Miss Lavigne’s Little White Lie

Passion and intrigue are deftly woven together in Grace’s splendid third romantic adventure (after Lady Amelia’s Mess and a Half) featuring the Hillary family. Lisette Lavigne will do anything to escape 1818 New Orleans and the clutches of her loathsome fiancé. Fearing for herself and her brother, Rafe, she tries to secure passage on a ship captained by handsome Daniel Hillary. Daniel mistakenly believes Lisette to be a widow, and she encourages this belief when he agrees to take her and Rafe to England and suggests her sexual favors might sweeten the trip. The love/hate relationship between Daniel and Lisette is just as enticing as their simmering desire. Grace’s talent for crafting multidimensional characters is particularly evident in her portrayal of Rafe, whom modern readers will recognize as autistic. The suspense and intrigue are well tuned and the humor is subtle and charming, much like the novel as a whole. Agent: Nephele Tempest, the Knight Agency. (Oct.)