From Publishers Weekly
Henley's (The Border Hostage) latest Regency-era romance is less steamy than her classics, but it will still satisfy her fans. As always, her heroine is a spitfire and her hero a dashing rake. In this case, however, the rake is also an identical twin, which leads to mishaps both predictable and utterly surprising. Nicholas and Christopher "Kit" Hatton have been inseparable from the day they were born, despite their father's preference for Christopher, his heir. But Alexandra Sheffield, promised to Kit in the cradle, may be the one prize the brothers can't bear to share. She finds herself irresistibly drawn to the penniless Nick, despite his reputation and her need to marry well to support her dowager aunt. Nick, in turn, is torn between his duty to his family and his desire for his bewitching young neighbor. The lovers strive diligently to stay apart, and their success is the story's failure, particularly as Kit devolves into a fairly stock villain. Many of the plot devices are familiar, and the pace drags toward the middle. However, Henley still has a few tricks up her sleeve, and she dispenses them liberally in the latter half. Although the novel is patchy, it will likely inspire newcomers to check out Henley's backlist. Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Nicholas Hatton knows his father hates him but didn't realize how much until his twin brother, Christopher, inherits the entire estate. Penniless, Nicholas joins the army and leaves to fight in the war against Napoleon. Christopher spends all of his inheritance and then decides to do what other impoverished noblemen do--find a rich wife. Alexandra Sheffield has loved Nicholas her whole life, but Christopher convinces her that Nicholas is a rake and a rogue and begins to court her, not realizing that she's as poor as he is. Henley keeps the reader on the edge of her seat wondering if Nicholas will get back in time to save Alexandra from Christopher's greed and convince her that he truly loves her. Henley has painted a stark portrait of the debauchery and pretensions of the Regency era nobility. Rich historical detail depicting life on the battlefields and vivid descriptions of the social conditions of England in the early 1800s abound, as do the passionate love scenes and steamy fantasies Henley fans have come to expect. Shelley Mosley
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

FROM OUR EDITORS

The Barnes & Noble Review
Stories of twins have their own special charm, and Virginia Henley's Ravished is a sexy, scandal-filled twin story set in regency England. From birth, identical twins Kit and Nick Hatton were known as Harm and Hazard, for bearing them had cost their mother her life. They grew up inseparable￯﾿ﾽand wild. The elder twin, Kit, was the weaker in both strength and principles, yet it was never doubted that he would inherit their father's title and property. The younger, Nick, devoted himself to his brother, and his own extraordinary talent with horses. In all his life, Nick had coveted nothing that belonged to his twin￯﾿ﾽexcept the lovely heiress who was expected to be his brother's bride. Alexandra Sheffield had grown up on the neighboring estate, and the young hellion had tagged along on many of their childhood exploits. As a grown woman, she is positively devastating￯﾿ﾽand far more interested in seeking her own adventures than in rushing to marry self-indulgent Kit Hatton. What she feels for Kit's twin is another story. The two men might be identical in appearance, but to Alexandra there was no man like Nick. Then the twins' father is killed in a hunting accident, and Nick takes the blame to protect his brother. Cut off without a penny of inheritance, he leaves for war under a shadow of scandal. When he returns home, he finds both his brother and his beloved enmeshed in disaster and danger￯﾿ﾽand faces temptations beyond his wildest dreams. Sue Stone

FROM THE PUBLISHER

All her life, Alexandra Sheffield has longed for passion and adventure—anything but marriage to the wealthy Lord Christopher Hatton. Instead, her body is weak with desire for another man—Lord Hatton's devastatingly dangerous twin brother, Nicholas.

All his life, Nick Hatton has had his pick of beautiful women, but he's never risked his heart—until his brother plans to refill his pockets by marrying the spirited young Alex. Driven by a fierce need to protect her, Nick will risk anything to prevent his brother's scheming seduction. But when the girl he sets out to save becomes the glorious woman he longs to ravish, he must will himself to resist her wild beauty and reckless flirtation—before his desires erupt in a single, scorching moment that can never be undone.

FROM THE CRITICS

Christina Skye

No one sets the fire to the page like Virginia Henley.

Rendezvous

A brilliant author...the best in romantic fiction.

Publishers Weekly