
Over the wild hills and valleys of North Yorkshire the notorious
gang of highwaywomen the Glory Girls ride, to right the injustices of
society. When Major Nick Falconer is sent to unmask Glory he finds instead
the very proper widow Marina Osborne.
Nick never expected that
Mari would be so intoxicatingly beautiful or so disturbingly luscious.
Determined to have her—body, soul and secrets—at any cost, Nick sets out to
seduce her with a passion that inflames them both.

But Mari holds much deeper,
darker truths than Nick could ever imagine. Despite her fierce resistance,
she can’t stop her body from yearning for his touch. Can she
hide her sinister past
from him much longer? Or will trusting the one man she so desperately wants
lead her straight to the hangman’s noose?
The
Characters:
Mrs Marina Osborne
lives at Peacock Cottage. The widow of a clergyman, her only passion appears
to be designing gardens for her aristocratic neighbours. But is Mari the
respectable woman she appears to be, or does her very proper facade hide
deep and painful secrets?
Lady Hester Berry
is Mari's companion. In her youth she married the madcap and rackety Jack
Berry and was as reckless and wild as he. Has Hester settled to quiet
domesticity in her widowhood or is she unable to give up her dangerous ways?
Laura, Duchess of Cole,
seems to be the perfect hostess, elegant, cool, restrained. But is her
marriage to the Duke a charade, and if so, where does she find excitement?
Major Nick Falconer
is a man committed to seeking the truth. A man of honour, he swears to
discover the secrets that Mari is hiding. But can he protect her from those
who wish her harm?
John, Lord Teague,
has been in love with Hester Berry for a very long time. If she does not
care for his honourable wooing, perhaps she will respond to something a
little more wild?
Dexter Anstruther is a young man of good family but no fortune.
The most foolish thing that he could do would be to fall in love with a
married duchess eight years his senior for surely nothing could come of such
a passion?
Praise for Unmasked:
"The characters are charismatic and complex, as is the plot and mystery
throughout the book. The writing is just wonderful, rich and lush, placing
you right in the thick of things in the middle of England. The emotion when
Mari finally tells her story is deep and heart-felt. And the romance between
Nick and Mari is the kind you wish you could get in every romance novel you
read." The Good, The Bad and The Unread.
"The stakes are so high, the emotions run so deep, the conflict is so
real and heart-wrenching. I read this non-stop and couldn't put it down."
Best-selling romance author Anna Campbell.
"RITA Award–nominated Cornick
deftly steeps her latest intriguingly complex Regency historical in a
beguiling blend of danger and desire." Booklist.
"UNMASKED is a compelling,
provocative Regency historical that explores the idea of freedom--and the
lack of it, and what it does to the human heart. This absorbing novel has a
totally sympathetic heroine, a dashing hero, adventure and mystery, lots of
sexual chemistry and sensuality, and intriguing secondary characters this
reviewer hopes to meet up with in a future sequel. UNMASKED is highly
recommended!" Romance Readers' Connection
"A Wickedly seductive Regency romance!" MurderOne Bookshops.
"A stunning romance and mystery novel."
Marjolein Reviews
"Fast-paced... An enjoyable historical cat and mouse tale..." Genre Go Round
Reviews.
"A compassionate and touching love story." Romantic Times 4 Star
review.
“A
book… with a unique premise and whose heroine and her journey are the star
of the show. “ All
About Romance.
"Ms. Cornick
has written a haunting story... . Her
writing has improved with each new book but she has moved to a new depth
with Unmasked. The characters are well-drawn and the plot - which
intertwines three storylines - is intricately detailed and surprising."
Rakehell
"Sensual, dangerous and charming,
Nicola Cornick’s Regency romances are darkly compelling."
Rendezvous the romance Bookstore.
"Nicola Cornick does it again with her latest
spectacular novel Unmasked! A spellbinding historical romance spiced with
plenty of intrigue, adventure, chivalry and passion, Unmasked will grab your
attention from the very first page and leave you breathlessly turning the
pages late into the night until you reach the final satisfying denouement.
With Unmasked, Nicola Cornick cements her position as one of the world’s
most talented writers of historical romance! Fast-paced, captivating and
enthralling from start to finish, Unmasked is sheer reading perfection for
historical romance readers everywhere!" Julie Bonello, Single Titles.com
Laura and Dexter's story,
The Confessions of a Duchess, the
first in a new series from HQN Books is available in June 2009!