Happy Monday readers!
I’m excited to welcome back author Ali Scott to Austenesque Reviews today!
Ali has a book coming out soon and her visiting to share about it this week is perfect because it is titled – A Heart’s Secret! 💗 🤫
Quite a romantic sounding title!
Just in time for Valentine’s Day, Ali is here to share the cover reveal and an enticing excerpt from A Heart’s Secret. We hope you enjoy!
~ From the Author ~
Thank you Meredith for hosting my cover reveal for A Heart’s Secret.
This book is my third with Quills and Quartos, and I am very excited for its release! Inspiration for this book began with a simple idea—what if a scurrilous gossip column announced an engagement between Darcy and Elizabeth soon after their initial meeting? Ever the gentleman, Darcy would never abandon Elizabeth to her fate, but how would Elizabeth respond to the news of their betrothal?
As I began to research newspapers and scandals during the Regency era, I learned of several real-life figures who created a stir with their outrageous behaviour. These people inhabited a world of survival, who did whatever was needed to stay afloat. My mind began to picture Elizabeth, safe and sheltered in Meryton. How would she fare when faced with the harsh realities of London life? From these seeds of inspiration, the plot of A Heart’s Secret took shape, full of twists and turns, with Elizabeth and Darcy forced to work together to uncover who wishes to do them harm.
I adore this cover— Susan Adriani did a fabulous job! The muted colours are reminiscent of an oil painting and the background cityscape is simply phenomenal. She has captured Elizabeth so beautifully, radiant and confident, just how we all love her.
I hope you enjoy reading A Heart’s Secret as much as I did writing it!
~ Book Description ~
Mr FD of Derbyshire has been paying a great deal of attention to a certain Miss B. Has one of England’s wealthiest bachelors finally been ensnared?
FITZWILLIAM DARCY HAS A SECRET, one that haunts him at every turn. Against his better judgement, he accepts an invitation to a house party in Hertfordshire where he encounters the beautiful Miss Elizabeth Bennet of Longbourn, whose lively spirits prove a welcome distraction from his sorrowful past. Yet his peace is disturbed by threats to his family and to his good name. Elizabeth is unexpectedly implicated, but should he suspect Elizabeth…or protect her?
AFTER THEIR FIRST MEETING at the assembly in Meryton, Elizabeth Bennet is convinced there can be no ruder man than Mr Darcy. But a series of encounters at Netherfield Park forces her to reconsider her opinion of him, and she soon learns that Mr Darcy is a man with hidden depths.
WHEN THE MYSTERIOUS ANNOUNCEMENT of their engagement is published in a London newspaper, she has no choice but to place her trust in him. They strike a deal, and suddenly Elizabeth is drawn into a web of deceit. Who is behind the malicious gossip column? What pain lies in Mr Darcy’s past? And what secret lies deep within her own heart?
A Heart’s Secret is a forced engagement, wounded hero variation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. The content is clean and the angst level is moderate.
~ Excerpt from A Heart’s Secret ~
Giving the dog a soft stroke between the ears, Elizabeth stood and went to the doorway to
watch the activity in the yard. Just beyond her line of sight, she heard a man’s voice, enquiring as
to why his horse was not ready. It was Mr Darcy, his deep voice cutting through the air. A groom
muttered an explanation of the mishap, soon followed by the sound of footsteps approaching the
stable. Elizabeth fought the urge to groan. Why must he be the one to discover my folly? She ran
a hand over her gown in a futile attempt to look respectable. When Mr Darcy appeared in front
of her, she decided it was better to poke fun at herself rather than attempt to justify her actions.
“Good morning, sir. You find me at a disadvantage. You are dressed for the stables.
Regrettably, I am not.”“There was mention of an accident?” Mr Darcy looked aghast. “I trust you are not hurt?”
“No, but this little warrior did not escape the fight unscathed.” She gestured towards the
small heap of rags and fur that was now sleeping peacefully at her feet. Mr Darcy took a step
closer, and as he did, Elizabeth crouched down to move one of the bloodied rags to allow him to
take a better look. “He came to my rescue, demonstrating enough bravery for an epic poem or
—” She stopped when she glanced at the gentleman and saw that he was ashen; he looked as
though he might faint. Moving quickly, she retrieved the mounting block and gestured for him to
sit.“It will pass,” he said, waving away her kindness. The pallor of his face suggested he was
still afflicted by whatever ailed him, however.“I must insist that you take a seat. I do not trust my strength to catch you if you swoon.”
