Daughter. Sister. Artist. Fraud.
Isabella Granger has risked everything to be seen — and even more to remain concealed. Too female, too frail, and too single for the validation she craves as an artist, a single forgery pins her between two men: brothers in arms, yet diametrically opposed.
"A tour de force of yearning and historical suspense."
London, 1854. Isabella Granger yearns to see her paintings hung in a gallery even more than she yearns for true love. When her father departs for the Crimean War, entrusting his gallery correspondence to her, she seizes the opportunity to present her own work as his — breaching their long-standing agreement that she must be married before she exhibits.
Haunted by guilt — and the consequences of getting caught — Isabella resolves to find a husband before his return, and grows optimistic following a chance encounter with a naval officer. The only obstacle is his imperious, bitter captain, whose unsettling perception is rivalled only by the power he has to expose her, despite standing accused of far worse.
Isabella’s choice to stake her future on merit and legacy will force her hand and her heart in ways she never thought possible, and unearth the hidden, uncomfortable truths she can no longer afford to avoid.
Experience Counterfeit Most Cruel as it was intended to be heard. Join Francesca Halse in her private reads as she reads all 46 chapters of the novel. No AI, no studio polish — just the raw, atmospheric immersion of the author's own voice.
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Subject: Book Request: Counterfeit Most Cruel
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I would like to request that your order in the following book:
This suspenseful historical romance explores autonomy, chronic illness, love, and deception and would be a fantastic addition to your catalogue. Thank you for your consideration.