Book excerpt: A beautiful widow of the Peninsular War finds a love that is as unlikely as it is undeniable in this Regency romance. When Alaric Defford, Lord Stafford, goes looking for his runaway niece, he instead encounters the most lovely and alluring woman he’s ever laid eyes on. The widow of a sergeant killed in the Peninsular War, Marianne Turner is equally shocked by the instant connection she shares with Alaric. She never expected to feel this way for another man, especially one so formidable and arrogant! Having vowed never to love again, Marianne insists that she is a completely unsuitable match for the dashing viscount. But when Alaric is injured, and Marianne nurses him back to health, she is reminded of how precious a chance at love can be . . .