This was said to lift his spirit, and she was gratified to see a smile pass briefly across his face.
Fortunately, he took her advice and sat himself gingerly on the block.“Is there anything I might do to help you?” Elizabeth asked. “Has this happened before?”
His eyes closed, he nodded. “I do not like…” He gestured in the direction of the terrier.
“You do not like the sight of blood?” she enquired gently.
He inhaled deeply. “It is not the blood itself, rather the memory it evokes.”
Elizabeth stared at him, wondering what terrible circumstance might have befallen him to
cause such a strong response. Until now, she had thought of Mr Darcy as unfeeling, yet there was
a genuine anguish in his expression, and her generous heart was alive to his pain.“Shall I call for assistance?”
A little colour returned to his cheeks. “No. I thank you. Please, do not speak of this to
anyone.”“Naturally, I shall not.”
Mr Darcy looked at her briefly before lowering his gaze to the floor. He appeared
embarrassed, and Elizabeth decided that the kindest thing to do was make light of the situation.“Do you know, this sometimes happens to me?” She sat upon another block beside him.
“Usually when someone opens the pianoforte and asks me to perform.”
A small grin pulled at his lips. “I find that difficult to believe. I thought all women enjoyed
playing a musical instrument.”Arching her eyebrows playfully, she replied, “All women who are proficient do, the rest of
us must pretend.”Mr Darcy gave a reluctant huff of laughter at this, and, reaching out with long arms, he
found the side of the stable door and pulled himself to his feet. “What do you plan to do with
your new companion?” He indicated to the dog without actually looking at it.“You mean David?” Elizabeth gave the sleeping dog a final pat before standing and joining
Mr Darcy.“David?”
“If you had seen the other dog, you would understand.”
“Am I to infer that his opponent was Goliath? Your tiny protector must have been at quite
the disadvantage.”“Only in stature. In courage, David has no equal.”
Suppressing a smile, Mr Darcy shook his head slowly. “David is not a dog’s name.”
“Oh really? Whose name is it then?”
“I could not answer.” There was a gleam of humour in his eyes when he added, “But it is
certainly not the name for a dog.”His manner of speaking was so familiar and unguarded that she was taken by surprise. It
was as though a crack had formed in Mr Darcy’s proud exterior, and she was viewing a different
man entirely.It discomposed her, and she hastily said, “I should return to the house before I am missed.
With luck, I shall not leave too much mud on the carpets. If I do, you can be sure we shall hear
about it later.”Mr Darcy’s mouth twitched with laughter. Then his expression seemed to harden, and he
cast his eyes over her muddy dress, and she felt the scrutiny of his gaze.To hide her embarrassment, she added lightly, “Please do not reveal me to be the culprit.
One can never have too many secrets.”
And without further ado….here is the big reveal!!!
(expected release date: March 3rd)
Oh this one is particularly striking! – with the bold color dress, the rich black lettering and background, and the detailed city image drawing your eye. 😍
It is a cover to gaze at…isn’t it? I love the luster of her curls, I love that I can feel the fabric of her dress, and I love being mesmerized by the cityscape and wondering what is taking place there. 🌆
Another intrigue premise – but Ali Scott is just tempting us with some hints – Mr. Darcy’s sorrowful past, threats made to his family and good name, and an erroneous engagement announcement…I can’t wait to see how these all fit together! 🤗
I also love scenes like this where Elizabeth discovers something new about Mr. Darcy that alters her preconceived judgments of him. 💭
What do you think, friends? 🤔
~~~
GIVEAWAY TIME!!!
The lovely people at Quills and Quartos are offering 3️⃣ ebook copies of A Heart’s Secret to 3️⃣ lucky readers who comment on today’s post!
To enter this giveaway leave a question, comment, or some love for Ali below.
- This giveaway is open worldwide. Thank you, Quills and Quartos!
- This giveaway ends February 28th.
You can preorder A Heart’s Secret now!
My sincere gratitude to Ali and the wonderful people at Quills and Quartos for putting this special post together!
Elizabeth clad in Caroline Bingleys favorite color?!?
It’s giving more red-orange to me. Like a poppy flower.
I know, it’s so pretty! I think its a lovely contrast for the cityscape behind.
Fortunately Miss Bingley doesn’t feature much in this variation!
