This series of 3 books is about a group of respectable widows who act as patronesses for charity balls. Each of them is financially secure and has no desire to give up her independence as a widow. They vow to support one another against famiy or social pressures to marry again. But that does not mean they have to give up physical passion for the resdt of their lives. So they agree to actively seek lovers. And not only that, but also to speak candidly about their experiences. Think: Sex and the City meets Almack's.

The book titles come from twisting the titles of popular Tin Pan Alley songs of the 1930s and 1940s: the first book twists the Cole Porter song, "In the Still of the Night," the second book twists another Cole Porter classic, "It Was Just One of Those Things," and the third looks to Gerswhin, twisting the pop standard, "Lady, Be Good."

By popular demand, a fourth Merry Widow got her own story in the novella "From This Moment On" in the anthology It Happened One Night.

This series of 3 books involves a group of friends who work together on a fictional ladies' magazine. All are introduced in Once a Dreamer, in which Simon, the hero, writes a column called The Busybody, as well as poetry and fiction. Edwina, the heroine of Once a Scoundrel, is the magazine's editor. Her brother, Nicholas, writes historical and biographical essays and is the hero of Once a Gentleman, in which the magazine's assistant editor, Prudence, also plays a key role.