Duke of Rutland Series by Elizabeth St. Michel

Some say life is a grand adventure—but for Lady Abigail Rutland, it’s a tremendous bore. As a woman of noble birth in eighteenth-century England, she is expected to keep quiet and marry well, but she longs for so much more.“Be careful what you wish for,” the old saying goes. After a chaotic night, she wakes up in the hold of a former slaver with her body bound and her hair shorn. She is soon “rescued” by an American privateer, who assumes she is a cabin boy and puts her to work... moreSome say life is a grand adventure—but for Lady Abigail Rutland, it’s a tremendous bore. As a woman of noble birth in eighteenth-century England, she is expected to keep quiet and marry well, but she longs for so much more.“Be careful what you wish for,” the old saying goes. After a chaotic night, she wakes up in the hold of a former slaver with her body bound and her hair shorn. She is soon “rescued” by an American privateer, who assumes she is a cabin boy and puts her to work. Eager for adventure, Abigail maintains her disguise despite a budding attraction to the infamous Captain Jacob Thorne. Meanwhile, Captain Thorne schemes to spring his kin from a British prison.What follows is a thrilling tale that tosses and churns with the high seas. Set during the height of the American Revolution, Sweet Vengeance contains accurate historical details that enrich and complicate the story. Abigail yearns for danger and excitement, and it isn’t long before she discovers that the most urgent peril comes from within her own wild heart. less

When love seems impossible, the heart occupies itself however it can. For Rachel Thorne and Anthony Rutland, the thrill of scientific discovery is a suitable substitute. However, love is tenacious and cannot be suppressed for long. After surviving an attempted rape by a British soldier, Rachel, a self-taught inventor, leaves Colonial Boston for England at the suggestion of her sister-in-law, Abby. There she hopes to shake off the loathsome past and find a love-filled future... moreWhen love seems impossible, the heart occupies itself however it can. For Rachel Thorne and Anthony Rutland, the thrill of scientific discovery is a suitable substitute. However, love is tenacious and cannot be suppressed for long. After surviving an attempted rape by a British soldier, Rachel, a self-taught inventor, leaves Colonial Boston for England at the suggestion of her sister-in-law, Abby. There she hopes to shake off the loathsome past and find a love-filled future.At Abby’s ancestral home, Belvoir Castle, Rachel meets Abby’s brother Anthony, the brilliant but troubled son of a duke. The two bond over their shared fascination with electricity, and sparks fly in more ways than one. However, a dispute with a family employee turns into a dangerous fiasco that threatens to end Anthony and Rachel’s budding romance—and perhaps even their lives.The second book in the Duke of Rutland series, Light of My Heartis brimming with the same sensual charms and historical intrigue as Sweet Vengeance. Rachel and Anthony have experimented with love in the past, only to have it blow up in their faces. But once they cross paths, they learn that love—like the steady march of progress—is unyielding. less

The series centers on the Duke of Rutland, a widower, and his four strong-willed offspring. The Duke has formidable enemies determined to destroy his family.The third installment involves the eldest son of the Duke of Rutland, Nicholas. He has an important—if unwanted—destiny: to marry a wealthy, aristocratic woman who will provide him sons and increase the family’s prosperity. But the plan changes unexpectedly when Nicholas wakes up captive aboard a Portuguese slaver... moreThe series centers on the Duke of Rutland, a widower, and his four strong-willed offspring. The Duke has formidable enemies determined to destroy his family.The third installment involves the eldest son of the Duke of Rutland, Nicholas. He has an important—if unwanted—destiny: to marry a wealthy, aristocratic woman who will provide him sons and increase the family’s prosperity. But the plan changes unexpectedly when Nicholas wakes up captive aboard a Portuguese slaver.Lady Alexandra Sutherland’s fortunes have changed, too. She began life as the daughter of a baron, but when Alexandra was three years old, her nanny rescued her from the murderous designs of the baron’s new wife. As a young woman, Alexandra returns to her family’s estate seeking answers—only to be caught and sold to the slavers by her stepmother.Nicholas and Alexandra become allies aboard the ship, but Nicholas distrusts Alexandra’s wild account of her life. Then, a hurricane strikes. Barely surviving, the pair reaches a deserted island, where Nicholas must face his growing desire for Alexandra—and discover the truth about her past. less

International Book Award winning author Elizabeth St. Michel returns to her action and adventure historical romance roots with this passionate redemptive story, a probing tale that reminds us that love and sacrifice can shape even the most broken among us into a perfect and stunning masterpiece. ~ ~ ~ While the Revolutionary War rages on the eastern coast, Patriot spy, Lord Joshua Rutland, gathers information from the new frontier for General George Washington... moreInternational Book Award winning author Elizabeth St. Michel returns to her action and adventure historical romance roots with this passionate redemptive story, a probing tale that reminds us that love and sacrifice can shape even the most broken among us into a perfect and stunning masterpiece. ~ ~ ~ While the Revolutionary War rages on the eastern coast, Patriot spy, Lord Joshua Rutland, gathers information from the new frontier for General George Washington. Posing as a trapper, Joshua travels the territories collecting intelligence—but also searching for the man who killed his beloved betrothed. His need for vengeance drives him almost as much as his need to help the colonists build the new life they are struggling to forge. Amid the breathtaking scenery of the wilderness, Joshua finds a red-haired beauty who tempts him to open his hardened heart. Lady Juliet Faulkner has been sold into indenture by a cruel baron, sent to America where she slaves on a wild outpost. Nearly starved and constantly fighting off advances by her lecherous master—not to mention the fear of Indian attacks—Juliet never expected to find a hero in a mysterious buckskin-clad warrior who saves her from rape. In this man, Juliet sees someone she could build a life with if he would only stay, but a dark guilt from his past eats at his soul and he’s vowed to never love again, despite the undeniable attraction between them. But Juliet will not give up, believing he could be as passionate about love as he is about his country. This heart jolting historical romance blends the dangerous world of espionage and patriotism with the threat of death and the promise of a brave new future together. ~ ~ ~ Full of action and adventure, mystery and suspense, and humor with a love and passion as powerful and beautiful as the wilderness. St. Michel’s Duke of Rutland Series IV is captivatingly fresh, and unblinkingly gritty, balancing war and hardship with amusing, romantic, and vivid characters you will long remember. less