Grace Alnott is out of time.
To save her younger brother from an abusive guardian, her merchant father's will demands she must marry a peer. Handsome but destitute Everett Hetherington, Earl of Westbury agrees to her offer of a marriage of convenience but stipulates she must live with him for six weeks. No matter how honorable he seems she can't allow him to get too close, because the aristocracy cannot be trusted.
Six weeks. Major Everett Hetherington, new Earl of Westbury, has exactly six weeks to convince the very independent Grace Alnott to spend the rest of her life with him. Despite her belief she doesn't belong in his world, he must tempt the alluring Grace into staying, because he has fallen for her. Hard. He just has to ensure she never discovers his secret.
Contains mature themes.
A widowed single mother hiding from the world. The man who will teach her to love again.
Lydia Taylor's roof is leaking, her chickens have run amuck, and the rent is due. When her daughter falls ill, she faces it as she does all challenges--alone. The last person she needs at her door is handsome schoolteacher, Alfred Lowe. His disapproving gaze seems to penetrate her façade of a respectable widow and capable mother.
To achieve his dream of his own school, Alfred Lowe needs to marry a wealthy lady. But from the moment impoverished Lydia Taylor fell at his feet, he's been inconveniently attracted to her. What begins as a duty to aid his ill pupil's mother soon becomes much more complicated. Maybe even . . . love?
But amongst kisses, tears, and savory pies, the past creeps into the present, casting a long shadow. If they risk love, they both could lose everything they've ever wanted.
Tropes:
- secret relationship
- meet cute
- friends to lovers
- cinnamon roll hero
- hot teacher hero
- pining
- unrequited love
Characters: hot teacher hero; heroine with a secret;
Setting: mid-Victorian England
Feel: soft yet angsty; family drama; homely and domestic; countryside; romantic; bucolic; all-the-feels; slow-burn
Content Notes can be found on the author's website
Length: 45,000 words (long novella / short novel)
A widowed single mother hiding from the world. The man who will teach her to love again.
Lydia Taylor's roof is leaking, her chickens have run amuck, and the rent is due. When her daughter falls ill, she faces it as she does all challenges--alone. The last person she needs at her door is handsome schoolteacher, Alfred Lowe. His disapproving gaze seems to penetrate her façade of a respectable widow and capable mother.
To achieve his dream of his own school, Alfred Lowe needs to marry a wealthy lady. But from the moment impoverished Lydia Taylor fell at his feet, he's been inconveniently attracted to her. What begins as a duty to aid his ill pupil's mother soon becomes much more complicated. Maybe even . . . love?
But amongst kisses, tears, and savory pies, the past creeps into the present, casting a long shadow. If they risk love, they both could lose everything they've ever wanted.
A widowed single mother hiding from the world. The man who will teach her to love again.
Lydia Taylor's roof is leaking, her chickens have run amuck, and the rent is due. When her daughter falls ill, she faces it as she does all challenges--alone. The last person she needs at her door is handsome schoolteacher, Alfred Lowe. His disapproving gaze seems to penetrate her façade of a respectable widow and capable mother.
To achieve his dream of his own school, Alfred Lowe needs to marry a wealthy lady. But from the moment impoverished Lydia Taylor fell at his feet, he's been inconveniently attracted to her. What begins as a duty to aid his ill pupil's mother soon becomes much more complicated. Maybe even . . . love?
But amongst kisses, tears, and savory pies, the past creeps into the present, casting a long shadow. If they risk love, they both could lose everything they've ever wanted.
He's the most notorious rake in England. She's a Perfect Lady. Their secrets will come tumbling out. . .
When Lady Emily is trapped while fern hunting in an old mine shaft overnight with irresistibly sexy Lord Markshall, she indulges in the sin of his delicious, melting kiss. After all, it's just one night... Until the newspaper gossip forces him to propose. Lady Emily can't marry him, but a fake engagement can save her ruined reputation and prevent her scandalous secret from being revealed.
The censure of prim Lady Emily is the ideal way for Lord Markshall to reinforce his image as a scoundrel and a rake. He didn't mean to compromise her, or to be overcome with desire for a clever woman hiding her real self. But to protect her, he'll have to choose: his covert mission or his heart.
Tropes
- forced proximity
- fake engagement
- opposites attract
- enemies to lovers
Characters: rake hero; perfect socialite heroine;
Setting: mid-Victorian England
Feel: angsty; political; all-the-feels; passionate; hiding in plain sight;
Heat level: medium-high
Length: 71,000 words
Fully re-edited Summer 2021.
Read with confidence - a stand-alone romance with a Happily Ever After ending
