"Fine historical fantasy romance"
In 1755 London Lucinda Malcolm Pemroke hides in an alcove
of the Royal Art Gallery that displays the infamous
painting she drew just to see reactions. Her painting
depicts the sinking of a yacht with the heir to Lansdowne
on board while his cousin laughs. Everyone assumes that
the Prophetess as everyone calls Sinda assumes from her
painting that the cousin Trevelyan Rochester murdered his
relative to inherit the estate. Trev has just returned from years overseas planning to
find a wife in polite society. Instead he is a pariah the
center of a scandal caused by a painting from the artist
LMP. Trev confronts Lucinda to withdraw her portrayal,
but she is not what he expected. She is stunned to see
him as she never met Trev before drawing the picture
before the vessel sank. As Trev continues to pursue Sinda
in disguise as artist Lucy Jones, they fall in love even
while she paints new pictures that begin to clarify what
happened to his cousin and one that is not quite finished
endowed with him in the buff. There is much ado about this fine historical fantasy
romance with a touch of the amateur sleuth to enhance its
magic. Readers will enjoy the relationship between the
fey artist and the beleaguered "model" who leans more
towards confronting her with his kisses than forcing her
to absolve him of the rumors that he murdered his cousin.
Sub-genre fans will want to read all the charming Malcolm
Magic novels (see THE TROUBLE WITH MAGIC, THIS MAGIC
MOMENT, and MERELY MAGIC). Harriet Klausner
Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Posted June 2, 2005
SummaryLady Lucinda Malcolm Pembroke's paintings may have caused
scandals in the past, but never one of this magnitude.
Somehow she's painted a perfect likeness of a man she's
never met—and depicted him as a murderer! Determined to
unravel the mystery that is Sir Trevelyan Rochester—and
flee the gossip surrounding her—she assumes a disguise
and escapes to a remote cottage, only to find herself
face-to-face with her dashing nemesis...
Trev wanted nothing more than a quiet life in his ancestral
home, but suddenly all of England is convinced he's a
ruthless killer. Now he must force Lady Lucinda to admit her
true identity and confess her plot to ruin him—before
he falls madly under her spell and refuses to let her go...
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