New Release Books by Mary Balogh

''One of the best!'' Julia Quinn, Sunday Times bestselling author of the Bridgerton series A new series by Mary Balogh, bestselling author of The Westcott series. If you loved Bridgerton, you''ll adore Mary Balogh. The handsome and charismatic Earl of Stratton, Caleb Ware, has been exposed to the ton for his clandestine affairs-by his own son. As a child, Devlin Ware thought his family stood for all that was right and good in the world. They were kind, gracious, and shared the beauty of Ravenwood, their grand country estate, by hosting lavish parties for the entire countryside. But at twenty-two, he discovered his whole world was an elaborate illusion, and when Devlin publicly called his family to account for it, he was exiled as a traitor. So be it. He enlisted in the fight against Napoleon and didn''t look back for six years. But now his father is dead, the Ware family is broken, and as the heir he is being called home. It''s only when Gwyneth Rhys-the woman he loved and then lost after his family banished him-holds out her hand to help him that he is able make the difficult journey and try to piece together his fractured family. It is Gwyneth''s loyalty, patience, and love that he needs. But is Devlin''s war-hardened heart even capable of offering her love in return? Praise for Mary Balogh ''A grand mistress of the genre'' Romantic Times ''Balogh is the queen of spicy Regency-era romance, creating memorable characters in unforgettable stories'' Booklist ''Mary Balogh sets the gold standard in historical romance'' New York Times bestselling author Jayne Ann Krentz ''A romance writer of mesmerising intensity, Mary Balogh has the gift of making a relationship seem utterly real and utterly compelling'' Mary Jo Putney

Sometimes, just one person can pull a whole family apart. And sometimes, it just takes one person to pull it back together. For fans of Bridgerton, New York Times bestselling Regency Romance author Mary Balogh shows how love truly conquers all in this new Westcott family novel. As a young man, Justin Wiley was banished by his father for mysterious reasons, but now his father is dead, and Justin has been Earl of Brandon for six years. A dark, dour man, he nonetheless takes it as his responsibility to care for his half-sister Maria when her mother dies. He travels to her home to fetch her back to the family seat at Everleigh Park. Although she adored him once, Maria now loathes Justin, and her friend Lady Estelle Lamarr can see immediately how his very name upsets her. When Justin arrives and invites Estelle and her brother to accompany Maria to Everleigh Park to help with her distress, she begrudgingly agrees for Maria''s sake. As family secrets unravel in Maria''s homecoming, Justin, too, uncovers his desire for a countess. And, while he may believe he''s found an obvious candidate in the beautiful 25-year-old Lady Estelle, she is most certain that they could never make a match...

Recently widowed, lonely Lydia Tavernor dreams of taking a lover and, one night, finds herself alone with the reclusive Harry Wescott to whom she poses a question that leads them down a path neither could have ever imagined.

Lady Rachel Palmer, young, beautiful, vivacious, and wealthy, is a huge success with London society. She hides from everyone an inner restlessness, a nagging suspicion that something is missing from her life. Some sense of purpose. Some substance to counter the frivolity of her days. David Gower, tall, dark, handsome, but an impoverished second son, was once unsettled and rebellious as he searched for something to give his life focus. Now, as a young clergyman with a new parish to serve, he has found what he was looking for and, with it, contentment and real happiness... ...until, that is, he meets and falls in love with Rachel. Marriage to her is impossible, however. She is too far above him socially and too attached to her life of gaiety and wealth and privilege. David has nothing of value to offer her except a life committed to service and poverty. His love cannot possibly be enough. But Rachel, as deeply in love with David as he is with her, has other ideas. Perhaps life as a vicar''s wife is exactly what will suit her. How dare he presume to tell her otherwise? How can he know what will make her happy? How can he, a clergyman, possibly suggest that in some circumstances love may not be enough? And if he cannot afford to woo her with expensive bouquets of flowers, then let him pick her a bunch of daisies.

