Linda Rae Sande has 20 audiobooks on Listento.it, narrated by 2 narrators. The most-rated is The Passion of a Marquess.
The Grace of a Duke
Summary
They say time heals all wounds, but what of those left by love? Having barely survived the fire that killed his family, Joshua Wainwright reluctantly begins his reign as the new Duke of Chichester. He is still recovering from his burns when he returns to Wisborough Oaks, the family seat in Sussex where the fire occurred. With reconstruction underway and a backlog of estate business to complete, the very last thing Joshua can handle is the sudden appearance of Lady Charlotte, the daughter of the Earl of Ellsworth. Once betrothed to Joshua's older brother, Charlotte has spent her entire life training to be the Duchess of Chichester. Now that the man she was supposed to marry is dead, Charlotte is determined to marry Joshua, for despite the horrific scars that require him to wear a mask over one side of his face, she has secretly loved him since her coming out. Never mind that her father has arranged a betrothal to the Earl of Gisborn! The duke has no idea it was Charlotte who arranged for his medical care and transport to London after the fire. Given his scars and the gossip mongers in London who refer to him as "his Grace with half a face", he's determined to spare Charlotte from having to marry him, even if she feels duty-bound to do so. But Charlotte, hiding a hideous scar of her own, will do whatever it takes, including seduction, to secure a marriage to the man she loves. Will Joshua's apparent indifference send her into the arms of the earl who has come to claim her? Or will Charlotte choose a different path? Love proves it can heal even the deepest wounds in The Grace of a Duke.
©2013 Linda Rae Sande (P)2016 Linda Rae Sande
Tuesday Nights
Summary
If every man is a master of time, then what of the man who loses track of it? A viscount's son and a bare knuckle boxer, Michael Cunningham is more interested in building his fortune than spending time at the Marriage Mart. But long ago, he promised his mother he would get married "if not before, then on the eve of my 28th birthday." Reminded by his sister, a duchess, that his next birthday is his 28th birthday, Michael realizes he has much to do in the three weeks he has to keep his promise - not the least of which is to secure the only woman he has ever considered for a wife - the younger daughter of his business partner and the very woman his sister has just hired to be a governess! The duchess will rescind her offer of employment to Olivia Waterford, but there's no time for courtship, no time for banns to be read, and certainly no time to wait for a wedding to be planned once Michael proposes. His sister has the perfect plan, though. In order to meet his mother's deadline and ensure a quick marriage, she insists Michael must ruin Olivia. Olivia has felt affection for her father's business partner since the day he rescued her from a rake. But since the gentleman never showed a romantic interest in her during his frequent visits to her family's home in Shipley, imagine her shock when he climbs into her bed and is discovered by her father. Ruined, indeed! Now, married and living in London, Michael is sure Olivia despises him for what happened, while Olivia is quite sure her husband has feelings for her sister and simply wandered into the wrong bedchamber that fateful Tuesday night. Will a week be enough time for Michael to court his new wife and convince her of his affections? Or, will he regret his last-minute efforts to accomplish too much in too little time? Only time will tell in Tuesday Nights.
©2013 Linda Rae Sande (P)2015 Linda Rae Sande
The Seduction of an Earl
Summary
You can't teach an old dog new tricks, but what about his mistress? Henry Forster has loved only one woman his entire life. Sarah, a farmer's daughter, bore him a son when he was merely the nephew of the Earl of Gisborn. Despite Henry's numerous proposals, Sarah has refused to marry him, claiming he must seek a wife suitable to his rank. And now that he's inherited the earldom and needs a legitimate heir, he is determined to find a biddable wife but keep Sarah as his lover and his young son in his life. Lady Hannah Slater, the daughter of the Marquess of Devonville, decided long ago that men have no regard for their wives and only ever love their mistresses. Husbands, she thinks, are for fathering children. Her large dog, Harold MacDuff can provide protection, but she wants desperately to have a child. So when the Earl of Gisborn offers for her hand, she readily accepts. When the earl doesn't bed her on their wedding night - he thought it inappropriate to take her virtue in her childhood bed - Hannah is upset and makes her displeasure known while the two are on their way to Oxfordshire. In an effort to appease her, Henry agrees to the proviso that he bed only Hannah until she is with child - then he can resume his relations with Sarah. He is unaware that his true love has set her sights on a different future -one that doesn't include him. It will take the antics and devotion of man's best friend to teach Henry and Hannah that sometimes love is right in front of your nose in The Seduction of the Earl.
