In this delightful, witty Regency tale, the follow-up to Alexander's A Little Bit Wicked
, fate and a loaded pistol conspire to grant Lady Felicity her shot at escaping spinsterhood. When Felicity Melville first meets notorious rake Nigel Cavendish, they're both in compromising positions: she's despairing over her five unsuccessful seasons looking for love in London, and he's fleeing the wrath of a cuckolded, gun-happy husband. Intrigued by his recklessness, Felicity decides, after watching him disappear into the night, that Nigel will become her husband. What she doesn't know is that Nigel is determined not to marry, having entered into a wager with four other bachelors to see who among them will remain unwed the longest. The banter between the intelligent, brash, levelheaded Felicity and the roguish, oft-confused Nigel is funny, and they're both charming creations who keep the no-frills plot—a cat-and-mouse tour of a season among the ton and the first, rocky stages of marriage—skipping along. A fine cast of supporting characters, including the elderly but mischievous card sharks Lord and Lady Fernwood, keep the laughs up throughout. (Feb.)