George, Duke of Cranwell, and his duchess''s separation led to a bitter divorce and social ostracism for Sarah, who, unable to divulge to him the secrets of her heart, told instead the lies he expected to hear. Now, four years later, the duke and Sarah Fifield meet again in Bath and are thrown together by the unfortunate fact that the lady with whom Sarah is living as companion is a close friend of the grandmother of George''s new fiancée. Against all the odds and wisdom itself, Sarah and George seem fated to fall in love all over again. Yet the old secrets remain and come back to haunt Sarah in the form of the man who destroyed her innocence years ago and now threatens that of George''s sister and even of his fiancée. Sarah, it seems, may have to sacrifice her own chance of happiness once more in order to protect that of the man she has never stopped loving. Unless, that is, he can uncover the truth and protect her.

Gerard Percy, the new Earl of Wanstead, dreads returning home to Thornwood, where the widow of his predecessor lives with her two children. He has unhappy memories of Christina, the widowed countess. But it is Christmas, and he decides to take a houseful of guests with him to make his return easier. For her part, Christina feels an equal dread of seeing Gerard again, ten years after she renounced him in order to marry his strict, puritanical—but seemingly safe—cousin. She is horrified when she learns about the guests and the fact that Christmas this year is to be a bright and merry occasion, for her late husband would allow no frivolity of any kind in their life. And so they meet again, these two former lovers who have bitterly resented each other for ten years—but never forgotten each other.

Love comes when you least expect it in this captivating new novel in the Westcott Regency romance series from New York Times bestselling author Mary Balogh. Lady Jessica Archer lost interest in the glittering excitement of romance after her cousin and dearest friend, Abigail, was rejected by the ton when her father was revealed to be a bigamist. Now that she is twenty-five, however, Jessica decides it is time to wed. Though she no longer believes she will find true love, she is still very eligible. She is, after all, the sister of Avery Archer, Duke of Netherby. Jessica considers the many qualified gentlemen who court her. But then she meets the mysterious Gabriel Thorne, who has returned to England from the New World to claim an equally mysterious inheritance. Jessica considers him completely unsuitable, especially when, while they are still barely acquainted, he announces his intention to wed her. When Jessica guesses who Gabriel really is, however, and watches the lengths to which he will go in order to protect those who rely upon him, she is drawn to his cause--and to the man.

Geoffrey, the new Viscount Astor, needs a wife. Since he sets no great store by love and romance, he decides it would be eminently sensible to offer marriage to one of the three daughters of his predecessor. He has never met any of them and has no preference. He leaves the choice to them and their mother. Arabella, the middle daughter, volunteers to make the sacrifice and marry the earl since her older, far more lovely, sister is already in love with someone else. She prays that he will be an older man of few attractions, for she sees herself as plain and uninteresting. She is dismayed to discover that Geoffrey is, in fact, young, handsome, and fashionable. She vows to be a dutiful, obedient wife and to devote her life to making him comfortable. Arabella''s plan seems to be working nicely for both Geoffrey and herself—until, that is, she discovers something about him that shocks her to the core. It is an offense she considers quite unforgivable. And when Arabella makes up her mind about something, she is not easily persuaded to change it. Geoffrey is finally shaken out of his complacency to the discovery that his wife means far more to him than he had realized. But how is he to win her back when she flatly refuses to be wheedled out of her outrage?

Geraint Penderyn grew up in dire poverty with his mother in Wales until it was discovered that, as she had always claimed, he was the legitimate child of the Earl of Wyvern''s deceased son. Geraint was snatched away from all that was familiar and dear to him—his mother, his friends, the girl he loved—and sent to school in England to be educated as an English gentleman and future earl. Now, years later, he is back as the new Earl of Wyvern, only to discover that all is not well with his home and his people. His fellow landowners—and his own steward—have been oppressing their tenant farmers and driving them from the land. The farmers are fighting back by destroying the tollgates that have been erected to make it impossible for them to afford to travel to purchase supplies and market their goods. Geraint''s old friends scorn him as just another wealthy, privileged English landowner. Marged Evans, the woman he had loved, hates him passionately and blames him for the death of her husband. Geraint is caught firmly between two worlds. One of them, that of the landowners, he rejects; the other, that of his old friends, rejects him. He comes to the conclusion that the only way he can help his people and free them from oppression is to become one of them as their leader. But it must be done secretly, under a disguise that none of them will ever penetrate.

