Confirmed Bachelors Series by Jenny Hambly

Handsome and charismatic, Miles Gilham, Earl of Allerdale, has a reputation for being a little wild. After spending months running his father’s estate in Yorkshire to make amends for disgracing his family the year before, he reluctantly returns to Town. He has promised his mother that he will find a bride this season, but his heart is not in it. The only eligible lady that amuses him is not looking for a husband and is the sort of headstrong girl that would make an uncomfortable wife... moreHandsome and charismatic, Miles Gilham, Earl of Allerdale, has a reputation for being a little wild. After spending months running his father’s estate in Yorkshire to make amends for disgracing his family the year before, he reluctantly returns to Town. He has promised his mother that he will find a bride this season, but his heart is not in it. The only eligible lady that amuses him is not looking for a husband and is the sort of headstrong girl that would make an uncomfortable wife.After her diplomat father dies, Eleanor Edgcott returns to England heartbroken. When her mourning period is over, her cousin, Lord Haverham, brings her to Town for the season. She finds herself interested in everything and everyone about her. Between trying to plan her future, keeping Diana, Lady Haverham from the clutches of a rake, and trying to help a lovelorn couple, she finds herself with very little time for reflection.She is drawn to Lord Allerdale but soon realises that he is the last person to meet the list of requirements she has drawn up for a husband. Circumstances draw them together, however, and just when they discover that they share a very special connection, an event occurs that threatens to ruin any chance of happiness they may have. less

Captain Charles Bassington of the 13th Light Dragoons is famed for his good luck, high spirits, and devil-may-care attitude. He escapes serious injury at Waterloo only to succumb to an inflammation of the lungs. When he returns home to recuperate, cracks begin to appear in his cheery facade... moreCaptain Charles Bassington of the 13th Light Dragoons is famed for his good luck, high spirits, and devil-may-care attitude. He escapes serious injury at Waterloo only to succumb to an inflammation of the lungs. When he returns home to recuperate, cracks begin to appear in his cheery facade.Lady Selena has adored Charles all her life, but when she receives a letter from him suggesting his friend Lord Carteret would make a good husband, she is forced to put aside childish dreams that he might one day love her.As Charles determines to forge a new career close to his family and friends, Selena opens her mind to the prospect of marrying another.It is only when two eminently eligible bachelors appear to be vying for her hand that Charles realises his own heart’s desire.But how can the younger son of a baron ever hope to be worthy of the wealthy daughter of an earl? less

Dignified, reserved, and every inch the gentleman, Laurence Westerby, the fifth Viscount Carteret, finds his ordered and predictable world turned on its head when a mysterious lady steps into his private parlour. He thinks her spirited, reckless, and undoubtedly in need of his protection.Confident, frank, and used to managing her own affairs, Miss Cassandra Fenton does not like the role of damsel in distress. Laurence seems determined to help her out of her immediate difficulties, however... moreDignified, reserved, and every inch the gentleman, Laurence Westerby, the fifth Viscount Carteret, finds his ordered and predictable world turned on its head when a mysterious lady steps into his private parlour. He thinks her spirited, reckless, and undoubtedly in need of his protection.Confident, frank, and used to managing her own affairs, Miss Cassandra Fenton does not like the role of damsel in distress. Laurence seems determined to help her out of her immediate difficulties, however. His chivalry reminds her of all the reasons she is so unsuited to marriage.An unlikely friendship is forged, but will it survive the pressures of potential abductors, smugglers and a suspected murderer? less

He wants a respectable bride who will not ask for more than he can give – love. She has no need or desire to marry, and love is the only thing that might change her mind.Hugh Brandforth, the seventh Earl of Ormsley, returns to his estate after wasting several weeks searching for a bride. He is looking forward to some much-needed rest and recreation... moreHe wants a respectable bride who will not ask for more than he can give – love. She has no need or desire to marry, and love is the only thing that might change her mind.Hugh Brandforth, the seventh Earl of Ormsley, returns to his estate after wasting several weeks searching for a bride. He is looking forward to some much-needed rest and recreation. All is not as he left it, however, and within the space of an hour, he finds himself berated by his old nurse, assaulted by an eccentric termagant and subjected to the disrespect of her coachman.Wishing to escape Bath and avoid the imminent proposal of a determined rake, Miss Cressida Harrington accepts Lady Ormsley’s offer of the dower house at Leighfield Park. A peaceful sojourn in the country is just what she needs. If Cressy did not expect to find the house in disarray and the garden a wilderness, these minor inconveniences do not have the power to disturb her. The unexpected presence of an earl she had no notion existed is quite another matter.Secrets and scandal lurk behind the respectable façade of the house and grounds. Will they bring them together or drive them apart? less