Showing results by narrator "Pearl Hewitt" in All Categories

She was the reigning belle for the fourth season in a row, but Lady Regina Wharton, the duke of Blackthorne's daughter, was determined to avoid the perils of marriage. She had already seen enough to distrust all men. Then, Clay Bannister, the dashing Earl of Carlisle, dared to steal a kiss and stir new and exciting desires. Scarred by tragedy, Carlisle intrigued her with his mysterious past and his dark, dangerous charm. She never suspected she was about to marry her father's most vengeful enemy or that her greatest defense would be the passions he could not resist.

Unbeknown to each other, Darcy and Elizabeth are determined to make their first Valentine's Day as husband and wife unforgettable. Alas, the hands of fate cannot help but intrude. What happens when good intentions and a litany of mishaps collide? Will their first Valentine's Day be remembered as a series of misfortunes, or will they discover that the simplest pleasures linger longest in the heart?

Late December, 1389. Ordered to undertake a grueling three-day journey to bleak Whitby Abbey in the Far North of England in a bid to purchase the Abbey's priceless holy relic - a lock of St. Hild's hair, said to be 700 years old - Hildegard of Meaux and her three companion monks arrive to find the abbey a decidedly unwelcoming place, a place of strange customs and practices very different from their modest lifestyle at Meaux. Nor, as Hildegard discovers, is she the only visitor intent on acquiring the relic.

Miss Arabella Braithewaite of Switherby knows there is no future for the 10 orphans - a remarkable mix of genteel and working-class children - she has gathered together in these years of England’s grim factory growth in the early 1820s. Her plan, quite outrageous in the eyes of most, is to take the children to Australia to take up a land grant. Thus, one day the townsfolk gather to watch a line of departing “pilgrims” led by the fearless “Missabella”.

Lolth - patron deity of the drow, Spider Queen, regent of the Demon Web Pits - has once again stirred the dark elves into roiling aggression against the rest of Faern, reveling in the chaos born from her dark schemata. This is the Rise of the Underdark. In Iltkazar, the last subterranean kingdom of the once resplendent dwarven realm of Shanatar, King Mith Barak faces a siege of drow soldiers, spies, and assassins looking to seize the powerful city and the ancient magical artifacts hidden there.

In 1959, Florence Green, a kindhearted widow with a small inheritance, risks everything to open a bookshop - the only bookshop - in the seaside town of Hardborough. By making a success of a business so impractical, she invites the hostility of the town's less prosperous shopkeepers. By daring to enlarge her neighbors' lives, she crosses Mrs. Gamart, the local arts doyenne. Florence's warehouse leaks, her cellar seeps, and the shop is apparently haunted. Only too late does she begin to suspect the truth: a town that lacks a bookshop isn't always a town that wants one.

Joan Johnston is a masterful creator of unforgettable characters and stories that make you feel as if you're falling in love again. Now she sweeps you back to Regency-era Scotland, where a determined young woman challenges a man's world - even as she embraces the outsider who protects her life and steals her heart.

Olivia Twist is an innovative reimagining of Charles Dickens’ classic tale Oliver Twist, in which Olivia was forced to live as a boy for her own safety until she was rescued from the streets. Now eighteen, Olivia finds herself at a crossroads: revealed secrets threaten to destroy the “proper” life she has built for herself while newfound feelings for an arrogant young man she shouldn’t like could derail her carefully laid plans for the future.

An impertinent stranger is thrown into Fitzwilliam Darcy's path and, even though he declares her tolerable but not handsome enough to tempt him, it is all he can do not to think of her. Upon first making Mr. Darcy's acquaintance, Miss Elizabeth Bennet is quite fascinated with him. Then she discovers that the gentleman is haughty and above his company, and she wants nothing to do with him.

It was supposed to be a relaxing Highland tour. But an untimely death prompts our octogenarian sleuth, and her pensioner pals to investigate. A few nights next to Loch Ness offer more mystery than the holidaymakers have bargained for. It's not just Nessie lurking around the eerie shores of the great loch. Lady Marjorie Snellthorpe is frequently at odds with her brash cousin-in-law, Edna Parkinton, but remains determined to track down a killer. Meanwhile, Horace Tyler and Frederick Mackworth's have their eyes on an attractive newcomer who threatens to divide the foursome.

