Caroline Torrington is large, and she wears glasses. Not the sort of woman to attract the attention of London's most notorious rake unless he is after her fortune. Lucas, Lord Foxhaven, noted for his wild and reckless behavior, is once again in dispute with his father over his financial excesses. Only his childhood friend Caro can help him out of his predicament and perhaps find a way to his heart.
Excerpt
The outside door banged against the stone wall. Caro, heart pounding, a hot wet plate pressed to her chest, swung around. She watched, slack-jawed, as a horse and black-coated rider clattered beneath the great stone arch into the vaulted chamber.
The antiquated flambeaux quivered in their iron wall sconces sending shadows dancing wildly across the walls.
The inrush of cold air stirred the hair on her nape. A shiver ran down her back. Speak of the devil and he was sure to appear. Lucas Rivers, Viscount Foxhaven, her erstwhile best friend and rejected suitor, certainly fit the bill. Long jet hair scraped back in a queue demonized the chiselled planes and angles of his face in the flickering light. A slash of black brow winged up to match the wry twist to his firm lips.
Her foolish heart tumbled over. By dint of will, she curbed a smile of welcome. The ton might find his antics amusing, but he’d get no encouragement from her, not any more.
How on earth had he managed to run her to earth? Or was he drunk and had simply lost his way? “If you are here for the trophy ride, you need to enter through the front door, otherwise you’ll find the stables across the courtyard.” She sounded remarkably calm given the beast’s size and the way it seemed to steal the air, replacing it with the smell of leather and horse.
He cracked a familiar short laugh. “I know where the stables are.” His deep voice resonated off the ancient stone walls and strummed every nerve in her body.
Butterflies seemed to take wing in her stomach. “What do you want, Foxhaven?”
“You. Your sisters said I would find you here.” He ran a disparaging glance around the cavernous room. “I didn’t think you’d sunk this low.”
Not low enough, if his presence meant anything. A spurt of anger stiffened her shoulders. “There is nothing wrong with honest toil.”
He glowered. “It won’t wash Caro. I’m not leaving until you agree to marry me.”
“Then you stay and I will leave.”
The stallion moved deeper into the kitchen, metal-clad hooves striking sparks on the flagstone floor, blocking her exit. “I mean it.”
She glared at him. “You had your answer a year ago? I see no reason to change my mind.”
His sardonic gaze swept over the shapeless black gown and the mobcap she’d borrowed from Lizzie, her maid. “Really? I suppose you would sooner wash dishes than marry me?”
Professional Reviews
Romantic Times
4 Stars. The familiar marriage of convenience plot spins out into an engaging and adventurous story. A hero and heroine who don't quite fit the conventional mold make for some interesting surprises and unexpected twists so not everything is quite as it appears on the surface. The road to happiness is bumpy, but the final result is a relationship with No Regrets
Night Owl Romance Book Reviews
As a reader of historical romance I find it hard to give an author a 5, yet some authors get past me and make me believe in them. Michele Ann Young did this for me with No Regrets. I loved that she didn’t go with the usual heroine but created one who had faults and doubts about her beauty. Most of all is that she is not rail thin or with perfect vision. No, Caroline is your slightly overweight heroine who just wants what any good marriage should have and that is love. She is loyal to her friends and has vulnerability in her that only Lucas can help her with. These two characters were great to read and though in the beginning I was skeptical about Lucas he shined towards her. Not only are the main characters great, but also the secondary characters were wonderful to read. What I liked most was that love does prevail above everything, making you believe that it still exists whether your thin, beautiful or even an average spirited person. Great job to Michele Young and can’t wait for more of your novels. 5/5
Romance Junkies
For a fun-filled fast-paced story that will captivate you from the first page and keep you enthralled right through the end I’d highly recommend NO REGRETS - five blue ribbons
First Place Winner in historical fiction in the Purple Dragonfly Awards for excellence in children's literature, and named a U.P. Notable Classic.
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