Spindle Cove's music teacher, Kate Taylor, has been trying for years to discover the origins of her birth. Today she is in nearby Hastings to question the former schoolmistress of the Margate School for Girls, where Kate had lived as a charity student. Instead of answers, Miss Paringham offers cruelty and sends Kate out into the street, where she is nearly run down by a cart. Her rescuer is none other than Spindle Cove militiaman Corporal Thorne-the man whom Kate is sure avoids her because of her embarrassing facial birthmark. In truth, Thorne's brusque response to Kate is a mask for other feelings-and a past they share but that only he remembers. When the couple arrive back at Spindle Cove, they are confronted by the Gramercys, an aristocrat family bent on proving Kate is their long-lost cousin. Not one to trust easily and continuing to protect Kate, Thorne announces that they are betrothed. Verdict Dare's (A Week To Be Wicked) charming seaside retreat is home to another irresistible heroine: a young woman who seeks a family of her own and discovers true love with the least likely man-a soldier with a dark past and darker demons. With humor as well as pathos, Dare draws us into the lives of these singular protagonists; a tale to savor.-Bette-Lee Fox, Library Journal (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Dare's third Spindle Cove romance proves that sequels can equal, and even better, their predecessors (A Week to Be Wicked). In the early 19th century English coastal community of Spindle Cove, orphaned piano teacher Kate Taylor is desperate to find the truth about her parentage. After a discouraging visit to her former schoolmistress, who refuses to tell Kate anything, she finds herself relying on fellow Spindle Cove resident Corporal Thorne's kindness to return safely home. Though the meek Kate initially feels intimidated by her roguish escort, a mutual attraction sparks between the two during their journey. Upon arriving back at the Queen's Ruby inn, Kate is surprised to find a bevy of aristocrats in her room claiming to be her lost family. Thorne, suspicious of their motives, proposes to Kate that they become affianced, allowing him to stay at her side and protect her. But their fake engagement brings out genuine feelings even as answers to Kate's questions begin to emerge. Dare's captivating plotline is enlivened by multi-dimensional characters, while the love story is enhanced by the mysteries of its heroine's past. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.