Fifteen year old Lady Emma Hallaway was badly burned by the flames of love when her handsome husband, Lord Richard Mansfield, used and abandoned her right after their wedding night. Despite this crushing blow to her pride, the young countess learned to run her household with confidence and developed her skills as an artist. Nudes were her favorite style of painting and she painted them with such detail and skill that she was able to quietly and secretly sell them for sizable amounts of money. Things were going quite well until she foolishly parted with a nude of herself and now was determined to get it back, even if she had to go into the bowels of a brothel to do so. Unexpectedly, she encountered her husband who she had not seen since her wedding night.

The encounter was totally shocking for both of them but the surprise made Richard realize that his wife was not only beautiful, but intriguing as well. Despite having been away for twelve years with nary a word to his wife, he still felt he could command Emma like a proper Victorian husband. He quickly learned this was not the way to woo her, but could he win her affections back? Now that he was enjoying the discovery of the new Emma, no longer the lovestruck child his father had forced him to marry to curb his adventurous spirit, would Emma reject him if she found out what he had done during his travels?

With such a talent and imagination for writing Victorian novels, one would never suspect that Tiffany Clare hales from modern Toronto. Between her arousing and poignant scenes of romantic interactions, she weaves a strong storyline with an element of danger as Emma attempts to keep her secrets hidden from her husband who is now too interested in her. The romance between these two likable characters is nicely balanced by the passionate affair that flares between her sister and Richard's friend. So, curl up with a glass of wine and enjoy this delightful page turning reverse romance!

Book Summary

AN INCONVENIENT SCANDAL

Emma Hallaway has not seen her husband in twelve years—and that’s fine with her. As a young girl, she’d agreed to a simple marriage of convenience, allowing her to pursue her private passion for painting. And though unknown to the rest of polite society, Emma is now one of the most daring and sought-after artists in London. However, when her secret is threatened to be exposed, Emma is forced to open her heart—and her home—to a total stranger: her husband…

AN UNEXPECTED SURPRISE

Richard Mansfield, Earl of Asbury, is all too familiar with danger. As a matter of fact, it is hard on his heels when he returns to England. Still, even he is shocked to learn of his wife’s scandalous double life as an artist. But once he sees the vibrant grown woman she has become—so passionate, so strong, and so alluring—his undeniable attraction to Emma stuns him. Suddenly Richard is determined to turn their sham of a marriage into a true and lasting love. But how exactly does a gentleman seduce his own wife?

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