James's delightful third installment in her successful Four Sisters Regency series (Much Ado About You
; Kiss Me, Annabel
) revolves around Imogen Maitland, the mischievous sister of Kiss Me, Annabel
's titular heroine. Now a widow residing at Holbrook Court in Suffolk, England, Imogen lives under the care of her guardian, Rafe Jourdain, the stubborn, drunken duke of Holbrook charged with the parentless Essex sisters' care. As she clashes with the controlling, brutish Rafe, Imogen believes she is uninterested, but helping Rafe through painful alcohol detox helps spark the attraction between them. When Imogen meets Rafe's illegitimate half-brother, Gabe Spenser, however, she becomes determined to pursue an illicit affair with Gabe; soon, Rafe is impersonating Gabe—complete with a fake mustache—in a scandalous nighttime outing with Imogen that pushes them to the edge of temptation and forces Rafe to seriously consider the delicate proposition of seducing his own ward. Before long, Rafe becomes determined to pursue Imogen—for his wife. James's intelligent, believable dialogue rises above the often trite language found in historical romances, giving the characters depth and substance. James's considerable talents for clever prose and tight, breezy plotting are on full display, promising a perennial delight in each coming adventure of the Essex sisters. (Mar. 28)
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Reviewed on: 02/27/2006
Release date: 03/01/2006
Genre: Fiction
Other - 400 pages - 9780061800337
Open Ebook - 400 pages - 9780061212741
Peanut Press/Palm Reader - 400 pages - 9780061212772
Mass Market Paperbound - 394 pages - 9780060781583
Hardcover - 398 pages - 9781585478293
Other - 400 pages - 9780061212802