Dangerous: The Outcasts, Book 1

The diverting first in Spencer’s Outcasts Regency series features a matched set of high-ranking misfits whose love affair doesn’t even begin to play out until after their wedding. Lady Euphemia “Mia” Marlington was kidnapped at the age of 15 and spent the next 17 years in the harem of a ruthless Middle Eastern monarch. When she finally escapes and returns home to London, it’s to a father who wants her properly wed and out of his house—the sooner, the better. Hiding the truth of her extended absence proves problematic when she meets Adam de Courtney, aka the Murderous Marquess, whose first two wives died under mysterious circumstances. He immediately sees through her hilariously implausible cover story. They’re drawn to each other by both physical chemistry and their mutual outcast status, but their secrets threaten to drive them apart. The fast-paced plot is elevated by Mia and Adam’s wicked repartee, savvy wit, and energetic libidos. Agent: Jessica Alvarez, BookEnds Literary. (July)