©2013 Linda Rae Sande (P)2016 Linda Rae Sande
The Widowed Countess
Summary
If two brothers love the same woman, is two times the romance worth double the trouble? When Clarinda married the Earl of Norwick, she thought she was marrying the Fitzwilliam twin who courted her. Little does she know that it was David's identical twin brother Daniel, the spare heir, who captured her heart with pink roses and delectable kisses. So when the rakish David married her and made her his countess, an embittered Daniel left London to oversee the earl's estates in Sussex. Four years later, David's sudden death forces a reunion of the star-crossed lovers and the appearance of Clarinda's randy mother-in-law. Clarinda thinks Daniel despises her for being a fortune hunter - and because she's pregnant with a possible heir to the earldom. Daniel knows Clarinda despises him, but he can't remember what caused their last tête-à-tête to end in a nasty argument. And David's ghost is paying nocturnal visits to Clarinda while annoying Daniel with instructions to pursue his widow and pleas to discover who - or what - caused his untimely death. Who can be in mourning when twin brothers are causing so much trouble? Or is two times the romance worth a bit of sibling rivalry? Twins double the fun in The Widowed Countess.
©2014 Linda Rae Sande (P)2015 Linda Rae Sande
The Gossip of an Earl
Summary
Extra! Extra! Read all about it....
The Earl of Fennington has a secret identity - that of Mr. Pepperidge, editor of London's premiere gossip rag, The Tattler. While attending a garden party as Fennington, he meets and falls in love with an earl's daughter. The attraction is mutual, for despite knowing better, Lady Emelia allows him to kiss her behind a hedgerow. Who will know but them?
When the earl asks permission to marry Emelia, her father denies him, requiring him instead to court Emelia for eight weeks. He's only allowed to see her once each week, however. Desperate to spend more time with her, Fennington devises a scheme in which he'll be able to do just that, but in disguise. Emelia will have to meet Mr. Pepperidge in the park once a week to provide him the on-dit she hears whilst paying calls in Mayfair parlors. That, or he'll print the news of her kiss with Fennington in The Tattler!
Jane Vandermeer, Dowager Countess of Stoneleigh, is considering a move to the Continent - a year of mourning after a loveless marriage has left her wanting something more. When her long lost love, Andrew Burroughs, appears at Lord Weatherstone's ball and informs her he'll be spending the evening - and hopefully the rest of his life - with her in London, the future is suddenly looking bright. That is, until The Tattler prints a report of Andrew kissing Lady Jane in the gardens during the ball. A different Jane.
Hurt and angered, Jane goes about trying to discover the truth while Andrew is seeing to the restoration of the childhood home he hopes to share with Jane.
With mistaken identities ruling the reports in The Tattler and a new Gossip Goddess sharing news of obscure aristocrats, is it any wonder the members of the ton love to hate gossip? Or do they really love The Gossip of an Earl? The Tattler knows!
©2016 Linda Rae Sande (P)2017 Linda Rae Sande
The Dream of a Duchess
Summary
When Isabella believes she has witnessed her mother's murder at the hands of her father, she rides off to London in search of the Earl of Norwick, the man her mother always said she could go to in case of trouble. To keep her safe, Octavius, Duke of Huntington, agrees to hide Isabella in his country estate - and to allow her access to his stables and horses. But what about his heart?
