Friday, April 16, 2010

Sex and the Single Earl-Vanessa Kelly

Sex and the Single Earl
Vanessa Kelly
Zebra, May 4 2010, $6.99
ISBN: 9781420106558

In 1815 the Earl, Simon St. James knows he must marry; the only woman who interests him is intelligent Sophie Stanton. It does not hurt that the obstinate strong willed female, who opposes child labor, owns land with an abundance of coal; something Simon needs for his project.

Sophie loves Simon and hopes to get him one day to reciprocate. However, her activism against the use of child labor places her at odds with the man she loves. As they argue, fuss and fight, they agree to a marriage of convenience as they debate principles. Each knows the intelligence and passion of their disagreement heats up the bedroom as much as the den.

The key to this delightfully fresh Regency romance is the background of the industrial revolution as the lead couple inconveniently is on opposite sides of the debate. The main couple is a wonderful pairing as each has strong arguments supporting their hypothesis. Vanessa Kelly captures the essence of the era below the typical elegant hedonism of the Ton as her lad duet (and others) takes sides on complex societal issues like child labor.

Harriet Klausner

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