Never Wager with a Wallflower

A contentious real estate deal sparks a battle of wits and seduction in Heath’s sexy third Merriwell Sisters Regency (following Never Rescue a Rogue). After years of saving, Galahad “Gal” Sinclair, who was raised by his grandfather in the States, is thrilled to purchase the perfect building for his new London gaming hall—not realizing it’s next door to an orphanage run by his longtime family frenemy, Venus Merriwell. Venus is shocked and despondent: she had a spoken agreement with the late owner that the building would go to the orphanage. When guilt and recrimination don’t move Gal to sell her the property, Venus tries seduction. Men have always been attracted to her ample bosom, which, combined with her name, has led many to see her as merely a sex object. But Gal wants her for more than just her body, and Venus’s attempt to remain emotionally aloof falters in the face of his kindness and understanding, especially after she sees him interacting with some of the orphanage’s troubled children. Gal’s confusion and delight in the face of British colloquialisms (“Cold enough to freeze your knackers off,” for instance) brings humor, and his memories of his grandfather’s life lessons add heart. Readers will be hooked. Agent: Kevan Lyon, Marsal Lyon Literary. (Sept.)