The Scandalous Life of a True Lady

When a destitute governess strikes a dangerous bargain with a spymaster posing as her protector, survival turns to seduction—and every lie brings them closer to ruin. A lush, suspenseful Regency romance where passion, espionage, and redemption entwine beneath society's glittering mask. When survival demands a scandalous bargain, can a desperate governess and a dangerous spymaster find redemption in each other's arms? Simone Ryland has nothing left but her virtue—and she's ready to sell it. Orphaned, penniless, and out of options in Regency England, she steps into the glittering, ruthless world of the demi-monde to secure her brother's future. But the man who offers her protection isn't what he seems. Major Harrison is a spymaster with secrets, enemies, and a perilous mission that could cost them both their lives. Their arrangement? A charade of passion at a scandalous house party where courtesans compete for fortune and favor. The danger? It's all too real—and so is the desire burning between them. This is historical romance with bite. Can Simone claim her crown as queen of the courtesans without losing herself? Will Harry's secrets destroy the fragile trust they've built—or will love prove stronger than duty and deception? When enemies close in and the stakes turn deadly, only one thing is certain: survival demands courage, and love demands everything.

Barbara Metzger is the author of over three dozen books and a dozen novellas. She has also been an editor, a proof-reader, a greeting card verse-writer, and an artist. When not painting, writing romances or reading them, she volunteers at the local library, gardens and goes beach-combing and yard-saling. Her novels, mostly set in Regency-era England, have won numerous awards, including the Romance Writers of America RITA, the National Reader's Choice Award, and the Madcap award for humor in romance writing. In addition, Barbara has won two Career Achievement Awards from Romantic Times Magazine.