"Augutsta Ballinger was quite sure that it was all a dreadful mistake. The chillingly pompous and dangerously disturbing Earl of Graystone could not possibly wish to marry her. Why, it was rumored that his chosen bride must be a veritable model of virtue. And everyone knew that Augusta, as the last of the wild, reckless Northumberland Ballingers, was a woman who could not be bothered by society's rules.
"That was why the spirited beauty had planned a midnight encounter to warn the earl off, to convince him that she would make him a very poor wife indeed. But when she crawled in through his darkened study window, Augusta only succeeded in strengthening Harry's resolve: to kiss the laughter from those honeyed lips and teach this maddening miss to behave! How could he possibly know that it was he who was in for a lesson...as his brazen fiancee set out to win his heart--and an old and clever enemy stepped in to threaten their love, their honor, and their very lives?"
This is another little gem by Amanda Quick! Despite my busy schedule, I read this one in only a matter of days. The pacing was excellent and the plot was exceedingly entertaining. I found the characters to be as charming as the plot, which helped to keep me wanting more.
Augusta is a spirited female lead who is beyond proud of her roots. She knows everyone is aware that she comes from the reckless side of the Ballinger family, and she takes this as license to do much as she pleases. Though she is very intelligent and as educated as she is forward-thinking, this does not stop her from enjoying the finer things womanhood has to offer. Her love of entertaining and pretty clothing is a nice touch when so many authors choose to forego this aspect of a female lead's personality in favor of a much more "scholarly" appeal. Why can't a woman want reform and recognition for women's accomplishments and also enjoy beautiful things?! Augusta's quick temper and wit get her into a number of scrapes, but they also attract a very surprising suitor.
Suffering from the hidden scars of his first marriage as well as the weariness following the Napoleonic Wars, Harry, Earl of Graystone, is a man of many mysteries; perhaps the biggest of which is just why he chooses Augusta Ballinger as his bride! By all accounts, she is the last thing he should desire. She can be immodest and wild, a bit to outspoken and prone to harebrained schemes, but she possesses that which Harry prizes most in the world: unfailing honesty and loyalty. Despite her assurances that she will make him a terrible wife, Harry is determined to wed Augusta and have her as his Countess. Little do either of them know that the other is exactly what they need in their respective lives.
Both Harry and Augusta have secrets of their own, but everything must come to light when an enemy comes around seeking to cause their newlywed bliss to come crashing down and destroy all they hold dear...
Their spark is enjoyable and enlivened by both of their tempers and differing attitudes. I enjoyed the romance and it felt fairly natural between the two of them. I will concede that the first "encounter" felt a bit early and a bit too "acceptable" for Augusta -- a woman who, up until that point, had managed to remain pure and virtuous despite her reputation. She seemed to fall into Harry's arms a bit too easily, despite her silent admission that she'd always been attracted to him. I also do believe I'd mentioned this in another of my reviews, but Harry's physical appearance was very much glossed over. I'm pretty sure we got literally one or two sentences about him in the beginning of the book. It was fairly forgettable and I had to draw my own mental picture as I read on. I wanted to "see" him a bit more than I did. I do feel like Augusta had more to her description, but it was still a bit lacking compared to what I am used to.
Overall, I found this book to be very enjoyable and I look forward to reading more of Quick's works.
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