Historical Fantasy Romance

Poison or Protect

by Gail Carriger

Book 1 of the Delightfully Deadly series

200 pages · First published 2016

Lady Preshea Villentia, known throughout Victorian society as the Mourning Star, has buried four husbands and built a formidable reputation as a beautiful, dangerous widow. Secretly trained in espionage and assassination, she has one final assignment before she can escape the obligations that have governed her life. At a lavish country-house party, Preshea must help protect a politically influential duke from assassination while discreetly discouraging his daughter's unsuitable suitor. But her plans become complicated when she meets Captain Gavin Ruthven, a gentle Scottish werewolf whose imposing appearance conceals an unexpectedly considerate nature. Gavin has his own reasons for attending the gathering, and their competing loyalties threaten to make their growing attraction impossible. As threats, secrets, and social maneuvering disrupt the festivities, Preshea must decide whether trusting someone with her heart is more dangerous than any assignment she has survived. Witty, romantic, and decidedly adult, this steampunk novella will appeal to readers who enjoy Victorian intrigue, formidable heroines, supernatural romances, and charmingly unconventional courtships.