Praise for
BRENDA JOYCE and her de Warenne dynasty
The Prize
âJoyce writes lush stories with larger-than-life characters and a depth of sensuality and emotion that touches chords within the reader and keeps them coming back for more.â
âRomantic Times BOOKreviews
The Masquerade
âJane Austen aficionados will delve happily into heroine Elizabeth âLizzieâ Fitzgeraldâs familyâ¦. Joyceâs tale of the dangers and delights of passion fulfilled will enchant those who like their reads long and rich.â
âPublishers Weekly
âA passionate tale of two lovers caught up in a web of secrets, deceptions, and lies. Readers who love the bold historicals by Rosemary Rogers and Kathleen Woodiwiss will find much to savor here.â
âBooklist
âAn intensely emotional and engrossing romance where love overcomes deceit, scandal and prideâ¦an intelligent love story with smart, appealing and strong characters. Readers will savor this latest from a grand mistress of the genre.â
âRomantic Times BOOKreviews
The Stolen Bride
âJoyceâs characters carry considerable emotional weight, which keeps this hefty entry absorbing, and her fast-paced story keeps the pages turning.â
âPublishers Weekly
âA powerfully executed romance overflowing with the strength of prose, high degree of sensuality and emotional intensity we expect from Joyce. A âkeeperâ for sure.â
âRomantic Times BOOKreviews
A Lady at Last
âRomance veteran Joyce brings her keen sense of humor and storytelling prowess to bear on her witty, fully formed characters.â
âPublishers Weekly
A âclassic Pygmalion tale with an extra soupçon of eroticism.â
âBooklist
âA warm, wonderfully sensual feast about the joys and pains of falling in love. Joyce breathes life into extraordinary charactersâfrom her sprightly Cinderella heroine and roguish hero to everyone in betweenâthen sets them in the glittering Regency, where anything can happen.â
âRomantic Times BOOKreviews
The Perfect Bride
âAnother first-rate Regency, featuring multidimensional protagonists and sweeping dramaâ¦. Entirely fluff-free, Joyceâs tight plot and vivid cast combine for a romance thatâs just about perfect.â
âPublishers Weekly (starred review)
âTruly a stirring story with wonderfully etched characters, Joyceâs latest is Regency romance at its best.â
âBooklist
âJoyceâs latest is a piece of perfection as she meticulously crafts a tender and emotionally powerful love story. Passion and pain erupt from the pages and flow straight into your heart. You wonât forget this beautifully rendered love story of lost souls and redemption.â
âRomantic Times BOOKreviews
A Dangerous Love
âThe latest de Warenne novel is pure Joyce with its trademark blend of searing sensuality, wild escapades and unforgettable characters. Youâll find warmth and romance alongside intense emotions and powerful relationships. Itâs a story you wonât easily forget.â
âRomantic Times BOOKreviews
July 5, 1798
The south of Ireland near Askeaton Castle
GERALD OâNEILL RUSHED INTO the manor house, his once-white shirt crimson, his tan britches and navy coat equally stained. Blood marred his cheek, matted his whiskers. An open gash on his head was bleeding and so were the cuts on his knuckles. His heart beat with alarming force and even now the sounds of battle, the cries of imminent death, rang in his eardrums. âMary! Mary! Get into the cellar now!â he roared.
Devlin OâNeill could not move, stunned. His father had been gone for more than a monthâsince the middle of May. He had sent word, though, every few weeks, and while Devlin was only ten years old, he was acutely aware of the war at hand. Farmer and priest, shepherd and squire, peasant and gentry alike had risen up to fight the English devils once and for all, to take back all that was truly theirsâthe rich Irish land that had been stolen from them a century ago. There was so much hopeâand there was so much fear.
Now his heart seemed to simply stop and he stared at his father, relieved to finally see him again and terribly afraid. He was afraid that Gerald was hurtâand he was afraid of far worse. He started forward with a small cry, but Gerald did not stop moving, going to the bottom of the stairs and bellowing for his wife again. His hand never left the scabbard that sheathed his cutlass, and he carried a musket as well.