"Smoke And Shadow is vintage Snodgrass. A powerful romance woven into an equally powerful plot. New readers and fans alike will not be disappointed as they're pulled in and led through danger, greed, excitement, laughter and passion--wrapped around a mystery that will keep you up well past bedtime until the very last word has been savored. Snodgrass has outdone herself...[she] uses a broad brush to create well-rounded and fully developed characters to paint a portrait of true love withstanding many tests. This is a book to tuck into the keeper's bookcase."--Donna E. Bedrick, The Romance Studio

"5 Roses!...Catherine Snodgrass has done it again. Smoke And Shadow is a magical love story that continues the saga of the Dillon family, which was introduced in Silk Dreams and Satin Lies. This was one of the finest novels I have read in a very long time. The characters of Ariel and Ben are enchanting. The plot is fast paced and contains enough surprises that it remains interesting and fresh throughout the entire book. The underlying theme of trust verse betrayal is well developed and helps this story connect to the reader, I found this story to be a light and wonderful read, one of the best!"--Jen, A Romance Review

...Ariel's mouth tightened. So what if she was having a child? She was just as capable of love as he. Didn't she have as much right to become a couple as he? Not that she had…but the right was hers and she resented his intimation that it was not.

"I thought you had a book to write."

"Finished it yesterday. Put it in the post today. Thank you for your concern, though. I wasn't aware you were an admirer of my work."

"Don't bother to preen your feathers. I'm not. I don't care how successful an author you are. I will never be so desperate for entertainment that I read something you've written."

Her insult did nothing to dampen his spirit. "Alas, my loss. I'm sure what little celebrity I have will surely suffer, especially when news of your feat reaches the papers."

Ariel narrowed her gaze. "To what are you referring?"

"To this miraculous conception of yours…or should I say immaculate conception?"

"How dare…"

Ben jerked forward so fast Ariel jumped. Her heart banged against her ribs. He braced his knuckles on the edge of her feather mattress and hovered before her so that she was forced back to her elbows in order to look at him.

"No, how dare you." His voice was a calm contrast to the menacing features above her.

Ariel refused to crumble. She let her expression mirror his, despite the tremor in her heart.

"Don't think you can bully untruths from me."

"I know the truth better than you think." The left side of his mouth curved into that smirk she hated. "Did you really think I was going to let you wander off alone to rendezvous with a man like Albert Gibson?"

"There's nothing wrong with Albert Gibson."

"Nothing except the fact that he was promised to another woman. I wasn't about to let him take unfair advantage of you. No matter how willing a participant you might have been. As it stands, my protection was never necessary."

Ariel pushed herself from under his cold perusal to the arched headboard behind her. She nestled her arms under her breasts. "And I suppose you were with us each and every time."

"Yes…I was."

"Impossible. You were not there today."

"Because I knew he had gone to meet his fiancée."

Her tiny thrill of victory faded, yet she refused to end the battle. Finger combing her hair back, she met his blazing eyes with a fire of her own.

"It will be your word against mine. I would hate to put my parents in the position of choosing who to believe."

Ben laughed and pushed away from the bed. "A war of loyalties with Jonathan and Rebecca Dillon at the center. An interesting concept. Especially when your untruth is easily uncovered."

With a nonchalance she didn't feel, Ariel smoothed the bedcovers around her. "You're the fool. You see, Ben, you weren't as careful as you thought. That tree was not our only rendezvous."

Ben's gaze drifted over her face, searching for some hint that she was lying. Ariel held steady. She had him wondering…good. He needed to be knocked down a notch or two from his pedestal.

"I guess time will tell then, won't it?"

She swallowed the dryness in her throat. "I suppose it will."

After another long look, Ben left, and Ariel felt free to breathe, no matter how shaky those breaths were. Silently, she damned his interference.

Ben would see. He wasn't the only one who could make a good marriage. She and Albert would be married, and they would be gloriously happy.