I'm SO excited to share the second book in the Taken by Destiny trilogy - Tempting the Reclusive Earl. If you read the first book, The Earl's Timely Wallflower, then you met the hero of book 2 - Christian, the Earl of Huntington.
Christian is not your average earl. He's brilliant, he's an inventor, and he's shy. His genius sets him apart from most people and throughout his life, he's had difficulty relating to others. Even his own parents. The London Season is his worst nightmare because he's expected to talk to people - especially women. He'd rather avoid the Season altogether, but his best friend Gabriel won't allow that and drags him to Town anyway.
When Christian learns that his steward has stolen a great deal of money from him, it puts the employment of his people in jeopardy. He may not be a good earl, but he can damn well keep people employed. It's the least he can do.
But his troubles don't end there. He discovers a beautiful woman looking lost on Gabriel's doorstep, who turns out to be the younger sister of Gabriel's new wife. A sister who belongs 200 years in the future, not in 1814 London. Naturally, Bellamy wants to return home to her time and Christian is more than happy to help because the woman unsettles him. He wants her like he's never wanted another, she frustrates him, she insists on coming with him to help find his steward, and she seeks him out when he wants to be alone.
Fate has other plans however, because the time travel clock is stolen by his steward. Christian must find the man, not only to get back the money he stole, but also to get the time travel clock. As Christian reluctantly allows Bellamy to help him, he discovers that she can easily gain information from people with her natural charm. He's also smitten with her. But a woman as beautiful and vibrant as Bellamy could have any man she desired. She could never want a reclusive earl...
I loved writing these two characters! Bellamy isn't afraid to go after what she wants, and even though she's beautiful, she's not perfect. Sometimes her beauty is all people can see and they don't see the woman she is. Her relationship with her sister Lily needs a lot of work too, and this trip to the past gives her the chance to step away from the modeling world and focus on what is important - family and love. I loved writing a woman who made the first move, especially in the Regency era, and who could see Christian and bring him out of his shell.
Read the first chapter here.
Buy the book here