VALENTINE COUPLE # 5!

ETHAN & JANE!

I loved writing Ethan's initiation into the Liar's Club--
and Jane is one of my all-time favorite heroines!

THE ROGUE(Book 5)

A gambler and a liar?

Ethan Damont’s legendary gambling skills have 

earned him a place at the gaming tables of London’s

 most exclusive homes. He has used his dubious 

place in Society to aid the Liar’s Club. But his latest 

favor to the group has not only put his life in danger—

it has thrown him together with the woman who 

tempts him to forgo his rakish ways. Lady Jane 

Pennington is a proper young lady and the ravishing 

niece of a suspected traitor. Now it’s Ethan’s job to 

discover if the woman he finds irresistible is naïve to 

her uncle’s deceit—

or guilty of treason against the Crown…

Jane can barely wait for the Season to end—until 

she meets Ethan Damont. After a humiliating first 

encounter, Jane expects a scoundrel like Ethan to 

joke at her expense. Instead, he behaves like a perfect 

gentleman. But just as Jane finds herself overcome 

by her desire for Ethan, he takes her captive. Suddenly, 

she is pulled into a dangerous world where it’s 

impossible to know who is friend and who is foe. Will 

this rogue prove to be her undoing…or the love she 

has always longed for?

 Quotes:

“Once you’ve read a Liar’s Club book, you crave 

the rest in the series!”

—Romantic Times Magazine

“Filled with suspense and romance!”

—The Best Reviews

 Under the covers:

“Ethan Damont originally appeared in the first 

draft of my first novel, FALLEN. He was eventually 

cut in favor of Eric Calwell, another handsome 

secondary character. Still, I dearly loved Ethan 

and saved those few pages that contained him, 

tucking them away into my files for four years. 

I resurrected him to play a supporting role in 

THE CHARMER and this time he refused to go away. 

Instead, he came out swinging, demanding his 

own book and his own lady-love. What could I do? 

Ethan’s irresistible!”

 Portraits of our lovers:

ETHAN

Ethan Damont--the disowned son of a wealthy London 

merchant.

Ethan makes his living in the gambling hells and lives 

only for pleasure...except that pleasure doesn't seem 

quite as meaningful as it once did.

But when he is recruited to join the Liar's Club, Ethan 

must decide if it is time to give up his pleasure-seeking

 existence forever and take on the challenge and 

danger of protecting the Crown.

JANE

As the new catch of the season, heiress Lady Jane 

Pennington isn't quite who everyone thinks she is. 

Weary of pursuit by men she couldn't bear to wed, 

lost in her uncle's household of many daughters, Jane

 is only sure of one thing. She must tell Mother 

everything about her season, every word she hears 

and everything she sees.

Unfortunately, when she sees and hears too much, 

the only person she can turn to is worthless gambler 

Ethan Damont--a man she shouldn't even know, much 

less be obsessed by. He is too handsome, too charming, 

and entirely too lowborn. If only she didn't see her 

own loneliness and isolation reflected 

in his guarded eyes...

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

VALENTINE COUPLE # 4!

This is one of my absolute favorite couples...
I really love it when hate turns to love!

COLLIS & ROSE!

THE CHARMER(Book 4)

Who is the charmer?

Collis Tremayne could make any female swoon; 

yet no one would guess the hidden desperation 

that drove him to become the most skilled spy in 

service to the Crown. All that stand in his way is...

Rose Lacey, the first female Liar and a confounding 

chit who manages to outsmart him with cunning and 

courage. She is the only woman he cannot melt 

with his smile. With every breath, he wishes he 

had never laid eyes on her. And with every flash 

of her green eyes, he craves to possess her...

Rose Lacey fought hard to meet the challenges of 

becoming a spy for the infamous Liar's Club. And 

if it weren't for Collis Tremayne, who manages to 

make her blood boil with his arrogance and leave 

her breathless with white-hot longing, she'd achieve 

her dream. Now, they must work together on a 

secret mission to uncover a dangerous plot--one 

in which the very safety of England hangs in the 

balance. Armed with wit and wiles, they must face 

deadly intrigue, clever enemies, and if they can 

manage not to murder one another--the intoxicating 

lure of unbidden passion...

