Böcker av Barbara Metzger

Alone in the world, Amanda Carville has no dowry, no reputation left, and no one who believes her to be innocent of murder, since she was found holding the gun that killed her stepfather. Viscount Rexford also has his troubles. He's scarred by war, and cursed-or blessed-with the family trait of knowing the truth when he hears it, and his success at extracting the truth from military prisoners has left many doubting his honor and his methods. When Amanda tells him she didn't do it, he believes her. Tired of the truth business, Rex refuses to get involved…until his heart leaves him no choice.

If only he could go back in time. Then Ian, Karl ol Marden, would not have dueled, and he would not have hit an innocent bystander - a sickly lad, no less. And he certainly would never have brought the boy's sister, Athena Renslow, to stay at his house without a chaperone. On top of it all, the nineteen-year-old beauty is under the mistaken impression that Ian is the gentle hero who rescued her brother instead of the rogue who practically killed him. So, in order to keep the Renslows' lives from getting any worse, Ian resolves to marry the girl. But, Athena won't let the wealthy, handsome bachelor sacrifice everything for a country nobody, despite the urgings of both their families-and their hearts.

He's a master of disguises… but he can't mask true love. Spymaster Harry Harmon's new assignment is to spy on enemies at a country house party. To do that, he'll require a courtesan: learned, truthful, and beautiful… Poor, sensible, smart Simone Ryland has come to Mrs. Burton's bawdy house in search of work. But instead, she finds Harmon in need of her special skills.

The lies are undeniable…but the truth is harder to see… Daniel Stamfield has become invaluable to the British Army for his ability to detect the truth from the enemy's lies. After years of service, Daniel finally takes a respite for some wine, wenches, and wagering. Unfortunately, he didn't bet on the lovely Miss Corisande Abbott and her unsavory reputation to swagger back into his life.But as time passes, Daniel realizes he wants to make an honest woman of Corey…and an honest man of himself.

Lucinda's life was tragically cut short in a most scandalous manner, and her only means of entering Heaven lies in saving Lord Stanford from Hell. Perhaps while guiding the notorious rake onto a virtuous path, she can show him how true love will save his immortal soul…

Lovely Lisanne Neville had always found solace in the verdant beauty of Sevrin Woods. But now the woods were about to be destroyed in order to pay off the gambling debts of the Duke of St. Sevrin. Clearly, drastic measures were called for. So Lisanne proposed marriage to the duke. The deal: her fortune for his woods. The Duke of St. Sevrin put aside his bottle long enough to consider this mad bargain, recognizing he had nothing to offer this sprite of a girl save his crumbling home, hellish reputation, and mountain of bills. He accepted. It was not the beginning of a fairy-tale marriage-but never underestimate the power of love . . . and a little bit of magic!

IT WAS PROVING QUITE HARD TO SEDUCE A WOMAN WITH HER MOTHER NEARBY, MUCH. LESS A COOK AND NANNY! Though barely out of the schoolroom, Melody Ashton was determined to save her mother from scandal. Guardian of several "orphans" (in actuality the illegitimate children of the ton!) poor Mama was accused of pilfering contributions. To make matters worse, the infuriatingly handsome Lord Coe had accused them all of blackmailing his sister, whose child resided with them! After such rudeness, his offer to make Melody his mistress was the outside of enough! Ignoring all lessons learned in Mingleforth's Rules of Polite Decorum, she told the rake exactly what he was-starting with reckless reprobate and on to debauched womanizer, self-righteous sapskull, and buffle-headed bounder.Lord Coe was quite confused! Never had a conquest proved so difficult. And never had he feared he was falling so helplessly in love…!

