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Spring Fire
by Vin PackerHer silky black hair. Her low-cut gown. Her sparkling sorority pin. It's autumn rush in the Tri Epsilon house, and the new pledge, Susan Mitchell-"Mitch" to her friends-trembles as the fastest girl on campus, the lovely Leda Taylor, crosses the room toward her for a dance. Will Leda corrupt Mitch? Or will the strong and silent Mitch draw the queen of Tri Ep into the forbidden world of Lesbian Love?Spring Fire was the first lesbian paperback novel and sold an amazing 1.5 million copies when it first appeared in 1952. It launched an entire genre of lesbian novels, as well as the writing career of Vin Packer, one of the pseudonyms of prolific author Marijane Meaker, whose acclaimed memoir, Highsmith: A Romance of the 1950s, told the story of her own forbidden love. Now available after forty years out of print, Spring Fire is both a vital part of lesbian history and a steamy page-turner.
Testimonies: A Novel
by Patrick O'Brian"A welcome reissue of O'Brian's moving and very fine first novel."--Kirkus Reviews Delmore Schwartz, the most influential critic in postwar America, wrote of Patrick O'Brian's first novel Testimonies: "A triumph...drawn forward by lyric eloquence and the story's fascination, [the reader] discovers in the end that he has encountered in a new way the sphinx and the riddle of existence itself." Schwartz' imagination was fired by this sinister tale of love and death set in Wales, a timeless story with echoes of Thomas Hardy and Mary Webb. Joseph Pugh, sick of Oxford and of teaching, decides to take some time off to live in a wild and beautiful Welsh farm valley. There he falls physically ill and is nursed back to health by Bronwen Vaughn, the wife of a neighboring farmer. Slowly, unwillingly, Bronwen and Pugh fall in love;' and while that word is never spoken between them, their story is as passionate and as tragic as that of Vronsky and Anna Karenina.
They Had a Glory
by Davenport StewardMonroe Dunbar left South Carolina after he lost his farm and future wife in his uncles swindle. Alison Kint left Virginia fleeing a mysterious past They joined a group of people lead by a Baptist preacher for Kentucky, and a new life with new dreams and dangers. A novel of love, hate, loyalty and treachery.
Through the Wall (Miss Silver #19)
by Patricia WentworthWhen trouble starts at a newly inherited estate, Miss Silver must interveneUncle Martin always had a dark sense of humor. Trapped for years in his manor taking care of relatives he despised, he looked forward to the day when, dead and buried, he would no longer have to concern himself with them. As a last joke, he willed his entire fortune away to a poor relation, and went to his grave a smiling man. After years of toil, Marion Brand is shocked to learn that her unknown uncle has left her with an estate. Now she will no longer have to break her back to care for her layabout sister; she can finally be happy. But her attempt to take charge of the estate quickly becomes messy. When a body turns up, it is only the steel-trap mind of Maud Silver that can sort out the family strife.
Awake My Heart
by Patricia RobinsWhat happens when a young man and a young woman, each bitterly distrustful of the opposite sex, not only meet but find themselves sharing the same country house? At first Luisa, returning home from abroad, finds herself hating Martyn Saunders, a young vet injured in the war. Martyn becomes engaged to Luisa's best friend, and too late he and Luisa discover their love for one another. First loyalty, then an accident, contrive to keep them apart, and when reconciliation seems likely, another woman from Martyn's past interferes, until love at last finds a solution to all their problems.
The Catherine Wheel: The Case Of William Smith, Eternity Ring, And The Catherine Wheel (The Miss Silver Mysteries #15)
by Patricia WentworthWhen a complicated inheritance case turns deadly, Miss Silver suspects an entire familyAn advertisement appears in the newspaper, asking for genealogical information from descendants of a certain Jeremiah Taverner, who died in long-ago 1888. It looks like an ordinary notice by a curious scholar, but the question is not nearly as simple as that. The man behind the ad is a Taverner himself: estranged, wealthy, and looking for a suitable relation to name in his will. The case grows complicated quickly, for there are many who bear the name, several illegitimate relatives aside. Old feuds reemerge now that there is a whiff of money in the air, and the extended family converges to squabble over the cash. It is not long before there is one less Taverner, and Miss Silver, the genteel detective, is called in to find out who put the knife in his back.
