Diamonds of London Series by Sandra Sookoo

Sometimes, the road to romance is littered with intrigue, harrowing danger, and wild shock.The year is 1818 and Theodosia Netherton—Lady Ballantyne—is wintering in the sunny climes of Italy in an effort to protect her health as well as to visit her brother. Widowed for three years, she has no interest in a new romance, but when a horrific emergency leads her to the doorstep of a handsome, former Bow Street Runner with wide shoulders and a mysterious scar, she might just change her mind.Mr... moreSometimes, the road to romance is littered with intrigue, harrowing danger, and wild shock.The year is 1818 and Theodosia Netherton—Lady Ballantyne—is wintering in the sunny climes of Italy in an effort to protect her health as well as to visit her brother. Widowed for three years, she has no interest in a new romance, but when a horrific emergency leads her to the doorstep of a handsome, former Bow Street Runner with wide shoulders and a mysterious scar, she might just change her mind.Mr. Hudson Ridley is in Rome for the warmth and relative obscurity. Retired at the age of eight and thirty, the last thing he wants is to become embroiled in a kidnapping plot that involves an attractive widow and her missing son. Yet he was the best in the retrieval business in his prime, and she did have hauntingly unforgettable eyes as well as a smile that could make a man do wicked, stupid things.In the quest to hunt the people who nabbed the boy and heir to a viscounty, Theodosia and Hudson dance about mutual desire until passion gets the better of them one star-lit evening amidst some of the country’s finest ruins. But tracking the criminals turns deadly when shots are fired at them. Time is running out to rescue the young heir, keep a valuable jewel safe, and somehow discover if love is the ultimate reward despite the risk.Can two fearful hearts feel less broken together? Find out in My Dear Mr. Ridley, the first book in the exciting new Diamonds of London series. less

She needs to ferret out his secrets. He’s doing his level best to keep them.Miss Honor Winslow wants revenge. Her father has been missing since the war with Napoleon ended. Then a week ago, a letter arrived from him asking for help, but it wasn’t signed, and no address had been included. Needing answers, she enlists the help of one of her friends, who has connections to the Home Office... moreShe needs to ferret out his secrets. He’s doing his level best to keep them.Miss Honor Winslow wants revenge. Her father has been missing since the war with Napoleon ended. Then a week ago, a letter arrived from him asking for help, but it wasn’t signed, and no address had been included. Needing answers, she enlists the help of one of her friends, who has connections to the Home Office. If the old, pompous windbags there won’t listen, she will do the job herself, despite her physical difficulties following a minor apoplexy.All Mr. Gideon McGarrett wants out of life is peace, and nearly forty, it’s finally within reach. Ready to close his last mission, the only thing he needs to do is extract a man of high military rank from where he’s hiding after being wounded. The one thing that stands in the way of a spotless career is the damned interference of a clever and vulnerable woman who insists on joining his mission.As Honor and Gideon bicker during the journey north, heated awareness springs from forced proximity, and all too soon that desire becomes distracting, especially when a faux engagement is offered out of necessity. Once in the Lake District, when they locate her father, the woman who wants him dead has also arrived. It will take some smart negotiating and perhaps a fight to unravel the mess. Only then can the pair make a go at a life together—if they can stop hiding their emotions and let down their guards to enjoy the ride. less

Anyone can benefit from finding magic for Christmastide; it’s just a matter of believing… Miss Clarissa Folgerton isn’t best pleased. She makes her living as a seamstress due to reduced circumstances, and it matters not that this is her busiest and most profitable time, for she has been summoned to northern Buckinghamshire. A dying earl wishes to see his illegitimate eight-year-old daughter—her niece... moreAnyone can benefit from finding magic for Christmastide; it’s just a matter of believing… Miss Clarissa Folgerton isn’t best pleased. She makes her living as a seamstress due to reduced circumstances, and it matters not that this is her busiest and most profitable time, for she has been summoned to northern Buckinghamshire. A dying earl wishes to see his illegitimate eight-year-old daughter—her niece. Years ago, he’d had an affair with her sister, and though her sister passed, Clarissa needs to see the girl’s future settled. If that means giving her up, she’ll have no choice, for she’s a spinster without means.Colin Haversham—Viscount Lambert—is perhaps weeks away from becoming the new Earl of Biddleton, for his ailing father has summoned him to Biddleton Castle to spend this last Christmastide season together as well as take his apparent half-sister on as his ward. To say nothing of the fact that if he doesn’t wed, he won’t inherit any of the family coin. Annoyed and not wishing to forsake the life he’s already made for himself, what he needs is a false fiancée for the holidays. Above all, he doesn’t wish to be married again. It hurt too much the last time.As the whole Haversham family assembles at the castle, bitterness, anger, and jealousy comes out in the disparate group, but when Colin takes Clarissa aside and offers her a fake engagement with a hefty monetary settlement promised after Twelfth Night, the dynamic shifts. Over the course of the ill-advised holiday get together, the unlikely pair find they have much in common beyond yearning for family, and when romance creeps in, they’ll need to decide if they have the courage to make love a reality despite battered hearts and differences in stations. …and finding a diamond in the rough. less

