The three sons of a notorious mercenary should never have met…but now that they are sworn allies, the Scottish Borders will never be the same…
Denied his rightful legacy, Maximilian de Vries devised a plan to avenge himself upon his father and see his own future secured. Allied with his two half-brothers, he descends upon ancient and mysterious Kilderrick, determined to seize the keep once promised to him, regardless of the price. A woman rumored to be a witch is the sole one bold enough to defy him but Maximilian has a solution—he will take her to wife, whether she be willing or nay, and seal his claim.
But this powerful warrior has yet to match wits with Alys Armstrong, a maiden with a thirst for vengeance and a fury that might exceed his own. Alys has no intention of capitulating to the proud and powerful rogue who stole everything from her—no matter how seductive his touch might be—and she does not share his compulsion to fight fair.
Bitter enemies from the outset, Maximilian and Alys’ match is a battle of wills. When passion flares, will either of them be able to resist temptation? And when Kilderrick itself is in peril, will they join forces to save the holding they each prize—and the unexpected love they value above all else?
“Author Claire Delacroix’s writing style and story-writing ability in her Medieval Historical Romances has always charmed me. Even though this is Maximillan and Alys’s story, her character building of the supporting characters is not stagnant. Rather, there are changes afoot for them all. I eagerly await the next book in the series.”
Flavian, Viscount Ponsonby, finds salvation in the love of a most unsuspecting woman…
Flavian was devastated by his fiancée’s desertion after his return home from the Napoleonic Wars. Now the woman who broke his heart is back—and everyone is eager to revive their engagement. Except Flavian, who, in a panic, runs straight into the arms of a most sensible yet enchanting young woman. Agnes Keeping has never been in love—and never wishes to be. But then she meets the charismatic Flavian, and suddenly Agnes falls so foolishly and so deeply that she agrees to his impetuous proposal of marriage. When Agnes discovers that the proposal is only to avenge his former love, she’s determined to flee. But Flavian has no intention of letting his new bride go, especially now that he too has fallen so passionately and so unexpectedly in love.
What the author on why she decided to write this series based around PTSD as a common element:
“I like a tough challenge and I like heroes and heroines who are wounded in some way. Internal conflict is as important to me as external conflict. There must be both if the book is to have meat on its bones. Characters who have no real, deep-seated problems to keep them from love and happiness would be incredibly difficult to make into dynamic heroes and heroines.”
The nightmares may free her…but destroy the man she loves.
Eliza Ellis has stayed hidden in Balfour Forest for as long as she can remember. Perhaps her only friends are the trees, or her little dog, or her story-telling father called Captain. But at least she is safe from the cruel world outside, a world Captain has warned her against and protected her from. That is, until a handsome stranger named Felton Northwood invades her quiet forest and steals her away. Why does he tell such lies? Why does he insist that her name is Miss Eliza Gillingham, daughter of a viscount, who disappeared fourteen years ago after the murder of her own mother? A murder Eliza is said to have witnessed. When Felton returns Eliza to Monbury Manor and reunites her with a man who is told to be her father, all she remembers are the strange nightmares that have plagued her since childhood. Why have they suddenly grown worse? Are the answers hidden inside her own mind? As danger mounts and lethal attempts are made on her life, Eliza and Felton must work together to uncover the identity of a killer who has stayed silent for fourteen years. When she finally uncovers the horrendous memories trapped in her mind, will divulging the truth cost her the man she loves—and both of their lives? What the author wants the reader to take away from this novel:
“As beautiful as stories are, as magical and lulling as our imagination can sometimes be, reality will always be just a little bit sweeter. Sometimes we need to step out of our dreams, put away our books, and embrace the real world around us. We all have a story to live. I hope the reader, like Eliza, can see the beauty in finding it outside of pages.”
In the wild mountains of the Montana Territory, the Coulter ranch is a place of family, loyalty…and a hidden fortune.
Jericho Coulter, the eldest of six fiercely devoted brothers, is entrusted with safeguarding his family and the secret that binds them together: the Sapphire mine. To keep tragedy from striking again, he allows no outsiders on their land. When two women stumble upon their ranch, claiming Jericho himself sent for one of them as a mail-order bride, he aims to send them straight back where they came from. Dinah Wyatt, a talented and determined doctor, wasn’t about to let her twin sister travel to Montana alone and marry a stranger. Dinah’s skills are immediately put to the test when one of the younger Coulter brothers is gravely injured, forcing the family to trust his life to her. As Dinah and her sister become entwined in the Coulter family’s life, sparks fly between the enigmatic Jericho and the captivating doctor. In a world where trust is hard to come by and secrets hold the power to change lives, Jericho and Dinah must learn that sometimes, the most precious secrets are those buried within our own hearts. The author on the research for her novel’s setting and plot:
“The timing of sapphire discoveries in the state is perfect for my series as well. Early prospectors searching for gold in the gravel of the Missouri River repeatedly discarded the annoying blue pebbles that continually clogged their sluices without much thought to what they may be. It wasn’t discovered that these “pebbles” were sapphires until 1895… and [when it was] declared that the stones were ‘sapphires of unusual quality,’ a small-scale sapphire rush began. This rush is exactly what the Coulter brothers in the Brothers of Sapphire Ranch series are trying to avoid. That’s why they keep the sapphire mine on their property secret during this first book in the series, Healing the Mountain Man’s Heart.“
Bid by King Edward to marry, Aisley de Laci hopes to avoid the altar by choosing Baron Montmorency. She is certain none will agree to the union, especially the baron, who is rumored to practice the dark arts from his isolated keep. Renowned in battle, Montmorency has secluded himself at Dunmurrow for reasons of his own. And he does not want a wife, no matter how wealthy and beautiful. But even he cannot defy the king, and what comes to him he takes—and holds. Aisley refuses to believe that Montmorency possesses any mysterious powers. Yet how else to explain her own growing feelings for a man so shrouded in shadow she has never seen his face? The 5 star review for the novel:
“This book was one of my absolute favorites when I started reading romance when I was younger. I still have it today and refuse to get rid of it. I love how Aisley grows through this tale. She goes from a spoiled child to a matured woman. And Baron Montmorency? I looooove this man. He’s dark, foreboding, and hoards a secret. Their relationship is both passionate and tender, and at times, emotional. There is a Gothic touch to this book, but it’s an amazing historical romance read!”
