Dowries & Deceptions Paperback – October 16, 2025

This collection contains both Delia's Debt (Little Delia) and Decoy Bride (Little Vera). It contains 490 pages of spice, discipline, and romance.Delia’s DebtAt twenty-five, Delia has avoided marrying her betrothed. Her excuse: helping her father run his shop at the market. The few pence they have has run out and with no dowry, Delia doesn’t have many prospects, except for the one man she’s promised to, Fred Hill. She’d rather set herself on fire than marry him.In secret, she’s been reading the newspaper and communicating with a gentleman across town that is in dire need of a governess. How bad could schooling a young girl be?With a knack for thievery, Delia convinces her father’s coachman to take her to the train station, set out for an adventure far from home. Meeting the elusive and handsome Charles Hayward proves troubling as she learns that she’d stolen from him and will be expected to pay him back her debt. Charles runs a strict household and expects constant obedience.Decoy BrideEngland, 1895. New Forest is dangerous territory, where vile men snatch affluent brides-to-be, forcing marriage, solely for a woman's dowry. With the increase in violence, brides of wealth often hire a decoy to ensure their protection.When Violet Adams is forced by her caretaker to become a decoy bride, she must accept the position with honor, even if it means she may not return. Setting out for New Forest, she soon discovers that being a decoy bride is not the worst of the danger that lurks; the decoy hunt is far crueler. Read more