Description: After two loveless marriages to older men, lonely, widowed countess Alicia Selwood is ready to find a competent, passionate lover. But her late night . . . adventures will require her to take on a bodyguard with a proven track record of professionalism and discretion. Joss Gormley is perfect for the job. Imagine her surprise when she discovers Joss's other qualifications--naughty qualifications that might make him the ideal man to satisfy ALL her needs . . . Joss never intended to be anything but Lady Selwood's faithful servant. But the more time he spends with the delectable and forbidden countess, the more he longs to love and possess her. He's not good enough for her by far, and he knows she'll use him and discard him. But none of those worries can stop Joss from serving her by day . . . and dominating her by night. When a ghost from Alicia's past emerges, threatening all she holds dear, she's forced to choose between the only family she has left, and the man who has come to mean everything to her. Can Joss and Alicia stand together and fight for their happily-ever-after--no matter how taboo? Or will society's pressures and expectations tear the two lovers apart? Contains mature themes.
Brief description: S. M. LaViolette also writes historical romance under the name Minerva Spencer and historical mystery under the name S. M. Goodwin. Unlike many authors, S. M. hasn't wanted to be a writer since she was knee-high to a grasshopper. In fact, she's a very late bloomer and didn't write her first book until she was forty-five. That book, Dangerous, came out in 2018, the year S. M. turned 50. She is living proof that it is never too late to try something brand new. Since 2018 she has published fifteen books and two novellas, one which is included in an anthology with mega bestselling author Sylvia Day. S. M. has worked as a college history teacher, bed and breakfast owner, criminal prosecutor, and bartender (her favorite job next to writing). S. M. now writes full time and lives with her husband and multiple animals in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. When she's not writing she's cleaning out chicken coops, crafting, or reading.