The Untamed Earl

Valerie Bowman sets the stage in Regency England for her Playful Brides series, where couples' misadventures on the way to the altar are witty, romantic romps based on some of the world's most beloved plays. The fifth volume, The Untamed Earl, is inspired by William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew.

An Indecent Proposal

Lady Alexandra Hobbs, the daughter of the Duke of Huntley, has intended to marry Lord Owen Monroe since she first glimpsed him from the window of her bedchamber, back when she was just a girl. But the duke has already chosen Alex's infamously spoiled elder sister, Lavinia, for Owen. And now there's no turning back.

Owen has spent most of his bachelor years drinking, gambling, and skirt-chasing. He won't see another pound from his parents, however, until he's engaged to Lavinia. Desperate, he accepts an offer from her innocent and spirited—and absolutely beautiful—sister Alex: She will turn him into a perfectly tamed suitor, and show him how to woo the shrew. But when Alex's true motives come to light, will their bargain lead to recriminations—or to a romance that defies everyone's expectations?