Secrets of a Proper Lady is a tale of deception, mistaken identity, and double... double crosses, all in the name of love. Victoria Alexander weaves a delightful story all about the comedy of manners and if it wasn't for the delightful bedroom scene could be considered a Regency romance. The scandalous and amusing misconceptions are definitely worth reading.

Miss Sarah Palmer is being most scandalous in her behavior. On the behalf of her employer, distant cousin, and good friend she is stalking Mr. Sinclair's secretary, a Mr. Warren Lewis. It is imperative that Lady Cordelia know all about the man her father is forcing her to marry. Mr. Sinclair could have bad breath, loose morals, or worse still be a total bore. Warren Lewis, looking out for his employer and good friend, finds his conversation with Miss Sarah Palmer to be most engaging and informative... at least about Sarah herself.

The more Sarah meets with Warren to learn about Daniel Sinclair, the more she wants to spend time with him. Time not spent talking strictly about Lady Cordelia's assets or Mr. Sinclair's. She wants to get to know Warren. He isn't wealthy, but then again Sarah doesn't care about that. She is looking to marry for love and she could quite easily come to love the honest and upright Warren Lewis.

Unfortunately for Sarah, she is really Lady Cordelia. Warren Lewis is not her intended, nor the man she is supposed to get to know. But his kisses are intoxicating and his eyes mesmerizing. How can she reveal to him that she is not Miss Sarah Palmer, but the woman his employer is going to marry sight unseen. He would surely despise her! And her father would be most upset because his business would fail without the elder Mr. Sinclair's money and connections, maybe not immediately, but it would fail and the family would be in ruin. Cordelia has wanted to be considered an adult in her family for years, and here was the opportunity to achieve that; for even spoiled princesses must make sacrifices. If only Warren were the prince she needed, or a knight that could find the treasure and rescue her from her fate.

Warren Lewis is just as conflicted as Cordelia, though he doesn't know that the woman he loves is his employer's future wife. He needs a wealthy heiress as all his business dealings and prospects in America are sure to dry up and disappear without a sudden and heavy influx of money. Sarah is a woman whose affections a man should not play with unless he intends to marry her. Warren Lewis can not marry Sarah, because he is really Daniel Sinclair and the heiress he suddenly needs is the woman he's been avoiding; Lady Cordelia Bannister. How on earth is he going to confront the sweet and charming Sarah Palmer and tell her of his deceit and his intentions to marry another woman? He can't, he just simply can't. If only Sarah was wealthy in her own right, or his father's money wasn't tide up in preparation for dealing with Lady Cordelia's father... why then everything would be perfect, he could tell Sarah he loved her and wanted to marry her. If only.

Rating: 4 stars

Buy: Secrets of a Proper Lady

Originally posted 2008-12-06 06:10:04. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Jamie Sinclair is a chameleon hero. He switches loyalties, sides, and professions to suit his needs. He once worked for Charles II. Now he works for his brother James II. Jamie is not enamored with his mercenary life. He does what he does to earn the monies needed to keep his impoverish and indebted estates and their people going.

So when he comes from a raiding party back to the camp and finds the men out to torture the young lad he faced momentarily on the battlefield, Jamie is reluctant to let them do it. When it turns out that the lad is a she, he’s determined to ensure her safety. The men are angry at the loss of their plaything and won’t easily let Jamie take her. The only way salvage the situation is to marry her.

Catherine Drummond is a quasi female laird. She should be in charge of her people, but her cousin rules the roost. Wounded from battle, she does not recognize what the priest is doing on the field. Her only thoughts are of escape or to take out as many of them as possible before her death.

I was really enjoying this Stuart period romance until about page three hundred. There was so much going on that it's hard to summarize. Friendship is a very important part for the hero and heroine's road to love and happiness. I began to loose interest with all the running around, side switching, and back and forth going on between the hero and heroine. The novel takes place over the course of two (and more) years with a lot of down time between meetings. In the end it was too much for me when all I really wanted was for both of them to act on their mutual love and lust for each other. I'm sorry to say that I ended up skimming the rest of the novel to find out what happened.

Rating: 2.5-3 Stars

Buy: Highland Rebel

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