Bücher von Ruth Ann Nordin

Nicholas Lidgate, the Duke of Ravenshire, needs to marry a lady who comes from a wealthy family. His father left a large sum of debt, and if he doesn't pay it off, he'll be sent to debtor's prison. He has two very important advantages. One, he is a prominent member of the Ton. Two, no one knows his secret. If he can secure a marriage to a lady from a wealthy family, all of his problems will be over.He proposes to Miss Tara Webb because her dowry will be enough to pay the debts and leave him with a comfortable lifestyle. He doesn't mind the fact that she only agrees to the marriage because her connection to him will bring her social group back in good standing. A marriage of convenience suits him just fine. What he does mind, however, is the fact that her brother turns out to be one of his father's debtors, and her brother isn't one to play fair. Also, the more Nicholas gets to know Tara, the more he ends up falling in love with her.And her brother will use that to his advantage.

Mary Peters despairs that she will never marry. At nineteen, she has no prospects of finding a husband, so she takes matters into her own hands and becomes a mail-order bride. When she arrives to Omaha, Nebraska to meet the man she's due to marry, he takes one look at her homely appearance and rejects her.But fate has other plans for Mary. Dave Larson happens to be nearby and thinks she will make a good wife. Though she is stunned that someone as handsome and as kind as Dave would ask her to marry him, she accepts. She knows that this marriage will not bear the fruits of love. Love, after all, is for beautiful women. Isn't it?

Anthony (Tony) Larson and his twin brother, Mark, have been asked to marry one of the two unfortunate women who are in need of a husband. One woman is Velma Murdoch and the other is Natalie Harper.Tony falls in love with Velma as soon as he meets her, and he's excited when Mark tells him she's chosen him to marry. What he doesn't realize until he marries Velma is that she thought she was marrying Mark. But Mark tricked both of them into marrying each other so he could be with Natalie. While he's upset with Mark for deceiving him, he's even more upset to find out Velma had wanted to marry Mark instead of him.Velma is just as upset with Mark as Tony is. A marriage to Tony isn't going to work out well at all. He's a farmer who lives in a sod house, and she doesn't know the first thing about housework or cooking. She was much more suited for Mark who owned a business. Just how are two people who are a bad match going to find common ground? She can't cook anything right, she's scared of bugs and snakes, and there's no way she can make clothes. She was brought up to help her future husband entertain guests at dinner parties, not help out on a farm.Can a man who feels rejected and a woman who doesn't feel competent on a farm find something as wonderful as love?

When Margaret Williams posted an ad for a husband, she expected Paul Connealy to arrive, but instead, his older brother, Joseph, came...and he brought four children with him.

Angela Frank is tired of teaching other people's children. Her job is a constant reminder that she has no family of her own and no prospects for a hometown husband. When she spies a mail order bride advertisement, she dreams of a life where her deformities are overlooked by a strapping Omaha frontiersman. She decides to risk everything for her last chance at a family.Sep Wilson carries scars from a troubled past. And while he's not the marrying type, when he hears that an unscrupulous local is running a shady mail order bride scheme, he can't help but intervene. But he never expected his good deed to end with him married to the mysterious Angela.The two outcasts may have finally found someone who can help them heal their past. But in uncharted territory, the chance for love may not be enough to keep them safe.

After winning back the money his uncle gambled, Owen gives it to his aunt. But Big Roy isn't happy, and he sends men to kill Owen.Owen flees to Nebraska where he finds a Wanted poster seeking his arrest. Scared, he plays along with the sheriff who thinks he's Irving, the new deputy. Irving was to marry Jenny Larson and since she's pretty, Owen plays along. But then Irving shows up...

Lewis Cotter, the Earl of Pruett, has just inherited his title, and his first order of business is to find a wife. He never thought he would need to get married, but after the death of his older brother, it's up to him to secure the estate. His friend offers the perfect solution to his problem. He'll host a masquerade ball and invite all of the available wealthy ladies in London to attend. Then, Lewis can meet them, and the masks will help Lewis overcome his shyness. Miss Marcy Shoemark hadn't originally planned to go to the ball. She's a lady's maid. She has no money to offer a prospective husband. But when she finds out the purpose of the masquerade ball is for Lewis to find a wife, she decides to attend it. She's been secretly in love with him, and this is the one chance she has to get him to know her as a lady, not as a servant who's out of his reach.

