Books to fall in love with

Beware: major spoilers ahead!


In describing how some of my characters ‘book-hop’, I may ruin it for you by giving spoilers. Please don’t read on if you don’t want to be exposed to spoilers, such as plot points or romantic pairings.
 
I love secondary or minor characters.  They add so much to a story and aren’t bound by the rules or preconceptions which can govern the main players. They frequently surprise me when I’m writing and by the time the story is complete, they have developed in a way I didn’t anticipate. 

Occasionally, they become so vivid and interesting that I have to work hard to stop them pushing their way to the front and overpowering the lead actors. Then they get to ‘visit’ various stories and sometimes even get their own romance.  All my stories can be read as stand-alone but here are details of how a few characters hop between books:
 

Theo Cavanagh

Theo was a minor character in Lady Vane’s Secret (younger brother of the hero, Hal).  He was a real charmer and so certain he wasn’t going to fall in love, I just knew I would have to write about how he met his match.

Theo’s story appears in Three Secrets and a Scandal.


 
Sir Seymour Dinniscombe and Harriet, Lady Dinniscombe née Forster. 

Sir Seymour, aka Dinny, was sketched out at the planning stage as a very rich valetudinarian and Regency fashionista.  Once I started writing I found he had no intention of staying in the background.  His intelligence, kindness and interest in wider matters are revealed in Lady Vane’s Secret, where he helps in a frantic search for Isabella’s son before dashing off to Sussex, proving that love is always more important than muddy boots.

In Lady Vane’s Secret, Sir Seymour fell in love with Harriet Forster, Isabella’s widowed aunt.   Harriet, now Lady Dinniscombe, brings out Sir Seymour’s romantic side, restrains him from his more outrageous fashion choices, and aids and encourages all his varied interests.

Harriet and Sir Seymour are at the heart of London high society, a position which serves Sir Seymour’s political and social pursuits, and indirectly (or sometimes directly!) helping other couples find love.
We meet Harriet and Sir Seymour again in Three Secrets and a Scandal.

 
Hal Cavanagh, Earl of Bramwell and Isabella, Countess of Bramwell

Lady Vane’s Secret is Hal and Isabella’s love story.  Both have been hurt in the past and neither can imagine loving again.  Until they meet, that is.  Hal’s large and lively family played such an important role in the book – especially Theo – that I wanted to re-visit them.

 
Freddy Isherwood and Lady Julia Isherwood née Cavanagh

Freddy is Hal’s best friend in Lady Vane’s Secret and has been love with Julia, Hal’s younger sister, for some time.   An argument and a miscommunication, caused by Theo’s well-meaning but disastrous attempt to smooth the path of their romance, drive them apart but they eventually enjoy a passionate reconciliation.

 
Marguerite, Dowager Countess of Bramwell

Mother of Hal, Theo, Julia and twins Lukas and Hugo, Marguerite is an eminently sensible woman and hopefully a refreshing change from the meddling older character usually found in romance novels.

We briefly meet Hal, Isabella, Dominic, Marguerite, Julia and Freddy again in Three Secrets and a Scandal.


 
Short Stories
Lord and Lady Allingham

Lord Allingham and his wife Leonora feature in Siren’s Daughter, a short story in the Midsummer Eve at Rookery End collection.   We discover how they met in a prequel story – The Virtuous Courtesan. They also make an appearance in Love’s Thorne.

 
I’ll be adding to this list in the future so check back from time to time.