Ravished

As in Quick's Surrender , the crux of this new Regency is one night's indiscretion, a ruined reputation and a hurried wedding. But despite the title, this is no rape-'em-and-romance-'em. Harriet Pomeroy, the woman in question, is--at the grand old age of 25--perfectly capable of handling herself. In fact, she's more concerned with the reputation of her outsize fiance, Gideon Westbrook, aka the Viscount St. Justin, aka The Beast of Blackthorne Hall, who supposedly abandoned another woman after bedding her. After her unconventional engagement, Harriet, her sister and aunt leave the backwater of Upper Biddleton in search of polite polish during London's season while adventure and, inevitably, love tag along. An avid antiquities nerd with a decided predilection for moldy teeth, Harriet is a cheery, intensely likable character, one well matched by the battered and beleaguered Gideon. Although more romance than Regency--a few articles of clothing and a liberal sprinkling of the word ton suffice for atmosphere--genre aficionados will find this a spiffy read. (July)