Bestseller Alexander (A Visit from Sir Nicholas
, etc.) is at the top of her game with her latest Effington family Regency romance. Her anonymity guaranteed by a mask, English miss Pamela Effington spent an unforgettable night of magic in the arms of the Avalonian crown prince. In the four years since, Russia has annexed Avalonia, sending Prince Alexei into exile in London. Through a mishap, the prince and Pamela end up living in the same town house; through her aunt's strategizing, they become entangled in a false betrothal. Their hearts refuse to believe the engagement to be fake, and soon Alexei and Pamela privately admit to their mutual love. An old flame from Pamela's past, plus Alexei's belief that a bitter prince without a country has nothing to offer the woman of his dreams, cause Pamela a great deal of frustration—but a determined woman can always show a man the error of his ways, even if she has to do it at sword point. Pamela and Alexei's verbal clashes are a hoot, delivering generous doses of humor that balance the more touching scenes. Skillfully paced to deliver readers breathlessly to the finish line, Alexander's newest adventure is light historical romance at its most entertaining. Agent, Meg Ruley at the Jane Rotrosen Agency. (June)