Hurrah! (I do get tired of Caroline sometimes.)
Congratulations on another wonderful release! I love the cover.
Thank you for all your support Sam!
Wonderful cover. Congratulations on the new book, Ali!
Thank you Lucy! And an extra thanks for all your amazing editing skills!
Great cover! Enticing beginning! I hope to get lucky!
Thank you! Best of luck in the competition!
Wonderful! Looking forward to a good read! Best Wishes!
Thank you! Best of luck in the giveaway!
That dress, such a rich colour! Perfect for Elizabeth with her dark hair. I wonder what happened to cause Darcy such distress? He’s lucky it was the compassionate Elizabeth who witnessed it! I imagine he would be quite happy to be betrothed to her.
I know, it’s such a beautiful cover. I love writing Darcy where we all know that he has fallen for Elizabeth but he hasn’t quite realized it yet! I hope you enjoy the story!
The cover is wonderful as is the excerpt. Anxious to read a new book by this wonderful author. Congratulations on publishing another work.
Thank you for your kind words – your support means so much! I hope you enjoy the story!
This sounds so good! I don’t know if I’ve yet read anything by Ali Scott but now I can’t wait to read this!!! I love the playful banter from this excerpt and the moment of vulnerability and compassion that passed between Darcy and Lizzy!!! I will eagerly awaiting the release of this book!!!
I’m thrilled to hear you are excited for A Heart’s Secret – it was so much fun to write and research. I have published two other books through Quills and Quartos – my first (A Man of Good Fortune) has a mystery element too. Best of luck with the giveaway!
Lovely cover! I dislike covers featuring real human models and I find this one particularly appealing! Have read Ali’s previous books and enjoyed them (and their covers!) very well indeed. Congrats and looking forward to reading A Heart’s Secret.
I just love the ‘fine art’ type of cover too. I believe Susan has created some other covers for Quills and Quartos and she is unbelievably talented. Thank you for your kind words and support. I hope you enjoy my latest release!
I do like the cover! The serenity of her expression, sweet and peaceful. Also, the men on the boats.
Both excerpts I’ve read today only fuel my need to read this story. I can’t wait for the release!
I can’t wait for you too read the book too! Thank you for your lovely words and good luck with the competition!
Looking forward to this!
Thank you Paula!
oohhhhhh, a glimpse of the ‘real’ Fitzwilliam! I’d love to have a copy !!
I love creating moments where Darcy lets his guard down and Elizabeth gets to see the honourable man underneath. Best of luck in the competition!
Seems like it’s going to be a great one. Love it.
Thank you for your kind words Marie! I hope you enjoy it!
The cover is beautiful! I’ve read a snippet of this book and loved it! I look forward to reading the rest of the story!
I’m glad to hear your appetite has been whetted! I’ve been so excited for this cover release- it’s great to finally be able to share it with everyone.
What a lovely cover! Oh, there seem to be many discoveries to be made in this book just from reading the excerpts. I enjoyed how Elizabeth was able to see glimpses of the true nature of Darcy…I am looking forward to reading more!
It’s gorgeous isn’t it! Thank you for your kind words. I love creating moments when Elizabeth gets to see the man behind the proud exterior. Good luck with the giveaway!
The cover is beautiful. I love the cityscape behind Elizabeth and those curls! The except has me very intrigued…what happened to Darcy to provoke such a reaction? Thanks for sharing, Ali, and best of luck with your release!
Susan is incredibly talented – the cover looks like a work of art. I’m glad you are intrigued – there are many mysteries woven into my tale. Thank you for your words of support!
Good luck with the release. Sounds interesting. Thanks for a chance to win. I have it on my Wish List. Lovely cover.
Thank you for your support and best of luck for the competition.
Ooh, Darcy with secrets other than Ramsgate? This I must read!
So many secrets! If only the poor man could meet someone with a lively and compassionate disposition who might help him…
I hope you enjoy my story and good luck with the giveaway!
It will be a great book to read!! The premise is new and fresh, and I have written down the title on my TBR list.
Thank you! Whenever I start planning a story, I always try to find a fresh angle that hasn’t been widely explored – I’m thrilled that your interest has been piqued.
A truly beautiful cover! I confess that book covers influence me. I know I shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but some are just so bad. I think your cover is lovely and draws in your readers as it should. Well done!
Thank you, it is a beautiful cover. Good luck for the competition!
