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20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
brilliant Britton, 19 Jun 2004
My Wicked Ways meets Ransom of Red Chief? Seriously! This is my first Pamela Britton book. I understand there were some problems in the productions of the novel. It was written as a paranormal, but then Ms. Britton was forced to change it into a straight historical. I cannot imagine the upset that caused a relatively new writer, so that it came out this charming is quite amazing! And it is charming! Oh, there is a sign here or there saying new author - but then, every author is a new author at one point, are they not? I found myself pulled by the characters. They are well drawn and follow logical motivations. They captivated this reader.Ariel, especially, made me feel for her. A very naïve young woman, unloved by her father, growing up with no brothers or sisters, she didn't have the raising to know how to act with people, what deceivers they can be. Her mother was a gypsy who died in childbirth, her father an Earl - a cold, distant man - and that gypsy taint already marks Ariel in the Ton's eyes. This sets poor Ariel up to be an easy mark to be seduced by a scoundrel who promises her something she has never known ¯ love. When they're caught in a compromising position, she's ruined, teaching a young Ariel men are not to be trusted. Two years later, she returns to London - pushed by her cousin, Phoebe. Now married, Phoebe hopes the years have made London forget Ariel's scandal. But they have not. It's heartbreaking for the reader to see Ariel's sense of always being on the outside. It makes her easy prey when Nathan Trevain, the future Duke of Davenport tries to befriend her. He proposes they pretend they're engaged. However, the reader knows Trevain is setting out to use Ariel. His reasons for using Ariel are with good purpose. He is not a cad, but is out to save someone close to him. Don't you just love it when the dark deadly alpha male is caught in his own trap? Trevain's plans to use Ariel gets out of hand when he's forced to kidnap her. Ariel, a wee bit fed up with people using her, is not about to make it easy on the handsome man. The kidnapping quickly blows up in his face, with spunky Ariel handling her situation with a determination that has to win your heart. What strikes me most about Britton is her gentle humor. In one instance, when Ariel escapes Nathan, falls into a pond, and nearly drowns, instead of total panic one might expect it's written with a deft handling. I won't spoil it ¯ but it's surprisingly original. Overall, it shows Britton has a style that should improve, as she grows surer of her craft, promising more novels that are delightful for readers.
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