From the author of Darcy's Story comes a novel of romance, family tragedy, and intrigue in a volatile England at the end of the Napoleonic Wars.

Julia Maitland had an idyllic childhood with her brother and younger sisters on her family's estate in rural Derbyshire. Upon reaching marriageable age, she looked forward to everything that her new status could bring: the excitements of her first “season” in society, a choice of handsome suitors, and—hopefully—a blissful future with a man she cherishes.

But Julia's prospects take a disastrous turn with the sudden and unbearably tragic death of her soldier brother in the war against Napoleon and the loss of her father's investments. Within the span of a few weeks, she finds herself in London, then fashionable Bath, and ultimately chasing smugglers through the countryside in coastal Dorset. Yet through all the drama and turmoil she keeps alive her hopes for happiness and a love passionate, powerful, and true.

"Aylmer (Darcy's Story) retains the Austen-era settings of her debut but adds an original cast of characters to her entertaining but underdeveloped sophomore effort. Twenty-year-old Julia Maitland is ready to find a husband. Lord Dominic Brandon has proposed, delighting Julia's socially ambitious mother, despite Brandon's unsavory reputation and rumored ties to smuggling. Though her father favors Jack Douglas-who lacks a title but will inherit his father's fortune-Julia has eyes only for Kit, Jack's younger brother, who will inherit very little. When Julia accompanies her Aunt Lucy to the estate of Lucy's recently deceased childhood friend, she is stunned to see Kit, who inherited the estate and new surname from his godmother, making him the Master of Morancourt. The attraction between the pair blossoms but Julia knows a loveless union still awaits unless she can convince her family otherwise. Aylmer is more enamored of the period than of her characters, and the plot serves as merely a framework for sumptuous descriptions of Regency-era events and fashions. Despite a treasure trove of Austen-era trivia, a stronger narrative would have made the love affair more compelling." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

From the author of "Darcy's Story" comes a novel of romance, family tragedy, and intrigue in a volatile England at the end of the Napoleonic Wars.

Janet Aylmer is an English author who enjoys writing historical romances set in the early 1800s.