Lady Jane Welsham has been left at the altar by Sir Nigel Boscastle. Shocking! But it is part of her secret plan with him. Best friends since childhood, they are not in love. She wants to marry for love and he is in love with his governess, whom he has eloped with. The wedding was to have been held in the chapel of Grayson Boscastle, the Marguess of Sedgecroft. A recent scoundrel made head of the family by his father's unexpected death, Sedgecroft is determined to save Lady Welsham's reputation.

Average ( )

Lady Jane Welsham is left humiliated at the altar when her childhood friend, Sir Nigel Boscastle, fails to appear at their wedding. Though in a precarious social position, secretly Jane is elated that her plan has succeeded so brilliantly. Nigel marries the woman he secretly adores, and Jane is at liberty to seek a husband she loves.

There's only one problem: Grayson Boscastle, the notorious rake and wealthy Earl of Sedgecroft, takes it upon himself to squire her about in society to make up for his cousin's cruelty. Thus he manages to set an example of respectability for his wild brothers and sisters, and he gets to spend more time with a woman he finds more and more fascinating every time he sees her. But trouble begins to brew when he learns of Jane's deception...

The book was going along just fine at first. The characters were strong and likable. Hunter did a wonderful job of exposing the vulnerability and the playfulness of London's most notorious rake. But then he decided to get his revenge. Why exactly he feels that he needs revenge for Jane's deception of the ton, I'm not entirely sure. You'd think he would be pleased that she's not pining after his boring cousin when he's falling in love with her. Instead he plots to punish her when he's the one who foisted himself upon her as her escort in the first place.

Furthermore, why does a woman strong enough to deceive society and risk ruin for the sake of finding her true love become a weak-willed ninny for this man? Why would she not stand up to him in a brilliant blaze of fireworks instead of 'being unable to resist his cruelty'?

Sex as cruelty and sex as revenge have never sat well with me. I find it disturbing and not at all attractive when a man turns ruthless and cold over something stupid and the woman simply acquiesces out of 'love'. Unfortunately the second half of the book is taken up with this kind of ridiculous maneuvering and loses all of the easy charm of the first half. ( )

At times compelling, this story seems to lag for the most part. Although the character motives are clear from the start, the plot jumps around. Some parts are very detailed and others are very subtle, lending a jerky tone to the tale. ( )