"A wonderful historical from a talented author we've missed."

Alistair Carsington, third son to the Earl of Hargate, has been given an ultimatum by his father - find a well-dowered bride or a suitable occupation with which to support himself. Since Alistair's luck with women has never been good, he accepts his friend's offer to help build a canal. Alistair's job is to rally the landowners into agreement about the canal, but they're all opposed, the most outspoken among them being the well-past-marriageable-age Mirabel Oldridge.

Mirabel refuses to be swayed by Alistair's war hero status, his respected family name, and most of all, his charm and good looks. She's sure he can't possibly understand why she wants to keep the countryside unspoiled, or why she loves her home so desperately. Although he does his best to chip away Mirabel's resolve and win her support, she stands firm, realizing as she does that the infuriating man has begun to chip away at her heart.

A wonderful writing style with crisp, snappy dialog and great conflict sets this story apart from the rest. The characters win you over immediately and draw you in with their wit and determination to succeed at opposing goals. A recommended read.

Reviewed by Margaret Ohmes
Courtesy Old Book Barn Gazette
Posted February 16, 2004

Summary

Alistair Carsington really, really wishes he didn't love women quite so much. To escape his worst impulses, he sets out for a place far from civilization: Derbyshire--in winter!--where he hopes to kill two birds with one stone: avoid all temptation, and repay the friend who saved his life on the fields of Waterloo. But this noble aim drops him straight into opposition with Miss Mirabel Oldridge, a woman every bit as intelligent, obstinate, and devious as he—and maddeningly irresistible.

Mirabel Oldridge already has her hands full keeping her brilliant and aggravatingly eccentric father out of trouble. The last thing she needs is a stunningly attractive, oversensitive and overbright aristocrat reminding her she has a heart--not to mention a body he claims is so unstylishly clothed that undressing her is practically a civic duty.

Could the situation be any worse? And why does something that seems so wrong feel so very wonderful?