The Improper Princesses—three young women descended from royalty,
each bound for her own thrilling adventure . . .
THREE WEEKS WITH A PRINCESS
Improper Princesses #2
Vanessa Kelly
Releasing June 27, 2017
Zebra
In Vanessa Kelly s
captivating series, three young women are descended from royalty in the most
improper way. But that doesn’t stop them from pursuing lives rich in adventure.
. .
daughter of the Duke of York, comes from a long line of notorious women. Raised
by her grandmother, formerly mistress to the late Marquess of Lendale, she has
little hope of a respectable marriage. But the new Marquess, her childhood
friend, Jack Easton, would make a very desirable protector . . . if he weren t
too honorable to take her to bed.
It s bad enough being saddled with a title he never desired. Now Jack must resist
the beautiful woman he desires far too much. Duty calls, and he is duty-bound
to choose a wealthy bride. But then Lia makes another outrageous suggestion:
asking Jack to devise some tests to find her the perfect paramour. Tests that
involve flirting, kissing, and other pleasurable pursuits. Tests that, in a
matter of weeks, could transform friendship into the ton s greatest
scandal, igniting a passion even duty can t deny. . .
Excerpt:
“I do have a
family,” Lia said, forcing a cool tone. “It is their responsibility to help me.
And might I add that given the differences in our social standing, if you were
to help me it would only cause more salacious gossip.”
Instead of being offended, Jack flashed her a wry
smile. “Now you sound like my mother. And I cannot believe I just said that.”
She briefly smiled. “I suspect you’ll never have
cause to say so again. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must get back to work.
There’s a great deal to be done before opening night.”
His improved mood vanished in an instant. Jack had
been an incredibly good-natured boy and was now a man with an easygoing, laughing
manner. These days, however, he more closely resembled a bear with a sore paw.
She came to her feet, prompting him to stand as
well. “Will you come see the play? Mama is simply splendid in her role.”
“If you mean A Surprise for the Publican’s Wife,
dare I ask what the surprise is?” he asked in a dour voice.
Drat. He must have glimpsed the program on the
worktable. “No, that’s the comic burletta. Mama is starring in The Queen of
Mount Olympus. I truly think it’s one of my stepfather’s finest works.”
“I see. And are you appearing in either
performance?”
Lia had to resist the impulse to look down at her
feet. “As a matter of fact, I’m in the burletta. It’s just a bit part, though,”
she added hastily, taking in his expression. “Not even a speaking role.”
That qualification didn’t assuage him. “Lia
Kincaid, if you think I’m going to allow you to make a spec—”
“Lia, darling, are you in there?” trilled a voice,
cutting off Jack’s incipient tirade.
Breathing a prayer of thanks, Lia slipped around
her fuming companion. “Yes, Mama.”
Her mother glided through the door. Her costume
vaguely resembled a toga—although one hardly imagined togas with gold spangles
and gauze—and she carried a helmet. “There you are. I was hoping—” She broke
off, seeing the stranger in the green room. After running a quick, assessing
gaze over Jack’s form, she flicked an enquiring glance at Lia.
“It’s Jack, Mama,” Lia said with a mental sigh.
“Lord Lendale, that is.”
Her mother flashed him a dazzling smile and dropped
into a graceful and extravagant curtsy, helmet notwithstanding. “Goodness, how
could I not have recognized you? You’re looking well, your lordship. Extremely
well.”
Jack executed a polite bow. “There would be no
reason for you to recall me, Mrs. Lester. It’s been years since we last met.
Allow me to say that you’re also looking very well.”
Despite her irritation, Lia couldn’t help but be
touched by his courtesy. Jack had never acted the snob with her family, which
was a sign of his kind nature.
“You flatter me, my lord,” Mama trilled in a pretty
voice. “Lia, why didn’t you tell me that Lord Lendale had grown up to be such a
distinguished man?”
Lia’s cheeks burned. “I suppose there wasn’t any
reason to discuss it.” She did her best to ignore Jack’s ironic gaze.
“Well, never mind. You’ve obviously come to visit
Lia, which is splendid,” Mama said, placing her helmet on the table. “I hope
you will be sure to take in the program on opening night. And you must certainly
visit my darling daughter afterward in the green room.”
With a sinking heart, Lia realized her mother and
grandmother had probably written to each other on the subject of reeling Jack
into the role of her first protector.
“Actually, I’ve come to persuade Lia to return to
Stonefell, where she belongs,” he said with something of a growl. “It’s time
for her London adventure to conclude.”
Lia’s mother threw her a triumphant glance. “I
entirely concur, my lord. Lia would be much more comfortable set up quietly in
the country. It would be more private that way, too.”
Jack peered at Mama for a moment, but then his
features transformed into a horrified understanding.
Lia pulled in a deep breath, fighting the anger
that was sucking the air from her lungs. She couldn’t decide which of them
she’d rather murder first.
“Lord Lendale’s intent is not what you think, Mama.
He simply wants me to return home to live with Granny. In genteel poverty, I
have no doubt,” she couldn’t help adding sarcastically. “His finances are a
complete disaster. I’d probably end up in a hovel if he somehow did become
my protector.”
