Lois Richman

Wanted: First Mate Lois Richman

Publisher Marketing: Beautiful Ellie Johnson has spent her life chasing a fantasy. A teenage runaway, she was adopted by a family in Philadelphia to whom she never told her real name, choosing instead to begin a new life. Like so many girls, she dreams of marrying a handsome millionaire and spending her days in the lap of luxury. When she becomes pregnant by her law-school boyfriend at the age of eighteen, she hopes their hurried marriage will evolve into the union of her dreams. But within a few short years, her husband is gone, vanishing without a trace and taking their young daughter with him. Heartbroken, Ellie decides to start over again, moving to a small Caribbean island where she becomes one of the seasonal "boat babes," befriending wealthy men vacationing in the islands. There she meets and falls in love with Todd Evers, who is very sexy, very charming-and very married. When she becomes pregnant, Todd gives her an ugly ultimatum that costs her both her baby and her lover. She finds comfort in the arms of multi-millionaire Brent Livingston III, whose wealth and pedigree lead Ellie to hope she's finally found the man of her dreams. Unfortunately, marrying Brent proves to be the worst choice Ellie has made yet. Life in paradise quickly descends into a virtual hell, as Brent's cruelty pushes Ellie to her breaking point. During a reckless sailing trip in a thunderstorm, Brent finally goes too far, and Ellie's life is changed forever. She must decide: does she have the strength to break away and start over yet again? Or will she be trapped forever by unrealistic expectations of love and the poor choices of her past? Fast-paced and packed with richly drawn characters, WANTED: First Mate is a provocative and entertaining novel about what happens when one woman's life doesn't go as planned...and the surprising new paths that time can reveal.