Thief of Hearts : A Novel

Prim and pampered, Lucina Snow knew little of men and nothing of danger, until the fog-shrouded night she found herself abducted—and at the mercy of the legendary Captain Doom. Ruthless and mocking, tender and virile, the notorious pirate awakened all Lucy's passionate longings, then abandoned her with nothing but a kiss... Now safely at home, the alluring waif is tormented by treacherous memories—and by the presence of Gerard Claremont, her mysterious new bodyguard. Everything about him, from his forbidding size to his impertinent manner, sparks her defiance. And even when Gerard's smile turns seductive, no one can make her forget Doom. Yet only when Lucy's path crosses the captain's once more, will she learn who is on a voyage of retribution, and who is out to steal her heart... Publishers Weekly Historical romance readers searching for the dangerous, dark, brooding hero of the 1970s only have to look to Medeiros's (A Whisper of Roses) Captain Doom. Here's a rebel with a cause-to clear his name, which had been maligned by the ambitious Admiral Snow, leaving Doom to spend five years in a windowless dungeon. Doom's black phantom ship intercepts one carrying the admiral's daughter, Lucy. Although hardly able to believe his luck, Doom's conscience won't allow him to ravish her, which would, if not clear his name, at least blacken Snow's. Doom lets her go and then reappears later as Gerard Claremont, applying for the position of Lucy's bodyguard. While his purpose is to find documents in the admiral's house that will clear his name and incriminate the admiral, his constant contact with Lucy leaves Gerard torn between revenge and love. Lucy, an endearing heroine long deprived of her father's love, is also torn-between the mysterious Doom and Gerard. At length Doom reveals himself, Lucy learns a startling truth about her father, and there's some great high-seas adventure. Long-time historical romance readers will recognize this type of hero and many will breath a sigh of relief on discovering he is still alive and kicking around in a few authors' imaginations. (Oct.) Prim and pampered, Lucinda Snow knew little of men and nothing of danger, until the fog-shrouded night she found herself abducted - and at the mercy of the legendary Captain Doom. Ruthless and mocking, tender and virile, the notorious pirate awakened all Lucy's passionate longings, then abandoned her with nothing but a kiss ... Now safely at home, the alluring waif is tormented by treacherous memories - and by the presence of Gerard Claremont, her mysterious new bodyguard. Everything about him, from his forbidding size to his impertinent manner, sparks her defiance. And even when Gerard's smile turns seductive, no one can make her forget Doom. Yet only when Lucy's path crosses the captain's once more, will she learn who is on a voyage of retribution, and who is out to steal her heart .. With one careless roll of the dice, Baron Lindsey Fordyce gambles away his beautiful daughter Rowena. Spirited away to an imposing castle, Rowena finds herself pressed into the service of a dark and forbidding knight accused of murder...and much more. Handsome, brooding Sir Gareth of Caerleon has spent years waiting for his chance for revenge. But when he seeks to use the fair Rowena to slay the ghosts of his past, he finds himself ensnared in a tender trap of his own making...a trap he can only escape by surrendering his heart. Book 1 in the “Brides of Legend” Series, which includes: Shadows and Lace Lady of Conquest "AYE, THERE'S SOME THAT SAYS HE'S THE ghost o' Captain Kidd come back from the dead to revenge hisself on those who betrayed him."