“There’s no need to be rude about it,” Jack said.
“You’re much ruder than I am,” Lia said. As a
retort it was exceedingly lacking, but her head felt like it was about to
explode from a combination of humiliation and fury.
Vanessa
Kelly
is
a USA Today Bestselling, award-winning author who was named
by Booklist, the review journal of the American Library
Association, as one of the “New Stars of Historical Romance.” Her
Regency-set historical romances have been nominated for awards in a number of
contests, and her second book, Sex and The Single Earl, won the
prestigious Maggie Medallion for Best Historical Romance.
Vanessa’s
previous series, The Renegade Royals, was a national bestseller.
She is currently writing a spin-off series called The Improper Princesses. My
Fair Princess
, book 1, was named a Goodreads Romance of the Month. Vanessa
also writes USA Today Bestselling books with her husband, under the
pen name of V.K. Sykes.
Tasty Q&A with
Vanessa Kelly
If you could
sit and write in a different country where would it be?
England, probably the Lake District or
the Cotswolds. My fantasies generally do not involve sexy guys—they involve
peaceful little cottages on a hillside overlooking a beautiful lake. Oh, and
tea, scones, and a nice glass of wine at the end of the day. LOL!
Co-writing:
have you done it with another author, if not, would you?
I co-write with my husband as VK
Sykes. We’ve written a number of books, including contemporary romances and
romantic suspense. Hubby is also my critique partner for my historical
romances. I enjoy the process and we work very well together—likely because we
know each other’s weak spots and how to deal with them. It’s really fun to work
creatively with him; plus, it keeps us busy so we don’t kill each other from
boredom! I don’t know if I could actually co-write a book with another author,
although I’ve worked on interconnected anthologies with other writers. I
enjoyed that process, too.
Can you tell
us a little about your book?
THREE WEEKS WITH A PRINCESS is the
second book in The Improper Princesses Series, which is a spin-off from my
previous series, The Renegade Royals. That series featured the illegitimate
sons of England’s royal dukes, who fought for their rightful places in the
world—falling madly in love with some pretty swell gals along the way, of
course. In this new series, the illegitimate daughters of royal dukes take
their turn, surmounting all the obstacles that society put in their way in that
time period, and winning the hearts of their own heroes. There’s love,
laughter, adventure, and just a little bit of danger to spice things up!
How did you
come up with the concept and the characters for the story?
Aside from the fact that it’s a
spin-off, THREE WEEKS WITH A PRINCESS is based on the famous movie musical, Gigi. My heroine, Lia Kincaid, is the
daughter and granddaughter of notorious courtesans and is expected to follow in
their footsteps. There are a few problems with that plan, however—she has no
desire to become a courtesan and she’s madly in love with her childhood friend,
Jack Easton, Marquess of Lendale. But events conspire to push Lia in the
direction she doesn’t want to go, and Jack is pretty much losing his mind trying
to stop her. Jack, unfortunately, also has big problems, which include a mother
who hates Lia’s guts and a debt-ridden estate all but falling down around his
ears. Needless to say, Lia and Jack have more than a few obstacles to a happily
ever after!
What are some
books that you enjoyed recently?
I just read a great book called BITTER
SPIRITS, a paranormal romance set in San Francisco during the Roaring Twenties.
The hero is a bootlegger and the heroine is a spirit medium, and they meet
under very unusual circumstances: the hero is under a curse. They have tremendous
chemistry and I loved the atmospheric setting. I’m halfway through the second
book in the series by Jenn Bennett, and I’m enjoying it, too. I’m kind of a
sucker for unusual historical settings for romance, and this one really fit the
bill.
What
do you like best about being a writer? What is the most challenging part?
The best part for me is writing The
End. I relish having a finished book in my hands, and it’s still a thrill to
know I created a new story with characters I’ve invariably come to love. The
most challenging part is actually sitting down every day and getting words on
the page. Sometimes it’s easy, sometimes not. There are days when I feel like
being lazy or reading a book, but deadlines mean butt has to get into chair,
regardless of inspiration striking or not.
Are there
certain characters you would like to go back to, or is there a theme or idea
you’d love to work with?
The theme I most frequently come back
to, whether I realize it or not at the time, is family and finding home. It’s
just the one that sticks with me. I do have a number of characters I’d like to
return to at some point, mostly secondary characters from my Renegade Royals
Series. There are a pair of children in my recently released short story, THREE
RENEGADES AND A BABY, who I think are demanding their own story when they grow
up. So, stay tuned for that!
Can you tell
us about your upcoming book?
My next book is called THE
HIGHLANDER’S PRINCESS BRIDE, and it’ll be out in November. It’s Improper
Princesses 3, and it moves the action to a remote castle in Scotland. My
heroine finds herself trying to teach a very rambunctious family of Highlanders
how to be proper gentlemen, a la Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. This book
segues into my next series, which will feature the Kendrick brothers—a wild
group of Highland rogues! I’m really excited to be moving in that direction.
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