Wanton Widows Club Series by Christy Carlyle

When a young widow and an infamous duke meet at a country house party during the holiday season, the attraction that sparks between them takes them both by surprise.Lady Cecily Wainwright has emerged from mourning eager for experiences she’s been sheltered from for a year and yearning for the passion she never experienced in her marriage... moreWhen a young widow and an infamous duke meet at a country house party during the holiday season, the attraction that sparks between them takes them both by surprise.Lady Cecily Wainwright has emerged from mourning eager for experiences she’s been sheltered from for a year and yearning for the passion she never experienced in her marriage. When her friend, Lady Fiona, invites her to a house party over the holiday season, she leaps at the opportunity to escape London and the watchful oversight of her brother-in-law. But on the journey to the countryside, her friend warns her to steer clear of one infamous duke who’s known for messy affairs and breaking ladies’ hearts. Adam North, Duke of Everton, loathes his reputation as the "Heartbreak Duke" and has sworn off sensual entanglements for the time being. When he agrees to attend a holiday house party, his goal is to avoid wanton widows and eligible young ladies altogether. But soon after arriving, he encounters the spirited Lady Cecily Wainwright, who sparks attraction and curiosity. When the young widow asks him to instruct her in the ways of pleasure, Adam knows he should refuse. But Cecily is a temptation he cannot resist.(This is a slightly expanded version of a story that previously appeared in the Duke in a Box anthology) less

In Her Sort of Scoundrel , Lady Fiona Prescott gets her club for London widows off to a lively start, but there’s one big complication—the gorgeous scoundrel who lives next door. Bold, vivacious young widow, Lady Fiona Prescott, is a planner by nature. She loves helping others, solving problems, and tackling projects... moreIn Her Sort of Scoundrel , Lady Fiona Prescott gets her club for London widows off to a lively start, but there’s one big complication—the gorgeous scoundrel who lives next door. Bold, vivacious young widow, Lady Fiona Prescott, is a planner by nature. She loves helping others, solving problems, and tackling projects. Her newest project is a ladies’ club designed to help young widows like herself manage issues of finances and their newfound autonomy, and, of course, share tips on how to manage discreet affairs. The inaugural meeting of her club is an enormous success, or at least it was until he crashed back into her life.Infamous scoundrel Dashiel “Dash” Granford, Viscount Lynley, has never allowed himself to be tied down. Not unless he and his lover agreed to such a thing, of course. Though he studied law, he never entered practice as a barrister. And though he inherited a viscountcy, he has yet to settle down with a wife. In truth, the only woman he’s ever truly adored married another man. And now, even as a widow, she cannot bear his scandalous company.But when his cousin dies, the man's only daughter becomes Dash's ward. And the young lady, on the cusp of her first Season out, is eager for help from the one woman who fires his blood and drives him to the edge of madness whenever he’s near her. He knows asking Lady Fiona Prescott for help is the right thing to do for his ward's sake, but he also knows that time spent with her might be the biggest temptation, and the greatest torment, he’s ever known. less

After losing her husband, Lady Portia Hastings has found her calling as a portrait artist, and she's achieved enormous success among the noblemen and ladies of high society. As part of a widows club, she's befriended other widows who are living boldly and seem to attract lovers with ease. Not so for Portia. Her natural shyness has always hampered her... moreAfter losing her husband, Lady Portia Hastings has found her calling as a portrait artist, and she's achieved enormous success among the noblemen and ladies of high society. As part of a widows club, she's befriended other widows who are living boldly and seem to attract lovers with ease. Not so for Portia. Her natural shyness has always hampered her. Thus, her attraction to Phineas, Lord Pemberton, has gone unspoken, even when she's summoned to his London townhouse month after month to paint the portraits of his mother and sisters.Phineas Cross, Viscount Pemberton, has a list of worries that includes getting his four sisters married, keeping his mother from meddling in every aspect of his life, and winning the attention of the mistress he's desired for months. When that potential mistress sets him the challenge of gifting her with a nude portrait, there's only one person he can think to ask. Lady Portia Hastings is lovely and proper, and he feels like a cad asking her to do anything even slightly scandalous, but when she makes a scandalous request in return—that he give her lessons in seduction—he finds the prim widow impossible to resist. less