Goodman (Only in My Arms
) offers up a racy, late 18th-century romance featuring the first of four close-knit friends—North, South, East and West—who call themselves the Compass Club. North, also known as Brendan Hampton and the Earl of Northam, is the first to find romance, and his quest, though conventional, is not without its share of surprises. While searching for the so-called Gentleman Thief, who steals jewels from members of the aristocracy, North meets the enigmatic Elizabeth Penrose at a house party. When the search for the thief takes him to her room, she informs him bluntly that she is "a whore," which clears the way for several intense love scenes. An act of desperation—Northam is implicated as the thief, and Elizabeth provides him with an alibi at the cost of her reputation—finally pushes the couple to the altar, but their happily-ever-after is a while in coming. First, Elizabeth must come clean about her past indiscretions and her current quandary. Goodman's prose is as stilted as her characters' banter ("I thought I might find something to read." "How fortunate you have come upon the library, then"), and her subtle humor is easily missed. The playful camaraderie between North and his friends is diverting, however, as is North and Elizabeth's understated romance. (Sept.)
