LETTERS TAKE THE LADY
by Anna Valleria
GENRE: Historical Romance
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.
.jpg)
EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT
“Lord Michael?” she repeated.
He was all sharp edges, with an angular face and a defined brow. A wiry and tall man, he looked deeply uncomfortable in his formal attire. Although she had height for a woman, she still had to tilt her head up to look him in the face. But she would not let all those sharp lines intimidate her. Her serenity could be a shield to dull his rough edges.
“Miss Sprague.” He bowed mechanically.
“Forgive me for intruding on your privacy,” she said quietly, looking away.
“It is not an intrusion—I was merely pondering a situation at the Foreign Office.”
Of course Lord Michael would be thinking of the Foreign Office in the middle of a ball. She looked back at him, clearly encouraging him to tell her what it was. He seemed as though he was about to tell her, then reigned himself in and changed tactics. “You looked very serene this evening behind that vapid mask. Do your suitors know you read Voltaire?”
Anger flared within her chest, and she strove to keep him from seeing it. How dare he call her vapid? Hadn’t he reproached her as a bluestocking on their first meeting? Wasn’t he the one who told her she ought to be a proper lady of the ton? And the way he suggested Voltaire so derisively, as if she could not understand the depths of his social critique. But she would not let him see how his words affected her.
“No, my lord, these English gentlemen would be terribly cross with me if I seemed to favor the French.” She tried to give him her most serene smile.
“And yet, somehow, it is a topic we always return to,” he muttered, then opened his mouth, likely to rebuke her again, so she beat him to the quick.
“Let us not quarrel, my lord. I do not know what I did to vex you so, but I do not appreciate the insinuations you make about me. You were the one who made me aware, like my aunt,” she knew the bitterness in her voice was bleeding through, but she could not control it—she was losing the mask she had developed, and she struggled to put it back in place, “of the expectations of polite society. I would appreciate in the future if you do not refer to me as vapid when I am merely attempting to appear before society in a way that would not bring shame to my father. I know you probably think honor is beyond women, as your view on that matter is, unfortunately, painfully narrow, but we hold stock in our own honor as well. Good evening, my lord.” And with that she turned to leave, cursing internally that once again, Lord Michael had managed to ruin another perfectly lovely evening.
AUTHOR 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.
Visit her website to sign up for her newsletter for exclusive updates and sneak peeks.
Website: http://www.annavalleriabooks.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551108426840
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/annavalleriabooks/
Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0FP4CMQ1F/ref=x_gr_bb_amazon
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GIVEAWAY
Anna Valleria will be awarding a $15 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner.
https://kingsumo.com/g/36qjwe1/letters-take-the-lady
Thank you so much for featuring LETTERS TAKE THE LADY today.
ReplyDeleteA big hello and thank you to Iron Canuck Reviews & More for being a stop on the Letters Take the Lady excerpt tour! This novel is set in the Victorian era, and the social rules of the time dictate many of the characters' decisions, much like in any great Historical Fiction.
ReplyDeleteWhen reading any historical fiction (not just romance!), do you prefer the book to deeply immerse you in the politics and social life of the time, or do you prefer the setting to be a quiet background for the character story? Or a mix of both?