The End of the Affair (Virago Modern Classics #Vol. 13)
by Graham GreeneGraham Greene’s masterful novel of love and betrayal in World War II London is “undeniably a major work of art” (The New Yorker). Maurice Bendrix, a writer in Clapham during the Blitz, develops an acquaintance with Sarah Miles, the bored, beautiful wife of a dull civil servant named Henry. Maurice claims it’s to divine a character for his novel-in-progress. That’s the first deception. What he really wants is Sarah, and what Sarah needs is a man with passion. So begins a series of reckless trysts doomed by Maurice’s increasing romantic demands and Sarah’s tortured sense of guilt. Then, after Maurice miraculously survives a bombing, Sarah ends the affair—quickly, absolutely, and without explanation. It’s only when Maurice crosses paths with Sarah’s husband that he discovers the fallout of their duplicity—and it’s more unexpected than Maurice, Henry, or Sarah herself could have imagined. Adapted for film in both 1956 and 1999, Greene’s novel of all that inspires love—and all that poisons it—is “singularly moving and beautiful” (Evelyn Waugh).
Francie
by Emily HahnSeventeen-year-old Francie Nelson is charming, saucy, and spoiled. Her father thinks it would be a good idea for her to see how other people live--in this case, the other people are the English. So she packs up and, with heels dragging the whole way, travels to what looks, at first, like the land of gloom. Her British fog lifts when she meets some boys. If only she didn't feel so dumb and dumpy in Fairfields' school uniform! But, like her English hosts, she keeps a stiff upper lip. It's all she can do to control that lip when a school chum named Jennifer refers to her as a "Yank." With the help of a friend she meets on a cruise, Francie adjusts in a tough boarding school where she faces prejudice, anxiety, and loneliness. She begins to experience more and more ups, until at last, she realizes she has grown emotionally, and has transformed herself.
The Legend
by Patricia RobinsJennifer Ames was not beautiful but she had a certain something that kept Peter Barrington in willing thraldom for ten years. One day they hoped to marry, and to speed the happy day, Jenny takes a job as governess to Lord Barclay's twin children, Michael and Marie. When Jenny arrives at the Worcestershire manor house, she find herself engulfed in mystery. Why does the tall, good-looking Derek both fascinate and frighten her? A compelling classic romance from the inimitable Patricia Robins, first published in 1951 and now available for the first time in eBook.
The Lute Player
by Norah LoftsBeloved author Norah Lofts brings to life the romance and adventure of the crusading king Richard the Lionhearted through the eyes of his most humble and trusted companion -- his lute player. One of the most renowned figures in medieval history, Richard the Lionhearted, inspired by a vision of the Holy Land, led his knights onto the battlefields of the Third Crusade. During the years of fighting and intrigue, Richard's life was intertwined with the lives of two strong, vibrant, and drastically different women who loved him -- Berengaria, princess of Navarre, and his mother, Eleanor of Aquitaine. While his marriage to Berengaria was ill-fated, Eleanor loved her son with a frantic, possessive pride. But it is Blondel, the king's lute player, who here steps forward from the shadows to tell this tale of romance, war, and betrayal. In her trademark style, Norah Lofts paints a complex and human portrait of a legendary king.
Madame Serpent: A Catherine de Medici (Catherine de Medici, Book #1)
by Jean PlaidyFourteen-year-old Catherine de' Medici arrives in Marseilles to marry Henry, Duke of Orleans, second son of the King of France. The brokenhearted Catherine has left her true love in Italy, forced into trading her future happiness for marriage into the French royal family. Amid the glittering fêtes and banquets of the most immoral court in sixteenth-century Europe, the reluctant bride becomes a passionate but unwanted wife. Humiliated and unloved, Catherine spies on Henry and his lover, the infamous Diane de Poitiers. Tortured by what she sees, Catherine becomes consumed by a ruthless ambition destined to make her the most despised woman in France: the dream that one day the French crown will be worn by a Medici heir. . . .
The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis: Eleven Campus Stories
by Max ShulmanThis book contains 11 stories, humorous and sometimes touching about a postwar college student's search for love.
Mary Anne
by Daphne Du Maurier"This novel catches fire." --New York TimesShe set men's hearts on fire and scandalized a country.
