Beautiful Jasmina Winfield is a thoroughly modern American girl who likes to make her own decisions. A skilled and daring horsewoman, she is used to taking care of herself and takes orders from no one especially not a man. Arriving in Yorkshire from Missouri to visit her relations, the Duke and Duchess of Harley, Jasmina is captivated by the sad romantic tale of her near neighbour the reclusive Earl of Somerton. Leaving Harley Grange to spend Christmas with cousins in nearby Debbingfield, Jasmina makes a wish that she could meet him to discover the mysteries that shroud his impressive home, Somerton Castle, and his loyal staff. And is seems that her wish is granted as a raging blizzard and runaway stallion conspire to halt her journey and she finds herself an unwelcome guest at Somerton Castle. Stranded by the weather with no means of communicating with the outside world, the fiercely independent young woman is forced to accept the grudging hospitality of the seemingly bad tempered Earl. As two cultures collide the fireworks begin to fly as the Earl tries to curb Jasmina's exuberance and make her conform to his old fashioned ideas of feminine behaviour. But the Earl soon comes to recognise that alongside her free spirit runs a deep vein of loyalty and bravery, which is tested to the limits as dark forces gather like the clouds heralding more snow around the bleak castle.In an adventure that is fraught with danger and treachery Jasmina and the Earl battle against unknown forces, discovering friendship and ultimately love along the way.

Barbara Cartland was the world's most prolific novelist who wrote an amazing 723 books in her lifetime, of which no less than 644 were romantic novels with worldwide sales of over 1 billion copies and her books were translated into 36 different languages. As well as romantic novels, she wrote historical biographies, 6 autobiographies, theatrical plays and books of advice on life, love, vitamins and cookery. She wrote her first book at the age of 21 and it was called Jigsaw. It became an immediate bestseller and sold 100,000 copies in hardback in England and all over Europe in translation. Between the ages of 77 and 97 she increased her output and wrote an incredible 400 romances as the demand for her romances was so strong all over the world. She wrote her last book at the age of 97 and it was entitled perhaps prophetically The Way to Heaven. Her books have always been immensely popular in the United States where in 1976 her current books were at numbers 1& 2 in the B. Dalton bestsellers list, a feat never achieved before or since by any author. Barbara Cartland became a legend in her own lifetime and will be best remembered for her wonderful romantic novels so loved by her millions of readers throughout the world, who have always collected her books to read again and again, especially when they feel miserable or depressed. Her books will always be treasured for their moral message, her pure and innocent heroines, her handsome and dashing heroes, her blissful happy endings and above all for her belief that the power of love is more important than anything else in everyone's life.