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    An Unlikely Alliance
    An Unlikely Alliance
    An Unlikely Alliance
    Ebook100 pages2 hours

    An Unlikely Alliance

    By Rachel VanDyken

    3.5/5

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    About this ebook

    Spoiled New York rogue Royce McArthur lives a charmed life. He sees no reason to settle down, until his mother issues her decree that he must grow up, find a wife and produce some grandchildren, preferably before she dies of old age. But his choices are quite limited considering the only women of his acquaintance are ones of ill repute.

    Meeting the beautiful Evelyn DeJarlias at a ball gives him hope he may have found the one. Her southern blue-collar outspokenness and lack of refinement draws him like a moth to a flame. Unfortunately, she does not find him nearly as endearing -- consistently refusing his lavish gifts and his attentions, she poses a challenge he simply cannot ignore.

    When his mother and her widowed father begin to keep company together secretly, it provides the perfect excuse for him to spend time with Miss DeJarlias. But figures from Royce's past threaten to destroy the blossoming love between the couple. Evelyn must decide if she is willing to trust the man or hold his past indiscretions against him

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBlue Tulip Publishing
    Release dateFeb 11, 2015
    ISBN9781942246190
    An Unlikely Alliance
    Author

    Rachel VanDyken

    Rachel Van Dyken is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author of regency and contemporary romances. When she's not writing you can find her drinking coffee at Starbucks and plotting her next book while watching The Bachelor.She keeps her home in Idaho with her Husband and their two snoring Boxers. She loves to hear from readers! You can follow her writing journey on Facebook or Twitter! If you want to join her online group type in Rachel's New Rockin Readers for contests and updates!

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    Reviews for An Unlikely Alliance

    3.5/5

    7 ratings2 reviews

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    • 4/5
      An Unlikely Alliance by Rachel Van Dyken is just that – the romantic escapades of a very unlikely couple. This regency romance follows Evelyn De Jarlais, a southern farm girl suddenly thrust into New York society, and Royce McArthrur, a wealthy merchant playboy used to having his way with women. When Royce sets his sights on Evelyn, he gets more than he was expecting. She is forthright and feisty – characteristics he is not used to, which of course, heightens his attraction. For her part, Evelyn fears Royce’s reputation as a rake, and wonders if she can really trust him. However, the couple soon find that they have another mutual problem on their hands and must work together to discover the truth. The book is short and sweet, with some well written romantic scenes that sizzle. I liked the flawed nature of both of the main characters. I felt like the resolution came a little too quickly after the a moment of potential devastation, but overall, it was a quick and easy read which I enjoyed.
    • 4/5
      Reviewed by JudyReview copy provided by authorTake four outrageous characters, place them in a setting somewhere in the past (think carriages and balls), concoct an absolutely unbelievable plot told with pithy, sparkling repartee, celebrate the clever intimations of passion without the graphic descriptions, sigh in relief as no ‘language’ assaults your eyes—and you have arrived at the brilliant sum of An Unlikely Alliance. Evelyn De Jarlias: beautiful, resourceful, independent—and nouveau riche—is not about to let rakish Royce McArthur add her to his string of conquests. The problem is—he doesn’t want to seduce her. He wants to marry her instead and not just because his widowed mother orders him to get married within the impossibly short time frame of FOUR MONTHS! Stuart De Jarlias—charming country bumpkin (but don’t discount his savvy side)—meets Royce’s mother on the same night Royce falls head over heels in love with Evelyn—and begins his own courtship. It’s obvious the two courtships are preceding apace, but who’s chaperoning who? And who will live happily ever after? Rachel Van Dyken has written a rollicking read for everyone who loves a fast-paced, smile-eliciting entertainment. Not one blush on a single page!

    Book preview

    An Unlikely Alliance - Rachel VanDyken

    An Unlikely Alliance

    A Renwick House Novella

    by Rachel Van Dyken

    Blue Tulip Publishing

    Smashwords Edition

    Copyright © 2015 RACHEL VAN DYKEN

    This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters, and events are fictitious in every regard. Any similarities to actual events and persons, living or dead, are purely coincidental. Any trademarks, service marks, product names, or named features are assumed to be the property of their respective owners, and are used only for reference. There is no implied endorsement if any of these terms are used. Except for review purposes, the reproduction of this book in whole or part, electronically or mechanically, constitutes a copyright violation.

