Of course you do. You always deserved better than Giles Perry in the first place. But he proposed to you, and you accepted him. And I’ll be damned if he’ll get away with this.” It’s the only way I’ll allow. I know how small your dowry is. You’re not going to be an impoverished spinster if I can help it. And I can.”

But today, Sebastian found himself tempted to break his promise. No, break was too weak a word. He wanted to bundle his principles, snap them in two, and grind them to sand beneath his boot. Well, then. That’s settled. Spinsterhood it shall be.” She steadied herself. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ll go explain to the curate.” Goodness. For once, she was caught without a response. He’d taken her breath away. She’d already lost her father, then her only brother. That’s what Elizabeth Terry has told herself while trying to forget the man she married–her once best friend. Passing herself off as a widow, Elizabeth has since built a life for herself as an instructor at a finishing school, far away from that greatest of mistakes. But the past has a way of finding you, and now that her husband has found her, Elizabeth must face the man she’s tried to forget.

Read an Excerpt

One who wanted a different sort of wife, I suppose. Someone less opinionated, more amenable. You of all people know I can be difficult. I don’t want to marry a man who needs to be dragged to the altar. Even in my current state of bruised pride, I think I deserve a bit better than that. My loyalty is not misplaced. In fact, there is nowhere else my loyalty could be placed. I don’t have anyone else.” He forged on, wanting to escape the softness in her eyes. “As for the suggestion that I’d be throwing away my future, I won’t even dignify that with a response.” His Duchess for a Day is a weaker story in the book, but still a solid well written one. The pacing is a lot slower than in the previous one, and at times the more condensed and descriptive narration by Christi Caldwell, might become a little boring. But, I really liked the premise of the plot, a sort of “second chance romance” with “friends to lovers” added to the mix. Both main characters were – again – likable, and it was fun to read their interactions. From the duo, Crispin stood out much more, tho. He was a scholary type, stoic but with a wild streak. Not one’s typical roguish male lead. It was a nice short novella, and I’m sure I’m going to read more books by the author.

Mary silently cursed herself. She never should have mentioned it. “You must stop blaming yourself. It was war; men die. You weren’t responsible for Henry’s decision to enlist.” Well, I don’t know how you propose to complete this bed without joining pieces together. Did you find a leaflet in the attic with instructions? In Swedish?" For the obvious reasons, most in-person reader events in 2021 have been canceled or postponed, but as we look ahead to 2022, it feels relatively safe to make plans! I can’t wait to get out and see readers in person again. Virtual events have helped fill the gap, but they’re just not quite the same.

This is a sad tale of a misunderstanding gone horribly wrong with lasting years of anguish. Crispin and Elizabeth were the best of friends growing up. They were two peas in a pod and she was not of his social standing but he didn’t care at all. She understood him and he her so when both of Elizabeth’s parents died, he offered to marry her. They ran off and were married in secret before returning to tell his family the news. That did not go well and sent Elizabeth into a hiding of sorts. I’ll take care of this,” he said. “Once I have him staring into the end of my pistol, he’ll reconsider. Don’t worry.” It was such a sad and heartbreaking story about two people who assumed too much and hurt the other in process, the one they should have cheered and protected. They ride all night to a small cottage he owns and there’s a scene, the best scene in any book ever. Guys. They have to assemble a bed, a Swedish bed, with no directions, and it goes about like any couple who has ever gone to Ikea and tried to assemble a piece of furniture would think. Tessa Dare, I see what you did there. 🙂 That’s what Elizabeth Terry has told herself while trying to forget the man she married--her once best friend. Passing herself off as a widow, Elizabeth has since built a life for herself as an instructor at a finishing school, far away from that greatest of mistakes. But the past has a way of finding you, and now that her husband has found her, Elizabeth must face the man she’s tried to forget.