Acclaimed creator Kaoru Mori's tale of life on the nineteenth century Silk Road continues. Mr. Smith keeps on his journey retracing his steps, stopping next at a seaside village where he is greeted by a pair of enthusiastic young brides! Laila and Leily are eager to prove themselves as capable hostesses, but failing in the attempt could have serious social consequences. As the twins scramble in the kitchen, the discussion around the table turns to...

"She's his diamond in the rough. He's her worst nightmare. Yasmin Karam was raised in prosperity. Daughter to one of the richest men in the world, she's been fortunate to never know strife. When her father falls ill, he has one last wish: to see her married to someone of his choosing. Determined to make his last days his happiest, she agrees. But there's one problem: her heart belongs to someone else. A servant. A street rat. A man who would never...

Though the rumors make him out to be cold and haughty, Kiyoka Kudo quickly warms up to the Saimoris' eldest daughter. Intrigued by the girl who stands worlds apart from the spoiled, social-climbing women who usually vie for his hand, Kiyoka soon comes to regard Miyo with affection. But though Miyo has found a place and warmth in the Kudo household, the fact remains that she is untouched by the power that defines both the Saimori and Kudo clans, making...

"When Shanti Mohapi weds the king of Njaza, her dream of becoming a queen finally comes true. But it's nothing like she imagined. Shanti and her husband may share an immediate and powerful attraction, but her subjects see her as an outsider, and everything she was taught about being the perfect wife goes disastrously wrong. A king must rule with an iron fist, and newly crowned King Sanyu was born perfectly fitted for the gauntlet, even if he wishes...

Ever since her sister became queen two years ago, Amelia Ivanosen, Princess of Wesloria, has been flirting and skirting scandal--just barely. Before she does anything too outlandish, she is sent to England and Lila Alexander, illustrious matchmaker to the ton, is recruited. Respectably ensconced at the country estate of a family friend, Amelia is introduced to many eligible bachelors, but...there is no spark. There never seems to be unless the man...

Claire Macintosh is about to get engaged to a man she doesn't love at the holiday gala she is hosting as director of the Museum of Literature. Her mother, Hildy Macintosh, has made it clear that if the museum is to continue to receive the enormous donations from the family trust that Hildy has approved all these years, then Claire must marry the man Hildy has chosen for her and start to produce some grandbabies. At forty and single, Claire feels she...

Facing the threat of a Russian invasion, the nomadic clans of the steppe and the people living in town are forced to set aside their differences to protect their lands. When an agreement is struck, the clans decide the best way to solidify the alliance is to bind them together by blood through marriage. But the women of the steppe will not accept just any union, invasion or no. The men must prove themselves in a high-speed horse race across the plain-against...