On His Bended Knee

She needed a place to stay. He needed to save his ranch. Together they just might make a home. Sgt. Dylan Banks lost more than just his leg in the war. His fiancée and family turned their backs on him as well. Now, he’s determined to create a safe place where wounded warriors like himself can heal. But a hidden zoning law requires all residents of the Purple Heart Ranch to be married. To save his dream, Dylan and his men will have to tie the knot—but can a man with such deep scars inside and out believe in love again? Maggie Shaw lost both her job as a veterinary technician and her apartment on the same day. Who knew her unreasonable landlord would kick her out for being four dogs over the one pet limit? Now, she and her gang of special-needs dogs are in trouble. But fate puts her in Dylan’s path with a proposal that seems too good to be true—but can her heart bear a loveless marriage of convenience? Dylan yearns to reach out for Maggie’s healing touch, but he keeps his distance, convinced his wounds are too deep for her embrace. Maggie sees past Dylan’s injuries, but if she fails to capture his heart they both could lose it all: her beloved animals, his ranch, and each other. Find out if love can truly heal all wounds in this light-hearted, sweet romance of convenient arrangements that unfold into lasting love. On His Bended Knee is the first in a series of marriage of convenience tales featuring Wounded Warriors who are healed with the power of love. p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.4px; font: 16.0px Palatino; color: #222222} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.4px; font: 16.0px Palatino; color: #222222; min-height: 20.0px} span.s1 {font-kerning: none}

From New York Times bestselling author Celeste Bradley comes Book 6 of The Wicked Worthingtons Series. At last! The story of healing the war-torn heart of Lysander Worthington! Lysander Worthington has existed in a dark place since he came back from the war. His heart seems like a locked chamber, hidden even from his beloved family. Life seems like a constant battlefield. When Lysander encounters an enraged farm animal in a remote Yorkshire village, his battle instincts take over! Isolated doctor's widow, Gemma Oakes, has a habit of taking in the bent and the broken. When a handsome stranger rides into her village and proceeds to destroy their festival, Gemma believes she can help this beautiful, damaged man cleanse his heart of war. Lysander's darkness appeals to Gemma's nurturing spirit, while his beautiful body mesmerizes her senses. Lysander has kept his secret for so many years, but Gemma's inner strength and open heart tempt him to speak at last. Among the beloved, misfit inhabitants (not all human!) of Yew Manor, can Lysander and Gemma trust enough to understand broken hearts can mend, and shattered souls love again? Praise for the Wicked Worthingtons Series "A charming and very romantic story with lots of laughs along the way." --Fresh Fiction "I adored this story and the wonderful hero and heroine who shed all their inhibitions and fears." --Smexy Books "An exciting and sweet historical love story." --Feminist Fairy Tale Reviews "A laugh-out-loud funny novel." --Harlequin Junkie Under the covers... If you've perused the earlier books in the Wicked Worthingtons series, you'll recall that Lysander Worthington is a shadow of a man, a dark presence in the cheerful Worthington household. The war has set him apart from his loving family and he doesn't know how to reach out to them. To write this book, I had to balance the usual lighthearted Worthington humor and hijinks with an earnest look at traumatic damage. As a storyteller, I hope I've both delivered an entertaining and romantic (and sexy!) story and also have done justice to the difficult and tragic effects of PTSD. I learned so much while looking into this devastating disorder. This is a thing that can happen to any of us, at any time in our lives, not just a distant ordeal that happens to soldiers in far away lands. Blessed healing to any heart and mind suffering in such a dark place.

Reprint of the original, first published in 1890.