The Dunne Family Series by Chasity Bowlin

Miss Olivia Dunne was the darling of society until a thwarted abduction and elopement scheme by an unscrupulous man left her reputation in tatters. But having moved from paragon to pariah, Olivia realizes that there is no reason for her to continue abiding by society’s mandates. In fact, she decides to embrace her scandalous nature and do the very thing she’s been accused of… take a lover... moreMiss Olivia Dunne was the darling of society until a thwarted abduction and elopement scheme by an unscrupulous man left her reputation in tatters. But having moved from paragon to pariah, Olivia realizes that there is no reason for her to continue abiding by society’s mandates. In fact, she decides to embrace her scandalous nature and do the very thing she’s been accused of… take a lover. The man she’s chosen is one she’s secretly loved for years, but she’ll need to employ the aid of an unlikely ally to carry it off. Lord Burke, Viscount Holland, has loved Olivia for years. He even offered for her once, only to be summarily dismissed by her older brother, his oldest friend. With his pride still stinging, Burke is confronted with the horrible truth that Olivia had never rejected him at all. Her brother never told her of Burke’s interest in her. But if he tells her now, she’ll take it for pity and reject him out of hand. The only way to make her his wife is to first accept her offer to be his mistress. But not everyone wishes to see the couple achieve a happy ending. Some will do whatever it takes to keep them apart. Can true love prevail or will pride and greed conspire to keep them apart forever? ***This is a novella (not a novel) of approximately 30,000 words, which is half the length of a typical novel. It is however a complete story with no cliffhangers. It's a perfect read for when you don't have a lot of time to invest.*** less

It was a blow to Persephone “Percy” Blake’s vanity to discover that she’d somehow become a spitter aunt. It’s certainly not what she set out to be. She had just been working away in her father’s library, cataloging historical documents. Then one day she looked up to find that ten years had passed and she was firmly on the shelf. Now, with the recent passing of her father, the country estate and the library are long gone... moreIt was a blow to Persephone “Percy” Blake’s vanity to discover that she’d somehow become a spitter aunt. It’s certainly not what she set out to be. She had just been working away in her father’s library, cataloging historical documents. Then one day she looked up to find that ten years had passed and she was firmly on the shelf. Now, with the recent passing of her father, the country estate and the library are long gone. She’s living as a poor relation on the less than freely given charity of her sister and acting as a de facto governess for her nieces and nephews. A more ungrateful, spoiled and thoroughly rotten bunch has never existed!And then it happens. Her nephew’s kite, which she told him not to fly, becomes tangled in the limbs of a tree next door. It’s either retrieve it at the cost of her own dignity or face her sister’s wrath for not properly supervising her charges as, after all, it’s the least she can do in exchange for room and board. Percy climbs the fence and finds herself in a wonderland of lush booms.Alone in this house since his sister’s recent marriage, Algernon Dunne is bored. So bored that he’s taken up gardening in order to pass his time. After all, there’s only so much brandy a man can consume in a given day without feeling wretched for it. And he’s found that despite the tame nature of his new hobby, there’s something satisfying in cultivating the perfect bloom. It’s teaching him patience and also the one thing he’s always been missing in his life… humility. Nature might bow to him, after all, but only on her own terms. Gardening has brought him clarity and peace.That is until a ranting, cursing, fireball of a woman comes over his garden wall in a cascade of pink skirts and sends them both tumbling to the ground. One look at her lovely brown eyes and her kissable lips, and Algernon is well and truly sunk. Now he just has to convince her that love at first sight can apply to much more than just his garden… and sometimes The First Proposal is the only one a woman really needs. less

