Most Popular Books by Stephanie Laurens

#1 NYT-bestselling author Stephanie Laurens brings you a tale of unexpected romance that blossoms against the backdrop of dastardly murder. On discovering the lifeless body of an innocent ingénue, a peer attending a country house party joins forces with the lady-amazon sent to fetch the victim safely home in a race to expose the murderer before Stokes, assisted by Barnaby and Penelope, is forced to allow the guests, murderer included, to decamp. Well-born rakehell and head of an ancient family, Alaric, Lord Carradale, has finally acknowledged reality and is preparing to find a bride. But loyalty to his childhood friend, Percy Mandeville, necessitates attending Percy’s annual house party, held at neighboring Mandeville Hall. Yet despite deploying his legendary languid charm, by the second evening of the week-long event, Alaric is bored and restless. Escaping from the soirée and the Hall, Alaric decides that as soon as he’s free, he’ll hie to London and find the mild-mannered, biddable lady he believes will ensure a peaceful life. But the following morning, on walking through the Mandeville Hall shrubbery on his way to join the other guests, he comes upon the corpse of a young lady-guest. Constance Whittaker accepts that no gentleman will ever offer for her—she’s too old, too tall, too buxom, too headstrong…too much in myriad ways. Now acting as her grandfather’s agent, she arrives at Mandeville Hall to extricate her young cousin, Glynis, who unwisely accepted an invitation to the reputedly licentious house party. But Glynis cannot be found. A search is instituted. Venturing into the shrubbery, Constance discovers an outrageously handsome aristocrat crouched beside Glynis’s lifeless form. Unsurprisingly, Constance leaps to the obvious conclusion. Luckily, once the gentleman explains that he’d only just arrived, commonsense reasserts itself. More, as matters unfold and she and Carradale have to battle to get Glynis’s death properly investigated, Constance discovers Alaric to be a worthy ally. Yet even after Inspector Stokes of Scotland Yard arrives and takes charge of the case, along with his consultants, the Honorable Barnaby Adair and his wife, Penelope, the murderer’s identity remains shrouded in mystery, and learning why Glynis was killed—all in the few days before the house party’s guests will insist on leaving—tests the resolve of all concerned. Flung into each other’s company, fiercely independent though Constance is, unsusceptible though Alaric is, neither can deny the connection that grows between them. Then Constance vanishes. Can Alaric unearth the one fact that will point to the murderer before the villain rips from the world the lady Alaric now craves for his own? A historical novel of 75,000 words interweaving romance, mystery, and murder. Praise for the works of Stephanie Laurens “Stephanie Laurens’ heroines are marvelous tributes to Georgette Heyer: feisty and strong.” Cathy Kelly “Stephanie Laurens never fails to entertain and charm her readers with vibrant plots, snappy dialogue, and unforgettable characters.” Historical Romance Reviews “Stephanie Laurens plays into readers’ fantasies like a master and claims their hearts time and again.” Romantic Times Magazine Praise for The Murder at Mandeville Hall “Stephanie Laurens never fails to delight with her tales of romance, mystery, and adventure set against the elegant, glittering backdrop of British high society.” Irene S., Proofreader, Red Adept Editing “A shared passion for justice turns into a shared passion for much, much more in this clever whodunit from Stephanie Laurens.” Angela M., Line Editor, Red Adept Editing “(The investigators) must sort through layers of intrigue and family pride to find the killer. At posh and proper Mandeville Hall, even murderers mind their manners.\" Kim H., Proofreader, Red Adept Editing

We all love royal weddings! Harry and Meghan! William and Kate...and in this revealing anthology, we learn just what it really takes to get the bride to the royal altar. They need to do more than “smile, wave, and look delighted”! #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Stephanie Laurens: A Return Engagement Lady Nell Daughtry has her hands full getting her reluctant-bride of a sister safely married to the Prince of Lautenberg. Then she learns that, in the wedding party, she’s paired with Robert Knightley . . . the fiancé who walked away. New York Times Bestselling Author Gaelen Foley: The Imposter Bride Lady Minerva must ensure her country’s princess is wed to handsome Prince Tor. Then the bride bolts, and bridesmaid becomes—bride! New York Times Bestselling Author Loretta Chase: Lord Lovedon’s Duel When Chloe Sharp hears the handsome Earl of Lovedon say her sister’s royal marriage is a match made in money, she challenges him to a duel—for love and honor.

