"A fabulous Victorian romance"

In 1884, following the path of her older sisters Clara and Sophia, Adele Wilson crosses the Atlantic to marry an English aristocrat in her case Lord Osulton. Adele feels she and her fiancé Harold are well suited as both enjoy quiet rather than adventures and prefer rustication as opposed to the big city. At a short stop on coastal West England, someone abducts Adele from her cabin.

The kidnapper demands a ransom and Harold's cousin Damien Renshaw arrives. He rescues Adele, who wonders why Harold sent Damien, but she is wounded in the process. As she heals, Damien and Adele begin to fall in love. However, she thinks she is more suited to wed the quiet Harold than the extroverted hero even as she rationalizes why she covertly covets Damien as gratitude for rescuing her. Still late at night she admits secretly to herself that Damien makes her heart beat faster than Harold though she would prefer not to hurt her kind fiancé.

The third Wilson sisters' tale is a fine Victorian romance that closes the loop on a charming mini series (see AN AFFAIR MOST WICKED and TO MARRY THE DUKE). The cast, as with the previous two tales, make the story line hum. Adele's brain knows that Harold is more suited to her temperament, but her heart insists Damien is her soulmate. Julian Maclean closes with a high note, but leaves room for perhaps another sequel starring Harold.

Harriet Klausner

Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Posted November 29, 2004

Summary

Could this love nonsense really be worth the trouble? To Adele Wilson the answer is clear: of course not! She has seen her two sisters dragged through scandal and heartbreak (not to mention every ballroom in London) to find the husbands of their dreams. And that's why she said yes to the first British lord who requested her hand. And why shouldn't she marry him? He is kind, honest, and not sentimental in the least. Unlike his wilder, taller, more mysterious cousin Damien Renshaw, Baron Alcester. Ignoring Damien altogether would be easy if he were the sort of man intent on seducing his cousin's betrothed. But he is clearly trying to resist her, and his suddenly proper behavior only makes him more tempting to the usually well- behaved Adele. Indeed, Damien seems to be bringing out another side of Adele, a heady, passionate, exhilarating side. It seems that fate is contriving to teach her -- against her best intentions -- exactly what this love nonsense is all about ...