Denial of Conscience - Trade Paperback

Author signed, 6x9 paperback. 320 pages

*Adventure… Exotic… Romance… Danger...Passion*

Loosely-inspired by Jane Austen's most alluring romantic couple, this contemporary romance adventure stars adaptations of characters from Pride and Prejudice and Austen's other novels.

Fitzwilliam Darcy is steel, rock-n-roll, and Tennessee whiskey. Elizabeth Bennet is orchids, opera, and peaches with cream. Thrown together they are physically and emotionally charged TNT, ready to explode!

Elizabeth Bennet, a young woman hiding from living life to its fullest, finds herself willing to accept an untenable marriage arrangement solely for the sake of achieving her father's selfish aspiration to save the family’s historic home. But even duty and obligation fail to hinder her inner conscience from spurring her to leave – to run – to escape before it’s too late. Prompted by a cataclysmic event and the arrival of an attractive, enigmatic man, Liz is thrust into a dangerous liaison where her spirit learns to fly amidst international intrigue.

Fitzwilliam Darcy was born into the wealth of Northern Virginia’s world of refinement and competitive polo. When a horrific family event rocks his world and shatters his trust in women, he leaves everything behind, determined to never look back. Running from his past and the man he once was, he enters a world of danger, first as a Navy SEAL, then as a government-sanctioned assassin. After thirteen years fortified by his hurt and anger, carrying a career moniker "The Iceman," Darcy finds he still can’t avoid his own conscience - beckoning him home to Pemberley, its demons and the man he was meant to be. Fate steps in when a beautiful woman suddenly appears at the end of his deadly rifle scope and he chooses not to take his signature kill shot.

Experience adventure, lust, and danger as we burn rubber on the back of Darcy’s motorcycle through Washington, D.C. and Mount Vernon, Virginia. We'll fly with our hero and heroine to play roulette in Monte Carlo and take the bullet train to Seville to tango in the moonlight. The island of Capri invites us to indulge before our final stop, Marrakech, Morocco where the exotic city of Arabian Nights brings us to our thrilling climax. Will this seemingly mismatched pair find the peace and the life they were both meant to live? Will "conscience" win out with Liz & Darcy finding happiness in one another’s arms? As Darcy would say, “Don’t be afraid. Get on… let’s ride.”

PLEASE READ AUTHOR NOTE before purchasing: Jane Austen wrote such wonderful characters, I borrowed their names and a few of their characteristics to tell my own tale of hard-won, contemporary love.

BE ADVISED: This story contains explicit sexual scenes.

Reviews

"Denial of Conscience explores how people fall in love and why, how that relationship can encourage each partner to grow, and how mutual respect can spur them to greater things. Living a happier and fuller life is something we all should aspire to, and while assassinating evildoers might make the world a safer place, its toll can be devastating. Living for others and denying oneself even the simplest pleasures can also be draining. Gardiner explores all of these themes and more in her novel. This one is hot, hot, hot!" ~ Savvy Verse & Wit, 5 *

Voted Favorite Pride & Prejudice Favorite Modern of 2015 by Margie Must Reads, Austenesque Reviews, and More Agreeably Engaged!

"I cannot help but be impressed with this novel! The premise is so well-thought out, the characters are engaging and have depth, and the author's knowledge of how to write about espionage, terrorism, and technological warfare is most deserving of praise. I'm sure there were hours and hours of research and planning involved, and I applaud Ms. Gardiner for her efforts to make this story plausible, accessible, and real. I'm completely enamored with this author's style and the ingenious stories she skillfully crafts! I'm a big fan of creativity and I feel that Ms. Gardiner's works just ooze with buckets of creativity! I definitely recommend this searing hot read for fans of modern adaptations who count Fitzwilliam Darcy Rock Star and The Muse as amongst their favorite Austenesque reads." ~Austenesque Reviews

"I LOVED DoC!!! What an amazing, thrilling story! Darcy as a Bond man hired assassin was so interesting and original! This adventure had all the things a good adventure story should have: action, fear, thrill, hot sexy scenes and so much more. I wish I was Liz out there living all those things! "~Daniela

"Just finished and LOVED Denial of Conscience. Such a great story! It had love, redemption, forgiveness, a blissful lack of unnecessary angst, and Oh My God was it hot! I also love that it was so creative and unlike anything I've read before." ~JulianaBR

Denial of Conscience Awards:

2015 Favorite Pride and Prejudice Modern Adaptation - Margie Must Reads

2015 Favorite Modern JAFF - More Agreeably Engaged

2015 Favorite Austenesque Modern - Austenesque Reviews

2016 Honorable Mention Favorite Book - Diary of an Eccentric