Romance Books Reviews & Treats

Heroine & her family used to be well-off when she was younger until her alcoholic father drank away their money. She & her mother & younger sister survived living in St. Giles with her wit & pickpocketing skills. She finally gets caught stealing a gentleman's watch but gets the chance to escape prison if she agrees with attractive & ambitious barrister's scheme of pretending to be his new love interest. Hero wants to make the woman he wants to marry choose him among her suitors. As heroine is being schooled to act & look like a lady, Hero & heroine become increasingly attracted to each other. But Hero restrains himself because heroine does not fit in his master plan of regaining the family wealth & reputation his father demolished, unless she agrees to be his mistress. Heroine is faced with the choice between maintaining her integrity & survival for her & her 10-yr-old sister.

I was going to pass on this book b/c I thought it was another one of "those" Pygmalion-type books. I'm so glad I tried it b/c I couldn't stop reading it once I started. Long sure knows how to suck the reader in with her unique & unpredictable story-telling. My interest & emotions were hooked. This was not an angtsy book per se. The romance had lots of challenges & hero & heroine were forced to make some tough choices in the end. There were also some funny moments, especially with heroine's wily & quick-thinking ways. I liked the main characters & how they developed in the story. Sexual tension was high & love scenes were passionate & sweet.

Highly recommended.