First published 2012
Ashford Blackburne faces his grandfather's ultimatum. The Fifth Earl of Blackburne must wed and produce an heir before Christmas or forfeit his inheritance. Fresh from being jilted and drowning his sorrows, Ash stumbles into a poker game with impossible stakes. He loses the hand but gains something unexpected: a bride from the gutters and a shotgun wedding. Larkin McAdams has carried a torch for Ashford since childhood. She asks for little from life or marriage. A simple bed, warm covers, and the occasional bath would satisfy her completely. Now she has won the man she has always loved, even if he came to her through a card game gone wrong. Larkin believes she can become the wife Ashford needs, but first she must prove her worth to a man who never wanted her and a world that sees her as beneath his station.
Genres: romance, historical-fiction, historical-romance, 19th-century
Vibes: emotional, intimate, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, forced-proximity
Period: Christmas
ebook · Smashwords Edition