Thursday, December 1, 2011

A Lady Awakened-Cecilia Grant

A Lady Awakened


Cecilia Grant

Bantam, Dec 27 2011, $7.99

ISBN: 9780553593839



Recently widowed Martha Russell learns that her late husband of ten months left her in a financial mess. Russell spent 90% of the ten thousand she brought into their marriage. Her brother-n-law demands she leave his estate that goes to him since she has failed to produce the heir. Martha has two choices either to live with her brother Andrew and his wife or come up with the next generation Russell.



She decides to obtain the services of a man in order to become pregnant soonest. Determined to go all the way, Martha selects her rakish neighbor Theophilus Mirkwood who has been exiled to rusticate due his recent behavior. Theo accepts her offer of brief tryst. Soon the experienced lover and his passionate widow fall in love, but that was not part of the monthly deal.



Though the theme has been used in historical tales before, Cecilia Grant keeps her plot fresh by interweaving a rousing Regency rustication romantic story line. The changing relationship comes across pliable and passionate as polar opposites fall in love. Sub-genre readers will relish the engaging A Lady Awakened by the love of a rake.



Harriet Klausner



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