Amidst the exciting preparations for the grand opening of Prince Albert's prized Crystal Palace, a young orphan, Sorilda, is being forced into marriage by her recently cuckolded uncle, the Duke of Nuneaton. Having sheltered lovely Sorilda since the tragic death of her parents, the usually fair-minded Duke has been driven to jealous retaliation by his deceitful new Duchess. Suspecting his close neighbour, the Earl of Winsford, of ungentlemanly conduct with his beautiful wife, the Duke issues an ultimatum. The Earl must renounce the Duchess and marry the Duke's flame-haired niece or face the public embarrassment of a scandal. Handsome, intelligent and fabulously wealthy, the Earl makes his choice and reluctantly marries Sorilda, his helpless bride. Angry at being pressured into such a union and aghast that he does not know, let alone love, his wife, the Earl remains distant and determined not to let Sorilda into his life. Enjoying the freedom from the miserable prison of her uncle's home, Sorilda's natural charm and positive nature soon force their way to the surface, despite the coldness of her bridegroom. Delighted by everything around her, it is not long before she has made her way into the hearts of everyone she meets. But, as London Society eagerly awaits the Great Exhibition, a spurned Duchess is busy plotting. Furious at being caught in a compromising situation, and filled with hatred for Sorilda, who has married the man she desires, she will not rest until she has her revenge.

NOW A NETFLIX ORIGINAL SERIES Frustrated at the path her life has taken, Alice decides to take control of her personal life using astrology as her guide in this quirky, steamy, and hilarious romantic comedy. Alice Bassi is (a little) over thirty, single (not by choice), and she can't help but feel that she is failing at this whole adulthood thing. She's stuck in a dead-end job, just found out her ex-boyfriend is engaged to his pregnant girlfriend, and Richard Gere hasn't shown up with flowers and a limo to save her from it all. On one particularly disastrous morning-when Alice would much rather have stayed home, curled up with her favorite rom-coms-she meets Davide Nardi. Handsome yet indecipherable, Davide would be the leading man of Alice's dreams-if only he weren't the "hatchet man" brought in to help streamline production and personnel at the small television network she works for. In the midst of all this, Alice runs into Tio-an actor and astrology expert who is convinced he can turn her life around with a little help from the stars. Skeptical but willing, Alice decides to take Tio's advice and only date men whose Zodiac signs are compatible with hers. Unfortunately, it turns out that astrological affinity doesn't always guarantee a perfect match, nor prevent a series of terrible dates, disappointments, and awkward surprises. It also doesn't keep Davide from becoming more attractive every day. Perfect for fans of Bridget Jones's Diary and Star-Crossed, An Astrological Guide for Broken Hearts is a witty, sexy, and relatable portrait of a modern woman's search for love and a dream job, only to discover that your destiny isn't always written in the stars.

Young London man about town Hamish McMurdock bears a grudge against his uncle, the Earl of Kilmurdock, because he refused to consider Hamish's money-making plan of selling lobsters, crabs and salmon from the family estate The refusal is unreasonable but understandable because, although a young man, the Earl is embittered, hating all women after having his heart broken unforgivably. Hamish, though, plans to teach his uncle a lesson by sending an unknowing young woman to the Earl's Highland castle to care for what she believes is a blind and deaf old man. Almost destitute after the death of her parents, innocent young Jacoba answers Hamish's advertisement. Arriving timidly at The Castle in Scotland, she is horrified when the Earl flies into a fury and orders her away rudely. It is only when she collapses in exhaustion that she is allowed to stay. And when the Earl is terribly wounded by poachers, she nurses him tenderly back to health. All the time love is blossoming in her heart - but surely as soon as he recovers from his wounds he will simply send her away - ?

