The Taming of Lord Astor
Molly Madigan
Five Star, Jan 2007, $26.95
ISBN: 1594145725

In 1874, Lady Adelaide Astor hires relationship expert Miss Tilly Leighton to help model her brother Jaiden into the right man for his fianc e Clara Haversham. Tilly meets Jaiden in his library when he catches her sneaking around in a room that was previously locked. She brazens her way out of the situation with an explanation that leaves the former Scotland Yard investigator amazed and fascinated.

Jaiden's former apprentice turned Chief Inspector Daniel Sheldon arrives asking for advice as he has made no progress on the "missing wives" case; each was married to an SOB and vanished without trace leaving behind their personal values like jewelry. Jaiden offers nothing while Tilly notices the attraction between her client and the detective so she plans to help it along. As Tilly and Jaiden fall in love, he wonders about her nocturnal activities, especially with some unknown assailant trying to harm her.

Tilly is such a unique protagonist that Victorian romance fans will want to follow her exploits while she tames Lord Astor. Her profile of the male animal is wonderful and accurate (don't tell my husband I wrote that). The storyline is a fast-paced, gender war between a cerebral strategist and what she considers her inferior, a man who enjoys her exploits. Molly Madigan provides an entertaining, fun tale that also contains a serious undertone involving spousal abuse.

Harriet Klausner