Tuesday, January 6, 2015

His Saving Grace Secrets & Seduction # 4 By: Sharon Cullen



His Saving Grace
Secrets & Seduction # 4
By: Sharon Cullen
Releasing December 23rd, 2014
Loveswept



Blurb

Perfect for fans of Mary Balogh, Sharon Cullen’s captivating novel tells the deeply emotional tale of two devoted lovers facing the ravages of war.

For months now, Lady Grace Ashworth has mourned the death of her beloved husband—until the day a very-much-alive Michael arrives at her front door. It’s nothing less than a miracle. However, Grace soon realizes that this Michael isn’t the same man who left for the Crimean War. She’s stunned to learn that he has suffered a devastating head injury. Putting all her own desires aside, Grace resolves to devote herself to Michael’s recovery and to love him no matter what troubles may come.

Convinced that his wife is wasting her time on a broken man, Michael attempts to shield Grace from a life of inconvenience by driving her away. But Grace will have none of that. Despite every obstacle Michael throws in her path, she stubbornly soldiers on, fighting not only for their marriage but for the love they once shared. In the end, will her determination alone be enough to save Michael from the darkness that threatens to consume him?

Excerpt:

(from Chapter 2)
         “Sir Timmons is handsome and a very nice man,” Violet said quietly. “Besides, living in that drafty old dower house has to be such a hardship after living so long in the manor house.”
         Clara stiffened. She despised any reference to the time when Grace lived in Blackbourne Manor. She would much prefer to pretend that Grace had never been countess at all. Grace wasn’t certain what she had done to elicit such animosity in Clara. They’d never had much in common, but they’d always been civil to each other. Until Nigel had assumed the earldom. After that, Clara’s claws had come out.
         Her mother squeezed Violet’s hand, and Grace had to commend the girl for overcoming her shock to be so gracious. “The dower house is not drafty,” Clara said, all quivering indignation. “The earl is very aware that he has a responsibility to the dowager countess.” Grace closed her eyes in mortification and anger. The earl might be aware of his responsibility, but he in no way acted on it other than to get her off his hands at his earliest convenience.
         “Yes, well.” Prudence clapped her hands together, and even if her smile was strained, she took control of the meeting. “It’s time we got started, or it will be close to dinner before we’re finished.”
         The meeting didn’t last as long as dinnertime, and as it wound down, the ladies gathered their shawls and parasols. Clara, likely sensing that she would be the topic of conversation afterward, hung about later than usual but soon ran out of excuses and had to say her goodbyes.
         Sara and Grace left the house together, and when they were standing at the street, Sara hugged Grace hard. It was all Grace could do to keep the tears that had been threatening from falling.
         “I’m so sorry, Grace.” Sara pulled away and looked into Grace’s eyes. “I had no idea.”
         “That makes two of us.” Grace tried to laugh but failed. “What will you do?” “I have no idea.”
         “Well, you can’t marry him.” “Can’t I?” Sara reared back and stared at Grace in shock. “Tell me you aren’t seriously considering his proposal.”
         “There was no proposal. There was an agreement between Nigel and Timmons. My
wishes or thoughts were not considered. According to Nigel, the deal is finished, and all that is left is the ceremony.”
         “You have a choice. Talk to Sir Timmons and tell him you don’t have feelings for him.”
         Grace began walking in the direction of town. Sara walked beside her and the burly footman followed as discreetly as an enormous man could.
         “Tell him you’re still mourning Michael,” Sara said.
Grace could do that, and she had every right to do that, but something stopped her. Something Nigel said had been nagging at her. He’d been convinced that Grace wouldn’t want to spend the rest of her life alone, while up until that moment she had wanted to do just that. Or she’d thought she had, only because she’d never considered a second marriage. But after returning to the dower house, after visiting the manor, something had shifted inside of her.
         The dower house was old and rotting and hadn’t had a dowager living in it for a few decades. Michael’s older brother had not married before his death, and their mother had died while giving birth to Nigel. For the past ten months, Grace had not minded living there. It had been the only place that held no memories of Michael, and that had been a blessing for a time. But after her short visit to the manor house, she realized she missed living in a home where the fireplaces worked and the damp didn’t seep into her bones.
         How horrible was it that she was considering marrying Sir Timmons for warmth and a solid roof over her head.
         “Grace, are you seriously considering this marriage?”
Grace’s hands shook so hard that she hid them in the folds of her gown. “No. Yes. I don’t know, Sara. It never occurred to me that Sir Timmons would offer for my hand, but now he has me thinking of my future.” It was more than the house. It was the loneliness that weighed her down. She wanted someone to talk to in the evening. Someone to sit with by a fire.
 



Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22707764-his-saving-grace?from_search=true

Buy Links: Amazon | Barnes | iTunes | Kobo
Author Info
Sharon Cullen is the author of the historical romances The Notorious Lady Anne, Loving the Earl, and Pleasing the Pirate, as well as many novels of romantic suspense, paranormal romance, and contemporary romance. If you’d like to find out more about the author and her books, you can visit her blog or her website. She is addicted to social networking so you can find her on Facebook and Twitter. Friend her! Like her! Follow her! She’d love to hang out with you and talk about her passion: books.

Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter 
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