Ladies of Summerhill Series by Cara Lynn James

In age of elegance and excess, Lilly Westbrook longs for a love both true and eternal. Newport, Rhode Island, 1899, is a place of shimmering waves, sleek yachts, and ladies of leisure. Of opulent mansions that serve as summer cottages for the rich and famous. Home of railroad magnates and banking tycoons--dashing young men and the women who aspire to marry them. But it's not the place for lady novelists. Especially not those who pen disreputable dime novels... moreIn age of elegance and excess, Lilly Westbrook longs for a love both true and eternal. Newport, Rhode Island, 1899, is a place of shimmering waves, sleek yachts, and ladies of leisure. Of opulent mansions that serve as summer cottages for the rich and famous. Home of railroad magnates and banking tycoons--dashing young men and the women who aspire to marry them. But it's not the place for lady novelists. Especially not those who pen disreputable dime novels. This poses a problem for Lilly Westbrook, because that's exactly what she does. No one in Lilly's social set knows she pens fiction under the "nom de plume "Fannie Cole. Not her family or the wealthy young man about to propose to her. And especially not Jackson Grail, the long-lost beau who just bought her publishing company...and who stirs her heart more than she cares to admit. But Lilly must put aside her feelings and follow the path that will maintain her family's social stature and provide the financial security that everyone is depending on. Now Lilly faces a double dilemma. Can she continue to protect her secret identity? And will she have the courage to choose the man who will risk it all just to win her heart? less

The chance to break the big story is all Charlotte needs to secure her future. But when the truth comes out--it may cost her the love of her life. Newport, Rhode Island, in 1900--a glamorous resort town where the rich and famous go to see and be seen. Charlotte Hale isn't part of that world. She's a working girl, a secretary for a local newspaper, who dreams of becoming a real reporter. When her boss offers her an assignment, she jumps at the opportunity... moreThe chance to break the big story is all Charlotte needs to secure her future. But when the truth comes out--it may cost her the love of her life. Newport, Rhode Island, in 1900--a glamorous resort town where the rich and famous go to see and be seen. Charlotte Hale isn't part of that world. She's a working girl, a secretary for a local newspaper, who dreams of becoming a real reporter. When her boss offers her an assignment, she jumps at the opportunity. She'll go undercover as a governess to investigate a scandal about her new employer, Daniel Wilmont, a young widowed professor of religion who writes a controversial column in a rival newspaper. Charlotte's qualms about misrepresenting herself to Daniel soon morph into a deeper quandary. How can she get the goods on a man who turns out to be so honorable? How can she plot the downfall of a family that has inspired her to rediscover her faith? And how can she protect the man she now loves from a scheme she's been part of since the beginning? A fascinating tale of love and faith in the Gilded Age . . . from the author of "Love on a Dime." "James uses carefully described settings and characters . . . to dramatically contrast life in the Gilded Age in Newport, Rhode Island, between the working class and the wealthy." --"Booklist" less

A sweeping love story set in a lavish seaside mansion in 1901 Rhode Island. Melinda Hollister is a society lady, intent on finding a rich husband before her peers discover her quickly diminishing wealth. Nick Bryson is all business, focused on making a name for himself in his father's teamship line... moreA sweeping love story set in a lavish seaside mansion in 1901 Rhode Island. Melinda Hollister is a society lady, intent on finding a rich husband before her peers discover her quickly diminishing wealth. Nick Bryson is all business, focused on making a name for himself in his father's teamship line. Despite the marriage of their siblings, they rarely gave each other a second glance--until a tragic accident results in Melinda and Nick being appointed as co-guardians of their three-year-old niece Nell. In order to get better acquainted with Nell and one another, Melinda and Nick agree to spend the summer in their own private quarters of the Bryson family vacation home, Summerhill. As their love for Nell grows, so does their attraction to each other. And for the first time in their lives, they sense that God has a bigger plan in motion. Yet old habits die hard and Melinda and Nick each find it difficult to resist the pull of their former worlds. When the unthinkable happens, they find themselves faced with seemingly impossible choices and a new understanding of God's true love. less