 Quotes:

“THE CHARMER is a wonderful Liars’ Club Regency 

romance starring two fabulous antagonists.”

—Review Centre

“Top Pick!”

—Romantic Times Bookreviews

 Under the covers:

"The idea for this book actually came from my friend 

Jennifer Smith, an excellent writer herself. Liars in 

love–two trainees, competing and clashing, until they 

must acknowledge their real, hidden feelings. How 

great is that? I also really enjoyed finally going into 

the Liar Academy begun by the characters in The 

Pretender to find out how the whole thing was 

coming along. And then there was Collis, sexy 

roguish wry Collis, who lived through three entire 

books playing his part patiently until he was allowed 

a story of his own. 

Okay, maybe he wasn't exactly patient..."

 Portraits of our lovers:

COLLIS

Collis Tremayne--reluctant heir to the Etheridge title and fortune.

A façade of carefree charm hides a darkness that few understand. Wounded in the war against Napoleon, Collis may never recover full use of his arm.

His musical ambitions in shambles, what's to become of a handsome wealthy man with too much on his mind and entirely too much time on his hands?

ROSE

Rose Lacey was a battered housemaid until she was freed 

from her servitude by the Liar's Club. She owes them 

everything and she has pledged herself to become the 

first woman Liar.

Unfortunately, her training would go much more smoothly 

if it weren't for the interference of a certain handsome 

trainee, highborn Collis Tremayne, who makes everything 

harder than it ought to be. When their conflict threatens 

the very foundation of the Liar's Academy--and the cellar 

and the kitchen--Collis and Rose are sent on a mission of 

their own with the orders, "Get along or get out."

Rose knows she can accomplish the mission on her own, 

if that damned aristocrat would just get out of her way--

until the Prince Regent gets dragged into the adventure 

and everything goes entirely, horribly wrong...

 HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!

VALENTINE COUPLE #3!

JAMES & PHILLIPA!
I love a cross-dressing heroine! A story as old as Greek mythology 
and replayed by Shakespeare can't go wrong, in my opinion. 
I loved writing "Flip!"

THE SPY   (Book 3)

Who is the spy?

James Cunnington has a pressing mission at hand: 

He must find the daughter of a missing code breaker 

for the Liar's Club, a man suspected of turning traitor 

for Napoleon. Time is of the utmost concern. While 

it is evident that his ward's new tutor has something 

to hide, James is unaware that the woman he seeks 

now resides under his very roof....

Desperate and destitute, Phillipa Atwater must don 

gentlemen's clothing to pass herself off as the 

scholarly young tutor. Her clever--if itchy--disguise 

allows her time to pursue her quest to find her father, 

ruthlessly abducted by French spies. Closely guarding 

the cryptic notebook he entrusted to her care, she 

senses danger all around her--even in the home of 

her roguishly handsome new employer, James 

Cunnington. Now Phillipa is about to discover that 

desire can be as lethal as a well-aimed bullet...

 Quotes:

"Bradley pulls us into the wonderful world of the 

Liar's Club and gives us a nonstop read brimming 

with puzzle after puzzle."

—Romantic Times Magazine

"Wonderfully witty writing, superbly matched 

protagonists and an intrigue-steeped plot."

—Booklist

 Under the covers:

"I love cross-dressing heroine stories. The idea of 

getting to know a man as another man, to learn all 

his disgusting habits and unconscious heroism 

before he ever tries to impress the lady--it's a 

secret, vicarious thrill, kind of like spying on the 

boys' locker room. And yes, I take 

Phillipa into the Regency version of the locker room. 

I couldn't help it. To make a well-bred young lady 

face a smelly room full of 'hairy arses'? I was giggling 

about that one for a week. The Spy is also the only 

book I have done so far that features a child as a major 

character. No lisping angels here! I love kids, but 

nothing turns me off more than perfectly behaved 

children. They always give me the willy shivers. Robbie 

is a tough, grimy little house-ape who presents 

Phillipa with a real challenge!"

