Barbara Dawson Smith
does it again with a delightful story of seduction and mystery.
Everyone is not who they appear to be in this search for a countess and
a thief. Claire Hollybrooke's mother Lady Emily Warrington married a
scholar years ago and was shunned by her family and the ton. She died
never reuniting with her family. Claire's father is arrested for the
theft of jewels stolen from the Warrington household by a thief called
"The Wraith." After his arrest Claire is determined to prove her
father's innocence. She impersonates a widow and hires on as a
companion to her cousin Lady Rosabel. Simon Croft, the Earl of
Rockford, and the undercover Bow Street Runner who arrested Claire's
father, has decided he needs a wife. On a wager he decides he will
marry the first woman he meets at a ball. Claire runs into his arms in
the garden, but since he cannot marry her because she is a companion,
he pursues her cousin Rosabel. But it is Claire he wants to seduce and
the more he sees her, the more he desires her. The tension builds as
Claire works to discover the secrets to clear her father, while
yearning to know her family that does not know her. Claire does not
know who the thief is, the family and Simon do not know who Claire is,
and Claire does not know who Simon is. All of this, together with
seduction and mystery keeps the reader captivated to the very end. A
book difficult to put down. A truly enjoyable historical romance
suspense!
Publisher: St.
Martin's (February 2006)
Reviewed
by Beverly,
Beverly Romance Books
