The Other Miss Bridgerton by Julia Quinn

 The Other Miss Bridgerton by Julia Quinn - 296 pages

She was in the wrong place...

Fiercely independent and adventurous, Poppy Bridgerton will only wed a suitor whose keen intellect and interests match her own. Sadly, none of the fools from her London season qualify. While visiting a friend on the Dorset coast, Poppy is pleasantly surprised to discover a smugglers’ hideaway tucked inside a cave. But her delight turns to dismay when two pirates kidnap her and take her aboard a ship, leaving her bound and gagged on the captain’s bed…

He found her at the wrong time...

Known to society as a rascal and reckless privateer, Captain Andrew James Rokesby actually transports essential goods and documents for the British goverment. Setting sail on a time-sensitive voyage to Portugal, he's stunned to find a woman waiting for him in his cabin. Surley, his imaganation is getting the better of him.  But no, she is very real - and his duty to the crown means he's stuck with her.

Can two wrongs make the most perfect right?

When Andrew learns that she is a Bridgerton, he knows he will likely have to wed her to avert a scandal - though Poppy has no idea that he is the son of an earl and neighbor to her aristocratic cousins in Kent.  On the high seas, their war of words soon gives way to intoxicating passion.  But when Andrew's secret is revealed, will his declaration of love be enough to capture her heart...?

Because of Miss Bridgerton by Julia Quinn

 Because of Miss Bridgerton by Julia Quinn - 289 pages

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 neighbors 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 and 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 humor...

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...

First Comes Scandal; A Bridgerton Prequel by Julia Quinn

 First Comes Scandal; A Bridgerton Prequel by Julia Quinn - 275 pages

She was given two choices…

Georgiana Bridgerton isn’t against the idea of marriage. She’d just thought she’d have some say in the matter. But with her reputation hanging by a thread after she’s abducted for her dowry, Georgie is given two options: live out her life as a spinster or marry the rogue who has ruined her life.

Enter Option #3

As the fourth son of an earl, Nicholas Rokesby is prepared to chart his own course. He has a life in Edinburgh, where he’s close to completing his medical studies, and he has no time—or interest—to find a wife. But when he discovers that Georgie Bridgerton—his literal girl-next-door—is facing ruin, he knows what he must do.

A Marriage of Convenience

It might not have been the most romantic of proposals, but Nicholas never thought she’d say no. Georgie doesn’t want to be anyone’s sacrifice, and besides, they could never think of each other as anything more than childhood friends… or could they?

But as they embark upon their unorthodox courtship they discover a new twist to the age-old rhyme. First comes scandal, then comes marriage. But after that comes love…

This is the 4th book in the prequel series to the Bridgerton series.  It is interesting reading the back stories of the aunts and uncles of the Bridgerton's.

Death in Provence by Serena Kent

Death in Provence by Serena Kent - 350 p.

British divorcée Penelope buys her dream home - a crumbling, overgrown farmhouse in a Provence village off the tourist track. It even comes with renovation-ready courtyard and swimming pool. The summer weather is brilliant, the French food delectable, and the mayor just dreamy. But Penelope’s perfect life is short-circuited once the first body is discovered. The plot rambles on a bit, but the story is intriguing and the book serves as a wonderful armchair getaway to the beautiful (and delicious) French countryside.