Lisa Kleypas is a go-to, favorite author. I had never read her first book. This first book is not that I would ever read again as I do with other Kleypas' books when I need a nourishing romance.

Others have mentioned that the hero, Rand, rapes his own true love in their first encounter, which I refuse to refer to as sex. The hero simply used the heroine as an empty vessel.

What turned this into a 1 star read for me was the depiction of women as vapid and useless. The following quote from the book sums up how Kleypas portrays women.

It's wonderful to know that following this debut, my much loved author turned to writing women as more powerful, interesting, and in control. ( )

Rosalie Belleau is a lady's companion and the daughter of a governess in the same household but not at all content with her lot in life. She dreams of passion and adventure and will find it in the most unexpected way!

After a fire in a theater Rosalie finds herself separated from her mother and chased by a strange man out to find his pleasure through the streets of London. Along comes Lord Randall Berkeley amused by the scene he encounters in a London ally and nearly moves along to give the 'lovers' their privacy until Rosalie falls right at his feet. Drawn to her beauty he decides to 'rescue' the young lady and take her for his own. When he discovers that Rosalie is a virgin he feels responsible to help her find a new job and get established in a new household. Unfortunately that must wait until after a necessary trip to France for family business, and Rosalie must come along for the ride.

During their time in France Rosalie comes in contact with information that causes her to doubt that her mother is her actual birth mother. Rand is forced to deal with his feelings about the abuse he suffered from his parents. Through it all they learn that they can help heal each other.

This was difficult to rate. I had a hard time getting past what happened in the beginning of the book. I was so angry and irritated. But at the same time, it is Lisa Kleypas and she knows how to tell a story. So there were elements that I liked about the characters and how everything came together. At the end I liked how each, Rand and Rosalie's character/personality evolved. She grew a backbone of sorts and he developed a conscience. I don't know that I cared for the whole "secret" in the plot line and the ending was so anticlimactic.
( )