And then she disappears without a trace…
For in reality, the “baroness” is Venetia Easterbrook—a proper young widow who had her own vengeful reasons for instigating an affair with the duke. But the plan has backfired. Venetia has fallen in love with the man she despised—and there’s no telling what might happen when she is finally unmasked…
Starred review from April 15, 2012
Venetia Easterbrook is blindsided when Christian de Montfort, the Duke of Lexington, recklessly states during a Harvard lecture that all beautiful women are untrustworthy and then twists the events of her past marriages to illustrate his point. The twice-widowed beauty gathers her wits and plots the perfect revenge--she will disguise herself during their transatlantic crossing, make him fall in love with her, and then drop him. But her bold plan has unexpected consequences when their passionate, soul-searing affair flares into something more. Venetia realizes too late that she has fallen in love and into her own trap--and Christian will never forgive her deception. While a handful of intriguing, nicely introduced secondary characters spark interest in the stories to come (Ravishing the Heiress, Jul.; Tempting the Bride, Oct.), it is Christian and Venetia, with their compelling, conflicted relationship, carefully guarded secrets, and independent personalities, who will captivate readers. Dinosaur fossils, scientific tidbits, and shipboard detail add a touch of realism to this late Victorian romance, set in a period that, along with the following Edwardian era, is beginning to attract more writerly interest. VERDICT Tender, discerning, and lushly romantic, Thomas's latest offering drills down into the characters' emotional depths to produce a devastating love story that may appeal to fans of Mary Jo Putney and Laura Kinsale. Thomas (His at Night) lives in Austin, TX.
Copyright 2012 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
Starred review from May 1, 2012
If Christian de Montfort, the Duke of Lexington, thinks he can slander Venetia Townsend Easterbrook's good name and get away with it, he is sadly mistaken. Although it is true that he did not specifically refer to her during a lecture on evolution delivered to the students of Harvard and Radcliffe, anyone who knows anything about British society understood it was Venetia he alluded to. Egged on by her sisters, Venetia will have her revenge, and what could be more perfect than indulging in an affair with Christian and then coldly rejecting him later? While traveling back to England aboard the ocean liner Rhodesia, Venetia, disguised as the always-veiled Baronesse von Seidlitz-Hardenberg, allows Christian to seduce her. Everything is going perfectly until Venetia realizes her plan's great weakness. With the first in a new trilogy, RITA Award winner Thomas distills superbly nuanced characters and flawlessly re-created settings worthy of Merchant and Ivory into a gracefully witty and potently passionate love story that sets a new gold standard for historical romances.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)