From the Inside Flap
Discover the enchanting world of Collette Cameron's Regency and Scottish Highlander romances! Explore her complete library today and see what's coming next from this USA Today bestselling author.
CHRONICLES OF THE WESTBROOK BRIDES
Unconventional characters, thrilling intrigue, and heart-pounding suspense weave together with soul-stirring romance as scandalous rogues and spirited women defy society's rules to find their soul mates and become the unforgettable Westbrook Brides!
· Midnight Christmas Waltz
· Mission at Midnight
· The Midnight Marquess
· Holly, Mistletoe, and Midnight Snow
· The Wallflower's Midnight Waltz
· Minuet at Midnight
· Kiss a Rake at Midnight
· Unmasked at Midnight
· Memories Made at Midnight
· Once Upon a Midnight Dream
DUKES COME CALLING (SEDUCTIVE SCOUNDRELS)
Indulge in these captivating, emotion-laden and quick-read historical Regency romances sure to warm your heart and put a smile on your face.
· A Diamond for a Duke
· Only a Duke Would Dare
· A December with a Duke
· What Would a Duke Do?
· Wooed by a Wicked Duke
· Duchess of His Heart
· Never Dance with a Duke
· Wedding Her Christmas Duke
· The Debutante and the Duke
· Loved by a Dangerous Duke
· How to Win a Duke's Heart
· When a Duke Desires a Lass
· My Dearest Duke
FOR THE LOVE OF AN EARL
Enthralling Regency adventures brimming with intrigue, lovable scoundrels, strong heroines, and unforgettable, sigh-worthy romance.
· Earl of Wainthorpe
· Earl of Scarborough
· Earl of Keyworth
· Earl of Renshaw
HIGHLAND HEATHER ROMANCING A SCOT: CASTLE BRIDES
Pamper yourself with Scottish Regency historical romances packed with intrigue, smoldering passion, and page-turning surprises.
· Heart of a Highlander
· The Viscount's Vow
· The Highlander's Heiress
· The Earl's Enticement
· Triumph and Treasure
· Virtue and Valor
· Heartbreak and Honor
· Scandal's Splendor
· Passion and Plunder
· Wishes and Wonder
· A Yuletide Highlander
HEART OF A SCOT
Indulge in these captivating, emotion-laden, spicy Highlander suspense romances sure to warm your heart and put a smile on your face.
· To Love a Highland Laird
· To Redeem a Highland Rake
· To Seduce a Highland Scoundrel
· To Woo a Highland Warrior
· To Enchant a Highland Earl
· To Defy a Highland Duke
· To Marry a Highland Marauder
· To Bargain with a Highland Buccaneer
· A Christmas Kiss for a Highlander
LADIES OF OPPORTUNITY
Unconventional heroines dare to rewrite society's rulebook, taming roguish hearts and sparking love stories full of daring adventures, swoon-worthy intrigue, and a dash of irresistible mischief.
· The Wallflower's Wild Wager
· The Spinster's Secret Stake
· Better Not Bet a Bluestocking ~ Coming Soon!
· When You wager a Widow ~ Coming Soon!
SECRETS OF SCANDALOUS LADIES
Read these engaging, sweet romances featuring loveable rogues, scandalous secrets, a pinch of mystery, and a dash of humor for page-turning reads you won't soon forget.
· A Lady's Scandalous Kiss
· No Lady for the Lord
· Love Lessons for the Lady
· His One and Only Lady
· Never a Proper Lady
· Lady Tempts a Rogue
THE CULPEPPER MISSES
Read the Culpepper sisters saga for page-turning, humorous, and satisfying historical Regency romance romps you can't forget. Giggles guaranteed.
· The Earl and the Spinster
· The Marquis and the Vixen
· The Lord and the Wallflower
· The Buccaneer and the Bluestocking
· The Lieutenant and the Lady
THE HONORABLE ROGUES®
Are you ready for rousing, emotional, and romantic historical Regency romance quick-read capers you won't want to put down?
