The Matchmaker's Rogue
(Grace-by-the-Sea #1)
By Regina Scott
Historical Romance
Paperback & ebook, 272 Pages
January 8th 2020
Grace-by-the-Sea: Where romance and adventure come home.
Polished Jesslyn Chance has one of the most enviable positions in the little Regency coastal village of Grace-by-the-Sea. She is the hostess of the spa, arranging introductions and entertainments and playing matchmaker to the ladies and gentlemen who come to take the waters, promenade through the shops, and dance at the assembly. But when a rogue returns from her past, Jess finds herself suddenly at sea.
Always an adventurer, Larkin Denby left Grace-by-the-Sea to right the wrongful death of his father. Now he’s back on a mission: to identify the mysterious Lord of the Smugglers who allegedly sails from Grace Cove and takes England’s secrets to France. But Grace-by-the-Sea is the perfect little spa town, run by the still oh-so-perfect Jesslyn Chance. When the village’s future is threatened, Jess must work with Lark to solve the mystery and protect the town’s own. In doing so, the matchmaker of Grace-by-the-Sea may just find that the best match for her is the rogue who stole her heart years ago.
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Excerpt
“Good afternoon, Mr. Denby,” she said, launching into her
prepared speech. “Welcome to the spa at Grace-by-the-Sea. I am your hostess,
Miss Chance, and this is my assistant Mrs. Tully. If you have any questions or
would like an introduction, you have only to ask.”
His head snapped up. Though he held her gaze only a moment,
as was proper, she felt as if he were memorizing every feature, from the blond curls
clustered around her face to her gloved hands resting on the table beside the
book. His smile bloomed, and something inside her bloomed with it. “Miss
Chance. How nice to see you and your charming aunt again.”
A simple statement, hardly threatening, yet a dozen ways to
escape rushed in on her. She kept her smile in place. She had no reason to run.
She’d welcomed nearly a thousand guests, first as a volunteer, then as an
assistant to her father, and now in her own right. She arranged introductions,
friendships, courtships! On any given day, she kept as many as three dozen
people healthy and happy, and that didn’t count her younger brother, Alex, or
her aunt.
“And hostess now,” he continued. “But of course you’d want
to serve beside your father.” He glanced around as if seeking the spa’s
physician.
Jess’s throat tightened, but her voice came out all politeness.
“My father passed away a year ago, sir. We are without a physician at present.”
His gaze swung back to her, softening. “I’m sorry to hear
that. Your father was a good man.”
He’d been a great man, one sorely needed. She could never
fill his shoes, and Alex did not seem to want to try.
“Thank you,” she said. “Allow me to reacquaint you with the
spa.” She picked up the carefully worded pamphlet from the Corporation and offered
it to him.
“The water is poured from nine to four Monday through
Saturday, noon to three on Sunday. Bathing is on the low tide and by
appointment. Tea is served at four Monday through Saturday and one on Sunday
here in the Grand Pump Room, and we close early every Wednesday for an assembly
in the evening in rooms just up the hill. I do...”
“Hope you’ll join us,” Maudie finished for her, and rather
breathlessly at that.
Lark accepted the pamphlet from Jess. His fingers touched
hers, as briefly as his glance. She had to fight to keep from snatching back
her hand.
About the Author
Regina Scott started writing novels in the third grade. Thankfully for literature as we know it, she didn’t sell her first novel until she learned a bit more about writing. Since her first book was published, her stories have traveled the globe, with translations in many languages including Dutch, German, Italian, and Portuguese. She now has more than forty-five published works of warm, witty romance.
She loves everything about England, so it was only a matter of time before she started her own village. Where more perfect than the gorgeous Dorset Coast? She can imagine herself sailing along the chalk cliffs, racing her horse across the Downs, dancing at the assembly, and even drinking the spa waters. She drank the waters in Bath, after all!
Regina Scott and her husband of 30 years reside in the Puget Sound area of Washington State on the way to Mt. Rainier. She has dressed as a Regency dandy, learned to fence, driven four-in-hand, and sailed on a tall ship, all in the name of research, of course. Learn more about her
at her website.
Tour Schedule
Tour Giveaway
One winner will receive print copies of all six books in Fortune's Brides series (Never Doubt a Duke, Never Borrow a Baronet, Never Envy an Earl, Never Vow for a Viscount, Never Kneel to a Knight, and Never Marry a Marquess)
US only
Ends January 29, 2020
Title: Murder at the Courthouse
