She’s royal. She’s his best friend’s little sister. She hates him!
Book Links:
Lara Ramsay is no stranger to scandal. As the orphaned daughter of a British colonel and his beloved Indian wife, whispers follow her everywhere. Not even the protection of the formidable Duke of Wolverton, a man she can’t stand, keeps the gossips at bay.
The audacious Lara has driven Tristan Wentworth, The Duke of Wolverton, to distraction since the day his uncle took her in—and he’s quite certain doing so is her favorite pastime. After catching her and his younger sister at a salacious masquerade, he’s had enough scandal and issues a marriage ultimatum: find a husband within six months or one will be chosen for her.
Unfortunately, no one in the ton appeals to her. Except, perhaps, the duke himself. The battle of wills has only just begun, and when Lara kisses him, their fate is sealed.
Sometimes even the most proper duke needs to break the rules to win the heart of the woman he loves...
Book Links:
Goodreads * Amazon.in * Amazon.com
“Here, right at this moment, I’m giving you an ultimatum: Find someone from the ton to marry in the next six months or I will choose someone for you.” – Duke of Wolverton
“Well then the plan is simple, ‘Divide and Rule.’” – Lara Ramsay
“You’ll be surprised that a gentleman with the best intentions can behave like a rake when faced with temptation.” – Duke of Wolverton
“I think, Wolf, that you go on and on about my undesirability and my unattractiveness as a way to convince yourself more than me. The fact is that you kissed me because I am desirable and I am very attractive indeed.” – Lara Ramsay.
“You know very well that I’m accepted in the ton, albeit grudgingly, thanks only to you. No man wants to marry me, and I don’t want to marry any of those men.” – Lara Ramsay.
Read an Excerpt from Dare to be a Duchess:
Wolf crossed his arms and glared at Lara. Despite being at fault, she was as unrepentant as ever. Her absolute nonchalance drove him mad, always.
“It is my concern. Getting into trouble is second nature to you, so I’d be lying if I said that it gave me any pleasure to be the one to help you out.” Wolf scowled at her. “Paxton is not a fool. He only has to think closely as to whose identity I would desperately want to protect and then remember your dark hair and he will come up with your name. You truly have no sense at all.”
“Well then you shouldn’t have bothered coming to my aid,” Lara retorted. “I could have handled the situation perfectly well by myself.”
Wolf put his hands on his hips. “And how may I ask would you have done that?”
“I’ve heard that a well planted knee on a delicate part of a man’s anatomy would normally do the trick.”
His eyebrows shot up. “You’re crazy to think that you could have deterred Paxton that easily.”
Lara merely stared at him, her head held high, further fueling his temper.
“What, nothing to say?” he snapped. “Which brings me back to my first question. What in the world are you doing here in this depraved place?”
Lara continued to watch him with those deep blue eyes, her lips set in a mutinous line. Her lack of response irked him even more.
“Answer me,” Wolf demanded, his tone sharp.
She met his gaze head on. “We had no inkling this place would be so bad. And nothing untoward has occurred, so stop shouting at me.”
“Unbelievable,” he growled. “Do you know how bad this place can be for two innocent girls like yourselves? Behind their masks and costumes, the men here have only one thing on their minds when they look at you, and you, as usual, don’t care that you could be completely ruined if discovered, let alone taken advantage of, in this den of vice. You are wild and irresponsible and you give no thought to your actions or the consequences thereof. And you
brought Anne here? Just because you don’t care about your reputation doesn’t mean you can play fast and loose with hers.”
Lara’s eyes blazed with fury. “Anne is not a child. She is a grown woman who has a mind of her own.”
“And that is justification for you to come here?” Wolf countered.
“I, too, have a mind of my own,” she shot back. “And I do not appreciate you telling me what I can and cannot do.”
His nostrils flared. He was the Duke of Wolverton, one of the most powerful men in England. No one defied him. And yet this one woman stood against him at every turn. Why couldn’t she understand the potential danger for her or Anne here?
About the Author:
Sapna Bhog is an author from India who writes contemporary and historical romance novels. As a self-proclaimed die-hard romantic, her books are filled with swoon-worthy heroes and feisty heroines who clash all the time, but do get their happy ever after. Sapna has always surrounded herself with books and when she is not writing she is reading. Originally from Dubai, she now lives in Western India with her husband, kids and a Siberian Husky. Sapna gave up a successful IT career and took a foray into writing and has never looked back since. Her favourite pastimes are reading, writing, traveling and shopping—not necessarily in that order. She loves to hear from readers.
Sapna on the Web:
Twitter * Facebook * Instagram
You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!
Click here to enter
Like Bina, so many of us have the closet desire to write, to express, to publish.
To use the power of our words - to heal our lives,
and amplify our voice.
And yet, sometimes we just dont know where to begin.
Or how to go about things...
Finally, it’s here. A wonderful, customized, group class (where you also get individual email consultation) and get a chance to learn from one of the most loved authors in India - Megha Bajaj, author of several acclaimed and inspiring books including The Breakthrough, published by Rupa.
Not only will this workshop come to you at a never before, never again investment - but you will also get a chance to relax, learn and gain tremendous insights from an incredible mentor and a fun, like-minded group.
