The Courtesans Daughter

Phano is almost 15, the traditional age for a woman to marry in ancient Athens. She is in love with Theo, who is 30-the traditional age for a man to marry. But marriage may not be an option for her. Her stepmother's enemy, Phrynion, claims that Phano is not really a free woman but a slave who belongs to him, and he is ready to sell her if he can get his hands on her. Phano, her father, and her stepmother must use every resource they have to try to restore her reputation and keep her safe. Even if they can keep Phrynion away, Phano may never be able to marry Theo, whose prominent family would expect a wealthy bride who would bring a good-sized dowry with her. Meanwhile, Athens faces the threat of war from Philip of Macedon. Once she turns 15, Phano must find her place as an adult in the turbulent society of ancient Greece. "From the Hardcover edition."

With her prospects for finding a suitable match limited by her mother's infamous past as one of London's most sought-after courtesans, Lady Caroline is dismayed to discover that her mother plans to purchase a husband for her by agreeing to settle the Earl of Ashdon's gambling debts in exchange for marriage. Original.

First in a sexy new series featuring a match-making courtesan. Lady Sophia Dalby, everyone?s favorite courtesanturned- countess, faces her toughest match-making case yet: her own obstinate daughter.

A young French actress. A reserved English lord. Can passion survive secrets and lies? In 1884, Mademoiselle Colette Chartier, a gifted actress at the ComA(c)die-FranAaise, travels alone to London to perform at the Savoy Theater. To shield herself from the English aristocratsa condemnation, Colette conceals her identity as the illegitimate daughter of a notorious Parisian courtesan. But when she meets the aloof Lord Jonathan Thackeray, who harbors a secret of his own, she learns first-hand about love based upon a lie. Can Colette experience the indescribable happiness for which her heart yearns? Will she get to marry the man she loves and become a member of the Thackeray family? Or will Colette be forced to be like her mother, a woman alone in the world who has to depend upon her beauty and talent and wits to survive?

From humble beginnings, Phano rises to become one of ancient Athens' most powerful citizens through her marriage to Theo, but they both have powerful enemies who don't share their political views.

To win the love of the rakish Marquis of Dutton, as well as to retrieve the family pearls that are in his possession, Lady Louisa Kirkland enlists the seductive assistance of former courtesan Lady Sophia, in a sexy Regency-era novel by the author of The Courtesan's Daughter. Original.

Reshaping a young girl's future? Tainted by birth, Bianca Ingram, daughter of the late Marquess of Clayton and renowned courtesan Fortune Eggleston, is moved out of her mother's home. To save her from a hopeless future, Bianca is sent to live with her paternal aunt's family. Bianca attends finishing school with her dear cousin, but when she reaches maturity, she holds to her aloof view of "polite" society.Family deception evokes tempers?Hugh Vincent, the Earl of Saint Manns, is served the ultimate betrayal when his brother steals one of his priceless Roman treasures to settle a gambling debt. Enraged, Hugh sets out to find him. To his disgust, he finds his brother has sunk to an all-time low by surrounding himself with courtesans. But Hugh's search leads him to the one lady he thought never to find, Lady Bianca Ingram.Unveiled truths can change a mind, but can they change a heart?Bianca falls in love with Hugh, but since he's unaware of her true parentage, she cannot accept his marriage proposal. With Hugh's strong aversion to harlotry, Bianca is certain he'll never accept her, and yet she shares her most cherished secret with him. She wonders if she can change the views of a man so high in the instep to one of unconditional acceptance.

Skilled in passion, artful in deception, and driven by betrayal, she is the glittering center of the royal court–but the most desired woman of Renaissance France will draw the wrath of a dangerous adversary. Paris, 1575. The consort of some of Europe’s most influential men, Gabrielle Cheney is determined to secure her future by winning the heart of Henry, the Huguenot king of Navarre. As his mistress, Gabrielle hopes she might one day become the power behind the French throne. But her plans are jeopardized by Captain Nicolas Rémy, a devoted warrior whose love Gabrielle desires–and fears–above all. She will also incur the malevolence of the Dark Queen, Catherine de’ Medici, whose spies and witch-hunters are legion, and who will summon the black arts to maintain her authority. With the lives of those she loves in peril, Gabrielle must rebel against her queen to fulfill a glorious destiny she has sacrificed everything to gain. Alive with vivid period detail and characters as vibrant as they are memorable, The Courtesan is a sweeping historical tale of dangerous intrigues, deep treachery, and one woman’s unshakable resolve to honor her heart.

They charmed some of Europe’s most illustrious men, honing their social skills as well as their sexual ones, and accumulating wealth, fame, and power along the way. Unlike their geisha counterparts, courtesans didn't lived in brothels or bend their wills to suit their suitors. They were the muses who enflamed the hearts of our most celebrated artists--Raphael, Manet, Dumas, and Proust, to name just a few--as well as becoming artists in their own right. Offering the first comprehensive tour of their worlds, Susan Griffins celebrates these first feminists and hails their virtues: Timing, Beauty, Cheek, Brilliance, Gaiety, Grace, and Charm. From Veronica Franco, who graced the palazzos of sixteenth-century Venice, and Madame de Pompadour, the arbiter of all things fashionable at Versailles during the reign of Lous XV, to La Belle Otero of the grand boulevards of Paris in the Gay Nineties and Marion Davies, who took Hollywood by storm in the 1920's and 1930's, The Book of the Courtesans enticingly illustrates the intricacies of their lavish lifestyles and incredible life stories. Fascinating true tales and enlightening snippets from courtesans' memoirs further reveal how these cunning women seized their opportunity to become the West's first liberators, free to choose their own lovers and command remarkable respect. Delving into his scintillating world, The Book of the Courtesans is an impeccably researched, beautifully crafted portrait of some of the most intriguing figures in women's history.