©2018 Linda Rae Sande (P)Michael Troughton Michael Troughton
The Story of a Baron
Summary
What will you discover when you read between the lines? Jeffrey Althorpe is in need of more income for the struggling Sommers barony. As a peer of the realm, he's not allowed to work, but if he's able to earn money from a book he's written - anonymously, of course - no one will be wiser. A dowry would be easier, but then he would have to find a woman willing to marry a baron. While her brother, the Earl of Everly, is away on one of his lengthy expeditions, Lady Evangeline is left behind in London to spend her days creating exquisite embroideries and reading books. She's about to buy The Story of a Baron at The Temple of Muses when Lord Sommers suddenly appears. He's intent on buying the very same book, but there's only the one copy. Desperate to discover what changes his publisher might have made to his story - without letting on he's the author - Jeffrey suggests they read it together. Evangeline's sterling reputation could use a bit of scandal, she decides, and so she agrees to Lord Sommer's proposal. As the two read The Story a Baron, Evangeline realizes some of the characters and settings are just a bit too familiar. And a bit too close to home. Was she the inspiration for the baron's secret love, a bold, brash woman whose reputation is in tatters? With her own reputation suddenly in question, Evangeline finds her life imitating art. How can the book have a happy ending when she wishes she'd never purchased The Story of a Baron?
©2014 Linda Rae Sande (P)2015 Linda Rae Sande
The Charity of a Viscount
Summary
What is real and what is fiction when it comes to Marcus Lancaster's life?
An overactive imagination has never been too much of a problem for the viscount. It comes in handy during boring sessions of parliament and keeps the widower entertained on lonely nights when there are no events to attend. Now that his daughter is making her come-out, he is looking to remarry and has set his cap on a widowed countess.
Charity, Countess of Wadsworth, is relieved to be widowed and has no intention of finding another husband - except for others. She has just accepted an offer to become the matchmaker at the charity, "Finding Wives for the Wounded".
Until Lancaster makes a comment about having spent an evening in the gardens with her, Charity has no idea she's a major player in the viscount's daydreams. Her only interaction with him was a waltz! So just how much has this man imagined? He seems to know far too much - including her secret wish. And does he realize it's not about to become reality?
Or is it?
The lines between dreams and real life are about to become blurry in The Charity of a Viscount.
©2019 Linda Rae Sande (P)2019 Linda Rae Sande
The Vision of a Viscountess
Summary
Love looks with the mind, but not with the eye...which explains Cupid’s success. When Baron Jasper Henley is caught kissing a marquess’ niece in the gardens during a ball, he agrees to marry the girl. It’s not the first time he’s been forced to marry - he and his late wife had been caught kissing in front of the same fountain prior to his marriage proposal - but he had always intended to marry Sophie. While on a visit to London to visit her uncle and his new wife, Marianne Slater is happy to attend the Season’s entertainments - even if she can’t see very well. The world is a blur unless it’s close-up. Usually a wallflower at balls, Marianne is stunned when a gentleman approaches and offers to escort her in the gardens. A clear-eyed, innocent kiss suddenly results in the blurry whirlwind of a quick wedding and its subsequent aftermath. Determined to show his new bride the wonders of the ancient world as part of his next archaeological expedition - their wedding trip - Jasper will do whatever it takes to see to it Marianne can see more clearly. But as things come into focus for her, Jasper may find his own vision clouded by an unexpected revelation. Can the insights he discovers from bits of history open his eyes to future possibilities? He may prefer blindness in The Vision of a Viscountess.
©2018 Linda Rae Sande (P)2018 Linda Rae Sande
The Conundrum of a Clerk
Summary
When widower and bank clerk Theodore Streater discovers his late mother was not only the headmistress of Warwick's Grammar and Finishing School, but also its owner, he's in need of someone to run the rather lucrative enterprise. He turns to the woman who helped him regain his position at the bank after he lost an arm fighting in Belgium. His best friend's wife, Elizabeth Bennett-Jones, Viscountess Bostwick, still runs her charity, Finding Work for the Wounded. She is sure there's an applicant who would be perfect as headmistress of her old school. Having lost her position as an operative with the Home Office - her slight limp from a gunshot wound is hard to hide - Daisy Albright is at a loss as to what to do next. She could return to her father's home. The Duke of Ariley would like nothing more than to have his oldest illegitimate daughter under his protection until a suitable marriage can be arranged. But after several years of handling her own affairs away from the aristocracy, Daisy is determined to retain her independence. So when Viscountess Bostwick informs her she has a position in mind, Daisy immediately pays a call on the new owner of Warwick's to apply. Poor Teddy Streater has no idea what he's in for when he hires the ex-spy to run the finishing school. He would prefer to court the comely lady who seems prim and proper, but what woman wants to marry a man with only one arm? Perhaps he should be in search of a mistress. Trouble is, he can only imagine Miss Albright in the role in The Conundrum of a Clerk.
