Once upon a time . . .
That’s how a good story should begin, or so I’ve been told. Sweet young maidens attending royal balls, falling in love with charming princes, and living happily ever after.

That is not my story.
Meet Ella Upton, a spirited young woman who’s simply trying to survive in Arcady, the kingdom of happily never after, where the taxes are high, the laws are harsh, and a girl can end up in the Dismal Dungeons for merely swooning in the presence of royalty.

From a New York Times Bestselling author comes a captivating novel of deception, love, and renewal...

A Bold Masquerade
~ When Andrew Weston, the reckless Marquess of Sandhurst, is forced by King Henry VIII into an arranged marriage with a young French widow, he conceives a bold masquerade to outwit the king. Disguised as a humble portrait painter, Andrew travels to the French court of François Ist to have a look at his would-be bride.

Betrayed by her dead husband, Micheline Tevoulère has given up on love...and so she reluctantly agrees to wed an unseen English nobleman. Yet, when she sits for a portrait by a dashing artist with tender eyes, her heart begins to thaw.

Years ago, after tragedy struck Jamie Lathan's family, fosterling Caitrin Fletcher was sent home, out of danger. Heartbroken, young Jamie never expected to see her again. He certainly never imagined he’d be called upon to escort her to be betrothed to another man.