Date published. March 29th, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-06-201893-9
Historical Romance
Mass Market Paperback
Reviewed by Dawn
Obtained by Publisher
Lady Isobel Maitland is determined to not do anything scandalous as she could lose everything near and dear to her if caught. But one night, she gives into temptation when she crosses paths with a notorious rake, the Marquis of Blackwood. What Isobel doesn’t anticipate is the fiery passion one kiss ignites.
The Marquis of Blackwood is no stranger to seduction and intrigue. Combine the two in the form of a mysterious woman, the Marquis is determined to find her. What he doesn’t expect is the clues to lead to prim and proper Lady Isobel Maitland. But both have secrets that threaten all they hold dear. Can they find a way to come clean with one another before time runs out?
SECRETS OF A PROPER COUNTESS is from debut author Lecia Cornwall and delivers one adventure after another within its pages. Take one prim and proper countess; add in a notorious rake with a side of scheming in-laws. Stir and you have got this wonderful debut from Ms. Cornwall. What I loved about this was how the author turned a tired storyline into a gem with a few unique twists to hook her readers. The story was well written and flowed smoothly; the characters were well rounded and grew with the storyline with some humor tossed in to keep some things light and I was surprised to see no slow parts of the story like some debut books seem to have. It was action packed and sinfully delightful.
Meet Lady Isobel Maitland. A widowed countess, she has to deal with her scheming in-laws who deem she not socialize with anyone. That in itself was a great plot twist and quite enjoyable to read. It wasn’t the same old-girl meets boy, falls for boy and finds the same obstacles in their path to love-storyline. No, we have got intriguing characters that had me either hissing in displeasure or cheering as Isobel and the Marquis find themselves trying to not fall in love as they guard their secrets. Lady Isobel was a wonderful heroine. Even though she comes across submissive and meek, she really isn’t. She has a spine and a determination to have a fling so denied to her. She was an underdog that I could relate to and enjoy. The hero, the Marquis of Blackwood, Phineas Archer, has secrets to hide and he cultivates his reputation as a notorious rake around town to the extreme. Meeting and falling for a mysterious woman one night leaves him racing to find her again. Phineas was a hero that had me yawning a tad bit. He had all the characteristics of a rake-man about town, secret life, etc etc. He was a tad boring really, in my opinion. Though the two main characters had chemistry, I adored Isobel’s growth in the story more than Phineas’s. The secondary characters were enjoyable and kept the story flowing smoothly.
SECRETS OF A PROPER COUNTESS was a good story with some intriguing characters though the ending was a little too pat for my taste and the suspense sub-plot not as involved as I would have liked, the author did an admirable job in creating a story that had me looking to see what she has coming in the future. If you are looking for a well written regency romance, then pick up SECRETS OF A PROPER COUNTESS and settle in for a fun adventure.
This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.
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