The Marriage Lesson

Bubbling with both humor and romantic tension from the hero and heroine's first encounter to their final embrace, this cunning tale of an adventure-seeking bluestocking and the ""respectable rake"" who tries to curb her activities will put satisfied sparkles in the eyes of romance readers. When a trio of sisters, related to Lord Helmsley through marriage, descends on his house for their first London season, Helmsley is confident he can marry them off quickly and return to his own pursuits. But the eldest sister, Marianne, wants to ""experience life"" and undertake exotic adventures without the hindrance of a stuffy husband. To attain financial independence, she pens anonymous, ""absolutely true"" newspaper stories about a na ve miss and her Heathcliff-like guardian. Adding spice to her column, Marianne proposes that Helmsley teach her about kissing and such before she turns to another man for lessons. Helmsley not so reluctantly agrees, but when he feels he's obligated to propose marriage, Marianne turns him down flat. A delightful battle of wits ensues as Marianne attempts to reconcile her desire for adventure with her newfound affection. Alexander (The Husband List) is a rising star in the Regency arena, and her fan base can only grow with this rollicking romance. (May 8) Forecast: Dispelling the notion that Regencies are on the decline, fans of Julia Quinn and Christina Dodd will turn out in full force for this pleasantly fresh read.