The Harlot Countess

Shupe’s second Wicked Intentions Regency (after The Courtesan Duchess) falters only when the stock suspense subplot kicks in. Maggie, Lady Hawkins, suffered an undeserved scandal during her debut season. Simon, the Earl of Winchester, believed the worst of the rumors and snubbed her. A decade later, the widowed “Half-Irish Harlot” draws political cartoons as the mysterious Lemarc, frequently lampooning the earl. They meet again when Simon attempts to discover Lemarc’s identity, and the attraction is immediate. But Simon’s trust issues plague their reunion, as do Maggie’s fears that their association will damage his rise in Parliament. Both problems multiply when he realizes she is Lemarc. Simon’s friends, surprisingly eager in their support of Maggie, round things out nicely, as does Maggie’s fiercely protective circle. Shupe unfortunately fails to leave well enough alone; the lovers have plenty to overcome without the intrigue that gums up the last third of the book. (May)