Kiss the Earl

by Gina Lamm

  “Except for us,” Leah said, laying her head on Avery’s shoulder.

  “Or us.” Jamie looked up at Micah.

  “Mrs. Knightsbridge,” Patrick said, “you have my eternal gratitude.”

  “I am glad to hear that, my lord.” Mrs. Knightsbridge nodded, then looked around the room. “Oh, my darlings, to see you all so happy is the best reward I could imagine. And with that, I would like to announce my retirement as a matchmaker.”

  The room fell silent for a moment, and Ella stared at the little housekeeper just like everyone else. The quiet was broken only a moment later when Jamie snorted.

  “As if. I give her six months.”

  “Three,” Leah interjected with a laugh. “She just can’t help herself.”

  “What about Iain?” Ella arched an eyebrow knowingly at the now-blushing housekeeper. “You were eyeing him pretty hard when you met him, when was it now, six months ago? You mean to tell me that you haven’t been imagining who to set him up with?”

  Mrs. Knightsbridge sniffed. “Jamie has run out of close friends, or that dark Scotsman would already have joined the family.”

  The whole room echoed with laughter, and even Mrs. Knightsbridge joined in. But a moment later, the doorbell rang. Leah stood.

  “That’ll be Pawpaw.”

  Mrs. Knightsbridge brightened visibly, then patted her hair. “Oh, do let me get the door.”

  As she hustled from the room, Ella looked over at Leah thoughtfully. “Hey, do you think your granddad and Mrs. Knightsbridge might ever…”

  Leah shrugged. “Honestly, I think they’ve been seeing each other on the sly for a year or more. That’s probably why she wants to retire from matchmaking. She’s found her own true love.”

  Patrick pulled Ella closer. “Well, she has certainly done a wonderful job. I cannot blame her for the fruits of her efforts thus far, and if she chooses not to continue, it shall not alter our happiness at all.”

  “Not one bit,” Ella agreed, and then kissed her husband with a smiling mouth.

  She couldn’t ever have imagined her life this way, but she wouldn’t change it for anything.

  Not anything at all.

  Thank you for reading!

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  Acknowledgments

  I started this book in the wilds of the Georgia mountains, with no Internet connection, no phone, and a deadline that wouldn’t quit. In those first days, I got stuck and needed help. So thanks to my husband, Scotty, and my good friends Jodi and Gabe Ruotolo, who listened to me whine and moan and helped me get the ideas to make this story work.

  Later, I wrote this book while my grandfather’s health declined. I wrote in his hospital room, beside his bed while he was in hospice care, and later on his couch while the estate sale shoppers milled around. I wrote this book while my family surrounded me, while love and then sadness and finally togetherness solidified the unit that makes me whole.

  So here’s to you, Granddaddy, for fighting so long. We miss you.

  Here’s to Mom and Dad, who tirelessly took care of him and the rest of us.

  Here’s to my Uncle Tim and Aunt Kathy, who were there for my granddaddy, my parents, and me.

  Here’s to my sister, Heather, who cried with me, held my hand while we sang at his memorial, and listened to me talk about my story to get our minds off our grief.

  Here’s to my brother, Jason, for never failing to make me laugh.

  Here’s to Denise Tompkins, one of the best people God ever put on this earth, for supporting me, loving me, and never ever letting me quit.

  Here’s to Nicole, my agent and friend, who helped me adjust deadlines and never stops encouraging me.

  Here’s to Stephanie Allen, smart lady and my one and only CFF, who is always there when I need her.

  Here’s to Mary Altman, who picked up my worried carcass and hauled me through this book. Rebranding is a scary, scary thing, but since I “met” you, I’ve never worried for a second about this being the most awesome story it could be. From the bottom of my heart, Mary, THANK YOU.

  And most of all, to the readers of this story. Thank you for allowing me to share my imaginary people with you. Whether you love this story or not, I hope it makes you feel, sigh, squeal, and laugh. Without you guys, I’m just a crazy lady in pajama pants with outrageous ideas.