Seven years after Eye of the Beholder ends, Neil Craftsman's story begins. When Sarah Donner learns she's pregnant, she hopes this blessing will be the thing to make her husband finally love her. But to her horror, he announces that she will go live with her overbearing mother-in-law.Weeks before she is due to give birth, they are traveling to her mother-in-law's when some thieves kill him. Ready to give birth, she has to rely on the aid of the one man others had warned her about: Neil Craftsman. She knows of his tarnished past, and no respectable woman will go near him. But when she learns her husband left her with no home and no money, she has nowhere else to go but to the one man she's shunned.As she gets to know Neil, she learns that there is more to him than meets the eye. But when his past comes back to haunt him, will her newfound love be enough to redeem him - or will he always be a shunned man?

"Stay away from the Craftsman girl." For the past three years, Isaac Larson obeyed his father, making sure to keep his distance from Emily Craftsman. But day after day, he's reminded of how beautiful she is and knows she is the only woman who can hold his interest.Emily has always pursued what she wants, and she wants Isaac. Determined to find out why he avoids her, she disguises herself as a man and befriends him. Will she find out the secret behind his silence? And, more importantly, can she stop him before he thinks of marrying another woman?

When Joe Otto accepted the job to lead a wagon train to California, the last thing he expected was to be asked to marry Mr. Heller's daughter. Mr. Heller assures him the arrangement will only be temporary. Once Joe delivers her to her aunt and uncle in California, he can annul the marriage. Joe can use the money, and besides, it's only a temporary arrangement. She won't be his wife for the rest of his life. Reassured by this logic, he agrees to the marriage contract.Michelle Heller knows the only way she's going on the wagon train is if she has a husband, so she readily accepts the deal her father makes with Joe. What she doesn't expect, however, is that her new husband is the most attractive young man she's ever seen. Over and over, she has to remind herself their marriage isn't real. It's only borne of necessity. But as the days pass on the trail, it's harder to remember their marriage is only on paper, and it seems the two are at odds as to what they want this marriage to be.

As soon as Sally Larson meets Rick Johnson, she knows he's the one for her. The catch? He's interested in her friend, Ethel Mae. But Sally has a plan. With Ethel Mae's help, she convinces Rick that the only way he'll get Ethel Mae is to make her jealous. He agrees, but he has a trick or two up his sleeve. Sally just might find that the one playing cat is really the mouse.

Tom Larson is having trouble finding a wife, and Jessica Reynolds decides to help him overcome his awkward and clumsy manners so he can attract women.

Richard Larson has secretly loved Amanda for years, but it wasn't until she had nowhere else to turn that he had the courage to propose a marriage of convenience. Now as they make their way to Omaha, Nebraska for a new life, he wonders if she might ever come to return his feelings.When Amanda married Richard Larson, it wasn't for love. It was because he was rescuing her from a painful situation. When they married, they agreed to a marriage of convenience. She didn't realize he secretly loved her until after the vows were exchanged. Now she doesn't know how to act around him. And worse, a young man from her past is the one leading the wagon train to Omaha, and he has plans for them to run off to start a new life elsewhere.

Brandon Herman wants to drink away his heartache. Divorced, disgraced, and out of work, the last thing he wants to do is marry again. When he's strong-armed into marrying a Crow Indian woman, he only thinks of running away… until he learns his bride-to-be is nine months pregnant.Lokni doesn't trust her pale-skinned husband. After all, his kind raided her tribe, killed her loved ones, and stole her freedom. If it weren't for the contractions, she would've already left her intoxicated groom. But until the baby is born, Lokni must bide her time and plan her escape.As the unlikely couple embarks across the untamed West, Brandon's support helps their friendship to blossom. They start to realize that it's more than the baby that draws them together.

