WHAT A GENTLEMAN WANTS

Author: Caroline Linden ISBN: 0821779311 9/2006 HISTORICAL Publisher: ZEBRA
Time Period: Regency

Marcus Reece, duke of Exeter, has spent most of his life pulling his twin brother out of trouble. An occasional thank you would suffice; instead his resentful sibling forges his name to a marriage license and presents him with an unwanted wife. She's a vicar's widow with a mind of her own, who may be the first person in Marcus's well-ordered life to make him feel...completely out of control. Hannah Preston can't help but curse her own idiocy. Dire straits have led her to the alter with a gentleman she hardly knows. Played for a fool, she's embarrassed, furious, and worse, married to an equally outraged stranger—an exasperating man who unleashes all manner of emotions in Hannah, not to mention unwanted desire. Reluctantly, she agrees to play the wife until he can sort out the mess. But the nearness of the undeniably attractive duke and the passion in his dark eyes unsettles her well-guarded heart—making her want to do so much more than 'act' the role of blissful bride...

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

When one first reads the summary of WHAT A GENTLEMAN WANTS, it may be easy to think it's all been written before—the tale of identical twins who are as different as night and day. Or the poor countrified vicar's widow, who finds herself in such dire straits she accepts the offer of a marriage-of-convenience to a handsome lord, willing to ignore her conscience just to give her young daughter a better life. Yes these storylines may sound slightly familiar, but everything Caroline Linden has created within the pages of this book are anything but ordinary. From the onset it is quite clear the laughter and intensity of emotion are so extraordinary, the thought that it's been done before vanishes from one's mind never to return.

Hannah Preston is a young widow with a five year-old daughter who will soon find herself homeless. Being the widow of a vicar means the small country cottage she calls home, must be turned over to the new vicar and his family. She dreads the fact that her only option will be to move in with her father and his new family. As she tries to prepare herself and her belongings for the move, an accident involving two handsome and very drunk lords outside her cottage brings her an unwanted house guest. With a dislocated shoulder and a broken leg, the wastrel, Lord David Reece, must convalesce in the country for many weeks. As the weeks go by, he sees possible salvation for himself in Hannah and her daughter, Molly. He also sees he may be the only one to save Hannah from having to live with her family as an unwanted burden. It isn't until the night before their wedding that doubt creeps in on David, and he sees many reasons his plan is actually quite foolhardy. Not wanting to desert Hannah and Molly in their hour of need, he sees the perfect solution in the form of his brother, the Duke.

Marcus Reece, the Duke of Exeter, has spent his entire life saving David's hide from one debacle to another. But even he can't believe his latest exploit! But old habits die hard, and Marcus finds himself striking a deal with the exacerbating young widow to save his family the heartbreak of finding out how low David has sunk.

From the moment they set eyes on each other, the sparks of dislike and desire fly between Marcus and Hannah. Hannah cannot conceive how it is possible to sit in the presence of David for hours being content and calm, but when she encounters his twin brother, she feels an awareness she has never felt with another human being, including her husband. It swiftly becomes apparent that Marcus and Hannah's agreement may not be as simple as they thought. Neither of them know how to keep up a charade of being husband and wife, all the while preventing becoming that in truth. As if this wasn't going to be difficult enough, Marcus needs to help find the culprits of a counterfeit operation, hopefully clearing his brother's involvement. And just when Marcus and Hannah begin to admit their attraction to each other, danger comes lurking in their very own home.

Ms. Linden writes like an artist painting a picture, drawing the reader in with lively dialogue and vivid descriptions. A scene in which Hannah first encounters Marcus' stepmother and sister literally had me so absorbed, laughing out loud and smiling so much, I didn't even realize it was happening until my cheeks began to get sore. The same goes for the emotional and tender moments, along with the heart stopping suspenseful ones.

This is one new author you must make room for on your keeper shelf, in between Kleypas and Quinn, as her stories seem quite up to par with romance's biggest stars. I anxiously await to dive headfirst into her next novel, which I have high hopes will be about a woman who's got what it takes to run David Reece to ground. Happy Reading!

Deana Monteleone