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Desmond Rawlington, Marquess of Dunsmore was a man with secrets. An arranged marriage had been made between he and Lady Rowena Delacorte who upon hearing of it, ran off to elope with a another. It was imperative for Desmond to wed a Delacorte and when offered the younger daughter Ainsley, he was more than pleased that she was stunningly beautiful, even though she did have one very odd quirk. Lady Ainsley Delacorte was extremely shy. Ainsley could often be found hiding behind draperies, or in corners, but bashful as she was Ainsley was quite taken from the very first moment she set her eyes on the very handsome Marquess. Desmond’s touch released a passion quite unknown to Ainsley and though forced into a marriage, she quickly came to love her new husband. When she discovered a letter clearly implicating Desmond in a treasonous plot she would have to decide where her loyalties belonged – with the husband she had fallen in love with who could be a traitor, or with England. *** From the very first pages I was totally entranced with Ainsley who is one heroine this reader embraced and could empathize with. Not to be fooled into thinking that that her shyness had anything to do with strength or resolve, Ainsley was not shy in responding to Desmond’s passion, nor would she back down when and insult was hurled her way. No, she would speak back and then go and hide. Chuckling through a lot of Ainsley’s quirks, I found her to be totally charming and one of the most likeable heroines I’ve read lately. Desmond, was much more complex and moody as I see-sawed my way into liking and disliking him at times. The author kept his secrets while building up the intrigue through most of the book and it took a while before I could figure out what he was up to. But, oh my, what a wonderful lover he was. The sensual and very passionate love scenes as he initiated Ainsley in the marriage bed (and other places as well) were extremely lovely indeed! Though short in length the author populated the One Bashful Lady with well-defined secondary characters in the form of Desmond’s likeable brother and sister, as well as some very disagreeable characters. Bottom line is, I loved the quick pace, the totally enchanting heroine and beautifully described sensual love scenes. Big thumbs up for this recommended read. Marilyn Rondeau – Reviewers International Organization (RIO) |
One Bashful Lady
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