Brad Bachman, Earl of Youngtown, is the most predictable and orderly gentleman in London. In fact, there is no other gentleman more concerned with having every strand of hair in place or making sure everything in his townhouse is neat and tidy. Also, unlike other gentlemen, he planned out his entire life when he was a child. And so far, everything has gone according to plan. Except for one thing: he doesn't have a wife. With his twenty-sixth birthday quickly approaching, he begins to wonder if his future will ever hold the love match he's been searching for over the past three years.Miss Ava Baynes fell in love with Brad the moment she met him, but with one little accident at the ball, her chances of being his wife is no longer within her reach. That is, until, his brother picks her for the scandal he had planned for Brad. On the surface, it would seem as if fate is lending her a helping hand. Except, she knows that fate has nothing to do with this. It's the result of a conniving brother who is out for revenge.

Titled gentlemen are supposed to be perfect. No one knows this better than Landon Tait, the Earl of Farewell, who's been on the receiving end of the Ton's gossip since he first made his appearance in London. After the last Season, he vowed to stay as far from London as possible. But when his brother lands into serious trouble, he has no choice but to come to his aid.Miss Opal Beaufort is attending a ball when she overhears the snickers about a certain gentleman who was born with a lisp. Several ladies sneak to a private room to listen to him, and something in Opal snaps. She can't stand the idea of someone being made the laughingstock of the Ton. But as soon as she intervenes on his behalf, a scandal ensues, and she finds herself unwittingly betrothed to him.Now, Landon isn't only forced to stay in London to face the ridicule of the Ton, but he also must deal with a beautiful wife who might find him as imperfect as he fears.

Orlando Emmett, the Earl of Reddington, has one regret in his life: letting the lady of his dreams go. Night after night, he'd think of all the things he should have told her when he had the chance, and all he could do was watch her, secretly admiring her from afar. A year later, fate intervenes. News of Lord Hawkins' death has just given him a second chance, an opportunity to make his dreams come true, but he'll have to risk a scandal to take it.Chloe was relieved when news came of her husband's death. The two had hardly spoken more than a few words to each other before he left for India on their wedding day. The two had hardly spoken more than a few words to each other before he left for India on their wedding day. And a full year passed with only polite correspondence between them. While some envied her marriage, the aching loneliness in her life only reminded her that money couldn't buy happiness. Fate intervenes when a friend takes her just outside of London to meet Orlando, a handsome stranger she only barely remembers. During her entire marriage to Lord Hawkins, all she'd wanted was a husband who'd love her so much he'd give up anything to be with her. And now she just might get her wish, if only she's strong enough to take it.

Thaddeus (Tad) Darkin, the Duke of Lambeth, used to be a rake. After a tragic event, he took a vow of celibacy, promising he would never be intimate with another lady again. Over the years, this caused him to be the most sought-after single gentleman in all of London. And even though he doesn't want to marry, his steward left him in financial ruin, so whether he likes it or not, he must take a wife.After being rejected by the gentleman she was hoping to marry, Miss Loretta Bachman is on a mission to save her reputation. She needs to marry someone who will impress the prestigious ladies in her social circle. So when she catches the leader of the group talking about the very handsome and hard-to-get Duke of Lambeth, she's determined to get him to marry her. All she needs is a little bargaining power, and fortunately for her, she happens to have the money he needs to save his estate.When she learns of his vow to remain celibate, she agrees to keep away from his bed. After all, her only reason for marrying him is to secure her social standing in London, not to have a love match. All she asks is that he pretends to be deeply in love with her when they're in public. That way she will succeed in impressing the Ton. But before long, the lines between what is pretend and what is real starts to blur, and it's hard to decide how far to push the limits of their agreement.

Lord Whitney is intelligent, rich, and good looking. But he's also boring. One thing he's noticed is that all the gentlemen around him are getting married. So in order to have something in common with them, he does something he never thought he'd do: he lies about being betrothed.His ploy works. For the first time in his life, gentlemen are finally paying attention to him. Soon, however, they start asking him questions about the wonderful lady he's going to marry. It comes to a point where he can no longer keep up the lie. He has to find a lady to present to them.As fate would have it, Lady Stacey happens to be in the right place at the right time, and he manages to convince her to play along with his scheme. In return for playing the part of his betrothed, he will secure safe passage for her and her mother out of London. But as time passes on, he begins to wonder if there's more to their ruse than meets the eye.

