"A historical hit that plays pranks on you and your heart"

"OXIEEEEEEE!" Lady Nesbitt's scream echoes into the night. The Earl of Sutherland, Oxie Nesbitt's prank had been discovered and he chuckled at the sight of his beloved yet flabbergasted wife. After becoming earl and swooping down on society and the ton like a bunch of one- winged albatrosses the Nesbitt family retreated back to their country home with prestigious titles and a few more servants.

However, Oxie had tired out his village with his pranks. The victims not longer gave him the satisfaction of becoming upset when he put their milk cow on the roof. Thus he pulled the ultimate prank on his family: they would return to London and pop off their daughter, Allegra, or Ally. Lady Nesbitt hides in her room for a month before the trip praying it wasn't true.

Once in London, Ally rediscovers the rudeness and diabolical ways of Society. She will not let herself act in the ways of a silly debutante and when the family receives a ball invitation after weeks of society's neglect; she goes to investigate.

Enter Armand Gauthier, a dashingly handsome man (aren't they always?) with an air of mystery about his origin that no one can figure out. Bewitched by Ally's beauty when passing by her estate in London, he arranges a ball to meet the girl and introduce her to society. When the two butt heads, Gauthier finds out he perhaps will lose a little more than society's favor, he may lose his heart to her.

More intrigue evolves when Ally's handmaiden seems to know a lot about Gauthier and vice versa. One night Ally finds her dying her hair black, to hide a brilliant color not gray hairs. And all the while, Ally spends more and more time with Gauthier, attempting to pull a prank on her father, Oxie; that she has found a man. Oxie recognizes her game but is too busy pulling his own pranks on the old schoolmates who snubbed his famiy with their lack of invitations. The trouble comes when the mates have apparently lost a lot of money and their sense of humor . . .

Kasey Michaels takes what would have been a typical historical romance and breathes humor and life into it through Oxie Nesbitt. By far, the best parts of the novels -the ones that make you laugh out loud- are the mischievious happenings of the Nesbitts. Believe me, I'd let you borrow my copy but my boyfriend is halfway through it.

Reviewed by Jennifer Vaughn
Posted March 16, 2003