THE IMPROPER WIFE

Author: Diane Perkins ISBN: 0446614378 11/2004 HISTORICAL Publisher: WARNER FOREVER
Time Period: Regency

She said: How could I, Maggie Delaney, have been duped? Swept off my feet and married to a man who lied about his name, I now find myself at the mercy of extreme circumstances, with no money and an infant son. But I have found the owner of my husband’s false name: Captain John Grayson, a soldier, a hero, and a man of means. He doesn’t believe my story, but there is hope. Captain Grayson’s cousins, of big hearts and little suspicion, are eager to accept his new “wife” and make me a lady. How can I, a woman on the brink of ruin, refuse? He said: Does she take me, Captain John Grayson, for a fool...easily taken in by her beauty and willing to go along with her charade? When she first came to me with her preposterous cIaims, I did my gentlemanly duty. I paid her debts and took no advantage of her. Now I find her and her son at my ancestral home, beloved by all. I could easily throw her out, but her fierce pride and smoldering eyes tempt me to keep her...and make her my wife both in my heart and my bed.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

With Diane Perkins' THE IMPROPER WIFE, Warner Books once again shows us they sure know how to pick their authors. A talented new voice in historical romance, Ms. Perkins not only writes a well-crafted and intriguing story, but proves she can hold her own with more seasoned and experienced romance authors. She's definitely done her homework!

The story of a woman tricked into wedding an imposter, Maggie, the heroine, is a fascinating woman to watch. At first timid and carrying more than just her pregnancy as a hefty burden, she's a woman driven by circumstance to do what she must to survive, putting the needs of her child first. Her interplay with the oft-confused and self-sacrificing hero, Capt. John Grayson, captures the reader's attention from the start, while his willingness to give up his own happiness to ensure the safety and livelihood of Maggie and her son, Sean, not only makes him commendable but one of the most take-to-heart leading men I've read about this year.

That's not to say there weren't a few things that bothered me a bit with this book. The very beginning seemed a bit over-the-top, and I figured out all too quickly who the heartless imposter really was. Also, Grayson's willingness to give in to Maggie the majority of the time, even when it might be to his own detriment, made her appear, at times, somewhat selfish. However, Ms. Perkins ability to develop Maggie's character and show that her motives are those of a caring and devoted mother—first and foremost—quickly redeemed her to this reader, showing her as a heroine that I think most women with children could easily relate to today.

With engaging secondary characters, Regency era "speak", a slow blossoming love story between two captivating leads, and children's characters that add, rather than detract from the characters and storyline, THE IMPROPER WIFE is sure to become a favorite for lovers of Regency romance. It's a very impressive debut, indeed.

Nancy Davis