The Courtesan


Book Description

The second in the Master of Gray trilogy takes this seventeenth-century story of war and intrigue in Scotland to the next generation - the Master's illegitimate daughter. Unacknowledged daughter of the Master of Gray, the young Mary inherited her father's amazing good looks and talent for intrigue. Her forbidden love for the young Duke of Lennox showed that her father had also passed on his own passionate nature. Coming to maturity in a Scotland torn by violent conflict, she was wise beyond her years. She needed to be, during the harsh years of the first half of the seventeenth century. This gripping novel by one of the world's foremost historical novelists shows how Mary determined to counteract her father's plotting and save Protestant Scotland from the threat of the Catholic Inquisition. 'Through his imaginative dialogue, he provides a voice for Scotland's heroes' Scotland on Sunday




The Virtuous Courtesan


Book Description

Inherited: one mistress! Gavin Stone discovers on his brother’s death that, to inherit his estate, he must also take on his mistress! Gavin never thought that claiming his inheritance could be so pleasurable…Sarah is horrified—she never thought she would be passed on as if she were a chattel—but what choice does she have? And Gavin will expect a practised seducer when, in reality, she is as unschooled as a debutante! But just maybe an innocent courtesan is what it will take to thaw this rake’s heart…




The Courtesan's Book of Secrets


Book Description

Uncovered: a list of noblemen's names—each one guilty of treason To save his family legacy, Rafe Densmore must seize a courtesan's infamous register. No one can ever know how his father betrayed his country! One person stands in Rafe's way—the beautiful Cornelia, Comtesse de Vane. In the card rooms of Paris, Rafe and Cornelia made an unbeatable…intimate team. Until, convinced of Rafe's desertion, desperate Cornelia married an elderly comte. Now, returning to London an impoverished widow, she'll do anything to possess the register. Even if that means becoming Rafe's partner once again…. "Lee's novel hits the sweet spot." —RT Book Reviews on Engagement of Convenience




The Virgin Courtesan (Mills & Boon Historical Undone)


Book Description

Penniless and homeless, beautiful Juliana Hearnshaw’s virginity is her most bankable asset, and now the gently-bred young woman must sell herself to a wealthy, elderly patron who will pay handsomely for her company.







Scarlet Women


Book Description

In 1965, an impoverished elderly woman was found dead in Nice, France. Her death marked the end of an era; she was the last of the great courtesans. Known as La Belle Otero, she was a volcanic Spanish beauty whose patrons included Kaiser Wilhelm II, the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) and Grand Duke Nicholas of Russia. She accumulated an enormous fortune, but gambled it all away. Scarlet Women tells her story and many more, including: Marie Duplessis, who inspired characters by both Dumas and Verdi; Clara Ward, a rare American courtesan who hunted for a European aristocrat, but having married a Belgian prince, ran away with a gypsy violinist; Ninon de L'Enclos, who was offered 50,000 crowns by Cardinal Richelieu for one night. Money left in her will paid for Voltaire's education. Courtesans were an elite group of talented, professional mistresses. The most successful became wealthy and famous in their own right. While they led charmed lives, they occupied a curious position: they enjoyed freedom and political power unknown to most women, but they were ostracised by polite society. From the hetaerae of ancient Greece to the cortigiani onesti of 16th century Venice, the oiran of Edo-period Japan to the demimondaines of 19th century France, this captivating book--perfect for readers of A Treasury of Royal Scandals--uncovers the rich, colorful lives of these women who dared to pursue fortunes outside their societies' norms.




