Title: Her Perfect Gentleman
Author: Gail Eastwood
Genre: Regency Romance (sweet/traditional)
Book Blurb:
She is the worst thing that could happen to him. He might be the best thing that could happen to her. How will two hearts on such opposite tracks find their way to true love?
Christopher Haslitt has learned not to trust his foolish heart. After a disastrous courtship left him falsely vilified as a fortune hunter, the last thing he needs or wants is another involvement with a wealthy, high-ranking, single young lady. Five days in Little Macclow for his best friend’s wedding should only be a brief delay on his path to redemption. But he hasn’t counted on spending it with five earl’s daughters, one of whom has her sights set firmly on him!
Lady Honoria deRaymond has reasons for not wanting a highly-ranked husband. Marriage to a lofty peer, as her family expects for her, will mean a future of constant pressure to conform and behave properly. Could Mr. Haslitt, a mere baronet’s son, be her perfect solution? He is more attractive and charming than any other gentleman of her acquaintance, and his flawless manners include overlooking her tendency to not always follow society’s rules. Will five days in Little Macclow be enough time to win his heart? When she returns to London, her chance to forge a different future may be gone.
Excerpt:
As Cassie moved the orange syrup pan to a trivet on the table, Honor glanced at Mr. Haslitt. Would he be distracted from his job of timing the other pan? But he had his head down, eyes fixed on his watch, apparently unmindful of the movements around him or her attention upon him. Almost immediately, she blamed herself for being the one distracted instead—by him. She turned to her waiting helpers.
“As I mentioned, speed is of utmost importance, ladies and gentleman. Olivia has done this with me, but watch carefully.” She showed them the technique, scooping thickened syrup onto the end of a knife blade and then dripping it into small separate roundels on a paper-covered plate. “The aim is to turn all of the syrup into drops before it hardens in the pan. Members of the orange group, please each take a knife and do the same. You’ll master it quickly, I think.” She watched carefully as they began their efforts.
“Time,” called Mr. Haslitt. He quickly slipped his watch back into its pocket and stepped over to the fire, picking up the linen towel Cassie had used. “Please, allow me,” he said to Rosie, indicating the hot pan.
“You are very gallant, sir,” she answered, leaving her spoon in the pan and stepping away so he could remove it to the table.
Honoria bit her lip. This project was not allowing her the time and attention with Mr. Haslitt that she had hoped it would. As he set the pan of lemon syrup on a trivet at the other end of the table, she hurried over to check it, dipping a knife into the pan. The task allowed her to stand very close to him. “Yes, just right. Mmm. Does it not smell heavenly?”
She prolonged the proximity by staying there as she made sure the “lemon group” knew how to drop their syrup off the knife blades to form the drops. But then she had to scurry back to the top end of the table to see how the first group was progressing. If Mr. Haslitt would have had trouble mastering the technique, she’d have had an excuse to linger beside him. But he seemed to grasp the way it worked immediately.
“These are looking very good!” she told Adam, Cassie and Livy. “Please continue. If you need to scrape down the sides of the pan for the last bits of syrup, it will mean you’ve done an expert job of it!”
“Honoria, I believe Mr. Haslitt could use some advice on his technique,” Lady Emma called from the other end of the table. Was she spinning an excuse to bring Honor back there?
“Oh, I can help him, if he truly needs it,” Rosie said, all innocent of any ulterior motives among the group.
“I think Honoria really must be the one to do it,” Emma said pointedly. If they had been seated to do the work, no doubt Rosie would have received a kick under the table.
“What am I doing wrong?” Mr Haslitt asked. Frustration and mystification mixed in his voice. “I thought mine look just the same as yours, Emma!’
As Honoria hurried back to the far end of the table, she thought she saw Adam catch Mr. Haslitt’s eye and wink. What did that mean?
“Let me see, Mr. Haslitt?” With six already standing around the table, she needed to squeeze in right beside him. Emma could have moved over to make room, but rather pointedly, she did not.
Pressing against him, Honor leaned in to inspect his plate full of drops. A tingle began where her hip and shoulder touched him. Warmth radiated from him and a scent that was fresh, earthy and spicy at the same time teased her nose above the lemony scent of the sweets. She bit her lip again, fighting the distraction. “Lady Emma must be a great perfectionist if she finds any fault with these. They are just a little smaller than those the rest of you are making.”
She turned slightly to give him a reassuring smile and had to catch her breath at how close their faces were. His silver gaze met and held hers. Something deep within her seemed to shift and respond. She looked again at his plate of drops, acutely feeling his closeness beside her. “I see you are willing to take a risk on proximity, Mr. Haslitt. They are rather close. Any nearer and they might quite blend together.”
She reddened as she realized how her words might sound—as if she was brazenly flirting with him. Would he read other meaning into them? Wasn’t this what she wanted? But what if she betrayed her reaction to him in front of everyone? Would they notice her blush?
He cleared his throat. “I considered that smaller drops placed closer together would yield a greater number of sweets to distribute. Yes, as long as they stay quite separated.”
She tried to cover how flustered she felt. “Very astute, Mr. Haslitt, thank you.” She stepped back, a little overwhelmed. “Carry on, everyone, and perhaps make your drops a trifle smaller, as Mr. Haslitt is doing.”
Finally, he smiled. Seeing that should never have felt as wonderfully gratifying as it did.
Buy Links:
Books2Read (universal): https://books2read.com/u/bwrPAa
What makes your featured book a must-read?
Can Lady Honoria overcome Christopher's resistance? Will they both learn that love is what matters more than all the other concerns they face? Her Perfect Gentleman is Book 3 in the Tales of Little Macclow series, Regency romances that depart from the usual world of ballrooms, London social seasons, and the marriage mart, instead taking the reader to scenic Derbyshire and the tiny fictional village that links the stories. Readers who loved the village asked for a series! Offering a refreshing twist on the more usual tropes, the heart-warming stories have a hint of faith and/or magic which may or may not be as true as the love these appealing characters find there.
Little Macclow –tucked away and maybe touched by magic—at least the magic of true love!
Giveaway –
Enter to win a $35 Amazon gift card:
Open Internationally. You must have a valid Amazon US or Amazon Canada account to win.
Runs December 27 – January 5, 2023.
Winner will be drawn on January 6, 2023.
Author Biography:
Award-winning author Gail Eastwood started writing stories as soon as she learned to string words together on paper, and blames Beatrix Potter and A.A. Milne for making her a devoted Anglophile at a very early age. After detours into journalism and rare books, she finally found her path writing Signet Regencies acclaimed for their emotional depth and innovative plots. Twice nominated for RomanticTimes Magazine’s Career Achievement award, a Golden Leaf winner and twice a Holt Medallion finalist, Gail had to put writing on hold to deal with family health issues for almost 16 years. But now she’s back doing what she loves best and offering readers a new, heart-warming Regency series set in a small village possibly touched by magic (or it is just the power of Love?), Tales of Little Macclow.
Social Media Links:
Website www.gaileastwoodauthor.com Blog www.riskyregencies.com/ Twitter https://twitter.com/geastwoodauthor Facebook (profile): https://www.facebook.com/gail.eastwoodauthor.7 Facebook (page): https://www.facebook.com/gaileastwoodauthor/ Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/gaileastwoodauthor BookBub https://www.bookbub.com/authors/gail-eastwood Amazon Author Page https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001KDU86M Join Gail Eastwood's email newsletter http://eepurl.com/gbknuH