Eight years ago, Felicity, Lady Wren, married a wealthy older man in order to save her family from financial ruin. Now, widowed and free again, she yearns to experience all the bright pleasures of a busy social life with the ton. She longs for romance at last and a new marriage to someone young, handsome, and charming. She fixes her interest upon a charismatic lord with a rakish reputation and dreams of changing him. Tom Russell, childhood friend of Felicity''s, has never forgotten the passion that flared between them all too briefly before she chose Wren instead of him. But when she turns to him for support in her search for a new husband, he puts his own feelings aside in order to be the friend she needs. Even when she enlists his aid in making her lord jealous, he goes along with her scheme. Tom is perhaps too selfless and good-natured for his own good. And Felicity is perhaps too much in denial about her true feelings for her dearest friend.

Nineteenth-century London—Verity’s father has passed away, so in order to pay for the surgery her sister needs, she becomes a theater dancer under a false name. Dancers are considered no better than harlots in the eyes of gentlemen, so Viscount Fillion Guzby decides he can buy some time with her—in fact, he asks her to spend Christmas with him in exchange for five hundred pounds!

Jack Frazer is resigned to spending Christmas in the country with his family, even knowing that his grandmother has invited a young lady and her family with the specific intention of matchmaking for him. His grandmother has also invited the newly widowed Isabella, Comtesse de Vacheron, an acclaimed actress, and her two children. The whole family is delighted to have the comtesse among them to enliven their traditional family theatricals. All except Jack, that is. He once lived with Isabella for a whole year and has been unable to forget her in the nine years since.

Alexander Stewart, Viscount Merrick, is honor-bound to marry Anne Parrish after a snowstorm strands them alone together overnight. But nothing is going to force him into living with her when he believes she deliberately ensnared him. He settles her on his country estate and does not see her again until his grandmother, determined to bring them back together, invites Anne to join the whole family at a house party in honor of her Golden Wedding anniversary. Alexander finds Anne much changed, and he discovers that his feelings toward her are changing too. But will his angry, newly confident wife allow herself to be wooed?

It’s never too late to fall in love in this enchanting new story, a novella in the Westcott series from New York Times bestselling author Mary Balogh. Matilda Westcott has spent her life tending to the needs of her mother, the Dowager Countess of Riverdale, never questioning the web of solitude she has spun herself. To Matilda, who considers herself an aging spinster daughter, marriage is laughable—love is a game for the young, after all. But her quiet, ordered life unravels when a dashing gentleman from her past reappears, threatening to charm his way into her heart yet again. Charles Sawyer, Viscount Dirkson, does not expect to face Matilda Westcott thirty-six years after their failed romance. Moreover, he does not expect decades-old feelings to emerge at the very sight of her. When encountering Matilda at a dinner hosted by the Earl of Riverdale, he finds himself as fascinated by her as he was the first day they met, and wonders whether, after all these years, they have a chance at happiness together. Charles is determined to crack the hard exterior Matilda has built up for more than three decades, or he will risk losing her once again.... *Includes bonus excerpts from the Westcott novels*

The Marquess of Kenwood, a notorious libertine, finds himself accepting a rash wager one night at his club when he is drunk. For five hundred guineas he agrees to woo and bed any woman his adversaries care to name—within a month. They choose Diana Ingram, a beautiful widow of unassailable virtue. As luck would have it, he has been invited to the same house party as she and will have ample opportunity to win his bet. Diana is ready to marry again. But she is certainly not going to encourage the advances of Jack, Marquess of Kenwood, especially when her first unfortunate encounter with him on the road to her mother- and father-in-law''s party tells her all she needs to know about the sort of man he is. Unfortunately for Diana, and perhaps for Jack too, her mother-in-law is an incurable matchmaker and has decided that the two of them would be perfect for each other.

