Lady Honoria Carlow had spunk. Although she was touted as the belle of the ton, her standing in London was soon to be tested. Though she found herself in a situation beyond her control, society and, more importantly, her dear family were quick to put the blame squarely on her shoulders. What was a girl to do?... Well, certainly not what was expected, that's for sure.

It was no surprise to her parents, brother, and sister that she was more inclined to learn how to swim then embroider. So when faced with shaming not only herself but her family, Honoria headed straight for her Aunt Foxe's home by the seacoast. She went not to hide out, but rather to figure out what the future held. She was fairly certain her future wasn't back in London, but perhaps she had discovered a life more suited to her and her independent nature.

In Cornwall she was known as Marie Foxe. There she was accepted not for her title, but rather for her compassion, spirit, and bravery. These traits, and her beauty, are what attracted Captain Gabriel Hawksworth's attention. They developed a strong friendship with each holding the other in great regard and respect. Of course, neither realized that the other had come to Cornwall leaving behind a whole different life.

Gabe felt himself wanting more than just friendship with Marie, but he knew he needed to know more of her history. Until they could trust each other, he played the waiting game. In contrast, Marie wasn't the type to wait too long for anything she really wanted. She wasn't above pressuring Gabe to act on their mutual attraction. The more he learned of her reasons for leaving London, the more driven he was to get to the bottom of what seemed to be a nasty act against an innocent, albeit independent, young lady. How was he to know his investigations would open a floodgate of information about Honoria and her family?

Don't judge a book by its cover. What starts out as a simple tale of the taking of a young woman's innocence develops into a rather sordid story about vengeance. Justiss allows the reader to make discoveries along with the characters which keeps the story moving at a rather fast pace. I love a book filled with twists and turns, and this book doesn't disappoint. Gabe and Marie are complex characters who were meant for each other.

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Author Note

“It isn’t fair!” I think everyone, from children old enough to say the words to octogenarians, can identify with the outrage and disappointment of experiencing something that just isn’t fair. Even learning as we grow older that very often life isn’t “fair” doesn’t much reduce the intensity of the reaction.

After the co-authors finished brainstorming the themes and characters for our eight-book miniseries REGENCY SILK & SCANDAL, we got to pick the character we wanted to write. I was drawn to the story of Lady Honoria Carlow, an innocent who is targeted for destruction by the revenge character in retaliation for the destruction of his innocent life by the original scandal.

After a shocking disgrace, Honoria flees to Cornwall, anxious to distance herself as far as possible from London and the family who didn’t believe in her innocence. Always the rebellious sort, she’s skirted the edge of what is considered respectable behavior for a virtuous ton maiden, but the ruin visited upon her, coming about through no fault of her own, isn’t fair. After taking shelter with an aunt in the small village of Sennlach, she encounters dashing local smuggler Gabe Hawkhurst. With her future destroyed and her life in a shambles, the last thing this earl’s daughter needs is to find herself beguiled by a low-born free-trader known as “The Hawk.”

Once hero Gabe Hawkhurst, who’s in Cornwall temporarily captaining a smuggling vessel for the army friend who saved his life, charms a reluctant Honoria into confiding her story, it’s his sense that she’s been unfairly treated that prompts him to try to discover who targeted her and why. As they work together, the attraction that has drawn them together from the first intensifies, until a friendship that should never have been becomes a compulsion too powerful to deny.

I hope you’ll enjoy Gabe’s quest, Honoria’s vindication and the triumph of their unlikely love!

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