The new novel in Stephanie Laurens'' BAR CYNSTER series of Regency romances

Trouble and secrets When Emily Beauregard applies for the position of innkeeper on Jonas Tallent''s Devonshire estate, nothing can prepare him for the trouble that follows. Little does he realise that Em has an agenda of her own: to discover her family''s treasure, guided by a cryptic rhyme. Orphaned, near penniless, the treasure is her and her siblings'' future, but solving the rhyme is no easy task. Passion and danger Only once she accepts Jonas as her lover and enlists his aid do they start to unravel the clues. But someone else has the Colyton treasure in their sights, and the closer Em and Jonas draw to her family''s legacy, the greater the danger - and the passion between them - grows...

#1 NYT-bestselling author Stephanie Laurens returns with a perplexing case in which her favorite sleuths must untangle a web of interconnected motives to identify the man who killed Thomas Cardwell. When Thomas Cardwell, an upstanding man-of-business, is murdered, Roscoe enlists the aid of the best investigators in London – namely Barnaby and Penelope Adair and Inspector Stokes of Scotland Yard – to solve the puzzle of why anyone would want to kill a man as honest as Cardwell. Dispatched by Roscoe, London’s gambling king, to learn what “nefarious activity” an upstanding man-of-business has stumbled upon, Jordan Draper—Roscoe’s own man-of-business—arrives at Thomas Cardwell’s office to discover Cardwell very recently murdered. Soon, Jordan finds himself working alongside the Adairs and Inspector Stokes as they search for clues as to why anyone would kill a man as unthreatening as Cardwell. Unexpectedly, Jordan finds himself drawn to Cardwell’s family, especially Thomas’s sister, Ruth, and as the investigation progresses, the greater Jordan’s compulsion to find the murderer and bring the family resolution and respite grows. Clue by clue, motive by surprising motive, the investigators seek to identify Cardwell’s murderer and, along the way, uncover the “nefarious activity” he’d sought to bring to the authorities’ attention. But in a case cluttered with intertwined motives and a web of potential suspects related to each other as well as the victim, finding the kernel of truth amid the chaff is no easy matter. Only through enlisting the help of the investigators’ wider circle of supporters do they make any headway, and on the heels of uncovering a cascade of crimes, they finally—finally—close in on the man who murdered Thomas Cardwell. A historical novel of 77,000 words interweaving mystery, crime, and a touch of romance.

Bold and clever, The Cavanaughs are unlike any other family in early Victorian England. No.1 New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Laurens explores the enthralling world of these dynamic siblings in the eagerly anticipated second volume in her captivating series. A Gentleman of Means One of the most eligible bachelors in London, Lord Christopher \"Kit\" Cavanaugh has discovered his true path and it doesn''t include the expected society marriage. Kit is all business and has chosen the bustling port of Bristol to launch his passion - Cavanaugh Yachts. A Woman of Character Miss Sylvia Buckleberry''s passion is her school for impoverished children. When a new business venture forces the school out of its building, she must act quickly. But confronting Kit Cavanaugh is a daunting task made even more difficult by their first and only previous meeting, when, believing she''d never see him again, she''d treated him dismissively. Still, Sylvia is determined to be persuasive. An Unstoppable Duo But it quickly becomes clear there are others who want the school - and Cavanaugh Yachts - closed. Working side by side, Kit and Sylvia fight to secure her school and to expose the blackguard trying to sabotage his business. Yet an even more dastardly villain lurks, one who threatens the future both discover they now hold dear.

If you love Stephanie Laurens, the Cynsters, the Bastion Club, or the Black Cobra Quartet, then you won''t want to miss The World of Stephanie Laurens, available only from Avon Romance. Here you''ll find the Cynster Family Tree, a sneak peek excerpt from every Stephanie Laurens Avon Romance, a Q&A with the author, and much more! This is the one-stop source of information for everything about the books of the #1 New York Times bestselling author. Best of all: it''s free and available for download now!

An exclusive 2-in-1 hardcover edition featuring twin sisters Amanda and Amelia Cynster...

