Joan Livieri
ABOUT THE BOOK
Secret Promise
Vacationing in Italy from her job in Stowe, Vermont, Laura Kincaid meets Trista Serrano (Trista using her mother's last name). They exchange addresses. Trista, unwell, is unwed and pregnant. To hide her shame, she steals Laura's identity and has her daughter use Laura's name as mother and for her daughter's protection names her brother, Dominic, as father.
Trista shows up at Laura's with her baby. She admits her shame and that she is dying and pleads with Laura to take her baby, revealing Laura's name is on her baby's birth certificate. Softhearted Laura agrees. Trista returned to Rome, and just before dying, she whispered to Dominic she had a daughter she named Cella.
Dominic vows for find his niece. He hires investigators, but they find nothing. Still, Dominic will not give up.
Dominic goes to ski in Vermont at a posh resort where Laura works. Laura is taken with the handsome Italian and is thrilled when he invites her to dinner. Dominic's interest in Laura takes because she is so unlike the usual women he meets until he discovers she has a daughter and never married. He becomes incensed and rude, not allowing her to explain. Neither knowing they have Trista's daughter in common.
Their personalities clash with accusations, anger, and meanness. When Dominic and Laura discover they have Trista's baby, Laura tries to run with Cella, but powerful Dominic has his own plans.
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The Reluctant Imposter
Willie regrets promising to take her friend's place at the Earl of Grenmoor's estate in Cornwall for a few days and tries to back out, but her sense of duty holds her firm. Pretending to be someone she's not goes against all her principles, and Willie eventually confesses her deception. Surprisingly, the earl's grandmother accepts her confession and sets her sights on matchmaking Willie with her grandson, Lucien Barkley.
Neither Willie nor Lucien are aware of this scheme, and they don't initially like each other. Willie, the daughter of a vicar, feels out of place among the elites, while Lucien finds her outspokenness off-putting. Despite this, Grandy is determined to bring them together. Willie repeatedly finds herself in one predicament after another, unbeknownst to the earl.
Lucien remains unaware of Willie's deception until she unexpectedly saves his life. Sparks fly, but Willie mistakes Lucien's admiration for humiliation and runs away. While Grandy is ready to give up, the earl is not. They clash, yet are irresistibly drawn to each other.
The Missing Duke
Twin Delbert, the second-born, covets being Duke, and Lady Eudora wants to be his Duchess. Together, they arrange to have the Duke and firstborn killed. The Duke is killed, but greedy thugs keep Derrick alive to sell to Captain Zuber. Lying in blood, Derrick hears his brother and lady pay off thugs. After being thrown on the filthy shark tooth deck, he never tells his title and names himself Wolf, determined to survive to return and have his revenge. He survives brutality and torture, and two years later he escapes and returns to England.
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