This novel sweeps us into a world of scandal and intrigue - glittering Regency England - and introduces the youngest Huxtable: Stephen, the only son. Here Stephen will risk his reputation and his heart as he enters a scandalous liaison with the infamous beauty intent on seduction. But when passion turns the tables on them both, who can say who has seduced whom?
He must be wealthy, wellborn, and want her more than he wants any other woman. Those are the conditions that must be met by the man Cassandra Belmont chooses for her lover. Marriage is out of the question for the destitute widow who stands accused of murdering her husband and must now barter her beauty in order to survive.
With seduction in mind, she sets her sights on Stephen Huxtable, the irresistibly attractive Earl of Merton and London's most eligible bachelor. But Stephen's first intriguing glimpse of the mysterious, alluring Lady Paget convinces him that he has found the ideal woman to share his bed. There is only one caveat. This relationship fueled by mutual pleasure must be on his terms.
As the two warily circle each other in a sensual dance of attack and retreat, a single night of passion alters all the rules. Cassandra, whose reputation is already in tatters, is now in danger of losing the one thing she vowed never to give. And Stephen, who wants Cassandra more than he has ever wanted any woman, won't rest until she has surrendered everything - not as his mistress - but as his lover and wife.
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"I like this series. It has some of the same problems as other fourth books in five-part series: I don't always remember the insider jokes referencing other books in the series, for example. But the couple here was a good fit. I would note that Mary Balogh focuses a TON of women who are the victims of domestic abuse, which I think is relatively historically accurate, but it's sometimes a little graphic for me."
—
Katie (4 out of 5 stars)