"Another wonderful Bedwyn tale."

Destitute with no options available, Rachel York, a former ladies companion, undertakes the particular gruesome task of looting dead soldiers left on the battlefield. Stumbling upon a naked and unconscious man, Rachel realizes she cannot profit from this human misery. Unwilling to leave the wounded man to die, Rachel brings him to her temporary home - a brothel.

Lord Alleyne Bedwyn regains consciousness in the presence of four whores and an angel. It should have been heaven; instead, panic engulfs Alleyne as he realizes his memory is gone. The clues to his identity are sparse, and fearful of what he might find, Alleyne concentrates on Rachel's problems. Aware of her circumstances, Alleyne hatches a madcap scheme to reclaim her stolen fortune.

Rachel and Alleyne masquerade as newlyweds, while the ladies join their elaborate scam. Sparks fly between Rachel and Alleyne, which enlivens and encourages their unusual friends to perform in outrageous antics. A master storyteller, Ms. Balogh triumphs in the latest Bedwyn tale. Rachel and Alleyne's story is witty and tender, as the secondary characters add a rich layer to this delightful Regency. Another keeper in this author's impressive body of work.

Reviewed by Suan Wilson
Posted April 14, 2004

Summary

Meet the Bedwyns--six brothers and sisters--men and women of passion and privilege, daring and sensuality....Enter their dazzling world of high society and breathtaking seduction...where each will seek love, fight temptation, and court scandal...and where Alleyne Bedwyn, the passionate middle son, is cut off from his past--only to find his future with a sinfully beautiful woman he will risk everything to love. As the fires of war raged around him, Lord Alleyne Bedwyn was thrown from his horse and left for dead--only to awaken in the bedchamber of a ladies' brothel. Suddenly the dark, handsome diplomat has no memory of who he is or how he got there--yet of one thing he is certain: The angel who nurses him back to health is the woman he vows to make his own. But like him, Rachel York is not who she seems. A lovely young woman caught up in a desperate circumstance, she must devise a scheme to regain her stolen fortune. The dashing soldier she rescued from near-death could be her savior in disguise. There is just one condition: she must pose as his wife--a masquerade that will embroil them in a sinful scandal, where a man and a woman court impropriety with each daring step...with every taboo kiss that can turn passionate strangers into the truest of lovers.