Title: Captivated by an Adventurous Lady (Thieves of the Ton #1)
Author: Sandra Sookoo
Genre: romance, historical romance, Regency romance, adventure romance, romantic suspense
Book Blurb:
The quest to break a mummy’s curse turns dangerous when a peer ends up dead.
Miles Lawrence Hawkins, fifth Earl of Archewyne, is alone and the last of his line, save for a young daughter, and he’s made peace with that…Yet unexpectedly finding an attractive female thief in his library gives him doubts. Drawn into the lady’s insane plot to retrieve various stolen mummies from around London—including the British Museum—he accompanies her merely to see what will happen next. Being captivated by her quest and intrigued by her talent for skirting the law is a much needed distraction from the stress of his own life’s misfortunes.
Lady Emmaline Darling, skilled thief and only child to the Earl of St. Ives, is under a mummy’s curse. Believing herself damned due to her father’s penchant for removing antiquities from Egypt, she’s vowed to return a pair of mummies to their eternal resting place in order to save his life and her own. Being caught by Miles wasn’t in her plan, and neither was falling for his charm, but she’ll do anything to see he’s free of the curse as well, for their histories are too intricately connected for his ills to just be bad luck.
When a peer with ties to them both ends up dead and Emmaline’s jewelry is found at the scene, Miles is honor bound to offer for her and lend her his protection. Despite her refusal, desire pulls at them and scandal surrounds them, and when Miles is summoned to once more embark upon a secret mission for the Crown, he must shed everything that will become a liability, but keeping Emmaline out of trouble—and out of his mind—is easier said than done.
Excerpt:
Miles sprang up from the tree as if a snake had bitten him. “Why? Why are you gadding about town with a … a…” He gestured at her offering. “A human hand stuffed in your bag?”
She bit her lip to keep from laughing at him as a trace of memory trickled in. Another time and another place he’d reacted similarly to a gathering of bones they’d found on an adventure. It would seem he’d never conquered the fear. It only added to his appeal. “Calm down, my lord. It’s merely a piece of a long-dead mummy.” But in order to keep the peace, Emmaline replaced the antiquities. “I took them as proof. He might not have the mummy. I realize this, but why have a hand and an amulet that belonged to that same?”
“Theft. Crime of opportunity. He could have ripped the hand as well as the necklace from the mummy somewhere else.” Miles fell into pacing before her. “None of this will solve the question of the curse. You have mummy pieces; not a full mummy or mummies as it were.”
“I am aware of the failure, my lord.” She rose to her feet. In the distance, the howl of a dog cut through the silence and drew her focus back to the urgency of her mission. “That won’t dim my determination to locate at least one of them.” Unbidden, her mind went to her father, who even now lay suffering from a mysterious lung ailment the doctors said would ultimately steal his life unless a miracle occurred. She wasn’t so naïve that she thought bringing the mummies back to Egypt would cure her parent, though the fond thought was certainly there, but she was hopeful the curse would break before it set its sights on her.
“I didn’t think it would.” He closed the distance between them and lifted her chin with his finger beneath it. “Also, this is not a failure. It’s merely a stumbling block or a time to reevaluate your options.”
“Thank you.” A tremble moved up her spine that had nothing to do with the chill in the air or the subject matter. Ever impulsive and a firm believer that everything good came with a risk, Emmaline lifted onto her toes and pressed her lips to his. She lingered perhaps a second, not long enough for him to react or for her to think about it before she pulled away and retreated a step, breaking their connection. Not nearly long enough for her to become accustomed to the masculine firmness of his lips or the warmth exchanged in that fleeting instant.
Even in the midnight gloom, his frown was evident. “What was that for?”
Amusement hung in the question, which chased away the sudden tension in her shoulders.
“A parting gift let’s say. I appreciate the fact you’ve treated me like any other person instead of thinking I’m mad due to my family name.”
“Of course. Actions and accomplishments and dedication to one’s causes show a person’s mettle more than rumors and gossip.” His eyes glittered in the gloom. “Despite what I personally think of you chasing after mummies, you believe wholeheartedly in it. That’s enough for me to believe in you.”
“I appreciate that.” She nodded. “Well, it’s been lovely spending part of my evening with you, Miles.” In some reluctance, she removed the jacket and held it out to him. “Thank you for your kindness. In a world where that is sorely lacking, small gestures like this leave a big impression.” Lord knew she wasn’t afforded kindness from the ton. Merely another reason to quit England as soon as she could. Society in Cairo lacked certain things, but at least they were understanding.