Warren Beaufort, the Earl of Steinbeck, prides himself on having the best of the best. From his furnishings in his townhouse to his clothes, he chooses everything with the intention of impressing others. And more than that, he has amassed a fortune that is the envy of many in London. One thing he lacks, however, is an heir. In order to get the heir, he'll need a wife.Lady Iris, the Duke of Hartwell's daughter, has money, but she lacks both grace and looks. One thing she does have, however, is the good sense to know a gentleman like Warren is all wrong for her, which is why she's horrified to learn she's been matched with him for marriage. But the Duchess of Ashbourne and her friends assure her that she and Warren have so much in common they are an ideal match.Having no way out of the marriage her father has arranged for her, she has no choice but to marry Warren. While she might have to give him the heir, she will never, under any circumstance, give him something far more precious…her heart.

If there's one thing Miss Heather Duff regrets, it's that she let Lord Powell go. She listened to other people tell her what to do, so when Lord Powell proposed, she said no. It was the worst mistake she's ever made, and now she's determined to prove to Lord Powell that she wants a second chance.Gill Easton, Viscount Powell, has never stopped loving Miss Duff. But a gentleman has his pride to protect. He can't just let her walk back into his life as if nothing ever happened. And this puts him in a dilemma. He'll have to resort to unusual methods in order to get the lady of his dreams to marry him. In this case, the unusual method is to convince her to kidnap him…without letting her know he's the one behind the whole scheme.Don't miss this romantic comedy featuring a feisty heroine, a hero who has to play hard to get, a meddling brother who doesn't take even a minute to listen to what someone is trying to tell him, and a friend who doesn't mind any kind of scandal so long as the cause is true love.

They say a proper lady follows the rules. She lets the gentleman take the lead. She obeys her chaperone. She is soft spoken and careful in everything she says and does. She doesn't intrude into a gentleman's business. And she most certainly doesn't become the object of scandal.Miss Lilly Lowell has been careful to follow the rules all of her life. But the rules aren't helping her now when she needs it most. She made the terrible mistake of spurning Mr. Morris' attention, and now he's looking for someone else to marry. Determined to get him back, she hatches a plan to make him fall in love with her again. And doing so will require her to start breaking some rules.Hurt by Miss Lowell's rejection, Mr. Roger Morris is seeking out another lady to court. But after endless social engagements, it starts to become clear to him that no one can take her place. Whether he likes it or not, he is doomed to love her. She is the perfect lady for him. But the last thing he wants to do is give in, especially when she creates a scandal that forces him to marry her.This might just be a match made in hell. Or maybe, quite possibly, heaven…as long as Lilly can figure out a way to make things right.

Lady Candace Daniel is finally free from her cruel, abusive husband. He's in no position to order her around from six-feet under. And with all the fun she's having on the social circuit, she intends to never let a man have that kind of power again.Corin St. George has inherited an earldom and a ramshackle estate. He's toiled for years to restore the property to its former glory, and he has little respect for the noblewomen around him squandering their husbands' fortunes.But when Corin is thrust into a compromising predicament at a ball, he's forced to marry Candace, the unlucky widow who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Neither spouse has an interest in being together… until friends and fate conspire to show them the possibility of love.

Regan Alger, the Lady of Cantrell, is bored with her life. Yes, she's been more fortunate than most. She was once married to a wonderful gentleman, and this love resulted in her young son-a boy she loves more than anything. But even a son can't fill the void in her life. She misses having a husband, both in and out of bed, so when she happens to come across a gentleman at a ball who ignites her passion, she decides he'll be her next husband. And she's not the least bit shy about letting him know it.Just as determined as Regan is to have Mr. Malcolm Jasper for a husband, he's equally determined to end up with anyone but her. If he marries her, his life will be one of chaos and scandal. He's sure of it. After all, she's much too outspoken and flirtatious. So he jumps at the chance for an arranged marriage, thinking once he secures a reputable and quiet bride, Regan will leave him alone. Little does he know, though, his sister and her two friends know Regan wants to marry him, and they are more than happy to help Regan get what she wants.Regan's risk pays off. She manages to secure him as her husband. Will the gamble pay off? Or has she just doomed them both?

