After an unsuccessful season in London, Miss Mary Mifford has returned to the village of Plumpton, determined to be the most upstanding spinster the Cotswolds have ever seen. Not even the arrival of the elusive Duke of Northcott can distract Mary from her plan; until the local rector is found bludgeoned to death and Mary is named as the prime suspect.

In a bid to escape the incessant attentions of a man she does not love, governess Lucy Hayes embarks on a journey to begin a new post. But when she’s stranded in a storm, her plans go shockingly awry. Desperate times call for desperate measures: against her better judgment, she agrees to a foolhardy scheme presented by a handsome stranger, known to her as only William. But when her mysterious benefactor falls ill, she finds herself unwittingly drawn into his family home in a case of mistaken identity: they believe she is William’s betrothed.

In the eyes of London Society, Gillian Phelps is suitable enough. Though the ton whispers about her change of residence, any speculation remains just that: ballroom gossip. No one—not even the other Huntresses, the group of ladies she calls her dearest friends—knows that she is harboring a devastating family secret. Gillian has become adept at hiding the reality of her circumstances, but the close quarters of a house party will test her ability to conceal the crushing truth. And with so many people to deceive, the late arrival of another guest is a most unwelcome surprise.

Patience Whitford spent the last two seasons watching her elder sisters make grand matches. She is thoroughly apprehensive with the notion of being limited by marriage. But that seems like an inconsequential concern with no prospects on the horizon to follow in her sisters' footsteps. And to make matters worse, she is uncommonly jealous of all of the military officers she's befriended and their grand adventures. When Major Ashley Stuart is assigned to investigate some petty crimes near his brother's estate in Greenwich, it soon becomes apparent that there is something much larger going on.

Somerset, England, 1808. Alice Hapgood is obsessed with studying flora and fauna. With upper-class standards taking a dim view of a lady dirtying her hands, she wears boys' clothing to pursue her passion. And when an assistant position for a handsome member of the Royal Society crops up, she impulsively dons her disguise and risks ruin.

Miss Emma Wynn has spent the last year at Ashwick Hall under the protection of Lady Westcliffe. Her uncle and brother think her dead and must continue to do so until she attains her majority. She must prove she is a fit guardian to re-establish herself and protect her brother. When permitted to visit her friend, Lady Eagleton, she is drawn to the reclusive Mr Carne. She suspects, however, that some scandal is attached to him, and she cannot afford to be tainted by association.

Selena Lockhart comes with neither dowry nor connections, and she knows better than to expect Society to give her a welcome—especially after her father gambled away his fortune, precipitating the family’s sudden fall from grace and Selena’s betrothed to break off their engagement. It therefore comes as no surprise that her new neighbor, Sir Lucius, treats her with disdain. Why should he look beyond appearances when her own promises so little?

Julia Cummings has long been acquainted with loss - her mother, her brother, her sister, her friend, all gone too soon. But the loss that pushed her grief to the limit as a young girl was that of her best friend, Lucas Jonquil, who abandoned her without looking back. Now, eight years later, Lucas has returned to Lampton Park, and Julia has steeled herself - she will never forgive the man who broke her heart.

When faced with an unwanted marriage, Alice Rosemeyer accepts an invitation to the estate of Larkhall. Determined to earn her future security without a husband, she begins operating as the anonymous Ace of Hearts, writing letters and offering advice on behalf of the men eager to secure a match at the close of the London season. If she can manage to keep her identity secret, her reputation intact, and avoid the arrogant house guest, Mr. Thomas Herring, she might just call herself successful.

Clara has been missing from the London marriage mart for six years and is reluctant to return. That feeling only grows when she happens to meet Lord Eaton—a rather arrogant, proud earl who vexes her from the moment they first meet. Not wanting to allow herself to be put down by a pompous, self-righteous man, she agrees to the silly game he proposes. The first to make the better match by the end of the season... wins.

Once the most charming rake in London, John Aubin lost everything when he overheard a powerful earl’s fraudulent dealings. Branded a liar and cast out of society, he now lives under an assumed name, working in the very orphanage the earl owns. But Aubin’s purpose isn’t charity—it’s revenge. Sober and focused for the first time in his life, he plans to expose the earl’s corruption and reclaim his good name. Nothing will stand in his way—until he meets her.

Miss Amelia Fleming has a very good reason to hate the Earl of Langley. A year ago, her father drowned in the Thames after losing a fortune to Langley at cards. Now her family is broke, her fiance has broken their engagement, and the debt still hasn't been paid. Someone has to deal with the earl, but Amelia's brother doesn't have the nerve and her mother has fled to France. It's no business for a gently bred young lady, but the Earl of Langley is about to learn that Amelia Fleming is not your typical young lady . . .

Brighton, England, 1820. Amelia Moore wants only one thing - to secure the future happiness of her younger sister, Clara. With their stepfather’s looming death, the two sisters will soon be on their own - without family, a home, or a penny to their names. When an invitation arrives to join a house party at Lakeshire Park, Amelia grasps at the chance. If she can encourage a match between Clara and their host, Sir Ronald, then at least her sister will be taken care of.

Grace Sinclair has been callously cast out of her home. And though taken in as an orphaned child by the vicar and his wife, her unsurpassed beauty makes it impossible for her to remain in the vicar’s household - with two daughters of their own about to enter Society, the vicar and his wife see Grace as nothing but competition. Thankfully, Grace’s estranged Aunt Bell has agreed to take her in to her home in London. But Grace soon learns her situation has just gotten much worse.

Charity Baxter is trapped in a cage of her own making. After being the tyrant of society for years, she fell from grace—and fell hard. Now, she is overlooked at the best of times and openly despised at the worst of it. Though troubles have a way of changing a person for the better, no matter how she tries to repair her reputation, no one is willing to believe her change of heart. And matters are only made worse when an irritating naval officer appears in town, determined to pester her. Odious man! Why can he not leave her be?