Monday, June 14, 2010

Barely A Lady

Barely A Lady
Eileen Dreyer
Forever, Jul 1 2010, $6.99
ISBN: 9780446542081

Olivia lost her standing in polite society following her divorce from the Duke of Gracechurch. The scandal left Grace with few options. Currently she is a stay out of the Ton’s way companion with a young son.

She accompanies her employer Mrs. Bottomly and her three daughters to Brussels where much of the Ton has temporarily relocated from London as the war heats up in nearby Waterloo. Once the battle ends, Olivia tries to help the wounded when she finds her former husband Jack, lying unconscious wearing the enemy’s uniform. Stunned that Jack would betray their country, she nurses him, but he has limited amnesia; unaware of what he or Olivia has done for the last five years; in fact he believes they remain married. She pretends to be his wife in order to learn if her ex is a traitor. As they fall back in love, someone lurks in the shadows ready to destroy both of them.

Barely a Lady is a thrilling Regency romance with an intriguing beginning as the Ton has relocated to be near the battlefield, but the galas continue even with blood flowing. In fairness some of the nobles die during the battle, others like Jack are inured and some of the ladies volunteer to help. The story line is fast-paced from the moment Olivia finds Jack and never slows down. Although amnesia is a frequently used matchmaking mechanism, Eileen Dreyer keeps her plot fresh with the underlying question of whether he is a traitor.

Harriet Klausner

No comments: