Miss Harriet Chase has been in desperate financial straits since the closing of the Ladies’ Academy where she taught. Marriage to Sir Percival would provide for her mother and younger brother, and give her the safe, stable life she craves. But Percy won't propose unless she has a dowry. The treasure left by her father before he died might provide it, but it's in Spain. A thief just stole Harriet’s copy of the map. She has to go find the treasure now.
Half the treasure belongs to the heir of her father’s friend, Viscount Sheffield. Rumors swirl around Sheffield like the capes of his greatcoat, that he’s a privateer who’s killed a dozen men and bedded over a hundred women. He has a ship and can take her to Spain, but can she trust him ... with her life, her virtue, her half of the treasure?
Nicholas, Viscount Sheffield, inherited nothing but the title and entailed estates; his father gave away everything else. Nick is eager to claim the treasure his father didn’t want him to have, even if he has to bring this timid but tenacious woman with him. She has memorized what she thinks is the only copy of the treasure map.
As they follow clues, sailing from London to Spain to Portugal, they discover other hunters, not just the thief, are also racing to find the treasure. Amidst their adventures, Nick discovers the most important treasure is the woman at his side. But this journey opens Harriet’s eyes to a world of possibilities. Will she still want a staid life with Percy, or can Nick persuade her that he’s the prize she wants?
A lighthearted Regency historical romance, with a dash of adventure and spice.
Shirley Karr’s love of all things Regency began in childhood, when her father’s Air Force career took the family to England for four years. Not only did they visit historic houses, museums, and castles galore, they lived in centuries-old housing. She currently resides in the Pacific Northwest with her husband (whom she met on a blind date and married five months later), son, and multiple four-legged family members. To unwind, she loves to make jewelry with gemstones and pearls, grow tomatoes, and go tent camping at the Oregon coast. She’s back after a fourteen-year break from writing, telling lighthearted stories of adventure and romance with a dash of spice, set in Regency England.
Visit her online at http://www.shirleykarrauthor.