Book 1 of The Scars of the Heart Series
Amid the ravages of war comes a love for all time...
Spain, 1812
Lady Vevina Joyce and her brother Will are forced to flee Ireland after being falsely accused of treason. On the road with Wellington's army, they meet an unexpected ally in the enigmatic Major Stewart Fitzgerald. Side by side they fight with their new-found comrades in some of the hardest battles of the Napoleonic Wars.
Even when her fortunes seem to be improving, a series of seemingly random suspicious events begins to look like a pattern to Vevina. Soon she uncovers a plot so evil that all she loves is put in jeopardy, engineered by the person responsible for her family's disgrace. Vevina is forced to question the very foundation on which her new life has been built. Is Stewart really all that he seems? Appearances can be deceiving…
Stewart was in love once before back home in Ireland, but the bitter sting of betrayal was more than he could bear. To love is to risk everything; he can't be sure Vevina is worth the gamble. For despite her seeming patriotism, she has been labeled a traitor. Does he dare everything for love?
Vevina must clear her name, protect those she loves and stop Napoleon's Army from taking over the whole of Europe. She is willing to risk everything to stem the tide of the French quest for power and win the love of the man who has come to mean more to her than life itself.
An excerpt from the novel:
Once inside, Vevina removed her blouse with her back to Stewart, while he brought the bowl of arnica.
The warm fingers applied the soothing cream gently and Vevina let out a sigh of relief and contentment.
“I'm sorry I hit you during the fighting practice. How is you nose now?” she asked softly.
Without thinking, she turned to face him.
The sight of her magnificent breasts was almost more than Stewart could bear.
Stewart managed to stammer, “Fine,” before he insisted daringly, “You lost. I won the bet, soI’ll take that kiss now.”
Vevina’s eyes locked with his, and for an agonizing moment Stewart thought she was about to walk away.
Her gaze flicked over his face and she understood the raw desire in his expression. Though she blushed, she stretched up to reach his mouth.
Go slowly, his mind told him, but his hands came up to cup her feminine fullness, and she gasped.
Stewart took advantage of her opened mouth to plunder the honey-soft cavern with his tongue.
Vevina found herself clinging to him with an abandon she had never thought possible in herself.
“Vevina, you're so lovely,” he breathed, as he kissed down her neck to her right shoulder, and then to the delicate pink tip of her breast.
Sensation flooded through Vevina, and she held his head to her while he teased the silky crest.
Her legs began to shake, and Stewart knelt down, bringing her onto the floor with him, while he moved to taste her other breast.
Her hands caressed his shoulders and chest longingly, bringing him closer to her….
Stewart murmured into her skin, “You are so beautiful, beyond anything I've ever dreamt of,” as he turned his sensual attentions still lower.
Vevina’s body felt on fire, and she writhed under him in a tormented ecstasy of undefinable sensations. So THIS was what it was like to be made love to by a man, she thought in amazement.
But she also knew it was more than mere physical desire. Her whole universe was becoming centered around Stewart, and it was at once both completely fulfilling and dangerous.
“Stewart, I think we have to stop,” she whispered, though she could barely hear it above the hammering of her heart.
Stewart raised his head to look straight into her eyes. “Do you really want to stop, Vevina? Tell me….”
4.5 out of 5 stars
Recommended for historical romance lovers
By C. Penn "WordWeaving"
Scars Upon Her Heart
Word Count: 121,000
Setting: Spain and Portugal, Peninsular War, 1811-1812
Genre: Historical, Regency
Rating: Sensual
Book 2-The Scarred Heart
