Hi, readers! So...I just wanted to drop by and inform you that, after getting the rights back from my last publisher, I am putting out the Heiresses in Love Series myself. Having said that, Upon Your Return is back with an all-new look. The ebook comes out next week on March 21st, but the print versions are available right now.
And Shannon, my cover artist, did such a fantastic job! ♥ I'm looking forward to seeing what she does with the other books in the series.
Here are some details for UYR.
Book Title: Upon Your Return (book one of the Heiresses in Love Series)
Author Name: Marie Lavender
Release Date: March 21, 2022
Genre: Historical Romance (part one of a family
saga/maritime romance)
Era: Victorian (1860s), Second French Empire
Summary/Tagline: Utterly captivated by a man who
rescues her one night, Fara embarks on an unexpected journey.
Blurb:
Award-winning Author Marie Lavender brings
a captivating, passionate love story about a young heiress and a devilishly
charming ship captain. All set in two coastal French towns…
After being raised to believe that love is a frivolous endeavor, French heiress
Fara Bellamont has always kept her dreams of adventure and discovering a
soul-searing passion to herself. So, when Captain Grant Hill makes his grand entrance
into her life by way of rescuing her one fateful night, she knows she’s in
trouble. He completely steals her heart.
But, as far as society is concerned, he’s also not a suitable husband.
Grant Hill, a mysterious, rugged ship captain, is just as
enthralled with Fara as she is with him, but he too knows such things aren’t so
simple. Not only must they overcome social expectations to be together, but
wars and lies, as well. And with a long-time yearning neither has managed to
achieve, the pair must fight to attain their deepest desire:
Happiness.
If you love steamy, romantic tales by Tessa Dare, Julia Quinn, and Christi
Caldwell, then you’ll adore this exciting and intricate Historical Romance set
by the sea.
Book Links
Goodreads book page: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60532494-upon-your-return
Goodreads series page: https://www.goodreads.com/series/227125-heiresses-in-love
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/upon-your-return-heiresses-in-love-book-1-by-marie-lavender-2022-03-01
Universal Reader Link: https://books2read.com/b/Heiresses1
Publisher Link:
https://www.draft2digital.com/book/845894
Book Page on Author Website: https://marielavender.com/about/my-books/upon-your-return/
Follow the series on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeiressesinLove/
Join Marie’s exclusive fan club on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/969071697032166
EXCERPT 1
Fara fought the blackness to the coming
light. It was so easy to stay in the dark. It was comforting like a warm
blanket. But the light held such possibilities. She knew she must rouse, as if
something significant lay in wakefulness. She stirred and felt a pair of arms
holding her. Then she heard a heartbeat beneath a rough fabric, felt a coarse
texture of chest hair. It was so secure within that embrace.
When she finally realized it was a man who held her, she gasped
and tried to retreat from the cord of muscles. She glanced up to be temporarily
blinded by the lamplight to her left.
“Don't move,” said a soft but deep voice.
He spoke with the assurance of authority, likely used to ordering
people around. Well, he wouldn't command her.
She lifted her heavy head and whimpered as a stab of agony sliced through her
skull. Fara squeezed her eyes shut tight. It was so much easier to be left in
the dark for it was as if her head was being cut with so many knives.
“I will have you more comfortable in a moment. Please don’t move.”
How could she possibly move with all this pain and that large man
rendering her limbs useless?
Suddenly, she felt a light cushion beneath her. The glare from the
lantern came across her vision again when she opened her eyes and was then
replaced by the outline of a man towering above her. On a panicked breath, she crawled
away from him, but his hold on her waist hauled her back. Her head hurt so as
he studied her face.
“Madame, the pain will lessen if you stay still. I promise
I didn’t bring you here to harm you in any way.”
She gradually settled back on the pillows and looked at her
keeper. He was an attractive man if one liked the rough, indignant kind. Dark
layers of soft waves covered his head and ended at the nape of his neck. He was
large, but slim in the right places...it spoke of years of hard physical labor.
