Love's Grace #01: An Heiress at Heart

A New Beginning A youthful indiscretion has cost Lizzie Poole more than just her honor. After five years living in exile, she's finally returning home, but she's still living a secret life. Her best friend Ria's dying wish was for Lizzie to assume her identity, return to London, and make amends that Ria herself would never live to make. Bearing a striking resemblance to her friend, and harboring more secrets than ever before, Lizzie embarks on a journey that tempts her reckless heart once again . . . A committed clergyman, Geoffrey Somerville's world is upended when he suddenly inherits the title of Lord Somerville. Now he's invited to every ball and sought after by the matchmaking mothers of London society. Yet the only woman to capture his heart is the one he cannot have: his brother's young widow, Ria. Duty demands he deny his feelings, but his heart longs for the mysterious beauty. With both their futures at stake, will Lizzie be able to keep up her fa ade? Or will she find the strength to share her secret and put her faith in true love?

"The strictures of 1851 England are revealed in Delamere's debut, in which a woman tries to overcome her past and ensure a secure future. Lizzie Poole has returned to her native England after living in Australia for five years and is now fulfilling a promise to her dying widowed friend, Ria: to assume Ria's identity in London society. Lizzie's careful deception is complicated by her feelings for Geoffrey Somerville, the brother of the man Ria married, and her fear of discovery. Lizzie's secret past as a ruined unmarried woman makes her a stoic character who believes that even if she reveals her true identity, the morally upright Lord Somerville will never find her worthy of his love. The romantic tension between Lizzie and Geoffrey is ever-present, but graphic love scenes are entirely absent, which will delight those historical romance fans who prefer a more delicate approach. Agent: Jessica Alvarez, BookEnds. (Oct.)" Publishers Weekly Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.