New Italian Editions

The Italian ediitons of both The Ballad of Rosamunde and The Renegade’s Heart have reverted to me and been republished in new editions.

The Ballad of Rosamunde, book four of the Jewels of Kinfairlie series of medieval romances by Claire Delacroix, Italian edition

Intrappolata nel Regno delle Fate, Rosamunde può essere liberata solo dal vero amore…ma l’uomo che lei amava è morto. Padraig vorrebbe che la loro amicizia si trasformasse in qualcosa di più…riuscirà a conquistare il cuore di Rosamunde per sempre?


The Renegade's Heart, book one of the True Love Brides series of medieval Scottish romances by Claire Delacroix, Italian edition

Lei è disposta a correre qualsiasi rischio pur di salvare l’anima di Murdoch.

Liberato dalla prigionia delle Fate, Murdoch Seton non vuole altro che dimenticare gli anni che ha perduto. Per questo, intraprende una missione per recuperare il tesoro rubato alla sua famiglia…senza tuttavia fare i conti con una strana fanciulla, l’unica che può aiutarlo a scoprire il mistero del furto e a redimere se stesso.

Isabella si indigna davanti al rinnegato che sta occupando il mastio del fratello, soprattutto quando si tratta di un cavaliere troppo bello per il suo bene…e per il proprio.

Ma è sufficiente un unico incontro, per convincerla che la causa che lo ha portato lì è giusta e per spingerla a rivelargli il nome del ladro, senza minimamente immaginare che il bacio che si sono scambiato ha scatenato una vera e propria battaglia nell’anima di Murdoch.

Quando le Fate tornano a reclamare Murdoch per sempre, Isabella cerca di aiutare il cavaliere che le ha rubato il cuore.

Ma lui le permetterà di correre un tale rischio? Oppure si sacrificherà per salvarla?

The Duke’s Desire in Print

The romance between the Duke of Haynesdale and Esmeralda Ballantyne was planned to be a sub-plot that carried through the entire series. By book four, it became clear to me that these two needed their own book as they were not inclined to stay in the background. The Duke’s Desire begins at roughly the same time as The Hellion’s Heart.

FIVE star review for The Duke's Desire, book 6 of The Ladies' Essential Guide to the Art of Seduction series of Regency romances by Claire Delacroix

This book stands alone, and includes references to earlier scenes between these two. If you would like to read all the detail, please start at the beginning of the series. The duke meets Mrs. Oliver at Rockmorton in The Christmas Conquest, and spars with Miss Ballantyne at the soirée in The Masquerade of the Marchioness. In The Widow’s Wager, Esmeralda is charged with Jacques’ crime and Damien decides to make matters right – and also when he visits her in prison to present his plan. (I love that scene!) In The Hellion’s Heart, Damien retrieves Sylvie from France. The Bluestocking’s Bargain has few scenes with this pair, but it does follow Patience and Arthur’s quest to publish Esmeralda’s book.

Tropes for The Duke's Desire, book 6 of The Ladies' Essential Guide to the Art of Seduction series of Regency romances by Claire Delacroix

The Duke's Desire, book six in The Ladies' Essential Guide to the Art of Seduction Regency romance series by Claire Delacroix

Esmeralda Ballantyne is the most successful courtesan in London, a woman envied by many and a mystery to all. When her past threatens the future of her younger sister, she finds an unexpected champion in the Duke of Haynesdale, a gentleman driven by his honor to intervene on her behalf, despite his disapproval of her trade. Does she dare to trust her newfound protector with her truth, or is the duke – like so many men of her acquaintance – interested in only one kind of compensation from her? As much as she refuses to surrender to any man, Esmeralda fears her impulse will lead her astray…will the price of capitulation be her fiercely defended independence or her heart?