His eyes captivated her as she studied him in such proximity. The
shade of his eyes...a charcoal color; they were the most intense and unreadable
eyes she'd ever seen. It was an odd, yet strikingly beautiful color for a man.
Oh, you silly girl, she thought. Really...how
ridiculous for her to be wooed by only a pair of eyes.
EXCERPT
2
“What business is it of yours?” the man who'd accosted her asked.
“That doesn't matter. I demand you now treat her like the lady she
is. Apologize.”
A thrill tingled down Fara's spine. She knew that voice. It
belonged to Grant. But if he wanted to remain anonymous, she would play along.
The man beside her shifted uneasily where he stood. “Or?”
“Or you may not make it to the brothel I assume you attend
regularly. Suffice it to say you'll regret it, Monsieur. I may not even
go to the trouble of challenging you in a duel.”
He must have seen the sincere threat in Grant's eyes as well as
his rapier, which he always carried at his side. The man turned to Fara. “I am
sorry, Mademoiselle. It won’t happen again.” He didn’t wait for a
response; he swept past both her and Grant and was out of the alcove before
they could stop him.
“Obviously propriety is lost on him.”
She smiled. It was so like him to make light of a bad situation.
She remembered she still hadn't acknowledged that he knew her. Perhaps he
didn’t recognize her? “I would like to thank you, Monsieur, for your
intervention.”
“There is no need. I did what any man would’ve done.”
“Not every man would aid just any woman. I should not have
accepted his offer to dance. Before I had a chance to stop him, he dragged me
in here. I shouldn’t have trusted him.”
“Don't punish yourself over it. But it's true some strangers can
have ulterior motives.”
“But not all?”
“No, I suppose occasionally someone means well.”
“Would you fit into that category? One with no ulterior motives?”
“Perhaps when I first came inside the alcove…”
His eyes beneath his mask seemed to bore into her very soul. In a
way, she knew she was toying with Grant, that he probably thought she didn't
know it was him and was appalled she would flirt with simply any man. What was
he feeling? Her heart raced in a strange, exhilarating way, and her breaths
were shallower. If he did know it was her, did he care?
“Not now?” she teased.
“Now I just might have ulterior motives…”
“Oh?”
The alcove curtain was closed so they had no reason to fear being
seen. A part of her didn't care if they were caught without her having a
chaperone. The fact that she wasn't supposed to be here because of her mourning
period added to the risk. It was enticing.
He had accused her of it before, but now she could only sigh. “You
would know if I was teasing, Capitaine.” At his frown, she shook her
head. Reality returned just as it always did. There were obligations. Grant
then escorted her back to Helene and Rosalie, and they left the governor's
mansion. Part of her only considered what it might have been like if they'd had
nothing to worry about.
Could she have a chance with Grant? Her heart needed to believe in
the possibility.
Author Bio
Multi-genre author of Victorian
maritime romance/family saga, Heiresses in Love, and 20 other books. Marie
Lavender lives in the Midwest with her family and two cats. She has been
writing for a little over twenty-five years. She has more works in progress
than she can count on two hands. Since 2010, Marie has published 21 books in
the genres of historical romance, contemporary romance, romantic suspense,
paranormal romance, romantic comedy, dramatic fiction, fantasy, science
fiction, mystery/thriller, literary fiction and poetry. An avid blogger on the
side, she writes adult fiction, as well as occasional stories for children, and
has recently started some young adult fiction. She also contributed to several
anthologies. Though Marie has standalone titles on the market, her current published series are The
Eternal Hearts Series, The Magick Series, The Code of Endhivar Series, The
Misfits Series and The Blood at First Sight Series, but she has many others
planned. Her Victorian maritime romance series is returning, and the second
editions of the trilogy will be released soon. Discover more about her and her work
at the following links.
Author Links
Marie's full list of links: https://linktr.ee/marielavender1
Fan mail email: author@marielavender.com
Grab yourself a copy today! :) Yes, it's available in hardcover now.
And don't forget to join my exclusive fan club over on Facebook. Also, you can sign up for automatic emails ONLY about my new releases here.
Have a great week, everyone!