Life can either snake around you with a strangle hold or produce the most exquisite flowers… At the advanced age of six and thirty, Mr. Jameson Ridley has become content with what he wants out of life. After spending years in India studying the care and cultivation of tea, he became a botanist who specializes in flowers and vines. When he’s invited to his best friend’s estate in the Irish countryside, he accepts with alacrity, for the opportunity to catalogue the flora there can’t be missed... moreLife can either snake around you with a strangle hold or produce the most exquisite flowers… At the advanced age of six and thirty, Mr. Jameson Ridley has become content with what he wants out of life. After spending years in India studying the care and cultivation of tea, he became a botanist who specializes in flowers and vines. When he’s invited to his best friend’s estate in the Irish countryside, he accepts with alacrity, for the opportunity to catalogue the flora there can’t be missed.Along comes Miss Tess Cosgrove. She’s the younger sister of his best friend, and she has the power to send his world tip over tail in every way imaginable… if she weren’t so maddening. Though she was a Diamond of the First Water during her Come Out year, fate has disappointed her so much that she’s given up on London and the ton. As a result, she wants to garden for the rest of her life, to teach others how freeing growing their own food can be even though such work is frowned upon in society.Immediately, the unlikely pair butt heads, for they both think their knowledge in horticulture is superior, but when the desire crackling between them ignites into hot passion one summer evening, bigger issues as well as secrets come to light. If they’re willing to spend time untangling roots and unearthing what they want most, love might bloom, but only if it’s tended to properly… …and if all else fails, a little summer sunshine, fresh air, and a proper kiss never hurts. less

When a lady has failed to find love in the usual ways, she will turn to the paranormal… American Miss Arabella Tamsyn Goodridge has never belonged anywhere, but when one of her British cousins wishes for her to be a part of her upcoming nuptial ceremony ahead of the All Hallow’s celebrations, she jumps at the chance, especially when they’re staying in haunted Coventry Castle, set close to the Scottish Highlands... moreWhen a lady has failed to find love in the usual ways, she will turn to the paranormal… American Miss Arabella Tamsyn Goodridge has never belonged anywhere, but when one of her British cousins wishes for her to be a part of her upcoming nuptial ceremony ahead of the All Hallow’s celebrations, she jumps at the chance, especially when they’re staying in haunted Coventry Castle, set close to the Scottish Highlands. She has always believed in ghosts and ghouls, yet she’s dismally practical, except when it comes to falling in love with the resident spirit… apparently.Percival Allan Bradenton—Marquess of Coventry—and half Scottish on his mother’s side, has been missing and presumed dead for two years. Without a body, his uncle can’t legally claim the title, but Allan refuses to come out of hiding until he can figure out who wishes to kill him. To stave off boredom as well as look for clues, he haunts his family’s castle in the Northumberland countryside, until one night when he stumbles into a woman who turns his head and changes his life… exceptionally.With her knowledge of herbal remedies and ease in bonding with animals, Bella is often slandered as a witch, but when she comes upon a man who should be dead and desire flares, she partners with him in solving a mystery. With a plot afoot to keep Allan from his birthright, danger bedevils them. As Halloween and the wedding quickly approaches, she and Allan strive to keep him alive, and unless they’re fortunate in flushing out the guilty party, they’ll never have a chance for a romance they never knew they needed… eternally. … for there is no use for a societal reputation when a delicious ghost is involved. less

