Intimate Portrait -- My Newest "Groom" Stephen Summerville

Good Morning. Now that THE CAPTAIN'S COINCIDENCE is published, I need to start working on the last book in the Reluctant Grooms series. THE SEDUCTION OF MR. SUMMERVILLE.

Stephen Summerville

A little background information -- Stephen Summerville is an American shipbuilder. He was brought up in Boston, educated at Harvard, and worked under the great Henry Eckford. He's a nice guy.
He's also rich, handsome, and will be very instrumental in the defeat of Napoleon's forces at sea. He's a shipbuilder after all. But I get ahead of myself.

I like Stephen because he has no clue what is about to enfold.

Bella

Reginald Leighton,
Duke of Hargrave

He meets Reginald Leighton at some fancy New York party, and Stephen is introduced to Reginald's daughters.

Arabella "Bella", the youngest, is completely smitten with Stephen. They get engaged. (after all she is the second daughter, and although beautiful, doesn't necessarily need to marry in her station. Stephen is far wealthier than some duke's sons, so the match is a go.)

Ariana

Yet, Ariana, the eldest daughter is beguiling in her own way. And even though she will do nothing to upset the "understanding" between Bella and Stephen, in a tiny little place in her heart, Ariana wishes she could be the one to marry him. And Stephen has a fondness for Ariana, but only as a future sister-in-law, until he sees her with another man, and then somehow the green-eyed monster rears its ugly head. Stephen is baffled by his feelings for Ariana because he loves Bella. Hmmmm.....

The family is returning to England, Stephen is asked to accompany them and Bella begins to wonder if Stephen is actually the right choice for her. Sure he loves her, is rich, handsome, and can dance, but she is a duke's daughter after all. Bella has an inkling that Ariana's feelings for Stephen are much more than she lets on and at every opportunity, throws Stephen and Ariana together.

Edward Perrington,
Duke of Straford

Especially when she meets this man.
Edward Perrington, Duke of Straford, whom we have briefly met in LADY CADORET'S LONGING. Hmmm... Think there's enough twists and turns in this book already? I don't think so.

When the family, and Stephen, return to England, Ariana is besieged with admirers (naturally her mother lets it be known that Ariana, as the eldest, is worth a small fortune) and she meets a man who woos her. (Unfortunately, he doesn't have a name yet. I just found him yesterday.)




However, when Stephen realizes that Ariana's suitor is only out for her money, he tries to protect her, and that raises all kinds of questions about who he truly loves. Ooops.

Okay, do you think THAT is enough to keep this romance on its toes? Nope, not so much. You see, the real reason Reginald Leighton took his daughters to America, was to find this Stephen Summerville and get him to marry one of them because...

I can't tell you. I know, what a bad person I am. However, there is more to this story, more to this series, than I let on. I'm supposed to build suspense, right? I'm supposed to make readers want to read this story, right? Which is why I'm also writing prequels to THE SEDUCTION.... All will be revealed in its own time. Forgive me, but you'll just have to wait.

Tell me -- Do you hate when authors tell you about their next book and leave you hanging? If you have only partial information, does that make you want to read the book more, or less? Or do you not care at all and will read it when you get around to it?


Anne Gallagher (c) 2014