A duke''s second son with no responsibilities and a lady starved of the excitement her soul craves join forces to unravel a deadly, potentially catastrophic threat to the realm - that only continues to grow. With his older brother''s betrothal announced, Lord Michael Cynster is freed from the pressure of familial expectations. However, the allure of his previous hedonistic pursuits has paled. Then he learns of the mission his brother, Sebastian, and Lady Antonia Rawlings have been assisting with and volunteers to assist by hunting down the hoard of gunpowder now secreted somewhere in London. Michael sets out to trace the carters who transported the gunpowder from Kent to London. His quest leads him to the Hendon Shipping Company, where he discovers his sole source of information is the only daughter of Jack and Kit Hendon, Miss Cleome Hendon, who although a fetchingly attractive lady, firmly holds the reins of the office in her small hands. Cleo has fought to achieve her position in the company. Initially, managing the office was a challenge, but she now conquers all in just a few hours a week. With her three brothers all adventuring in America, she''s been driven to the realization that she craves adventure, too. When Michael Cynster walks in and asks about carters, Cleo''s instincts leap. She wrings from him the full tale of his mission-and offers him a bargain. She will lead him to the carters he seeks if he agrees to include her as an equal partner in the mission. Horrified, Michael attempts to resist, but ultimately finds himself agreeing-a sequence of events he quickly learns is common around Cleo. Then she delivers on her part of the bargain, and he finds there are benefits to allowing her to continue to investigate beside him-not least being that if she''s there, then he knows she''s safe. But the further they go in tracing the gunpowder, the more deaths they uncover. And when they finally locate the barrels, they find themselves tangled in a fight to the death-one that forces them to face what has grown between them, to seize and defend what they both see as their path to the greatest adventure of all. A shared life. A shared future. A shared love. Second volume in a trilogy. A historical romance with gothic overtones layered over a continuing intrigue. A full length novel of 101,000 words. Praise for the works of Stephanie Laurens \"Stephanie Laurens'' heroines are marvelous tributes to Georgette Heyer: feisty and strong.\" Cathy Kelly \"Stephanie Laurens never fails to entertain and charm her readers with vibrant plots, snappy dialogue, and unforgettable characters.\" Historical Romance Reviews. \"Stephanie Laurens plays into readers'' fantasies like a master and claims their hearts time and again.\" Romantic Times Magazine

Responsibility knocks, and a reckless, hedonistic man responds and opens the door to love—thus is a daredevil snared.

You are cordially invited To help celebrate the Royal Wedding of Prince William to Catherine Middleton As we present a 77 page original anthology Written by three utterly wonderful authors! Stephanie Laurens'' The Wedding Planner: Lady Margaret is proud plan the ton''s most important nuptuals—including that of a prince. But it''s Lady Margaret who falls in love . . . with dashing Gaston Devilliers! Gaelen Foley''s Ever After: How scandalous! Eleanor Monford, Countess of Archer, is in love with her own husband. And as Princess Charlotte of England weds Prince Leopold, Eleanor''s \"secret\" is about to come out. Loretta Chase''s The Jilting of Lord Rothwick: On the eve of Queen Victoria''s wedding to Prince Albert, the Marquess of Rothwick learns his fiancée, Barbara Findley, has broken their engagement! So he desperately rides out of London to seek her out . . . and to win her back.

The Season has yet to begin, and the second member of the Bastion Club, tall, handsome Anthony Blake, Viscount Torrington, is already a target for every matchmaking mama in London. None of their flighty daughters can fix his interest, but a certain lady does... Alicia is living a deception. Desperation has caused the determined but penniless lady to boldly launch her ravishing younger sister into the ton and have her make a spectacular match. By masquerading as the widowed \"Mrs. Carrington\" Alicia can act as the perfect chaperone…but fashionable ladies are not accused of murder... When Tony Blake discovers Alicia standing over a dead body in his godmother’s garden, every instinct tells him she is innocent. His connections allow him to take control of the investigation, his social prominence provides her public support, but it is more than honor that compels him to protect her and to do everything in his seductive power to make her his.

The pleasure of your company is requested at the wedding of Miss Eliza Cynster . . . but not until she’s rescued from a daring abduction by the most unexpected of heroes! Brazenly kidnapped from her sister Heather’s engagement ball, Eliza Cynster is spirited north to Edinburgh. Desperate and deter-mined to escape, she seizes upon the first possible champion who happens along— gentleman scholar Jeremy Carling. Villains and rescues are a far cry from Jeremy’s expertise, yet he cannot abandon a damsel in distress. But danger lurks and hurdles abound in their race to escape the mysterious laird, until a final confrontation on a windswept cliff reveals what their future life could hold—if both are bold enough to seize and own the unexpected love they now share.

From \"New York Times\"-bestselling author Laurens and beloved historical authors Kasey Michaels and Delilah Marvelle come three delightful tales of the rules of engagement, Regency-style. Reissue.