    AN UNLIKELY ALLIANCE

    Copyright © 2015 RACHEL VAN DYKEN

    ISBN: 978-1-942246-19-0

    Cover Art by P.S. Cover Design

    PROLOGUE

    Evelyn De Jarlias sighed as the sun set over the horizon. Two more days until her twenty-first birthday and what did she have to show for it? Looking down at her hands only made the thought more depressing. Dirt caked around the insides of her nails. After a long, hard day working on the farm, all she needed was another reminder that there were no available gentlemen in the area, and even if there were — hers would not be the first door they would beat down.

    She walked to the edge of the pond and let the pins out of her hair. The thick, cornflower-white tendrils hung down to the middle of her back — it was her crowning glory. Not that her face was ugly by any means. It was just extremely tanned, showing everyone within a safe distance she was middle class.

    Growing up, she had always dreamed of a bigger future. A glamorous future with beautiful dresses and dancing. Lots and lots of dancing.

    Her reality stared back at her through the reflection in the water. A working girl covered in dirt, no money in her pockets, no prospects, and certainly no future.

    Evelyn! Evelyn! The sound of her father's voice shook the melancholy from her. Stuart De Jarlias was a hard-working man. Never once putting himself before anyone else. Always trying to make her life better than it was. For that she loved him and was grateful for his love, especially since it was just the two of them. Her mother had died while she was still quite young, leaving them with a giant hole in the family which would and could never be filled.

    Yes, Daddy? The question hung in the air.

    Evelyn! He yelled even louder. His head finally showed over the little hill he came from. Evelyn! His face was covered in a mixture of dirt and water caking mud around the wrinkles in his eyes. Oh Lord, what had happened? Had the moonshine exploded? Was he okay? He stumbled towards her; were those tears in his eyes?

    Daddy! She ran to him, tripping over her skirts as she finally reached him. Scrambling, she pulled his face into a closer view and panicked. What's wrong, Daddy? Are you hurt?

    Then her father did the most ridiculous thing imaginable. He laughed.

    And laughed.

    And laughed until she thought he stopped breathing.

    Daddy! She stomped her foot. Stop that right now! What's wrong with you?

    We're rich, babydoll. We're saved! Babydoll was her daddy's nickname for her. He also called her Sugar and Cupcake, but babydoll was her favorite. It took her back to the time when her mama was alive. When things were simpler and happier. Frustrated, she closed her eyes and tried a new tactic.

    I don't understand, Daddy. Have you been drinking your own moonshine again?

    He shook his head, tears still streaming down his grimy black face. "No, Babydoll. No moonshine! We're rich! A British Lord has offered to buy all of our acreage! And for fifty times what we purchased it for!

    That day Evelyn's life changed forever.

    CHAPTER ONE

    Royce McArthur swore as another glass of champagne went flying by his face. What was that for? he yelled, just as the glass shattered into a million tiny pieces next to his polished boot.

    Stop pretending that you don't know! Sheila screamed, picking up another glass.

    I can explain! He started looking for exits.

    Explain? she wailed, closing her eyes. Explain this! A piece of cutlery nearly nicked him in the shin as it whizzed past him and stuck in the nearby wall.

    This was not going well. It was impossible to know just what she was so upset about. One minute he had been having a nice drink of whiskey with his brothers, and then next thing he knew, glassware was flying dangerously close to his face at alarming speeds.

    Women.

    Can't live with them, and in his current state, he definitely wanted to live without them. What good were they anyway? It wasn't as if he was in dire need to marry anytime soon, which was why he took his pleasures wherever he could find them. Sheila was the last choice he had made in that department, albeit a poor one. Yes, if he had thought about his actions, he might have foreseen this happening. She was prone to jealousy more than his other mistresses had been. Hence the need for violence.

    He racked his brain, trying to think of some way to calm her down. What could she possibly be so upset about?

    And then, as another plate darted past his head, it hit him. The thought, not the plate.

    She knew about Constance, his ex-mistress who had just returned from New York. The mistress he had spent the night with after canceling on Sheila. The same mistress.

    Perfect, he huffed as another woman barged into the room.

    Ah, Constance, lovely to see you. He tried to approach her, but stopped when he noted the madness igniting Sheila's face.

    The same look rabid dogs wore before eating their young.

    Probably safer to stay put.

    Crouching in the corner as another plate shattered in the distance, he considered his options.

    Two insanely angry and jealous women were waiting for him to come out of hiding to either castrate him or kill him. The second option seemed the better of the two, so he made his decision. Slowly rising, he approached both ladies with his hands up in surrender. Unfortunately, they took his advance as an act of attack and began shouting over one another. The last word he heard from Sheila's mouth was tramp, and then Constance grabbed a handful of Sheila's hair and began tugging with all her

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