Release Blitz: Hell in a Hand Basket by Annabelle Anders

by - 9:00 AM



HELL IN A HAND BASKET IS NOW LIVE!




Thus reads the Banns of marriage between Lord Harold Brookes and Miss Sophia Babineaux.
"If any of you know cause why these two should not be joined in Holy matrimony, ye are to declare it."

Would anyone declare it?

Please?

THE BRIDE wants to declare it. The heat Sophia feels for another man has given her a bad case of cold feet! She’d never even been kissed, how was she to know the importance of sizzle? By the time she realizes her mistake it may be too late...

THE GROOM never wanted to marry Sophia in the first place. His interests (ahem) lie elsewhere. Unfortunately, with a duke for a father, Lord Harold has no say in the matter at all.

So it’s up to war hero and rake, Captain Devlin Brookes to set matters right. He’s just returned from war and ready to settle down, unfortunately the girl he wants is, well, ah… unavailable.

But he has a plan.

Once set in motion, one lie turns into a spiral of deceit and guilt. Was one shot at heaven worth a lifetime of hell?

Because love endures but the heart has it’s limits.

Or does it? 



“Harold’s touch never had caused these sensations. It hadn’t even come close. She hummed under her breath and at the same time reflected upon the rare intimate gestures her fiancé had bestowed upon her.
He’d occasionally kissed her hand. Well, he’d kissed the air above her hand. He had never quite placed his lips upon her skin, or her glove, to actually kiss it, per se.
And on a few instances, he’d courteously offered his arm while they strolled through the park.
Rarely had she found herself alone with Lord Harold. Why, truth be told, aside from his formal proposal, they were never alone together!
And very soon, the privacy she shared with this heroic rake would be stripped away as well. The tip of his tongue flicked inside of her ear now. And the captain was whispering something about an introduction.
“May I call upon you some afternoon, Miss Babineaux? Take you for a ride in the park, perhaps?” His breath felt hot in her ear. “If you require a formal introduction, I’m certain I can arrange something.”
She could barely respond, however, for all of the confusion flitting about her mind.
Harold was so very different from this impertinent captain.
Good heavens! It had taken Lord Harold nearly two Seasons to ask for a dance. She’d been particularly flattered when he’d told her this.
Captain Brookes lacked such patience, it would seem. Yes, this delicious man was likely considered something of a rake. His expert touch revealed that he knew exactly how to do… all of this. No, nothing shy about him.
She probably ought to mention that she was, in fact, spoken for.
Yes, she really ought to… And she ought to thank him for his assistance…
“Although he will most likely be grateful for your aiding my rescue…” Sophia spoke into his shirtfront. Oh, how his hair felt ever so soft and springy! “…I doubt my fiancé would approve of this.”

***
“You’re here!” Until that moment, she’d not known how fearful she’d been that he would fail her.

She had trusted him… but just as she’d trusted her stepbrother… her stepfather… her mother… and Lord Harold… well, she’d grown wary of disappointment.

He stopped, for just a moment, and peered under her umbrella. “Where else would I be?”

***
This waltz had originally been claimed by another, but Devlin would settle for no less. He’d erased the name and written in his own.
He needed to touch her. To hold her.

He pulled her close, perhaps closer than he ought. “Ah, Sophia,” he whispered. “Trust me?”

***
She held Devlin’s gaze with her own, and he must have noticed the panic in hers. For he lifted his chin and steeled his eyes. “Be strong,” he seemed to be telling her. “You can do this.”



Sophia pushed back the tears that had sprung out of nowhere and nodded, such a small movement only he would see. And then, unless she was to crane her neck backwards in order to stare at the man she really wished to marry, she turned her head up to the altar where Harold stood.

And then she was there.

Beside him.

Her groom.

***
His pace quickened again, and she followed his rhythm.

This was not to be slow and gentle.

This was not to be a tentative love.

It was meant to bring all of their feelings, their emotions, to the surface… just in case.

***
It was nearly too much to bear. This deceit they’d all perpetrated. This involved more pain than they ever could have imagined.

They should have imagined it though.

Perhaps Sophia had. She’d shown more reluctance than any of them.

Thank God, she was upstairs, sleeping. He would do his best to shield her from some of it, if possible. But as the grieving widow…
Oh, hell, what had they done?




This series totally has me hooked!

Not one who usually reads historical romances, I wanted to give something new a try.  So glad I did.  The characters in the Devilish Debutantes are very intriguing and they pull you in and keep you interested in their story the whole way through.
Hell in a Hand Basket is about Sophia who ends up engaged to Lord Harold and though thinking that he loves her it is slowly revealed that maybe that really isn't the case.  Enter his cousin Captain Devlin Brookes!  Devlin throws a wrench in her plans when a spark of interest flares and she is no longer certain she wants to marry Lord Harold.  But fate has other things in store for her making her situation very dire.

Honestly this book had so much going on I couldn't put it down.  Just when you would think....oh this would be a good stopping point, something else would happen and putting it down wasn't an option.  Reading time was between 4-5 hours and I read it in one sitting!

Can't wait to see which debutante is next and what craziness ensues!

Reviewed by Corrie H for Lamplight Review and Promotion


A LITTLE ABOUT ME...
Married to the same man for over 25 years, I am a mother to three children and two Miniature Wiener dogs After owning a business and experiencing considerable success, my husband and I got caught in the financial crisis and lost everything; our business, our home, even our car. 

At this point, I put my B.A. in Poly Sci to use and took work as a waitress and bartender. Unwilling to give up on a professional life, I simultaneously went back to college and obtained a degree in Energy Management. 

And then the energy market dropped off. 

And then my dog died. 

I can only be grateful for this series of unfortunate events, for, with nothing to lose and completely demoralized, I sat down and began to write the romance novels which had until then, existed only my imagination. 

I am happy to have found my place in life.

Finally.

Where you can find me!



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