A Lady’s Secret
of Jo Beverley
Lady Beware
“A remarkable achievement…. It is the unusual combination of familial comfort and risqué pleasure that makes this book a winner…. No doubt about it,
Lady Beware
is yet another jewel in Beverley’s heavily decorated crown.”
—
The Romance Reader
“Enchanting…a delightful blend of wit (with banter between Thea and Darien), intrigue (as evil lurks throughout), and emotional victories (as love prevails in the end)…. Watching Thea and Darien spar is entertaining, and watching them succumb to the simmering love and passion is satisfying.”
—
The State
(Columbia, SC)
To Rescue a Rogue
“Beverley brings the Regency period to life in this highly romantic story [with] vividly portrayed characters. [Readers] will be engrossed by this emotionally packed story of great love, tremendous courage, and the return of those attractive and dangerous men known as the Rogues. Her Company of Rogues series is well crafted, delicious, and wickedly captivating.”
—Joan Hammond
“With her usual beautifully nuanced characters and lyrical writing, RITA Award winner Beverley brings her popular Company of Rogues Regency historical series to a triumphant conclusion…. A quietly powerful romance.”
—
Booklist
“Lighthearted and serious, sexy and sweet, this exquisitely rendered story is a perfect finale to this classic series.”
—
Library Journal
The Rogue’s Return
“Beverley beautifully blends complex characters, an exquisitely sensual love story, and a refreshingly different Regency setting into one sublime romance.”
—
Booklist
“Jo Beverley has written an excellent character study. One of the best books I’ve read this season.”
—
Affaire de Coeur
A Most Unsuitable Man
“Beverley turns a rejected ‘other woman’ into a fiery, outspoken, sympathetic heroine; pairs her with a dashing but penniless scandal-ridden hero; and lets the fun—and the danger—begin. Once again readers are treated to a delightful, intricately plotted, and sexy romp set in the slightly bawdy Georgian world of Beverley’s beloved Malloren Chronicles.”
—
Library Journal
“Beverley brings back some of the characters from
Winter Fire
as she takes her readers into the dangerous, intriguing, and opulent world of Georgian England. Her strong characters and fine-honed dialogue, combined with a captivating love story, are a pleasure to read.”
—
Romantic Times
“I found myself enjoying every minute of the relationship in this story of love, hope, and increments of witty humor. As usual, a Malloren novel is a keeper.”
—
Rendezvous
“Expertly laced with danger and skillfully sweetened with sensuality…a most captivating romance.”
—
Booklist
More praise for the other novels of
New York Times
bestselling author Jo Beverley
“A well-crafted story and an ultimately very satisfying romance.”
—
The Romance Reader
“Jo [Beverley] has truly brought to life a fascinating, glittering, and sometimes dangerous world.”
—Mary Jo Putney
“Another triumph.”
—
Affaire de Coeur
“Wickedly delicious. Jo Beverley weaves a spell of sensual delight with her usual grace and flair.”
—Teresa Medeiros
“Delightful…thrilling…with a generous touch of magic…an enchanting read.”
—
Booklist
“A stunning medieval romance of loss and redemption…sizzling.”
—
Publishers Weekly
(starred review)
“A fast-paced adventure with strong, vividly portrayed characters…wickedly, wonderfully sensual and gloriously romantic.”
—Mary Balogh
“Deliciously sinful…. Beverley evokes with devastating precision the decadent splendor of the English country estate in all its hellish debauchery…. A crafty tale of sensuality and suspense.”
—
BookPage
Available from New American Library
THE ROGUES’ WORLD
Lady Beware
To Rescue a Rogue
The Rogue’s Return
Skylark
St. Raven
Hazard
“The Demon’s Mistress” in
In Praise of Younger Men
The Devil’s Heiress
The Dragon’s Bride
Forbidden Magic
Three Heroes
(omnibus edition)
Lovers and Ladies
(omnibus edition):
“The Fortune Hunter” and “Deirdre and Don Juan”
THE MALLOREN WORLD
A Most Unsuitable Man
Winter Fire
Devilish
Secrets of the Night
Something Wicked
My Lady Notorious
MEDIEVAL ROMANCES
Lord of Midnight
Dark Champion
Lord of My Heart
ANTHOLOGIES
“The Dragon and the Virgin Princess” in Dragon Lovers
“The Trouble with Heroes” in Irresistible Forces
A SIGNET BOOK
SIGNET
Published by New American Library, a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, USA
Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario M4P 2Y3, Canada (a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.)
Penguin Books Ltd., 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England
Penguin Ireland, 25 St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2, Ireland (a division of Penguin Books Ltd.)
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Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices:
80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England
First published by Signet, an imprint of New American Library, a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
Copyright © Jo Beverley Publications, Inc., 2008
All rights reserved
ISBN: 1-4362-1127-1
| REGISTERED TRADEMARK—MARCA REGISTRADA |
Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.
PUBLISHER’S NOTE
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party Web sites or their content.
The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.
I dealt with a number of new things in writing this book, and as usual, the Internet proved to be a wonderful resource to add to my walls of books.
Thanks to Google for putting the texts of rare old books online with Google Book Search. You can read more about what I used in the author’s note at the back.
The Internet provides connections to people, too, and I especially thank Maria Rosa Contardi for patiently helping me with Italian names and language. Ada Ferrari also helped.
I have no idea where Coquette came from, but Sharon Krikorian and Dorothy McFalls helped me to understand papillon dogs, and Marie Sultana Robinson gave me some useful details about both northern France and Italy.
I do know Kent, but it’s been a while since I’ve been there and I don’t think I’ve ever been to Folkestone. Jo Kirkham’s assistance was invaluable, especially the old maps she found for me. My nephew Will and his wife, Jo, who live in Canterbury, helped fill in some spots.
Finally, thanks as always to my agent, Meg Ruley, and everyone at the Rotrosen Agency; to my editor, Claire Zion, and Penguin/NAL, who make this book in your hands possible; and to you, the reader, who make it all worthwhile.