A deliciously told group biography of the young, rich, American heiresses who married into the impoverished British aristocracy at the turn of the twentieth century – the real women who inspired Downton Abbey Towards the end of the nineteenth century and for the first few years of the twentieth, a strange invasion took place in Britain. The citadel of power, privilege and breeding in which the titled, land-owning governing class had barricaded itself for so long was breached. The incomers were a group of young women who, fifty years earlier, would have been looked on as the alien denizens of another world - the New World, to be precise. From 1874 - the year that Jennie Jerome, the first known 'Dollar Princess', married Randolph Churchill - to 1905, dozens of young American heiresses married into the British peerage, bringing with them all the fabulous wealth, glamour and sophistication of the Gilded Age. Anne de Courcy sets the stories of these young women and their families in the context of their times. Based on extensive first-hand research, drawing on diaries, memoirs and letters, this richly entertaining group biography reveals what they thought of their new lives in England - and what England thought of them.

“Appealing protagonists and a slow-simmering romance. An ideal choice for fans of traditional Regencies who enjoy the occasional dash of mystery.” —Library Journal In this new Regency charmer from the beloved, award-winning author Kate Moore, the clues to solving one of life’s greatest mysteries may be found in a slim blue volume of advice for husband-seeking debutantes. But two people engaged in a clever game of cat and mouse just might rewrite the book . . . The daughter of a British intelligence agent, Jane Fawkener has spent most of her life in exotic lands abroad, not flirting her way to matrimony among the ton. So when her father disappears and is presumed dead, she’s perplexed as to why he’s arranged for her to receive a copy of The Husband Hunter’s Guide to London. Convinced he has hidden a covert message for her within its pages, Jane embarks on a “husband hunt” with an altogether different aim. But can she fool the government escort who’s following her every move—a dangerously seductive man for whom rules are clearly meant to be broken . . . Praise for the writing of Kate Moore “Moore writes with a lyrical beauty that will leave no heart untouched.” —RT Book Reviews “Fans will hope for more of Moore’s sinful delights to come.” —Library Journal “Moore skillfully whets readers’ appetites.” —Booklist

Finding love in the Smoky Mountains His Mountain Miss New Orleans aristocrat Lucian Beaumont wants only to sell his estranged grandfather’s property and escape the backwoods of Gatlinburg, Tennessee. But a stipulation in the will brings him head-to-head with local beauty Megan O’Malley. As Megan glimpses the man beneath the hardened veneer, she believes Lucian is here for a purpose: to heal his soul. And maybe, with Megan’s help, to heal his heart. The Husband Hunt Getting married is the only way for Sophie Tanner to protect her younger brother and keep her family’s Smoky Mountain farm. She’d like Nathan O’Malley to be the groom, but he can’t seem to get past their friendship…or their differences. Nathan always thought he’d fall in love with someone like himself—sensible and levelheaded. Sophie is his polar opposite. So why can’t he picture anyone else at his side?

“You can’t help but fall in love with Lynsay Sands!” —Christina Dodd New York Times bestselling author Lynsay Sands takes romance fans on The Husband Hunt. Bestselling author Suzanne Enoch, declares that, “Lynsay Sands hits all the right notes,” and any reader who has ever been touched by the unique Sands romantic magic—be it her delectable Argeneau family vampire novels, her Scottish highlands-set historicals, her marvelous Medieval love stories, or her delightful Regency Era romps—would no doubt enthusiastically agree. The Husband Hunt is a wild and captivating ride, as a rakish lord with no interest in marriage must fight his growing attraction for the enormously popular, exquisite beauty he ignored years earlier when she was merely a bright-eyed, infatuated child.

WANTED: A HUSBAND. Sophie Tanner gave up hoping for Nathan O’Malley’s approval—and love—long ago. Getting married is the only way to protect her younger brother and keep her family’s Smoky Mountain farm. As much as she’d like Nathan to be the groom, he can't seem to get past their friendship...

From Jillian Hunter, a mesmerizing author who "weaves a spell over her audience" (Romantic Times), comes a sensual, witty new novel about an untamed Scottish beauty and a rakish English lord who set each other's souls on fire. Catriona Grant is desperate. Fleeing a forced marriage in Scotland, she arrives on the doorstep of Rutleigh Hall seeking shelter as a distant relation, only to find that Knight Dennison, the Viscount Rutleigh, may be worse than the man she fled. True to his dangerous reputation, Knight threatens to toss the penniless, flame-haired impostor out -- until she produces the family ring as proof of her identity. Thrust into the role of guardian, the dark, compelling Knight has his doubts about the lovely Scottish lass, who's clearly keeping secrets -- but her wit, beauty, and artless grace are hard to resist. When his sister starts husband-hunting for Catriona, the idea of any other man possessing her is suddenly unthinkable. For Knight realizes that there's only one possible groom for her: himself!