Julianne MacLean, An Affair Most Wicked

An Affair Most Wicked

Julianne MacLean

Avon, Feb 2004, $5.99, 384 pp.

ISBN: 0060527056

In 1883, American Clara Wilton notices how happy her sister Sophia is with her ducal spouse of three years. She wants the same thing that her sibling has so watch out Ton the Wilton sisters are back in vogue.

Marquess Seger Wolfe is the Ton's number one lover because he gives more to his women than he receives back from them. He knows he will never find love again as he lost his one and only when she died eight years ago. Now he seeks superficial sex, but still tries to make it nice for his companion.

Clara's chaperone misplaces the invitation to a ball so they attend the wrong one. Instead of a high society event, Clara sees masks, sexy waltzes, and other scandalous behavior. Seger meets Clara and kisses her, but soon realizes she is in the wrong place. He helps Clara and her chaperone so that they are directed to the right ball two houses over. However, even the next morning he can smell her strawberry perfume and she wants more kisses from her mystery man as these two strangers in the night fall into a potentially scandalous love.

This is a delightfully humerous Victorian romantic sequel starring a delightfully outrageous lead duo and a wonderful support cast who bring out the best (and worst) in Seger and Clara. The story line is fun to follow as Clara breaks convention while Seger finds lightning strikes for the second time as he dreams of strawberry fields forever. Historical romance readers will enjoy this lighthearted late nineteenth century romp.

Harriet Klausner