A free prequel novella to the series The Lovelocks of London for the author's newsletter subscribers. It can be found on her webite. The first love story in The Lovelocks of London series. Even a pragmatist wants a prince. Mary Lovelock makes her debut, and every bachelor in London wants a dance with the rich beauty. But how can she know if a suitor is grasping or genuine? David Vaughan, the extremely proper Viscount Tregaron, wants a wife with blood so blue, it’s indigo. It is unforgivably disappointing that the most remarkable of the Season’s debutantes is Mary Lovelock, a common heiress. When his rogue brother lays a despicable challenge before him—which one of them will bed Mary first—the viscount is compelled to act as Mary’s protector. But will he be willing to protect the lovely Mary from himself? When Ardor Blooms is the prequel novella of the open-door Regency romance series The Lovelocks of London. However, it can be enjoyed as a stand-alone story. It has a happily-ever-after ending and no cliffhanger. Meet Harry, Catherine, and Arabella Lovelock before they start their own love stories. Content warnings: steamy sexual material, coarse language.