The third installment of the Dunne Family Series, The Other Wife, is the exciting conclusion of this Regency Novella series.Aurora Sefton, Lady Sheffield, has been a widow for almost as long as she was a wife. Of the two states, widowhood has always been much preferred. She lives independently, enjoying her freedom, her wealth, and her occasional lovers. Then she's asked for a favor from an old friend.. moreThe third installment of the Dunne Family Series, The Other Wife, is the exciting conclusion of this Regency Novella series.Aurora Sefton, Lady Sheffield, has been a widow for almost as long as she was a wife. Of the two states, widowhood has always been much preferred. She lives independently, enjoying her freedom, her wealth, and her occasional lovers. Then she's asked for a favor from an old friend... to take the unexpected heir to a dukedom that had very nearly gone extinct and turn this rough laborer into a gentleman. But Gavin Barreton, The Duke of Westerhaven, is much more than she ever bargained for. As their relationship takes a decidedly intimate turn, she vows not to be led by her heart. But there are things in life that are beyond anyone's ability to predict or control... and love is certainly one of them.Gavin never intended to fall in love with the woman who was attempting to transform him into the proverbial silk purse. He certainly never thought she'd fall in love with him, a rough and tumble brawler from the streets suddenly burdened with a title. He wants nothing more than to marry her. In truth, he has every intention of asking her... until another woman enters the picture claiming to be his wife. less

Madame Sabine de Roussard has become one of the most fashionable modistes in London, but she’s hiding a terrible secret. Or several. First, she isn’t really French. Second, her name isn’t actually Sabine de Roussard. Third, she fled her home in Yorkshire to vanish in the cosmopolitan city of London because she had, albeit inadvertently, killed her abusive husband, Lawrence Russell... except, now, she isn’t so sure he’s dead, because she might have seen him in Hyde Park... moreMadame Sabine de Roussard has become one of the most fashionable modistes in London, but she’s hiding a terrible secret. Or several. First, she isn’t really French. Second, her name isn’t actually Sabine de Roussard. Third, she fled her home in Yorkshire to vanish in the cosmopolitan city of London because she had, albeit inadvertently, killed her abusive husband, Lawrence Russell... except, now, she isn’t so sure he’s dead, because she might have seen him in Hyde Park. And, now, she’s in love with an earl who wants her to be more than his mistress.Lord Edmund Grayson, Earl of Winburn, has fallen madly in love with his dressmaker mistress. He’s so in love with her, he doesn’t even mind her atrociously fake French accent. What he does mind is that she suddenly appears to be keeping more secrets from him about her present than her past. When she begins to sneak off, to lie about where she’s going and who she is with, he begins to wonder if, perhaps, the bloom is off the rose, and she’s grown tired of him. That is, until a brute of a man claiming to be her husband comes knocking at his door. But he doesn’t want to reconcile with his wife. He wants to see her hang.Can Gray manage to win Sabine’s freedom and her heart? Or will he lose her to a man who never deserved her, just because the law says it’s his right? less

Sinclair Wortham, Lord Mayville is a man haunted by the sins of his family and by the rejection of the woman he once loved. Seeking solace from his loneliness and an escape from the secrets hidden within the crumbling walls of his family home, he heads to the local tavern for some company and truly atrocious brandy. But Sinclair makes a terrible mistake. After a brief foray outside, his drunken wandering does not lead him back to the inn and the very willing serving girl who awaits him there... moreSinclair Wortham, Lord Mayville is a man haunted by the sins of his family and by the rejection of the woman he once loved. Seeking solace from his loneliness and an escape from the secrets hidden within the crumbling walls of his family home, he heads to the local tavern for some company and truly atrocious brandy. But Sinclair makes a terrible mistake. After a brief foray outside, his drunken wandering does not lead him back to the inn and the very willing serving girl who awaits him there. It leads him, instead, to the vicarage next door... and to the vicar's plain daughter, Althea Parker.Althea is used to being forgotten. She is used to being ignored. She is also very much used to loving Lord Mayville from afar while being utterly certain he has never glanced her way. But when he drunkenly stumbles into her bedchamber one night, she's stunned. So stunned that she screams down the rafters, bringing her father and patrons from the nearby tavern running.Now they are trapped, forced to marry and forced to make the best of a situation that neither of them wanted—at least not in that way. But there is one universal truth... We rarely get what we want in life, but fate has a way of giving us what we need. less

