Victoria Dahl, One Week as Lovers

Cynthia Merrithorpe feels her heart break when her childhood friend Viscount Lancaster leaves to take charge of his responsibilities. However, Nicholas quickly realizes he will need to marry wealth to save the estate.

In 1846 Nicholas becomes engaged to Imogene Brandiss, which further destroys Cynthia's last fiber of hope. However, when he catches his intended with her legs spread for another man, he understands his role as an ornament and why she has become so quiet since the betrothal announcement. He flees back to the countryside where he had his best times growing up. There he finds himself surprisingly attracted to Cynthia. As they fall in love over a week together, Nicholas knows duty to his family calls for his marrying Imogene.

This is an enjoyable Victorian romance with no villains as Nicholas, Cynthia and Imogene are trapped by the rules of society. Their interplay makes for a fun historical tale as each struggles with the announced relationship. Fans will enjoy Victoria Dahl's' aptly titled with a guilt laden Nicholas relishing the ONE WEEK AS LOVERS interlude until he must do his responsibility that neither he nor the two women in his life want.

Harriet Klausner