· A Kiss for a Rogue
· A Bride for a Rogue
· A Rogue's Scandalous Wish
· To Capture a Rogue's Heart
· The Rogue and the Wallflower
· A Rose for a Rogue
· 'Twas the Rogue Before Christmas
· A Rogue Worth the Risk
From the Back Cover
Excerpt Minuet at Midnight
West India Docks
London, England
May 1827 - Late afternoon
Long shadows stretched their wispy, slightly eerie fingers along the bustling wharf as the surprisingly clean and well-maintained hackney rumbled over the sturdy pier. Sailors, laborers, merchants, and others scurried here and there, dashing in front of carts or maneuvering their way around laden wagons, crates, and barrels.
After over a week of hard traveling and constantly looking over her shoulder, Primrose McKessick had reached her destination. Safe at last, she exhaled a long, shaky breath.
Today was the beginning of her new life—a much better life, she prayed.
Sulky clouds hung low in the sky, promising more rain.
What was a little rain to a Scot?
Accustomed to the dock's commotion, mangy dogs and scraggly cats darted between stacked goods and vehicle wheels. Bedraggled street urchins with hungry eyes and gaunt faces covertly searched for an easy pocket to pick, and what Primrose suspected were prostitutes hawking their wares flirted outrageously with any man who passed them.
The hired hack proved no protection from the busy pier's hubbub and din or the tangy air, tinged with sea and sewage, assailing her nostrils.
Primrose scanned the crumpled, short, rather sloppily written letter from her great maternal aunt as she'd done at least a hundred times in the past ten days as she raced from the Highlands to London.
The instructions were clear.
Meet Aunt Rhodesia Shenton-Wayford at West India Docks on the second of May at half-four to board the sailing vessel Sea Queen for an extended holiday in Italy as her paid companion.
Thank God for Aunt Rhodesia's benevolence and kindness and the fortuitous timing of her trip. The poor dear had penned the letter to Primrose as Aunt Rhodesia recovered from a sprained wrist resulting from a tumble over a footstool.
Had Aunt Rhodesia not extended the offer, Primrose might have found herself on the street or forced to become the third wife of feudal baron Wallace MacLerie, Baron of Glentorquith.
Lyster McKessick arranged the marriage of convenience after accepting MacLerie's two-hundred-pound bribe and informing Primrose she could no longer live or work at his establishment. Never a loving father, his cold dispassion as he kicked her to the curb still took her aback, nonetheless.
Primrose wrinkled her nose and pursed her lips.
She'd been bought and paid for like a pair of plow horses and given no choice about the match.
Had Lyster truly believed she'd comply without a fight?
Primrose wasn't the quiet, docile, defeated woman Mama had become. No indeed. She'd have joined the Black Tinkers roaming Scotland and lived a gypsy's life before submitting to his drunken demands.
Sagging against the charcoal-gray squabs, Primrose permitted an exuberant smile as she roved her gaze over the two tattered and stuffed valises across from her. They contained all that she owned in the world. Perhaps not much by some people's standards, but plenty for her to start over in England.
For as long as she drew breath, she never intended to return to her homeland.
There was no reason to now, in any event.
Not only had she fooled the man the world falsely believed was her father—Mama had told Primrose the ugly truth at the tender age of five to explain McKessick's ongoing cruelty—but she'd also finally escaped MacLerie's lustful clutches.
And now, Primrose was to set off on a grand adventure, the likes of which she'd never have dared to dream.
Perhaps Mama was right.
Every cloud contained a silver lining—if you but looked for it.
Gulls' raucous cries interrupted her introspection and dragged her back to the present.
Spain. Italy. Greece.
Six months of traveling—something she'd always yearned to do but never hoped to experience. Seeing exotic places. Eating unfamiliar food. Enjoying unusual customs. Surely McKessick and MacLerie would've given up searching for her by then—if they even bothered to in the first place.
A lazy skellum, McKessick probably wouldn't inconvenience himself.
MacLerie, on the other hand, very well might.
Accustomed to using intimidation and bribery to get his way, the man didn't take no
for an answer. That's why she had traveled under the plain, unremarkable, and forgettable assumed name of Joane Porter.
