Captive

Regency and historical romance devotees will find Johnston's (The Inheritance) latest lively and well-written, and her characters perfectly enchanting. Lady Charlotte Edgerton, Charlie to her friends, is an American fish who finds herself in stuffy English waters when her father dies and leaves her to the care of the Earl of Denbigh. Denbigh has two duties: to civilize Charlie and to find her a suitable husband-only it can't be him. Haunted by his fiancee's suicide, Denbigh mistrusts women. In spite of Charlotte's innocent appeal, he refuses to let himself become involved and tries his best to alienate her affections. But Charlotte--an American through and through--won't take no for an answer. An exciting secondary plot involving a duke bent on avenging his brother's murder by dishonoring Denbigh's sister adds an element of mystery. (May)