Now level with his, her eyes gleamed in the darkness from beneath her hood. He could practically see the thoughts spinning through that sharp mind of hers as she tried to come up with an explanation he would believe. He didn’t doubt for one moment that the little minx wouldn’t lie to him to keep her— She cupped his face between her hands and kissed him. Surprised, he caught his breath as her warm lips touched his. The kiss was nothing more than a feathery tickle, a soft whisper so light that he found himself leaning toward her to increase the pressure beyond this mere teasing. Sweet Lucifer. She tasted of wine and adventure, spiced oranges and exotic places…danger. And he drank her in. Her lips were soft and supple as they caressed his. Amazement swept through him that she should be so delicate beneath the hard surface she showed to the world, that he could taste an uncertainty in her that suggested a deeper vulnerability. The intrigue of her simply captivated him. She was kissing him merely to distract him. No other reason. He wasn’t arrogant enough to believe otherwise. Yet that didn’t stop his blood from heating as…

So why are Regency romances as popular as ever? Romance readers of all stripes know that a happily-ever-after ending is coming by the last page of any romance they pick up. But historical romance readers want more – they also want the fantasy world that historical romances create. After all, we live in the same world as contemporary romances (international tycoons aside…for most of us, unfortunately). But historicals give us not just the swooning romance but also the fairytale fantasy of escaping the contemporary world. Okay, let’s be honest. For all that historical romance writers do our best to be historically accurate with the details, the overall world we portray in our pages is pure fantasy. The real Regency era was smelly, dirty, disease-ridden, filled with a large amount death and starvation, a dearth of good teeth, and very limited indoor plumbing. Very limited. Even Jane Austen, the original Queen of Regency Romance Novels, avoided this darker side of life, only tangentially including poverty and war into her books, although both were pervasive in real Regency England. What romance readers want, though, isn’t reality; they want the fairytale world of castles (or at least grand country estates), carriages, dashing princes…

Instead of trying to find your perfect match in a dating app, we bring you the “Author-ReaderMatch” where we introduce you to authors as a reader you may fall in love with. It’s our great pleasure to present Anna Harrington! Writes: Suspenseful, sexy Regency romances with a modern feel with dashing heroes and fiercely independent heroines. An Inconvenient Duke, the first book in the new Lords of the Armory series, is based loosely on comic book superheroes in which an evil organization named Scepter plans to overthrow the British monarchy; only the Lords of the Armory possess the powers to stop it. About: Historical romance writer who wishes she could time travel seeks same! Loves ballroom dancing, gardening, and taking long walks, as well as coffee, roses, jazz music, and all things chocolate. I’m looking to meet someone who understands that real men wear cravats and aren’t afraid to waltz. Should we hit it off, I promise to fill your rainy and winter afternoons with plenty of adventure and spice between the covers. So let’s give it a shot and see if we can spark a “happily ever after.” What I’m looking for in my ideal reader match: Loves dashing soldiers turned dukes who possess a vulnerable side…