Böcker av Alix James

Disappointed hopes and the kindness of a stranger.Elizabeth Bennet is as content as a girl with a wounded heart can be. Mr. Bingley has returned to Jane with promising attentions, and all is well... except that no one knows what has become of Mr. Darcy. Shadowed by regrets of the past, Elizabeth means only to enjoy her tour of the Peaks with her aunt and uncle, declining a chance to view Pemberley. The party takes rooms at an inn, and Elizabeth discovers a very lonely gentleman has taken the room next to hers.Fitzwilliam Darcy has lost nearly all the people dearest to him. Too late to save some, and too humbled to reach out to others, he does the only thing he can think of. He leaves all his memories behind for a time, uncertain if or when he will ever return. On his way to Scotland, he stops in an unfamiliar town for the night, and finds a friend in the faceless voice next door. If only their paths would cross in the daylight, so he could learn who she is!As the nights pass, and casual exchanges become deep confidences, Darcy and Elizabeth each find their hearts aching for the one they lost. Elizabeth wishes with all her heart that she could see Mr. Darcy one more time, to let him know how her feelings have changed. The least she can do is advise this stranger in the next room not to give up hope on the woman he loves.When Darcy at last decides to seek Elizabeth Bennet and ask one more time for her hand, will he accidentally be riding away from her, instead? Find out in this delicious, gently paced story of mistakes and redemption.When The Sun Sleeps is a sweet Regency Novella of approximately 20,000 words.

Darcy's got the wealth and wit, but Elizabeth's heart is already spoken for. Cue the romance and shenanigans, because the game of love is about to get serious. **Elizabeth Bennet** It was supposed to be simple: come back to Derbyshire, see childhood friends, maybe fall in love. But that was before I realized George Darcy, the boy I'd set my heart on when I was just thirteen, was engaged to Lady Lucilla. Things I didn't expect this week: 1. Realizing I still had feelings for George. (Old habits die hard.)2. Being warned off by his oh-so-serious older brother. (As if I'd listen!)3. Finding myself in the middle of a love square? Love rhombus? Whatever it's called.4. Being oddly drawn to the older Darcy brother. (His eyes... that's all I'm saying.)5. Being the unintentional wrench in a seemingly perfect engagement.6. Participating in the wittiest banter battles of my life. (With Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome, no less.)>**Fitzwilliam Darcy** I pride myself on being the responsible Darcy. But responsibility gets a tad complicated when Elizabeth Bennet storms back into our lives. This week's unforeseen complications: 1. Trying to keep my wayward brother, George, on the straight and narrow. (Impossible.)2. Watching Elizabeth, with her sparkling eyes and razor-sharp wit, aim for George's heart. (Torture.)3. Reminding myself I'm trying to keep her away for George's own good. (A lie I keep telling myself.)4. Finding it increasingly challenging to keep my distance. (Why does she have to be so... captivating?)5. Becoming entangled in a mess of love, loyalty, and longing.6. Wishing, for the first time in my life, that I wasn't the responsible one.7. Realizing that perhaps it's my heart that's at stake in this unexpected game of romance.

When plotting mistletoe mischief, always check for lurking gentlemen-especially the tall, dark, and brooding kind.It was supposed to be a simple holiday mission: whisk away heartbroken Jane and ailing Charlotte to London's glittering festivities for some much-needed Christmas cheer. But as I, Elizabeth Bennet, quickly learned, nothing's ever simple when a certain gentleman is involved.For starters, there is Mr. Darcy, always appearing at the most inopportune moments-like under the very mistletoe branch I had my sights on! Between plum pudding, party mishaps, and an uncanny ability to be exactly where I don't want him, Mr. Darcy might just be the biggest holiday hurdle. It is just my luck that he happens to be a dazzling kisser.Will we find joy, love, and a few stolen kisses amidst the yuletide chaos? Or will I have to pen another guide titled, 'How to Keep Stubborn Gentlemen From Stealing Your Heart'?Join me in a festive frolic where hearts, hopes, and mistletoe hang in the balance.

