Jeane Westin, Lady Katherine’s Wild Ride

Lady Katherine's Wild Ride

Jeane Westin

Signet, Aug 2006, $6.99

ISBN: 045121921X

Her father Sir Robert Lindsay remained loyal to King Charles II during the parliamentary troubles, but lost everything including his life and heirs leaving only an impoverished daughter Katherine behind at the mercy of her cousin's odious spouse. Whenever Lady Joan Pursevant became pregnant, her husband William pressured Lady Katherine to become his paramour, but she has refused. Now William plans to take what he wants claiming payment for all he has done to protect her. However, a servant Martha hits William leaving him dead before he can rape Katherine.

Knowing one or both will hang, Martha and Katherine flee together into the night where they meet Jeremy Hughes and his troupe performing across the countryside as they head to London for a royal show. Jeremy takes them in and is pleasantly surprised when Katherine shows acting talent and joins the show. As Katherine and Jeremy fall in love and he constantly rescues her, a still alive William continues his ambitious plotting for more wealth, power, and the rape of the innocent Katherine.

LADY KATHERINE'S WILD RIDE is a terrific Restoration romance starring a likable woman in peril and her champion who not only risks his life to keep her safe, but mentors her that you only have one time at living so make the most of it. The support cast from real persona like the monarch and actress Nell Gwynn and Lord Rochester to the literary players like the villain and his wife add to a fine pairing as she lands in one dangerous caper after another while he daringly leaps in afterward to protect his beloved.

Harriet Klausner