A perfect summer romance! Louisa is left at the altar on her wedding day with no job, no home and an awful honeymoon on her own. Back home, she takes up living in her family's dilapidated summer cottage in the Hamptons with a rescued dog and a bad sunburn, awful neighbors and a handyman who is anything but helpful. The last thing Dante Rivera needs is another woman (he's already burdened with an aging aunt, a needy cousin and an ex-wife) and this one has more issues than Sports Illustrated. The only problem is, he just can't walk away from his intensifying attraction. Then a hurricane threatens the village and the pair find themselves in the dark…and everything will change.

Viscount Aubrey "Stony" Wellstone is at the end of his rope-and the end of his family's once-great fortune. Desperate, he tries his luck at the gaming tables, where an offer to exchange his debts for a gentlemanly favor leads to a profitable new profession…as an "honorable escort" accompanying the cream of the ton. The fiercely independent, flame-tressed Miss Ellianne Kane would normally have no use for an upper-class attendant-even one as striking as Stony-but she needs Aubrey's help. Will Aubrey prove to her that there is far more to him than want of money?

After the cold-blooded murder of her odious husband, Marisol Pendenning, a lovely but pregnant young widow, and Lord Kimbrough, the handsome aristocrat who had been the last to see the victim alive, are drawn into the search for a killer.

Aurora Halle McPhee, a girl of humble (some might say unconventional) background, cannot believe her luck when she is betrothed to the dashing, well-bred Harland Podell. Aurora soon learns, however, that the match is too good to be true when the nuptials are interrupted-by the brother of the groom's wife! Kenyon Warriner, Earl of Windham, is determined to foil that bigamous bounder Podell, before he disgraces another innocent female as he did Kenyon's own sister. The earl will save Miss McPhee's honor. Even if he must wed her himself…

Coryn, Earl of Ardeth, has spent an eternity in Hell. Fed up, he gambles with the Devil and wins a second chance: if he can find his heart, his soul, and his hourglass in six months, he can return to life. Then he meets Genie, a disgraced water-girl at the Battle of Waterloo. Now, her only hope is this crazy stranger-and she's half-terrified of and half-in-love with the eccentric earl. Together they have to find his humanity, her social acceptance, and overcome someone bent on destroying their lives.

When his betrothed leaves him stranded at the altar, Lord Galen Woodbridge is more embarrassed than broken-hearted. Desperate to deflect attention from his humiliating plight, he decides to stir up a bit of a scandal - by wedding London's most eligible and elusive songstress, the magnificently sensuous Margot Montclaire.After Galen proposes, Margot confides that her sexy demeanor is merely an act. A baron's daughter, she took to the stage to escape the clutches of a diabolical uncle - and reluctantly left her fragile young brother behind in his care. To win Margot's hand, Galen agrees to save her sickly sibling - but in this marriage of mutual convenience, he never planned on losing his heart….

20pt Large Print Edition!Well-bred orphan Cristabel Swann tolerates her thankless teaching job -- until her uncle dies unexpectedly. Arriving in London to claim her inheritance, Cristabel encounters something else entirely -- a loutish naval captain who won all of the old man''s property in an evening''s gambling, leaving his niece nothing but debt! To his credit, Captain Chase recognizes her desperation and offers her a position as landlady of a "boarding house" in Kensington.Cristabel is happy with her new situation and with the female tenants of the house. They are exceedingly well dressed for working-class girls and have many admirers. Cristabel soon has a beau of her own -- the dashing Lord Winstoke, who seems just a tad familiar, both in appearance and in attitude. Of course, Cristabel maintains propriety in every situation. But she cannot understand why the men she meets are so forward. Could it be the company she keeps? CUPBOARD KISSES won Romantic Times magazine''s Reviewer''s Choice Award and the Best Regency Comedy award.

20pt Large Print Edition!Celebrate the magic of the holiday season with a little Regency romance!Originally published in separate anthologies, and out-of-print for many years, these Christmas-themed novellas by legendary Regency romance author Barbara Metzger are in one volume for the first time ever!This collection includes the following stories:Greetings of the SeasonThe Proof Is in the PuddingThree Good DeedsChristmas Wish ListLittle Miracles