Damien DeVries, the Duke of Haynesdale, abandoned his rakehell ways when his father bought his commission. The youngest of three sons, he never expected to inherit the duchy, and finds himself discontent, burdened by responsibilities and – according to his mother – past due to wed and provide an heir. The difficulty is that the only woman of interest is the forbidden beauty, Miss Ballantyne. There could not be a less appropriate choice for his duchess, but no other woman tempts him…

Drawn together by an irresistible desire, duke and courtesan agree to a short affair. But their mutual need proves insatiable, growing stronger with each night together. The duke becomes convinced that they must marry – but can Esmeralda ever trust a man fully? Her one last secret will either draw them together or drive them apart forever – when she finally shares it, can they put the betrayals of the past behind and forge a future on their own terms?

FIVE star review for The Duke's Desire, book 6 of The Ladies' Essential Guide to the Art of Seduction series of Regency romances by Claire Delacroix

Buy the ebook:

Buy directly from the author at Hazel & Honeysuckle Press and have your ebook delivered via BookFunnel
FIVE star review for The Duke's Desire, book 6 of The Ladies' Essential Guide to the Art of Seduction series of Regency romances by Claire Delacroix

Buy The Duke’s Desire in paperback:

A Bit More about The Duke’s Desire

The duke and Esmeralda’s story, The Duke’s Desire, began much earlier than the prologue of their book. While I included some glimpses into their past connections so that The Duke’s Desire would stand along, you may want to read those earlier encounters in their entirety.

FIVE star review for The Duke's Desire, book 6 of The Ladies' Essential Guide to the Art of Seduction series of Regency romances by Claire Delacroix

Here’s a brief history of appearances of Esmeralda and the Duke of Haynesdale in my books. 🙂

A Most Inconvenient Earl, book four of the Brides of North Barrows series of Regency romance novellas by Claire Delacroix

Esmeralda and made her first appearance in A Most Inconvenient Earl, book four of the Brides of North Barrows, my first Regency romance series. (Sebastian Montgomery was the man who first broke Esmeralda’s heart.)

I was intrigued by her right away.

The Duke of Haynesdale makes his first appearance in The Christmas Conquest, but his holding has appeared in my stories before. You might want to read about Bartholomew, an earlier Lord Haynesdale who reclaimed his stolen legacy in my medieval romance, The Crusader’s Kiss.

The duke and Esmeralda’s story was originally intended to be a subplot and a thread running through all the other books in the Ladies’ Essential Guide to the Art of Seduction series, but by the time I wrote The Widow’s Wager, they were starting to steal the limelight.

The Duke’s Desire begins at roughly the same time as The Hellion’s Heart, which is when I forcibly pushed these two into the background. 🙂

The Christmas Conquest, a Regency romance novella by Claire Delacroix

The duke meets Mrs. Oliver at Rockmorton in The Christmas Conquest when he visits Rockmorton at Christmas.

The duke spars with Miss Ballantyne at the soirée in The Masquerade of the Marchioness.

In The Widow’s Wager, Esmeralda is charged with Jacques’ crime and Damien decides to make matters right – and also when he visits her in prison to present his plan. (I love that scene!)

The Hellion’s Heart, book four of The Ladies’ Essential Guide to the Art of Seduction series of Regency romances by Claire Delacroix

In The Hellion’s Heart, Damien retrieves Sylvie from France while Esmeralda remains imprisoned.

The Bluestocking’s Bargain has few scenes with this pair, but it does follow Patience and Arthur’s quest to publish Esmeralda’s book.

What happens next? The Duke’s Desire ties up many ongoing plot threads in this series, but there’s one more story I want to write. More about that next time. 🙂

The Duke’s Desire – Today!

The Duke’s Desire is available today!

FIVE star review for The Duke's Desire, book 6 of The Ladies' Essential Guide to the Art of Seduction series of Regency romances by Claire Delacroix

The romance between the Duke of Haynesdale and Esmeralda Ballantyne was planned to be a sub-plot that carried through the entire series. By book four, it became clear to me that these two needed their own book as they were not inclined to stay in the background. The Duke’s Desire begins at roughly the same time as The Hellion’s Heart.

