COMPROMISED

Author: Kate Noble ISBN: 9780425226506 2/2009 HISTORICAL Publisher: BERKLEY SENSATION
Time Period: 1829

Miss Gail Alton is not having a good day. Or a good year. First, her new stepmother strong-arms her into attending the Season as a foil to her beautiful sister Evangeline. Then, while riding her mare in the park, she gets toppled by a stuffy, self-important, too-handsome-by-half "gentleman" who has the audacity to blame her for their fall into the chilly lake! Little does she know that the very same man will soon be found in a compromising position with Gail's sister. Forced into asking for Evangeline's hand in marriage, Maximillian, Viscount Fontaine, can't take his mind off the irksome girl who threw him from his horse and who can match wits with him at every turn. He's determined to follow through with his best intentions, yet he can't deny that every encounter with Gail makes him want to cast propriety aside—and whisk away the sister of his soon-to-be bride.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

The title, COMPROMISED, can actually be taken two ways—the obvious way (that Max compromises Evangeline), and then also in the way that both Gail and Evangeline are expected to compromise their ideals for the sake of propriety and society. As much as I enjoyed Gail’s vivacious nature, I found myself feeling more for Evangeline. As the Beauty of the family her options are limited to a certain extent. She’s noticed, in other words, and because of that she needs to be perfect all the time.

As a conversation between their father (Sir Geoffrey) and their stepmother makes clear, their stepmother expected such antics (being found in a compromising position) from Gail, but from Evangeline? Never! She showed so much promise!

I was undecided for much of the book about how I felt about the romance. Though the book is supposed to be about Gail and Max falling in love (inconveniently timed as it is), we spend a lot of time watching them build a foundation of friendship (which I applaud) while Max does the honorable thing and courts Evangeline. It almost felt like two books in a series—as if at any time the story would take off, Evangeline would break it off with Max and pursue her own true love and that would be the ending. Then the next book would be about Max and Gail’s stormy courtship and trials.

The tension between Gail and Max is evident—they argue quite a bit, have much in common and find even more things not in common to bicker over. I give him credit, however—he does try to make it seem more of an older brotherly bickering. Once they are together though, things fall a little flat, but the ending is simply hilarious. Really, the theme of this book is ’never underestimate anyone’ because several characters make surprising comments/actions that leave other characters dumbfounded.

Alexandra Cenni