Heartless

Format:

Book

Title:

Heartless

Author:

Martin, Kat author

ISBN:

9780312979447

Edition:

St. Martin's paperbacks ed.

Publication:

New York, NY : St. Martin's Paperbacks, 2001.

Physical Description:

325 pages ; 18 cm

General Note:

"St. Martin's Paperbacks historical romance."

Summary:

"To escape her life of poverty as a tenant farmer's daughter, Ariel Summers made a bargain with the devil--she would become the Earl of Greville's mistress in exchange for the schooling and refinements of a lady. But she couldn't foresee the earl's untimely death, or her own disturbing attraction to his bastard son and heir, Justin Ross. Justin never meant to demand payment from the tempting young woman his father had so callously planned to ruin. But her innocent allure provoked his ruthless nature and he vowed he would have her in his bed. Seduction was his plan, but Justin never suspected Ariel's innocent passion would awaken emotions he had long believed dead. Now mistrust and betrayal threaten the fragile happiness the two of them have found, and Justin must convince Ariel he isn't the heartless man she believes."--Back cover.

Subject(s):

Nobility -- Fiction.

Seduction -- Fiction.

Man-woman relationships -- Fiction.

England -- Social life and customs -- 19th century -- Fiction.

Geographic Term:

England -- Social life and customs -- 19th century -- Fiction.

Genre:

Holds:

Available:*

Library	Call Number	Status
Searching... Dallas Public Library	PBK Martin, K. Heartless	Searching... Unknown

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

A Shameless Bargain
To escape her life of poverty as a tenant farmer's daughter, Ariel Summers made a bargain with the devil-she would become the Earl of Greville's mistress in exchange for the schooling and refinements of a lady. But she couldn't foresee the arl's untimely death, or her own disturbing attraction to his bastard son and heir, Justin Ross.
A Cold-blooded Demand
Justin never meant to demand payment from the tempting young woman his father had so callously planned to ruin. But her innocent allure provoked his ruthless nature and he vowed he would have her in his bed.
An Unexpected Passion
Seduction was his plan but the Earl of Greville never suspected Ariel's innocent passion would awaken emotions he had long believed dead. When mistrust and betrayal threatens the fragile happiness the two of them have found, Justin must convince Ariel he isn't the heartless man she believes...

"Kat Martin dishes up sizzling passion and true love, then she serves it with savoir faire."- Los Angeles Daily News

Author Notes

Kathleen Kelly Martin was born July 14, 1947 in the Central Valley of California. She obtained a degree in Anthropology and History from the University of California in Santa Barbara.She is an American writer of romance novels under the pen names of Kat Martin, Kathy Lawrence and Kasey Marx. Martin is a member of the Romance Writers of America. To date, she has been published in England, Spain, Italy, Greece, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Bulgaria, Russia, South Africa, China, and Korea. She has written several series which include Southern Series, Garrick Family Series, Kingsland Series and Litchfield Series. Her novel titles include Magnificent Passage, The Secret, and Secret Ways. She made The New York Times Best Seller List with her title Into the Firestorm.

(Bowker Author Biography)

Reviews (2)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Martin's (The Secret; Perfect Sin) strongly drawn portrait of two vulnerable people picking their way through the tangles of love is certain to please her fans. Upon the Earl of Greville's death in 1802, his newly legitimized bastard son, Justin Ross, inherits the Greville estates as well as Ariel Summers, a plucky girl who had pledged to become his father's mistress in exchange for schooling on how to be a lady. Though he has little interest in making Ariel consummate the bargain, when she finally graduates and comes to live with him, Justin finds his intentions skewed by his attraction to her bright spirit and his dislike of her friendship with his worst enemy. And despite Ariel's own determination to repay her debt without becoming Justin's mistress, she soon discovers her heart has different ideas. But Justin's mistrust of Ariel's loyalty and her fear that he is incapable of love threaten to pull the pair apart. Martin's villains aren't much more than cardboard, but Ariel and Justin push beyond the stereotypes of the fresh, innocent girl and the emotionally distant rake, fleshing out into nicely rounded characters. The narrative also displays an unusual sensitivity as it explores beyond a couple's hormonal compatibility and tackles the more complex wonder of enduring love. (May) Forecast: Sales in the contemporary romance/suspense field have exploded in recent years, and like many popular romance authors, Martin sagely alternates her offerings between historicals and contemporaries. But Martin's dedicated audience comes from her historicals, and this title will fare quite well. (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

Booklist Review

Early nineteenth-century England doesn't offer many opportunities for a woman to change her station in life, but this doesn't deter young Ariel Summers. Living with her abusive father in a cottage as tenants of the Earl of Greville, she dreams of one day being a fine lady. She makes an unusual bargain with the Earl and he accepts, but, unbeknownst to Ariel, he dies, making their bargain the responsibility of his bastard son and heir, Justin Ross. What follows when Justin and Ariel meet is a tale full of misunderstandings and unspoken needs and desires. Both, of course, have mistaken impressions of the other. Justin longs for Ariel but fights the attraction. Ariel, especially, cannot get a clear picture of Justin because his brooding personality hides his true nature. She continually wavers between wanting and hating him, making the reader wish she or he could take Ariel by the shoulders and shake her into making up her mind and giving Justin a break. --Maria Hatton