{"product_id":"joan-aiken-collection-5-books-historical-fiction-paperback","title":"Joan Aiken Collection by Joan Aiken - 5 Books Collection Set - Historical Fiction - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTitles in This Set\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\nThe Five-Minute Marriage\u003cbr\u003e\nDeception\u003cbr\u003e\nThe Smile of the Stranger\u003cbr\u003e\nThe Weeping Ash\u003cbr\u003e\nThe Girl from Paris\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDetails\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\nCondition: Brand New\u003cbr\u003e\nFormat: Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\n; 9781529093476; 9781529093520; 9781529093483; 9781529093513\u003cbr\u003e\nPublisher: Pan\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOverview\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\nStep into Joan Aiken's world of Regency wit, romantic intrigue, and quietly daring heroines with this five-book paperback collection. Each standalone novel follows a resourceful woman navigating inheritance schemes, family secrets, and the pull between duty and desire, set against vivid historical backdrops from English country houses to Paris and Italy. Aiken, celebrated for blending sharp humor with real emotional stakes, offers the same clever plotting and period detail that made her children's classics beloved, now for grown-up fans of character-driven historical fiction. This set is a welcome pick for anyone who loves Georgette Heyer-style romance with genuine bite.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout the Books\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\nThis collection gathers five of Joan Aiken's adult historical novels, each a complete story built around a heroine forced to make her own way in a world of rigid social rules. In \u003cem\u003eThe Five-Minute Marriage\u003c\/em\u003e, Delphie Carteret is disinherited and pushed into a sham marriage that spirals into a fight over family fortune and a startling rooftop finale. \u003cem\u003eDeception\u003c\/em\u003e follows two very different young women, Louisa and Alvey, whose ambitions for missionary work and literary independence collide with the expectations placed on well-bred Regency ladies. \u003cem\u003eThe Smile of the Stranger\u003c\/em\u003e sends Juliana Paget fleeing her expatriate life in Italy, plunging her into a journey where elegant drawing rooms hide real danger. \u003cem\u003eThe Weeping Ash\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eThe Girl from Paris\u003c\/em\u003e continue Aiken's signature mix of family drama, romance, and suspense, moving between English estates and the wider world as her heroines confront legacy, exile, and desire. Throughout, Aiken pairs brisk, witty storytelling with genuine tension, letting her characters outsmart the circumstances meant to confine them. Fans of Regency romance and Jane Austen continuations will recognize her deft touch, since Aiken was also known for writing celebrated sequels to Austen's own beloved novels. This paperback set brings all five stories together in one collection, making it simple to move from one heroine's journey straight into the next without hunting down individual editions across different printings or shops.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKey Benefits\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFive complete, standalone Joan Aiken novels in one paperback set\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRegency and historical settings spanning England, Italy, and Paris\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWitty, character-driven storytelling praised by The Daily Telegraph and The Guardian\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePerfect for fans of Georgette Heyer-style romance and Jane Austen continuations\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBrand-new paperback copies, ready for the shelf or to gift\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA great pick for book clubs, holiday gifting, or a cozy weekend reading binge\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBook-by-Book Guide\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\nThe Five-Minute Marriage — Disinherited Delphie Carteret is drawn into a sham marriage and a tangle of family rivalry that builds to a dramatic rooftop confrontation.\u003cbr\u003e\nDeception — Two young Regency women, one bound for missionary work and one determined to become a novelist, test the limits placed on their ambitions.\u003cbr\u003e\nThe Smile of the Stranger — Expatriate Englishwoman Juliana Paget flees her life in Italy and finds danger lurking behind elegant appearances.\u003cbr\u003e\nThe Weeping Ash — Aiken turns her eye to family legacy and buried secrets in another richly detailed historical setting.\u003cbr\u003e\nThe Girl from Paris — A heroine navigates exile and reinvention as Aiken again explores the cost of choosing an unconventional path.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\nJoan Aiken was born in Rye, Sussex, in 1924, the daughter of American poet Conrad Aiken, and began writing as a child. She wrote full time from the 1960s onward and published over 100 books, ranging from beloved children's classics like The Wolves of Willoughby Chase to acclaimed historical novels and sequels to Jane Austen's own work. She won the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize for The Whispering Mountain and an Edgar Allan Poe Award for Night Fall, and was appointed MBE in 1999 for services to children's literature. Aiken died in 2004.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhy You'll Love This Collection\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\nFive witty, richly plotted historical novels in one paperback set make this an easy way to binge Joan Aiken's adult fiction all at once. Whether you're stocking a book club pile, wrapping a birthday gift, or building a cozy stack for holiday season reading, this set delivers charm, humor, and heart in equal measure.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003ePlease Note: This is the UK edition with the ISBN as listed; the cover may vary slightly from the image shown.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Joan Aiken","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57350918766966,"sku":"MAN-VRT-MAC-U2521-9124202320","price":61.7,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0575\/6587\/2211\/files\/joan-aiken-collection-5-books-paperback.jpg?v=1785947842","url":"https:\/\/skymartbooks.com\/products\/joan-aiken-collection-5-books-historical-fiction-paperback","provider":"Skymart Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}