cover image Lady Elinor’s Wicked Adventures

Lady Elinor’s Wicked Adventures

Lillian Marek. Sourcebooks Casablanca, $7.99 mass market (352p) ISBN 978-1-4926-0220-0

The adventures in Marek’s Victorian-set debut aren’t wicked, but readers will still enjoy them. Lady Elinor “Norrie” Tremaine is a clever beauty who’s in love with longtime family friend Harry de Vaux, Viscount Tunbury. He returns her feelings but refuses to act on them because of his family’s bad reputation. When he goes on vacation with her family in Italy, he continues to run hot and cold with Norrie until they are caught kissing. Elinor’s mother, Lady Penworth, steals every scene she’s in with her good-natured scheming, sense of humor, and understanding of human nature; she’s not the least bit surprised to see Harry and Norrie together, but happy for the excuse to get them engaged. Harry’s overbearing behavior becomes trite by mid-book, but once he realizes he’s learned how to be a good man from all the time spent with the Penworth clan, he becomes as lovable as Norrie. Agent: Gail Fortune, Talbot Fortune Agency. (Nov.)