Secrets of a Scandalous Bride

By Sophia Nash

Her first secret: She is not a widow.

Elizabeth Ashburton has never even married, and at this rate, she never will. But pretending to be a bereaved young wife was the only way she could escape her horrid fate—being forced to marry the man who destroyed her father.

Her second secret: She is not a prim young lady.

Her third secret: She's willing to risk all.

Elizabeth knows she is playing a dangerous game, for her dreaded suitor will not give her up without a fight. Now she needs Rowland more than ever—to rescue her from a life of desperation, to drive her wild with desire, and to make her his scandalous bride.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Feb 23, 2010
• ISBN: 9780061976469

Sophia Nash

Sophia Nash was born in Switzerland and raised in France and the United States, but says her heart resides in Regency England. Her ancestor, an infamous French admiral who traded epic cannon fire with the British Royal Navy, is surely turning in his grave. Before pursuing her long-held dream of writing, Sophia was an award-winning television producer for a CBS affiliate, a congressional speechwriter, and a nonprofit CEO. She lives in the Washington, D.C., suburbs with her husband and two children. Sophia's novels have won twelve national awards, including the prestigious RITA® Award, and two spots on Booklist's "Top Ten Romances of the Year."

Reviews for Secrets of a Scandalous Bride

[gazalanargis · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I like it. Perfect love story. And perfect ending. Best book.

[gincam · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

If you are attracted to heroes with a darker side, one terrific example of a redeemed villain is found in The Widows Club Series by Sophia Nash. In the third book of the series, Love With the Perfect Scoundrel, we are introduced to the villain of the piece, Rowland Manning. Driven by the hardships of his early life, Rowland is ruthless in his actions, even attempting at one point to kill his own brother. In the fourth book, Secrets of a Scandalous Bride, Rowland is the tortured hero of his own story. We get to know the reasons for his harsh, often brutal behavior. The cruelty and deprivations he suffered in his youth made him a lean, mean, vengeance machine. To keep himself "fighting mean," he even deprives himself of the pleasures of good food, surviving on a daily regimen of rigidly bare meals. One of the ways the heroine breaks through to him is to continue to ply him with delicious food. Gingerbread, with its deep, dark spicy goodness, is a loaded weapon to man so self-deprived. When the gingerbread is served to him by a beautiful, caring woman, how could Rowland not succumb to temptation? Just like The Grinch, Rowland's heart grew three sizes that day! Enjoy this book while indulging in your favorite gingerbread recipe, which, like Rowland, is unexpectedly sweet beneath the tartness!