One of my all-time favorite secondary characters is now getting her time to shine! I created Miss Anne Adair for the third book in my Once Upon a Rogue series. I really loved Anne from the beginning, and what drew me to her was her imperfection. Anne has one leg slightly shorter than the other, so she walks with a limp. I was thrilled when readers started writing to me to tell me that they wanted to see Anne become the star in her own book. It has taken quite a while to make it happen, as an entire seven book series got in the way that I had to write, but one day in the shower about six months ago, I was struck suddenly with Anne’s story. I knew it had to be written next, so I set pen to paper, or really fingers to the keyboard, and wrote MY DARING DUCHESS. I adore that Anne is not your typical, perfect heroine, and she is a very strong woman as well. Anne blazes across the page determined to get revenge and perhaps, just perhaps, she will find love in the process! The book releases on January 30.
Here is a little bit about it:
When a lady bent on ruining rogues and a duke set on revenge attempt to derail each other’s plans, passion erupts into a love for the ages.
After being left brokenhearted by a duplicitous rake, Anne Adair no longer desires a husband—she wants justice. She’s traded in her foolish dream of happily-ever-after for the much more sensible one of thwarting the blackhearted lords who prey on innocent debutantes. But her first mission proves rather complicated when the dashing, devilish Duke of Kilmartin comes to the aid of her target.
Simon Sedgewick, the newly titled Duke of Kilmartin, never thought he would return to England, let alone attend a ball full of simpering lords. But when his oldest friend’s reputation is being smeared and Simon discovers that the perpetrator is none other than his enemy’s granddaughter, his long-festering desire for vengeance flares to life.
The moment Simon spies Miss Anne Adair across the glittering ballroom, he knows that the ravishing beauty is the perfect instrument for the retribution he thought lost to him. He does not know, however, that Anne has devised a scheme of her own. And soon, these two wary hearts will discover that the best laid plans are no match for love.
You can pre-order Anne and Simon’s story here:
What’s your take on not-so-perfect heroines?