  About the Author

  Gina Lamm loves geekery, but don’t let that fool you. She’s also an overly dramatic theatre rat with a penchant for reading scary books too late at night. She bellydances too much, tweets too often, and lives her life with a passion that could be considered foolish. She’s addicted to stories, and loves nothing more than penning funny, emotional tales of love, lust, and entertaining mishaps. Married to a real-life superhero, she lives with her beloved family in rural North Carolina, surrounded by tobacco farms, possums, and the occasional hurricane. When not writing, you can usually find her fishing or playing World of Warcraft. Badly. Visit her online at www.ginalamm.net anytime.

  The Geek Girl and the Scandalous Earl

  by Gina Lamm

  The stakes have never been higher…

  An avid gamer, Jamie Marten loves to escape into online adventure. But when she falls through an antique mirror into a lavish bedchamber—two hundred years in the past!—she realizes she may have gone a little too far.

  Micah Axelby, Earl of Dunnington, has just kicked one mistress out and isn’t looking for another—least of all this sassy woman who claims to be from the future. Yet something about her is undeniably enticing…

  He’s a peer of the realm. She can barely make rent. He’s horse-drawn. She’s Wi-Fi. But in the game of love, these two will risk everything to win.

  “Lamm’s wonderfully quirky romance brings fresh humor to a familiar trope.” —RT Book Reviews

  “A light romance with plenty of passion and conflict.” —Historical Novels Review

  For more Gina Lamm, visit:

  www.sourcebooks.com

  Geek Girls Don’t Date Dukes

  by Gina Lamm

  She’s aiming to catch a duke.

  Leah Ramsey has always loved historical romance novels and dressing in period costumes. So when she has a chance to experience the history for herself, she jumps at it—figuring it can’t be too hard to catch the eye of a duke. After all, it happens all the time in her novels.

  But sometimes a girl can do even better…

  Avery Russell, valet and prize pugilist, reluctantly helps Leah gain a position in the Duke of Granville’s household…as a maid. Domestic servitude wasn’t exactly what she had in mind, but she’s determined to win her happily ever after. Even if the hero isn’t exactly who she’s expecting…

  For more Gina Lamm, visit:

  www.sourcebooks.com

  When a Rake Falls

  The Rake’s Handbook

  by Sally Orr

  He’s racing to win back his reputation

  Having hired a balloon to get him to Paris in a daring race, Lord Boyce Parker is simultaneously exhilarated and unnerved by the wonders and dangers of flight, and most of all by the beautiful, stubborn, intelligent lady operating the balloon.

  She’s curious about the science of love

  Eve Mountfloy is in the process of conducting weather experiments when she finds herself spirited away to France by a notorious rake. She’s only slightly dismayed—the rake seems to re
spect her work—but she is frequently distracted by his windblown good looks and buoyant spirits.

  What happens when they descend from the clouds?

  As risky as aeronautics may be, once their feet touch the ground, Eve and Boyce learn the real danger of a very different type of falling…

  Praise for The Rake’s Handbook:

  “A charming romp. The witty repartee and naughty innuendos set the perfect pitch for the entertaining romance.” —RT Book Reviews

  For more Sally Orr, visit:

  www.sourcebooks.com

  The Lady Meets Her Match

  Midnight Meetings

  by Gina Conkle

  Finding her is only half the battle

  Cyrus Ryland didn’t become England’s wealthiest bachelor by playing it safe, and the mysterious tart-tongued beauty he discovers sneaking around at his masked ball enflames his curiosity. When the clock chimes midnight and she’s nowhere to be found, Cyrus vows to scour all of London to uncover who she is. Little does he know that not only does Claire Mayhew not want to be found, but she wants nothing to do with him at all…

  Praise for Meet the Earl at Midnight:

  “A refreshing Georgian spin on Beauty and the Beast.” —Grace Burrowes, New York Times bestselling author of The Captive

  For more Gina Conkle, visit:

  www.sourcebooks.com