This historical regency novella is “an entertaining yarn starring . . . a notorious rake who is challenged to find a woman immune to his charms” ( Publishers Weekly ). Pagan Penhurst finds himself at a loose end in Brighton, until a friend wagers he can find a woman who can’t be swayed by Pagan’s notorious charms. The duke accepts—only to find that his quarry is to be Scholastica Hornsby, a young innocent who wants nothing to do with the infamous rake! She’s far too inexperienced for his usual methods of seduction, but Pagan is determined to win his wager . . .
Author
Deborah Simmons is the author of twenty-five historical romances and novellas, published by Avon, Berkley, and Harlequin. A native midwesterner, Simmons graduated cum laude from Wittenberg University and was a journalist before turning to fiction. Her first book, Heart's Masquerade, was published by Avon in 1989 and was followed by a number of Harlequin Historicals, including a USA Today Bestselling anthology. Her 2003 release, A Man of Many Talents, was a launch title for Berkley's Sensation imprint. Two of her books have been finalists in the Romance Writers of America's annual RITA competition for excellence: The Gentleman Thief in 2001 and A Lady of Distinction in 2005. Simmons has sold two million books in North America, and her work has been translated and published in twenty-four foreign countries, including illustrated editions in Japan. She is a member of RWA, Novelists Inc., and the Author's Guild. "I like to think of my stories as adventures," Simmons says. Most take place in Regency or Medieval England, such as her popular series on the thirteen century de Burgh family. But no matter what the setting, you'll find interesting characters, romance, humor, and mystery.
