Chasing the Heiress

Miles continues to demonstrate her skill with historical romance with the excellent second book in the Regency-era Muses’ Salon series (after Jilting the Duke). Scullery maid Lucy is really Lady Arabella Lucia Fairbourne, in flight from her dastardly cousin after the death of her great-aunt Aurelia. She must find her way to London before her cousin can make good on his plan to surreptitiously kill her. Colin Somerville, the younger brother of a duke, has had his fill of duty, yet he undertakes one last mission for the Home Office—one that nearly ends in his death. Lucy nurses him back to health while giving him her heart, though not her secrets. The pair must stay alive while fleeing deadly machinations from all sides. Miles isn’t afraid to include stark descriptions of life during the time period, and she manages to walk that fine line between realism and pure romance, blending both into an engaging tale that’s a feast for the imagination. Agent: Courtney Miller-Callihan, Handspun Literary. (June)