The Duke of Brockenhurst, bored by Society and cynical about the beautiful women who cast themselves before him in a desperate bid to become his Duchess, accepts a wager to ride from London to York alone and incognito. Outraged by the suggestion that he has lost his verve and the command he once had whilst distinguishing himself in the Army, he decides to reflect on his future, whilst setting himself the challenge to move amongst ordinary people undetected. Valora Melford is bereaved of her beloved father and left in the care of her grasping stepmother. Determined to force her lovely stepdaughter to marry the dissolute Sir Mortimer, who is willing to pay ten thousand pounds for the pleasure, she first entreats and then threatens Valora to do as she is told. However, Valora is made of stronger stuff than her fragile exterior would suggest and she tells her stepmother in no uncertain terms that she will not marry the repulsive old Baronet. In fact Valora is adamant that she will never marry at all, as she does not believe that true love exists. Overhearing a distraught Valora arguing with her cruel stepmother in the room next to his, the Duke of Brockenhurst decides to step in and help the maiden that he can hear is clearly in distress. With his disguise unbroken, he decides to help her escape from the inn they are staying in and avoid an unwanted marriage. Immediately trusting the handsome stranger who offers to protect her until she reaches the shelter of her grandfather's house in York, Valora packs her few possessions and they steal away together. But ten thousand pounds is a lot of money to lose and it does not take Valora's stepmother long to realise that her stepdaughter has escaped. Outraged, she quickly dispatches two henchmen hell-bent on dragging Valora back to the altar. With her captors in hot pursuit, it appears that Valora's escape is doomed and the Duke's mask will be uncovered. Drawing ever closer, the Duke must use all of his Military skills and natural quick wits to keep them safe. With danger and trickery at every turn, Valora is forced to depend upon a man whose real name she does not even know.

After the death of the kindly old Earl of Yardecombe, Oscar the brash and pleasure-seeking new Earl seems to care little for the people of the Parish - let alone for the plight of young Dorina Stanfield, her widowed father and their impoverished family at the rundown Vicarage. Dorina's opinion of this raffish gentleman is lower still when she hears of lewd goings-on with his flamboyant friends at the 'Big House'. Confronting his Lordship, Dorina is stunned to find him chastened by her accusations. Nevertheless, she is unconvinced. Everything changes, though, when Dorina overhears the Earl's wicked heir presumptive's Satanic incantations, summoning the Devil to murder his Lordship. Suddenly what she thought was hatred for Oscar turns into a Divine and eternal love that swiftly conquers the perpetrator of this devilry - but will the elusive Earl ever feel the same about her?

A special edition of E L James's #1 New York Times bestselling novel, Fifty Shades Darker, that includes her own photos and caption commentary from the making of the film-and an excerpt from her forthcoming book, Fifty Shades Darker, As Told by Christian Grey. Daunted by the dark secrets of the tormented young entrepreneur, Christian Grey, Anastasia Steele has broken off their relationship. But desire for Grey still dominates her every waking thought, and when he proposes a new arrangement, she cannot resist. They rekindle their searing, sensual affair, and soon Ana is learning more about the harrowing past of her damaged, driven and demanding Fifty Shades than she ever thought possible. But while Christian wrestles with his inner demons, Ana must make the most important decision of her life. A decision she can only make on her own ...

Craig Vandervelt, handsome son of the richest man in America is begged by his cousin, the Marquis of Lansdowne, the British Foreign Secretary, to undertake a secret mission in the most flamboyant principality in Europe - Monte Carlo. Intrigued by the fact that one of Britain's top agents in India, the reclusive but respected Randall Sare, has disappeared without a trace, Craig agrees once more to use his playboy status as a mask to find out what is really happening. Craig is also told to beware of a beautiful Russian Countess suspected of being a spy. Young, glamorous and continually in the company of Lord Neasdon, a newcomer to the Foreign Office, she is suspected of using her charms to lure Neasdon into inadvertently give her information regarding the British interests in Tibet. Moving amongst Europe's elite and the beauties of the Beau Monde in the gambling houses of Monte Carlo, Craig is soon drawn into danger and treachery, which threatens the delicate political situation between Britain and Russia. But as he uncovers each secret, moving ever nearer to the centre of the plot, he discovers something he never expected to find - true love.

Warren Wood is handsome, loyal and devoted to Magnolia. However, the one thing he lacks is a title and Magnolia betrays him in a heartbeat for the opportunity to be engaged to the Marquis of Buckwood. For beautiful and beguiling as she is, behind her perfect exterior lies a scheming manipulative personality that is desperate for wealth and standing in Society. Distraught and vowing to eschew love for evermore, Warren seeks solace in the African jungle, determined to forget the woman whose lovely face has nearly driven him to madness. But now the wheel of fate has turned and suddenly a legacy is calling him home to take up responsibilities he never dreamt would be his, and the chance to be reunited with Magnolia who surprisingly begs his forgiveness. Determined not to answer her siren's call, he leaves for England taking with him the sweet but mysterious Nadia, another young person desperate to leave behind the past. Together they concoct a charade that should free Warren from Magnolia's clutches and offer Nadia a new life. As the time for Warren to meet Magnolia again grows closer, he begins to feel nervous. Will he be able to resist the seductive charms of the woman he once loved to distraction? For above all else Magnolia is determined to marry well and she is not going to let a little thing like Warren's heart stand in her way.

