Showing results by author "M.A. Nichols" in All Categories

To reunite with her children, she must earn the trust of the man determined to hate her. Tessa Stuart and regret are old companions. What began as a love match ended in bitterness, betrayal, and broken promises—and six poor children caught in the crossfire—but now that her estranged husband is dead, Tessa will do anything to reclaim the family she lost. Except someone new stands in her way. Gregory Vaughn never asked to be the guardian of six grieving children, but he’s determined to honor his dear friend’s final request.

A prodigal son hoping for redemption. A virtuous lady with a tattered reputation. Both fear the future, but together, they might find the peace they crave. When Hazel Potts received a large inheritance from a friend, she knew her life would change—though she thought it would be for the better. But as people begin to whisper concerning the nature of her relationship with that gentleman, Hazel’s reputation quickly begins to tatter.

Falling in love was simple. But staying together will take everything they have. Thea Keats and Frederick Voss know exactly what they want: a quiet proposal, a beautiful wedding, and a lifetime of love. Their path is clear, their hearts are certain, and nothing stands in their way.

This village isn’t large enough for the both of them… Dr. Arthur Vaughn wants a quiet life far from the chaos of the city. Just a simple country living where he can focus on his work rather than cutthroat competition and infuriating social politics. And when his friend tells him of an opportunity in a distant village, Arthur can’t leave London fast enough. Oakham is just what the doctor ordered. Especially after he stumbles upon an intriguing and all-too appealing lady with a talent for medicine. If only he could find a way to talk to her without tripping over his words…

When Silas Byrnes married, he wasn’t expecting a happy ending for him and his wife. Theirs was a union of duty and not love, but fourteen years of marriage had been a misery for them both. Luckily the navy rarely allowed him time ashore. Now widowed, Silas has no choice but to return to a house that doesn’t feel like home and reclaim his children, who are determined to hate him as their mother did.

Seven years ago, Lady Lydia Whiting married for the good of her parents, and widowhood was supposed to mark the beginning of her freedom. But when her husband spurns her from beyond the grave and cuts her from his will, her parents are determined to force her into another wretched marriage of convenience. Fleeing is the only option. Robert Bradshaw has a good, quiet life. Work and his daughter are all he needs, even if others think he ought to remarry. Why should he? His beloved wife was an angel among men, and no other could compare—especially a young widow who is more mouse than woman.

Felicity Barrows is no fool, though the fortune hunters pestering her must believe differently. What other reason could they have for hounding her every step, showering her with honeyed words and false compliments, expecting her to fall straight into their calculating arms? Better to remain a spinster than marry unhappily—if she could only get some peace from their incessant overtures.

Lily Kingsley accepts that she is destined to be a spinster - but not until she gets her first kiss. And she knows the perfect gentleman to enlist. Unfortunately, she kisses the wrong one and ends up in the arms of an overbearing and exceptionally frustrating merchant. When busybodies catch them in their illicit embrace, an engagement is the only solution, but Lily doesn’t want a fiancé who’s only doing his duty. And she certainly doesn’t want a gentleman far too used to getting his own way. She simply must make him see how ill-suited they are.

They say reformed rakes make the best husbands. They were wrong. Ten years ago, Tabby Russell married the man of her dreams. Or so she thought. The reformed rake had seemed vastly appealing when she was younger, but as life marched on and his old habits returned, Tabby realized too late that she should have chosen wiser when facing the marriage alter. But there is no undoing the decisions of the past or avoiding the ensuing consequences. Even if Tabby wishes otherwise.

Benjamin Leigh is at a crossroads. Having reached his majority, his parents expect him to do his duty and break the entail that keeps them from selling off bits of the family’s estate. Doing so would destroy his family’s legacy, but to deny his parents would bring their wrath down upon his head.

Ambrose Ashbrook has spent his life hiding. Even his family see nothing but the roguish facade he has carefully crafted to conceal the secret burdening his heart. But when he finds an abandoned infant, all his pretenses are upended with one look at her dimpled smile. Knowing his sister is far better equipped to deal with the babe, Ambrose strikes out for the country, determined to give her a better future than the foundling homes have to offer.

A marriage they didn’t choose. A child conceived in a lie. Can they overcome their broken dreams and find happiness in a life forced upon them? At her age, Ruby Jeffries knows better than to dream of love, but then, Lucas Ashbrook sweeps into her life with whispered declarations of love and fervent kisses. He’s everything she’s hoped for, and Ruby would risk far more than the scandal of an elopement to be with him. But when she discovers Lucas faked the wedding to win a bet, Ruby is left with more than a broken heart.

Jonathan Edwards is widely hailed as the greatest theologian in American history. In Edwards on the Christian Life, Dane Ortlund invites us to explore the great eighteenth-century pastor’s central passion: God’s resplendent beauty. Whether the topic was the nature of love, the preeminence of Scripture, or the glory of the natural world, the concept of beauty stood at the heart of Edwards’s theology and permeated his portrait of the Christian life.

Simon Kingsley is in desperate need of a wife. After years of searching, he finally found love. Unfortunately, she wed another, and now, it is time to settle for someone with whom he can share his life. A friend, a companion, a helpmate. Love is no longer an option for a man whose heart is irrevocably broken. Mina Ashbrook longs for a loving marriage but accepts that at the age of 30, she is unlikely to find it. Facing a lifetime of being the spinster sister living on her brother’s charity, Mina considers something she never thought she would - a marriage of convenience.

Matthew Bixby despises social politics. Good manners and small talk weren’t prized in the slums, and despite having freed himself and his family of their poverty, Matthew never saw a need for such frivolous things. Until now. A war between the masters and workers is brewing, and if Matthew isn’t careful, it will destroy everything he’s built. But with so much of the battle being waged in ballrooms and parlors, he needs someone who can help him navigate society without adding to his burdens—a wife who won’t expect anything more than a partnership.

Between keeping his father from bankrupting their mill and managing his mother’s and sisters’ fretting, David Archer has enough on his plate, thank you very much. Love and marriage never crossed his mind. But when a chance encounter at a masquerade throws the perfect lady in his path, David knows he’s found the woman of his dreams. No other will do.

Courageous or foolish? Marian Wakefield hadn’t thought herself either, but when she confessed her love to her closest friend, Marian discovered she had a hearty helping of both. And a broken heart to boot. No man shall ever secure her affection as he had, but with spinsterhood looming, her father gives her a choice—find herself a husband or he will do it for her. Must Marian settle for a marriage of convenience? Why does fate hate her so?

Prudence Leigh is well on her way to being a spinster. That dreadful future may be a few years away, but with every man chasing after her beautiful younger sister, Prudence has little hope of finding love. But when she receives a letter filled with heartfelt declarations, she discovers it’s not too late for her. But for such an ardent beau in writing, the gentleman acts quite strangely in person… Penmanship is not an important skill. Or so Dr. Parker Humphreys thought—until his love letter is delivered to the wrong sister!

Romance ought to be that simple. But with no dowry, Victoria cannot marry a pauper. Nor can Oliver wed the daughter of the woman who nearly ruined his parents’ life 30 years ago. Surely, a marriage based on mutual affection and friendship is enough.

Sadie Vaughn has long admired Howard Gibson, but after his fiancée jilts him at the altar, she refuses to be his consolation prize. But his mother has other ideas. Convinced that Sadie is the perfect wife for her son, she’s determined to push them together by any means necessary—whether they like it or not. Howard may be a fool, but Walter Reed is not. Sadie is and always will be his first choice, but his debilitating shyness makes him seem more dour grump than lovesick beau, dooming their courtship before it even starts. And his mother is done waiting.