SECRETS OF A PROPER LADY

Author: Victoria Alexander ISBN: 0060882646 10/2007 HISTORICAL Publisher: AV0N
Time Period: Victorian, 1854 London

Lady Cordelia Bannister simply cannot marry a man she has not chosen herself, no matter what her father decrees. So, pretending to be her own companion, she decides to seek out information about her intended by meeting with his secretary—a man who soon beguiles her. But Lady Cordelia doesn't know the truth—the man she can't resist is really her intended, Daniel Sinclair. Daniel has nearly won the wager he made with three of London's most eligible bachelors. While two of his compatriots have surrendered to the shackles of marriage, he's remained free to woo any woman he chooses. Yet duty forces him to consider Lady Cordelia—and determined to escape honor intact, he continues the masquerade he started. Each finds the other completely irresistible, but when they uncover their mutual mistaken identities, Daniel and Cordelia must make the most important choice of all...

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

Victoria Alexander's new release, SECRETS OF A PROPER LADY, is simply delightful. It is the third book in her last unmarried man standing series. I love this series and this book showcases Victoria Alexander's wonderfully romantic writing style. Grab a cup of something warm to drink, cuddle up on your favorite chair and be prepared to laugh and be romanced between the pages of this exceptionally written story.

Victoria Alexander brought new life to the worn-out mistaken identity theme. She makes it work to such an enjoyable degree that I soon myself completely engaged in this story. I instantly fell in love with the hero and heroine and the cast of secondary characters. From the first page, where we meet the hero, Daniel Sinclair, to the eventual HEA of the book, Ms. Alexander certainly wove some magic into the pages of SECRETS OF A PROPER LADY.

Lady Cordelia Bannister has been informed by her father that she is to marry American Daniel Sinclair. That doesn't bode well for her, since she doesn't believe in marrying without love. She devises a plan to question Daniel's secretary that involves herself and her cousin, Sarah. When her plans go a bit a array, she finds herself questioning his secretary, Warren, but pretending instead to be her cousin.

Daniel can't believe this lovely woman came out of nowhere and wants information about him. It doesn't matter at first that she believes him to be his secretary, he plays along with her plan. He also finds this the perfect opportunity to get some information about Cordelia, since she is her "cousin". Neither of them have any idea that they're not who they claim to be. As their relationship progresses and they find themselves falling in love with each other, their secrets have to be revealed.

What fun it was to see Cordelia and Daniel play this cat and mouse game! The dialogue between these two was so very witty and enjoyable. The secondary characters also played a major role in this story, and some of them even had their own secrets which had to be eventually revealed. Aside from all the secrecy, there is such a tender love story between Cordelia and Daniel, one that is sure to make you stop and sigh every so often.

I can't say enough about Victoria Alexander's SECRETS OF A PROPER LADY. It's a top-notch historical romance and one that I will savor again and again.

Julie Kornhausl