Beyond Scandal and Desire: Sins of All Seasons, Book 1

Heath (the Scandalous Gentlemen of St. James series) launches a winning and steamy Victorian series featuring a family of highborn bastards who seek financial and social success, presumably all finding love along the way. Entrepreneur Mick Trewlove, the illegitimate son of the Duke of Hedley, has spent years plotting to bring down his half-brother, the Earl of Kipwick. In addition to ruining him financially, Mick plans to seduce Kipwick’s naive and sheltered fiancée, Lady Aslyn Hastings. But Mick quickly realizes that he’d prefer a more honorable union with Aslyn. She yearns for a brighter, more exciting life than what she can hope for with Kipwick, whom she loves as a brother. Mick must decide whether he should abandon all his plans in favor of earning Aslyn’s respect and love. The premise of this story isn’t particularly complicated, but Heath builds a community of fascinating, intertwined characters that readers will be eager to get to know as they cheer for the driven hero and the spunky, smart heroine. (Feb.)