About this item
Ashton Fenwick was raised to be the bastard older brother--the charming, happy bastard older brother. Now, an earldom has been foisted upon him, and his family urgently needs him to find and marry the right countess. With charm at the ready, Ashton is prepared to go wife-hunting during the London social Season, but it's the forthright landlady at Ashton's lodging house who catches his eye. Matilda Bryce bakes delicious apple tarts and does not suffer titled fools, even as she looks after street urchins and does what she can to help Ashton prepare for the challenges before him. Ashton soon realizes that somebody is out to destroy Matilda's happiness, and if he offers to make an honest countess of her, she could well flee. He's found the woman for him, though, and will risk all to free Matilda from her past.
About the Author
I started writing as an antidote to empty nest and soon found it an antidote to life in general. I am the sixth out of seven children, and was raised in the rural surrounds of central Pennsylvania. Early in life I spent a lot of time reading romance novels and practicing the piano. My first career was as a technical writer and editor in the Washington, DC, area, a busy profession that nonetheless left enough time to read a lot of romance novels.It also left enough time to grab a law degree through an evening program, produce Beloved Offspring (only one, but she is a lion) , and eventually move to the lovely Maryland countryside. While reading yet still more romance novels (there is a trend here) I opened a law practice, acquired a master's degree in Conflict Transformation (I had a teenage daughter by then) and started thinking about writing.... romance novels. This aim was realized when Beloved Offspring struck out into the Big World. ("Mom, why doesn't anybody tell you being a grown-up is hard? ") I eventually got up the courage to start pitching manuscripts to agents and editors. The query letter that resulted in "the call" started out: "I am the buffoon in the bar at the writer's retreat who could not keep her heroines straight, could not look you in the eye, and could not stop blushing--and if that doesn't narrow down the possibilities, your job is even harder than I thought." (The dear lady bought the book anyway.) You can contact me though email at graceburrowes@yahoo.com or through my website at graceburrowes.com
