Secrets of a Scandalous Heiress

Romain concludes her Matchmaker Regency trilogy (after To Charm a Naughty Countess) with irresistible brio and wit. Augusta Meredith, who has money from her family’s cosmetics fortune but no title, is used to circling the edges of the beau monde. Marrying the right man could give her access to the inner circle, but the only fellows buzzing near her are pathetic fortune-hunting losers. So she accompanies a friend to Bath for a change of scene—and name, registering as Mrs. John Flowers in order to escape the taint of industry and the inevitable fortune hunters. The trip is already going poorly when Josiah “Joss” Everett recognizes her. Everett, who’s also an outsider of sorts, agrees to keep her secret if she will reciprocate by keeping mum about his reasons for being in Bath, which involve blackmail and Joss’s adulterous cousin, Baron Sutcliffe. It’s all good deceptive fun as the cat-and-mouse games are augmented by spirited repartee, with comic relief provided by Sutcliffe and his wife. Charming characters and great dialogue triumph over a slender plot. Agent: Paige Wheeler, Folio Literary Management. (Jan.)