The Barefoot Princess

The witty second entry in bestseller Dodd's Lost Princesses historical series (after Some Enchanted Evening ) chronicles the story of Princess Amy Rosabel, one of the three displaced princesses of Beaumontagne, a small European kingdom. In 1810, Amy is living on Summerwind, an island off the coast of Devon, whose residents have fallen on hard times thanks to the neglect of the Marquess of Northcliff, Jermyn Edmonson. A fierce, impulsive do-gooder, Amy carries out a plan to kidnap the handsome marquess and use his ransom to help the people of Summerwind. When Jermyn's Uncle Harrison refuses to pay the ransom, foiling Amy's scheme, she's left to deal with the irate hostage now residing in her cellar. As the animosity between Amy and Jermyn changes to romantic tension, and they edge ever closer to a sensual love affair, their romance is complemented by subplots involving Jermyn's long-lost mother and Harrison's true intentions toward his nephew. Dodd's intelligent historical romances never fail to please; this latest is no exception. (Feb.)