Marriage Most Scandalous

Plot twists abound in this melodramatic tale of revenge, families torn asunder and (of course) true love. Set in Regency England, the story opens as Sebastian Townshend, the heir to an earldom, reluctantly takes part in a duel with his best friend. After unintentionally killing the man, Sebastian, now disinherited by his father, leaves England and adopts a new identity as a brooding mercenary called the Raven. Sebastian's Raven persona is so over the top that it's almost laughable (at one point, he fells two burly bodyguards merely by knocking their heads together), but Lindsey (A Loving Scoundrel, etc.) gives her hero enough magnetism, sexual appeal and human flaws to make his romance with 23-year-old bluestocking Margaret Landor believable. Margaret has hired Sebastian to investigate the truth behind the numerous ""accidents"" that have befallen his father, who also served as Margaret's guardian. To carry out this assignment, Sebastian returns to England, pretending to be Margaret's husband. When they arrive, a series of clues keep the young couple hopping, while their passions lead them to consummate their pretend marriage. One might quibble that the story's final twist comes out of nowhere and that the protagonists are really modern characters in Regency guise, but Lindsey writes with such gusto and warmth that her legions of readers are unlikely to object.