Clarissa Chalmers Simmons’ world is in turmoil. After fleeing an abusive marriage and her divorce, all she wants is to heal and create a calm, safe environment for her children. She’s returned to her ancestral home and the comfort of family, which includes a trusted childhood friend, Roger. She finds him handsome and sweet, but too set in his ways for her taste. With Roger’s encouragement and help, Clarissa takes on a new position in the family business and gains personal satisfaction she’s never known. What she doesn’t plan on is her and Roger’s ‘under the mistletoe ball’ kiss rocking her world.
Roger Clarke, is the easy-going estate manager at Hartley Castle and a confirmed bachelor. He has always been there in Clarissa’s background but recently has become her rock-steady confidant. Despite his long-held secret feelings for the flighty, beautiful and willful Clarissa, he has never acted on them. He’s not a suitable match for her. After all he is an employee of his best friend and her brother, Lord Hartley. Even if given the chance, Roger has no desire to become the rebound guy.
Despite that, if he doesn’t act on Clarissa’s passionate reaction to his kiss, he might lose his chance of having the only woman who’s ever stirred his heart.
Susan Carlisle’s love affair with books began when she made a bad grade in math in the sixth grade. Not allowed to watch TV until she brought the grade up, Susan filled her time with books. She turned her love of reading into a love of writing. Susan has released through HarperCollins’s Harlequin medical imprint over twenty-five contemporary romances. Her heroes are strong, vibrant man and the woman who challenge them. She has been a finalist in the Maggie Published and Unpublished, Holt, Gayle Wilson Award for Excellence, and Georgia Author of the Year contests.
As a traditionally published nonfiction author her first book Nick’s New Heart was released by Tiger Iron Press under Susan May. It is about her son’s heart transplant experience. The second, a historical biography A WWII Flight Surgeon’s Story was released by Pelican Publishing under the author name S. Carlisle May. She has written over thirty books in her career.