Paula Marshall was born in Leicester, England. After finishing school, she worked as a research librarian, and later wrote and lectured on local history. After her children started school, she worked as a part-time lecturer in English and general studies. After four years of teaching, she was required to get a degree. She received a first class honors BA in history at Open University. After retiring, she started writing historical romance novels. Her first novel, Cousin Harry, was published in 1991. Her other works include The Lost Princess, The Devil and Drusilla, An Innocent Masquerade, Jack Compton's Luck, and The Daring Duchess.