Author: Kate Rothwell
Genre: Historical Fiction
Review Rating: Five Stars
Reviewer: Linda Hays-Gibbs
Paul Denton visits his uncle the Earl of Latterly on his deathbed and discovers that he is not the new Earl upon his death. He promises the Earl he will search for this other relation. He has a cousin in America that should inherit and his uncle kept this marriage secret from everyone including the woman he was presently married to. Paul travels to New York to check out this new information.
While he is investigating; a naked woman runs into him scattering his brains into a lust filled obsession. He cannot stop himself from wanting her and having her. He hopes the episode is over and continues searching for his cousin.
Finally; with a street urchin named Tad he finds his cousin Johnny Smith. He is bailing him out of jail when the beauty from last night walks in. He finds she is his cousin's half sister and he is appalled by the amount of lust he still has for her. He tries to control himself but finds he must reeducate the new Earl. He removes Tad, Johnny, and Emma, his beautiful seductress to the country to further educate them in the proper deportment of an Earl. There he meets their mother Rita, a loud out spoken woman with no refinement.
Paul tries to control himself around Emma but when her old beau, Mr. Bishop shows his interest in Emma; Paul goes crazy. His father had a mental breakdown and he is convinced this is the start of his demise.
The new cousin that is set to inherit is a loud mouthed street trained pick pocket and all around scoundrel. However; on Johnny's credit Paul finds he has a good heart and is eager to learn. Johnny is quick to learn and wants to do right by his family but is no good at pretense. He sees that his half sister and Paul have an intense interest in each other and thinks it a grand development. His mother is so outspoken and irreverent she didn't care that people thought her an unwed mother when all along she was the Earl's rightful wife.
Paul is having a nightmare thinking how all this will be accepted by London's aristocratic society especially the Tun.
Emma thought she was the only one keeping them from starving and was trying a job out singing at a club when a brut tried to take advantage and literally ripped her costume off. That was the state she was in when she ran into Paul. Now she has to swallow her humiliation for her brother's sake and pretend she doesn't want Paul with all her heart.
There are so many twists and turns to this story it keeps you guessing. They go to London and Paul tries to teach them all to behave. He has a hard time making himself behave around Emma though.
I loved each and every character because they were so human and funny, fully fleshed and enchanting.
This story is hilarious and endearing with a great love story too.
I laughed out loud at parts and kept turning pages for the rest of the book. It was a delight to read.
I gave it Five Stars and wish I had more to give.
Sincerely,
Linda Hays-Gibbs
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