Athena's Conquest

Thank God the heroine isn't beautiful and perfect! A departure from the young and lovely mold, Athena is practical, mature and ultimately, vulnerable. This is an enjoyable story with some interesting minor characters.

What happens when a rather plain bluestocking, who has no intention of ever marrying, finds herself attracted to a handsome Frenchman she doesn't quite trust? Athena Montgomery is in Bath, acting as companion to her eccentric and reclusive grand aunt, Louisa Montgomery, and chaperonning her beautiful but no very intelligent younger sister, Cassiopeia, when she meets Dominic Solage at a bookshop. Athena doesn't know quite what to make of Dominic. He seems to be an intelligent and interesting man, however he also given to charming everyone he comes into contact with in extravagant terms, and Athena doesn't trust or like men who empty the butterboat on everyone they come into contact with. To make matters worst, Cassiopeia decides to try and make a conquest of Dominic! How is Athena to protect her sister when she is herself attracted to Dominic?Dominic Solage is in Bath on the trail of a pair of con artists, hoping to be able to unmask and effect an arrest. With this rather serious task to undertake the last thing he expected was to find himself attracted to a rather plain and prim bluestocking. But there is something about Athena he finds completely captivating. However any kind of flirtation with Athena is impossible: not only does she seem to completely disapprove of him, but she also happens to be the niece of his superior! He should by rights just forget all about Athena and get on with his job. But this Dominic finds he just cannot do. Can Dominic persuade Athena to overlook her misgivings and to trust him?Catherine Blair does a superb job of portraying both Athena's and Dominic's confusion over their feelings for each other: Athena has decided that there is no room for romance in her life, while Dominic never expected to feel attracted to a woman who does not find him charming at all. And the subplot involving Dominic's search for the confidence tricksters blends nicely into the rather unusual courtship dance that both Dominic and Athena find themselves unconsciously performing. The one criticism I had with this otherwise enjoyable novel was the subplot involving Cassiopeia. Catherine Blair goes a little into the feelings of inadequacy that she feels about being the odd-one-out in a family of intellectuals (and indeed this leads her to commit a rather foolish and desperate act). But I think this subplot could have been blended in a little bit more so that the novel would have had a more complete and balanced feel. The villains of the book are rather easy to figure out, but then this is not a mystery novel so that that in itself is not too important a detraction. "Athena's Conquest" is an agreeable light read, and one that I enjoyed immensely.