The Unexpected Wife

Ah, what a bumble broth! When at first one attempts to deceive. Juliet Winterton is determined to thwart her half-brother's attempt to arrange a marriage between her and his drunken gambling friend, Robert, Lord Taunton. Yup! she decides to take it on the lam. She and her maid, Pansy try to lay a trail that is hard to follow. She does not think Marius can be bothered to try to find her. With her father lost in Russia and his heir holding the reins and she almost of age, it appears to be the better part of valor to just disappear. Alexander Barr, Viscount Hawkswood is highly incensed and on the run from the husband hunting Miss Camilla Shelford, who is determined to trap Hawk into marriage. He asks his friend Harry Riggs to keep him posted at to her whereabouts as he looks for some distant property of his to use as a bolthole. Juliet finds herself and Pansy stranded in Woodstock and learns of Hawkswood Manor. Knowing that Hawk is unmarried and unlikely to ever show up at the Manor she decides to lay claim as his wife driven to rusticate in the country and move in. What a delightful romp through the trials of her settling in and then having to comfront Hawk who arrives unexpectedly. Hawk takes exception to Juliet's friendship with Mr. Wyllard and finds himself fascinated by Juliet's honesty and willingness to help he elude the Shelford's if they should track him down. But then her brother, Marius and Robert show up. Whoops! She must make sure that Marius believes that she is married. Innocence, honesty and a hint of the sultry keeps Hawk so entertained that he never gives a thought to leaving the Manor. Foibles and misunderstandings lend itself to a very humorous plot of two people finding it not so easy to fall in love. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED - highly entertaining - descent wonderful characters.

As a big fan of Regency Romance, I looked forward to reading this books with mixed feelings. On the one hand, the plot looked enchanting, on the other I was afraid of what exactly might be in it, since the couple are pretending to be man and wife. My fears were totally unfounded, I'm glad to say that this is quite a clean book. Also, I would disagree with one of the other reviews which spoke badly of Juliet. She told him that he could tell people she had died, and she would quietly disappear. Besides, one must give a work of fiction some leniency. All in all, very enjoyable!

This book is amix of wit, romance and definetly flight. Emily Hendrikson is at her best with alluring vocabulary and decriptions of scenes. Not graphic like Harlequis, though.