This book stands alone, and includes references to earlier scenes between these two. If you would like to read all the detail, please start at the beginning of the series. The duke meets Mrs. Oliver at Rockmorton in The Christmas Conquest, and spars with Miss Ballantyne at the soirée in The Masquerade of the Marchioness. In The Widow’s Wager, Esmeralda is charged with Jacques’ crime and Damien decides to make matters right – and also when he visits her in prison to present his plan. (I love that scene!) In The Hellion’s Heart, Damien retrieves Sylvie from France. The Bluestocking’s Bargain has few scenes with this pair, but it does follow Patience and Arthur’s quest to publish Esmeralda’s book.

Tropes for The Duke's Desire, book 6 of The Ladies' Essential Guide to the Art of Seduction series of Regency romances by Claire Delacroix

The Duke's Desire, book six in The Ladies' Essential Guide to the Art of Seduction Regency romance series by Claire Delacroix

Esmeralda Ballantyne is the most successful courtesan in London, a woman envied by many and a mystery to all. When her past threatens the future of her younger sister, she finds an unexpected champion in the Duke of Haynesdale, a gentleman driven by his honor to intervene on her behalf, despite his disapproval of her trade. Does she dare to trust her newfound protector with her truth, or is the duke – like so many men of her acquaintance – interested in only one kind of compensation from her? As much as she refuses to surrender to any man, Esmeralda fears her impulse will lead her astray…will the price of capitulation be her fiercely defended independence or her heart?

Damien DeVries, the Duke of Haynesdale, abandoned his rakehell ways when his father bought his commission. The youngest of three sons, he never expected to inherit the duchy, and finds himself discontent, burdened by responsibilities and – according to his mother – past due to wed and provide an heir. The difficulty is that the only woman of interest is the forbidden beauty, Miss Ballantyne. There could not be a less appropriate choice for his duchess, but no other woman tempts him…

Drawn together by an irresistible desire, duke and courtesan agree to a short affair. But their mutual need proves insatiable, growing stronger with each night together. The duke becomes convinced that they must marry – but can Esmeralda ever trust a man fully? Her one last secret will either draw them together or drive them apart forever – when she finally shares it, can they put the betrayals of the past behind and forge a future on their own terms?

FIVE star review for The Duke's Desire, book 6 of The Ladies' Essential Guide to the Art of Seduction series of Regency romances by Claire Delacroix

Buy the ebook:

Buy directly from the author at Hazel & Honeysuckle Press and have your ebook delivered via BookFunnel
FIVE star review for The Duke's Desire, book 6 of The Ladies' Essential Guide to the Art of Seduction series of Regency romances by Claire Delacroix

The Duke’s Desire – Today!

The Duke’s Desire is available today from my online store, Hazel & Honeysuckle Press! You can also pre-order it at the portals for delivery next week.

The Duke's Desire, book six in The Ladies' Essential Guide to the Art of Seduction Regency romance series by Claire Delacroix

Esmeralda Ballantyne is the most successful courtesan in London, a woman envied by many and a mystery to all. When her past threatens the future of her younger sister, she finds an unexpected champion in the Duke of Haynesdale, a gentleman driven by his honor to intervene on her behalf, despite his disapproval of her trade. Does she dare to trust her newfound protector with her truth, or is the duke – like so many men of her acquaintance – interested in only one kind of compensation from her? As much as she refuses to surrender to any man, Esmeralda fears her impulse will lead her astray…will the price of capitulation be her fiercely defended independence or her heart?

Damien DeVries, the Duke of Haynesdale, abandoned his rakehell ways when his father bought his commission. The youngest of three sons, he never expected to inherit the duchy, and finds himself discontent, burdened by responsibilities and – according to his mother – past due to wed and provide an heir. The difficulty is that the only woman of interest is the forbidden beauty, Miss Ballantyne. There could not be a less appropriate choice for his duchess, but no other woman tempts him…

Drawn together by an irresistible desire, duke and courtesan agree to a short affair. But their mutual need proves insatiable, growing stronger with each night together. The duke becomes convinced that they must marry – but can Esmeralda ever trust a man fully? Her one last secret will either draw them together or drive them apart forever – when she finally shares it, can they put the betrayals of the past behind and forge a future on their own terms?

Buy the ebook:

Buy directly from the author at Hazel & Honeysuckle Press and have your ebook delivered via BookFunnel