Never Series by Maggi Andersen

Take an arranged marriage, add a damaged duke who doesn’t wish to marry, and an independent lady intent on her own pursuits. Stir in an explosive, passionate attraction. Sparks fly! Welcome to book one in this exciting new series by Maggi Andersen! Read for Free in Kindle Unlimited!Lady Nellie Dountry, and Charles, His Grace, Duke of Shewsbury have had their hearts broken in the past. Neither is prepared to chance love again... moreTake an arranged marriage, add a damaged duke who doesn’t wish to marry, and an independent lady intent on her own pursuits. Stir in an explosive, passionate attraction. Sparks fly! Welcome to book one in this exciting new series by Maggi Andersen! Read for Free in Kindle Unlimited!Lady Nellie Dountry, and Charles, His Grace, Duke of Shewsbury have had their hearts broken in the past. Neither is prepared to chance love again. When they are compelled to marry because of an agreement made long ago by their fathers, they are both determined to resist falling in love. Convinced that it’s mere desire which draws them together, both are surprised by their jealousy.Nellie finds Charles irresistibly attractive, but other women do too. They circle like sharks. Aware that Charles’s former fiancée, who had broken his heart some years ago, is now a widow and on the hunt for a lover, Nellie struggles to trust him while she fears she is falling in love with him.Charles was more than pleased with his choice of bride, but he wishes she wasn’t so difficult to understand. One minute she’s hot for him, the next as remote from him as a chalet in the Alps. Why he wants to get close surprises him; he planned for his marriage to be little more than one of polite indifference. But Nellie is so dashed beguiling! less

When her father suffers an attack of gout, Alice Dountry must spend Christmas with her sister, Marian, and her husband, Viscount Belfries. Their neighbor, the gruff, bad-tempered Earl of Hawkinge, has refused Marian's invitation to Christmas dinner. When Alice chats with him over the garden wall, she suspects something deeper lies beneath his humbug opinion of Christmas. Hawkinge and his grandson, Hugh Gifford, have argued... moreWhen her father suffers an attack of gout, Alice Dountry must spend Christmas with her sister, Marian, and her husband, Viscount Belfries. Their neighbor, the gruff, bad-tempered Earl of Hawkinge, has refused Marian's invitation to Christmas dinner. When Alice chats with him over the garden wall, she suspects something deeper lies beneath his humbug opinion of Christmas. Hawkinge and his grandson, Hugh Gifford, have argued. Alice writes to Hugh to tell him of his grandfather's loneliness but must keep it a secret from her sister. When the handsome Lord Gifford arrives, there is an immediate spark between him and Alice. But Lord Hawkinge is barely civil to his grandson. And Marian and her husband argue over the secret letter.Alone in London, Hugh's estrangement from his grandfather seems to cut even deeper at Christmas. The earl judged him unfairly when he sent him packing a year ago after an incident at university, and Hugh has no intention of going cap in hand to beg for forgiveness. But when a letter arrives from a nosey old neighbor urging him to come, as his grandfather is lonely, Hugh boards the stage to Kent. He is stunned to find the letter writer is no interfering widow. Alice Dountry might look like an angel, but she very much has her feet on the ground. If a man wished to marry her, he would have to measure up. She is soon to go to London for the Season. A husband is on the cards, and, most regrettably, it cannot be him.Featuring Lady Alice Dountry from Never Doubt a Duke – Book One, The Never Series.Published in the O Night Divine anthology less

A confirmed bachelor inherits a family. After her father dies, Caroline Leeming’s younger brother and sister are made the wards of Nicholas, Marquess of Pennington. About to embark on her first Season, Carrie must first spend a month at the marquess’s home, Elm Park. She is wary of him, will he allow her sister to live with her after she marries?The marquess is a confirmed bachelor who wouldn’t want two children to raise... moreA confirmed bachelor inherits a family. After her father dies, Caroline Leeming’s younger brother and sister are made the wards of Nicholas, Marquess of Pennington. About to embark on her first Season, Carrie must first spend a month at the marquess’s home, Elm Park. She is wary of him, will he allow her sister to live with her after she marries?The marquess is a confirmed bachelor who wouldn’t want two children to raise. Determined to dislike him, the handsome marquess is not what Carrie expects. When he proves to be a kind and capable guardian for Arabella and Jeremy, rescuing them from scrapes, Carrie fears she is falling in love with him. As the days pass into weeks, she finds it unbearable to leave Elm Park for London and a life away from her family.Suffering the tragic loss of his first love, and the recent deaths of his brother and father, Nicholas is determined never to risk his heart again. A historian, his life is one of routine while he manages his estate and spends his free hours in his library.But his dying friend, Maxwell, Baron Leeming has asked Nicholas to become guardian to his children. He fears his younger brother, who is wanted for murder, will return to England and attempt to take control of the children’s fortune. Max’s young heir could be in danger.Nicholas finds himself with not only two unruly youngsters who test his nerves, but a lovely debutante he must see through her first London Season. His sister, Lady Guinevere Winston, has agreed to be Carrie’s chaperone. But Nicholas finds it increasingly difficult to see her safely married. The entrancing young woman turns his safe, sober life upside down, and no suitor seems good enough for her. Keen suitors pursue Carrie, but she wants no man but Nicholas. She is sure he loves her, if only he’ll admit it. Will he risk his heart? less

Redcliffe Park, Northumberland, 1819 Dominic Thorne, the Earl of Redcliffe, arrives in Redcliffe village in the far north of England, to view his inheritance. The estate, Redcliffe Park, is miles from a decent town, and in need of extensive renovation.A rake, says the squire’s wife, who heard all about him from her aunt in London. Rumors of Dominic’s scandalous lifestyle have quickly spread. His uncle, the former earl, was disliked. He failed to pay his debts... moreRedcliffe Park, Northumberland, 1819 Dominic Thorne, the Earl of Redcliffe, arrives in Redcliffe village in the far north of England, to view his inheritance. The estate, Redcliffe Park, is miles from a decent town, and in need of extensive renovation.A rake, says the squire’s wife, who heard all about him from her aunt in London. Rumors of Dominic’s scandalous lifestyle have quickly spread. His uncle, the former earl, was disliked. He failed to pay his debts. And it’s assumed his nephew is cut from the same cloth, or even worse, will ravage all the ladies in the village. It’s suspected his uncle distrusted banks, and stashed his wealth in a secret place somewhere on the estate.Dominic wants to restore order to the estate to lease or sell it, then return to London. But his extremely attractive and capable housekeeper, Miss Olivia Jenner, makes him want more than a well-run house. He wants her in his life, in his bed. But she has plans of her own and doesn’t trust him.Olivia Jenner has her own reasons for becoming the housekeeper, which she is not about to tell the earl. She loathed his uncle who destroyed her father’s life, and is determined to keep the rakish earl at arm’s length. But it becomes difficult for Olivia to hold on to her poor opinion of Dominic, after he toils in the fields with his plowman and works to improve the lives of those on his estate. Intrigued, Olivia can’t seem to stay away from him. She brings them lunch and hovers, admiring his fine physique and his straightforward manner with his workmen. He is not what she expected. But she cannot not lose her focus, she must find what she came for, then execute her plans for her future.The house is broken into, and it’s believed they search for the money stashed away by his uncle. While Olivia and Dominic work together to discover who is behind it, a further threat appears. Someone wants Dominic dead. The attraction between them grows to fever pitch. Dominic wants her, but will the independent and practical lady who considers the disparity in their births an impossible hurdle to overcome, ever agree? less