| This is a sweet historical romance, about a girl (Caro, short for Caroline) in a society very much like Regency England (if it isn’t actually Regency–I’m never quite sure on the time periods) who finds herself orphaned and without a protector in a male dominated world. Her brother decides to go off and seek his fortune abroad — leaving her with only two servants, and no means to support herself. Caro’s father was a gamester, so she decides to invent a bastard half sister, Angelica, as a “fallen woman” who can therefore gamble with the men without sullying her own respectable name. In polite society, Caro pretends to be scandalized by her half-sister’s behavior, even though “Angelica” is actually Caro in a wig. By day, Caro attempts to land herself a wealthy husband so that she can give up the charade.
But things go wrong when an ineligible second son, Tobias, catches wise to Caro’s alter-ego act… and the most eligible bachelor in town, the Marquis on whom Caro had her eye, turns out to be a wealthy scoundrel bent on ruining Angelica (and Caro in the process.) Tobias, Caro’s friend the Lady Rebecca, and Caro’s prodigal brother James are left to fight for her honor… and of course, in the process, Tobias and Caro fall in love. Clean, light, and enjoyable, with plenty of banter and intrigue! My rating: **** |
