Bound by Love

The illegitimate daughter of the Russian czar, Leonida arrives at the estate of Stefan, the Duke of Huntley, with secrets…and a mission. Searching for covert documents sequestered in Stefan's massive library, she is the perfect guest—and the perfect spy.

Fascinated by her flawless beauty and her intriguing air of mystery, Stefan draws intimately closer…and Leonida, bound by duty to her family and country, finds herself utterly captivated. Yet as danger and desire meet in a tangled web of espionage and deceit, the two will face a choice that can be made only by love itself.

The illegitimate daughter of the Russian czar, Leonida arrives at the estate of Stefan, the Duke of Huntley, with secrets…and a mission. Searching for covert documents sequestered in Stefan's massive library, she is the perfect guest—and the perfect spy.

Fascinated by her flawless beauty and her intriguing air of mystery, Stefan draws intimately closer…and Leonida, bound by duty to her family and country, finds herself utterly captivated. Yet as danger and desire meet in a tangled web of espionage and deceit, the two will face a choice that can be made only by love itself.

Publishers Weekly

This perfect beach book moves effortlessly from the green English countryside to bustling Paris to the glittering court of Emperor Alexander Pavlovich. Leonida, the czar's illegitimate daughter, travels to Surrey in search of incriminating correspondence in which her mother revealed state secrets to the previous Duchess of Huntley. Stefan, the current duke, can't figure out what she's up to, but that doesn't stop him from pursuing her. After Leonida flees with the letters, he tracks her all the way to St. Petersburg. The villain and hero are obvious, but other players' motives are less clear. Leonida is very easy to like, idealistic and loyal; Stefan, who declares it “a pity” that “women are no longer the property of men,” is more stereotypical and less sympathetic. The history is skimpy, but fans of Regency romance will enjoy the familiar story and unusual setting. (Aug.)

Bestselling author Rosemary Rogers, dubbed "The Queen of Historical Romance" by the New York Times Book Review, was born into a wealthy family in the colonial splendor of Ceylon, now Sri Lanka. Prone to daydreams and fantasies since childhood, she wrote her first novel at the age of eight, and throughout her teens penned passionately romantic epics in the style of her favorite writers.

Rosemary began her writing career while working full-time as a secretary for the California Parks Department.

A divorced mother of four, Rosemary was struggling to raise her children on a meager secretary's salary. During lunch hours and late at night after the children had fallen asleep, Rosemary put pen to paper, capturing the steamy romantic fantasy that played itself out so vividly in her imagination.

A stickler for detail, Rosemary rewrote her first manuscript 23 times, toiling over the historical accuracies. Until the day her teenage daughter found the manuscript in a drawer, and encouraged her mother to send her novel off to a publishing house.

The hours of revision paid off when the unsolicited, unagented manuscript was accepted immediately for publication.

That novel, Sweet Savage Love, skyrocketed to the top of bestseller lists, and became one of the most popular historical romances of all time. Throughout her career, Rosemary has written over 16 novels, sold millions upon millions of copies worldwide, and her novels have been translated into 11 languages.

Rosemary makes her home in Connecticut.