In bestseller Carlyle's historical romance, the strong second entry in a trilogy (after One Little Sin
), an impetuous youthful affair between Quin, the future Earl of Wynwood, and Viviana Alessandri, an Italian opera singer, ends painfully for them both after he rejects her suggestion of marriage, unaware that she's carrying his child. Nine years later, in 1830, the pair meet again as Quin prepares to marry a suitable young miss, while Viviana, now a widow with three children, returns to England to assist her father in completing an opera. Their hot tempers and passionate natures set them on a collision course that shocks the earl's reserved family and turns both their lives upside down. Old secrets emerge during a Christmastime country retreat that is warmed by subplots involving the children and Quin's sister. Though returning readers should enjoy the fresh insights into the events of One Little Sin
, those new to the series will find that this volume works fine on its own. With effective, emotional writing and a complex heroine, Carlyle's story stands out in the crowded field of Regency-era romances. (Jan.)
