Author Description

"The first novel of New York Times bestselling author Jude Deveraux's breathtaking new series set in Summer Hill, a small town where love takes center stage against the backdrop of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice Enter Elizabeth Bennet. Chef Casey Reddick has had it up to here with men. When she arrives in the charming town of Summer Hill, Virginia, she leaves behind a demanding boss at a famous D.C. restaurant and a breakup with a boyfriend jealous of her success. Some peace and quiet on the picturesque Tattwell plantation is just what she needs to start fresh. But the tranquility is broken one misty morning when she sees a gorgeous naked man on the porch of her cottage. Enter Mr. Darcy. What Tate Landers, Hollywood heartthrob and owner of Tattwell, doesn't need on a bittersweet trip to his ancestral home is a woman spying on him from his guest cottage. Mistaking Casey for a reporter, Tate tries to run her out of her own house. His anger, which looks so good on the screen, makes a very bad first impression on Casey. Hollywood he may be, but he's no sweetheart to Casey--and she lets him know it! The plot thickens. Sparks fly--literally--when Casey is recruited to play Elizabeth Bennet opposite Tate's Mr. Darcy in a stage adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. Just brushing past Tate makes Casey's whole body hum. As they spar on and off stage, Casey begins to think she's been too quick to judge. Tate is more down-to-earth than Casey expected, and she finds herself melting under his smoldering gaze. But then Tate's handsome ex-brother-in-law, Devlin Haines, who is playing Wickham, tells Casey some horrifying stories about Tate. She is upset and confused as she tries to figure out who and what to believe. As she finds herself falling for Tate, Casey needs to know: Is the intense, undeniable chemistry between them real, or is this just a performance that ends when the curtain falls? Praise for Jude Deveraux "A new Jude Deveraux novel means a very late night turning the pages straight through to the delicious end."--Susan Elizabeth Phillips True Love "Evokes everything that makes Nantucket so special--the history, the atmosphere, the secrets, and the magic."--Susan Wiggs "Destined to be an instant romance classic. will haunt you long after you read it."--Pittsburgh Post-Gazette For All Time "Captures your imagination from the start and keeps hold till the very last page."--Fresh Fiction "A beautifully written story with a refreshing old-romance feel."--RT Book Reviews Ever After "Thoroughly enjoyable."--Publishers Weekly (starred review) "Filled with family, friends, ghosts and the magic of love."--BookPage"-- "The first book of a new contemporary romance series set in the mountains of Virginia. Sparks fly as fiery Casey Reddick and brooding Hollywood actor Tate Landers clash in the Virginia summer heat. A chef who puts her career first and her love life second, Casey doesn't see what every girl in town is swooning over. She made up her mind the moment she met Tate--he's gorgeous, but stuck-up, nothing like his ex-brother-in-law, Devlin who's playing the Wickham to Tate's Darcy in local production of Pride & Prejudice. Casey makes the perfect Elizabeth Bennett--how could she be star-struck when she's heard Devlin's damning stories about Tate? As they rehearse together, however, Casey finds herself attracted to Tate--he's much more down-to-earth than she expected and any physical contact between the two of them literally gives her a tingling, electric shock. As opening night draws near, Casey has some difficult decisions to make. Whom should she believe? The seemingly sincere, slighted Devlin or Tate, whose rough, arrogant exterior may only be skin deep. She's come to love that jolt she gets when they touch--but will she get burned?"--