From Publishers Weekly
Balogh's Bedwyn family trilogy (Slightly Married; Slightly Wicked) concludes in fine style with this exceptionally entertaining Regency-era romance between bold Freyja Bedwyn and the mischievous Joshua Moore. Freyja's adventure begins en route to Bath when Joshua, the Marquess of Hallmere, takes refuge in Freyja's bedroom at an inn. He gives her an unwanted kiss, and she gives him a bloody nose. Matters turn even more merrily askew when the two meet up again in Bath. To thwart Joshua's scheming aunt, who's trying to manipulate him into marrying his cousin, they declare a truce long enough to enter into a pretend betrothal. Neither foresees the stir created by the charade-or the arrival of Freyja's brother, the Duke of Bewcastle. Meanwhile, the couple must contend with a murder charge drummed up by Joshua's aunt to keep him from spoiling her ambitions. When passion enters the picture, the unlikely pair find themselves in danger of taking a trip down the aisle in earnest. Balogh's protagonists are complex and charismatic-the kind of people you hope to be sitting next to at a party. Secondary characters like Joshua's mentally handicapped cousin and a disgraced family employee also take on a life of their own. With its impeccable plotting and memorable characters, Balogh's book raises the bar for Regency romances. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Booklist
The saga of the Bedwyn family, who were introduced in A Summer to Remember [BKL Je 1 & 15 02], continues with the tale of Freyja. The daughter of a duke, she is handsome rather than pretty and so fiercely independent that at the great age of 25 she is still unwed. Traveling to Bath she encounters a stranger whom she later sees accosting a maid in a park. Giving him a dressing-down in the Pump Room, she discovers that gorgeous Joshua Moore, marquess of Hallmere, may have been up to something quite different than it appeared. In a rash surge of goodwill, she agrees to a fake betrothal to save him from his manipulative aunt, who will go to any lengths to retain her position and destroy his life. Of course, Bewcastle, Freyja's eldest brother, shows up to make sure all is properly done. Balogh is the queen of spicy Regency-era romance, creating memorable characters in unforgettable stories. Fans of smart historical romances will not want to miss this. Diana Tixier Herald
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Meet the Bedwyns…six brothers and sisters men and women of passion and privilege, daring and sensuality.
Enter their dazzling world of high society and breathtaking seduction…where each will seek love, fight temptation, and court scandal…and where Freyja Bedwyn, the wild-hearted daughter, meets her match in a man as passionate, reckless, and scandalous as she.
Growing up with four unruly brothers has made Freyja Bedwyn far bolder than most society ladies. From feisty manner to long, tumbling hair, Lady Freyja is pure fire, a woman who seeks both adventure and freedom.
Adventure soon finds her on a visit to Bath, when a handsome stranger bursts into Freyja's room and entreats her to hide him. His name is Joshua Moore, Marquess of Hallmere, a man with a hell-raising reputation of his own who is quickly intrigued by the independent beauty. So intrigued, in fact, that he makes her a surprising request: to pose as his fiancée and help thwart his family's matchmaking schemes. For two people determined to be free, it's the perfect plan…until passion blindsides them both. For as Joshua sets out to achieve his complete seduction of Freyja, a woman who has sworn off love is in danger of losing the one thing she never expected to give again: her heart…
From the Paperback edition.

SYNOPSIS

Meet the Bedwyns￯﾿ﾽsix brothers and sisters-- men and women of passion and privilege, daring and sensuality.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

Balogh's Bedwyn family trilogy (Slightly Married; Slightly Wicked) concludes in fine style with this exceptionally entertaining Regency-era romance between bold Freyja Bedwyn and the mischievous Joshua Moore. Freyja's adventure begins en route to Bath when Joshua, the Marquess of Hallmere, takes refuge in Freyja's bedroom at an inn. He gives her an unwanted kiss, and she gives him a bloody nose. Matters turn even more merrily askew when the two meet up again in Bath. To thwart Joshua's scheming aunt, who's trying to manipulate him into marrying his cousin, they declare a truce long enough to enter into a pretend betrothal. Neither foresees the stir created by the charade-or the arrival of Freyja's brother, the Duke of Bewcastle. Meanwhile, the couple must contend with a murder charge drummed up by Joshua's aunt to keep him from spoiling her ambitions. When passion enters the picture, the unlikely pair find themselves in danger of taking a trip down the aisle in earnest. Balogh's protagonists are complex and charismatic-the kind of people you hope to be sitting next to at a party. Secondary characters like Joshua's mentally handicapped cousin and a disgraced family employee also take on a life of their own. With its impeccable plotting and memorable characters, Balogh's book raises the bar for Regency romances. (June 10) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

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