A Black Swan Historical Romance Series by Carolyn Brown

Ira McNewell was supposed to be dead. The government had sent a telegram saying he had been killed in action, yet there he was, sprawled out beneath Alice on the floor of the Black Swan Hotel. Ira had been engaged to her sister Catherine when he'd gone off to the war, not Alice. Not it was up to her to give him the terrible news that the flu had wiped out his whole family, and his fiancee had married another man. To soften the blow, she hired him to work for her at the hotel... moreIra McNewell was supposed to be dead. The government had sent a telegram saying he had been killed in action, yet there he was, sprawled out beneath Alice on the floor of the Black Swan Hotel. Ira had been engaged to her sister Catherine when he'd gone off to the war, not Alice. Not it was up to her to give him the terrible news that the flu had wiped out his whole family, and his fiancee had married another man. To soften the blow, she hired him to work for her at the hotel. Poor Ira didn't know if he was doing the right thing or not. Alice had been tagged the village idiot when she was just a child. Having her for a boss wasn't the best-case scenario, but like thousands of other soldiers coming home from the war, he was broke and hungry. Working at the Black Swan was at least a job, and jobs were hard to come by. Alice had never minded that the folks in Huttig, Arkansas, thought she was dim-witted. At least not until Ira came home. She'd been in love with him since she was a girl, but she wasn't stupid enough to think he could ever love her back...or could he? less

Catherine O'Shea is the oldest and most responsible of the three O'Shea sisters. She has just buried her mother, one of the last victims of the flu epidemic of 1918. Her father had been one of the first to succumb to the flu and her fiance was killed in the war. And now there is a detective living at her hotel, the Black Swan, looking into the disappearance of her abusive brother-in-law... moreCatherine O'Shea is the oldest and most responsible of the three O'Shea sisters. She has just buried her mother, one of the last victims of the flu epidemic of 1918. Her father had been one of the first to succumb to the flu and her fiance was killed in the war. And now there is a detective living at her hotel, the Black Swan, looking into the disappearance of her abusive brother-in-law. He is entirely the wrong person and it is absolutely the wrong time for her to be giving Detective Massey a second look, much less a third and fourth. She'll simply have to control the sparks that fly every time they are together. Quincy Massey just wants to get the little job of finding Ralph Contiello done and go back home to Little Rock, Arkansas. The small town of Huttig is friendly enough but it sure isn't his type of town. And Catherine O'Shea with her smart remarks and red hair is getting under his skin entirely too much. Quincy's unstoppable quest for the truth and Catherine's unflappable determination to keep it hidden immediately sets the two of them at odds. In order to look towards a future with its offer of unconditional love they'll first have to bury the past. less

Bridget O'Shea had sworn she'd never fall in love again. She had a hotel, The Black Swan, to operate alone, since her sisters - Catherine and Alice - had both married the previous year. And then there was Ella, her lovely baby daughter. The hotel and Ella took up all her time and energy. Wyatt Ferguson had planned on staying in Huttig, Arkansas, just long enough to wait for the next train going south... moreBridget O'Shea had sworn she'd never fall in love again. She had a hotel, The Black Swan, to operate alone, since her sisters - Catherine and Alice - had both married the previous year. And then there was Ella, her lovely baby daughter. The hotel and Ella took up all her time and energy. Wyatt Ferguson had planned on staying in Huttig, Arkansas, just long enough to wait for the next train going south. But a red-haired lady who thought he was another out-of-work soldier just home from the war insisted on hiring him to kill a rat for her. The Black Swan seemed a good place to stay for a while. After all it was only for six weeks and what could happen in that time? less