Third Son’s a Charm

In Galen’s ostensibly Napoleonic-era romance, modern sensibilities beget confusion. Ewan Mostyn, third son to the Earl of Pembroke, has done his duty as a lesser son, purchased a commission in the army, and gone off to the Peninsular War against Napoleon. Upon his return, Ewan is cajoled into guarding Lady Lorraine Caldwell, the naive, lovely daughter of the Duke of Ridlington, who has convinced herself of an undying love for Ewan’s fortune-hunting cousin Francis. A game of seduction that starts out merely as a way for Ewan to foil his detestable cousin quickly turns into something much more enjoyable. Galen (Traitor in Her Arms) includes a nifty twist on the usual difficulties facing the hero. The book is filled with present-day manners and attitudes toward the military, and there’s little that harkens back to the Regency period except the most general context. Agent: Joanna Mackenzie, Nelson Literary. (Nov.)