 Portraits of our lovers:

PHILLIPA

Phillipa Atwater is on the run after her father is ripped 

from her side by Napoleon's soldiers without warning. 

Alone and desperate, her money running out, Phillipa 

comes to London to find the last of her father's old 

friends, only to find they've been murdered, one by one.

The only person she can find is the man mentioned in 

her code breaker father's journal--James Cunnington. 

Unfortunately, her cryptic father doesn't tell her 

whether the man is friend or foe. In order to find out for 

herself, Phillipa transforms herself into Phillip, a 

destitute young tutor desperate for the job of teaching 

James's adopted son Robbie.

As a woman in a man's world, Phillipa must discover 

whether James is the answer to her prayers or her 

worst nightmare.

Or maybe--just maybe--he's the man of her dreams...

JAMES

James Cunnington--wealthy and landed, a gentleman farmer by inheritance.

And one of the finest saboteurs in the history of the Liar's Club. 

Brilliant, charming and entirely too fond of the ladies. 

One would have thought him the most loyal of patriots.

But James was once prone to womanizing while off duty, 

an occupation that could endanger everything the 

Liars are fighting for!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

VALENTINE COUPLE #2!

IN ANTICIPATION OF VALENTINE'S DAY!

Every day, I will be posting a retrospective of my favorite couples, beginning with THE LIAR'S CLUB heroes and heroines!

DALTON & CLARA!

THE IMPOSTOR(Book 2)

Who is the impostor?

It isn't easy moving about Society dressed like a dandy--
especially when one is a ruthless spy. But that's precisely 
the latest mission for Liar's Club master Dalton 
Montmorency. Dalton is posing as Sir Thorogood, the 
elusive cartoonist whose scathing political caricatures 
have all of London abuzz. The true identity of Sir 
Thorogood is a mystery, and Dalton hopes that 
impersonating him will flush out the real menace 
before his cartoons do further damage to the 
government. Now, if Dalton could only find a way 
to get the irksome, yet oddly appealing widow 
Clara Simpson off his trail...

When Clara meets Sir Thorogood at a ball, she's 
certain he is an impostor--because she's the true 
Sir Thorogood. Secretly penning the cartoons under 
the frothy nom de plume, Clara hopes to save 
enough money so that she can leave her in-laws and 
find a new life. Now she is determined to reveal 
an impostor's identity--and that means doing some 
undercover work herself. But pretending to be 
someone you're not has a funny way of making a 
woman do things she wouldn't ordinarily dream of--
even if it drives her straight into the arms of her 
devilishly handsome adversary!

 Quotes:

"Readers will race through this delightful comedy 
of errors and eagerly anticipate the next installment."

—Publishers Weekly"

"With delicious characters and a delectable plot, 
Bradley delivers another enticing read."

—Romantic Times magazine

 Under the covers:

"The Impostor came from one woman's obsession with 
Dalton Montmorency. My editor had a complete crush 
on him and demanded that his story come next. I 
actually dedicated the Impostor to her! When it came 
time to choose his match, the quiet, wry Widow 
Simpson from The Pretender kept coming to mind. 
She wasn't in it for more than a few paragraphs, but 
she wouldn't go away. Her name was originally Clara, 
but I had changed it to Harriet because I thought it 
would be fun to have all my heroines have awful 
names like Agatha. When I began The Impostor, I 
couldn't make Harriet real. In the eleventh hour, 
right before The Pretender went to press, I went 
back through it and changed Harriet back to Clara, 
thus saving The Impostor from the weird fate of 
having a "dead" heroine. Once she became Clara 
again, she was happy to come to life in the story. 
If you should ever happen to get your hands on an 
Advance Reading Copy of The Pretender, you'll find 
that the Widow Simpson is still Harriet in that version. 
The poor thing...what was I thinking?"

 Portraits of our lovers:

CLARA

The Widow Simpson has a secret--and it isn't simply 

that she resents living on the charity of her late husband's 

social-climbing sister. Clara Simpson has a mission, to 

use her drawing talents to expose the evils of the 

upper classes in a popular series of political cartoons, 

known to the public as the work of "Sir Thorogood."

