Emma V. Leech The Return of the Rake

Jasper King has always been an outsider in the idyllic village of Little Valentine-a place so charming it makes his teeth ache. Born the illegitimate son of a violent fisherman, Jasper grows up shunned by the townsfolk, his reputation marred by brawls and scandal. When a young woman accuses him of fathering her child, the village is quick to judge, and only the compassionate Reverend Honeywell stands by his side. Facing a forced marriage and public disgrace, Jasper makes a desperate escape to London. Alone and destitute, Jasper's fortunes change when the warm-hearted Mrs. Fairway rescues him from the brink. Determined to repay her kindness, he claws his way up from the notorious streets of St Giles, becoming the formidable King of the Rookeries-a man both feared and respected, who never forgets a debt. Years later, when Mrs. Fairway seeks his help to protect a young lady from ruin, Jasper spirits her away to the one place she'll never be found: Little Valentine. But fate-and the ghosts of his past-are waiting. Returning to the village to warn an old friend of danger, Jasper finds himself drawn to The Mermaid's Tale, now owned by the enigmatic Mrs. Anne Adamson. When the King of the Rookeries meets the genteel lady of Little Valentine, sparks fly, secrets unravel, and Jasper must confront the past he tried to escape. Can love redeem a rake, or will the shadows of yesterday destroy his chance at happiness forever?