When two disenchanted people come unexpectedly together, Christmas is suddenly brighter.Ever since Sir Timothy Dashfield—a baronet with a few holdings—became partners in a successful counting house with his best friend who’d recently married, his life has taken on a sense of restlessness and boredom. When he’s tasked with collecting the overdue rent on a townhouse owned by a clockmaker, that last thing he expects is a pretty Irish young lady with mix of annoyance and sorrow in her eyes... moreWhen two disenchanted people come unexpectedly together, Christmas is suddenly brighter.Ever since Sir Timothy Dashfield—a baronet with a few holdings—became partners in a successful counting house with his best friend who’d recently married, his life has taken on a sense of restlessness and boredom. When he’s tasked with collecting the overdue rent on a townhouse owned by a clockmaker, that last thing he expects is a pretty Irish young lady with mix of annoyance and sorrow in her eyes.Miss Ashlynn Athercrombe lost her father six months before. Since the clock repair shop closed, there is no money coming to pay bills. To make matters worse, Christmastide is upon London, and she doesn’t feel like celebrating. When a man from the counting house comes to collect the unpaid rents, something inside her snaps and she rounds on the unfortunate, handsome man in a spectacular display of hysterics.Perhaps it was the maudlin mood or perhaps it was the unwillingness to spend the holiday alone, but when Timothy temporarily loses his mind and asks Miss Athercrombe to marry him and she accepts, they embark on a very different future than they both had planned. Immediately, the differences between them create misunderstandings and obstacles, but by working together and remembering a bit of mistletoe magic, they might just find everything they have been too fearful to seek out themselves......and if they can’t find common ground, they’ll surely spend Christmas in hell. less

Sometimes, the heart wants what the heart wants, even if everyone says it’s wrong.As the youngest daughter to the Earl of Alderly, Lady Elizabeth Foster has had a rather luxurious life, but when she’s thrown from her horse on an early morning ride while woolgathering, everything changes. Lost and nursing a tender ankle, she’s ready to become a watering pot, yet when a handsome stranger comes along to render assistance, she assumes fate is nudging her into the next phase of life.Mr... moreSometimes, the heart wants what the heart wants, even if everyone says it’s wrong.As the youngest daughter to the Earl of Alderly, Lady Elizabeth Foster has had a rather luxurious life, but when she’s thrown from her horse on an early morning ride while woolgathering, everything changes. Lost and nursing a tender ankle, she’s ready to become a watering pot, yet when a handsome stranger comes along to render assistance, she assumes fate is nudging her into the next phase of life.Mr. Douglas Pratt is only a member of the ton by a thread. His father is a baronet, but the family coffers won’t support a carefree lifestyle of a gentleman. He must earn a living, and since his looks are quite exceptional, he became a footman in a duke’s household, to his family’s embarrassment. When he comes upon a lady in need one morning on his daily constitutional, he immediately renders aid, but somehow there is confusion with his identity, and she assumes he’s the very duke he serves.No amount of trying to explain will change her mind, and because he’s smitten at first sight, he prolongs the farce merely to stay in her good graces, for there’s plenty of time to admit all. Yet the more they meet each other during the summer days, the more the story grows until there’s no escape, and no chance of winning her once the truth comes out. And when it does, heartbreak will surely follow. Will class divide and the sin of omission doom their budding romance? Or will she marry the duke regardless? Perhaps the magic of summer nights will help them discover what is truly important. less

Can a forbidden romance be right even when the brain—and society—scream disaster?Montague Elias—Grey—Mountjoy—9th Earl of Greystone—is a man who values order and calm over everything else. Now that he’s home from the war, he sets his mind to the responsibilities of his title, for that has always been his lot in life; there is no other option. It doesn’t matter that he has no feelings, romantic or otherwise, for his fiancée—the match was arranged when he was a youth... moreCan a forbidden romance be right even when the brain—and society—scream disaster?Montague Elias—Grey—Mountjoy—9th Earl of Greystone—is a man who values order and calm over everything else. Now that he’s home from the war, he sets his mind to the responsibilities of his title, for that has always been his lot in life; there is no other option. It doesn’t matter that he has no feelings, romantic or otherwise, for his fiancée—the match was arranged when he was a youth.Miss Victoria Amherst—or rather Tori to her friends—isn’t what society would call a suitable lady. Her father is a baron, and a jeweler of some renowned skill, but the family is barely clinging to the beau monde regardless, for that skill doesn’t extend to his love of the wagering tables. Since Tori is his secretary—both socially and professionally—she accepts a few invitations because she’s tired of watching life pass her by. It’s time to hunt for a husband.When Tori wanders off at a rout, she finds a stunning diamond necklace in her host’s study that she recognizes. Knowing it’s been stolen, she enlists the help of the first man she sees—the Earl of Greystone—who could be right for her… if he were free. Before he knows what’s happening, the unorthodox woman has embroiled him into what will surely be the on-dit of the Season, but he’s intrigued despite himself. She might not be in his usual style and quite forbidden, and he might not be spontaneous, yet perhaps none of it matters… until the ensuing scandal takes on a life of its own. less