Miss Silver Comes to Stay: Miss Silver Comes To Stay, Mr. Brading's Collection, And The Ivory Dagger (Miss Silver #16)
by Patricia WentworthOn vacation in a tiny village, Miss Silver investigates a murder with a decades-old motiveThe citizens of Melling are perfectly ordinary--exactly the sort one finds in just about every cozy English village--and to a certain person they might even appear boring. But to Miss Silver, people are always interesting. It has been some years since she gave up work as a governess to become a detective, and her interest in people has served her well. She comes to Melling on vacation--a long postponed visit to an old school chum--but Miss Silver's business is murder, and her vacations never last long. The town's prodigal son has returned, wealthy and without nostalgia for the village of his birth. He intends to sell his manor house and be done with Melling forever. But Melling has not finished with him.
Out of the Past: Out Of The Past, The Silent Pool, Vanishing Point, And The Benevent Treasure (Miss Silver #23)
by Patricia WentworthA desperate man's quest for money leads to murder, and Miss Silver hunts for the killerCarmona is lucky not to marry Alan Field. Charming though he may be, the young man is a rascal, and though her heart breaks when he disappears on the eve of their wedding, she is surely much better off. By the time she learns that Alan has decamped for South America, she has already given her heart to a more deserving suitor. Several years later, Alan reappears--desperate for money and as charming as ever. An author is writing a biography of Alan's late father, and it is up to the prodigal son to go through his father's letters. He finds a bundle of scandalous correspondence, and begins to form a plan. It begins as blackmail, but quickly spins out of control. By the time the first body appears, the prim detective Maud Silver is already on the case.
Peddler's Girl
by Elizabeth HowardThe idea of Lucy's leaving her place in Detroit society to roam over the countryside in a brightly painted peddler's wagon shocked most of her relatives and friends. Mr. Hartley, her declared suitor, disapproved more violently than anyone else. But Lucy, desperately lonely since her mother's death, could not bear to be parted from Uncle Adam, who was used to traveling half of each year and could no longer stay within doors now that spring had come. Many people besides Uncle Adam were on the move in 1840: whole families were pushing westward. And many another man felt the need of space and freedom. Handsome young Jotham Muir, the itinerant artist, was one of them. From the first moment Lucy met him, as he rode up beside Uncle Adam's wagon, she found it hard to remember Mr. Hartley. When Jotham smiled at her prim manners, she tried to put him in his place. But by the time she met him again at a barn-raising, after she had traded her silk bonnet for a cotton sunbonnet, she knew beyond any doubt what she wanted. There were grave difficulties in the way. Lucy's discovery of Mr. Hartley's dishonesty removed only one of them. Uncle Adam's fear for her happiness if she were to marry Jotham, a born wanderer like himself, still stood between the young people. How they were able at last to plan a life together on the road is the climax of this fresh and lovely story of young love.
Queen of Broken Hearts
by Cassandra KingThe national bestselling author of The Same Sweet Girls and The Sunday Wife returns with another compulsively readable novel.It's not easy being the Queen of Broken Hearts. Just ask Clare, who has willingly assumed the mantle while her career as a divorce coach thrives. Now she's preparing to open a permanent home for the retreats she leads, on a slice of breathtaking property on the Alabama coast owned by her mother-in-law. Make that former mother-in-law, a colorful eccentric who teaches Clare much about love and sacrifice and living freely. When Clare's marriage ends in tragedy, her work becomes the sole focus of her life. While Clare has no problem helping the hundreds of men and women who seek her advice to mend their broken hearts, healing her own is another matter entirely. Falling in love again is the last thing she wants.So when Lex--a charismatic, charming, burly sea captain--moves to town to run the marina, Clare insists they remain friends and nothing more. But even though she fights it, she begins to fall for him--and then finds she has a rival, his estranged wife Annalee.A story infused with all the flavors, textures, and intrigues of a small Southern town, with a rich, resonant center, Queen of Broken Hearts is a bold step forward for Cassandra King.
