Miss Mary Perkins is governess to the strong-willed Stringham sisters while waiting for her beloved Mr. Trevor Wallace, a curate, to receive a living so that they can afford to marry. When he loses the promised position, her young charges decide to give their governess a husband for Christmas. The Stringham sisters write a fake letter from the duke inviting Trevor to stay at the castle, lock the pair in the dungeon, accidentally poison a chaplain, and cause a great deal of mayhem with mistletoe. Despite the girls' well-meaning mistakes, will Mary and Trevor finally have the wedding of their dreams?

"Only the Stringham girls would try to matchmake in a dungeon," Mary said with a little snicker that was positively adorable. "And if you ignore the torture artifacts, it is a rather romantic location with firelight."

PRAISE FOR SAMANTHA HASTINGS

The Marquess and the Runaway Lady

"Combining the Regency season with the runaway woman trope makes for a delightful story."―Library Journal

Secret of the Sonnets

"This will keep readers turning pages."―Publishers Weekly

"I enjoyed this book immensely."―Readers' Favorite five-star review

A Novel Disguise under pen name Samantha Larsen

"Wildly enjoyable"―Publisher's Weekly

"Class differences, prejudice, and the lack of women's rights drive this enjoyable mystery."―Kirkus Reviews

"With mistaken identities, romantic rendezvous, and twists that keep the reader guessing, Samantha Larsen's debut is sure to entice mystery and romance readers alike."—Manda Collins, author of A Spinster's Guide to Danger and Dukes

The Last Word

A Junior Library Guild Selection

"Hastings' debut is a charming period piece with all the romance and scornful nods to high society any Austen fan will love. Lucinda moves beyond the cliché of being a young woman who chafes at the restrictions of a sexist world, as she's elevated by her true passions―numbers and accounting. The Last Word is the perfect read for anyone who wants to spend a few hours in Victorian England in the company of a girl who understands that the entire country is being led by a Queen." ―Booklist

"Refreshing ... Lucinda, a young Victorian woman with a modern sensibility well ahead of her time, has plenty of pluck and determination. Hastings' breezy prose and crafty plotting will leave readers racing to uncover her own last installment." ―BookPage