©2018 Linda Rae Sande (P)2019 Michael Troughton
The Desire of a Lady
Summary
A sensual tale of four suitors’ pursuits of a former maid - as told by a lady. Being a maid was much simpler than being the illegitimate sister of an earl. Lily Harkins has learned that lesson the hard way. Now, she has not one, but four aristocratic suitors. Her brother will expect her to choose one. Trouble is, she doesn’t want any of them. The handsome clerk she recently met, however, is another story entirely. She’ll just have to convince her brother that marrying a commoner wouldn’t be a huge mistake. And she knows just how she’s going to do it.... William Overby is perfectly happy with the middle-class lifestyle his job affords him. He was, at least. Until he met her. The lovely Lily is everything he could ever want in a wife. It’s just his unfortunate luck that she’s also completely out of reach for someone of his station. He knows he should stay away. And yet...he doesn’t. He can’t.... Can Lily and William find a way to bridge their opposite worlds and take a shot at happily-ever-after? Or will the dictates of an unforgiving society overtake the lure of forbidden love and the desire of a lady?
©2015 Linda Rae Sande (P)2016 Linda Rae Sande
Stella of Akrotiri: Deminon
Summary
Love can last a thousand lifetimes when you’re an Immortal...or so they thought. What’s become of the Immortal Darius? His wife, Stella, worries about his fate as she rules over their city-state of Deminon, especially when she learns he’s been the victim of treachery. She’ll do anything to get him back. Enslaved as a traitor to Rome, Darius is forced to fight gladiators as part of the funeral rites of powerful Romans. His years of experience on the battlefield serve him well in the arena - until he’s forced to fight Marcus - a younger, stronger gladiator who is unaware of his own immortality. Sure he’s about to suffer a defeat by the hand of Marcus, Darius is forced to make a decision that will change his future and Stella’s - preserve his essence by allowing his body to die so that he can live on in Marcus. His 2,000 years of memories and life experiences should be powerful enough to overcome the essence of the untested Immortal, allowing him to return to Stella and resume their life together, even if she won’t immediately recognize him. But Marcus isn’t giving up so easily. Especially when he meets Stella. Will Marcus help Darius take revenge on the one whose deceit led to his arrest on charges of treason? Or will Darius’ essence slowly be subsumed, the memories of his nearly 2,000-year lifespan - and of Stella - fading away in the mind of Marcus? These Immortals once had all the time in the world. Now it’s suddenly of the essence.
©2018 Linda Rae Sande (P)2019 Linda Rae Sande
Stella of Akrotiri: Origins: An Ancient Greek Tale of Immortals
Summary
Immortality can be a lonely existence, especially when the world is about to implode. For over 600 years, Darius of Agremon has fought wars on behalf of those who needed his skills in combat. As a lechagos on Strongili, he spends his days commanding the Minoan coastguardsmen against pirates and marauders. His nights are spent alone, for despite having had wives in the past, he has watched them all grow old and die, childless, as he continues to live. So when he senses immortality in an olive farmer’s young daughter, Darius bargains to take her to wife when she is old enough to marry. A foundling, Stella works in her adoptive father’s orchard above Akrotiri, climbing the ancient trees to prune and to harvest the strings of pearls from their branches. She fears invaders when she watches flaming arrows arc in the sky, a sign the island is under attack. She worries about how the ground quakes beneath her feet and steam erupts from cracks in the ground. She wonders at the odd tingling she experiences whenever Darius of Agremon is near, a sensation not unlike the one she feels when spending time in the oldest trees. Unaware of the arrangement her father has made with the lechagos, Stella thinks she has been sold into slavery when Darius comes for her. Her youth has been spent admiring the man who helped her father’s business thrive. Now she has only contempt for him and his hard-headed manner, despite the pleasures he incites whenever he claims her body. While the earth trembles and a volcano threatens to destroy the island of Strongili, these two will have to forge a relationship that will last far longer than a lifetime - one that must endure an eternity and the disaster that’s about to wipe out the only home Stella has ever known.
