*Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Certificate of Excellence*Love and Betrayal...A cool master of sensuality, Rafael Whitbourne, the Duke of Candover, earned his rakish reputation in the silken boudoirs of London’s highborn ladies, never giving away his hand or his heart.Then a vital mission for his government takes Rafe to Paris to work with the Countess Madga Janos, “the most beautiful spy in Europe.” He is appalled to discover that the smoky eyed temptress is no Hungarian countess, but the deceitful doxie who betrayed him a dozen years earlier—the only woman he ever loved, and the only one he’s ever despised.Margot Ashton wants nothing more than to walk away from her turbulent past and the mesmerizing man who ruined her life. But patriotism binds them together in a shadowland of intrigue where a diabolical plot may plunge a continent back into war—and a whirlwind of passion sweeps Margot and Rafe into a shattering passion that cannot be denied.“Mary Jo Putney is a consummate storyteller whose deep understanding of human emotions shines through in all her work. Petals in the Storm is simply another of her miraculous romances—the kind that stir the heart and mind. Storytelling at its best.”—Romantic Times Magazine“Petals in the Storm is a stunning tour-de-force; a moving testament to the resilience of the human spirit and its ability to emerge from the fires of hell stronger and wiser than before. The protagonists are riveting characters with a tempestuous relationship played out against a mesmerizing backdrop of intrigue. Congratulations to Mary Jo Putney for another winner.”—Affaire de Coeur