On Bended Knee
by Celeste Bradley
Category: Fiction

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.