My latest romance, a dark Regency tale is released today, but my publisher sent me two blurbs.
Why?
Read on to find out.
The longer version tells readers so much more - and it had me fanning myself!
Extended Blurb
While he is no
stranger to pleasurable company from ladies of the night, Major Richard
Rothbury of the royal dragoons is not the kind of man who will stand idly by as
a woman is taken against her will, and when he witnesses a disreputable cad
attempting to force himself on a girl in a back alley, he does not hesitate to
intervene.
But after the
grateful young woman offers herself to Rothbury, he is shocked to discover that
not only was she no harlot, she was a maiden and he has deflowered her. Furious
at the girl’s scandalous behavior and her carelessness with her own safety,
Rothbury chastises her soundly.
Though she is due
to inherit one of the largest fortunes in England, the fact that she cannot
touch the money until she marries or turns thirty has kept Elizabeth completely
at the mercy of her cruel uncle, and for years she has been treated as if she
were a servant. Her encounter with Lord Rothbury is by far the most exciting
thing that has ever happened to her, but while he shows great concern for her
safety, he refuses to believe that she is anything more than a serving girl.
Despite having
made it clear that he doesn’t consider a match between them to be possible, when
Elizabeth disobeys him Rothbury proves more than ready to strip her bare,
punish her harshly, and then enjoy her beautiful body in the most shameful of
ways. But can she dare to hope that he will one day make her his wife, or is
she destined to spend her life being wickedly used?
Publisher’s Note: Wickedly Used: A Dark Regency Romance includes
spankings and sexual scenes. If such material offends you, please don’t buy
this book.
Here's the short version
I know which I prefer
Short Blurb
Elizabeth is an heiress to one of the largest fortunes in England, but she cannot touch her inheritance until she marries or turns thirty, and her cruel uncle has used that fact to his advantage and treats her as no more than a servant.
Lord Rothbury knows that he must marry into money so that his sisters can have the life he wants for them, and when he finds himself falling in love with a girl he believes to be a servant he tries to forget her. But letting go of Elizabeth proves much more difficult than he expected…
Which one works for you?
Excerpt
The dragoon bristled when he glowered at Dawlish. Catching both her wrists in one hand, her rescuer held her at arms’ length. The breadth of his chest fascinated her, and she could sense his inner strength. She shuddered then stilled, but her heart still beat overtime in her chest.
Dawlish was older, with a thickset body and a mouth as mean as her uncle’s. Her dragoon’s good looks and protective manner delighted her. He had stepped in and saved her, sort of, but his gaze condemned her as Dawlish’s whore. He felt more friend than foe, but he looked ready to march away when she needed him to stay.
Lifting her head, she tried to sound brave. “Please, sir, let me pass.”
When he didn’t move, she tugged one hand free of his hold and shoved at his chest. He recaptured it in an instant. “Damn it, girl. Stand still for a minute.”
His touch sent a series of lightning strikes down her spine. Her nipples pearled and poked at the thin fabric of her gown. With him, she could fulfill her wickedest dream. The one where she gave her virginity to a handsome stranger. Memories of a stolen moment of passion would sustain her until she turned thirty—she hoped.
Dawlish snarled like a mongrel ready to fight over a bone. He still fumbled to lace up his breeches. “I saw her first. Come here, girl. I’ll pay whatever price you demand once you’ve spread your thighs for me.”
Self-conscious and horrified, Elizabeth stared at the ground. After six years of her cousins’ insults, she felt like the nonentity they called her. She hated that. Back before her parents died, she’d felt pretty. Her mother had told her that her hair shone like moonlight and her eyes gleamed like the palest topaz.
Washed out, her cousins called them.
For her dragoon, she wanted to be beautiful. She took a step closer to him. “I’m not here by choice, sir. I swear it.”
He spoke softly as if soothing a spooked mare. “Easy, girl. Allow me to escort you back to the Grand Walk.”
Dawlish yanked her wrist free of the dragoon’s grip and dragged her toward him. His touch felt like a million spiders scuttling over her skin. Does the wretched man ever bathe? Solid, square, and sweaty, he leered at her through piggy eyes. “Come on, Blondie, name your price.”
Just when she thought the dragoon’s gaze couldn’t be any colder, it turned into an arctic blast. Mouth set in a straight line, he pried Dawlish’s fingers from her wrist. “She’s not willing. Leave her be.”
The vein in Dawlish’s forehead bulged. His cheeks turned mottled scarlet. He shoved at the dragoon’s chest like a schoolboy spoiling for a fight. Her rescuer curled his lip and brushed him aside.
Once Dawlish realized he couldn’t move her dragoon, he shoved Elizabeth behind him. “Rothbury? Playing the hero? After the way you screwed your family? I don’t think so. Lavinia will laugh when I tell her you’ve taken to defending whores. Back off, and mind your own business. This little pigeon’s mine.”
The look the dragoon—Rothbury—gave Dawlish would have curdled milk. The atmosphere felt thick with menace. Elizabeth felt sure there were undercurrents at play here that she didn’t understand.
Rothbury’s jaw clenched with carefully suppressed anger. “The lady’s changed her mind.”
Elizabeth’s cheeks burned. Dawlish made her feel dirty and cheap. She pulled her free of his grip and shoved at his back. When he stared at her over his shoulder, his gaze held a degrading mix of menace and desire. “She’ll be willing once we’ve agreed on the price. Besides, you can have her when I’ve finished.” #Regency #Waterloo
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