First appearances deceive in the newest charming and heartwarming Regency romance in the Westcott series from beloved New York Times bestselling author Mary Balogh. Abigail Westcott''s dreams for her future were lost when her father died and she discovered her parents were not legally married. But now, six years later, she enjoys the independence a life without expectation provides a wealthy single woman. Indeed, she''s grown confident enough to scold the careless servant chopping wood outside without his shirt on in the proximity of ladies. But the man is not a servant. He is Gilbert Bennington, the lieutenant colonel and superior officer who has escorted her wounded brother, Harry, home from the wars with Napoleon. Gil has come to help his friend and junior officer recover, and he doesn''t take lightly to being condescended to--secretly because of his own humble beginnings. If at first Gil and Abigail seem to embody what the other most despises, each will soon discover how wrong first impressions can be. For behind the appearances of the once-grand lady and the once-humble man are two people who share an understanding of what true honor means, and how only with it can one find love.

Jessica Moore, demure governess to a spoiled young girl who is expecting a marriage proposal from the Earl of Rutherford, a guest in her father''s home, is unwise enough to creep downstairs to the library one night when she cannot sleep, to choose a book to read. There she is discovered, first by the earl, and then by her employer. Though she is quite innocent of any wrongdoing, she is dismissed without notice and without a character. The earl, conscience-stricken, tries to make amends by offering her a position as his mistress, but when she refuses, he gives her a letter to take to his grandmother in London. In it he begs his grandmother to find employment for Miss Moore. Neither he nor Jessica expects that the offered employment will be as his wife.

Jane Matthews has been secretly in love with the charming, very handsome Viscount Fairfax for a long time—since well before his marriage, in fact. Now he is widowed and, after a suitable mourning period, is back in London in search of a new wife and a mother for his two infant daughters. He chooses Jane, whom he finds likable and quiet and sensible and surely the ideal choice to suit his needs. When he proposes marriage to her, however, she surprises them both by saying no. Instead, she accepts the offer of his best friend. Too late—or so it seems—the viscount falls deeply in love with Jane as he comes to value her for herself.

Seven years ago, Christopher Atwell, newly and happily married to Lady Elizabeth Ward, was framed for several misdemeanors. When no one, even his wife, would believe his protestations of innocence, he fled to Canada, while Elizabeth''s powerful father arranged for a divorce. But now Christopher has inherited an earldom upon the death of his own father and has returned to England to take up his responsibilities—and prove his innocence. The first thing he learns upon his arrival in London, however, is that Elizabeth is to marry another man the next day in a grand ton wedding. Christopher has no reason to care about the woman who had so little faith in him seven years ago. He can ignore the impending event and proceed on his way home to his estate. Or...he can do something to stop the wedding. But what? And why?

SECOND CHANCES, an anthology featuring four reissued novellas by New York Times bestselling author, Mary Balogh. Another Dream Eleanor Thompson, spinster owner and headmistress of a girls'' school in Bath, finds herself somewhat lonely and not as happy with her chosen way of life as she had expected. Then, on her way to help celebrate the birthday of the Duke of Bewcastle, her brother-in-law, she is stranded by a storm at a country inn, where she indulges in a brief, sweet flirtation with a gentleman who is also stranded there with his two young children. Neither adult realizes that they are bound for the same house party. The Treasure Hunt Constance Manning is eagerly looking forward to her twentieth birthday, when her secret engagement to the man who has been her dearest friend all her life is finally to be revealed to her family and friends. He is having second thoughts, however, and persuades his brother to go in his stead and make his excuses—the brother who has long loved Constance without her knowledge. The Forbidden Daffodils For five years Kate Buchanan has been living in exile with her aunts in a remote part of Wales. She has come to love them and the place and has convinced herself that she is happy with her quiet life. But her hard-won peace is put to the test when the Marquess of Ashendon takes up residence nearby—the very man who caused her banishment. The Betrothal Ball The Earl of Dearborne had returned to his country home to host a house party and pay court to the beautiful daughter of one of his guests. Laura Melfort, his ward’s governess, is everything he most abhors in a woman. She is intelligent and well-read as well as being plainly dressed and unalluring. Yet it is the governess to whose company he finds himself repeatedly drawn. And it is the governess with whom he chooses to waltz at his own betrothal ball.