“Where are you going?” He took the jacket from her fingers, but made no effort to don it.
“I already told you. To the British Museum.”
“How do you plan to travel there? Besides, it’s still closed for the summer holidays.”
She peered into his face. “My mission cannot wait.” His dark eyes glinted and didn’t give up their secrets. “I thought I’d hire a hackney. I’m sure there a few drivers prowling around the more popular locations of the park.”
“Absolutely not. Woman, you are inviting trouble doing something like that alone. Nothing good happens in London after midnight.”
“Neither does good happen after midnight in Cairo either, but you didn’t care about that years ago, did you?” Why she’d choose this moment to rehash that memory, she had no idea. Perhaps she wanted to put him off his line of questioning. The remembrance sent chills down her spine.
One winter, when their parents had been in Cairo for a Society event of some sort, Miles had been tasked with escorting her then twelve-year-old self to a home of one of her father’s contemporaries. When the adults had departed, he’d cried off, citing he had other amusements to attend to. He’d left her in a questionable section of the city, where she’d been eventually pounced upon by a band of boys not much older than he’d been. They’d cornered her, pulled at her clothes until she was left clad only in a petticoat, her skirts shoved up about her waist as she writhed on the ground, held there by multiple pairs of hands. Her savior that night had come in the form of her father’s man of all trades, Samir, who’d followed her discreetly on what he’d called a nudge from his god.
“I apologized for my lapse and my father took a rod to my backside after the incident as well, but again, I was lax in my duties and honor to you.” He softly cleared his throat. “My younger self had much maturing to do.” His sigh had enough force that it might have come from his toes as he stared at her. He offered the jacket, holding it out and open to her. “Put this on.” The order was no less commanding than it had been a half hour ago.
“Why?” She couldn’t shake the feeling that every male she’d ever known had left her vulnerable to life’s wolves more times than they hadn’t.
“I’m coming with you.” He shook the jacket, obviously expecting her to comply.
“Absolutely not,” she said, repeating his exclamation. Emmaline popped her hands onto her hips. “This doesn’t concern you.”
“Like hell it doesn’t. I didn’t escort you back then. I won’t make that same mistake now. My honor is a good deal more developed.” When she didn’t put the jacket on, he came closer. “If you don’t wear the jacket, my lady, I will be forced to take drastic measures.” His low voice rumbled in her ear and sent delicious tickles throughout her body.
“How does a missing mummy and my father’s declining health have anything to do with you?” She ignored the fact her question sounded breathless while she also ignored the fact that she slid her arms back into his jacket.
“If you want to discover how our lives might be connected, you’ll have to let me accompany you to the museum.” A healthy dose of smug victory laced the reply. “At least I can offer you the ride.”
She smiled. “Fine. It will save me the cab fare and I’ll have someone to converse with.” She set out down the path. “Most of the men I talk to or talk about are older by a few thousand years and have the decided disadvantage of being dead.”
Perhaps there was something to be said about being among the living after all.
Buy Links (including Goodreads and BookBub):
Starting the week of March 24th, this book as well as the whole series, will be on sale for .99 cents each book.
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01LZGSCKQ
B & N: http://tinyurl.com/j98or3h
What makes your featured book a must-read?
A king’s agent teaming up with the girl that got away in his past, plus trying to break a mummy’s curse. What’s not to like?
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Author Biography:
Sandra Sookoo is a USA Today bestselling author who firmly believes every person deserves acceptance and a happy ending. That is why her characters are not in the usual style and oftentimes struggle with things out of the norm. She’s written for publication since 2008. Most days you can find her creating scandal and mischief in the Regency-era, serendipity and happenstance in the Victorian era, or historical romantic suspense complete with mystery and intrigue. Reading is a lot like eating chocolates—you can’t just have one book. Give her the chance with one book and you’ll be hooked.
When she’s not wearing out computer keyboards or mice, Sandra spends time with her real-life Prince Charming in Central Indiana where she also runs a gourmet cookie business and makes moments count with the man because the key to life is laughter. Inspired to storytelling by Walt Disney since the age of ten, when her soul gets bogged down and her imagination flags, a trip to Walt Disney World is in order. Nothing fills the well and fuels her dreams more than the land of eternal happy endings, hope and love stories.
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