The beautiful Lady Eleta Renton returns from France where she has stayed long over her time at the Convent School in Paris. Because her mother had married again after becoming widowed and then she died too, Eleta was in no hurry to come home. When she arrives back in London, rather sad at leaving the Convent School, she is horrified when her stepfather, whom she had never liked, tells her that she is to marry the Duke of Hazelware, because he is important to him in his business of shipbuilding and the Duke requires a wife with money. As she had never even seen the Duke, Eleta protested violently, especially when she learns her intended husband is over fifty, but her stepfather informs her that he is her Guardian by law until she is twenty-one and that will not be until the end of the year. As she is terrified at being forced into this marriage, she decides that the only course open to her is to run away . She learns from her mother's maid, Betty, of whom she is very fond, that there is an Agency nearby where she might be able to find a position as a secretary or a Governess. At the Agency the only place available is with the Marquis of Teringford, who has a very tiresome, badly behaved child of nine years of age, with whom no Governess will stay and has apparently run through a large number of them. One of them actually said when she left that she was a child of the Devil. Because she is desperate and despite Betty's misgivings at the Marquis's apparently doubtful reputation, Eleta takes the position and goes to his magnificent house in Hertfordshire. Here she finds that the small child has never been loved, which is the reason why she is so difficult. Also the Marquis is seldom there and, when he is, he scolds and lectures his daughter to distraction. How Eleta eventually tames and finds love for her pupil and for herself is all told in this romantic and moving tale by BARBARA CARTLAND.

Madly envious of her demure stepdaughter's loveliness, Isobel Fairburn, Lord Blackstone's new bride, banishes young Sandra to the wilds of Bedfordshire where she is to live a miserable, isolated existence with her aged great-aunt. Desperate to escape this 'living death', Sandra secretly flees her home and, securing the post of 'companion' to the age-withered and cantankerous Dowager Countess of Kyle, soon finds herself amidst the glamorous Beau Monde in Brighton. Here Sandra meets the handsome Earl of Kyle and initially despises him for his cynical and sarcastic manner - but before long she finds that there's more to him than meets the eye. But no sooner has love begun to grow timidly in her heart, than her hopes are dashed when she finds he is already married to a French woman. Worse still, she hears of a sinister plot to extort money from her 'Knight of Chivalry' but what can she do? And how will she ever find a match for this man beyond compare?

Queen Victoria sends for the Duke of Sherbourne and asks him to undertake a very secret mission on her behalf. It is so secret that only his loyal valet, Jenkins, is told. The Duke agrees and it takes him to Greece where he had not been for some years. He visits King George who is the same age as he is and whom he has known in the past. He has been a great success as King, although he was only eighteen when he took over the throne and he is married to Princess Olga of Russia and they are extremely happy. The Duke envies them and, although he has been pursued by a great number of beautiful women in London, he has never yet fallen in love. He consistently refuses to marry although his family beg him to produce an heir to his ancient title. Before the Duke leaves Athens, he says that he must visit the Parthenon because he wants to see again the view from the top as it is the most inspiring in the world. When he reaches the top, the only other person there is a young and beautiful girl who he senses is about to commit suicide. How the Duke persuades Princess Thalia not to throw her life away in such a stupid fashion. How he learns that she is being forced by her uncle to marry a Russian Prince she detests. How he goes to Delos, the island where the God Apollo was born. How, when he is there, he experiences a strange and mystical feeling that cannot be expressed in words. Eventually the Duke finds all that he is seeking. All his and Thalia's problems and difficulties are solved not only by the brains of human beings but with the help and guidance of the Gods themselves. This is all told in this intriguing and surprising story by BARBARA CARTLAND.

Lady Loretta's father, the well-respected Lord Lieutenant of the County, is doing his best to force her into marriage with the Marquis of Sauerdun, the son of a good friend. Whilst her father thinks he is making a good match for his beloved daughter, she is aghast at the thought of an arranged marriage and vows she will only marry for love. Searching her mind for a way to stay free to pursue the kind of love she has always dreamt of, she happens upon a good plan. What if she could prove to her straight-laced father that the man he means for her is not only an unsuitable husband, but a philandering rake too? With the Marquis's reputation for love affairs with beautiful, seductive and preferably married women well known in Society, surely this would not prove too difficult? Seizing upon this last ditch attempt to stay unmarried, Lady Loretta devises a scheme to prove to her father that her intended is an unrepentant heartbreaker. Throwing herself upon the charity and good nature of her notorious cousin Ingrid, whose scandalous love affair has already rocked polite English Society, she heads for Paris alone. Delighted at how quickly she has escaped and enjoying the freedom of her adventure, Loretta determines to find out more about the Marquis and wastes no time in seeking him out. But Fate has its own plans for this spirited English beauty and before too long she is caught up in a web of deceit that threatens to change her life forever.