Can’t wait for this new book to come out. I always love when Elizabeth and Darcy are in a “forced scenario.”
I can’t wait for you to read it! I love creating stories with lots of Darcy and Elizabeth interaction. Good luck with the competition!
I am looking forward to reading this whole novel. I wonder what Lizzy is doing on the south bank of the Thames and in a dress as orange as sometimes Caroline Bingley wears in other fan fic novels where the color is criticized.
I am glad to have piqued your interest! The cover is stunning isn’t it! Good luck with the giveaway!
Ali, Happy Cover Reveal Day! I am so glad that your pretty cover is receiving so much love. Your writing is just wonderful, as always and I’m very much looking forward to reading this intriguing book – at long last!
It’s much deserved praise – thank you for doing a fabulous job!
It was a pleasure! 🙂
Look forward to its release!
Me too! I’m excited for March!
Oh, thank you, thank you for not using Rafflecopter! It’s too much for me to handle. I read 350 P&P variations last year on my Kindle site, over 500 the year before, but I can’t deal with Rafflecopter. And I do like to win something, so I’m always let down when I get to the Giveaway and that’s the condition of entering.
Now, that’s off my chest. Let’s move on to your queries. Yes, I do like the cover, although I question the accuracy of the gown style. I’m not claiming personal expertise, just a general expectation of what it would have been.
And yes, I’m very much looking forward to the rest of the story.
Thank you for sharing your talent,
Betty Campbell Madden
Betty if you would like to learn more about the artist, his name was François Gérard. I believe he painted this particular work right around 1810. Many of his paintings have been used on JAFF works in the past, including the much loved Madame Récamier.
I wish you all the best in the competition and thank you for being such a fantastic supporter of the Austenesque genre.
That cover is so very stunning! 😀 And I am quite intrigued by the premise too, I don’t think I’ve read a variation using that angle 🙂
Susan is so talented – her work is breathtaking. I’m glad you liked the premise – I always try to find a fresh perspective.
I loved the banter between Elizabeth and Lady Fulford, I do hope there is much, much more in the book. It also provided a different Darcy, a sly wit in the exchanges. Really looking forward to reading this!
I’m glad you are enjoying the excerpt – Darcy and Elizabeth go on quite a journey together in my story. Best of luck with the competition!
Gorgeous cover Ali, LOVE the colours! Good luck with the launch and congratulations on another book baby!
Thank you! I have been counting down the days until I could share the cover online.
The plot sounds intriguing and the cover’s gorgeous!
Thanks for running the giveaway.
Thank you for your kind words. Fingers crossed for you in the giveaway!
Beautiful cover! I enjoyed reading the excerpt and look forward to the book’s release and getting to read the full story.
Thank you! I look forward to you reading it – I hope you enjoy it!
Love the beautiful cover for Ali’s wonderful new story. You’re all getting a treat with this book.
Thank you to you and Amy for all your help!
I’m interested in reading this – thanks for the giveaway! The cover is nice, but once again, it’s a cover with an unreadable font, especially for the word “Secret.” In thumbnail size, it will be impossible to read that word. Of course, that’s not the fault of the author.
Thanks for your comment and feedback. Best of luck in the giveaway!
Congratulations on the new book. The excerpt given makes me want to read it quickly!
I’m glad to hear it! I hope you enjoy my story!
This sounds like a wonderful story!
Thank you! Best of luck with the giveaway!
Who would do such a thing to Darcy? It certainly wasn’t Caroline Bingley but I could easily see Wickham placing the announcement in the paper. The cover is lovely, but is the background Venice? Thank you for the excerpt and giveaway.
The cover is gorgeous isn’t it – I hope you enjoy the mysterious elements to my book. Best of luck in the giveaway!
lovely cover
Thank you! Good luck with the prize draw!
Sounds like a fun premise – looking forward to reading it!
Thank you! I had a lot of fun writing it! Good luck with the giveaway!
This cover is stunning, and I can only imagine what the book is going to be like. I think I will love reading it!
I know! I was blown away when I saw the cover for the first time. Thanks for your kind words – I hope you enjoy my story.
Great cover, and congratulations on yet another book release. Can’t wait to read it.
Beautiful cover!
Thank you for this new book! Can´t wait to read it.
The cover is beautiful! Congratulations on publishing another book! I’m looking forward to reading it.
This sounds like it’s going to be lovely! Can’t wait to read it!