But when the artist becomes a target, Clara isn't sure 

who she can turn to, or who to run from--the 

government who resents her agenda, the villains

 she has exposed, or the obnoxious, arrogant dandy 

who has begun to call himself Sir Thorogood.

Then again, she can't stop thinking about 

the blasted man...

DALTON

Dalton Montmorency, Lord Etheridge--about as highborn 

as one could wish.

Handsome, determined and very nearly reclusive. Some 

say he's cold, even intimidating...and they're right! 

Orphaned young, he came into his title at the age of 

twelve and spent the next twenty-odd years becoming

 one of the most powerful men in England. His influence

 is broad and so are his shoulders.

You wouldn’t think a man like that had anything to prove, 

but you’d be wrong…

 

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

VALENTINE COUPLE #1!

IN ANTICIPATION OF VALENTINE'S DAY!

Every day, I will be posting a retrospective of my favorite couples, beginning with THE LIAR'S CLUB heroes and heroines!

SIMON & AGATHA!

THE PRETENDER(Book 1)

She had a secret she'd do anything to hide.

Agatha Cunnington, headstrong beauty from the
country, has come to London in search of her missing
brother James. The only clue she has is a cryptic
letter signed "The Griffin." Agatha decides to disguise
herself as a respectable married woman so that she
can go about the city unnoticed. But for her charade
to work she needs a suitable "husband," preferably
someone tall, elegant and rakish--
Someone like Simon Rain.

 

He had a secret he'd do anything to hide.

Simon Rain is a member of the Liar's Club, a renegade
group of rogues and thieves in the service of the
Crown.
When someone begins murdering members of the
undercover cabal one by one, Simon is given the
mission to bring in James Cunnington, one of his
comrades who is suspected of betraying his brothers.
Simon goes undercover and infiltrates the home of
"Mrs." Agatha Applequist--who he believes is James's
mistress. Before Simon knows what's happened, he
finds himself irresistibly drawn to Agatha's soft,
feminine charms--and he is tempted beyond reason
to break the first rule of the Liar's Club:
Never fall in love.

 Quotes:

"Funny and touching...totally entertaining."

—Julia Quinn, New York Times bestselling author

"An engaging, lusty tale, filled with adventure and
loaded with charm."

—Gaelen Foley, USA Today bestselling author

 Under the covers:

"I love Pygmalion stories. My original intent was to
write a sweet sexy novel, Educating Agatha, about
a woman who must educate a ragged chimneysweep
to pose as her husband. Then Simon began to take
on a mysterious life of his own, becoming something
altogether more sexy and interesting. A charismatic
rule-breaker like that had to come from someplace,
didn't he? So the Liar's Club was born.

As the story began to gain flesh and bone, the Liars
became a forceful voice of their own. The secondary
characters that populate The Pretender--Kurt, Pearson,
Button, among others--have generated reader mail
of their very own. Imagine—fan mail for the butler!"

 Portraits of our lovers:

AGATHA

When she comes to London, wealthy Miss Agatha
Cunnington wants only to find her missing brother,
James, and to escape from the advances of
Repulsive Reggie, her neighbor's son back in Appleby.

Fresh from the country, with a healthy appetite for life,
Agatha has her own creative method of making her
way--which is to lie well and willingly as the occasion
calls for it. Unfortunately, her elaborate house of cards
is built on the one thing she doesn't have--a husband.

Her answer...to make one from the best material she
can find in a hurry--Simon, the handsome chimney-
sweep who has come to rescue her from the horrors
of unsightly sooty buildup. The intensity behind his blue
eyes is disturbing to her cheerful equilibrium, but
she is happy to find that he cleans up extremely well!

Until she finds out what Simon is really after...

SIMON

Passionate chimneysweep--or calculating intelligence
agent? A man with a secret and a mission and a heart
that is torn between duty and love.

Born of the streets, Simon gained his way into the club
through a boyhood act of heroism. Quick and
occasionally deadly, he quickly advanced to become
the master of the spies.

Under his management, the club grew to its most solvent
and well-staffed point--until one by one his men began
to be critically injured or killed. Now Simon will do
anything to discover why!

 

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!