Primrose might only be two inches over five feet tall, but she possessed spirit.
Mama always said so.
"Primrose Crystabel Faye, how does such a small form contain so much fortitude, resilience, and tenacity, my darling girl?"
Hadn't Primrose managed to outsmart those two tosspots?
Indeed, she had, though she could well imagine their rage at having been thwarted.
She winced at the thought, a chill racing up her spine and leaving goose pimples on her arms. With a gossamer-thin grasp on sanity and given to blood-curdling threats and malevolent violence, McKessick and MacLerie were men she hoped never to encounter again.
Primrose's earlier exuberance flitted away as the other reason for her hasty, secretive departure from her birthplace forced its ugly head into her gleeful musings.
Last month, the frail body of her only surviving sibling, dear, sweet, sickly Oleander, finally succumbed to the myriad of ailments that had plagued him since his birth twelve years ago. She'd nursed him to the best of her ability, but it hadn't been enough. His death sent Lyster into a drunken binge, leaving Primrose to make the burial arrangements.
Oleander died a mere three months after Mama passed while giving birth to yet another stillborn child. In all, Rosmund Tierney McKessick, the once-pampered youngest daughter of an English viscount, had suffered six miscarriages and three stillbirths.
Every instance since she turned ten, Primrose had assisted Mama with the aftermath, begging her to stay in bed and rest so her worn-out body could recover.
Usually soused to the gills by noon, Lyster—the inconsiderate, worse-than-a-rutting-bull brute—would rage and swear at poor Mama for failing him once more. Before her body could recover, he'd be on her again like flies on a carcass. Inconsiderate beast. The tippler blamed her for losing the other children and resented Primrose's health and vigor.
Sudden grief-born tears welled in her eyes, but she blinked them away with furious determination.
Not today.
Today was a day to celebrate, not mourn. She would never again feel Lyster's hand upon her cheek, wrenching her arm, or yanking her hair. Never again would she suffer his foul curses and raving rants bordering on lunacy.
And, praise God and all the saints, never again would she have to suffer MacLerie's accidental caresses and lecherous ogling while she served him in The Quacking Dog, Lyster's tavern and inn, where she'd labored for free since she could lift a broom and wipe a table.
The inn was supposed to have been named The Quaking Dog—more of Lyster's perverse humor—but the painter misspelled the word, and the unfortunate name had stuck, even after Lyster had ripped the sign down and stomped it to pieces.
He hadn't paid her for her labor, but Primrose had saved and hidden the tips secretly slipped to her by sympathetic patrons over the years. Those carefully secreted away coins had made this escape possible. She'd chosen to use these unforeseen circumstances to forge what she hoped would be a happy future.
Attitude and outlook are everything, Mama used to admonish softly.
About the Author
USA Today Bestselling author Collette Cameron® is renowned for her captivating, humorous, and heartwarming Scottish and Regency historical romance novels. With over 65 published titles, over 1.6 million books sold around the world, and multiple writing awards to her credit, Collette is a well-known author in the world of historical romance.
Readers love her witty and relatable characters including daring rogues, dashing scoundrels, and the strong and spirited heroines who capture their hearts. From the rugged highlands to the refined drawing rooms of Regency England, Collette's novels will transport you to another time and place, where love and adventure are just a page away.
Collette's Sweet-to-Spicy Timeless Romances® are the perfect escape for readers looking for romantic escape, poignant inspiration, engaging humor, and entertaining stories.
Based in the Pacific Northwest, Collette is surrounded by the lush greenery and rainy skies that inspire her writing. She dreams of one day splitting her time between the Pacific Northwest and Scotland. In the meantime, she indulges in her love of all things cobalt blue, dachshunds, chocolate, and of course, crafting her next historical romance.
Connect with Collette on social media, download a printable series/book list, join her VIP Reader Group, and subscribe to her newsletter (get a FREE book too!) by visiting her at collettecameronbooks dot com
Kindle EditionEUR0.84
