
Part of Series
For fans of HBO’s The Gilded Age, explore the dark side of the alluring world of America’s 19th century elite in this gripping series of riveting mysteries… New York Times bestselling author Betina Krahn delivers an irresistible romance shimmering with light-hearted wit and thrilling twists... The youngest of four spirited American sisters, Sarah Bumgarten has studiously avoided her mother’s attempts to find her a titled husband among London’s aristocracy. Now, after an earl’s very public rejection, it seems her ideal mate will be anyone but a duke, a marquis, a baron, or a viscount... Thankfully, there are no noblemen in sight at Betancourt, the country estate where Sarah takes refuge. Its rightful owner, the Duke of Meridian, sibling to Sarah’s brother-in-law, has been absent for years. Accompanied by her bevy of beloved animals, Sarah delights in refurbishing the once-grand property. But even a self-assured frontier heiress needs help when greedy tenants are threatened by her presence... Out of nowhere, a stranger jumps into the fray when ruffians attack. Nothing about “Art,” the roguish interloper—now recuperating in the ducal bedchamber—smacks of nobility, with his brazen sensuality, worldly knowledge, and deeply seductive voice. Yet could he be the errant duke? If so, Sarah soon realizes this homecoming promises to be filled with unexpected challenges and passionate possibilities...
Author

Krahn, born Betina Maynard, is the second daughter of Dors Maynard and Regina Triplett. Krahn learned to read at the age of four, and began making up her own stories when she was only six. In fifth grade she won a silver "Noble Order of Bookworms" pin for her achievements in reading, and the following year she began writing down her stories. Krane was graduated from high school in Newark, Ohio and received a B.S. in Education (Biological Sciences) at Ohio State University. After college, Krahn taught science in Newark, and studied for a graduate degree at Ohio State in the summers. It was during those summers that she met her future husband, physics graduate student Donald Krahn. The family moved to Oklahoma, where Krahn finished the work for her Masters of Education in Counseling in 1973. In 1974, she gave birth to her first child, Nathan, with the second son Zebulun arriving in 1978. With two young children, Krahn became a stay-at-home mother for a time, also finding time to volunteer on a community board working to get funding for mental health care in part of Western Oklahoma. Once the funding was secured, Krahn worked as an HR director for a mental health center.