Miss Delacourt Speaks Her Mind

A dashing rogue and a fiery heroine spar in Ashworth's charming Regency-era historical romance debut. Sir Anthony Crenshaw reluctantly accompanies Ginny Delacourt into the countryside at the request of his grandmother, who is trying to play matchmaker. But Crenshaw's mask of etiquette drives the spitfire Delacourt mad, and they can barely stand each other. When highwaymen accost the pair and force them to seek shelter at a local estate, they meet Lucinda Barrington and Lord Avery, lovers destined to marry, if only they can get past their foolish need for drama. Crenshaw and Delacourt begin to fall for each other, though their courtship is complicated by the attentions of both Barrington and Avery. The subplot involving Lord Avery and Lucinda Barrington elevates Ashworth's story above the genre's usual fare and the couple is a natural foil to Delacourt and Crenshaw. Their presence provides genre fans the opportunity to laugh at familiar circumstances taken to absurd extremes. (Dec.)