Nearly a Lady

For some, virtue is a vice As the illegitimate daughter of a scandalous woman, Miss Anna Rees is almost as well known for having been raised in the hedonistic demimonde as she is for her quiet nature. Anna longs to leave behind her mother’s world of courtesans…until she unexpectedly meets the handsome, charming and decidedly wicked Lord Dane.  If only she could convince him to join her in search of respectability. . . For him, vice is a virtue

Viscount Maximilian Dane is perfectly content being a rake. After years of obeying the dictates of proper society--with disastrous results--he stopped following the ton’s ridiculous rules, and he sees no reason to begin courting respectability anew. Except that it may be the only way for him to win the lovely and fascinating Miss Anna Rees—if only he could convince her that the grass is greener on the wicked side of the fence. . . 

"Johnson beautifully tells a rags-to-riches tale in this story of familial duplicity and greed. After his father dies, the Marquess of Engsly discovers that his sire had taken in a ward and was sending yearly payments to her. Is the ward still alive on the family's Scottish estate? Engsly asks his brother, Lord Gideon Haverston, lately retired from the navy, to investigate. What Gideon finds are two women living hand to mouth in the run-down horror known as Murdock House. Winnefred Blythe, the ward, and Lilly Ilestone, her companion, have been living on only five pounds a year, taking in wash and mending to add to their income, because Engsly's stepmother pockets the rest of the allotted funds each year. While Gideon arranges to have them repaid and provides a London season to find them husbands, he falls in love with the charming Winnefred. Johnson's delightful characters and honest dialogue enhance the transformation of not only the girls, but also their savior." -Booklist

Praise for Alissa Johnson and her novels

“High on believable, witty characters and emotional honesty."--Publishers Weekly

"Has just the right combination of humor and earnestness to keep this reader captivated. With likeable characters who are more than they seem at first blush and dialogue that sparkles, I plan to revisit this story for years to come."--All About Romance

"Wonderful characters and witty dialogue....Highly recommended!"--Fresh Fiction

Lord Gideon Haverston wanted to right his family's wrongs. So when he promises young Winnefred Blythe the money that his stepmother had cheated her out of over the years, he expects to be greeted as a hero. But the situation is much more complicated than Gideon had expected-and the task of taming the untrusting Winnefred much more alluring.

 Alissa Johnson is the RITA Award–nominated author of Tempting Fate and several historical romances. She grew up on Air Force bases in the United States and Europe and attended St. Olaf College in Minnesota. She currently lives in the Ozarks.