Secrets of a Scandalous Heiress

November 24, 2014
Romain concludes her Matchmaker Regency trilogy (after To Charm a Naughty Countess) with irresistible brio and wit. Augusta Meredith, who has money from her family’s cosmetics fortune but no title, is used to circling the edges of the beau monde. Marrying the right man could give her access to the inner circle, but the only fellows buzzing near her are pathetic fortune-hunting losers. So she accompanies a friend to Bath for a change of scene—and name, registering as Mrs. John Flowers in order to escape the taint of industry and the inevitable fortune hunters. The trip is already going poorly when Josiah “Joss” Everett recognizes her. Everett, who’s also an outsider of sorts, agrees to keep her secret if she will reciprocate by keeping mum about his reasons for being in Bath, which involve blackmail and Joss’s adulterous cousin, Baron Sutcliffe. It’s all good deceptive fun as the cat-and-mouse games are augmented by spirited repartee, with comic relief provided by Sutcliffe and his wife. Charming characters and great dialogue triumph over a slender plot. Agent: Paige Wheeler, Folio Literary Management.

December 15, 2014
Pretending to be someone else is incredibly liberating, which is exactly why Augusta Meredith decides to adopt the persona of Mrs. John Flowers when she arrives in Bath. As a widow, Augusta will have much more freedom to do what she wants, and what Augusta wants to do is find a lover. However, before Augusta can even begin vetting suitable candidates, she runs into an old friend from London: Joss Everett. In exchange for keeping her secret and helping her find a suitable paramour, Augusta agrees to help Joss with a problem involving his employer. The one thing that Augusta didn't count on is that keeping secrets always comes with a price. Romain (To Charm a Naughty Countess, 2014) brings her Matchmaker trilogy to a splendidly satisfying conclusion with this smart, sexy, and emotionally involving historical that gifts readers with a beautifully realized Bath setting and a refreshingly different, wonderfully nuanced hero and heroine.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)