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 The Reluctant Marquess 

- Maggi Andersen

Charity Barlow wished to marry for love. The rakish Lord Robert wishes only to tuck her away in the country once an heir is produced.

A country-bred girl, Charity Barlow suddenly finds herself married to a marquess, an aloof stranger determined to keep his thoughts and feelings to himself. She and Lord Robert have been forced by circumstances to marry, and she feels sure she is not the woman he would have selected given a choice.

The Marquess of St. Malin makes it plain to her that their marriage is merely for the procreation of an heir, and once that is achieved, he intends to continue living the life he enjoyed before he met her.

While he takes up his life in London once more, Charity is left to wander the echoing corridors of St. Malin House, when she isn’t thrown into the midst of the mocking Haute Ton.

Charity is not at all sure she likes her new social equals, as they live by their own rules, which seem rather shocking. She’s not at all sure she likes her new husband either, except for his striking appearance and the dark desire in his eyes when he looks at her, which sends her pulses racing.

Lord Robert is a rake and does not deserve her love, but neither does she wish to live alone.

Might he be suffering from a sad past? Seeking to uncover it, Charity attempts to heal the wound to his heart, only to make things worse between them.

Will he ever love her?


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Excerpt - The Proposal

This is an original historical novel by Mary Balogh -
 On sale 5/1/2012.

Gwendoline, Lady Muir, has seen her share of tragedy, especially since a freak accident took her husband much too soon. Content in a quiet life with friends and family, the young widow has no desire to marry again. But when Hugo, Lord Trentham, scoops her up in his arms after a fall, she feels a sensation that both shocks and emboldens her.

Hugo never intends to kiss Lady Muir, and frankly, he judges her to be a spoiled, frivolous—if beautiful—aristocrat. He is a gentleman in name only: a soldier whose bravery earned him a title; a merchant’s son who inherited his wealth. He is happiest when working the land, but duty and title now demand that he finds a wife. He doesn’t wish to court Lady Muir, nor have any role in the society games her kind thrives upon. Yet Hugo has never craved a woman more; Gwen’s guileless manner, infectious laugh, and lovely face have ruined him for any other woman. He wants her, but will she have him?

The hard, dour ex-military officer who so gently carried Gwen to safety is a man who needs a lesson in winning a woman’s heart. Despite her cautious nature, Gwen cannot ignore the attraction. As their two vastly different worlds come together, both will be challenged in unforeseen ways. But through courtship and seduction, Gwen soon finds that with each kiss, and with every caress, she cannot resist Hugo’s devotion, his desire, his love, and the promise of forever.

Always a Hero

Title: Always A Hero
Author: Valerie Franklin
Genre: Romance
Format: eBook,
Source: Author, Requested Review


Synopsis

Terror comes in many forms…

For Rebecca it began before her husband was deployed to Iraq. In her misery, she wanted him to hurt as much as she was hurting, so she hurled hateful words that once said, could not be unsaid. In the four months since she stood with their small son, Sean, at her side on the blistering tarmac, a fake smile pasted on her lips and waved until the plane was a tiny speck in the sky, she had spent hours trying to find a way to apologize, but she found it too hard to apologize in a letter.

She wished that she could have rewound the clock and that she had thought before blurting out that she wanted a separation. It was only after shouting the words and seeing her husband’s reaction that she understood just how much words can wound.

For Paul, the words cut deeper into his heart than any bullet. He had to go where he was assigned; the Army didn’t wait for any man. In his mind he understood that it was stress speaking and not his wife’s heart, but knowing that he had to go with the words hanging between them cut him to ribbons and made his heart bleed.

At first, he would scan each letter in fear that he would see the dreaded words that she had filed for divorce, but that letter never came. Contrastingly, his wife’s letters were full of everyday events that he was missing, pictures of Sean, and information about his parents. None of the letters had contained an apology, but Rebecca was writing each day, which gave him hope for the future.

Until Fate intervened tearing both of their worlds apart.

Her husband, her lover, the father of their children was reported as Missing In Action in Iraq, and all Rebecca wanted to do was crawl into a hole and pray for his safe return…but it was a luxury she was being denied. With Paul already missing, now their home, their possessions, her sense of security…everything they had built together was systematically being ripped from her. Her safety net was gone leaving her isolated and vulnerable…


Review


Mrs. Franklin wastes no time getting to the good stuff. You start out with a few details, just to get you sucked in, then she lays it on you. Good luck trying to put the book down after that. 

I don't even want to imagine what it would be like to have a loved one in the military. I have a hard enough time with my husband leaving on business trips. That's two weeks at most. But there are people that go through it all the time. And reading this book has shone a whole new light on what these people go through. 

The way Valerie describes the feelings and surroundings is wonderful. You get caught up in the story, you feel what the characters are going through, like you can relate to them.

This book is absolutely amazing. If you have not read it, I suggest you do that now. You will not be disappointed.



Rating

Loved it!