The Dragon's Bride

When a woman points a pistol at the man who broke her heart years ago, the last thing either of them expects is a second chance. Con Somerford has returned from war to claim his earldom—a crumbling clifftop fortress already occupied by secrets, smugglers, and Susan Kerslake, the girl he once loved and left behind. The stakes are immediate and layered: hidden gold, a dangerous smuggling network, and two people who never quite stopped wanting each other. Beverley builds tension from the very first scene, grounding the romance in genuine history and consequence rather than fantasy.

What makes this novel distinctive is Beverley's refusal to smooth over the damage time and bad choices leave on people. Both Con and Susan arrive at Crag Wyvern changed, wary, and carrying old wounds that don't simply dissolve in proximity. The prose is controlled and intelligent, and the Regency setting feels tactile and real rather than decorative. Readers already familiar with the Company of Rogues series will appreciate how Con's story fits into the larger world Beverley has built, while newcomers will find the book stands comfortably on its own.