The Quiet Gentleman
by Georgette Heyer"Fascinating reading. . . authentic atmosphere in a delightful Enlgish tale" -Chicago Sunday Tribune Less than a hero's welcome. . . Returning to his family seat from Waterloo, Gervase Frant, seventh Earl of St Erth, could have expected more enthusiasm for his homecoming. His quiet cousin, stepmother, and young half-brother seem openly disappointed that he survived the wars. And when he begins to fall for his half-brother's sweetheart, his chilly reception goes from unfriendly to positively murderous. One of Heyer's most suspenseful Regency romances, The Quiet Gentleman combines an ingenious mystery plot with her signature witty style and effervescently engaging characters. What Readers Say: "A must read. You will love the quirky characters, the great suspense plot, and the incredible wit. " "A breath of fresh air. . . Heyer's witty dialog, engaging and sparkling characters, and humorous repartee make this an engaging and wonderful read. " "One of my favourites; it is a mystery as well as a lighthearted comedy of manners. " Georgette Heyer wrote over fifty novels, including Regency romances, mysteries, and historical fiction. She was known as the Queen of Regency romance, and was legendary for her research, historical accuracy, and her extraordinary plots and characterizations.
The Beautiful Visit
by Elizabeth Jane HowardThe author of the bestselling Cazalet Chronicles brilliantly captures the coming-of-age hopes and yearnings of an adolescent English girl during World War I The fourth child born to a struggling musician and a mother who's an incurable romantic, Lavinia lives an unremarkable existence. But a visit to a sprawling country estate transforms her world and becomes the touchstone for the rest of her life. Lavinia is sixteen when she's invited to a house party given by distant acquaintances. It's her first trip away from home, and she's instantly mesmerized by her beautiful and lush new surroundings. Days are filled with delectable meals and skating and riding lessons; nights with parties and dancing. Lavinia adores her hosts, Lucy and Gerald Lancing, and their boisterous extended family--and the mysterious, conceited Rupert Laing, with whom she shares her first kiss. But the visit can't last forever. Soon after she returns home, the First World War breaks out. As Lavinia matures, and other people pass through her life--including Ian Graham, the soldier who loves her yet doesn't expect her love in return--she continues to view things through the prism of that unforgettable Christmas with the Lancings. Elizabeth Jane Howard's debut novel about a young girl's spiritual and emotional awakening, the painful pride of youth, and female emancipation, The Beautiful Visit is a moving montage of English life at the beginning of the last century.
The Case of William Smith: The Case Of William Smith, Eternity Ring, And The Catherine Wheel (Miss Silver #13)
by Patricia WentworthAn amnesiac Holocaust survivor steps into a mystery that only Miss Silver can solve<P> William Smith is not sure what his name is, but he doubts it's William Smith, the name the Nazis gave him when he wandered out of one of their hospitals in 1942, to be herded, along with so many others, into one of their nightmarish camps. They did their best to kill this man without a name, but he survived because a man with no identity has nothing to fear. Now, the war over, he is back in England, ready to make a new life. But even a man with no past cannot escape history. William Smith is about to find himself enmeshed in a terrifying mystery, which only Maud Silver, the staunch, old-fashioned detective, can solve. He may yet learn his name, but it could cost him his life.
Eternity Ring: The Case Of William Smith, Eternity Ring, And The Catherine Wheel (Miss Silver #14)
by Patricia WentworthA young woman's violent murder shocks a quiet village, and Miss Silver comes to investigateIn Deeping, a village so tiny that its residents share a common phone line, gossip is the chief amusement. Scotland Yard inspector Frank Abbott has family there, and thinks it a charming spot for a vacation until the country quiet is broken by a cry of "Murder!" A young German woman, recently come to town, has been making vague threats about recovering something that was stolen from her. She disappears for a weekend, and a woman of her description is seen brutally murdered on a country road. But when Inspector Abbot goes to see the body, the corpse has gone. He takes the peculiar case to Miss Silver, the brilliant amateur detective, and she agrees to investigate the small town where gossip turned fatal.