Queen's Ford, built in the reign of Queen Elizabeth and home to the noble Forde family for centuries, is crumbling into ruin. Devastated by the reduced circumstances in which he finds himself due to the outlandish spending of his late father, the current Lord Fordcombe simply cannot afford to repair it. With only a few loyal servants to serve the family, even the once beautiful gardens and stables are shabby and unkempt. In fact the Forde family, blue-blooded and aristocratic, who have entertained more than one English Monarch during their illustrious past, are now so poor that they struggle to find money for food. Driven beyond endurance and crushed by the monotony of poverty, Jeremy, the handsome twenty-one year old son of Lord Fordcombe decides that something desperate must be done. Artfully persuading his eldest sister, Mariota, to sacrifice her principles and go along with his daring plan, she joins him in holding up a coach masquerading as highwaymen. But as the usually honest and kind Mariota catches a glimpse of the terrified woman they are robbing, she knows that this is something she should never have allowed. About to call off Jeremy, who is wild-eyed with excitement and oblivious to the upset he is causing, she suddenly sees a gentleman taking aim with his gun behind her brother. In a split second she fires, blinded to the consequences of her actions through her love for her brother. As the dust settles on the lonely road she realises that the handsome Earl of Buckenham is injured and, eager to avoid the gallows, the subdued siblings bring him to their home to heal. Desperately sorry by the trouble they have caused, Mariota proceeds to nurse him better, praying for forgiveness and willing the Earl to improve. But the unforeseen dramas that arise from that one action alter the lives of everyone involved forever.

Lord Frodham and his friend Sir James Overton lay a wager that they can dupe the snobbish, horse racing-obsessed Marquis of Ardsley into falling in love with some beauty of the lower orders. They can hardly believe their luck when by chance they rescue lovely young heiress Indira Rowlandson from her dead father's evil lawyer who is bent on marrying her off to a bankrupt stranger. Indira is set on joining a Convent to escape the unwanted attentions of men, whom she hates, but, agreeing to their plan out of gratitude, she finds herself among high Society at Ardsley Hall. And, finding that the imperious Marquis shares her passion for the mysteries of the Orient, in spite of herself she begins to fall in love.

Notorious throughout the Beau Monde as something of a Casanova, the dashing and raffish Virgo, Marquis of Fane, cares little for the swooning Society beauties who fall at his feet. His true passion is for his racehorses and for art - and it is love at first sight when he sets eyes on a painting of the Madonna entitled The Virgin of the Lilies. But while investigating the painting's dubious provenance the Marquis encounters Cyrilla, the shy and beautiful daughter of the artist and is instantly, utterly bewitched. Soon their two hearts beat as one and their love seems Heaven sent. "My darling, you are not only divine and ethereal, but also human," the Marquis exclaims. "Let me take you away - find a house - we will be alone " But the Fate that brought them together seems bent on tearing them apart when Cyrilla realises no that matter how deep her love, she cannot do what he asks.

The Duke of Buckhurst, handsome, wealthy, a brilliant horseman and known to everyone as 'Buck' has sworn that he will never marry. Cutting a swathe through the sophisticated beauties of the Beau Monde, who are drawn to his sardonic charm like social butterflies to a bright light, he has only one requirement for his amours - that they are safely married to someone else. That is until he discovers that his heir apparent, his dissolute cousin Edmund, has married an actress. Horrified that a common showgirl will become the next Duchess and bring his family name into disrepute, the Duke is forced by his family into finding a bride. Bored by the very thought of being tied to a young, inexperienced young woman, he sets his loyal sisters the daunting task of choosing a suitable wife within the month, so that he can be married before the Royal races at Ascot. With time running out, Buck's sisters are in despair - until they meet Lady Samala Wynn, the daughter of the honorable but impoverished Earl of Kenwyn. Lovely, innocent and angel-faced, she seems the ideal bride, but can they persuade her to marry their rakish brother, Buck? For Samala is a young woman with her own ideas about marriage - and they include love and romance. But can a marriage between two strangers, built on a foundation of the groom's resentment and the bride's family duty, ever bring happiness and love? As the Duke, furious at the prospect of losing his freedom, dallies with the latest married woman to fall all too eagerly into his arms and Samala worries how her beloved father will cope living alone in his crumbling estate, it seems that this is a match that is doomed to bring nothing but sadness.

