Traitor in Her Arms: A Scarlet Chronicles Novel

by Shana Galen

Overview

Two morally compromised souls wage a battle of wits—and seduction—against the backdrop of the French Revolution in this slow-burn romance from bestselling author Shana Galen.

After her late husband leaves her in debt to some dangerous people, Lady Gabrielle McCullough is forced to become a thief. In the intervening years, her skills have not gone unnoticed. After being recruited by the Scarlet Pimpernel, the mysterious do-gooder spiriting aristocrats out of revolutionary France, Gabrielle crosses the Channel for the most daring mission of her life. Accompanying her is the Earl of Sedgwick, a thief in his own right and an enticingly masculine presence. The man is not to be trusted—nor is Gabrielle’s body when he’s near.

Ramsey Barnes would not say he is an honorable man. His whole life has been based on a lie; why change now? Although it pains him to deceive the tantalizing Gabrielle, he’s working toward an altogether different objective: unmasking the Scarlet Pimpernel. If Ramsey fails, his blackmailer will ruin him. But when Ramsey’s confronted with the carnage of the Reign of Terror, he seeks refuge in Gabrielle’s heated embrace. Now he faces a terrible choice: betray the woman who’s stolen his heart—or risk losing everything.

Praise for Traitor in Her Arms

“If you are looking for a fast-paced adventure combined with a passionate romance, then you will enjoy Traitor in Her Arms.”—Rakes and Rascals

“No one writes historical suspense like Shana Galen and Traitor in Her Arms may be her best yet. She brings breathtaking excitement and a fabulous romance between a pair of smart and appealing adventurers. You’ll adore Gabrielle and Ramsey as they face the perils of Revolutionary Paris and the world of the Scarlet Pimpernel.”—Miranda Neville

“Wow. Shana Galen’s latest has it all. The adventure is raw, the danger is real, and the stakes cannot be higher. The intensity of Traitor in Her Arms reaches out and grabs you from the opening page and does not let up until the thrilling climax.”—Ashlyn Macnamara, author of What a Lady Requires

“[Shana] Galen has successfully created a touching love story, rife with rich descriptions and fascinating facts.”—Publishers Weekly

“I loved everything about this book. Traitor in Her Arms is the perfect romance: sexy, smartly-written, and utterly unforgettable.”—New York Times bestselling author Lauren Layne

“Those who love historic intrigue, espionage and literary classics will find a good deal to savor in this well-plotted tale.”—RT Book Reviews

This standalone novel includes an excerpt from another Loveswept title.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780399179105
Publisher:	Random House Publishing Group
Publication date:	08/22/2017
Series:	The Scarlet Chronicles
Sold by:	Random House
Format:	NOOK Book
Pages:	288
Sales rank:	360,282
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

Shana Galen is a bestselling author of many passionate historical romps. A three-time RITA nominee, she taught English at the middle and high school level off and on for eleven years. Most of those years were spent working in Houston’s inner city. Now she writes full-time. She’s happily married and has a daughter who is most definitely a romance heroine in the making.

Read an Excerpt

A low fire flickered in the hearth, but otherwise the room was shadowy as midnight. Gabrielle did not hesitate, slipping inside and closing the door behind her. She pressed her back against the solid wood and allowed her eyes to adjust.

What she saw was a typical lady’s bedroom. A large tester bed hunkered in the middle of the room, taking up most of the space. The heavy curtains were not drawn, and on the far side she could see a small, elegant desk against the window beside a porcelain washbasin. A pretty dressing table stood at the far wall, beside a door that most likely opened into the dressing room and then the duke’s bedroom. Brushes, combs, and cosmetics littered the table’s surface. She caught a glimpse of sparkle from the jewel of a discarded earring, but she ignored it, her eyes continuing to roam. On the side nearest her, to her right, was a large clothespress. According to the servant she’d questioned, it would be locked as well. When she opened it, she would see the jewelry box. That lock might give her trouble—the more delicate ones tended to be the most difficult—but once she mastered it, Queen Cleopatra’s lapis lazuli necklace would be hers.

With new purpose, she strode to the clothespress, tried the lock, just to be certain, then reached up to extract her hairpin again. She could feel her heart tap excitedly as she slid the metal into the lock. Her breath came in quick, controlled snatches as she twisted the hairpin this way and that. In her mind, a jig played, and she tapped one foot to the tune. It was always thus when she worked—the excitement and fear mixing with the pounding of her blood until she swayed, heady from the combination.

Snick.

Gabrielle smiled, knowing the lock was hers, and if the lock was hers, so was the necklace.

She swung open the door of the clothespress and stepped closer. Just as she had been told, the jewelry box sat on one of the shelves, beside a pile of white underthings. Gabrielle reached out and lifted the box’s lid.

It opened easily and silently, revealing a treasure of rubies, emeralds, sapphires, and diamonds. The Duke of Beaumont had been generous to his duchess. But Gabrielle’s eyes scanned the gems quickly, ignoring them, seeing the drawing of Cleopatra’s necklace in her mind. It was a rough piece by current standards, with large rectangles of gold circling the neck, interspersed with beads of lapis lazuli and set off by a large lapis lazuli oval that would have rested in the cleft at the base of Cleopatra’s throat. The pure blue of the mineral in the centerpiece was said to be remarkable.

The necklace was not on the box’s top shelf, as she had been told it would be, but she did not allow the thought of failure to enter her mind. Instead, she lifted a few of the bulkier pieces and searched beneath them. When the necklace was still not to be found, she closed the lid and pulled open the top drawer. More gems glittered, as well as the opalescence of cameos and a collection of iridescent pearls. But no lapis lazuli.

She felt a bead of sweat trickle down her back as she slid the drawer closed and opened the bottom one. She already knew she would not find it.

“Disappointing, isn’t it?” a deep voice murmured beside her.

Gabrielle’s heart jumped, her nerves following, but by sheer force of will, she stilled her body. Blowing out a slow, measured breath, she turned ever so slowly toward the sound of the voice and saw only the door of the clothespress. As she watched—heart pounding so hard she feared it would burst—the door creaked closed, revealing a man on the other side.

“You,” she whispered.

Editorial Reviews

05/01/2017
While searching for release from their secrets and redemption for their sins, two thieves become prisoners of their hearts in Galen’s adventurous romantic thriller set during the French Revolution. Ramsey, Lord Sedgwick, and Viscountess Gabrielle McCullough, the widow of Ramsey’s best friend, can’t seem to escape their pasts or each other. Both are forced into thievery—he’s at the mercy of a blackmailer, while she’s trying to pay her husband’s gambling debts—and they often find themselves crossing paths, which fans the flames of attraction. When the Scarlet Pimpernel requests assistance from Gabrielle, Ramsey (who’s been ordered by his blackmailer to discover the Pimpernel’s identity) insists on tagging along. Gabrielle wants to trust Ramsey, but fears she can’t; his growing feelings for her make it difficult for him to deceive her, even to save himself. Love and honor battle against fear and loathing. Despite the gruesomeness of the period, Galen (the Covent Garden Cubs series) has successfully created a touching love story, rife with rich descriptions and fascinating facts. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly