An ambitious painter.
A dutiful companion.
A house full of dangerous secrets.

William Merry is determined to make his name as a portrait artist. Nothing he paints satisfies him, but he’s confident all he needs is the right inspiration. When family duty threatens his ambition, William flees to the coast and stumbles upon the muse he’s seeking. He refuses to let anything stop him from painting the beauty—not even her annoying companion.

To fulfil her grandfather’s dying wish, Kitty Bruce travels to Weymouth to visit his sister, but the woman’s shocking revelations leave her reeling. Grasping the chance to become companion to the old lady’s granddaughter, Kitty is determined to do her duty, protecting her friend from Mr Merry’s unwanted attentions.

Desperate to paint the beauty, William becomes a guest in her father’s house. But all is not as it seems. As William and Kitty put aside their differences and unite to uncover the house’s secrets, more than their hearts are in danger…

Set in Hampshire and Dorset in 1813, this novel by the co-author of the popular Regency History blog is rich in historical detail and includes a glossary and historical notes. 

This is a clean and wholesome, enemies to lovers, faith-based Regency romance, with witty dialogue, a Georgette Heyer-inspired plot, secret identities, smugglers and French prisoners of war.

The fourth book in The Merry Romances series, which can be read in order or as standalone romances with their own happily ever after.