Ten years ago, Lady Charlotte Hayward made a tragic
mistake. Vulnerable after her mother's death and rebelling
against her father, Charlotte gave her heart to a scoundrel
who left her alone and pregnant. Only her stepmother's
intervention prevented anyone from knowing her disgrace.
After she gave birth, her stepmother gave her son to a
childless couple. Charlotte returned to society with no
one, not even her father, privy to her shameful behavior.
Charlotte refuses to marry, knowing she cannot enter into
marriage with a lie. To distract her numerous suitors,
Charlotte is an expert on how not to get married. She bores
them by being as placid as a cow, or she plays a nitwit
with the men until they decide marriage with her would be a
disaster. When a rake moves to the adjoining estate to
restore it, her well-protected heart develops a crack.
The youngest of five sons, Darius Carsington occupies his
time with intellectual studies on animal behavior with an
emphasis on animal mating. The agricultural community and
the Philosophy Society greatly admire his work. Darius'
father however is not impressed. Lord Hargate wants Darius
to settle down and undertake a paying profession. He
further demands that Darius stop his indiscriminate
womanizing. Darius argues that mating is a natural instinct
and emotional attachment is not necessary. The argument
does not sway his father. Lord Hargate gives Darius one
year to prove his worth by improving and making a deserted
estate profitable.
Darius accepts his father's challenge and with a logical
plan starts his strategy. He doesn't plan on meeting a
woman who sets his cool detachment on fire. Charlotte
bewilders and puzzles him with her contradictions. As
Darius struggles with his feelings, Charlotte's heart is
reawakening to possibilities.
There are certain authors who consistently guarantee an
entertaining tale with fascinating characters, smart and
funny dialogue and a satisfying plot. Loretta Chase
is one such author. Feeling low, read one of her romances.
You're sure to find an uplifting story that will put a
smile on your face.
Irresistible Force
Darius Carsington is a spectacularly handsome rake with a
rare intelligence and no heart, a man who divides his time
between bedding loose-moraled women and writing scholarly
papers. He finds society's "perfect darlings" exceedingly
boring. But there's something intriguing, and not quite
perfect, about faultless Lady Charlotte Hayward. He senses
a crack under her polished surface, and finding it is a
challenge he can't resist.
Immovable Object
Lady Charlotte is so beautiful, charming, and gracious that
no one has noticed what an expert she is at Not Getting
Married. Early on, she learned a painful lesson about
trust . . . and temptation. In the years since, she's
devoted her life to being all she ought to be—and she's not
about to let a man like Carsington entice her to do
everything she shouldn't.
A Splendid Collision
But the rules of attraction can easily overpower the rules
of manners and morals, and sometimes even the best-behaved
girl has to follow her instincts, even if it means risking
it all.
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