Danita Minnis

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LETTERS TAKE THE LADY

Anna Valleria

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GENRE: Historical Romance

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BLURB:

Antigone Sprague, the spirited daughter of a gentleman scholar, has no patience for arrogant lords. So when she meets the reserved and bitingly clever Lord Michael Northram, she’s immediately put off by his condescending manner. She has no idea that he is utterly captivated.

Tongue-tied and overwhelmed by a passion he doesn’t understand, Michael can only confess his feelings in secret poems never meant to see the light of day. But when Antigone begins receiving those very poems from a charming and ambitious suitor, she believes she’s found the man who understands her soul. Believing he has lost her forever, a heartbroken Michael accepts a diplomatic mission to America, unaware that the woman he loves has actually fallen for his words.

Years later, his return to England ignites a shocking reunion and an undeniable spark. But their second chance is built on a foundation of lies. When the truth of the letters emerges, it exposes a scheme of shocking deception, and her spurned suitor reveals a desperate and dangerous side, threatening her very freedom. To win her trust, Michael must finally bridge the gap between the poet on the page and the man by her side, proving he is the hero she’s always deserved.

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EXCERPT

Michael let out a breath when Antigone moved off behind a tree, making a show of giving him time to right himself. While it should have been mortifying to be caught in the altogether by the object of your terrible poetry, there was also something deeply arousing about the whole experience. He realized that she didn’t recognize him at first, as apparently the sun and his exertions outdoors had changed his body. Michael had spent the last year or so as a representative of Lord Lyons to negotiate peace between Britain and the United States over the San Juan Islands, in what they were now unfortunately calling “The Pig War.” During this period, he had spent a great deal of time exploring the land around Vancouver Island. He knew the experience had changed him on the inside, as it soured his interest in diplomacy, but he hadn’t noticed all the muscle he had gained, when he had been lean and wiry before. He had taken to wearing a beard as well, so he could understand why she did not see who he was. But as she gazed at him, she looked so curious … and interested. She had not looked away until she realized it was him. But in those moments before she looked away, she regarded him differently than before. Something about that gave him hope. And some other feelings he would need to take a few minutes and cool off in the water from. While he was sure Timothy was behind this encounter, in his new interest in interfering in Michael’s life, he could not blame his brother for sending her his way. Maybe this was the first step in changing her opinion of him…

They walked back together in companionable silence, and he only occasionally saw the faint hint of a blush on her cheeks. She had handled her realization of his identity with such coolness, when he would have expected any other young woman of her position would have sputtered and fainted. But there had been a moment where he had seen the embarrassment on her face before she put her mask back on.

He did notice that she could barely look at him at dinner that evening, staring instead at his hands when she spoke to him. And yet, her eyes on him, even on just his hands, felt so warm that he took some small measure of delight in knowing he had unnerved her. It didn’t mean she liked him, but perhaps she was not completely indifferent to him. For the first time in a very, very long time, Michael felt the word progress. And both the diplomat and the poet inside him rejoiced.

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Anna Valleria Bio and Links:

Anna Valleria writes historical romance that is sweet with steam. Her stories have been praised for their rich, realistic tone and aching romanticism, reminiscent of classic romance novels. She crafts deeply layered characters, like the honorable heroes and resilient heroines in her Victorian Historical Rogues Fall First series, that will remind you why you fell in love with romance in the first place. Anna was also a runner-up in Dragonblade Publishing’s 2024 “Write Track” Writing Contest, soon to be seen in the Tales of Timeless Love Vol. 4.

A lifelong lover of coffee and writing in cafes, she finds inspiration in the historic city that she lives in.

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Website: http://www.annavalleriabooks.com

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Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0FP4CMQ1F/ref=x_gr_bb_amazon

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