What a Lady Wants

One bachelor down . . . three more to go. Four most desirable gentlemen have wagered one shilling apiece and a bottle of cognac that will go to the last unmarried man standing . . .

Nigel Cavendish knows he'll marry one day, but hopefully that day is many years—and many women—in the future! Until then, the handsome, unrepentant rake intends to enjoy life's pleasures to the fullest!

From the moment Lady Felicity Melville spies the adventurous scoundrel climbing from a neighbor's window—with his comely conquest's husband in hot pursuit—she knows Nigel is the answer to her prayers . . . with a little reformation, of course! Felicity craves excitement and who in all of London is more exciting than the infamous Mr. Cavendish? So what's a girl to do but hatch a scheme to win what she so fervently desires. But her plan works too well when a game of chance and an errant pistol shot abruptly make them husband and wife—but in a way neither wanted.

Now Felicity has to prove to her wayward husband that she's the only woman he could ever want . . . or need!

One bachelor down . . . three more to go. Four most desirable gentlemen have wagered one shilling apiece and a bottle of cognac that will go to the last unmarried man standing . . .

Nigel Cavendish knows he'll marry one day, but hopefully that day is many years—and many women—in the future! Until then, the handsome, unrepentant rake intends to enjoy life's pleasures to the fullest!

From the moment Lady Felicity Melville spies the adventurous scoundrel climbing from a neighbor's window—with his comely conquest's husband in hot pursuit—she knows Nigel is the answer to her prayers . . . with a little reformation, of course! Felicity craves excitement and who in all of London is more exciting than the infamous Mr. Cavendish? So what's a girl to do but hatch a scheme to win what she so fervently desires. But her plan works too well when a game of chance and an errant pistol shot abruptly make them husband and wife—but in a way neither wanted.

Now Felicity has to prove to her wayward husband that she's the only woman he could ever want . . . or need!

Publishers Weekly

In this delightful, witty Regency tale, the follow-up to Alexander's A Little Bit Wicked, fate and a loaded pistol conspire to grant Lady Felicity her shot at escaping spinsterhood. When Felicity Melville first meets notorious rake Nigel Cavendish, they're both in compromising positions: she's despairing over her five unsuccessful seasons looking for love in London, and he's fleeing the wrath of a cuckolded, gun-happy husband. Intrigued by his recklessness, Felicity decides, after watching him disappear into the night, that Nigel will become her husband. What she doesn't know is that Nigel is determined not to marry, having entered into a wager with four other bachelors to see who among them will remain unwed the longest. The banter between the intelligent, brash, levelheaded Felicity and the roguish, oft-confused Nigel is funny, and they're both charming creations who keep the no-frills plot a cat-and-mouse tour of a season among the ton and the first, rocky stages of marriage skipping along. A fine cast of supporting characters, including the elderly but mischievous card sharks Lord and Lady Fernwood, keep the laughs up throughout. (Feb.)

Victoria Alexander was an award-winning television reporter until she discovered fiction was much more fun than real life. She turned to writing full time and has never looked back. Victoria grew up traveling the country as an Air Force brat and is now settled in Omaha, Nebraska, with her husband, two teenaged children, and a bearded collie named Sam. She firmly believes housework is a four-letter word, there are no calories in anything eaten standing up, procrastination is an art form, and it's never too soon to panic.