During a rare white Christmas at Brambledean Court, the widow Elizabeth, Lady Overfield, defies convention by falling in love with a younger man in this historical romance novel in the Westcott series. After her husband''s passing, Elizabeth Overfield decides that she must enter into another suitable marriage. That, however, is the last thing on her mind when she meets Colin Handrich, Lord Hodges, at the Westcott Christmas house party. She simply enjoys his company as they listen to carolers on Christmas Eve, walk home from church together on Christmas morning, and engage in a spirited snowball fight in the afternoon. Both are surprised when their sled topples them into a snowbank and they end up sharing an unexpected kiss. They know there is no question of any relationship between them, for she is nine years older than he. They return to London the following Season, both committed to finding other, more suitable matches. Still they agree to share one waltz at each ball they attend. This innocuous agreement proves to be one that will topple their worlds, as each dance steadily ensnares them in a romance that forces the two to question what they are willing to sacrifice for love. . . .

Under the Mistletoe In A Family Christmas, an estranged husband and wife make an unexpected connection-and an illuminating discovery-during the holiday season. The Star of Bethlehem is a lost diamond ring causing a riff in an already troubled marriage until a servant solves not one mystery but three surrounding its disappearance. The Best Gift can come at the most unexpected moments, especially for a lonesome teacher enlisted over the holidays to chaperon the niece of a notorious rake. Playing House finds an impoverished young woman longing to celebrate just one last, joyous Christmas before she and her orphaned siblings are separated forever. And in No Room at the Inn, a winter storm on Christmas Eve brings a young couple in from the cold, desperately in need of warmth and shelter for their unborn child. A Christmas Bride A very wealthy Edgar Downes has promised his aging father to finally take a bride-specifically, to wed a titled lady by Christmas. London is full of pretty, proper, and eligible misses, but it''s the widow Helena, Lady Stapleton, in a shocking red dress, who captures Edgar''s attention. Helena is intrigued by the seductive stranger-but he''s simply not in her class. Marriage, of course, would never do. But in a season of miracles, something wondrous is about to happen.

Kate Mannering, a lady’s companion, is mistaken for the lady herself and kidnapped by a dashing masked highwayman. When she hears his story, however, before being released, she decides to help him recover his stolen birthright and soon gets herself embroiled in danger from smugglers and a would-be seducer. Meanwhile, an annoying, indolent guest at the home of her employer insults her at every opportunity but rescues her from every danger, even when she does not need or appreciate his help. She is alarmed to find herself falling quite inappropriately for both the highwayman and the guest.

**Instant New York Times Bestseller** Once the Countess of Riverdale, Viola Kingsley throws all caution to the wind when adventure calls in the form of a handsome aristocrat. . . . Two years after the death of the Earl of Riverdale, his family has overcome the shame of being stripped of their titles and fortune--except for his onetime countess, Viola. With her children grown and herself no longer part of the social whirl of the ton, she is uncertain where to look for happiness--until quite by accident her path crosses once again with that of the Marquess of Dorchester, Marcel Lamarr. Marcel Lamarr has been a notorious womanizer since the death of his wife nearly twenty years earlier. Viola caught his eye when she herself was a young mother, but she evaded his seduction at the time. A prize that eluded him before, she is all the more irresistible to him now although he is surprised to discover that she is as eager now for the excitement he offers as he is himself. When the two defy convention and run away together, they discover that the ties of respectability are not so easily severed, and pleasure can ensnare you when you least expect it. . . .