**Elizabeth Bennet** My life is in tatters: a scandalous elopement, the possible loss of my beloved Longbourn, and the mortifying memory of a rejected proposal. As if that's not enough, I now have the delightful job of handling the unruly Holt children as their governess. Little did I know, this role would pull me into the world of international intrigue. Italy, Napoleon, and danger? Not exactly what I signed up for. **Things going terribly wrong: ** 1. Longbourn's impending doom. (Just perfect.)2. Becoming a governess. (Desperation calls.)3. Discovering the Holt's suspicious interest in Napoleon. (Because, of course.)4. Running into the last person I'd ever want to see. (Why, universe, why?)>**Fitzwilliam Darcy** Getting over Elizabeth Bennet? Harder than I imagined. Being called upon for a crucial mission? Just my luck. Finding out Elizabeth is tangled in the very web I'm trying to unravel? Absolutely unbelievable. **Things I didn't expect this year: ** 1. Elizabeth becoming ensnared in an international incident. (Coincidence? I think not.)2. Having to balance my mission with my feelings. (I'm not prepared.)3. The burning need to protect Elizabeth from looming danger while she still despises me. (Old habits.)4. Europe on the brink of war... again. (Timing is everything.)>In a world teetering on war, can a gentleman set on deciphering international secrets and a governess wrapped up in her own tumultuous saga find their way back to each other?

Previously published as Nowhere but North by Nicole ClarkstonCan the pieces of a broken past be enough to build a solid future? Haunted by sorrow and regret, Margaret Hale stands at the precipice of an uncertain destiny. Fiercely determined but not knowing how to find her way, she risks the little she has left on the heart she once shattered-hoping somehow to win back his respect, if not his love.Since he was a boy, John Thornton has fought the consequences of his father's mistakes. Resolved to overcome past failings and the disdain of the world, he has striven for wealth, respect, and personal honour, but he is denied love. Now, all he had previously gained is slipping away, but he cannot resist a second chance with the woman he once lost. Crushed on all sides, all he has left to offer the one who needs him most is a home, and a heart that aches for her.Can a struggling manufacturer ever be enough for a woman who deserves the world? Can a grieving, inexperienced young woman learn to look beyond her Southern past to appreciate her Northern man? When sorrow and fear threaten to conquer them both, they must overcome the odds to find the strength to forge a better life ahead. Nowhere but North presents the powerful back stories that built these beloved characters and even now drive them toward their futures.This dramatic tale delves into the wonderful world of Elizabeth Gaskell's epic North & South.

Previously published as No Such Thing as Luck by Nicole ClarkstonWhat began as a last-chance goodbye becomes the future she never dreamed possible. John Thornton is facing the collapse of everything he has worked for all of his life. The only woman he ever loved has gone to London and forgotten all about him. Aching for what he lost, he doesn't have time to grieve because his cotton mill is on the brink of financial collapse. Through his banker, he hears about a business opportunity that could save the mill. His only hope is to investigate, even if it means traveling to Spain when he can least afford it. Margaret Hale is haunted by regret. Both her parents have died, and she has thrown away her only chance at love. She longs for what might have been, and wishes more than anything for one more chance to see John Thornton. Margaret is surprised by a letter from her godfather Mr Bell, who is visiting her brother Frederick in Cadiz, Spain. Bell is dying and asking to see her before it is too late. For a chance to set something right, Margaret is determined to sailregardless of the risk. An accident on the docks leaves Margaret injured, and throws them together on the same ship. John, resolved to protect Margaret's honour despite their painful history, claims to be her brother to keep her safe. Unfortunately, pretending to be Margaret's brother proves more difficult-and more dangerous-than he ever could have imagined.No Such Thing as Luck is a fade-to-black Victorian Romance featuring the characters from Elizabeth Gaskell's beloved North & South.

Previously published as Northern Rain by Nicole ClarkstonA vulnerable moment breaks down barriers, turning enemies into allies... and maybe even something more.Margaret Hale is broken with grief. Still mourning her mother's death, she is also weighed down by fear for her brother Frederick, who is living in exile, and her father's unstable health. But topping all her concerns is handsome mill owner John Thornton, whose rash marriage proposal she had rejected before even considering. Not that there is any point in thinking of him now. He wouldn't have anything to do with her, even if she were the last woman in the world. John Thornton is a man of heavy responsibilities who has many things on his mind. His business has suffered one setback after another, and everyone is counting on him to make things right. But the most troublesome of all his problems is Margaret Hale. She wants nothing to do with him, and he wishes he could feel the same. But a chance encounter when he is most in need of a friend might just shatter the misunderstandings that have kept them apart. Is something so simple as friendship even possible after all that has passed between them? When John is offered a chance to save his mill, at the cost of his growing friendship with Margaret, will he act according to duty? Or will he take a chance on love?