"A steamy romance"

In 1813 on the Cornish Coast, the renowned rake, the Earl of Tremayne, Lucien Wycliffe, actually works undercover seeking traitors smuggling gold to the French. He meets Brynn Caldwell in an isolated area and cannot resist stealing a kiss. She thinks his immediate attraction to her is caused by the two-century-old gypsy curse in which men fall hard for her family's females, but die if they love them back.

Lucien learns that Brynn's family is in financial trouble and suspects her oldest brother Gray does some smuggling to make ends meet and avoid debtor prison though he wonders if selling gold is part of the man's activities. Lucien, who wants an heir, decides to marry Brynn, the first woman he has found attractive in a while. He blackmails his reluctant choice by offering to send her bookish sibling Theo to the university and pay off Gray's debts. However, he begins to wonder if his new wife and her family are the seditious supporters of Napoleon even as he knows he loves Brynn, curse or not.

DESIRE is an exciting Regency romance that readers will enjoy as the evidence points towards Brynn's betrayal of Lucien. The lead characters are a strong duo though the audience might wonder why Brynn hides behind the curse rather than confide in her spouse, whom she has to realize does not trust her. The support cast, especially two of her brothers, add depth to the era and the lead protagonists. Nicole Jordan has written a stunning historical romance that sub-genre fans will want to read.

Harriet Klausner

Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Posted October 7, 2001