Part of Series
Haunted by war wounds and the woman who left him, Ex-Delta Army Sergeant Joe Warren is a man scarred body and soul. His life as he knew it is over, and he has no idea where to go from here. When his sister begs him to rescue a young woman in trouble, Joe reluctantly agrees to help—and comes face-to-face with the most beautiful—willful, stubborn, and sexy—woman he’s ever met. Lady Lydia Benedict yearns for a life of passion and adventure, one where she’s appreciated for her brains as well as her beauty. But she panics when she awakens—still dressed in her ball gown—and discovers that the priceless pearl necklace she’d worn to a charity ball the night before is missing. To make matters worse, Lydia never got permission from her mother to borrow the necklace, and it’s her brother, who trusted her with the irreplaceable pearl, who’ll be punished if it isn’t found. Joe is Lydia’s only hope, but the hard-hearted soldier and the British aristocrat find themselves at odds as time runs out. Can Joe allow himself to trust another woman? Can Lydia fall in love with a man who’s nothing like the sophisticated gentlemen she’s known all her life? Can people from two such different worlds find a way into each other’s arms—and fulfill each other’s deepest desires?
Author
Joan Johnston (born Little Rock, Arkansas) is a best-selling American author of over forty contemporary and historical romance novels. Johnston was the third of seven children born to an Air Force sergeant and his music-teacher wife. She received a B.A. in theatre arts from Jacksonville University in 1970, then earning an M.A. in theatre from the University of Illinois, Urbana in 1971. She received a law degree (with honors) at the University of Texas at Austin in 1980. For the next five years, Johnston worked as an attorney, serving with the Hunton & Williams firm in Richmond, Virginia, and with Squire, Sanders, & Dempsey in Miami. She has also worked as a newspaper editor and drama critic in San Antonio, Texas, and as a college professor at Southwest Texas Junior College, Barry University, and the University of Miami. Johnston is a member of the Authors Guild, Novelists, Inc., Romance Writers of America, and Florida Romance Writers. She has two children and one grandchild, and divides her time between two homes, in Colorado and Florida. Awards * Paperbook Book Club of America's Book Rak Award (twice) * Romantic Times' Best Western Historical Series Award (twice) * Romantic Times' Best New Western Writer * Romantic Times' Best Historical Series Award (twice) * The Maggie (twice) * Romance Writers of America RITA Award finalist for The Disobedient Bride
