A nobleman's son returns from eight years of spy work on the Continent to discover that he's about to be disinherited, if he's not convicted of murder first. Gracie (The Winter Bride, 2014, etc.) returns with the third book in her Chance Sisters series, featuring Jane Chance, who has spent a lifetime evading lecherous men because of her beautiful face and figure. She and her sisters (one biological, two sisters of the heart) have escaped from poverty thanks to Lady Beatrice Davenham, an eccentric and lonely old lady. Two of Jane's sisters have recently made brilliant love matches, but Jane is more practical. Her parents were disinherited for running off together. They both died in poverty, leaving Jane under the protection of her sister Abby when the girls were only 6 and 12 years old. Jane is determined not to let love lead her into such foolish behavior that might possibly subject her future children to a life of hunger and peril like her own childhood. She accepts the proposal of a rich but dull baron in spite of her growing attraction to Zachary Black, a mysterious figure who changes accents more frequently than he changes clothes. Zach, meanwhile, can't declare himself to Jane until he's cleared of a long-ago murder charge and routed the cousin who's trying to take over his inheritance. With both Jane and Zach using assumed names, their eventual unveiling will make them more compatible than they expect. In spite of a rather convoluted plot and a herky-jerky beginning, the novel settles into a funny and fast-paced rhythm. The main characters are vibrant and complex, and if some of the secondary characters are a bit typecast, the author's skill as a storyteller makes this well worth reading. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Jane Chance is haunted by memories of an impoverished, dangerous childhood and will do just about anything to guarantee a safe, stable future-and that includes never marrying for love. When Zachary Black, disreputable gypsy, rogue, and enigmatic stranger, comes into her life, Jane is torn between love and logic as she begins to question what she really wants. VERDICT A pragmatic, security--focused heroine who doesn't trust in love and an aristocratic adventurer with a shadowy past and a price on his head find love in spite of themselves in a cleverly plotted story that skillfully blends mystery with romance, tosses in a dash of danger, and lightens it all with some sass. -Gracie (The Winter Bride) lives in -Australia. © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Gracie (The Winter Bride) provides an enchanting spin on Regency tropes with the romance of pragmatic Jane Chance and dashing, disguised gentleman Zachary Black. Jane and her sister, Abby, grew up in poverty; Jane's marriage goal is stability, not love. Zach, who has spent 12 years conducting continental espionage in the guise of a rover and pirate, discovers he has been declared dead by his greedy cousin-and he's suspected of murdering his father's second wife, Cecily, whom he escorted to Wales just days before an unidentifiable woman's body was discovered on his father's estate. A random encounter with a stray dog and a pack of ruffians thrusts Jane and Zach together, challenging her desire to avoid romance and Zach's intention of leaving England again as soon as he clears his name. Complicating matters further, Jane accepts a marriage proposal from the unremarkable and stodgy but wealthy Lord Cambury, while Zach employs investigators to search for Cecily. Gracie layers in multiple stories of hidden identities and warns against judging by appearance, enhancing the sweet seasonal love story. Agent: Nancy Yost, Nancy Yost Literary Agency. (June) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.