©2019 Linda Rae Sande (P)2019 Twisted Teacup Publishing
The Love of a Rake
Summary
At the age of 35, Randall Roderick, Marquess of Reading, decides it's time to trade in his life as the Rake of Reading for the life of a married man. Trouble is, his reputation precedes him, and he's not particularly attracted to the milk water misses who make up the eligible ladies of the ton. His counterpart, Charles Goodwin, Earl of Wakefield, is only 25 and enjoys his life as a rake far too much to consider marriage. A visiting prostitute may change his mind on the matter, though, if only because he wants to do the right thing. When the Earl of Norwick's skittish cousin, Constance, meets Randall in the park, she's intrigued by the gentleman she thinks is merely a well-to-do cit with a fascination for horse racing, but she's only in London to find out what's become of her inheritance. She's determined to return to her home and horses in Sussex to live the life of an independent woman. Her counterpart, Eleanor Merriweather, is in London for her coming-out with a dream to marry her perfect knight, but having been duped by a brothel's madam upon her arrival, she suddenly finds herself completely and thoroughly ruined. When the lives of these four are suddenly upended by their chance meetings, the events of two nights and two days will prove that it takes a bit of horse sense to get on the right track in The Love of a Rake.
©2015 Linda Rae Sande (P)2016 Linda Rae Sande
The Epiphany of an Explorer
Summary
A man only gets one chance to find his Aphrodite...but what if she finds him first? When archeologist Dr. Stewart Jones, a duke, goes missing and is feared dead while searching for an important Greek artifact, explorer Harold Tennison, Earl of Everly, is pressed into service by fellow members of the Royal Society to find him. Since Harry has already planned an expedition to the Cyclades to search for rare birds and flowers, he sets off for the Aegean to begin his quest. On his last visit to Delos, Harry was blessed with a visit from a young woman - his very own version of Aphrodite rising from the sea to regard him with an arched eyebrow and a simple question that left him so discombobulated, he could barely speak. Born of a Mykonian mother and a British duke, Lady Estelle isn't particularly comfortable in either world. With her father's recent disappearance and no prospects for marriage, Stella may end up stranded on Mykonos. She spends her days assisting her uncle in his hunt for Greek treasures he can sell to visiting Europeans. At night, she remembers the bespectacled earl who nearly broke her foot during a waltz back in London. When Harry arrives on Mykonos to begin his hunt for the duke and to resume his own research, he'll have to learn far more about mythology, antiquities, and Greek goddesses than he bargained for. The search may be worth it, though, but only if he ends up with his very own Aphrodite in The Epiphany of an Explorer.
©2016 Linda Rae Sande (P)2017 Linda Rae Sande
The Puzzle of a Bastard
Summary
Sometimes the perfect person is right under your nose! An expert in pottery restoration, Frances Longworth spends her days in the basement of a museum, applying her skills to damaged artifacts so they can be put on display. If only she didn’t have to constantly prove herself to men who expect her to be a man. The bastard son of an earl, Gabe Wellingham eschews a life of leisure by accepting a position at the same museum as an archivist, cataloguing Ancient Greek artifacts. He has no qualms about a woman reassembling the latest arrival from an archaeological expedition. He does find her manner rather prickly, however. Annoying, defensive, and far too uptight for his tastes. So why does he feel the need to pull the pins from her too-tight bun and kiss her senseless? Having just returned to London after a lengthy absence, James Burroughs seeks a quiet place to stay. With the rest of her extended family gone for the holiday, childhood friend Emily Grandby offers James a room at her estate. Secretly grieving the loss of the man she might have married, she never imagines James' desire for a perfectly quiet life might also include her. But then, neither does he in The Puzzle of a Bastard.
