Damion Templeton, Viscount Woodhurst, is a man in need of a wife in Louise’s (Secret Sister
) charming if dry historical romance set in late 18th-century England. Believing his grandmother is dying and knowing that her fondest wish is to see him married, Templeton commissions Alix Adams, a young, penniless schoolteacher, to pose as his fiancée until his grandmother dies. Little does he know that his grandmother is healthy, and that Adams will steal his heart. But the road to love is not a smooth one and the pair must contend with schemers out to steal Templeton’s fortune and ruffians with dark secrets from Adams’s past. Though Templeton and Adams are sweet, there is no serious conflict between them to create the sparks that romance novels thrive on. The attraction between the hero and heroine is immediate and the only characters against the union are comically ineffectual caricatures. While readers will warm to Templeton and Adams, the lack of tension—and passion—will most likely send them elsewhere in search of spicier fare. (Jan.)
