Second Sons Series by Meredith Lamonica

They made the perfect deal— Until they got more than they bargained for. Penelope Spencer has no need of a husband. All she desires is to retire to her home in the English countryside and embark upon the quiet, relaxing life of a spinster. Lord Ryan Herrick is a rakish playboy with a fondness for brandy, gaming halls, and reckless romps in the garden. He knows he’s not husband material, and he has no intention of being tied down... moreThey made the perfect deal— Until they got more than they bargained for. Penelope Spencer has no need of a husband. All she desires is to retire to her home in the English countryside and embark upon the quiet, relaxing life of a spinster. Lord Ryan Herrick is a rakish playboy with a fondness for brandy, gaming halls, and reckless romps in the garden. He knows he’s not husband material, and he has no intention of being tied down. But the season has begun, and Miss Spencer’s meddling grandmother is desperate to make a match. Lord Herrick’s mother has been bitten by the love bug, as well, and she has informed all the gossip rags that her son is in want of a wife. Now, he cannot make a move without all of society watching. Miss Spencer and Lord Herrick decide to strike a bargain. To placate her grandmother and distract the papers, they will pretend to court, and at the end of the season, she will turn down his proposal. He can return to his carousing ways, and she can depart to the countryside unattached. There’s just one hitch in their scheme—they didn’t plan on falling in love. Don’t miss A DECEITFUL SEASON, the enticing sequel to IN NAME ONLY, by Meredith Lamonica. “A DECEITFUL SEASON by Meredith Lamonica is a colorful foray through the palatial excess of Regency Era England, featuring a rousing plot full of well-paced twists and turns and a rakishly charismatic love interest. Meredith Lamonica expertly balances the high drama of societal pressure on the female reputation with playful dialogue while building tension and masterfully developing the magnetic connection between the main characters. The result is a delightful romp from start to finish. In a literary world that has been oversaturated with urban fantasy and YA fiction, this eloquent submission to the woefully underrated historical romance genre is as refreshing as it is timeless.” —Abigail Stefaniak, Editor less

She knew all his faults, all his weaknesses…And she loved him in spite of it.But that was a long time ago…Nathanial Spencer, the Viscount Rothchild, has spent years avoiding the prying eyes of London high society. After witnessing the horrors of war, he spends his days alone on the Isle of Wight, diving deeper into addiction and resigning himself to spending the rest of his days alone... moreShe knew all his faults, all his weaknesses…And she loved him in spite of it.But that was a long time ago…Nathanial Spencer, the Viscount Rothchild, has spent years avoiding the prying eyes of London high society. After witnessing the horrors of war, he spends his days alone on the Isle of Wight, diving deeper into addiction and resigning himself to spending the rest of his days alone.But when a missive from an old friend bids him to return to London, he reunites with Caroline, his childhood love. Seeing Caroline rouses something inside Nathanial, something he thought had died on the battlefield. But he is no longer the man Caroline remembers. Trauma has darkened his spirit, and he fears that he has nothing to offer her.Still, affection has a way of casting light on even the darkest of shadows, and the more time Nathanial spends with Caroline, the harder it becomes to leave her. As their old flame is ardently fanned anew, Nathanial’s inner demons begin to surface, and he realizes he can no longer hide the truth from the only woman he’s ever loved…“SECRETS OF A VISCOUNT by Meredith Lamonica is a classic historical romance featuring a strong and complex protagonist in Nathanial Spencer, whose struggles with addiction and post-traumatic stress disorder are handled expertly by Meredith, who sails a steady ship and never relies on melodrama to further the plot. The love scenes are emotionally-charged and deeply sensual, cemented by Meredith’s eloquent prose, which uses powerful succinctness to drive home the ardent passion experienced by Nathanial and Caroline in an era when modesty and honesty were so often at odds. Overall, SECRETS OF A VISCOUNT is a credit to the genre.”—Abbey Decker, Editor less

Elizabeth Linfield cherishes her freedom,But falling in love could take it all away.Elizabeth Linfield is determined to keep her heart a safe distance from any gentleman who might threaten her independence. But that all changes when, three miles from home, her carriage breaks down in the middle of the road, and a handsome stranger offers his aid.Help comes by way of the roguish Danial Hudson, who is overseeing his brother’s estate in the town of Langholm... moreElizabeth Linfield cherishes her freedom,But falling in love could take it all away.Elizabeth Linfield is determined to keep her heart a safe distance from any gentleman who might threaten her independence. But that all changes when, three miles from home, her carriage breaks down in the middle of the road, and a handsome stranger offers his aid.Help comes by way of the roguish Danial Hudson, who is overseeing his brother’s estate in the town of Langholm. One fixed axle later, a friendship kindles between them and soon blazes into something more.Hudson, however, is not particularly keen on falling in love. As a child, he lost his mother during the birth of his little sister, and mere days later, his father took off with his lover, abandoning the family for good and causing Hudson to harden his heart to the world.Now, Elizabeth has found a crack in his defenses and managed to break through. There’s only one problem—Elizabeth’s cowardly and shameless brother Rigby owes a debt to Lord Sudworth, whom he has promised Elizabeth’s hand in marriage as repayment.But Elizabeth comes to realize she isn’t the only one harboring a dark secret, and her chance meeting with Danial Hudson may not have been as serendipitous as it first seemed…You’re invited to the whimsical Regency-era English countryside in A ROGUE’S PROMISE, Meredith Lamonica’s steamy and scandalous follow-up to SECRETS OF A VISCOUNT!“Concurrent to the events of SECRETS OF A VISCOUNT by Meredith Lamonica, A ROGUE’S PROMISE is a historical romance set in the Regency-era English countryside. Join a cast of charismatic characters who bally whip-smart, witty banter back and forth as they tackle love matches, dark secrets, murderous mysteries, and forbidden vices in the whimsical and scandalous town of Langholm, and the pastoral holiday retreat of Scotland’s Gretna Green. With deliciously steamy love scenes intertwined with farcical misunderstandings, A ROGUE’S PROMISE is the perfect marriage of Netflix’s ‘Bridgerton’ and Shakespeare’s comedies, with Meredith Lamonica’s signature cheeky prose and dramatic flair serving as the tie that binds.”—Abbey Decker, Editor less