©2020 Linda Rae Sande (P)2020 Linda Rae Sande
Diana
Summary
Born an orphan, raised as a warrior princess, desired by men. Can an immortal claim her heart? The first adopted daughter of Stella and Darius, Diana has been raised as if she were one of the fabled Amazon princesses. Her mornings are spent training with Darius at the agoge and her skills as a warrior matched only by a few of the Deminon army recruits. Her afternoons are spent with Stella as she learns the art of diplomacy and the importance of service to others. Never does Diana wonder why her parents are so devoted to one another, or why they seem to speak of the past as if they lived in it. The curious stares aimed in her direction by the agoge's doctor Antony - even when she’s not in the circle of battle - has Diana on edge. Learning she has a much older adopted brother - one who seems to youthen as he ages - has her questioning her origins. So, the arrival of Augustus of Assyria seems fortuitous. Her father’s oldest friend is welcomed with open arms even as he is followed by a threat to the future of Deminon. With his intimate knowledge of her parents, perhaps, he’ll have the answers Diana seeks. Or, will the Roman senator’s revelation about her only complicate matters? For, his attentions are far more intense than those of Antony - and far more arousing.
©2019 Linda Rae Sande (P)2020 Twisted Teacup Publishing
The Caress of a Commander
Summary
After eight years in the British Navy, Will Slater returns to London to resume his life as the son of a marquess. He's determined to discover what's become of Lady Barbara. An earl's daughter, she pledged her love on their last night together and now seems to have disappeared from Society. Will's bastard brother, Stephen, served with him on his last ship and is ready to attend every ball and soirée necessary to earn acceptance in the ton. As the Marquess of Devonville's son and a dead ringer for his brother, he finds it easier than he should to navigate the choppy waters of aristocratic Society. And why wouldn't he? All the young ladies think he's his brother, especially after Will requests that they trade places and then leaves London to search for Barbara! Banished from her father's home seven years ago, Barbara lives in a ramshackle cottage in Oxfordshire. With little to eat, no prospects, and nothing in the way of income unless she takes up prostitution, her life has become bleak. Although there is one bright spot left in her life, that, too, will dim unless something - or someone - comes to save the day. The last person she expects to do just that is Will Slater. Having written him off when he didn't write to her during his years at sea, Barbara claims she no longer loves him. How can she when he abandoned her? As Stephen dazzles the debutantes with his easy manners, good humor, and demonstrations of delectable kissing - all in his brother's name - how will he explain himself when one of those young ladies turns out to be one he wants? Trading places has everyone feeling as if they're just a bit lost at sea in The Caress of a Commander.
©2016 Linda Rae Sande (P)2017 Michael Troughton
The Angel of an Astronomer
Summary
’Tis the season for falling snow and falling stars...but falling in love? George Viscount Hexham, is quite literally thunderstruck when he meets Lady Anne in the park, and he can’t get her off his mind. Her brother, Gabe, is happy to act as a matchmaker, never once mentioning he might already be acting on behalf of the other side. Can two who are so perfectly matched end up married before Anne must endure her first Season in London? Meanwhile, when a neighbor appears to be spying on George’s twin sister through the telescope in his garden observatory, an incensed Lady Angelica is determined to give him a piece of her mind. Sir Benjamin may end up with her heart as well, as mistletoe and moonlight work their magic in The Angel of an Astronomer.
©2020 Linda Rae Sande (P)2020 Linda Rae Sande
The Passion of a Marquess
Summary
They say you learn from your mistakes...but what if they're not your own? After four Seasons and no prospects, Lady Samantha is resigned to life as a spinster. Her aunt, Caroline Fitzsimmons, Viscountess Chamberlain, has another option in mind - she insists they set sail to Italy for a tour she hopes might allow her charge to meet and marry a European aristocrat. His coal mines having suffered a multitude of disasters, Ethan Range, Marquess of Plymouth, is determined to secure a recent invention from an Italian count to alleviate the danger of fires. He's none too happy to discover Lady Caroline traveling on the same ship as he is to Rome. He knows her secret and is rather incensed she's been able to hide Samantha's true past from the ton. While taking a late-night stroll on deck, Samantha is confronted by the scowling marquess. Incensed by his assertion that Caroline is really her mother, Samantha barely has time to slap the man before a sudden storm sends a wave of water onto the ship, washing them both overboard. Forced to save each other, the two end up as castaways on a deserted island in the Mediterranean. Although they face perils a plenty during the week they're stranded, they have far more to fear from one another than from hunger, weather, and pirates. Can the two overcome their circumstances and realize the mistakes of the past are not their own? Or will their week on the island lead to more turbulence? The heart may be the best life preserver in The Passion of a Marquess.
©2015 Linda Rae Sande (P)2016 Linda Rae Sande