Georgette Heyer's Greatest Hits
by Georgette Heyer"No one has ever matched Georgette Heyer for charm and wit." —LISA KLEYPAS, New York Times bestselling authorA fresh celebration of a legendary author who has charmed tens of millions of readers with her delightful sense of humor and unique take on Regency romance. Now, get three full-length novels featuring some of Heyer's most beloved heroines, plus a delightful bonus novella from the Queen of Regency Romance's little known short story collection.About the books in this bundle:The Grand Sophy: When Sophy sweeps in, life will never be the same for the Ombersleys. Sophy discovers that her aunt's family is in desperate need of her talent for setting everything right: Cecelia is in love with a poet, Charles has tyrannical tendencies that are being aggravated by his grim fiancee, her uncle is of no use at all, and the younger children are in desperate need of some fun and freedom. By the time she's done, Sophy has commandeered Charles's horses, his household-and maybe even his heart.Arabella: Arabella never would have pretended to be rich if that odious Robert Beaumaris hadn't insulted her, practically to her face. Now she has to keep up the subterfuge, even when it gets her into more trouble than she bargained for. How is she ever going to tell Robert the truth? Or does he already know her shocking secret?Frederica:The lovely, competent, and refreshingly straitforward Frederica is determined to secure a brilliant marriage for her beautiful sister and seeks out their distant cousin, the Marquis of Alverstoke, for his society connections. Frederica makes such a strong impression that to his own amazement, the Marquis agrees to help. Normally wary of his family, Lord Alverstoke does his best to keep his word while keeping his distance. But with his enterprising - and altogether entertaining - country cousins getting into one scrape after another, before he knows it the Marquis finds himself dangerously embroiled.To Have the Honor (novella): Young Lord Allerton returns home from the Napoleonic Wars to find his father has left the family bankrupt. His mother's solution: marry his wealthy cousin. But the Viscount would sooner have his beloved Harriet marry whom she chooses than be reduced to accepting a proposal from his financially compromised position.
The Grand Sophy
by Georgette HeyerOne of Georgette Heyer's most popular Regency romances. When Lady Ombersley agrees to take in her young niece, no one expects Sophy, who sweeps in and immediately takes the ton by storm. Sophy discovers that her aunt's family is in desperate need of her talent for setting everything right: Ceclia is in love with a poet, Charles has tyrannical tendencies that are being aggravated by his grim fiancee, her uncle is of no use at all, and the younger children are in desperate need of some fun and freedom. By the time she's done, Sophy has commandeered Charles's horses, his household, and finally, his heart.
The Ivory Dagger: Miss Silver Comes To Stay, Mr. Brading's Collection, And The Ivory Dagger (Miss Silver #18)
by Patricia WentworthWhen young Lila Dryden is found standing over the murdered body of her fiancé with a bloody dagger in her hand, her aunt, Lady Sybil Dryden, calls upon Miss Silver to investigate the situation. The murder weapon comes from the valuable collection of ivories which was owned by the murder victim, Sir Herbert Whitall, a collection usually kept in a securely locked cabinet. Although Lila's presence at the scene of the murder is incriminating, she insists that she was sleepwalking. Her former lover, Bill Waring, had returned and contacted her only that afternoon and is also held suspect. But because Sir Herbert was such a mean-spirited man, his "entire staff and circle of acquaintances all had strong motives for wishing him dead. Miss Silver uncovers these motives with her particular brand of patience and rationality, untangling a web of mismatched love affairs, envy, and deceit.
Kate Hannigan
by Catherine CooksonMaster of romantic fiction Catherine Cookson is world renowned for her enthralling tales of love that triumphs over impossible odds. In Kate Hannigan, her very first novel, Catherine Cookson introduces us to the enduring story of her most charismatic heroine. The moment he lays eyes on Kate, Dr. Rodney Prince is enchanted. He senses in this poverty-stricken patient an intelligence and warmth that's completely unexpected. His own wife, living in the oblivion of velvet cushions and lavish dinner parties, seems crude by comparison. Though they meet only briefly then retreat to their separate worlds, the image of Kate leaves an indelible mark upon his mind. Rodney knows that Kate's spirit has survived life-long suffering at the hands of men. Her father, an embittered dock worker, directed his violent rages toward Kate and her mother. At age eighteen Kate fell victim to a smooth-talking seducer and became the unwed mother of a child she later compromised her dignity to support. Such circumstances only deepen Rodney's desire to rescue Kate and overturn the codes of a society that serve to keep them apart. As the kindhearted Dr. Prince unintentionally wins over the heart of Kate's fatherless daughter, he and Kate begin to acknowledge that the gap between rich and poor might not be so great after all. Available now in the United States, Kate Hannigan remains a timeless tribute to romantic love. England's late, great Catherine Cookson has spun the unforgettable tale of a wealthy man caught in a loveless marriage, a young woman trapped in the slums, and their defiance of the mores of Edwardian society.