A DAY FOR LOVE The Substitute Guest Claire Ward is invited at the last moment to a Valentine’s house party when another guest withdraws. She soon feels very out of place, however, when she realizes the party is intended to be something wild. When each gentleman draws the name of the lady who will be his Valentine for the next three days, the Duke of Langford, the worst rake of them all, finds himself deliberately but quite inexplicably choosing the card of the lady he suspects is prim and virtuous—and very unlike any other he has known. Golden Rose The Master of Ceremonies in Bath has devised an intriguing plan for the annual Valentine’s ball at the Assembly Rooms. Each gentleman is to send an anonymous favor to the lady of his choice and she is to wear it or carry it to the ball to discover the identity of her Valentine. But when Roger Bradshaw sends a golden rose to the lady of his choice, his mischievous young cousin, entrusted with delivering it, presents it to another young lady he considers more worthy. A Waltz Among the Stars Viscount Brandon, determined to put behind him his grief over the death of his young wife two years before, accepts an invitation to a Valentine’s house party, where he plans to woo the young daughter of the house. However, he finds himself drawn instead to her older sister, who nurses a deep grief of her own while also living apart from her family under the disgrace of a youthful indiscretion.

A sudden snowstorm strands Rosamund Hunter and Justin Halliday, Earl of Wetherby, at a hunting lodge in the country. Despite their initial embarrassment over the fact that they are strangers, they soon relax and enjoy a magical three days of friendship, fun, and passion. They part reluctantly, expecting never to meet again. She is on her way, after a year of mourning for her late husband, to rejoin her family for the celebration of the long-awaited betrothal of her niece. He is on his way to honor a match arranged long ago by his mother and Rosamund''s and recently made more formal when he made a definite offer to her brother and guardian. By the time Rosamund and Justin realize that they are bound for the same place, it is too late for him to withdraw honorably from his betrothal and far too late for either of them to avoid heartache.

THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A very practical marriage makes Alexander Westcott question his heart in this Regency romance from the New York Times bestselling author of Someone to Honor. When Alexander Westcott becomes the new Earl of Riverdale, he inherits a title he never wanted and a failing country estate he can’t afford. But he fully intends to do everything in his power to undo years of neglect and give the people who depend on him a better life... A recluse for more than twenty years, Wren Heyden wants one thing out of life: marriage. With her vast fortune, she sets her sights on buying a husband. But when she makes the desperate—and oh-so-dashing—earl a startlingly unexpected proposal, Alex will only agree to a proper courtship, hoping for at least friendship and respect to develop between them. He is totally unprepared for the desire that overwhelms him when Wren finally lifts the veils that hide the secrets of her past...

NO ORDINARY LOVE The North Tower Daphne Borland has inherited an old castle from her grandfather—provided she marries the earl of Everett, whom she has never met. She has never seen the castle either, yet she feels a deep connection to it as soon as she arrives there. As she awaits the arrival of the earl with trepidation, she gets caught up in the events and passions of long ago and finds herself falling deeply in love with a man who has been dead for a hundred years. The Dark Rider Malvern is an ancient house haunted by ghosts, but only a few people can actually feel and see them. Dinah Riddings, sent there to avoid the measles that have attacked her younger siblings, is one of them. As she feels the pain and longings of the dark rider and his lady, cruelly separated two centuries before, she also feels the pull of attraction to the master of the house, who looks incredibly like the dark rider. The Heirloom In order to celebrate his engagement, John Chandler drives his girlfriend from London to a remotely situated hotel in West Wales, once the home of his ancestors. However, when John produces her ring, an old family heirloom, and fits it on her finger, he finds himself catapulted back in time to become the John Chandler of Regency England, newly arrived at the house with his new wife—and dying of consumption.

Rebecca Shaw was heartbroken when Christopher Sinclair, whom she had loved passionately and who had sworn that he loved her in return her, left her without explanation to marry a far wealthier woman. Rebecca has since found consolation and peace as the fiancée of the local vicar, whose worthy work and dreams she shares. But Christopher, now widowed, is back and Rebecca has to keep reminding herself that he once betrayed her and must never be trusted again. Her heart, however, tells her otherwise.