Regency romance veteran Camp (The Wedding Challenge
) launches the Willowmere series with this steamy romp. Four American orphans—practical eldest sister Marigold (who prefers the much more sensible name Mary), shy Rose, knife-totin' Camellia, and silly Lily—land in 1824 London, hoping for support from their ultra-wealthy grandfather, the earl of Stewkesbury, who cast out their mother for marrying for love. Conveniently rescued from a mugger by proud and elegant Sir Royce Winslow, Mary is soon smitten by his bulging muscles and lustful kisses. Meanwhile, the sisters reluctantly enter the upper-class English milieu, encountering handsome bachelors, horrid villains, and Royce's conniving old flame, Lady Sabrina. Extended foreplay and explosive climaxes will entertain modern readers, but they may not find the lust a satisfactory substitute for old-fashioned elegance, which the story almost entirely lacks. (May)
