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From the first day lady’s maid Meriel (Merry) St. Thomas arrived at the court of King Charles II, his spymaster, William Chiffinch noticed Merry’s uncanny resemblance to the wife of Lord Giles, Earl of Warborough –acclaimed hero of the Four Day Battle with the Dutch. Chiffinch had discovered that Lady Felice, Lord Giles’ wife to be a spy for the Dutch, and put into motion a plan to substitute Merry for Felice. Kidnapping Merry she was coerced into becoming a double agent and delivering false information to the Dutch. But, Merry’s biggest problem was to fool Lord Giles into believing her to be his cold, calculating and despised wife. In fact, Merry had been infatuated with him for years, and totally intoxicated when she met him in the flesh. Lord Giles had entered into marriage with the beautiful Felice with love in his heart until he had discovered she had aborted his son and heir plus flagrantly cuckolding him with any noble that took her fancy. The ‘new’ Felice was somehow different and try as he might to be unforgiving there was something about Merry that drew him back to the passion and desire he once thought buried and dead. *** Once again, newer author Jeane Westin has captured this reviewer with her impeccable historical research and passionate love stories set during the Reign of Charles II. From her two previous books of this period, LADY ANNE’S DANGEROUS MAN, and LADY KATHERINE’S WILD RIDE, this author weaves an entertaining blend of the amorality and colorful figures of the “Merry Monarch’s” court along with non-stop adventure, and a passionate and sensual romance between her imaginative and beautifully portrayed leads Merry and Giles. I found Merry to be one of the most endearing, lively and intelligent heroines I’ve run across in a long time. Portrayed as being abandoned on the steps of the Canterbury Cathedral, even her name was borrowed. Growing up in an orphanage she’d survived until the day Sir Edward had brought her into his home where her lively intelligence and impudence became endearing. Merry was allowed to utilize her intelligence by listening in on children’s lessons and burrowing through Sir Edward’s library. By this means, the author made the premise of an orphan maid turned into a countess, a relatively easy switch with Merry being adept at impersonating the ways of nobility whom she’d grown up serving. Giles was a brave hero who had the misfortune to have fallen for a beauty with no heart and suffered mightily as his wife flaunted her lovers for all the court to see. When Merry was replaced as the imprisoned countess, he couldn’t help but notice slight changes in both her beauty and glimpses of the ‘wife’ he’d always dreamt of; especially when Merry would momentarily forget to play the part of the contemptuous countess and her true love and adoration of her hero managed to surface. Along with real and vibrant personalities of the period including Charles II, his infamous mistresses, Nell Gwyn and Lady Castlemain, and the scandalous libertine Lord Rochester, Ms. Westin brilliantly mixes fact, fiction and subtle humor into one glorious and all out action packed adventure that is sure to dazzle most readers. If you are a fan of the great historical romance authors you would be wise to add Jeane Westin to your list! Marilyn Rondeau – Reviewers International Organization (RIO) |
Lady merry's Dashing Champion
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