#1 New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Laurens returns to the Cynsters'' next generation with a rollicking tale of smugglers, counterfeit banknotes, and two people falling in love. A gentleman hoping to avoid falling in love and a lady who believes love has passed her by are flung together in a race to unravel a plot to undermine the realm. Christopher Cynster has finally accepted that to have the life he wants, he needs a wife, but before he can even think of searching for the right lady, he''s drawn into an investigation into the distribution of counterfeit banknotes. London born and bred, Ellen Martingale is battling to preserve the fiction that her much-loved uncle, Christopher''s neighbor, still has his wits about him, but Christopher''s questions regarding nearby Goffard Hall trigger her suspicions. As her younger brother attends card parties at the Hall, she feels compelled to investigate. While Ellen appears to be the sort of frippery female Christopher abhors, he quickly learns that, in her case, appearances are deceiving. And through the twists and turns in an investigation that grows ever more serious and urgent, he discovers how easy it is to fall in love, while Ellen learns that love hasn''t, after all, passed her by. But then the villain steps from the shadows, and love''s strengths and vulnerabilities are put to the test--just as Christopher has always feared. Will he pass muster? Can they triumph? Or will they lose all they''ve so recently found? A historical romance with a dash of intrigue, set in rural Kent. A Cynster Next Generation novel--a full-length historical romance of 124,000 words. Praise for the works of Stephanie Laurens \"Stephanie Laurens'' heroines are marvelous tributes to Georgette Heyer: feisty and strong.\" Cathy Kelly \"Stephanie Laurens never fails to entertain and charm her readers with vibrant plots, snappy dialogue, and unforgettable characters.\" Historical Romance Reviews. \"Stephanie Laurens plays into readers'' fantasies like a master and claims their hearts time and again.\" Romantic Times Magazine

\"Includes bonus book by Michelle Willingham\"--Cover.

#1 NYT-bestselling author Stephanie Laurens brings you a heartwarming tale of a long-ago country-village Christmas, a grandmother, three eager grandchildren, one moody teenage granddaughter, an earnest young lady, a gentleman in hiding, and an elusive book of Christmas carols. Therese, Lady Osbaldestone, and her household are quietly delighted when her younger daughter''s three children, Jamie, George, and Lottie, insist on returning to Therese''s house, Hartington Manor in the village Little Moseley, to spend the three weeks leading up to Christmas participating in the village''s traditional events. Then out of the blue, one of Therese''s older granddaughters, Melissa, arrives on the doorstep. Her mother, Therese''s older daughter, begs Therese to take Melissa in until the family gathering at Christmas--otherwise, Melissa has nowhere else to go. Despite having no experience dealing with moody, reticent teenagers like Melissa, Therese welcomes Melissa warmly. The younger children are happy to include their cousin in their plans--and despite her initial aloofness, Melissa discovers she''s not too old to enjoy the simple delights of a village Christmas. The previous year, Therese learned the trick to keeping her unexpected guests out of mischief. She casts around and discovers that the new organist, who plays superbly, has a strange failing. He requires the written music in front of him before he can play a piece, and the church''s book of Christmas carols has gone missing. Therese immediately volunteers the services of her grandchildren, who are only too happy to fling themselves into the search to find the missing book of carols. Its disappearance threatens one of the village''s most-valued Christmas traditions--the Carol Service--yet as the book has always been freely loaned within the village, no one imagines that it won''t be found with a little application. But as Therese''s intrepid four follow the trail of the book from house to house, the mystery of where the book has vanished to only deepens. Then the organist hears the children singing and invites them to form a special guest choir. The children love singing, and provided they find the book in time, they''ll be able to put on an extra-special service for the village. While the urgency and their desire to find the missing book escalates, the children--being Therese''s grandchildren--get distracted by the potential for romance that buds, burgeons, and blooms before them. Yet as Christmas nears, the questions remain: Will the four unravel the twisted trail of the missing book in time to save the village''s Carol Service? And will they succeed in nudging the organist and the harpist they''ve found to play alongside him into seizing the happy-ever-after that hovers before the pair''s noses? Second in series. A novel of 62,000 words. A Christmas tale full of music and romance. Praise for the works of Stephanie Laurens \"Stephanie Laurens'' heroines are marvelous tributes to Georgette Heyer: feisty and strong.\" Cathy Kelly \"Stephanie Laurens never fails to entertain and charm her readers with vibrant plots, snappy dialogue, and unforgettable characters.\" Historical Romance Reviews \"Stephanie Laurens plays into readers'' fantasies like a master and claims their hearts time and again.\" Romantic Times Magazine