An underdog politician. A disgraced divorcee. A marriage of convenience that could save them both…or ruin everything.
In the cutthroat world of Roman politics, family is everything. Aelius, a freedman turned ambitious politician, knows winning his next election will require a marriage alliance with a powerful patrician family. But finding a woman who will entertain courtship from a freedman is near impossible.
Crispina is the daughter of one of Rome's oldest families, but after failing to give her husband a child, a humiliating divorce sends her back to her parents' restrictive house in shame. All she wants is the freedom to pursue her true passion: a secret venture to educate the children of Rome's poorest.
When Aelius meets Crispina at a dinner party, he knows her powerful family name could secure his victory. Desperate for freedom, Crispina agrees to a marriage of convenience. Prickly one moment and icy the next, Crispina is determined to keep her charming husband at a distance. That is, until Aelius undertakes a campaign to win not just the city's vote, but his wife's heart.
But Crispina has an agenda of her own, and when a political rival leaks her unconventional activities, it sparks a scandal that could cost Aelius the election. Distancing himself from his wayward wife should be easy, but as the election looms, Aelius must decide which victory is truly worth fighting for.
Ten years of longing. A second chance at love. One shot to catch a murderer.
Max joined the Roman army in search of glory and adventure, but thanks to his dislike of punctuality and penchant for foul language, he's stuck in the provinces, unable to land even one promotion. When his latest punishment lands him on guard duty at the governor's residence, the last thing he expects is to come face-to-face with the girl he loved ten years ago. Only now, she's married to the governor.
Volusia has long resigned herself to a passionless marriage, as her husband prefers to spend his nights with his private secretary. Seeing Max again throws her orderly world into chaos, and finally she remembers how it feels to be loved, desired, and protected.
When Volusia's husband mysteriously dies, she's convinced he was murdered by the corrupt legionary commander. The only person she dares trust is Max, and she begs him to help prove her husband was murdered. Max knows speaking against his commander will risk his position in the army—not to mention his life—but if Volusia asks, he can't say no. The two become embroiled in a dangerous world of deception and corruption. Their love is strong, but can it withstand a killer's blade?
He trades in foreign goods, not love—but when his greatest rival offers an erotic education in exchange for a truce, both of their hearts may be captured in the bargain.
In the Roman port city of Ostia, a fierce rivalry wages in the world of trade. After losing her husband to a shipwreck, Lucretia has devoted herself to keeping his shipping business afloat, clinging to the independence it offers her. Felix, her scheming rival, strives for total control over commerce in Ostia, which requires toppling Lucretia's enterprise and seizing her ships for himself.
Unfortunately for Felix, it's not just Lucretia's ships he desires. Her cool smile and calm competence shred his focus and scramble his thoughts, even as he plots sabotage. Even worse, he's been too busy building his business empire to dally with women…ever.
When Lucretia discovers both how much he wants her and that he's as inexperienced as a Vestal Virgin, she decides to use this to her advantage—proposing a truce in exchange for initiating Felix into the ways of the flesh. Their heated encounters blur the line between business and pleasure, and soon pleasure turns to something deeper. Despite never wanting to remarry, Lucretia finds herself contemplating a partnership with Felix, in business as well as life.
But when Felix uncovers a secret that could vanquish Lucretia once and for all, he realizes the unthinkable has happened: he's falling for the woman he should want to destroy. His dream of ruling trade in Ostia is finally at his fingertips, but he must decide what he wants more: Lucretia's ships, or her heart.
After gaining her freedom from slavery, Gaia will do whatever it takes to build a new future for herself and her son—even infiltrate a dinner party under an assumed identity to extort money from her former mistress.
There, she meets Herminius, a wealthy merchant in search of a respectable wife. He's captivated by the mysterious beauty, and despite her subterfuge Gaia can't ignore the heat that sparks between them. She knows she should keep her distance, but what's the point of freedom if she can't enjoy the pleasurable attentions of a man who makes her heart flutter every time they touch?
But Herminius has marriage on his mind, and soon realizes Gaia is not who she says she is. As her secrets come to light, will her deception tear them apart?