My good friend, Caroline Warfield, returns to the blog today, to discuss her newest novel, which will be released on April 26. Caroline is one of the finest historical authors I know. In addition to sharing a penchant for the word 'reluctant,' she also is one-third of the History Imagined group of contributors, which I encourage all of you to check out. https://historyimagined.wordpress.com I'll let Caroline have center stage now to introduce us to her newest book:

Shakespeare said "The course of true love never did run smooth." It certainly doesn't for the hero and heroine of The Reluctant Wife. Fred is one of those men who always strive to do the right thing and end up tripping into trouble over their own good intentions. Clare has been married and has good reason to avoid attraction to a handsome man in uniform. Still over the course of scandals, courtmarials, long journeys, starry nights, and family interference, they manage to stumble into love. Love always finds a way, doesn't it?

The Reluctant Wife

Children of Empire, Book 2

Genre: Pre Victorian, Historical Romance µ Heat rating: 3-4 of 5 flames

Pub date: April 26, 2017

When all else fails, love succeeds…

Captain Fred Wheatly’s comfortable life on the fringes of Bengal comes crashing down around him when his mistress dies, leaving him with two children he never expected to have to raise. When he chooses justice over army regulations, he’s forced to resign his position, leaving him with no way to support his unexpected family. He’s already had enough failures in his life. The last thing he needs is an attractive, interfering woman bedeviling his steps, reminding him of his duties.

All widowed Clare Armbruster needs is her brother’s signature on a legal document to be free of her past. After a failed marriage, and still mourning the loss of a child, she’s had it up to her ears with the assumptions she doesn't know how to take care of herself, that what she needs is a husband, and with a great lout of a captain who can't figure out what to do with his daughters. If only the frightened little girls didn’t need her help so badly.

Clare has made mistakes in the past. Can she trust Fred now? Can she trust herself? Captain Wheatly isn’t ashamed of his aristocratic heritage, but he doesn’t need his family and they’ve certainly never needed him. But with no more military career and two half-caste daughters to support, Fred must turn once more—as a failure—to the family he failed so often in the past. Can two hearts rise above past failures to forge a future together?

Find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Reluctant-Wife-Children-Empire-Book-ebook/dp/B06Y4BGMX1/

About Caroline Warfield

Traveler, poet, librarian, technology manager–Caroline Warfield has been many things (even a nun,) but above all she is a romantic. Having retired to the urban wilds of eastern Pennsylvania, she reckons she is on at least her third act, happily working in an office surrounded by windows while she lets her characters lead her to adventures in England and the far-flung corners of the British Empire. She nudges them to explore the riskiest territory of all, the human heart.

Caroline is a RONE award winner with five star reviews from Readers' Favorite, Night Owl Reviews, and InD'Tale and an Amazon best-seller. She is also a member of the writers’ co-operative, the Bluestocking Belles. With partners she manages and regularly writes for both The Teatime Tattler and History Imagined.

Website http://www.carolinewarfield.com/

Amazon Author http://www.amazon.com/Caroline-Warfield/e/B00N9PZZZS/

Good Reads http://bit.ly/1C5blTm

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/carolinewarfield7

Twitter @CaroWarfield

Email warfieldcaro@gmail.com

Giveaway

Caroline will give a kindle copy of The Renegade Wife to one person who comments. She is also sponsoring a grand prize in celebration of her release. You can enter it here: http://www.carolinewarfield.com/2017blogtourpackage/

The prequel to this book, A Dangerous Nativity, is always **FREE**. You can get a copy here: http://www.carolinewarfield.com/bookshelf/a-dangerous-nativity-1815/

Excerpt From

The Reluctant Wife

How do I always end up in the wrong? Fred’s resentment festered all the way to Cairo. He had behaved as a gentleman ought, and she treated him like the worst sort of rake. She wanted him, lying there with the stars above. She didn’t try to hide it—not that she could have. He had been the one to exercise restraint, to do the right thing. He gave her honesty and honor. She gave him a cold shoulder.

When she flounced off toward the tent, he almost followed but knew that for a fool’s errand. She wouldn’t have let him close, and he couldn’t have stopped a second time if she had. He went to wake her the next morning, prepared to make peace, and found her dressed, packed, and sullen.

“Would you like some tea?” Fred asked.

“No, thank you,” she mumbled and went to fetch her own.

Soon after he tried to help her into the sedan chair, but she pointedly ignored his offered hand. He watched her grip both sides of the door and pull herself up. “Have it your way,” he grumbled, turning to his horse in disgust.

At the first way station, he held out a skin of water and took heart when she reached for it. Maybe she’ll take it as an olive branch. Her refusal to meet his eyes disabused him of that notion. She uttered not one word of thanks until Meghal reminded her that good manners required thanks. Her few grudging words did little to mend the breach between them.

The damned woman acts like I tried to take advantage instead of behaving like a gentleman. As usual, Wheatly, you do the decent thing and end up in the brig. I should have just taken what she offered. It isn’t as if she acted like some skittish virgin.

He chewed on that thought for several miles; it disturbed him. She didn’t, did she? She wanted it as badly as I did. There are hidden depths to Clare Armbruster. That’s for certain.

Several miles passed before another question came to him. Is that what she’s so mad about? I got her aroused and she— That didn’t make much sense to him, but he wanted to test the theory. He would have done it, if it wouldn’t have earned him another smack to the face. He stared at the sedan chair, the back of her head just visible inside, as if he might find an answer. Maybe I should just ask her. Would I get a sensible answer? I doubt it. If any man understands how women’s brains work, that man is not I.