No Decent Gentleman

Grasso's newest (after Violets in the Snow) is a mixed bag; while the story line is fun and the hero a delightful combination of strength, humor and arrogance, the heroine is overly feisty with a sensibility too modern for the Regency setting. Sabrina Savage is the eldest adopted daughter of an earl believed to have committed suicide. But Sabrina knows differently, and she will not rest until the suicide is ruled murder so that her father can be buried on hallowed ground. Adam St. Aubyn, the Marquess of Stonehurst, miraculously appears just in time to assist Sabrina in her quest to clear her father's honor--on the condition that she will fulfill the betrothal agreement signed by her parents some 15 years ago. Adam is wealthy and handsome and treats Sabrina well--but for reasons unexplained, she refuses him at every turn. Grasso's humorous style works well, as does the sexual tension she creates, but the story's potential is marred by Sabrina's unreasonable personality, which comes off as petulant. (Feb.)