If using words as a medium of expression, self-discovery and profession has been on your agenda here is your chance to give power to your dreams.
About Seelie Kay:
Award-winning author Seelie Kay writes about lawyers in love, sometimes with a dash of kink.
Writing under a nom de plume, the former lawyer and journalist draws her stories from more than 30 years in the legal world. Seelie’s wicked pen has resulted in nineteen works of fiction, including the new paranormal romance series Donovan Trait, as well the erotic romance Kinky Briefs series and The Feisty Lawyers romantic suspense series. She also authored The Last Christmas, The Garage Dweller, A Touchdown to Remember, The President’s Wife, The President’s Daughter, Seizing Hope, The White House Wedding, and participated in the romance anthology Pieces of Us.
When not spinning romantic tales, Seelie ghostwrites nonfiction for lawyers and other professionals. Currently, she resides in a bucolic exurb outside Milwaukee, WI, where she enjoys opera, the Green Bay Packers, gourmet cooking, organic gardening, and an occasional bottle of red wine.
Seelie is an MS warrior and ruthlessly battles the disease on a daily basis. Her message to those diagnosed with MS: Never give up. You define MS, it does not define you!
Seelie on the Web:
Website * Blog * Twitter * Facebook * Instagram * Author's Amazon Page
You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!
Click here to enter
You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!
Click here to enter
Read this book:
The Breakthrough - Song
The Publishing Journey: (Click on the photo to read the article)
You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!
Click here to enterComplicated, surly, and sexy, Manav Apte was probably the only photographer who resented his muse. From the day he’d seen her, there had been no other. Unfortunately, she was the one woman he could never have.
Passionate, talented, and gorgeous, Diana Severes refused to give the temperamental ass behind the camera the satisfaction of knowing he got under her skin. It was, however, impossible not to notice him or his glowering disapproval that trailed her everywhere she went.
Their dislike and distrust of each other is legendary in the fashion industry and yet, the sparks that fly when they come together for work are enough to light the sets on fire.
Will the Golden Girl of India’s fashion scene be able to see beyond his hatred to the love he’s desperately trying to mask? And will the country’s most talented photographer realise that his true talent lies not in what he views through his lens but what he sees through the filter of his heart?
Book Links:
Goodreads * Amazon.in * Amazon.com
We walked along the beach. Me in my shorts and black t-shirt, Diana in a glamorous white beach dress with lace trim. If there was ever a contrast competition, we’d win it hands down.
“Are you okay?” I asked her.
Diana shrugged. “I guess. That was unpleasant but necessary. I’ll get next steps in place as soon as we get back to Mumbai.”
“Will your family be okay with this?”
“My parents don’t get a say in my career decisions. My dad is ex-army and my mom is a teacher. They don’t understand how this world works anyway.” She sidestepped some dog shit on the beach, moving a little closer to me.
I itched to wrap an arm around her, pull her in for a hug and kiss her. Instead, I clenched my hands in my pockets, Adil’s words still echoing in my head.
“My brother, who is a typical tech nerd, wouldn’t bother to venture an opinion either. The only other person who would have understood was Andrew, the brother who died. He was the one who encouraged me to get into modelling and pursue my dreams.” Tears glimmered in her eyes, a stray one streaking across one golden hued cheek.
“And this was your dream? To be a model?”
She stared back towards the resort in the distance, her mind somewhere I couldn’t follow.
“I wanted the fame, the glamour and the money. I wanted to be independent. I wanted to be someone. Modeling gave me all of that and when my time ends, and it will end, we all know that, I have a backup plan in place for that too.”
I stared at her, seeing her, truly seeing her for the first time since I’d met her two years ago. She was so much more than that gorgeous face and bubbly personality that people mistook to be the entirety of her.
“I wanted to be a wildlife photographer,” I blurted out with all the finesse of a horny sixteen year old.
“You can still be one,” she smiled. “Just in addition to what you already do.”
“I work nonstop. I’d never be able to find the time,” I muttered.
“We can always find the time if it’s important enough to us. We make time when we want to.” She cupped my cheek and pressed a light kiss on to it.
She was right. We made time and space for what we wanted, for what was important to us. And in that moment, I knew… Diana was desperately important to me.
“Everything he said was true, you know,” I told her, shoving my hands deeper into my pockets to keep them from reaching for her.
“Everything I said was true too, Manav,” she smiled, sadly. “But what is your truth?”
What was my truth? It was buried under so many years of misery, pain, and heartache, would I recognize it even if I found it?
About the Author:
Shilpa Suraj wears many hats - corporate drone, homemaker, mother to a fabulous toddler and author.
An avid reader with an overactive imagination, Shilpa has weaved stories in her head since she was a child. Her previous stints at Google, in an ad agency and as an entrepreneur provide colour to her present day stories, both fiction and non-fiction.
Contact the Author:
Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Newsletter
You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!
Click here to enter
Hi, I'm Debdatta Dasgupta
You may know me from The Curious Reader (formerly Bookish Indulgences), where I've been blogging about books since 2012. If not, welcome. I'm a lifelong reader, publishing professional, and firm believer that every great book deserves to find its readers.
Read More!