My dear Miss Bridgerton. We have been corresponding now for quite some time, and although we have never formally met, I feel as if I know you. Forgive me if I am too bold, but I am writing to invite you to visit me here at Romney Hall. It is my hope that after a suitable period of time, we might decide that we will suit, and you will consent to be my wife'. Sir Phillip knew from his correspondence with his dead wife's distant cousin that Eloise Bridgerton was a spinster, and so he'd proposed, figuring that she'd be homely. Except she wasn't. The beautiful woman on his doorstep was anything but quie, all he wanted to do was kiss her. Eloise Bridgerton couldn't marry a man she had never met! But then she started thinkingand wondering and before she knew it, she was in a hired carriage in the middle of the night, on her way to meet the man she hoped might be her perfect match. Except he wasn't. Her perfect husband wouldn't be so moody and ill-mannered, and while Phillip was certainly handsome, he was rough and rugged. But when he smiled and when he kissed herthe rest of the world simply fell away, and she couldn't help but wonder could this imperfect man be perfect for her?
Olivia Bevelstroke, the only daughter of the Earl of Rudland, is beautiful and has a sizeable dowry. Yet at the age of twenty-one she is still unmarried, causing people to whisper behind her back, 'What is she waiting for? A prince?' But Olivia isn't cold or stuck up, and neither is she a hopeless romantic. She's just waiting for something - or someone.
Sir Harry Valentine, a war veteran, is now back in London working in secret for the War Office and keeping an eye on his wayward younger brother. Rumour has it that he killed his fiancée, which intrigues Olivia. She thinks her new next-door neighbour looks the part, and even if he isn't a murderer, he's certainly up to something.
Then a real-live Russian prince comes to town, sparking intrigue. He has his eye on Olivia, but so does Harry, who's been ordered to spy on the prince - and thus by extension, Olivia. But will what he finds out about her bring her closer to his heart?
There were Bridgertons before the eight alphabetically named siblings. In this first of a new prequel series, we go back to where it all began. . . from New York Times bestselling author Julia Quinn. Sometimes you find love in the most unexpected of places...
This is not one of those times. Everyone expects Billie Bridgerton to marry one of the Rokesby brothers. The two families have been neighbours for centuries, and as a child the tomboyish Billie ran wild with Edward and Andrew. Either one would make a perfect husband . . . someday. Sometimes you fall in love with exactly the person you think you should . . .
Or not.There is only one Rokesby Billie absolutely cannot tolerate, and that is George. He may be the eldest heir to the earldom, but he's arrogant, annoying and she's absolutely certain he detests her. Which is perfectly convenient, as she can't stand the sight of him, either. But sometimes fate has a wicked sense of humour . . . Because when Billie and George are quite literally thrown together, a whole new sort of sparks begins to fly. And when these lifelong adversaries finally kiss, they just might discover that the one person they can't abide is the one person they can't live without . . .
Hugh Dunne, the Earl of Briarly, needs a wife - so his sister hands him a list of the very best young ladies on the market. And then, because he refuses to tear himself away from the stables where he trains Arabian racehorses, she invites all those ladies to a house party, along with some other bachelors, of course.
So who will Hugh choose? The Botticelli-esque, enchanting Gwendolyn? The outspoken, delightful Katherine? If he doesn't work fast, he'll lose those ladies to his closest friends, and then where will he look for a wife? Perhaps, just perhaps, toward a lady who's not on a market at all, and would require a great deal of persuading . . .
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