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4.0 out of 5 stars
Charming Regency, Jun 3 2004
Setting - England, 1816 --- Lady Cassandra Howard, was the daughter of a Marquess, though her upbringing was not what one would expect for one of that noble a birth. In fact she had never had a proper come out due to the fact that her mother was a semi invalid and her father and brother had been bringing her into the worst gaming hell's since the age of twelve. After her father's death, life with her older brother was becoming increasingly disgusting to her especially when he was about to sell her into a marriage with a dissolute yet wealthy lord. Running away from Rupert, the man her brother was going to give her to, Cassandra ran straight into the arms of Wyatt Mannering, Earl of Merrick, once a neighbor and whose apples she once stole. She pleaded with him to help her escape the ball before the odious Rupert could corner her. Cassandra had indeed grown up in the intervening years and Wyatt, known throughout the ton as 'Saint' Wyatt, was not totally immune to the young lady's obvious charms. Cassandra sensed this attraction, and knowing what a witch his intended was whispered into his ear that he could do much better. Cassandra truly was an innocent in the ways of love, yet she also knew that the only way out of her proposed betrothal dilemma was to somehow trick Wyatt into offering for her. Innocently, she would arrange to have them be caught in a compromising situation, but what wasn't factored into her plan, were the honeyed kisses that would rock her world and make Wyatt feel as though he'd been touched by magic. Cassandra was an interesting heroine. Although both her father and brother had thrust her into an unorthodox life style, dragging her along on their gaming ventures, in the area of love and sex, she truly was a clueless innocent. Wyatt, on the other hand, had the experience but had never come up against a free-spirit like Cassandra. Discovering what her childhood had been like, he was at once ready to champion her, but found that his dictates were one sure way of her doing the exact opposite. This was a charming little read although it did tend to bog down a bit in the middle. Cassandra's innocence was so sweetly depicted though that I would recommend to bring it along for a relaxing day at the beach or out in the backyard. ---Marilyn Rondeau, Official Reviewer for www.historicromancewriters.com ---
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