April 26, 2010
Thomas employs grand misunderstanding (as she did in 2008’s Private Arrangements) to motivate this Victorian romance, which is replete with perfect period touches. The marquess of Vere fakes stupidity so no one will suspect he’s investigating Edmund Douglas for fraud—and murder. Douglas’s niece, Elissande, is thoroughly fooled and plots to snare the marquess and escape her vicious uncle. Through a comedy of accidents involving rats, spicy Victorian parlor games, and sneaking around hallways at night, Elissande tricks Vere into marriage. As attraction grows, she wants to admit her motivations, but Vere shuts his conniving bride out as Douglas swears revenge. Though both story line and misunderstandings feel contrived at times, Thomas writes with genuine wit and sympathy, and when hero and heroine actually connect, the humorous, graceful writing transcends a creaky plot.
June 15, 2010
When a mysterious infestation of rats sends a neighboring house party overflowing with eligible bachelors to reclusive Elissande Edgerton's home for shelter, Elissande desperately seizes the chance to free herself and her laudanum-addicted aunt from her domineering uncle's control by finding a husband--in the next three days. However, her seductive plan nets the wrong man, and she is soon wed to the sweetly idiotic Marquess of Vere, a man who, she gradually suspects, is not the dimwit he seems. But public masks hide soul-scarred pasts, and as Vere and Ellie work to outwit an unbalanced, malevolent villain, secrets, distrust, and fantasy ideals threaten their fragile relationship. VERDICT With lush sensuality, intense emotion, lyrical writing, and exquisitely realized characters, Thomas has delivered another unforgettable winner. Thomas (Not Quite a Husband) lives in Austin, TX.
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