Once Upon a Not at all Innocent Kiss

He saw her not as tarnished, but as gold.

BEATRICE HARTLEY, daughter to BARON BENTON, is in love and with child yet not marrieda scandal ripe enough to ruin reputations in Regency England. Spurned by the man she gave her heart to in a fleeting moment of passion, she confides in her parents, who hastily arrange a match to salvage her reputation and their family's honor. As Beatrice faces a loveless future, the light of hope dims

until CHARLES BEAUMONT, LORD HAWTHORNE, eldest son of LORD and LADY WHICKERTON, returns to England.

Not the hero she expected, but the one she needed.

At a glittering ball, he is struck not by the gaiety but by Beatrice's silent tears. Born to a family that weds for love, Charles is torn between tradition and the unexpected pull of a woman bound to another.

With one look, she became his everything.

Only love's course is seldom smooth, especially not for the Whickertons. In a society where the whims of the heart battle the weight of duty, will Charles's heart lead him to defy his family's expectations? Can love truly conquer scandal and set the course for a new destiny? In a world where reputation is everything, watch as one family dares to follow the heart against all odds.

Reputation may waver, but family love stands firm.

This book was previously published in the holiday anthology Christmas Belles.

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