Hazard's Mistress

From drab companion to dazzling gambling queen, Louisa Stapleton's transformation is nothing short of remarkable!For nearly a decade, Louisa has paid her dues and repented for her wild escapades in her reckless youth.Just when all seems lost, along comes the insincere Mr. Rivers with a marriage proposal, promising to cleanse her "stained" reputation and rescue her from a life of mind-numbing tedium as her demanding aunt's companion.But wait! An unexpected opportunity arises-she can become a clandestine gaming hostess at the notorious Soho Club, opening the doors to an entirely different future. Under the cloak of night and a clever disguise, she unveils her true inner self in the captivating presence of the dashing Mr. Felix Evesham.Yet, as Louisa revels in her newfound identity, basking in the charm of her secret beloved, she must face the looming threat of her true status as a disgraced and penniless companion to Felix's godmother. Will this revelation shatter her dreams of a future with the man she has silently adored for the past five years?Prepare yourself for a rollicking Regency romance that will leave you in stitches with its riotous ending! Beverley Oakley was seventeen when she bundled up her first her 500+ page romance and sent it to a publisher. Unfortunately drowning her heroine on the last page was apparently not in line with the expectations of romance readers so Beverley became a journalist.Twenty-six years later Beverley was delighted to receive her first publishing contract from Robert Hale (UK) for a romance in which she ensured her heroine was saved from drowning in the icy North Sea.Since 2009 Beverley has written more than thirteen historical romances, mostly set in England during the early nineteenth century. Mystery, intrigue and adventure spill from their pages and if she can pull off a thrilling race to save someone's honour – or a worthy damsel from the noose – it's time to celebrate with a good single malt Scotch.Beverley lives with her husband, two daughters and a Rhodesian Ridgeback puppy the size of a pony opposite a picturesque nineteenth century lunatic asylum. She also writes Africa-set adventure-filled romances tarring handsome bush pilot heroes, and historical romances with less steam and more sexual tension, as Beverley Eikli.