Shirley Wine is from a family of seven where oral storytelling was encouraged, a throwback to her family's Irish roots. Born into a farming family, Shirley has lived and worked on the land alongside her husband for many years, and a love of the land runs as deep as the blood in her veins so writing rural romance was a natural progression for this author. Shirley is no stranger to devastating personal tragedy, and these experiences are reflected in her often gritty stories about triumph over adversity. For many years, Shirley was a freelance writer with a regular 'Country Comment' column in a New Zealand national daily newspaper, and she has worked on local and regional newspapers. A long-time member of Romance Writers of New Zealand, Shirley is now retired and lives with her husband in a quiet rural Waikato town with one spoiled cat and two equally spoiled dogs. If you'd like to sign up for Shirley's author newsletter you can do so on her website: www.shirleywine.com

The first in a heartwarming rural romance series from New Zealand author Shirley Wine, introducing the secrets and scandals of Darkhaven ...

For single mum Victoria Scanlan, a visit to the luxurious country house of Darkhaven is a rare chance to combine work with pleasure. Securing the commission for The Wedding Of The Year will guarantee the ongoing success of her floral boutique and secure her the stability she needs for both herself and her son.

But Darkhaven comes with a shocking guest - the groom, Keir Donovan, is the man she once knew as Seth Donahue. Her young son's father. The man who has no idea he has a child. The man she can't forget.

After a lifetime of betrayal by every woman in his life, Keir has settled on a calm future with the glamorous heiress Davina Strathmore. She is everything Keir needs in a life partner: confident, poised, elegant, attractive and aware that this marriage isn't about love. But when Victoria walks back into Keir's life, his future suddenly doesn't seem quite so well defined.

Keir's passion for Victoria still burns as strongly as ever, but it's clear she's keeping secrets: and after a lifetime of deception, Keir has no tolerance for lies.