered.

Leslie Reid, Letter of Intent.
American businessman asks a lady to care for his motherless children.

Evelyn Richardson, My Lady Nightingale.
Lady who is music tutor to a lord's niece and nephew dreams of becoming an opera singer.

Janet Louise Roberts, The Cardross Luck.
Heiress proposes marriage to an impoverished lord to gain her freedom.

Jeanne Savery, "Happily Ever-After," in A Kiss for Mama.
Lady raising her niece and nephew is challenged by their godfather.

Jeanne Savery, A Lady's Lesson.
Lord's son switches places with a beautiful widow's son.

Jeanne Savery, Love for Lydia.
Lady pretends to be her half-siblings' governess when their handsome new guardian arrives.

Jeanne Savery, The Widowed Miss Mordaunt.
Lady posing as a widow to seek her brother in France after the war accepts the escort of a major but tries to convince him he does not need to marry her.

Margaret SeBastian, That Savage Yankee Squire!
Lady trying to manage her unruly siblings determines to put an uncouth American in his place.

Sheila Simonson, The Bar Sinister.
Illegitimate man whose "accidents" may be connected with his possible inheritance hides his Spanish-speaking children in a widow's home when he returns to war.

Joan Smith, Love Bade Me Welcome.
Widow who goes to live with her husband's family suspects his heir presumptive brother of pushing her down the stairs to kill her unborn child.

Judith Stafford, A Hero's Welcome.
Lord stops a desperate lady from throwing herself into the Thames by proposing she marry him and care for his daughter while he is at war, but when he returns three years later he is cold and remote.

Judith Stafford, Sarah's Angel.
Kids try to get their father to marry the governess.

Lois Stewart, A Reluctant Heart.
Starstruck, sheltered lady elopes with a drunken gentleman who doesn't realize he is married and has an heir until seven years later.

Marcy Stewart, The Bridegroom and the Baby.
On the morning of his fiancee's arrival, a lord discovers a baby left in his bed.

Marcy Stewart, Lady Scandal.
Glassmaker asks a widow who writes a scandalous gossip column to help him recover his family's glass formula.

Marcy Stewart, The Viscount Takes a Wife.
Widower seeks a model of propriety as mother for his daughters but a hoyden thinks he needs a high-spirited wife.

Olivia Sumner, "Mischievous Matchmaker," in A Mother's Heart.
Lord and lady meet trying to retrieve missing babies from a woman who sells children.

Olivia Sumner, "Winter Enchantment," in A Christmas to Cherish.
Lord who finds a baby on his doorstep suspects a lady who arrives shortly afterwards.

Patricia Veryan, Love Alters Not.
Lady carrying a crucial Jacobite cypher switches identities with a woman claiming her son is a baronet's heir.

Patricia Veryan, Mistress of Willowvale.
Gentleman returns from the war to find his fiancee has a child by another man.

Patricia Veryan, Some Brief Folly.
Lady's page turns out to be the lost son of a man accused of killing his wife & son.

Elizabeth Walker, Alicia. Also published under the name Laura Matthews.
Widow with a child to support must run a shop and fend off the advances of a rake with the help of a kindly lord.

Barbara Whitehead, The Caretaker Wife.
Naval officer marries a lady to care for his children and estate in his absence.

Gail Whitiker, An Innocent Deceit.
After his faithless wife's death, a gentleman returns to his estate to get to know his daughter and encounters a neighbor lady who disapproves of him yet who disgsuises herself as a man in order to be his daughter's riding instructor.
 
 
 

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Artwork in page header from Lord Carew's Bride by Mary Balogh (left) and My Lady Governess by Wilma Counts (right).