The Pretender

by Barbara Miller

Seducing readers with dazzling repartee and Regency intrigue, Barbara Miller is "a winner on every level" (Rendezvous). Her stories enthrall and delight, wonderfully evoking the drama and desire beneath English society's veneer of gentility. THE PRETENDER Juliet Sinclair is on a mission -- to wrest her siblings' fate from the hands of their ruthless cousin Redmond, who is murdering his way to their inheritance. Reluctant to marry, Juliet plans to Þnd her sister Ariel a husband who can protect them all. When she meets Captain Draco Melling, she thinks he's perfect for the job -- or could be, with some work. Draco has tasted life's pains and pleasures. Despite his conÞrmed bachelorhood, he feels compelled to submit to Juliet Sinclair's efforts at reform, if only so they can spend time together. Instead of shaping the perfect husband for Ariel, however, Juliet molds her own ideal match. Soon Juliet and Draco must confront not only Redmond, but also their deepest, darkest fears in order to claim a future together.

387 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Barbara J. Miller started writing romances because she was running out of reading material and all her copies of her Georgette Heyer novels were becoming dog-eared. By day she works as a business analyst; by night she runs a retirement home for aged horses, dogs and cats. On the week-ends she spends a lot of time in Regency England, creating heroes and heroines to fight the Napoleonic Wars, shock London society, and set the countryside in an uproar. Her accomplice is her computer-expert husband Don, who is one of her biggest fans.

Barb admits to enjoying the research as much as the writing, and has the books to prove it. France used to be in the dining room and England in the living room. Now that she has taken over the upper story of their old farmhouse as an office at least all the books are one floor. This saves a tremendous amount of time when she is trying to confirm an obscure fact in the middle of the night. Under the name Laurel Ames she produced eight Regency-era historicals for Harlequin, one of which was nominated for a Rita in 1994. Now, she writes as Barbara Miller. She is a member of the Western PA Chapter of Romance Writers of America and also edits The Laurel Wreath newsletter for them. You may email her at scribe@cvzoom.net.