On his way to his country estate, beautiful Miss Damara Onslow steps into Lord Worsley's carriage to speak to him about a matter. Little does he know that "the matter" is to offer him money in exchange for them getting married. Since Lord Worsley's sister had manipulated him into an engagement he did not want, he welcomes Damara's offer with open arms.The two wed and spend a winter together. Never had anyone been happier. That is until his sister pries into Damara's past and threatens their fairytale marriage.

Camden Hollis, the Duke of Ashbourne, needs to pay off his brother's debts, but all he has is a troubled estate. So when he hears that Lady Seyton is known for teaching ladies what to do to secure marriages by the end of the Season, he comes to her for help.Helena Walter, the Lady of Seyton, doesn't know what to think of Camden's unusual request. How could a titled gentleman who is so good looking need help getting a wife? Her initial response is to turn him down, thinking he is merely wasting her time. But then she catches him bumbling through a conversation with a lady, and realizes he-more than anyone-needs her help.And so the lessons begin. But before long, Camden is convinced she's the perfect one for him. She, however, is a widow and is happy with her freedom. He might find it'll require a scandal to get the two things he wants most: a love match and securing his estate.

Lord Davenport and Lord Pennella have just made a bet for the hand of Miss Regina Giles. The gentleman she chooses wins the loser's estate.It's the most daring wager at White's, and quite possibly the most foolish.Toby York, the Earl of Davenport, knew it was a mistake to make the wager when Lord Pennella stormed into White's bragging that he could get any lady he wished. Toby really should have kept his mouth shut. But he didn't.And now there are only three things he can do to protect Miss Giles. One, he must get her to choose him instead of Pennella. Two, he must make sure she never finds out about the wager. And three, he must quietly break off the engagement so that she is free to marry a gentleman worthy of her. As long as he doesn't fall in love with her, there should be no problems.Too bad things never work out the way they're planned.

Anna feels little anguish when she sees the dead body of her husband. The young widow has no plans to mourn over the cruel Duke of Watkins, but she knows that his untimely death will put her at the mercy of his malicious younger brother. With help from her loyal butler, Anna smuggles away the body in the dead of night. Anna hopes to keep her husband's death a secret until she's settled far from the reach of her spiteful brother-in-law. When she stumbles upon a wounded man who bears an uncanny resemblance to her husband and has forgotten his memory, she wonders if she's found the solution to all their problems. She quickly convinces him he is her husband. To her surprise, he's so much better than the gentleman she buried. After years in a cold marriage, she is vulnerable to his tender words and sweet touches. But her husband's younger brother is still on the prowl, and giving into her feelings could possibly doom them both.

When Nathaniel (Nate) Buford's brother died, the title of Earl of Roderick passed to him, as did the duty to get an heir, a duty he doesn't want. Now he must find a lady who suits him among the money-grubbing Ton and marry her, but it is not as easy as he would want. Fate is about to play him another unfair hand, as a moment's kindness to a lady has him trapped by scandal to a family that is reported to desire money above all else.Miss Claire Lowell desires marriage to a kind and respectable gentleman who she could love, but one moment might destroy it all. Despite all her protests that the scandalous circumstances were merely an accident, her family forces to accept Lord Roderick's marriage proposal, and now she is tied to a man who blames her for trapping him into a marriage that neither of them wanted.

Miss Emilia Stewart's life faces immediate ruin. Her friend made a little slip of the tongue, and now Lord Valentine thinks Emilia's in love with him.This is Lord Valentine of all gentlemen! Not only is he unfashionable and socially inept, but the mere thought of kissing him makes her shudder. What's worse is that her father has arranged for her to marry him. Being a lady with no say in her future has never been more unfair! She, however, is determined to overcome this cruel fate. There's still a chance to protect her future, and keep her sanity intact. All she has to do is become the most repulsive and unattractive wife possible. Then Lord Valentine will insist they live separate lives, and she'll be spared the most unpleasant aspect of marriage-actually being in the same room with her husband. All she needs is a little ingenuity and help from her friends to make the plan work. This romantic comedy takes a fun look at one wife's dream of discouraging her husband from falling in love with her.