Cathy Maxwell, The Seduction of an English Lady

The Seduction of an English Lady

Cathy Maxwell

Avon, Jan 2004, $6.99, 384 pp.

ISBN: 0060092971

In 1816 in the heart of England, war hero Colonel Colin Mandland proves to Lady Rosalyn that her cousin sold the home she has lived in for the past few years to him. Separately both run off to see the top local aristocrat in the area, Lord Loftus, to plead their case. Loftus sends for solicitor Shellsworth who reads the deed and states that Colin owns the property. Fearing time away from his favorite pastime hunting if Rosalyn has to leave because Loftus knows he will have to then escort his wife to London. By bringing class to events in the area, Rosalyn has enabled Loftus to stay home and hunt. He proposes that Colin and Rosalyn marry. To sweeten the pot, he offers a seat in the Commons to Colin; this angers the solicitor. However, it becomes moot as Rosalyn says no.

Encouraged by Loftus and the support of his brother the vicar, Colin begins courting the lady who makes it clear that his blood lines are beneath hers. Still she cannot deny at least to herself that his kisses leave her desiring more. Surprisingly Colin finds that his goal of knighthood that he feels he earned during the Napoleonic War is no longer as important as winning the hand of the woman he now loves.

THE SEDUCTION OF AN ENGLISH LADY is a fine Regency romance that fans will be grateful for due to a strong cast though some important secondary players seem too stereotyped. The lead couple is a delight as neither wanted the other until that first kiss, but neither will retreat from that initial stance as pride stands in the way of love. Readers will have a good time following Colin's pragmatic battlefield seduction that turns into a shared deep need for one another.

Harriet Klausner