Sweet Surrender . . .
Lady Julia Markham was the toast of London Society—until an ill-advised attempted elopement ended in betrayal and left her good name in tatters. Now ruined, penniless, and desperate, she has agreed to wed the magnetic and possibly dangerous Brader Wolf. A dashing, phenomenally successful self-made businessman, Brader wants this union to help gain him entry into the drawing rooms of the aristocracy, nothing more. Julia, however, is a woman of rare passion and daring, irresistibly drawn to this enigmatic, infuriating man, and no mere marriage of mutual convenience will do. But how far will the spirited beauty have to go to satisfy a heart that will settle for no less than the love of a lifetime?
Dear Readers,
ALL THINGS BEAUTIFUL was my first book and is very dear to me. It really is the classic Beauty and the Beast story, a theme I believe is common to most romances, but I tried to give it my own twist. Back in 1994 when it was first released, it received wonderful reviews and was nominated for numerous awards including Romance Writers of America’s RITA for “Best First Book.”
However, it is not the book’s accolades that stick with me but the characters. I wrote Lady Julia Markham with Hemingway’s quote in mind–“Life breaks us all, but in the end, we are stronger in the broken places.” She’s made mistakes. She’s paid a price. Now, even though her life has gone off course in ways she hadn’t anticipated, she’s ready to go after what is important to her, even if it means once again risking scandal.
On the other hand, the very wealthy and very proud Brader Wolf has always known exactly who he is and what he wants. He dictates his own terms and usually gets his way—until he meets Julia.
She’s more than a match for him.
And I hope you enjoy every word.
All my best,
-Cathy Maxwell