"superior Regency romance"

In 1813, though she detests the deception and that the target is a much older man, twenty-three years old Olivia Hopkins knows her extended family needs her to marry Edward, the Earl of Bristol. While in the Earl's library late at night, Olivia finds an erotica book that entices her until she is caught by Edward's wrong side of the sheet son Philip Paxton.

As her stepmother pushes Olivia towards Edward, Olivia and Philip have an affair taking pages out of that reference tome she had found. Soon Olivia falls in love with Philip, but he sees her as a means of revenge for his sire hiding him from anyone who matters. However, Philip finds revenge is not as sweet as the love he feels for Olivia, but will the couple find a path to change their illicit affair into a warm lasting legal relationship?

Though the stepmother is too crazy to even heed anything she says, Regency romance fans will enjoy this erotic tale of forbidden love that feels and is right. The story line is fun to follow especially when the lead couple is hiding their tryst from everyone especially his father and her loony stepmother. Readers will enjoy the moment that Philip realizes that his love is DEEPER THAN DESIRE for vengeance. Cheryl Holt turns up the heat with this superior historical

Harriet Klausner

Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Posted February 14, 2004