Miss Penelope Dennings grew a conscience and made an enemy. By confessing her role in the events that nearly destroyed the marriage of Lord and Lady Mayville, she helped to bring them back together… but it has cost her everything. Her friends have turned their backs on her and she is all but a pariah in society.Theo Blake, Lord Ralston, is a man who needs a wife. Any wife. His title and entailed estates are secure, but a significant inheritance hangs in the balance if he remains a bachelor... moreMiss Penelope Dennings grew a conscience and made an enemy. By confessing her role in the events that nearly destroyed the marriage of Lord and Lady Mayville, she helped to bring them back together… but it has cost her everything. Her friends have turned their backs on her and she is all but a pariah in society.Theo Blake, Lord Ralston, is a man who needs a wife. Any wife. His title and entailed estates are secure, but a significant inheritance hangs in the balance if he remains a bachelor. There’s only one problem. He’s too nice. Handsome and even rich, when compared to the rogues, rakes and general bad boys of society, there is really no comparison. All the eligible ladies simply look over him as if he were completely invisible.But invisibility gives him a unique insight into Miss Dennings terrible situation. So Ralston makes her an offer—one she cannot refuse. But not everyone wants to see them settled in a happy union. Jealousy is an ugly and destructive force and Theo, for the first time in his life, might have to fight dirty to get what he wants. And despite the rather perfunctory nature of their courtship, he’s realized that what he wants, above all else, is Penelope… less

Miss Isabelle Stamford needs to escape the Ton. She’d never wanted to be part of high society to begin with and it certainly wasn’t worth dying for. Viciously attacked by Miss Weddington and left for dead, Isabelle knows that Charlotte, Lady Bruxton was behind it all because she fears that Isabelle will expose a very ugly secret. But Isabelle is informed that leaving the marriage mart is unheard of—at least until one has managed to snag a husband... moreMiss Isabelle Stamford needs to escape the Ton. She’d never wanted to be part of high society to begin with and it certainly wasn’t worth dying for. Viciously attacked by Miss Weddington and left for dead, Isabelle knows that Charlotte, Lady Bruxton was behind it all because she fears that Isabelle will expose a very ugly secret. But Isabelle is informed that leaving the marriage mart is unheard of—at least until one has managed to snag a husband. With her choices limited to death or marriage, Isabelle sets her sights on the very man who rescued her from drowning—James Fitzsimmons, Lord Kenworth.James isn’t precisely hunting for a fortune. But it certainly wouldn’t be remiss of him to find one. With estates that are failing and a family that excels at being helpless, Miss Stamford’s rather bold proposal isn’t one he can afford to simply walk away from. It doesn’t matter that he vowed never to fall in love. It doesn’t matter that just looking at her makes his palms sweat. It certainly doesn’t matter that all he wants to do is protect her, to keep her safe—and to kiss her senseless. He convinces himself that he can marry a woman who makes his blood sing and somehow keep both heart and soul intact.With her life and his estates on the line, they make for Gretna Green and set the tongues of every London gossip wagging. But out of sight is not out of mind for Lady Bruxton. Her social cachet is not something she will risk, and whether she is in London or not, Isabelle knows too much to be permitted to live and with Miss Weddington locked away, Charlotte will have to take matters into her own hands… less

A compromised position leads to an inconvenient compromise...Miss Fiona Trimble cultivated a friendship with the viperous Lady Bruxton because she knew it was the only way to make an advantageous match. Blessed with neither unparalleled beauty nor great fortune, social position was her one and only chance. But now the peer she'd set her cap for, the Earl of Kenworth, is betrothed to another... moreA compromised position leads to an inconvenient compromise...Miss Fiona Trimble cultivated a friendship with the viperous Lady Bruxton because she knew it was the only way to make an advantageous match. Blessed with neither unparalleled beauty nor great fortune, social position was her one and only chance. But now the peer she'd set her cap for, the Earl of Kenworth, is betrothed to another. Rather than simply change her objective, Lady Bruxton is blackmailing Fiona into doing the unthinkable--into courting complete and utter ruin to destroy the earl's match.Lucian Maxwell never expected to inherit a title. The bastard son of a married nobleman and a widowed noblewoman, he existed on the fringe of society. And then a little known Scottish relative of his mother died and left him an earldom, one of the few that could be passed down through the female line. He's still struggling to make sense of it all when he wakes in an inn in near the Scottish border with a virginal seductress in his bed.It doesn't take long to realize that Miss Fiona Trimble has ruined herself for the wrong earl. But he needs a wife... and she will clearly need a husband. But the more Lucian is around her, the more protective and possessive he begins to—in fact, the more he begins to feel period. Fiona unlocks his very guarded heart. But Lady Bruxton is not quite finished with her and it will take herculean effort to overcome a villainess who will stop at nothing to make those she sees as her enemies pay. less