Publication Date: July 9, 2024
Theresia Dvorak has nothing left of her parents—nothing save her dowry, a priceless crystal vase stolen and sold by her own stepmother. Theresia will do anything to secure what is rightfully hers—even assume a false identity and steal her future back. When she gains entrance to a house party and has a memorable run-in with the handsome naval captain Rolland Reese, her mission is compromised. She swore never to trust an Englishman again, but when he makes a daring proposal she cannot refuse, she must work side by side with him if either of them is to achieve their aim.
Rolland is stunned when his homecoming from the war takes a decidedly deadly turn. The quickest solution is to throw a house party and invite all the suspects. With the stakes incredibly high, Rolland must root out the killer before they turn their sights to the next potential victim: his own father. The mysterious Theresia is undoubtedly the most suspicious of his guests, but against all odds, he finds himself risking everything to protect her. As Rolland unravels a tangle of clues, he faces the greatest threats of all: a heart of fire and a future as fragile as glass.
Mystery meets fairy tale meets intrigue meets romance. Anneka R. Walker’s The Lady Glass has them all in equally delightful measure. In a Cinderella-esque story, Theresia Dvoriak is the banished stepdaughter who returns to confront her mean stepmother and reclaim her dowery. But on the way, Theresia prevents an elderly man from being robbed. While aiding the older gentleman, a dashing naval officer steps in to assist Theresia but soon disappears, as does the older man. The older man gives Theresia the money she saved for him, but with a knowing twinkle in his eye, he claims it’s the money she’d been wishing for. Much to Theresia’s surprise, he was right. She had been wishing for funds to help her travel to her homeland, Bohemia.
However, before Theresia can return to Bohemia, she must confront her stepmother and claim her dowery, a masterpiece vase her deceased father, a master glassblower, crafted and left for her. Just as Theresia is set to take the vase, her stepmother sells it to a Frenchman, setting Theresia hot on its trail and straight into the heart of danger.
Regaining her vase as her only goal, Theresia desperately uses every ploy available to gain access to the country estate where a house party is being held and where she believes her vase is hidden somewhere on the premises. Not so surprisingly but delightfully so, Theresia gains entrance to the house only to find herself discovered and in the presence of the dashing naval officer, Captain Rolland Reese, who assisted her in preventing the loss of the old man’s money. Little does Theresia know, but she has stumbled into a house party where a murderer is among the guests, and the goal of Captain Reese and his friends and fellow operatives, Marcus, Duke of Westmoreland, and close friend Evan Lewis, is to discover the culprit before Rolland’s father becomes the next victim.
Through a series of events and as the attraction between Theresia and Rolland grows, she discovers the real reason for the house party. Rolland and his compatriots enlist her aid and provide her with a new identity as Lady Glass. The stakes rise as murder attempts are made, and it becomes more and more challenging to keep Lady Glass’s true identity hidden.
Anneka R. Walker spins a taut tale in The Lady Glass, where tensions build not only in efforts to uncover the vase thief and murderer but in the attraction between Rolland and Theresia. Rolland struggles with his sense of duty to his father to follow through with an arranged marriage or follow his heart and woo Theresia. Complete with secret passageways, a country dance, and a mysterious trunk filled with beautiful gowns that fit Theresia perfectly; this dazzling story spins charm at every turn.
The Lady Glass is a bedazzling Regency fairy tale replete with perfectly blended ingredients of romance, intrigue, and mystery sprinkled generously with magic that makes the story sparkle delightfully.
Anneka R. Walker is a best-selling author of historical and contemporary romance. With humor and an abundance of heart, she crafts uplifting stories you won’t soon forget. She is the winner of the Swoony Award, the LDSPMA Praiseworthy Award, and various chapter contests. Her books have received praise from Publishers Weekly, Historical Novel Society, Midwest Book Review, and Readers Favorite. She graduated from Brigham Young University-Idaho with a bachelor’s degree in English and history and hopes to never stop learning. She is a blessed wife, proud mother of five, lover of Jesus, connoisseur of chocolate, and believer in happy endings.
