Dear Reader,

What comes to mind when you think of a diamond slipper? Cinderella, perhaps? That's what Cordelia Brandenburg imagines when her godparents arrange a
marriage for her with a man she's never met--a marriage that will take her to Versailles, far from the rigid confines of her childhood home. The betrothal
gift is a charm bracelet with a tiny, glittering diamond slipper attached...as befits a journey into a fairy-tale future.

But Cordelia--young, headstrong, and completely adorable--runs into trouble right away. Her escort to the wedding is the golden-eyed, sensual, teasing Viscount Leo Kierston. For Cordelia, it's love at first sight. Yet Leo seems to see only a spoiled child--perhaps it's the way she cheats at chess--and Cordelia is determined to show him the woman beneath.

There is, however, no escaping her arranged marriage. She's devastated to discover that her new husband is an utterly loathsome tyrant who will stop at nothing to satisfy his twisted desires.

My heart went out to Cordelia as she struggles courageously against a man determined to break her spirit. But her husband has a secret, one that will bring down the vengeance of Viscount Kierston and all who have reason to hate him.

I hope you'll enjoy this love story of two of my very favorite characters.

Warmest wishes,

Jane Feather

P.S. The charm bracelet makes its next appearance in The Silver Rose.
Look for it next summer.

Romance sensation Jane Feather has become--in less than two years--the fastest-growing historical romance author on Bantam's paperback list. Reviewers are smitten with Feather's delightful wit and remarkable gift for storytelling. Now, readers will be swept away by this tale of passion and intrigue involving a forced bride, a reluctant hero, and a jeweled charm.