AN IMPOSSIBLE ATTRACTION

Author: Brenda Joyce ISBN: 9780373774609 3/2010 HISTORICAL Publisher: HQN
Time Period: 1800s England

Never say never… With her mother’s passing, Alexandra Bolton gave up on love to take care of her family. Now, with the Bolton name in disgrace due to her father’s profligate ways, marrying an elderly squire might be the only way to save her family from absolute ruin. But when she meets the infamous Duke of Clarewood, old dreams—and old passions—are awakened as never before. Yet she cannot accept his shocking proposition! He is the wealthiest, most powerful peer in the realm, and having witnessed the cold horror of marriage as a child, he has vowed never to wed. But Alexandra Bolton inflames him as no woman has ever done, and she also serves him his first rejection! Now Clarewood—who always gets what he wants—will choose which rules to play by. But when passion finally brings them together, a terrible secret threatens to tear them apart....

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

Brenda Joyce’s AN IMPOSSIBLE ATTRACTION is an emotionally-packed tale whose heroine is so strong, brave, and determined she could be a modern-day superhero!

The book starts on a sad, sad note, with the death of Alexandra’s beloved mother. I am not big on beginning a book in tears, but after Alexandra promises her mother she will look after her two younger sisters, things begin to look up. Still, the situation improves only marginally. Alexandra has realized she cannot wed her best friend, but must sacrifice her life for the betterment of her sisters. Her father states he cannot afford the girls, and they are pretty much left to their own resources. Fortunately Alexandra is highly resourceful, because her flirting, scheming, and social climbing save the day. Twists that are, at times, as heartbreaking as the opening of this book pop up at every turn, but she does not allow anything or anyone to dissuade her.

She and Stephen, a man whose secrets force him to often appear to be something other than what he actually is, follow a shocking path toward some sort of resolution to the myriad of problems they face. This is one of those stories where just when it appears the couple will settle their issues and get down to the job of living happily ever after, something else comes up that they must iron out. There is no room for complacency in this book!

Intriguing and well written, AN IMPOSSIBLE ATTRACTION is sure to please. Well done!

Kay James