A prince's surprise twins may turn his royal marriage into something more... Prince Gabriel Alessandro's top priority is continuing the family line, and he's found the perfect bride-to-be in Lady Olivia Darcy. While their royal marriage is not based on love, he desires her. Making a baby together will be pure pleasure. Then Gabriel learns he is already a father...to twins. Olivia surprises Gabriel with her acceptance of his motherless girls, making him believe their loveless union could blossom into something more. But Olivia's agreement conceals a devastating secret. In danger of losing the dynasty he so desires, will he risk choosing love over duty?

Against the odds, monarchies flourished in nineteenth-century Europe. In an era marked by dramatic change and revolutionary upheaval, Europe's monarchies experienced an unexpected late flowering. Royal Heirs focuses on the roles and personalities of the heirs to the throne from more than a dozen different dynasties that ruled the continent between the French Revolution and the end of the First World War. The book explores how these individuals contributed to the remarkable survival of the crowns they were born to wear. Constitutions, family relationships, education, politics, the media, the need to generate 'soft power' and the militarisation of monarchy all shaped the lives of princes and princesses while they were playing their part to embody and secure the future of monarchy. Ranging from Norway to Spain and from Greece to Britain, Royal Heirs not only paints a vivid picture of a monarchical age, but also explores how such disparate monarchies succeeded in adapting to change and defending their position.

This book explores the development and viability of Germany’s sub-national monarchies in the decades before their sudden demise in 1918. It does so by focusing on the men who turned out to be the last ones to inherit the crowns of the country’s three smaller kingdoms: Prince Ludwig of Bavaria, Prince Friedrich August of Saxony and Prince Wilhelm of Württemberg. Imperial Germany was not a monolithic block, but a motley federation of more than twenty allied regional monarchies, headed by the Kaiser. When the German Reich became a republic at the end of the First World War, all of these kings, grand dukes, dukes and princes were swept away within a fortnight. By examining the lives, experiences and functions of these three men as heirs to the throne during the decades when they prepared themselves for their predestined role as king, this study investigates what the future of the German model of constitutional monarchy looked like before it was so abruptly discarded.

This volume brings together a fascinating selection of studies exploring the soft power tools used by heirs to the throne in order to enhance the communication of monarchies with their audiences during the nineteenth-century. How we perceive royals and their dynasties today – as families, as celebrities, as charitable figureheads of society or as superfluous relics of a bygone age – has deep roots in the monarchical cultures of nineteenth-century Europe. By focusing on the role played by heirs to the throne, this volume offers an original perspective on the ability of monarchies to persuade sceptical audiences, nourish positive emotions and thereby strengthen the position of each dynasty within its respective nation. Using examples from Britain, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Austria, Greece, Sweden, Norway and Prussia, an international team of experts analyzes and explains the development of the very soft power tools which are still being used by Ruling Houses today.

A baseball player-turned-businessman must step up his game to win over the mother of his child. From the author of Little Secret, Red Hot Scandal. Singer Melody Caldwell has given guarded entrepreneur Kyle Tailor months to take their relationship from casual to serious—and run smack into the wall around his heart. But fate has intervened—because Melody’s pregnant. Jealousy. Fear. Amazement. Kyle doesn’t know how to feel about Melody’s news. He’s been holding back to protect himself. But when a mysterious someone takes too great an interest in Kyle’s woman and unborn child, it forces Kyle’s hand. If the millionaire hopes to keep what’s his, he has to stake his claim now . . . with all his heart and soul. “Melody and Kyle have a rocky road on their way to finding love, but it brings them closer. Grab a comfy place and sit down for a while to enjoy The Heir Affair.” —Romance Reviews Today

Do you love stories with sexy, romantic heroes who have it all—wealth, status, and incredibly good looks? Harlequin® Desire brings you all this and more with these three new full-length titles for one great price! This Desire bundle includes Royal Heirs Required by Cat Schield, After Hours with Her Ex by USA TODAY bestselling author Maureen Child and At the Rancher's Request by USA TODAY bestselling author Sara Orwig. Look for 6 new compelling stories every month from Harlequin Desire!

"I WANT MY SON." When Jacob Blackstone sees his former flame holding a baby with the Blackstone blond curls, the Southern millionaire knows the child is his. But why would down-on-her-luck bartender KC Gatlin keep Jacob's heir a secret? Now the bachelor who wanted a family on his own terms must rush to convince the fiercely protective beauty he's daddy material. KC must tell Jacob the truth about why she kept his son from him or risk losing her beloved baby. When the gorgeous mill owner suggests a trial run at domesticity, she can't resist. But is true love part of this baby deal?

An heir to the throne gets an heir of his own... Chasing the man who broke her heart halfway around the world to tell him she's pregnant is the hardest thing Brooke Davis has ever had to do. But when she catches up with him, he's got a surprise for her, too: he's been hiding his royal roots. Nic Alessandro is a prince, and Brooke's an unsuitable match--but their attraction is hotter than ever! What will happen when royal duty and desire collide? Maybe Nic will have to take Brooke home to Sherdana and find out...

The prince must produce an heir. Little does he know, he already has in this enchanting romance from the author of A Royal Baby Surprise. Christian Alessandro lives life in the fast lane. But royal duty calls, and the bachelor prince must settle down and sire the future king of Sherdana. That’s when a chance encounter with former flame Noelle Dubone yields a bombshell discovery: Christian’s already a father! Marrying Noelle will make his boy the legitimate heir. It’s a rocky reunion. The determined dressmaker refuses to fall in love—or in bed—with Christian again, even as old, intense feelings return with a vengeance. But what the prince wants, the prince gets . . . “It’s charming and fluffy and full of tropes that bring comfort and delight . . . If you’re in the mood for that, plus you love either a royal-marrying-a-commoner trope or a secret baby one, this is a great book. I enjoyed it thoroughly!” —Fresh Fiction “The way that Christian looked after Noelle and sacrificed his own happiness is sweet and a fantasy come true for any romantic.” —Night Owl Reviews (Top Pick) “With the help of a precocious child and recurring characters from Christian’s family, readers will come to enjoy this royal romance.” —RT Book Reviews