King Maximilian of Valdastien, handsome, clever but with a well deserved reputation as a ladies man, is under pressure from his Prime Minister to leave behind his bachelor ways, get married and produce an heir as soon as possible. Despite the fact that he vowed never to marry, with political unrest in Europe and encroaching danger from the Prussians, the King reluctantly decides to visit the surrounding countries to seek a suitable Queen. Meanwhile, beautiful but tempestuous Princess Zita flies across the alpine countryside of neighbouring Aldross on her dazzling horse Pegasus. Full of a fire that matches the stunning flame red of her hair and sparkling with intelligence, Zita could not be more different to her elder sister, the placid and homely Princess Sophie. So when a visit by King Maximilian is heralded, their shrewd mother wastes no time in ordering Princess Zita to stay out of sight so that she cannot catch the King's eye and ruin any matrimonial chances for her sister. Angry at being left out and curious to see a real King, especially one with such an intriguing reputation, Zita cooks up a cunning plan to disguise herself as a simple country girl. Enlisting the help of her secret friend Gretel, Zita is sure that the rest of her family will be far too busy preparing for the King's visit to guess what she is scheming. But Fate has other things in store for Zita and, although her plans to catch a glimpse of their esteemed guest go to plan, she ends up getting much more than she bargained for. Dazzled by the charm and wit of the King and, sensing that she has found a kindred spirit, she is desperate that he should not find out her secret and discover who she really is. But if she is honest with herself, having met him once, she wishes that she could see him a good deal more. Torn between her feelings for the King and her sense of family duty it seems that the only course she can take is to make sure that their paths never cross again.

The death of her beloved father, has left artistic and idealistic Tempera and her stunning, scatterbrained stepmother Lady Rothley bereft not only of love but also of money. So when Lady Rothley's womanly wiles attract an invitation from none other than the Duke of Chevingham to join him in the South of France, it's a Godsend. At last ? the prospect of a handsome, aristocratic suitor for Tempera's Belle-m?re who would keep them both in the style to which they would dearly love to be re-acquainted To arrive without a lady's maid is inconceivable ? to afford one impossible. So Tempera escorts her Belle-m?re in the guise of a servant and attempts to coach her in fine art, the Duke's consuming passion. While her stepmother flirts with C?te D?Azur society Tempera contents herself with capturing the local flora's beauty on canvas. And when the flair she inherited from her father captivates and mystifies the magnificent Duke, something stirs in Tempera that she has never felt before. Is it love? Or is it betrayal?

Impoverished and lonely but contented enough to live with her much-loved Nanny in the now-empty family home, shy, unworldly Pandia sorely misses her recently deceased father - the handsome Hungarian scholar and writer. When Selene, the capricious twin sister, who abandoned them years before, appears out of the blue Pandia is amazed, then appalled when Selene announces she's told the Social world that Pandia is dead She then demands that Pandia impersonates her at a family funeral to cover for Selene's illicit tryst with her lover Pandia reluctantly agrees and at the Church meets the dashing Lord Silvester Stone, a famous explorer and writer who ignites the 'fire in the blood' she inherited from her father. The passion between them is instant and electric. Pandia knows now that she will love Silvester forever - but how can she tell him that she is not who he thinks she is? Or that they can never ever meet again?

Beautiful Lady Lucilla Welton is all alone in the world, having lost both her parents in a tragic accident. She has nowhere to go and so she stays with her cruel and distant Aunt Maud, who wants to marry her off as soon as possible. An ardent suitor is at hand - the rich Texan, Harkness Jackson - but his proposal is not one Lucilla could ever contemplate. She has already met the only man who will ever find the key to her heart - but the handsome Marquis of Castlebury is enthralled by another and for him, Lucilla seems to be no more than a casual friend. She accepts the Marquis's invitation to visit Paris with him and her old Nanny comes as chaperone. She is enchanted to be with him, but dark clouds are gathering. And, once Harkness Jackson has found out where she is, the odds against Lucilla ever finding happiness grow longer and longer. She flees the persistent American and the Marquis believes that she has run away with him. She is taken in by her maid from her hotel and her artist brother, who paints her and the portrait catches the eye of the Parisian art world - and the Marquis. Will Lucilla ever find true love with the man she adores? Will the Marquis finally come to his senses and follow his heart? All is revealed in this exciting, heart-stopping romance by BARBARA CARTLAND