One night of slight overindulgence - oh, all right, he was drunk - and Stephen Parker-Roth finds he must betroth himself to prevent yet another scandal. But his "intended" is lovely, a redheaded beauty under her horrendous, unfashionable bonnet, and before long, he's congratulating himself on compromising such an excellent candidate - and anticipating what other naughtiness they'll get caught at before the wedding....

Sean Royale is AWOL and in trouble. Molly’s mom is encroaching on the operation on Gaitune. And the university is under threat from a new player in the system. Tensions mount as secrets unfurl, culminating in Molly walking down the aisle to try and save her ruggedly handsome friend. Meanwhile, Paige and Maya stay behind to protect the home front as best they can: with only a few yoll-aritas, and a bad boy AI to help. There is no doubt: trouble is brewing in the Sark System. And it’s bigger than any of them could imagine.

Growing up, Jane and Marnie shared everything. They knew the other's deepest secrets. They wouldn't have had it any other way. But when Marnie falls in love, things begin to change. Because Jane has a secret: She loathes Marnie's wealthy, priggish husband. So, when Marnie asks if she likes him, Jane tells her first lie. After all, even best friends keep some things to themselves. If she had been honest, then perhaps her best friend's husband might still be alive today.... For, of course, it's not the last lie. In fact, it's only the beginning....

England, 1838. Gabriel Campbell, Duke of Lynford, never intended to carry that title, but when his reckless brother gets himself killed in a duel over a woman, Gabe has no choice. Now he's sworn off love, blaming the woman that broke his brother's heart and led to his untimely death. Lilith Crisp, Lady Thornton, knew from a young age that pretty girls grow up and get married off to the highest bidder. Being paraded around London as her husband's trophy has taught her some unique skills and now she can manipulate any man for his darkest secrets.

In this practical guide, Jayne Hardy - founder and CEO of the Blurt Foundation - helps us reexamine how our boundaries are working for or against us, and she guides us to better protect our physical, emotional, and digital spaces. Packed with friendly advice and easy journaling exercises, Making Space reminds those of us on the edge of burnout to stop and ask: "Is this kind to me, too?"

With two proposals in one day, which offer will Miss Elizabeth Bennet choose? Marriage to the first of the two men would subject her to misery of the acutest kind. Marriage to the other would be merely for the sake of avoiding a scandal. Either would serve the interests of Elizabeth's family, but what of her own wishes? Will Elizabeth reject both gentlemen's offers of marriage, especially when one of them is Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy? Will she dare to refuse such a man?

When a fellow member of the Brotherhood of the Sword drops off a mysterious lady in need of protection at the house of Viscount Jason Ellis, he agrees to keep her safe not fully knowing what that will entail. Once Isabel Crisp learns the truth of her identity, that she's the last remaining member of the royal family from the island nation of Saldania, her world is tipped upside down. A plot to usurp the throne from Victoria after a marriage comes to light.

Agatha Blair has been a governess with the Everards for nearly two years. She is plain, and she is secretly in love with the boring, brooding brother of her wards. Benedict Everard is the eldest of all the Everard children. His sisters call him the beast.

The end is nigh, and there is one small group willing to put their bodies in front of the insane. Sometimes, it isn't good people doing bad things but rather bad people without a conscience making decisions for the rest. Decisions that Molly has been fighting for years. This time, sacrifices will be made, and friends will line up shoulder to shoulder to stand against those who use fear to sway the masses. It is time to fully realize what must be done to Ascend.

She was a gorgeous rebel. Defying all the rules, daring to speak her mind, Charlotte Edgerton declared her independence before she even entered the Earl of Denbigh's home. Her new guardian immediately made her a prisoner in her own room - until she agreed to learn the lady-like arts. Furious, she complied. Anything to buy her freedom from Denbigh. She'd even marry a man she didn't love to get away from her domineering guardian. In fact, love was the furthest thing from her mind.