Rushed to the Altar (Blackwater Brides Book 1)

Rushed to the Altar is the first book in the Blackwater Brides series, a historical romance following three noble brothers who must find brides under unusual circumstances. Jasper Sullivan, Earl of Blackwater, faces financial difficulties with his mortgaged estates. His wealthy uncle's will offers a solution: divide his fortune among his nephews if each marries a woman from a disreputable background. When Jasper encounters a young woman attempting to pick his pocket, he proposes marriage, believing her to be a prostitute. Clarissa Astley is not what Jasper assumes. An orphaned merchant's daughter, she searches London's seedier districts for her young brother, who was abducted by their guardian seeking the boy's inheritance. Recognizing Jasper's power and influence as potentially useful, Clarissa pretends to be the woman he believes her to be—a dangerous deception for an innocent. As passion develops between them, maintaining the charade becomes increasingly difficult.