Lady Maggie’s Secret Scandal

The delicious fifth book in Burrowes’s Regency series (after Lady Sophie’s Christmas Wish) centers on the illegitimate eldest daughter of the duke of Moreland. When Maggie’s reticule goes missing with critical items inside, she hires investigator and family friend Benjamin Hazlit to recover it quickly and quietly. Hiding their working relationship behind a facade of courtship, the two share tea, confidences, and tingling kisses until Maggie realizes that her feelings for Benjamin mean she must fire him to protect him from a figure she’d hoped to leave in the past. Burrowes delivers red-hot chemistry with a masterful mix of playfulness and sensuality, and her themes of healing and familial strength give this page-turner unusual depth. Charming and original with superb characters ready to walk off the page, this is a splendid addition to any Regency fan’s bookshelf. Agent: Kevan Lyon, Marsal Lyon Literary Agency (author now represented by Steve Axelrod, Axelrod Literary Agency). (May)