For Jane Austen fans who always wished her stories had a bit more heat.

Pestered by a persistent stammer, a regency lord with a keen interest in orreries and boxing-but not in talking-must find a way to woo his new mistress without words. He just hopes she can hear what's in his heart.

Recently widowed and increasingly poor, Thea's been reduced to sharing her rented room with rodents and arguing over every morsel (the mice usually win). When a friend suggests an alliance of the most intimate sort, Thea's reluctantly intrigued. But given her lackluster marriage, she doubts her ability to entice an experienced man. The considerate, if quiet, Lord Tremayne attracts her mightily, so she sets aside her misgivings. That is, until Thea realizes she's about to break the cardinal rule of mistressing-that of falling for her new protector.

Mistress in the Making is a fun, emotionally satisfying, well-written steamy tale told in three parts: Seductive Silence, Lusty Letters, and Daring Declarations.