Gentleman’s Daughter

Schwarz’s enjoyable if unusual second Gentleman Spy Regency romance follows Sir Henry March, secret agent to the crown, on his quest for matrimony. Henry, also the hero of The Innkeeper’s Daughter, has let his mistress, Eliza, go as he searches for an upstanding wife to lend legitimacy to his daughter during her first season. Having been spoiled by his relationship with Eliza, he refuses to settle for anything less than a love match. Enter heroine Isabella Chancellor, a free-spirited painter. She’s set against marriage, but when she meets Henry, she can’t help but reconsider. Still, she fears she will be rejected if it comes out that she’s no longer a virgin because of a rape she suffered before her first season. With the danger and intrigue of Henry’s job looming, can their mutual love prevail? Though the central couple is solid, fans of book one may be disappointed to see Henry’s relationship with Eliza so casually discarded, an unexpected move for a romance series. The supporting cast becomes difficult to track, with characters who feel extraneous to the story, but after a slow start, the novel picks up toward the end, building to a fast-paced climax with a sweet finish. The result is a bit bloated but endearing nonetheless. [em]Agent: Linda Migalti, Susan Schulman Literary. (July) [/em]