May 16, 2005
In the fast-moving conclusion to James's Regency trilogy about the Sterling family (A Perfect Groom
; A Perfect Bride
), Lady Julianna Sterling, abandoned at the altar and determined never to marry, becomes ensnared in a tangle of intrigue and falls in love with an apparent rogue. Years after her disappointment, Julianna is en route to Bath when her coach crashes, leaving her unconscious. Viscount Dane Granville—a government agent posing as a robber to solve a series of crimes—carries Julianna to his cottage to recuperate. In the ensuing days, the pair fight each other and their mutual attraction, succumbing almost to the point of consummation. But Julianna, still in the dark about Dane's true situation, returns at last to London believing she'll never see him again—until she encounters him in the midst of London's elite. A large coincidence puts Dane on the trail of the villain he seeks and, at the same time, alerts Julianna to the startling truth about an old family scandal. Though the occasional clichés and overheated prose may put off some readers, James's newest provides the explosive sex scenes her fans have come to expect. Agent, Maria Carvainis.