Compelled


Book Description

Sink your teeth into a steamy vampire romance from USA Today bestselling author Rebecca Rivard... I'm a slayer. He's a vampire. "I'm a sucker for a vampire romance, and this one delivered and then some." ~Romance Addict (5 stars) Bard crossed the room. His reflection loomed over mine in the plate glass. "You're not afraid." He seemed curious, and a little surprised. I sipped my vodka tonic. "No." "Good." He tucked a curl behind my ear. "I promise you'll enjoy yourself." "Yeah?" I took his wine glass and set it on the table, then lifted his wrist and ran my lips over the sensitive underside. His skin was cool with an earthy, very male scent. He stilled in the way vampires can so that even their sluggish heart stops beating. "What are you doing?" His voice was strained. I scraped my teeth over his wrist. "Earning my pay." Welcome to the shadow world of Vampire Blood Courtesans. Where vampires are real, rich...and hungry. I'm the perfect slayer. Smart. Sexy. And lethal. But I want out. Just as I make plans to disappear, I'm forced to take one more job. Go undercover as a blood courtesan and slay a gorgeous blond vampire. But it's a setup, and the only way out is to join forces with my target to find the real villain. The last thing I expect is to fall in love… (Cerise and Bard's story) The Vampire Blood Courtesans. It's not supposed to be about love...until it is. keywords: vampire, billionaire, secrets, lies, slayer, assassin, kick ass heroine, forbidden lovers, mate bond, happily ever after, vampire thriller




Maia


Book Description

Sold into slavery to the dealer Lalloc by her mother when her stepfather seduces her, the beautiful 15-year-old Maia is almost raped by Genshed, one of Lalloc's employees but is saved by Occula, a black slave girl. With no-one but Occula at her side, Maia must summon all her courage, strength and intelligence as she navigates the seedy side of the Beklan empire.




Writing with a Vengeance


Book Description

Writing with a Vengeance examines the life and works of a nineteenth-century French courtesan, Céleste Vénard, later the Countess de Chabrillan. A notorious Paris courtesan, Chabrillan married into the nobility, taught herself to write (penning two series of memoirs) and, upon being widowed, wrote novels to support herself - ten, between 1857 and 1885. These novels and memoirs constitute exceptional literary and historical documents, particularly as very few sex workers before the twentieth century have left written records of their lives. Writing with a Vengeance intertwines the courtesan's autobiographical account of the horrors of her life on the streets with that era's political, medical, and cultural discourses surrounding prostitution. Though French society both silenced and refused to pardon the prostitute, Carol Mossman's literary analysis of Chabrillan's novels contends that it is through the process of writing itself that she arrived at self-forgiveness and ultimately refashioned for her damaged self a new identity and narrative.




The Golden Wolf


Book Description

The fates of Ragnvald and his sister Svanhild unfold to their stunning conclusion in this riveting final volume in The Golden Wolf Saga, a trilogy that conjures the ancient world with the gripping detail, thrilling action, and vivid historical elements of Game of Thrones and Outlander. Ragnvald has long held to his vision of King Harald as a golden wolf who will bring peace to Norway as its conqueror - even though he knows that Harald's success will eventually mean his own doom. He is grateful to have his beloved sister, the fierce and independent Svanhild, once more at his side to help keep their kingdom secure. Free from the evil husband who used her, she is now one of Harald's many wives. While Svanhold is happy to be reunited with her beloved brother, and enjoys more freedom than ever before, she is restless and lonely. When an old enemy of Ragnvald's kidnaps his niece, Freydis, his sister follows the daughter she has neglected to Iceland, where an old love awaits. This strange new land offers a life far different from what each has left behind, as well as unexpected challenges and choices. Ragnvald, too, must contend with change. His sons - the gifted Einar, the princely Ivar, and the adventurous Rolli - are no longer children. Harald's heirs have also grown up. Stepping back from his duties as king, he watches as his sons pursue their own ambitions. But Norway may no longer be large enough for so many would-be kings. Now in their twilight years, these venerable men whose lives have been shaped by war must face another battle. A growing rebellion pits Ragnvald and his sons against enemies old and new, and a looming tragedy threatens to divide them all. Across the sea, Svanhild, too, wrestles with a painful decision, risking the dissolution of her fragile new family as she desperately tries to save it. Yet as old heroes fall, new heroes arise. For years, Ragnvald and Svanhild pursued the destinies bestowed by their ancient gods. Though the journey has cost them much, their sacrifices and dreams will be honoured by the generations that follow, beginning with Freydis and Einar. Emerging from their parents' long shadows, they have begun to pursue their own glorious fates. This compelling conclusion to the Golden Wolf trilogy recreates Viking-age Scandinavia in all its danger, passion, power, and glory - a world of brutality and myth, loyalty and betrayal, where shifting alliances and vengeance can build kingdoms . . . and can tear them down.