On Starlit Seas

Description

Chocolate. Smuggling. Secrets and lies. Brazil and London 1824. Charged with a mission by the Empress of Brazil, celebrated writer and the toast of Georgian London, Maria Graham, sets off for England with the Brazilian civil war at its height. Newly widowed and a woman travelling alone, the stakes are high and when she accepts roguish smuggler Captain James Henderson's offer of passage on his ship, she gets more than she bargains for... Henderson is on a journey of his own, back to his childhood home in Covent Garden. Onboard Maria discovers both a dangerous secret concealed in a chocolate bar and an irresistible attraction to the mysterious captain. But falling in love with a smuggler is almost unthinkable for a woman of Maria's social standing. Though Henderson tries his utmost to abandon his life of crime and forge a new identity as a London gentleman, he is caught in a dangerous tangle with a deadly aristocratic smuggling ring. The only chance he has to save himself and prove worthy of Maria is to unmask the gang and break free from their clutches, but will it be enough? On Starlit Seas is a breathless tale of adventure, love, and chocolate set at the height of the British Empire.

Sara Sheridan writes the popular Mirabelle Bevan Murder Mysteries set in 1950s as well as historical novels set in 1820-1845. Fascinated particularly by female history she is a cultural commentator who appears regularly on television and radio. In 2014 she was named one of the Saltire Society's 365 Most Influential Scottish Women, past and present.

"well-researched and compelling . . . The descriptive language is at times breathtaking." --Historical Novels Review "This charming tale will appeal to fans of Georgette Heyer and Georgian and Regency romances." --Booklist "This is a novel to take one seamlessly from exotic places to shadowy underworlds and polite drawing rooms, in order to revel in an emotionally charged and socially challenged Victorian romance, coupled with the cliff-hanging jeopardy of Brazilian and London low-life . . . Five stars with extra phosphorescence!" --Joanna Hickson, author, The Tudor Bride "A story as rich and velvety as the chocolate at its heart . . . A joy to read." --Mary Chamberlain, author, The Dressmaker of Dachau