After a few false starts, I sat down with this breezy historical romance and finished it in one sitting. It started out a little unevenly, and it seemed to me there were one or two false steps, but by the time I was a couple chapters in, I was hooked on the story and didn't want to put it down. Set in England in 1804 while Napoleon was at the height of power in France, the story begins with Gwenllian Lloyd, a smart, feisty, bluestocking, and seemingly unmarriagable sister of a featherheaded baroness, chasing her wayward pug Oliver through a semi-wild park in Bath. During the chase, Gwen literally plows into Daniel Wyckliff, a handsome, dashing rake of "ten thousand pounds a year," knocking him off his feet and landing on top of him. Daniel soon finds himself inexplicably drawn to the charming, unaffected young woman, though he fights his attraction for reasons which soon become clear.
But all is not what it seems, and during a house party at the Dorset estate, domestic intrigue and double-dealing and various infidelities and betrayals are revealed, not to mention a dastardly plot to have the French to invade England, with Gwen caught in the middle of it all.
I got so wrapped up in the characters and the developing story that I lost all track of time, which is a great way to spend a chilly winter Saturday afternoon but doesn't get the chores done. Looking forward to more from Ms. Saville.
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