Enticing Miss Eugénie Villaret

Quinn’s fifth Marriage Game historical (after Desiring Lady Caro) has an interesting and unusual setting but is awash with cliché. William, Viscount Wivenly, visits the West Indies to escape the women scheming to be his bride and to ensure the security of an estate inherited from his favorite uncle. He brings along his friend Andrew, who responds to William's clueless behavior with some wonderful Regency-era insults. In a sweet two-fer, William falls in love with Eugénie Villaret while her best friend kindles a romance with Andrew. The story is not, however, without annoyances. Initially, William behaves like the proverbial six-year-old pigtail puller, and the villain reads like a faux-French Snidely Whiplash. Despite a strong effort, Quinn never quite manages to merge the romantic plots and the intrigue into a cohesive book. (Aug.)