Forged Alliances Series by Lavinia Glen

A man who thought himself unlovable.After two decades of exile, Colin Knightsbridge returns to his ancestral home to claim his title as the Earl of Hartfield. The shy child he was when he left is a far cry from the man he has become. Driven by his desire to help and protect others, he has become a skilled physician and a master of martial arts. And yet despite his accomplishments, he believes love is a dream that will forever elude him.A woman tortured by the past... moreA man who thought himself unlovable.After two decades of exile, Colin Knightsbridge returns to his ancestral home to claim his title as the Earl of Hartfield. The shy child he was when he left is a far cry from the man he has become. Driven by his desire to help and protect others, he has become a skilled physician and a master of martial arts. And yet despite his accomplishments, he believes love is a dream that will forever elude him.A woman tortured by the past.Abigail remembers the self effacing and gentle boy Colin once was. The man who returned bears no resemblance to that boy. He is confident, powerful, and so handsome he makes her weak with desire. But her heart bears the scars of a horrible first marriage, and she doesn't trust passion. Or men.A marriage of convenience becomes an affair of the heart.When circumstances bring them together, they agree to a marriage of convenience, a fragile bond built on mutual understanding and guarded hearts.As their lives intertwine, Colin and Abigail must navigate the treacherous waters of their own insecurities. Meanwhile, threats lurk in the shadows, with unknown enemies making relentless attempts on their lives. In the midst of danger and passion they realize that only by exposing their vulnerabilities will they find the love that will heal their souls. less

To save her home, she must make a daring deal. But if her deception is discovered, it would destroy everything she holds dear. Life as she knew it is ending for Hannah, the young Duchess of Stanhope. Her elderly husband is dying, and without a son to inherit the dukedom, her beloved home is about to fall into the hands of his despicable nephew. A disaster for everyone who depends on the estate... moreTo save her home, she must make a daring deal. But if her deception is discovered, it would destroy everything she holds dear. Life as she knew it is ending for Hannah, the young Duchess of Stanhope. Her elderly husband is dying, and without a son to inherit the dukedom, her beloved home is about to fall into the hands of his despicable nephew. A disaster for everyone who depends on the estate. But when her husband asks her to get pregnant by the sinfully handsome Gabriel Sinclair, the Earl of Brentworth and the duke’s bastard son, she balks at the idea. What decent woman would accept such a proposition? Only a desperate one.Gabriel Sinclair is shocked to learn the Duke of Stanhope is his real father, and scandalized when the duke asks him to get his wife with child. An honorable man would refuse. The duke is persuasive, but by far the greatest temptation is the duchess herself. A woman he's admired from afar, never dreaming he could have.Caught in a web of deception, danger and guilt, a powerful love blooms between them, but when disaster strikes, Hannah will have to choose between her reputation and her heart. Accepting the deal cost Gabriel his honor, but protecting the woman he loves and the child they created, may cost him everything. less